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Easter Egg Coloring

25 Apr 2011 by Mike

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This was the first year of Easter Egg coloring that both kids could participate in. I only did a dozen eggs since I wasn’t sure how much interest Connor would have. I did the traditional egg food coloring and looked up some creative colors on McCormicks website. Caden could do the coloring on his own with no help for me. Connor loved putting the eggs in, but wasn’t vey careful about it. So, we only had 1 casualty egg which is pretty good. I think we’ll have to do more than a dozen next year.

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Category: Caden, Connor, Holidays  50 Comments

Seeing the Easter Bunny

23 Apr 2011 by Kristen

We went to see the Easter Bunny this year. Connor was not happy….Caden was excited. After the picture they each got a free book from him! Happy Easter everyone!

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Category: Caden, Connor, Holidays  57 Comments

The Melting Pot

17 Apr 2011 by Kristen

For years, I have been asking to go the The Melting Pot. It has been listed as one of the top restaurants to go to for a special occasion. So, this year I finally got my wish.

I’ve never had fondue before, so I didn’t have any expectations. The night started by them ushering us down a dark quiet hallway into a small booth behind a curtain. After contemplating the menu, we decided to just go with their Big Night Out special (Latin style) which included cheese fondue, salad, meats & vegetables & chocolate fondue.

The cheese fondue came with bread, salted chips (aka tortilla chips), raw vegetables & green apples. It was a nice start. I asked for it to be mild, but I probably could have tolerated it a little spicier.

Next were the salads. I went with their special salad that went with the Latin theme. I really was not impressed and kind of wished I would have gone with just the generic house salad.

Third course was the meat and vegetables. Our waiter came out and explained all the sauces (about 8 different kinds). Next, he explained the cooking times on all the meat and vegetables which I then asked him to repeat about 2 or 3 times =). I have to say this was the most complicated meal I have ever eaten in my life.

Finally , the best part of the whole night…the chocolate fondue!! All I can say is yum! The chocolate came with strawberries, bananas, pound cake, brownies, cheesecake and marshmallows.

All in all, I liked ambiance if I wanted an adult romantic dinner. The dinner was nothing special. However, I would come back just for dessert!

Here’s our complementary photo that they took of us.

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Category: Restaurants  One Comment

Angel’s feathers

15 Apr 2011 by Kristen

My mom and I were really close. I talked to her just about everyday on the phone. Ever since her death, I get the feeling that she isn’t gone….just gone somewhere I can’t see her.

A couple of days after her death, I started cleaning out her house and I brought several garage bags of various items back to my house. I opened up one of those bags and started putting stuff away. When I reached the bottom of the empty garbage bag, I found 3 pennies. I believe it was a sign from my mom that she was ok and still with me. If you google “pennies from heaven” you can find lots of testimonials about this happening to other people just after a loved one passes away.

I’ve also found feathers….not just a few, but a lot of feathers. The day after she died, there were feathers stuck to the side of my van door. I also see feathers just randomly outside….more often than I used to. Perhaps I am just more aware of them now. Then on the day of Connor’s surgery for his ear tubes, he was taking a nap and I was doing laundry. I opened up the dryer door to get the freshly tumbled clothes out and sitting on top of the warm clothes was a white feather about 6 inches long. Where could this feather have come from? I say it was my mom. You can also google “feathers from the dead”. You’ll find more there.

Perhaps I just want to see these things. Perhaps it’s just pure coincidence. But perhaps there is something on the other side that we just don’t understand yet.1

Category: Kristen  One Comment

No more ear infections! (hopefully…)

14 Apr 2011 by Kristen

Today was a big day for Connor. After many ear infections over the fall and winter, we decided it would be best for Connor to get ear tubes. Cade had them when he was Connor’s age and it made such a difference that we really didn’t think twice about Connor getting them when they told us he needed them.

We had to arrive at the hospital at 6:30 so that meant a 4:45 wake up call for me and in the car by 5:30. He had to have nothing to eat or drink after midnight, so I was a little nervous about how he would handle the morning without having anything. He did great until we got to the waiting room where he kept looking at me and saying “Wa Wa. Yeah.” with a yes head shake in order to convenience me to give him his sippy cup. I played it off as if I didn’t know where his cup was. He continued to do great until a few minutes before surgery when he found his lunchbox in the stroll. Luckily he couldn’t get it out and the nurse came to get him before he discovered my secret hiding space for the sippy.

The tubes went well. Part of me was a teensy bit nervous since it’s anesthesia, but I knew he was in good hands and he would be just fine…and he was. He came home and napped for 2 hours. He had lunch and we did a couple of errands then he napped for another hour and a half! Needless to say he was tired. However despite all that sleeping, he was back to his normal, happy self by mid-day.

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Happy Anniversary

13 Apr 2011 by Kristen

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Today is our 9th anniversary! It’s gone by so fast and so much has changed since that day. Who knew in 9 short years:

We would have 2 great kids
We would buy a house and then another and know so much more about remodeling and home repair
We would adopt 2 greyhounds
Mike would be working for our own business
We would own an cell phone that did more than make calls!
I would be working in exclusively Pediatrics
My mom would no longer be with us

Overall, we have a lot of ups, a few downs, but we’ve stuck together and I look forward to what the next 9 years brings.

Category: Mike and Kristen  Leave a Comment

Annual Lasagna Dinner

16 Jan 2011 by Kristen

Every New Year’s Day for the last few years, I have made Lasagna and homemade Italian Bread.  Well this year, 3 out of 4 of us were really sick on New Year’s Day, so it was postponed to the weekend after.  Caden helped me make the bread and the lasagna this year.    I even had an apron made for him….courtesy of my co-worker!  He had so much fun.  Maybe next year, both kids will help!

Category: Family, Holidays  Leave a Comment
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