We are going back to church.

Today is the day. We've been trying to get out of the house for the past two weekends and it's been a no go. The girls were sick or we overslept and no...I did not turn the alarm off oh so quietly and sneak downstairs for a lovely cup of coffee by my side and the Sunday newspaper in my lap. Nope. Not me.

The hubby was serious this week. We were gonna go to church. Can I explain the hardest thing about getting ready for church? It is getting out of bed. Oh man alive is it hard. It's cold outside. Really cold. Our temperature right now is 8. Yep. 8. I was laying in bed with a cocoon of covers all around me and I was waaaaaaa-aaarm. The hubby was waaaaarm and had his foot touching mine. I was in that in-between place where you are kind of still asleep but kind of awake. Oh I was comfy. Our duvet was in just the right place and my pillow was scrunched in just the right way. Then I hear "D......D....you gonna wake up the girls?" For just one second I wanted to punch him. I laid there trying to pretend to be so asleep that he would say "Oh look how cute she is....I'll just leave her alone" but no. That's not the way we roll around here. To get the ball rolling the (cue hero music) the mom needs to be AWAKE. My husband (and yes he's right) was missing going to church as a family and not another Sunday would pass without us sitting as one in a pew.

So did I wake up with a joyful heart?? Well..........my heart didn't start really feeling joyful til my second cup of coffee but I did get out of bed and wake the girls up nicely. I am now dressed and ready and working on my third cup. The hair is floofed and the jewelry is picked out.
We are off to church.
And the people said Amen.
:)

The other day when I was at the place called the Doorway to Hell aka the gym, I decided to shake things up a bit and hop on a machine I'd never tried before. It looks kinda like a stair stepper but kind of like a skiing thing. There was a guy next to me going to town and I thought "Meh, how hard can it be?" heh.

I smiled at him as I got myself situated. He smiled back and kept going at a speed of about fortyleven. I put my feet where they needed to go and put my earphones in my ears. I picked a song..... Baby by Justin Bieber cause I turn into a 12 year old girl when I workout. I looked over the very large and very full of buttons control panel and decided to press the one marked ON cause my momma dint raise herself no fools.



That thing took off like a bat out of hell and I almost fell off while trying to find the OFF button. The man next to me tried very hard not to laugh. I think I heard him snort. I gave him my best "do not even go there dude....I am a woman who has not had a Pepsi in T minus 8 days and I'm on the edge looking at crazy" while I hopped off to figure out my next plan of attack.



Thank you to all that is holy that this machine was in the back of the room.



I got back on, restarted Justin on the I-Pod and tentatively hit the ON button again. I could see funny man watching me. That machine took off again but I was ready this time. I hung in there for a total of 10 minutes. Do you have any idea how long 10 minutes is?? It. Is. A. Very. Long. Time.



I was pretty proud of myself for hanging in there as long as I did. I may have had a swagger when I walked back downstairs to wait for my hubby to finish his workout. I sat next to a man waiting for his wife. He was asleep. I almost fell asleep while waiting.



Now someone open me a Pepsi.

Biggest Loser....

Anyone watch the show Biggest Loser? We love that show in this house....that one and American Idol. Tonight we watched both of them. Let us talk about Biggest Loser shall we?



You know, I was feeling pretty good about doing my two miles on the treadmill until I saw this show. I gotta step it up. This year one of my goals was to lose some poundage and get healthier. Why is it that as soon as your body figures out that you are doing a life change thing it gets all panicky and you are hungry all the time??? Anyone else go through that?? I've been waking up hungry. Food calling me from the fridge. It's awful. I've been meal planning and recipe reading to try and do some different things. I think maybe I was born in the wrong era. I totally would do great as a Renaissance Woman! Painters would get me to pose for them as they would be enamored of my curves. I could lay around all day eating bon bons. sigh. Wrong era for sure.

So as 2010 is the year I finally stop making excuses for myself and start working out and eating better I have been looking in my cookbooks and going to Barnes and Noble looking through magazines for some recipes. For the first time in a long time my family is excited to see what I'm making for dinner as there are some new things I'm trying.

As for tomorrow?? I am going to hit that treadmill and hit it hard. Then I may do some lunges. Then I may complain a bit. Then I may do some.....wait for it people...I may do a sit up or ten. It has been 8 years since I've done a sit up.



God Help Me.

Serial Killer At My Door.....

Oh Int-Netz!!! You are not gonna believe what I did today!! Oh the horror!!! Oh the craziness!!! Oh if Oprah could have seen!!!!



