19 of 52

Why on earth, you may wonder, didn't I take the red eye out of this photo? Look a little closer and you will see white "spots" in my hair - nope, not gray hairs... although those are lurking in there... it is droplets of milk. I would have loved to reduce the red eye but you can not take the pure mixture of disbelief and unadulterated anger out of a persons eye, no matter how hard the editing program tries.

The disbelief comes from the knowledge that I knowingly brought three children in to the world and yet at this very moment would do just about anything to send them out of my house. This is the longest summer on record between the end of last school year and the beginning of next school year added with the super cool temps shaken by the lack of a vehicle grinds up this less-than-patient mama.

On this day we spent over 3 {excruciating} hours in the car returning from a less-than-awesome 3 day visit to my MIL's house of oddities. It was capped off by getting home and immediately needing to make dinner, which was finished off with Lillian falling out of her chair while holding a full cup of milk. Said milk then became a projectile which skillfully landed on my head and all places gravity was so kind to administer it. Uh, huh - so a crummy day ended with me lookin' like this:

Take note of the middle child's face, he knows when someone else is about to get it and he is SURE glad it isn't him. { I totally remember that feeling when I was a kid, my Mom was insane and it was good to be on the winning side of it!} Notice, also, if you would the puddles of milk and the sneaky cat who is taking full advantage of the situation {but careful to stay out of range of my foot}.

Seeing how steamy mad I was about this you might be curious how I was able to snap a picture. Even in my insanity I know a good photo op when I see {experience} one. Patrick grabbed a bunch of paper towels and then the camera and captured this precious moment.

The child responsible...???

I think I've seen those red gleaming eyes somewhere before, like looking in a mirror really. Brilliant!

Visit Carin at Forever in Blue Jeans for other Mom's who, I am certain, are having a better day.

******************52 Weeks********************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!
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What's Google Got to Do With It?

Type in "[your name] needs" in the Google search
Shelby needs to show his own birth certificate before he calls on anyone else to show theirs.
... kinda bothered by the "him" part of the statement - I was marked as a male on a medical form just a week ago and get mail for Mr. Shelby Schweri often... **sigh**

"[your name] looks like"
Shelby looks like she is saying "Oh yeah! this is the life! ... Although Shelby looks like a clam, appearances can be deceiving...
okay, I sense a theme with my google hits - it either came up with Senator Richard Shelby or, as in this one, a pug named Shelby who has her own website. So, basically, I am a old man or an ugly dog - I will leave that to you to figure out in the remainder of this blog post... tread lightly my friend.

"[your name] wants"
Shelby wants Senate to filibuster stimulus bill!
sure would be helpful if I'd paid more attention to my history book and less to the history student teacher in 6th grade... **big sigh**

"[your name] does"
Shelby does hair!
if you ask my daughter I am certain she will not agree about the doing hair part - administering unspeakable torture to her small head is more likely

"[your name] hates"
Shelby hates Tickle Me Elmo!
oh come on, Elmo is my "mommy needs a quick shower" ace-in-the-hole... I could never hate that little fury red fella {even if he does insist on asking a baby a question it can't possibly answer and then scaring it with a full face kiss... anyone else find that strange?}

"[your name] asks"
Shelby asks Big Three CEO, is 25 Billion Enough?
well, is it?

"[your name] likes"
Shelby likes to eat cheese, butterflies, bacon, bubbles, flowers, twigs, grass, greenies, paper, ice cubes, cherry tomatoes ...
sometimes I get munchy and there isn't much in the house, don't judge me!

"[your name] eats"
Shelby eats Cheerios!
where's the shame in that? Lowered my cholesterol in 6 weeks... Patrick is still working on the garage...

"[your name] wears"
Shelby wears is on Facebook. Join Facebook to connect with Shelby Wears and others you may know.
this one made me laugh out loud - which scared the cat- which scratched the "I need a band-aid" kid- which made me put the cat in "time out" {not joking about that one my friends}

"[your name] was arrested for"
Shelby was arrested for Purchasing Vehicles with Bad Checks!
good to know you can buy cars with checks, hafta try that one out... and I've been walking every where for the past year - geez!

"[your name] loves"
Shelby loves Pork!
if you can believe it I am stumped on this one, I do like pork and can't think of anything to say that is g-rated.

