Hurray, he's here!!!!!

I am SO happy to introduce Stuart to his new home.  At first I don't think he was too thrilled.  You can tell when he's not too sure about something because his little peaks on his hat will sort of lay down a bit.  I don't think he's too sure about our weather here.  It is much colder than Germany...  Today it is 5 degrees outside, but I wanted him to see our back yard with the snow falling.  Can you see he was looking a bit...unsure?

So then I had to put him down for a little bit and let him get warmed up.  I really needed to get a few thing done so I left him alone and in just a little bit I realized he was making friends with his new housemates.

I think they are all going to be the best of buddies!   So, as they were all getting to know each other better I decided to get some of the things done, that has been put on the back burner, like... cleaning, delivering goody bags and such.  And when I got home, what do you think I found?  Well, let me just show you!

I think he figured out how to use my camera faster than I did!  When I downloaded the picture of the boys getting friendly I also noticed all these other photo's that I am SURE I did not take!  But, they sure are cute.  It's nice to know he was checking out his new digs.  And if you look closely, his little peaks on his cap are definitely beginning to perk up!  That's a good sign... isn't it?

There were tons more pic's of little Stuart but I really need to get more things done today so I'll have to go.  But I can assure you that Stuart is going to fit in this household just perfectly and I will do my best to share all the wonderful things that Little Stuart will see and do here in Nebraska.  So for now, little Stuart say's "Tootles for now!"

Such fun....

So, the Christmas Caroling went off with out a hitch!  We had a great group of 11 and although the weather was in the high 40's when we started out, it turned colder about halfway into the caroling.  It was so much fun.  Our friend remembered to bring the flat-bed with hay bales on it so we all had a good sitting spot on the short rides.  We stopped at 13 houses and an apartment complex and found only 4 places empty for the night.  By the time we headed back to the house we were definitely feeling the cold!!!  We filed into the house and had warm gluehwine, spiced hot cocoa and spiced cider and the Panettone bread pudding with the Amaretto sauce was soooooo yummy!  Plus we had load's of other yummy munchies and we all had a great time eating, drinking talking/singing!  Unfortunately, no pic's.  I was having such a good time I forgot all about taking pictures.  I'll try to remember next year, promise!   

Oh, did I mention that we had another showing of our house the next day?  No word yet as to what the people thought.  Hopefully, we'll hear something on Monday.  Keep finger's crossed and prayers said that these will be the people who will buy this house!  

And today (Sunday) our low is supposed to be -1 degrees by 3 p.m.   It is windy!  And it's snowing!    It's going to be a wonderfully cold, snowy walk to church this morning!  I just love it!  =-)

Good eats, good friends, good times...

What a month it's been and it's only the 12th of December!  We have gotten to know so many wonderful people in this town and have been invited to SO many parties and functions that we've been on the go constantly, or so it seems!  And tonight is our turn, my honey & I are hosting our first Christmas Caroling party ever tonight!  This is something I've often dreamed of doing.  Having come from a military background, I haven't had the opportunity to do this in a cold climate (climate is an important part of the dream).  I suppose we could have done it in Germany both times that we lived there...  but somehow it just never happened.  So, anyhow, tonight is the night and we hope that this will become an annual event. 

 I have planned, some food and drinks that should help warm us all up after being outside in the cold.  I've got hot spiced cider and Gluhewine (German Wassail) and spicy hot cocoa.  Plus I'm making Panettone bread pudding with an Amaretto sauce.  AND, I FINALLY made the Martha Stewart recipe for Marshmallows, and they turned out beautifully!  I even played around with coating a few with chocolate and boy let me tell you the pleasure it gives in the mouth...... YUM!  So much so that I made another batch this morning, (since I ate more than I should have last night, sheesh).

Tonight we'll be going caroling and enjoying our friends and food and fulfilling yet another dream of mine in this wonderful little town we call, home......

It's beginning to smell like Christmas.....

Baking day!  Yesterday was a lovely day for baking.  It was VERY chilly outside and nice and toasty in here.  I love this time of year.  Not for the gifts but for the family and fellowship of

friends and all the yummy goodies that get passed around!  

Our local library has a "cookie walk" every year in December.  It's a fund raiser for the library and we have such great folks in our town which means we have great participation.  Anyhow, I worked on my contribution for the cookie walk yesterday.

 Now, don't look too closely.  The icing was a bit thin so I had issues with these kiddo's faces and clothing.  Actually, some of them look down right 

frightening! 

 But!  If you go strictly by taste.... mmmmmmm, they are totally scrumptious!

  My honey and I had a round one (you know, the leftover dough that you bake up so you don't have any wasteage).

  I decorated those so that they were cute and fun and we ate one after dinner.  And they were super yummy!  The icing is what takes the flavor over the edge!  Anyhow, my house smelled like gingerbread and I had Christmas music playing and the only thing missing was the snow falling.  But it sounds as if we'll be getting that this Sunday and I am so hoping that it is snowing when we leave for church!  I just love walking to church in the snow!  

P.S.  For future reference...  Dont' Blog & Bake!  The results are not pretty!

Brrrrr.....