I had just woken up from a very satisfying nap. One which I had to take cause I talked to the doctor about my "Vitamins" and yeah, that makes me very exhausted feeling in my brain so after a two hour trip to Barnes and Noble a nap was next up. So there I was. Just woke up from a nap. Feeling a little hungry so I went to the kitchen for a biscotti (lemon) when it happened. I heard a knock at the door. Duh Duh Duh!!! I peeked out of our side window to see who it could be and I saw an old truck with two ladders on the side and some other men type things. I went to the door to peek out the window and a little old man was standing there holding out a name badge. I opened the door very carefully and he gave me this big smile. I know!!! He had serial killer written all over him!!!! He told me he was from Time Warner Cable and that he was making house calls to check on the work of the phone installer that had come to the house a couple of weeks ago. He said some of them were not installing phones right and he needed to see if there was some box attached. Now this whole time I am standing there not saying a word and wondering if my num-chuck skills are going to be needed. He again shows me his badge and tells me it's okay and then smiles again.



Int-netz.....I let him in.



I know!! I can hear you yelling "oh no Dawn you didnt!!!"



I did. I was caught unawares and not fully awake and OMG if Oprah was here she would have my head as she has done any number of shows on just this type of thing!! I swear if he would have asked me to help him find his puppy I would have gone. And all because he smiled at me and said it was okay......and he kinda looked like a grandpa.

I totally re-thought my decision when I was watching him crawl around on my floor checking our phone line and even wondered what I would do if he whipped out his screw-driver and came after me. It was then I started to get really worried. So as he's crawling around I tell him all nonchalantly "my husband is home but he is upstairs." "Upstairs very close and probably listening right this very minute" annnnnnnnnnnnd just in case he wasn't as concerned as he should be I through in...... "he is a body builder." and I may have said "Please do not kill me cause I have a Nook coming soon from Barnes and Noble and I will really be bummed if I die before I can use it."

Thankfully he was not a killer of unsuspecting women who have just woken up from a nap. I am, however, on restriction from opening up the door during the day so if anyone comes by and I do not answer this is why. Plus ....just a little FYI to any future phone checkers that come a knockin.......today I bought 6 very large German Sheppard type dogs. And maybe a Pit Bull. Possibly the rabid dog from Cujo.

Just saying.

quilt pics!!

Where in the world does the time go I ask ya?? Sheesh. It's like once you hit 40 you can blink and a week has gone by.

Thank you to everyone who left a comment about the son entering the Air Force. There are still a few comments I need to respond to...please don't think I have forgotten. Life has been busy! :)

So he is all sworn in and the next step is to find out when he leaves for basic training. He is going to get one of his top two choices for jobs. Both of them will find him in an airplane. Not flying them but doing other things. Great job for him as he will get to travel. I plan on stocking up on the "vitamins" and talk to my doctor about some Ambien. heh

On to quilt pics!!!! Our Judy asked the quilting community if anyone wanted to try out a pattern she was working on. This was before Christmas. I jumped on the chance cause if you've seen her work you know her quilts turn out beautifully and her patterns are really easy to follow. Here is my take...........the family loves it! I have it over the back of our long couch and have already tested it to see if it is nap worthy. It is. :)
Next up is a quilt kit I bought when I was at the Fabric Shack here in Ohio. Shoot! I forgot who designed this one. I'll look that up when I am not lolling about in bed being a woman of leisure who blogs while in pjs.
Last but not least is an Angel Babies wall hanging I finished just last night. I got the pattern for free on this site. It's by Sindy Rodenmayer. This is the next one to be put on the frame.
Cute right!!


Allrighty, that's all I got. Lots of things going on just not anything really exciting. I did have a serial killer at my door today and I just knew he was gonna get me with his screwdriver but that my friends is a story for tomorrow. heeheehee
hugs everyone!!!

The Son....

Things have been busy this week here at Chez' Owens. Our son is getting ready to sign up for the Air Force. Papers have had to be found.......other papers have been read and signed.....many talks about the future going on over there.
Today I take him to the recruiters office so he can get on a bus with other young men and women. They will stay the night in a hotel in Columbus. All of them will take a 4 hour test......a physical........some more paperwork....and then tomorrow I pick him up. After that we wait for him to be called up. He is pretty excited to get his life started. I thought maybe he'd help his momma out and pick some safe jobs. heh. I was wrong. My baby wants to travel and be in airplanes and jump out of them. He wants to see everything and go everywhere and try everything.
I just smile and tell him I support him but my insides are saying "WHA?????????"
So that is what's been going on this week. I have a couple of quilts to post and American Idol to talk about...who out there misses crazy Paula?? Raise your hands....but that will have to wait for later on tonight. This morning I am taking my grown up boy out for breakfast. I want to make sure he is well fed before he leaves. Then I'll hug him and maybe cry a bit. It's a mothers prerogative to cry a bit when their babies are a leaving them. Even if it's just for an overnight trip. A very important overnight trip.