Fun, fun, fun is what this post is. Thanks Katie for pulling me out of my bloggy slump. Give this meme a try and post back here if you do, I mean WHEN you do. Life it to short to not have fun with it... now where is the check book, I need me a car.

10 Amazing Years

Ten years later and still so in love...

St. John's Episcopal Church, Alma, MI

July 24, 1999

The hottest day that summer!

Our wedding party

Ballard side of the family

Morrison side of the family

Schweri side of the family

Mother-Son Dance

Father-Daughter Dance

First Dance

Our wedding photographer had one heck of a sense of humor

The cake was good but really under-decorated in hind sight

Bridesmaids sneaking some groom time

Bride surrounded by handsome faces

Millionth kiss to the clinking of glasses
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Remembering those we've lost in the past ten years:

Patrick's Dad

My Uncle Greg, a very talented man who played the music at our wedding

My Grandpa Stewart

18 of 52

Blueberry picking time!

Being beyond restless yesterday I was excited to see Reendeers blueberry farm was open and ready for U-pick. I took the kids and spent an hour picking the biggest berries I have seen in a long time. I was concerned the cold summer would have affected them but it certainly didn't seem to. Lilly and Topher didn't last long but Nathan was a great help and picked nearly a full bucket himself. I filled a bucket and after combining the little bit from the younger kids with Nathan's bounty we had almost 10 pounds!

So much fun at Forever in Blue Jeans, the place for Mom's to put themselves in the front!

******************52 Weeks********************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!
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Hiking at Snug Harbour

Awaken the senses
Explore and learn
Treasure the seasons
Natures' beauty at every turn

Climbing rocks
Walking trails
Leaves and grasses
The surface we sail

Open yourself up
Listen with your heart
Hear the wild calling
Become a whole, not part

Enjoy the majesty
Take in the sublime
Don't rush
Take time

Feel the wonder
The breeze on the air
Feel the sunlight
And be aware

Magnificent and beautiful
All coexisting
Excellence and perfection
The power of hiking

by Angel Sharum

Happy 7th Birthday, Topher!

This past week we celebrated Topher's 7th birthday. Since this fella was 3 years old he has been in love with Thomas the Tank Engine and anything {seriously, anything} to do with trains.

When he was 4 we took him to ride Thomas at Huckleberry Railroad in Flint and he was giddy the whole time.

Each year, since that 3rd birthday, Toph has requested a Thomas cake of some sort. The first year was simply a generic train cake pan decorated to resemble Thomas the Tank Engine. His 4th birthday was an actual Thomas the Tank Engine cake pan, his 5th birthday was a scale size replica of James, James' tender and several box cars.

Last year, for his 6th birthday Sir Tophs-a-lot requested a cake with Cranky the Crane... which I managed to make.

Each year this guy sets the bar a little higher and requested a scene from a Thomas episode.

So, my friends, I give you "James in a Mess." In this episode James crashes in to a line of Tar cars after being cheeky to the other engines and shunting the freight cars quite dreadfully. Percy and Toby come to help clear the wreckage and take James to the freight yard to be mended and cleaned {cuz he has tar dripping down his face... you see...}

I used two 9x13 pans to make a cake long enough to hold all of the cars. Swiss Cake Rolls play a special role here as Tar Cars and Raisinettes took a turn as coal in the cars James is hauling. I frosted the whole cake green and put a chocolate frosting layer down the middle with Oreo crumbs on top of that. I swiped landscaping items from Topher's train table and plunked a few Rolo's in to Percy's car to resemble the spools he was hauling in the episode.

This is the super happy birthday boy, about to blow out his candle. Does this cake look super long or what... thank goodness people at Patrick's work aren't picky about cake that looks super odd with the decorations missing. I couldn't leave the cake sitting around the house now could I? Not one of my three children are big candy, cake or ice cream eaters so it would have either sat until moldy or I would have felt bad for all of the Ethiopian children who are starving and ate the whole thing myself - which would have prompted a whole 'nother blog post in itself... and I just don't want to go there - k?

We decided against holding parities for the kids this year for many different reasons. We live pretty far away from everyone now, we don't have the extra $ and I would have to clean my house - oh, the horror at the mere thought! The upside of no party is that Topher was able to talk to many family members via phone and he received loads of cards in the mail starting the week before and going in to the week after his birthday, not too shabby.