I am here to tell you all...  It is getting cold here in Nebraska!   I went for a run this morning (because I ate about 15 little cream puffs yesterday (and eating 6 is 300 calories!!!!!).   Our church had their special "Hanging of the Greens" service last night.  And before we did that they served soup & assorted goodies to enjoy.  Well, I certainly enjoyed those cream puffs.  One right after the other!  So, I dutifully went out for a three and a quarter mile run to try to work off some of the said cream puffs.  It can get a bit windy around these parts (but it only seems so during three months of the year when you really don't need the wind, (we could use that wind in the summer!)  but, I digress.  So, I went out, ran, just came home and I looked at the dopler weather station and guess what!?!  IT is 19 FREAKIN' degrees out and we're not EVEN talking about the wind chill factor either!!!!!!!!!   I don't even want to know that!   It is no wonder that my face felt like it was about to break apart when I tried to greet my boys (Ricky and Ethan)!  Oh my gosh!  I have truely lost my mind!  Here is what the Mopac Trail (where I like to run) looked like this morning.

I still believe that I've lost my mind!  I mean, for anyone who knows me, I am a slug of a human being!  Seriously, my favorite thing to do is to sit on my bum and crochet, or paint or eat or read, talk, etc., etc., etc., so long as I can sit, I'm really a happy camper!  But, it's the eating part and oh, age, and OKAY vanity, that has gotten me to the point where I can no longer indulge in my favorite pastimes, which is doing those lovely things listed above (especially the eating part) and doing them while sitting on my bum!  I have, because of vanity, begun to exercise.  And the least expensive and productive way to do that is to run!  So these days not only am I trying to run three times a week, at least nine miles a week, but I am trying to limit my "hand to mouth" action.  Unfortunately the latter act is decidedly much more difficult to control.  Thus, the necessity for the "running".  

I'm not sure how long I can keep this up during the winter months.  I can run in snow, but the ice is killer!  I may have to actually put even more effort, time and thought into getting into the car and driving out to the A.F. Base and using the gym there.  Our Base has a really nice gym.  It used to be something like three hangars used to build airplanes in.  Anyhow, there is a track in there and a pool, tennis courts, racket ball courts, basketball, soccer, weight room, Nautilus machines and tons more stuff and areas!  It's monstrously huge!  But I don't like going because there are other people there.  I don't know about all ya'll, but I am not a pretty runner.  I breath hard and loud.  And I make grunting noises because I really don't like to be doing anything strenuous!  It's sort of my way of whining.  =-}   But I don't want to stop eating what I want and I don't want to have to buy more clothes, so.......

Tomorrow, I normally run, but since I ran today, I'll go for a walk because I know that I did not work off those 15 cream puffs today!  And I'm pretty sure I'm going to down that last piece of pumpkin pie tonight!  For those of you who don't have to exercise, enjoy it while you can because your day will come!   Mmmmmmwahahahaha...  (Oh, did I mention, I'm not nice either!?)  =-)

Kansas Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving, full of family, food and fun! 

 We were very fortunate in that we went to my honey's baby sisters house for the first time since they moved into their place.  I believe they moved there, um....three years ago?  Anyhow, their son Ethan, not to be confused with our cat Ethan...... wanted to have a memorable Thanksgiving and since they now had a dinning room table that would extend to ginormous proportions, she said, "okay".   And thus began the planning, inviting & fun!

I spent the day before our drive down to Kansas, baking, mixing and baking.  Honestly, this year all I had to do was bake a few dinner rolls and make one pie (pumpkin of course) and a couple of my cranberry/rhubarb casseroles.  And yet, it took me ALL DAY!  I could not believe it!  A WHOLE day just for a few side dishes!  I may be totally out of practice doing the huge get-together meal thing.  So anyhow, here is a bit of what took me a whole day to do!  I am so out of practice!

So, we loaded up the car with goodies and such.  Sat Ricky in his car seat and strapped ourselves in and off we went!  

Little sister out did herself!  She put down a beautiful table loaded with wonderful food!  Older sister and her family as well as my honey's parents brought yummies as well.    And Ethan the boy was beside himself!  He took pictures of the food, as did his auntie.  And here it is, doesn't it look scrumptious?  Okay, so next time I'll take better pictures.  Hmmmm, I wonder how Ethan the boys pictures turned out.  

The food was delicious and company great, and so we all ate and ate and ate until we could eat no more!  At least for a couple of hours, then we sat down and ate some pie's!  Then my honey and I played some Wii with baby sister and family!  I may have worked off a little of that second helping of pie while playing the Wii Sport!

The next day my honey and I with our little Ricky drove back to the "Good Life" State.  The snow flurries which started in Kansas abated by the time we got to the state line.  And we drove the rest of the way home in sunshine, back to our home where Ethan the cat was waiting to welcome us back!  

Mac lack... maybe not!

Okay, I am a mac user.  And because I am, I can't seem to down load photos which is HIGHLY annoying!   Using the Mac is normally such a simple thing.  Drag and drop.  How easy is that?!  But not with this blog.  UGH!  So at this time, I am only able to write.  To use words to describe all the joys in my life.  And today I discovered that I won Stuart.  Now for those of you who do not know Stuart this is where I would show you his adorable photo.  But, blah, I will be describing him to you in words.  He is THE MOST adorable snail you will ever meet!  And my good friend Corinnea made him.  She had a give-away because she posted her 100th posting and she decided to give said Stuart to a lucky reader.  AND IT WAS ME!!!!  I still can't believe it!  

OH MY GOODNESS!  I think I did it!  Drag and dropped and here he is!  Let me officially introduce you to (brrrdabrrrblabrrr, okay that was my attempt at a  drum roll) Stuart!  Ta-da!  Isn't he the most cutest little guy ever!?!   And he gets to come live with me!  Hurray!  Thank you Corinnea!