The Sinkler Family

The Girls

2011-02-22T13:15:00.001-06:00

Many Memories Shamrock St. Patrick's Day Card

Modern greeting cards and party invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Christmas

2010-11-28T18:28:00.005-06:00

The Girls

2010-06-13T21:40:00.004-05:00

Sophie at 3 Months

2010-03-09T18:34:00.002-06:00

So hard to pick favorites! You can check oout the others posted at www.resolutionsblog.blogspot.com. Thank you, Liz!

More family resemblance

2010-02-25T20:06:00.001-06:00

Comparison

2010-01-26T17:57:00.002-06:00

Belle and Sophie each at about 2 months

Christmas 2009

2009-12-28T14:13:00.001-06:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

Sisters

2009-12-17T21:27:00.003-06:00

So Sweet...

So Silly...

So Sleepy...

4 Weeks Old

2009-12-12T15:56:00.003-06:00

Sophie Update

2009-11-25T19:50:00.003-06:00

I think dad was sizing up Sophie next to the remote...

Tiny little feet with LOOONG toes.

Sleeping peacefully

She's figured out how to hold on to her "pacimal", last night she was sucking away on it and had it just clutched tightly to her chest.

Little Lefse Ladies

2009-11-25T19:35:00.002-06:00

Just getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner!

Sophie Lucille

2009-11-19T22:24:00.002-06:00

2009-11-01T08:27:00.002-06:00

Gunnar practicing before he goes trick or treating....

I can't figure out how to turn this video the right way

but Gunnar is pretty proud of his new skill!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T22:09:00.004-05:00

Heidi and Johnnie brought Serena over for a quick visit (Johnnie was really excited to be dressed up!)

Cody and Gunnar

Our neighbor Doreen (the crazy Vikings fan) and some of her friends stopped by to say hi.

The girls all bundled up before they left to trick-or-treat.

Halloween decorations by Jake and Belle- it's not Halloween unless you blind the children with strobe lights!

Belle in her dancer costume.

I think she might be jealous!

2009-10-26T20:11:00.003-05:00

I heard a commotion in the nursery and this is what I found...

Fall Pics

2009-10-18T19:36:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Lola

2009-10-12T20:11:00.004-05:00

It hasn't quite been a year since we met you, but today is your first birthday. Look how you've grown!

It's a Girl!

2009-07-21T19:39:00.000-05:00

Tipsy pots

2009-07-18T11:12:00.001-05:00

I saw this idea at a local craft show last summer and when my mom brought over a her collection of clay pots for our rummage sale last month I decided to give it a try. Basically all you do is stick a piece of rebar into the ground to support the tower and then thread the pots on (through the drainage holes in the bottom) then lean them over each other until you get the angle you want and/or until they stay put. It helps to have the potting soil in them when you do this. I even tried hanging some from a tree and while I like how they look, it's just not going to last in the wind here.

There are some great pictures and more directions online if you just *google* tipsy pots. This one was really helpful:

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/Backyard-Projects/Small-Garden-Projects/Tipsy-Pots-Project

This one is just a really unique take on the idea:

http://www.gardensandcrafts.com/gardenjunk.html

Summer Snapshots

2009-07-14T09:44:00.001-05:00

7/8/09 - 10:11:12

2009-07-08T11:29:00.000-05:00

For the Elizabeth Kartchner blog challenge... it was a nice cool morning to mow the lawn.

More fun

2009-07-06T10:10:00.001-05:00

Cody and Gunnar watching the show.

Jake helped the girls light their fireworks, but they came up with the coordinating dances and poses all by themselves (see below). Cute!

Fireworks Fun

2009-07-06T09:01:00.000-05:00

Belle was pretty preoccupied until she got her loose tooth out, then she moved on to the fun stuff.

Gunnar loved playing with his ball and Lola (thankfully Lola didn't bite a hole in it!).

My new favorite pic!

