Spring Breakin'

Leap Year Baby From Times Past

The above arrows point to my paternal great-grandparents.  Caroline Albrecht McAuley was a Leap Day baby.  She was born on February 29, 1880.  So today she is either 33 or 132 depending on how you count!

This picture was probably taken in the early 1900s from one of the bike trips that they would take as a couple.

Do you have any leap year babies in your life?  My great-grandmother is the only one that I know of.

Paczki!

Mmmmm....Chocolate Buttercream Paczki from Busy Bee Bakery.

Did you have a paczki yesterday?

What's Your Favorite Girl Scout Cookie?

Not all of these boxes are for us!  They are the total ordered (49 boxes - each box contains 12 boxes of cookies) from Miss M's Daisy Troop.  They did really good for their first time at it.  In fact they raised $457 for their troop.  A good portion of that money is going to be donated to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.  The girls decided to do this instead of receiving incentives for sales from the Girl Scouts.  A member of their troop has juvenile diabetes.  Thanks to all that ordered from us!  You will be getting your cookies soon.

What's my favorite G.S. cookie?  Tagalongs.  Hands down.  And yours?

Tea Party Time

Blanket Kid

This is C's stripe blanket.  I bought it at a garage sale when I was pregnant with Miss M and didn't know the sex.  C is an attachment kind of gal.  On this particular day she wanted her "striped blanket" by her.  I had no clue what she meant.  The tears flew.  Tantrum ensued.  I brought her another striped blanket (not remembering that her blue blanket has stripes too).  This added to her anguish.  I told her to come and show me where the striped blanket was.  She quickly got up and lead me to her room.  There was her blue blanket and boy was she relieved.  She wanted to use it to build a fort with her sister.  It isn't big enough for that job so she found another use for it..on her head.

Snow Much Fun!

Our Family

Not really liking the snow hitting her face.

Loves the Snow!

Miss M, on the other hand....Can you find her?

Coming into Focus

She said they (the glasses) can't be her Christmas gift.

C wonders when she can get some too.

All Hands On Deck

Tree Trimming Fun

The Artists at Work

Thanksgiving Leftovers

Last Wednesday, we drove the usual five hour trek to southern Illinois to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with J's side of the family.  We had clear weather with just a couple of hiccups due to bridge construction.  The whole family was able to spend Thanksgiving together.  It was especially wonderful due to the fact that J's brother had just recently returned from a six months overseas deployment.  So much to be thankful for.  Here are some highlights:

Enjoying "Don't Let the Pigeon Run this App!" Immensely

Making up their own virtual worlds

Cousin Love (they are 21 months apart)

Horsin' Around (they are 9 months apart)

The Newest Cousin to Love (She and C are 22 months apart)

As you can see fun abounded and overflowed.  After the cousins left to visit their other grandparents, we went to an Indian Art Show / Market Days at Cahokia Mounds.  Both MaGa and Pop (the girls' grandparents) have (and continue to) conducted archaeological digs there.  I love how the girls are so comfortable there and already have a sense and appreciation of history.

How was your holiday?

Count Your Blessings

From Our Family to Yours...

Happy Thanksgiving!

I Pity The Fool

Universal Studios - 1986 (not the real Mr. T)

Ms. Magoo

Three Little Piggies

Bought matching pjs for the girls...didn't realize that my niece had bought the same ones for her baby!  Hence a pajama party was born.

A Movie Star and Her Pet Skunk

Pumpkin Gals

Fun at the Pumpkin Patch at The Children's Farm in Palos Park, IL.

Cupcake

Puzzling