Best. Monday. Ever.

Today was a girls' day with two of the sweetest girls I know! First stop, DONUTS! On the way there Maya told me, "This isn't the way to donuts." I asked her what she meant...apparently to Maya the only place that sells donuts is Casey's. :) Well, she was right we were going to wrong way for Casey's, but that was because we were on our way to KRISPY KREME! Once we were there they girls watch the donut holes and chocolate donuts being made...Maya stood there watching forever, which was a little weird for me because I don't know that I've ever seen Maya stand still that long. :) Then we each picked out a donut...and then had some of the fresh donut holes. Can you say sugar high? But being the responsible babysitter I am, they each got a juice...see FRUIT, responsible.

Then it was time to make CUPCAKES! Not just any cupcakes...bright colored cupcakes in a jar! There are a lot of ideas online for these, but I ended up opting to make them in small jars (purchased the jars at Wal-Mart). The girls loved coloring the cake batter...I let them add as much or as little gel coloring as they wanted (obviously we added plenty based on the colors!) and they cared for about 4 jars each before the dog was much more interesting to them.

We worked up quite an appetite after cupcake making (which is hard to believe considering the amount of cupcake tops eaten. Did I say sugar high? I meant sugar coma.), so it was off to INCREDIBLE PIZZA MACHINE! The girls were GREAT about getting food first (probably because it was a late lunch), so we grabbed our plates and found our seats in the "drive-in"...featured film Finding Nemo. We played a bunch of games, a little mini-golf, then redeemed some of the tickets. Luckily we saved some of the tickets so mom and dad could take them back some day (along with the coupons they'll receive via email since I signed them up for VIP Club...aren't I thoughtful?!?).

You would think our day was over, but NO WAY! Us girls can P-A-R-T-Y...time to walk the dog and run off some of that sugar energy at the park! The girls were great about taking turns walking the dog, no fighting at all and I was a little worried we'd have a melt down (starting to rethink the donuts and cupcakes at this point). Once we left the park it was off to see Joey and Mad Dog to drop off some cupcakes. Grace made one especially for Aunt Holly (how sweet)...since we don't know if she's having a boy or a girl she decided that her cupcake should be half blue and half pink. I asked the girls if they wanted Holly to have a boy or a girl, but they had great reasons for both. I couldn't agree more, I hope she has a healthy baby...boy or girl, doesn't matter, that baby will be the perfect fit for their family either way! We were running a bit late, so we didn't stay at Aunt Holly's long before I had to take the girls home.

They were so much fun to hang out with all day and soooo good considering their sugar intake for the day (well, they were good for me...hopefully they didn't crash from their sugar high, but I guess that's the risk you take when you hire this babysitter!). I hope their mom and dad will hire me again some day soon!!!

BTW, my own child headed to Adventureland with 3 of his friends (nice that they can drive themselves!) and today is my mom's birthday! See what I mean, BEST. MONDAY. EVER.

Stuffed Pasta Goodness

It's been a while since I've tried a new recipe, so I finally searched for something I thought my family would agree on last night (you know, while I should have been cleaning).

I found this Garlic Bread recipe (thank you cooking on clover lane) and my family LOVED it! And then I found Stuffed Shells on the same website, drool (however, I didn't use that much mozzarella cheese). I've never made stuffed pasta shells, but this couldn't have been easier. If I had to do it again, I think I would have stuffed a little less filling in the shells. And I think they needed some other spices or something...not sure what that would be though. I used Prego Chunky Garden spaghetti sauce, yum, but imagine how delicious this would be with homemade (in my dreams). It could have used a touch more sauce, maybe add some fresh veggies to the sauce, but it was really good for my first attempt!

We had plenty of leftovers (they are surprisingly filling), so we'll see how they taste for lunch tomorrow.

Terry loved it, Damon thought it was ok, I liked it and would definitely make it again.

Sweet 16

Holy cow! We have a 16 year old! He had a pretty rock star sixteenth birthday -- not MTV, super sweet 16 style, but still pretty great! We went to Chicago with his Grandma and Grandpa S and one of his friends. We went to D's first ever Cubs game on his actual birthday and then to the Field Museum, Gino's (where you can write on everything!) and Dave & Buster's the next day.