It's summertime

2009-06-04T10:17:00.002-05:00

It's official! I've just checked out from school for the year- woo hoo! Last night was Belle's first softball game and even Lola got to go along (with a very tight hold on her leash)

Dad's $500 Haircut

2009-05-19T07:28:00.002-05:00

Okay, I'm overdue to add to add the story to these pictures... Last Sunday there was a benefit dinner and auction for some friends of ours who lost their house to a fire. It was a very successful event and lots of fun to see the community of Harwood come together to help this family.

One of the highlights for me, though, was when my dad got his haircut by Chris (who's house burned down). About 2 1/2 years ago when dad retired from the military he started growing his hair long. In my opinion it never really suited him and he's taken his fair share of teasing from friends and family. So at one point during the benefit somebody asked what it would take to get him to cut off the ponytail, "$500" he replied (and probably thought nothing of it). But we decided to hold him to his word! One of the auction items was a bear that dad chainsaw-carved, after it sold, the auctioneer asked dad to stand up and he announced that dad would cut his hair if we raised $500. It only took about 15 minutes of passing a hat around to reach our goal!

New Boots

2009-05-12T11:40:00.004-05:00

Dad found a pair of cowboy boots for Gunnar, we were all surprised to see that they fit and he loved wearing them! Learning to walk in them was a bit of a challenge though.

Happy Birthday, Isabelle!

2009-05-10T19:43:00.003-05:00

This sweet girl turned 9 years-old today! We celebrated with a slumber party, a funky rainbow cake and a super-special surprise from her dad...

Bathroom Makeover

2009-05-01T20:41:00.002-05:00

I did this makeover with no budget. As much as I would have liked to replace the flooring and vanity I had to get by on a gallon of paint and some new accessories.

I did paint the ugly vanity with some chocolate brown paint that I found in the "oops" bin at Lowe's last summer and it turned out ok. Good enough to get by for a while longer. I forgot to get it in the after pics though.

When I was looking for containers to put Q-tips and cotton balls in I came across these bubbled glasses for $1 and they fit perfectly on this narrow little shelf!

Baby Sinkler

2009-04-23T15:29:00.003-05:00

This little "kidney bean" as Jake put it, should be making it's debut around November 16. So far everything looks good!

Earth Day Music Program

2009-04-22T18:16:00.004-05:00

Stick with it until the end and you'll see Belle's contribution.

Way to go, Belle!

The No Rules Club

2009-04-22T17:52:00.004-05:00

Saturday afternoon we saw Belle perform in the role of "Irene" in the No Rules Club. Oscar-worthy performance for sure! Somebody skipped a page in the script which meant Belle lost out on a chance for a few of her lines, but this was one of her bigger scenes.

Brunch Recipe

2009-04-06T13:28:00.002-05:00

This is my favorite egg bake recipe. You can easily alter the "add-in" ingredients based on what you have on hand and I often cut it way down so it's just enough for the three of us. It's very flexible. That said, I love it when it is made with all the veggies!

Eggs Roma

1 lb sausage
12 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded mozzarella
¼- ½ cup parmesan cheese
Optional veggies: chopped onion, green pepper, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives ( about ¼ cup each or whatever you have on hand)

Preheat oven to 350. Brown sausage with onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Add remaining vegetables when sausage is cooked through. Beat together eggs, milk, sour cream, and seasonings. Put sausage mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Pour eggs over sausage. Sprinkle with cheeses, and bake for 30 minutes or until center is set.

Springing Ahead

2009-03-08T16:16:00.004-05:00

Here are the "after" pictures I promised. This window is in my entry way, so I thought a wreath would be a cute way to add a little seasonal touch. The bunnies were sewn by my grandma years ago.

I just took a plain wreath from the craft store and hot glued in the cherry blossoms, butterflies and a birdie.

Nevermind the dust...

