Some random pictures

Lots of random pictures (sort of - most are projects...) Figured I'd put them all in one post instead of lots of mini posts!


Les finally got our bed frame done - way back before Thanksgiving. This picture should have been posted a long time ago. There are 3 deep drawers on each side - they go almost to the middle of the bed frame. It is awesome!




This is Tiffani's new giant cupcake pan.








Baked cupcake, with the two parts frosted together.






Here it is frosted next to a regular size cupcake! The ridges on the cake top/sides kind of got lost in the confetti frosting. Tiffani thinks she needs to practice with fondant so the ridges would still be noticeable.




Message on top of the box that lots of new stamping toys came in for me to play with. Extreme excitement probably just covers it if you would have seen Brianna's reaction to her monkeys - and she even knew she was getting them! :) Plus new stamps, punches, paper, mmmmm :)



3 monkeys on a vine... Brianna wasn't sure where she wanted to put the monkeys, but I suggested her desk chair since she'd be taking that to college with her. So she put the vine on the back and let the two brown monkeys hang from it & then since the 3rd monkey was the same color as her chair, she hung him down below the seat. Cute!




I got a new stamp set and made this card for a swap with it... but the green ribbon isn't current product so I couldn't really swap it that way, so I had to come up with a different plan.







Plan 2, changed out the ribbon for twill & narrower ribbon on top - current product, but only had enough for 4 cards (needed 8).








Plan 3. Embossed a strip of paper with my new embossing folder. I like all 3, but my favorite is my original one.









Brianna before her first ever piano recital. She wasn't looking forward to it at all!






After - as in w-a-y after. The recital was done & over and I got a "posed" picture of her. Talk about a huge grin of relief!!








Tiffani was/is way excited to have a new family member. She cleaned her room and reserved a spot for Simba. You can't see the floor in the picture but nothing was set there for over a week!!




Simba, our newest family member. He is a corgi/golden mix. More pictures to come later on of him.

Today's ski adventures

Retro Pictures

Had fun looking through some old pictures last night to post a "retro" one on facebook. I'm so glad that I had a bag of pictures from Lois that she sent to us awhile ago! There's some great ones of Les & Jeff in there. :) Also decided, even though they aren't considered retro yet, I needed to put some up of the girls too. Their "younger years" pictures are fun to look at, too, even if they aren't 40 yet. Of course I may be a bit biased...

Jeff & Les

Love this one of Les. Lois just sent it to us.

Cindy & I

Cindy, Ernie & I

Brianna & I. The one of Brianna was when the girls & I went to Walla Walla with Mom & Dad in 1997.

Tiffani & I. These are our 2nd grade pictures!

U. Ernie, Brianna & Tiffani in 1996.

Tiffani & Brianna in 1997 at Walla Walla Conf.

Tiffani actually asked to have this picture on when she found out I was looking at "old" pictures to put up. She is so very proud of her first ski pass - she was only 8! IF I remember correctly - she didn't ski at all the next year and then gradually got back into it. As of now, she is doing her best to keep up with Les & Brianna, and doing it fairly well! She's even enjoying the backside with them!

Ski pictures

Lots of ski pictures from Bogus on the 3rd. I know they had a blast. I know the picture of the girls on the ground was full of laughter - no injuries there! I know Tiffani did crash - no pictures - although Les is wishing he would've because I guess Tiffani was hanging upside down by a ski or her boot over a fence & couldn't get up. Some other lady was trying to help her just as Brianna caught up to her and Les was a ways behind. But even though it sounds terrible, I guess it wasn't that bad and Tiffani was laughing (hysterically) about it the whole time. She did end up with a bruise on her neck and the only thing she can think of is that the helmet pushed into her neck. (Now that I type that, it sounds even worse then when they are telling me these things. You think they maybe tell me these things with big grins so I don't worry so much... No - probably not - the grins and excitement of the day are definitely genuine!)

Enjoy the pictures! I will have to have them update this post later with the stories behind the pictures.

Brianna skied down to get a picture of Tiffani skiing. Got lucky and got them both in the picture.

Brianna thought it was cool how Les was between the 2 trees. Tiffani is in the background.

Tiffani was posing so Les could practice with Brianna's new camera.

The ski patrol was going to take a picture of the 3 of them by the tree. Brianna skied over & fell flat on her back trying to turn around.

Finally, a group photo.

The ski patrol "dude" had shown Tiffani an easy way to turn around on the side hill. Brianna attempted it and fell again making Tiffani fall from laughter. Yep... really!!

Les skied down a bit & took a picture of the girls skiing.

Waited until they passed him & took another. Brianna stopped on the side so Tiffani could get a head start for the cat-track. Right after that is when she crashed. Brianna got there the same time as the other lady. Brianna says she found her face-planted in the 3ft of powder after hearing the scream.

Brianna just wanted a picture of them on the Superior Chair.


Skiing back to the pickup.

Just the snow covered trees...

Les saw Brianna taking pictures so he pretended to jump off the chair - just for me... Thanks!

Just a quick note...

I really dislike planning meals. I don't mind cooking them, I just need to know what to cook! So Amy (Brianna's piano teacher & fellow school teacher) had been raving about this on-line meal planning program. I decided to check it out. It is amazing! You subscribe to the program, it costs $15 for 3 months. Once a week a new menu is posted. You can pick a specific store plan (they plan the meals around what is on sale at the store that week) or an any store plan (which is what I did). Then you can choose a meal plan for 2 people or 4-6 people and you can choose a low fat menu, too. I just did the any store for 4-6 people. Once a week I get a new menu with 7 meals on it. The are quick, simple and so far they've all been doable (except the fish one...)! I already have 3 1/2 weeks worth of meals, because you can print the sample menu which just shows 1/2 a week. Then, 2 weeks worth of menu's are posted at time so I printed those and then the next day my new weeks menu came up so I printed that. And the best part is page 2... it's a grocery list for everything that is needed for the week. It's so cool & definitely worth it for the price, I think! Check it out if you wish... https://e-mealz.com/

Come to think of it, maybe the best part is not having to ask the question "What do you want for dinner tonight?" and getting the standard "I don't know" for an answer! It was so nice coming home from work yesterday & know what I was making & know what I was making for the next 6 days, too. I don't know that I've every planned meals ahead that far!!