Once we were home from our trip, D took everyone for a cruise in his sweet, new ride. We have one SPOILED kid!

Finally, on Friday we took D to get his license. I don't know what I was expecting, but it was really a non-event: take the eye test again, take your picture again, get a little piece of paper for a temporary license. I guess your "real" license comes in the mail a few weeks later. That didn't stop me from taking D's pic outside the DOT (he was SUPER happy with me). Words cannot express the anxiety you have as a parent as you watch your child pull out of the driveway by themselves. You want to protect your child always...and now, as they drive away...alone...it's a scary feeling.

I am so proud of the young man he is becoming. Here are a few things that stand out for me:

1. He has a big heart
2. He is hilarious
3. He is kind to everyone
4. He is respectful (most of the time and when he isn't I am quick to remind him that I brought him in to this world and I can take him out)
5. He mows the grass for gas money
6. He won't tell me if he has a gf or if he thinks a particular girl is cute
7. He thinks it's annoying that one of his friends hangs all over his gf and doesn't hang with the guys any more
8. I can't keep up with the "cool" sayings as they change daily
9. He texts...a lot
10. He struggles with Spanish and missing assignments, but is a smart kid when he applies himself
11. He eats and eats and eats and eats
12. He likes G's smoked pork, Grandma's monster cookies, F&O's, Smashburger, Subway/Quiznos, Dairy Queen and red velvet cupcakes from The Bake Shoppe
13. He orders a sandwich at "McKum&Go" called the McNasty
14. His dad is jealous of his "new" truck
15. His grandpa texts every day to get an update on the new, licensed driver and his truck
16. He loves baseball and rap music
17. He is amazing, wonderful, and awesome...I love him with all my heart

Fun Find.

Just found this blog and I love it.

Might try and start blogging again, don't get too excited...it hasn't actually happened yet.

I am a part of transformation training (I don't think that's what it's really called) with OneBody3. It's amazing. Better than what I had expected. I think every company should give their employees the opportunity...in fact, I think it would be money well spent if it came out of your own pocket. It would be amazing to do something like this with your spouse, your children, your friends, your family. We have 2 more sessions and I can't wait.

Most. Boring. Post. Ever. I'll try to do better next time and hopefully it will be sometime this month. :)

Look who's 40!

Terry's oldest brother turned FORTY at the end of July so my creative, designer-type sister-in-law had a 70's Birthday Party for him...oooohhhh so much fun! Everyone dressed up (I have pics on FB) and we had a great time eating fondue (of course!) and a tie-dye colored cake! We don't exchange birthday gifts, but I couldn't let the day go by gift-less...so I searched online and found this! L-O-V-E it. So I copied it (thank you). I like how it turned out, but I think I like Poca Cosas' black and white polka dot ribbon better. Oh well, still cute.

Linen Closet Before and After

I swear a year ago I organized my linen closet (and the year before that, and the year before that)...some how it always gets cluttered!

I finally splurged and bought containers for the closet and now it looks like this... (let's hope it stays that way!!)

Beautiful Weekend

Good Friends, Part 2

10 years ago, the world lost a fun loving, ornery, kind, sweet guy...he also happens to be my husband's best friend and D's Godfather. We miss him and think about him often. Tonight we celebrate his life with his family and friends... he lived it to the fullest!

Cupcakes and Supper

I have the best friends a girl could ask for. It's been a SUPER busy, stressful few months at work and too cheer me up one friend dropped off delicious cupcakes! Not your normal out of the box cupcakes, but real cupcakes...Vanilla Malt, Red Velvet and Strawberry Shortcake -- YUM! Not only were they to die for, but they also kicked off a little family time...maybe we should eat cupcakes more often? Sorry, no photo...we ate them too fast!

And THEN, the next night another friend brought supper! YES! Do you know how great it is not to have to think about making supper?!? And not only did it feed the family, but the friends that Damon had over too. No photo again...have you ever seen teenage boys when they're hungry??

These two girls are simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I honestly don't know how I got so lucky!

Which brings me to this...the above said supper-bearing friend and I have known each other since college (you know, like a couple years ago). I would like to think we're pretty honest with each other, but apparently that's a new level of our friendship. Why do I say such a thing?!? What kind of friend lets you wear this to the umm bar...I mean library??? And really, what kind of friend doesn't take you shopping for a cute hat....really, Tweety?!?

