Project for the week

Our home doesn't have a real dining room...its more of an eat-in-kitchen-transition-room. We have lived here almost 4 years and I have never quite known what to do with the area. Well- I am finally at a place I can live with.


We bought a round table, a bench and used the four chairs from our previous set. I went with black/white/yellow. Which at first doesn't really seem like me- but I love it!

I also repainted our buffet. I was given this buffet, which was found in a chicken barn on an old farm. I tried to strip it first- but that was going to take tooooooo long! So I painted it my standard colors of olive green and off white. You can kind of see it behind Kynna and her "friend"- sorry its the best pic I could find.

Its now black and light beige to match the bench. I needed something out of the ordinary- my house is basically the same four colors (warm neutrals) through out and this is a nice new contrast.

If you know me- then you know its very much me! I love it........ I think John is still warming to it! :o)

Turkey Day!

We spent Thanksgiving with the Kelly's (John's parents and his grandma). It was a great time- just visiting and hanging out with family. John's grandma is hilarious and always has something funny or crudely sarcastic to add to the conversation. I love that woman!




Nancy went through her second battle with breast cancer this year. It was a long road, but she's doing great now. We were all most thankful for her health and presence in our lives. It wouldn't be the same with out her.







This is Kwynn stirring the gravy...can you sense her enthusiasm! In her own words- "I'm just not a domestic kind of girl!" - where do these kids get this stuff!? :)







This is John's dad cutting the turkey...











and this is him sneaking a little nibble...haha! (thanks, Jeff!)

:o)






I had the best of intentions when I tried to get a cute picture of the girls- and this what I got! I should have known!

At least they love each other!








And here comes grandpa...trying to settle the troops! He's an awesome grandpa!





It was a fun day! A day filled with good food, good people and lots of good memories!

Mayo Trip

Corynn had a check up appt at Mayo Clinic in Rochester yesterday. We were lucky enough to get to fly this time, rather than drive the eight hours it takes to get there. It was just Corynn and I - and it was a very quick trip. We flew out Monday night, her appts were Tuesday morning and then we flew back home early Tuesday evening. This was Corynn's very first plane ride so it was interesting!

She loved the actual plane ride- but the waiting was a whole another story! its hard for a 4 year old to understand waiting, especially when they are super excited!

This is Corynn on the first plane- I wish I would have taken a pic of her reaction when we took off. She yelled "We're off the ground, mom! We're off the ground!" It was at night and she saw the stars and moon... and kept saying "I can't believe I'm flying in outer space! How cool!"





Here are a few pix of Corynn blowing off steam at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport- we only had a 52 minute layover- but you would have thought it was hours!















Her appt went FANTASTIC! They kept parading dr.s through to see her progress. And they all kept telling her how perfect, wonderful and cute she was. And she made their day- and how she was the super star of the brachial plexus clinic. Talk about an ego boost to a girl that already sees herself as "the princess". But it was all great news. She is at 89% in motion and movement. They were hoping for 40-50% after surgery. She is also able to twist her wrist from palm up to palm down and back- a movement she shouldn't be able to do because of a nerve transfer they did when she was a baby. She is basically a little miracle- and doctors hardly ever use those words. She is by far the best pediatric brachial plexus recovery they have seen in the last 5 years at Mayo clinic.

Needless to say, we are very pleased!

Here is a pic of Corynn and two of her surgeons. Dr. Shin (a hand specialist) on the left and Dr. Spinner (head neurologist) on the right.

Heritage School

The twins had Heritage school this week. Its where they spend a day in a one-room school house, and doing all the things a student would have done during the 1800s.

Of course, they had to have costumes- so here is what we came up with. I had to quickly sew aprons and Kynna's skirt the night before (because they didn't want to look the same. Kwynn had heritage school on Monday and Kynna on Tuesday, so I thought I could get away with one outfit... guess not!)













They had cute little braids and ribbons in their hair which I did Monday morning (hoping kynna's would stay in until tuesday!)