Have a good one everybody!!

Walker Leigh's hubby just got home from being deployed for a year.



A year int-netz. 365 days.


Welcome home big guy!!!!! WE ARE SO VERY PROUD OF YOU HERE AT CHEZ OWENS!!

This morning the kids got a snow day. No school for them so they are sleeping late. The hubby left for work about 10 minutes ago. I was walking around the house thinking of what to do first when I remembered I had some Red Vine licorice hidden in my sewing cabinet. I gave a fist pump of joy and said out loud "Best day ever!!"

Do you think this means I am easy to please??

hahahahaha

SSCS......

Just wanted to take a moment and show what I got during the SSCS that Chookyblue put on for us.
The person who got my name was Fiona.
I just love everything she sent!! The needles are wonderful and I've already put them in the needle keep she made. Now I just need to figure out what my next stitching project is going to be.

Thanks so much to Chookyblue for having the swap and thank you to Fiona for her wonderful gifts!!

Tonight....

Tonight I have co-co-van (does anyone really know how to spell that???!) cooking in the oven. Baby portibello mushrooms with some asparagus thrown in and topped with Parmesan cheese will happen soon. Some rolls and a lovely cranberry vodka will round out the meal. Also?? I am making an apple crostata for dinner....but you know what I really want?? What I really and truly want int-netz??

My brothers.

I want to call my brothers......all three of them.....and tell them to come over for dinner where I can fuss over them and refill their plates while touching them on the shoulder when I pass their chair. And I want to laugh at their jokes cause the three of them are the funniest dag-on men you ever will meet. Each in their own individual way. I just want to sit and feel all full of love for them while they talk to my kids. I want to hug them and call them Charlie. I want to have to take a running leap over their legs while they sit on my floor cause good golly miss molly are they tall! I want to feed them apple crostata till they are so full they pop. I just want them here so I can look at them and smile.

My heart is all squeezy feeling for them tonight.

Just wanted you to know.

Ahhhh the life....

The hubby has not been sleeping well for the past couple of night and ladies out there you know this means I have not been sleeping well.
Last night I announced that I would be sleeping on the couch and for no one to bother me because by gosh! I was going to get a good nights sleep!

This morning, after everyone left for school and work, I came into the living room to tidy up and this is who I found underneath the covers sleeping oh so wonderfully. hahahahaha She woke up just as I took a picture. I wonder if she jumped up there, got cozy and thought to herself "Yep, she put all of this here just for me!"
It's good to be queen here at Chez' Owens.

Christmas post and SSCS gifts...

Everyone goes back to their proper places this morning so I now have time to blog. Happy day!

Christmas was great this year. There were SSCS gifts received and loved from Fiona...... I will post a picture later on. I thought I took a picture but can't find it on the computer so I shot an email to Chookyblue to see if I could borrow the one she has. As soon as I get an okay I'll put the picture up. :)

Here are some of our Christmas pics...much happened. There was eating and laughing and eating and laughing and Avatar watching (lurrrrved it!!) Also there was......

A last Christmas with this guy since he is joining the Air Force and will be gone by April to basic training...sob...












Boyfriends came over.........













The living room threw up wrapping paper.....













The Rents were enjoyed.........













Uncles woke up early to open gifts with a smile on their faces........












My daddy was loved on and fussed over..... just noticed that little tear on the pillow there...hmmm must fix that today.













One brother came to a house of ours for the very first time and can I say that I was thrilled!!!...












This was the scene BEFORE I put out the presents hidden in my closet. Yeah, I know, lots and lots of gifts. Just looking at this picture makes me giggle!










The best Christmas picture of the day. Our Boo Bear really really IswearIwillneveraskforanythingaslongasIlive really wanted a mini laptop for Christmas. We told her it was to expensive and to ask for something else. Little did she know we had one in our closet all wrapped and waiting for her.

She cried.

It was awesome.






Look! We even got snow. It was just a perfect couple of days in every possible way.
Next year, crossing fingers, my other brother will be able to be here!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!!

Happy Holidays!!