Long Time, No Post

Well, hello there. I guess I haven't had anything interesting to say since this summer. I'm sure something happened between then and now. Little D started high school, I have a new client at work (that's keeping me BUSY!), the hubs is thinking about a side venture, I still love designing...which brings me to my latest creation for a friend at work. Her little girl turns one this month and she has the cutest cupcake shirt (or two, or three shirts!) and a tutu for her birthday. Don't you think she needed a cute invite too?!? (PS: I'm not this clever with words, but I can't remember who to give credit to -- so to whoever you are, thank you.)


I have a baby shower invite to post soon once I take a picture and one other piece to share. Hopefully I'll have it posted this week!

More photos to come from a weekend spent with T's brothers too! I know, I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

Halloween Weekend

What a busy weekend...we weren't planning on being busy, it just happened that way. Damon headed to a friends house Friday night to scare trick or treaters. Not in a mean, I'm going to steal your candy, sort of way. One of his friends and his dad do this every year, so he joined the fun this year...the house has flashing lights, and other Halloween stuff so it's clear you are bound to get spooked. We got a call from the Fritz family and were lucky enough to have dinner, salad and dessert invitation! YUMMY! Cranberry something or other chicken, yummy salad and peanut butter and chocolate pie....all delish. Oh yeah, and we played cards...I don't want to talk about it, the men kicked our butts (as they do most times we play cards). Not sure why to card gods hate us so much?!? Or maybe the boys just cheat better?!?

Sunday we cleaned, mowed/mulched and then Grandma and Grandpa came for a visit. I sent the boys to Bass Pro Shop and mom and I went looking for dishes and a tree (do you see why I sent the boys to BPS?). Mom found a little tree she loved for her front step at our first stop, Earl May. Then we were off to Younks to look for dishes...and can you believe we found some! The best part...they were $139.99, BUT on clearance...so for the bargin price of $34 my mom picked up some dishes she loves. And as a bonus, I found these cute little salad plates (also on clearance!) that will look adorable with my white dishes in the Spring! When we finally met up with the boys we headed over to Samurai to have a little hibachi style dinner...really good!!

On the way home from dinner I remembered that my son did to me, what I did to my mom when I was younger. One of his teachers at school said milk and cookies would be perfect for reading time they have on Monday...(you see it coming, right?!?). So she asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to bring milk or cookies. My fabulous son said I'd make the cookies, yep, pretty sure I did this to my mom. So, 30 cookies later he has treats for class tomorrow. As much as I teased him about not volunteering to bring the milk, I love to do this kind of stuff for him. I can't believe how fast the years have gone by and I'm trying to cherish those we have left before he starts the next chapter in his life. He's a pretty good kid most of the time, has a good heart, a great sense of humor and is loyal to his family and friends. Not sure how I got so lucky, but I did. I love you Damon.

Thanksgiving Invites

I know, I know...it's been forever since I've posted. I have so much to show you it's unreal, but today it's only going to be the most current item I've worked on as I have 8 people staying at my house tonight and 30 others that I need to hand out Race for the Cure stuff too, plus I need to drop my dog off at my dog sitter's (my friend Sarah's!), take the sewing machine to Cheryl (sure hope it works), mail the invites (see below), respond to work email, put away the cleaning supplies, switch loads of laundry, charge my camera battery, figure out what I'm wearing tomorrow (layers and layers of clothes), and set up sleeping arrangements...whew. It will be a fun weekend and we will announce to Trish what we raised for our fundraiser. It comes at a perfect time as she has to have another eye surgery (another $600 out of pocket) and I think she was starting to get overwhelmed with how her medical bills were piling up.

Anywho, my parents needed a design for a Thanksgiving invitation and this is what I came up with. I was rather proud of myself not only in the record time I completed it, but that I figured out how to get the printing to bleed off the edge of the envelopes through the printer.

I blurred out their names and address (I've had randoms leave comments) because I don't really need any unexpected guests showing up on Thanksgiving. But the return address had my parents name in the orange thing and their address below...sorta mimics the actual invitation. Then on the invitation it says Let's give thanks and the party info. They are simple, but I loved them and loved that the envelopes match (I'm a dork like that).