The green balls are made from styrofoam. We just ripped apart some greenery and stuck it in with a bit of hot glue. We were able to make 3 for the price of one pre-made at the store. I love a bargain!

As Belle said, when she surveyed our handy work: it's amazing what you can do with a few fake flowers and some hot glue!

Ready for Spring

2009-03-07T19:47:00.002-06:00

Really, I'm more than ready, but since it's still in the 20's up here in the Tundra I'll have to settle for adding a little touch of Spring to my home decor.

The "after" pics will be posted tomorrow. Just as soon as I get some decent sunlight to take them.

How about a recipe?

2009-01-18T19:19:00.004-06:00

For as much as I love to cook, I have not posted one recipe or even talked about cooking on this blog. I thought that was a little bit strange! So, here is one of my favorite stand-by recipes. Every time I ask Belle what she wants for dinner she asks for this, even if it's 90 degrees outside! I tend to prefer it when it's cold so we made it for dinner this week (30 below qualifies for cold dontcha think?!). Also, it is easy to keep most of the ingredients in the pantry so you can whip this up even on nights when it seems like you have no groceries left.

Sausage and Corn Chowder

1 lb fully-cooked, smoked sausage (like Hillshire Farms)
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
3 cups water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 can whole-kernal corn, undrained
1 can cream-style corn
1 can evaporated milk

Halve and slice the sausage. In a stockpot, saute the sausage and onion over medium heat, just until the onions are soft. Drain the fat. Add potatoes, water, and seasonings. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and heat through. Enjoy!

I am also working on Project 365, so we've been taking lots of pictures around here. I forgot to get a picture of the finished product, but here's a couple of shots while we were putting it together (one from Belle's perspective and one from mine).

Serena Rayanne

2009-01-15T19:00:00.004-06:00

Jake's sister, Heidi had her baby this morning. Meet Serena Rayanne:

She was so content while Belle and I visited, we did hear her cry before we left though!

~Congratulations Heidi and Johnnie!

Post-Holiday Let Down

2009-01-12T19:36:00.007-06:00

I look forward to a clean start in January, but I still can't help but feel like the house is just too bare. Especially this wall here:

Ever since I took down the Christmas decorations I haven't been able to find the right arrangement for the table or the shelves and their contents.

I thought I could get away with leaning my window (found at the flea market this summer) up against the wall- that sucker is heavy! BUT, now I think it needs to go up to give some height. What do you think?

What about the shelves? What do I need to do to make them look more interesting?

FYI, I lifted the idea for the "S" canvas from Susie's blog. She sells much prettier things in her Etsy shop.

Have a Rockin' New Year!

2008-12-31T15:15:00.003-06:00

There are benefits to being the one behind the camera!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T19:40:00.003-06:00

Everything looks so peaceful on Christmas Eve!

Gunnar got to play with Lola, he was so excited! He kept asking "What's that? What's that?"

Lola continued to pull presents from under the tree, run away and chew them up right until the last one was unwrapped. That along with the fact that she had a couple of playmates (Marley and Kia, Uncle Phil and Dawn's boxers) really wore her out. See below:

We really had a wonderful Christmas with lots of family time. Big hugs to our friends and family that we didn't get to see. Love you!

This one's for Grandma and Grandpa...

2008-12-07T15:42:00.005-06:00

The first video is the "childhood routine" Belle is in the second row, right on the edge of the green circle.

The second one is the "holiday routine" Belle is the 5th from the right.

Wish you could be here, but I'm sure you're glad that you are watching this from the comfort of home and didn't have to trudge through the wind and snow into a packed gym where you sit crouched in the bleachers (and pay an admission fee for the pleasure of watching your granddaughter dance). Ha!

Lola

2008-12-04T08:17:00.002-06:00

Meet the newest member of the Sinkler Family, Lola. We picked her up last night, she's an 8-week-old yellow lab.

Do It Yourself Christmas

2008-11-10T08:58:00.005-06:00

I was ecstatic when I heard about Chris's party idea. This is right up my ally! I can't wait to see what everyone posts and get started on some handmade Christmas gifts.