They were cute and had fun.

Play time

The girls have been talking about playing in the leaves. Corynn has been talking about it for weeks. Well, finally our big tree dropped its leaves. So tonight I started raking the front yard.



When the end of my rake broke off and I had to quit for the night... the girls decided to take full advantage of my lovely leaf pile.





I finally gave in to Corynn's pleadings.... and buried her.













Ahhhh- it was so worth having to rake up the leaves...AGAIN!

Jumping the gun!

Last year I had great success ordering the majority of our Christmas gifts online. It was super easy, a huge selection (the sky was the limit on where to shop) and they came right to my door (which means no carting kids around the mall)!

So this year I continued with the trend and once again ordered online. Boxes have been arriving for the last week and the kids are becoming quite inquisitive. Especially Corynn- she wants to know what everyone will be getting.

So I have had to go from this:



To this:


(and yes- some of those are recycled bows from my mother-in-law. But they are too pretty to just toss!)


Corynn also wrapped some presents yesterday. They are toys for her babies.


She wrapped them all by herself... and she only used a roll and a half of tape! :o)


I usually have strong opinions about Christmas stuff being out before Thanksgiving. It's tradition to put up the tree and decorations the day after - but I am thinking I may start this weekend.

Survival!

Yes, we all survived! well- barely! And it wasn't a 24 hour bug either. More like 72 hour- yuck! Anyway- I just wanted to let everyone know that we are alive!

Stomach flu- YUCK!

Box of saltines: $2.25










Sports drinks: $6.50









Anti-nausea medicine: $14.00








The kids all being old enough to make it to the toilet: PRICELESS!



UGHHHH- the flu has invaded our house. Corynn had it yesterday, John and I are feeling yucky today and I am sure as soon as we are over it- the twins will get it. So far it looks like just a 24 hour bug! I really hope that's all it is!

Craftiness

Corynn and I had a little impromptu craft day yesterday. We were putting away our Halloween decorations when she politely informed me- we didn't have any for Thanksgiving. Such an observant little thing.

We decided to make some turkeys for the end tables and coffee table. We used our finger prints, water paints and markers to make the feathers. Corynn even took some to the neighbors.

I also had this plain green wreath that my mom brought me when she was cleaning her house out. It has been sitting in my living room as I awaited some inspiration on what to do with it. Christmas wreath with ornaments and garland? Or a fall wreath with autumn leaves and raffia?

Well- I was too lazy to go to the craft store so I just used what I had around the house. This is how it turned out.

The bow is a recycled Christmas bow off a gift from my in-laws last year. (My mother-in-law makes the best bows! The gifts are almost too pretty to open!) The pinecones came from Corynn's "acorn" collection. (she keeps calling them acorns for some reason) A bit of holly from the craft junk box, a little hot glue- and TA DA!Well- kind of! It'll have to do and it didn't cost a thing!

Another Halloween- come and gone

John had to be out out of town this Halloween for work- so I went at it alone with the kids. Here's a picture of them in their costumes.

Kynna was a girl vampire (her bestfriend, Justin, was Dracula...so it was perfect for her!)

Kwynn was a ghost (she just wanted her hair painted and makeup- so she was easy to please)

Corynn was sleeping beauty (it came down to the wire with her decision on what to be...she kept saying she was going to be a princess-pirate-ghost- but I think we all knew that in the end she would be a princess. Its puka the family princess, afterall!)


Here are the Halloween "boo- hoos" and "woo- hoos":

Boo-hoo: Emma ate Kwynn's jackolantern, well actually just the mouse part of it and three suckers.
Woo-hoo: Proved that I was sooooo right and the dog is still a puppy.

Woo-hoo: We had pumpkin pie for dessert last night- complete with spray can whip topping.
Boo-hoo: I sprayed some whip topping in Corynn's mouth and just as I finished she sneezed and it went all over me.

Boo-hoo: It was cold last night- so we didn't do much trick or treating
woo-hoo: It was cold last night- so we didn't do much trick or treating