I am truly blessed.

In today's world where bigger, brighter, better seems to be a theme that we all get lost in from time to time...I am guilty just as the next person. But yesterday, I was reminded that it isn't about who has the biggest house, it's about how much love that house is filled with. It's not about the fastest car, it's about where that car takes you - do you use it to see your family, your friends, to take your kids to their favorite park/practice/friend's house?

After I got out of the shower yesterday, there was a note on the mirror that was revealed by the steam : "Happy Bday Mom!" Say it with me now...awwww! How sweet is that?!? It was right there in that moment, when I realized that it's what I already have that really matters. Then my parents come down from the big MC. They had just spoiled Damon and a friend for 4 days - entertaining them and letting them do whatever they wanted to do - and now they drove down for my birthday! They gave me a card that said this :

Things a Daughter Teaches Her Parents

that raising your own princess beats any fairy tail;

that a lot of great big people can be wrapped around one little finger;

that a daughter's smile is better than sunshine;

that you can never have too many hugs or memories...(or phones);

that time flies unless your daughter is on a date;

that a girl can make her parents happy, proud, confused, and a little bit crazy all at the same time;

that letter go is a whole lot harder than it looks;

and most of all, that there's a kind of joy that only comes from watching an adorable little girl grow into a lovely and much-loved woman.

I also get a little sad that school is starting for many, many reasons, but most of all because my baby will be in high school. I don't think I'm ready for this.

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma Pete

Terry's aunt, cousins and their families flew in from Washington to celebrate Grandma Pete's 90th birthday party. It's been almost 8 years since we've all been together, but we picked up where we left off. So much fun!

A few of the highlights :

1. Making s'more on the stove (yep, it IS possible with an electric stove)
2. Girls day pedicures (Grandma's first pedicure ever)
3. Boys day golfing
4. Grilled food 3 days in a row (tired of burgers and hot dogs!)
5. Swimming at the pool (Kings Pointe, in Holstein, and Valley View) - Leo's belly flop and the guys doing flips (or trying!)
6. Cameron peeing outside the dugout at his brother's game
7. Girls going to "pick up the pizza" -- the boys didn't catch on that it was code for DRINKS FIRST!
8. Trish calling her sex on the beach drink : sex in the city, sex in the town, or whatever it was.
9. Shawn's kids all in tears because they were the first to leave
10. Did we mention s'mores on the stove...The Washington Crew's new favorite thing!

Terry and one of his back flips :

Hailey, Grandma Pete, Annie and Cassidy at our Girls Day pedicure :
Damon and the birthday girl :
Damon and Brandon :
Damon and Alex :
The Boathouse was a quick detour before we picked up pizza (Trish, Traci, Becka, Me, Jenny) :

Way to wear it!

It's been a while, so this might be a long one. We'll start with the most recent events in the Peterson household....

1. Damon's team took 4th place in state this weekend. Although the boys were disappointed, they really played their hearts out and as parents we were really proud of them. It's just really hard to see the team they beat 14-2 play in the championship game and win. How does that happen?!? I suppose it's a good lesson to learn...sometimes life just isn't fair. My favorite part...the pictures! This weekend I took 298 pictures and I'm sure I've taken almost 1,000 since the season started. Here is a small sampling :

A photo collage I made of his buddy Matt:

Damon's baseball team :
Damon at bat :

2. Damon turned 14 and got his drivers permit. OMG. I can't believe my baby is 14, how did that happen? I took him and Ethan on Tuesday, June 16...he missed it by 1. Then we went back on Wednesday over my lunch hour and he passed with flying colors. The funny part about growing up in Des Moines though is that there really isn't an open field to drive a truck or tractor in, we don't own a four wheeler and he's never been on a moped, so needless to say he's a little nervous about driving. We practice when we can, but it's hard when he won't drive on "busy roads" -- you know, Westown, EP True, Ashworth, Mills Civic. Ugh.

3. A few of Damon's favorite things/sayings :

1. Warm PB&J sandwiches
2. Meatball subs
3. G2 (Gatorade)
4. Mountain Dew
5. BWW (Buffalo Wild Wings)
6. Beastly (example : "Mom, did you see my beastly bunt?")
7. Mad <> (example : "Yeah mom, David has mad hops.")
8. Sweet
9. Are you serious?
10. And finally (and deserving of a photo) - Wear it (example : "Way to wear it Damon!" after he gets hit by a pitch).