Whew! Life is a-busy right now. I got ready for the Rents....and my brothers....they came...they unwrapped...they ate...I took two days to clean up from all the being merry....I took pictures....my kids stole the batteries to my camera....I'll be back after the New Year.

Happy Holidays everyone. Be safe.

A couple of Christmases ago we started a new tradition. After dinner we head out to see a movie. This year Sherlock Holmes is on the agenda. The hubby is excited....the bros want to see it...my dad is going.....my kids are psyched....but guess what?? The youngest wants to see that Chipmunk movie instead. Plus? Sherlock Holmes is rated PG-13 so I'm not to sure she should see it anyway. What to do what to do? The other day she said to me "Hey momma, instead of seeing Sherlock Holmes maybe you and I could see the Chipmunk movie!" Then she grinned at me cause hello! Seeing the Chipmunk movie instead of Robert Downey Jr!! Great idea!!
heh.
I saw my husband smile out of the corner of my eye. He was smiling cause he isn't the momma and he gets to see Sherlock Holmes with all the grown up people while I will be trying not to stab my eye out watching the Chipmunks.

Someone better get me a really good Christmas present that's all I'm saying.

Giveaway.....

There is a great giveaway going on at the Jolly Jabber folks!! You only need to pick out some wonderful things that you wish for and post it on your blog. Easy Peasy!! Oh, and you have to write a note to Santa letting him in on the whole thing.

Dear Santa,
I was a very good girl this year. Really. I was. Don't listen to the hubby.....he hasn't been himself lately and doesn't understand my need for more fabric. So since I was such a good girl I was thinking maybe I could give you some ideas as to what to put in my stocking this year. See!! I'm "helping" which is what all good girls do. :)


Just look here Santa. Look at the fabulesness that is this fat quarter bundle. It just makes me feel all "sighing" inside.








Or look at this pattern from Bunny Hill....who I adore by the way. I would be ever so happy to have this under the tree. It would keep my hands busy at night while the kids and the hubby have total control of the TV. Not that I am bitter about sharing the TV Santa. I'm not. Uh-uh. Not me. I am a sharer type of girl which is why I should totally have this pattern. :)
Thank You ever so much Santa Clause!!!
Hugs to Mrs. Clause!
Dawn

Winter come-eth...

When I took the dog out for her morning walk yesterday this is what our sky looked like.


Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!









10 minutes later it looked like this. Doesn't that picture just say "Chicken soup......roaring fire in the fireplace.....warm toasty socks.....candy canes.....getting under a warm quilt and reading a book". The wind was blowing and there was promise of a storm headed our way. People were getting slammed with snow....which means my kids wore their PJs inside out and backwards last night. What?? You didn't know that's how you get a snow day to happen??
This morning I woke up to snow. About an 18th of an inch....but still! Snow! Now I just need to get that chicken soup started. :)


This guy came to visit me and wanted his breakfast today. Sorry the picture is blurry but they sure do move fast. I started to call them before I put food out over the summer. There is a big one that comes running as soon as I call now. It's pretty neat. My husband didn't think it was so neat though when he came home the other day and found the squirrels eating bits of pound cake. Sigh. Does the man not know that even squirrels need a little sumpin sumpin now and then??

Stay warm everyone!!

Trimming the tree......

With The Rents and two of my brothers spending Christmas here at Chez' Owens I finally got around to decking some halls. We'd tried for a solid week to get the tree done but with two kids feeling all grown it was hard to find them all home at one time. Saturday I told everyone to be home or be square and that we were gonna trim the tree. Plus? My OCD was gonna kill someone if all the boxes of Christmas cheer weren't unloaded and put back in the Garage Of Shame where all boxes belong. heh. (True Story: I actually called my mom the next day...when the tree was done but nothing had been put away...I called her while hiding in my room because oh my gosh the boxes!! the mess!! where to start!?!?!?!!! Panic attack panic attack can't breath can't breath. My mom?? Totally rocks and calmed me down. Then I proceeded to unhide and clean. Oh, and I was able to breath again. I should totally do a Xanex commercial!)
Trimming the tree started off wonderfully...sarcasm sarcasm.....I may or may not have said "We are doing this as a family and we are having fun!! Now get up and start making memories dammit!!"

In the interest of full disclosure here is my dining room table. Chock full of stuff. Why do they need so much stuff Intnetz and why do they have to put it on my table???










This guy here was threatened with bodily harm if he didn't put an ornament on the tree. As you can see the dog is the only one who even pretended to listen to me. The son?? Got up and gave me bear hug and thought it all very funny when I gave him the death stare.