One of the highlights of this particular birthday was the special trip to Toys-R-Us. We signed the kids up in the birthday club years ago and now they get a fun little gift certificate to use in the store for money off a purchase. When they arrive at the store they are given a fun crown and Mylar balloon to wear. The extra perk this year was Toph's choice of a few different free items, he went for a free hair cut at SportsClips.

SportsClips is awesome! This was Topher's first time there so he was given the MVP treatment. After his haircut he was given a scalp massage, a hot towel treatment, a back massage and special glue for his mohawk to spike it up just right. I think it turned out pretty darn cute!

This was a super fun birthday that this super fun boy is not soon to forget!

17 of 52

A day late and a week later... I have finally posted to my blog after a whole week. This should have been posted yesterday for the carnival and the picture is from the 4th of July last week but wouldn't load when I tried to add it to last Thursday's post. Better late than never!

Andrea and I have been friends since 8th grade and enjoy the chance to get together and let our kids play. She has the most adorable kids and my little Lilly loves to play with her oldest Maddy - they loved the fireworks too!

Forever in Blue Jeans, keepin' it real!

******************52 Weeks********************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!
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16 of 52

What a fun week we've had! On the 4th of July we watched fireworks with great friends. The fireworks, however, were not so great... sign of the times???

Here is a great one the kids snapped of my and Patrick before the show began. Pretty darn sweet, I know, I know.

Carin at Forever in Blue Jeans has a great picture of herself with her Mom, so head on over and check it out. While you are there visit all of the other Mom's who are getting in front of their cameras, they would love a visit!

********************52 Weeks********************
52 Weeks is a year long challenge for YOU to be in a picture once a week for 52 weeks. We are always the ones behind the camera, this is YOUR chance to get out in front and be in the pictures with our family. We are glad you are joining this challenge. More importantly your family will really enjoy having you in the picture. Thanks for playing along! Oh, you can just jump in now with 1 of 52, you're not getting off that easy! Now go take a picture!
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Iron Chef: Kid Chef Nathan

Last but certainly not least, here is the third submission for the Sacred and Profane Iron Chef:Blogstyle Kid Chef Challenge!

Nathan was very excited when he picked out this recipe, I was very excited that he could handle making the whole thing himself with very little supervision {isn't that every mother's dream?} As Heidi says "I'm looking for kid's that cook a meal - easy or hard, as long as THEY do it. There's no pride in doing your kids science project for them, is there? No. Shame, shame, shame."

Impress us, Chef Nathan!

Corn Dog Twists

Ingredients:
• 1 tube (11-1/2 ounces) refrigerated corn bread twists
• 8 hot dogs
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Separate corn bread twists; wrap one strip around each hot dog

Brush with butter;

sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Bake at 375° for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown. Yield: 8 servings.

Serve with mustard, ketchup or your favorite dipping sauce. Dig In!

Mom Note: after two grocery store runs I was unable to find corn bread twists so we used the regular kind instead, but still with great results!

Iron Chef: Kid Chef Topher

Welcome to the second installment of Iron Chef:Blogstyle Kid Chef Challenge!

Today's competitor is Topher, a nearly 7yr old boy, full of you-know-what. The rules on Sacred and Profane state "This month's theme is Kid Chefs. I'm looking for kid's that cook a meal - easy or hard, as long as THEY do it. There's no pride in doing your kids science project for them, is there? No. Shame, shame, shame."

...and yet my special little Topher, my dear "make things more difficult than the need to be" Topher, the epitome of the middle child Topher has decided his submission shall be an ice cream treat that has the vaguest directions ever. I suppose when I was nearly 7 yrs old an ice cream treat would have been the ideal meal, so we'll roll with it and see what happens.

On to the recipe:

Brain Freeze Ice Cream Sundae

What you need:
• A blender
• ice cream
• chocolate syrup
• 1/2 cup ice
• 1 - 2 cups of milk

Put the ice cream, ice and

chocolate syrup in the blender. The amount of chocolate syrup depends on how chocolate you like it

Pour the milk in but don't make it too milky.

Blend until thick and creamy to drink.

YUM!

Mom Note: This drink really isn't much of a sundae, more of a very cold shake. We put nearly 1/3 of the half gallon and 3 cups of ice plus a ton of chocolate sauce to make it just right. It filled three of the glasses shown when done. Topher picked peanut butter cup ice cream so it was super yummy!