Ouch...or should I say "beastly bruise!" :

Monica, Phoebe, Chandler, Rachel, Ross, Joey...You've just gotta love FRIENDS

Have you ever had one of those friends that knows exactly what to say and when to say it? One that knows when to not say anything at all. One that you know you can always turn to and no matter your short comings they will always stand by you. One that laughs when you needs it and lets you cry when you need to. You have something to talk about every day, but yet, if a week goes by you can still pick up where you left off. Sometimes we get busy in our lives and forget to tell those around us how much they truly mean, how their thoughtfulness doesn't go unnoticed or unappreciated, how you can honestly say you can't imagine your life without them as one of you friends. How there are times in your life, both good and bad, that you were glad they were able to share in your happiness or pick you up when you were blue. 

Well, today...after a long month at work and after finding out my dad just lost his job...I received a package in the mail. You know, one of "those" little packages that means more than the person that sent it will ever know. At that moment, when I was questioning God about how much more a person could take (my dad, not me) and putting things in His hands and knowing there is a reason and a purpose, but I sure hope He shows us soon what His plan is. At that moment, this little package put things back in to perspective. Inside my invaluable package was 2 pictures of when my son was younger. Pictures that my friend has held on to for almost 12 years and 3 (maybe 4) houses they've bought and sold. Pictures I didn't even know she had. There was also a little "pillow" with the word Inspire stitched on it. It was perfect. The perfect gift, the perfect reminder, the perfect word stitched on the pillow. She couldn't have known how much I needed that today, yet some how she always seems to know just the right time to send a card, make a phone call or send a quick email...some how, I got lucky and hit the friend lottery! Love ya Heather!

You Gotta Have Faith

I don't know that I've ever been more proud of Damon. Tonight they had to read their faith statements in front of their small group (mostly friends from school), the parents, a few grandparents and the 7th graders that were observing what writing a faith statement means. You wonder of the past two years if it's sinking in, if they really are learning what it means to have faith as part of your life. Well, if there was any question in my mind or in the mind of other parents in the room, tonight it was answered. All the boys did an amazing job. What a cool experience. Ethan's grandparents came and treated us all to ice cream afterwards, score! Sunday afternoon is the official confirmation ceremonies, but as you can imagine tonight was more personal and intimate. For a moment, I can honestly say I was totally focused on Damon, his faith statement, on my journey with God, and on how lucky in life I have truly been. It was a good reminder and one God could clearly see that I needed. 

Then we get home and the teenager I love, the one who sometimes forces me to pray to that same God for patience, grace and peace; that teenager that tests every ounce of my being; that teenager that points out every car he would love to have; the one that  still tells me he loves me (most of the time) and the one that makes me laugh when he cracks a joke or smile and shake my head when he cites one of this favorite sayings.....the newest saying around our house..."Double pits to chesty." Thank you Axe marketing geniuses. Wow am I glad he didn't add that to his faith statement! 

The family.

Yep, I'm a blog slacker. No excuses, just wasn't in the mood to type. So here's a quick run down.

Damon : Same. We had an all teacher meeting with his core teachers. Damon was pretty miffed (yes, miffed) until it was all over and then he felt pretty good about it. Clearly not good enough that the two days after he still failed to take notes for Science, but I think we got through to him. Say a little prayer that he can stay on track for the rest of the quarter, not only for my sanity, but because there is an iTouch on the line courtesy of Gma and Gpa if he can get his shizzle together. He will get confirmed on Sunday so we are definitely proud of him for that. He also said his LL team is a lot of fun and enjoys all the kids...makes it easier for the coaches (and their wives) when the have a good group of kids, so that is exciting.