This guy?? This yummy bit of fabulessness?? Trimmed the tree like a pro. See those black cases to his right?? Those are just a small sampling of cd's he had to look through to find just the right music to decorate by. Tomorrow I will clean until everything is bright and shiny. Then I'll be ready for Christmas. :)

Have a good one everybody!!

SSCS!!!!!

Yesterday when I went to check the mail I was so excited to see my SSCS swap package!!!
The very talented Fiona sent the cutest ornament for our tree and some yummy chocolate. How did you know I love chocolate Fiona?? Oh yeah, I forgot, it's a quilters rule. All quilters must love chocolate. heeheehee
My other present is under the tree waiting for Christmas morning. Thank you so much for your thoughtfullness Fiona!!!! I love the ornament and today?? I also loved the chocolate! hahaha

SOS....

The other night my son took his sister...her boyfriend...and a friend out for dinner. 10 minutes after they leave we get a call from our daughter. The car won't start. My hubby gets in our car to go and see what's what. When he got home he tells me that even though there are two young men in the car, when he pulled up everyone was sitting all toasty warm INSIDE of the car waiting for him. The Calvary. Was the hood opened and any discussing going on you ask? No.

Dad had been called and dad was being waited for.

They get the car pushed back to our house and I take a look at my sons dejected face. I do what any mother would do in just such a situation....I call The Rents. (insert hero music here) I tell my mom what is what and she mentions to my father that The Son may be having a bit of car trouble. My dad knew he was a mechanic in the womb. He only needs to listen to an engine to know what needs to be done. Also? Besides being a whiz with all things mechanically he is a Grandpa. Grandpas go where Grandpas are needed. The Son talked to my dad to discuss what to do and even though he lives about 5 1/2 hours away...and STILL has a tracheotomy....my dad said he'd come and check it out. The next day my dad goes to work.......and then drives to our house....5 1/2 hours away.

I had strict instructions from my mom not to let him look at the car until he'd had a good nights sleep. The next morning....after fortifying him with coffee.....we went out to look at the car. After some discussion it is decided that it needs to go to the mechanical place also known as the car fixer place and have someone hook it up to some thingies and tell us what's wrong. At least that's how I understood it. Pistons may have been mentioned and something called a belt. It was here that all came to the conclusion that I was not going to be a whole lotta help. heh.

So the son put his key in the starter thingy and low and behold the car turned on!!!! No doubt it was scared into submission by my father "Super Grandpaw" I gave my son the death stare aka MY FATHER JUST DROVE FOR A HUNDREDELEVENTY HOURS AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR CAR???!?!!!! and then my dad says not to worry cars do that when the battery is bad and for me to go get dressed (yes, I was outside in my pajamas with bed head. Do not judge me.) he wanted me to go with them and that he'd be buying his baby girl a Starbucks. I know I know....he is swoon worthy.
When we get to the car fixer place they let us know that the battery is bad. Super Grandpaw looked at my son and said "I'll be paying for this" and he whipped out his Discover card faster then you can say I Want Me Some Fabric!! Then he took us out to lunch at Panera......and then he got into his car and drove 7 hours to visit my brother. Content in the knowledge he had done a good job. I think his car may have glowed with all of the goodness pouring out of that man.
We get in the house and my son looks at me. He says. "Wow. Grandpa drove all this way to help me with my car...and then he payed for a new battery." He shook his head and says "He's a really great guy, huh mom."
Yeah son. Yeah he is.

Thanks for coming to the rescue my daddy. I love you more then ice cream!!!

For the past two weeks someone has been home with me. Either I've had a sick kiddo or someone has been on vacation. We have been in and out. To the store and back. I've cooked and done laundry. My house has not been tidy no matter how hard I tried to keep up. We even took a trip to Columbus and my daughters besty came for a week long visit.

Have I mentioned that someone has been home with me every day for the past two weeks??

Yesterday I cleaned. I shined up my home. I cooked a big pot of chicken soup and the house smelled wonderful. Laundry was started. Then I sort of forgot about it. Then my husband reminded me. Laundry was started anew. Then I sighed a big loooooooong sigh.

Today there is just me......and the dog....and the cat. The way God intended for Mondays to be. My men are at work. My daughters are at school. I have a big ole pot of coffee and a new creamer called mint chocolate aka balm for a mothers soul. There is nothing before me but a day of quiet. I need to get laundry done but that is neither here nor there. I have an applique project ready and blogs to get caught up on.
I love having a quiet day to myself after so much busyness. It makes me feel all pink puffy hearted inside.

I hope everyone out there is having just such a Monday...full of peace. :)