Terry and I : On Saturday, we were going grab lunch, take Flat Stanley (google it if you don't know what I'm talking about) to see a few sites and then go to Damon's baseball game. What I wanted to do was eat, Flat Stanley running around/Craft Saturday, and Damon's baseball game. Instead, we got rear-ended at the corner of 21st and Ashworth. Yep. Needless to say, our day went like this  - get rear-ended, grab a fast food lunch because we need to eat quickly and get to Damon's game. No one was hurt and the guy that rear-ended us, by far, had the worst damage. The lady we were pushed in to didn't hardly have any damage. The guy that rear-ended us was cited for "following to close" -- umm, I don't know about you, but HELLO, he wasn't "FOLLOWING" us, we were stopped at a stop light. How about citing him for ramming his car up our a$$?!? Anyway, he showed an insurance card on site, but then we got a call Monday morning saying they were investigating him for insurance fraud. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!? Of course because of privacy reasons his insurance company, Progressive, can't tell us what fraud he committed. I don't know who reports it, but if we find that he does not have a valid policy I'm calling WDMPD to have him cited for no insurance...yep, I said it, citizen's arrest. The positive...Damon will get his permit this year, so it was the perfect teaching opportunity AND I bet no one else sends their Flat Stanley back with a story of being in a car accident! 

This is the car of the guy who was plugging something in to his lighter and not looking where he was going (his words not ours)....

This is our car. Not too bad, but still annoying (super annoying if he really doesn't have insurance). The front has a little damage too, but again, not too bad.

This is the lady we were pushed in to. Hardly any scratches on her bumper (I'm guessing she'll pocket the money, if any of us get any). Keep a safe distance between you and the car in front of you! 

Hoop-A-Thon

The Des Moines Hoop-A-Thon for HD was last Saturday and was more successful that I expected. What is a Hoop-A-Thon? You shoot free throws for 5 minutes. And the top 3 shooters in elementary, jr. high, high school, adult categories win prizes. We even have a Little Tikes hoop for the younger ones! 

All of the running around we did for donations paid off and we had some great items to bid on. There are a few things I would do differently for next year....better raffle items for the top shooters in each age group for sure! An amazing raffle prize so that if someone came with only a couple dollars that they could still buy a $1 raffle ticket and have a chance at winning something great. The silent auction items were great, but you had to spend close to $50 to win anything and especially in today's world, not everyone has an extra $50.

And in my opinion, the Hoop isn't only about raising money for research, but it is also raising awareness for HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE or you can read about it here. What is Huntington's Disease? Huntington's disease is a progressive, brain degenerative disease that causes certain nerve cells in your brain to waste away. As a result, you may experience uncontrolled movements, emotional disturbances and mental deterioration. Huntington's disease is an inherited disease.  

It is a horrible disease that Terry's cousin Tami is living with (her dad also had the disease). That means one, or possibly both, of her sons could also inherit the disease. You see, Tami is a 38 year old, divorced, mother of two boys. She was an active, college graduate, taught a few community college courses, and was the mother figure to her 3 younger brothers (their parents are both deceased). I wish I had a picture of her back then so you could compare it to today. Today, Tami lives in a nursing home in Storm Lake, cannot eat solid food and needs to be fed, she drinks from a sippy cup because she can't control her movements and she needs assistance walking. Soon Tami will be confined to a wheelchair, she will have to be fed intravenously, you won't be able to understand her when she talks and likely within the next 10 years complications of the disease will take her life. And yet, through it all, she remains positive for her boys. She knows it is too late for her, yet, she remains hopeful that a cure will be found and her boys won't have to go through what she is. 

Please say a prayer for Tami to continue to find peace as she goes through her battle, for her boys to stay strong, and I ask that if you have the chance to participate in a fundraiser or have a chance to talk about the disease, please do. Awareness is power. Look at Susan G. Komen, Lance Armstrong, Michael J Fox....there is an awareness for those diseases and it makes a difference. If HD isn't your passion, if it's breast cancer, diabetes, leukemia, Parkinson's, or whatever it may be, I encourage you to get involved. Volunteer, if only for a few hours a year. It matters. It matters to the person suffering, to their family, to their friends. 

Damon and Uncle Tim goofing around :
Some of the silent auction baskets :
More silent auction baskets :
Terry's cousin Tami and some of his other cousins :
Tami and her youngest brother, Gary :

I can't end this post without a HUGE thank you to HeyJenRenee...you can find her rad, creative stuff on Etsy here and here and she blogs here....And also to Mandy Miller Photography for their donations. Your items added to the success of our event and we cannot thank you enough!!!

Minted. Great ideas!

Check out this site for cute ideas http://www.minted.com/kids-birthday-invitations.