This is what I came up with:

I wanted to make something with stuff that I already have:

Beads, wire, canning jars, and votive candles or tea lights (rub-on letters too, if you want). These are things that I pretty much always have in a stash somewhere! The wire I used is 24 gauge if you are wondering.

I started by cutting a length of wire to wrap around the neck of the jar and make the handle. I totally guessed, and came out with quite a bit extra, so in the end I just wrapped it around the handle again and it turned out pretty cute. Take it easy on yourself, and have fun! When stringing the beads on, I looped the wire through some of them as you can see in the picture above. These beads will stay put. Others can slide back and forth between the stationary beads which gives it a nice random appearance.

Just wrap the wire around the neck of the jar, twist tightly a few times, make a loop for the handle, hook the end of the wire underneath the stuff that's wrapped around the neck of the jar, twist again and snip off any excess. You can add rub-on letters if you like, place your votive inside and you're done! I think these would look great lined up on a mantle or grouped together as a centerpiece (vary the size of the jars). Cute, cheap and easy!

Be Right Back

2008-11-05T21:09:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to let you know I'm in the middle of parent/teacher conferences and my semi-annual evaluation. I will post something fun this weekend! Promise!

Homework Blues

2008-10-26T20:51:00.003-05:00

Sunday night after a long weekend, lots of homework for the student and the teacher. We've both got the blues. That's where procrastination will get you. And look at me, blogging instead of grading. Great role model, huh?

Belle's Bedroom

2008-10-25T20:19:00.006-05:00

I am really bad at taking indoor pictures, especially trying to capture the overall look of a room, but here it is, anyway. If you can look past the messy bed and clutter...

I got another old window and put scrapbook paper behind it for a fake headboard. The letters were cut out by one of my former students and I painted, modpodged, and embellished them. I really like this wall.

You may think the second picture is meant to show how bad I am at faux-finish painting (It's not my fault, I swear. The walls have an insane amount of texture.) BUT the real purpose is to tell you a funny story. Belle was using the ledge around the room to showcase her collection of bells, rocks, knick-knacks, and toys and the clutter was driving me nuts. Even when her room was clean it looked like a mess. So I hung up the wall shelves and we arranged her collections and we put all the toys in her closet. I was admiring our work, thinking it looked pretty good, when she declared, "I look poor now!". Because she couldn't see everything she owned all at once, she thought it looked like she had nothing! Gotta love the perspective of an eight year-old.

Be Happy Now.

2008-10-15T19:05:00.005-05:00

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.

~Earl Nightingale

The simple things

2008-10-13T20:50:00.004-05:00

I was driving home tonight, in a bad mood, after a long day at school. It was one of those moods where you're ready to just be mad, period. It didn't matter that 90% of my day was good. It didn't matter that my husband had just called to see if he could bring dinner home. I kept thinking about the exchange that changed my day (dwelling you might say) when I passed a row of fiery Maple trees and I thought, what's so bad? It may sound hokey, but I suddenly just felt grateful to be here and grateful for the beauty around me.

...But truthfully, it returned and I still can't shake the bad mood.

Halloween Craft

2008-10-12T12:24:00.001-05:00

Here's another simple project that you can include the kids on. I've been seeing banners all over blogland, so here's my take on it.

I picked out some coordinating cardstock and trimmed to the size I wanted, then I let Belle sort them into the order she liked and attached the smaller squares. I had some black, glittery chipboard letters that we glued on. Then we punched holes to tie them together with ribbon and added a few Halloween stickers.

Love it! I think I'll be making some more seasonal banners.

Fall Project

2008-10-10T14:13:00.002-05:00

This beauty is courtesy of my creative mother. On a weekend trip she collected some gorgeous leaves and birch branches and then my niece and Isabelle got to put together fall mobiles. I think this looks awesome in front of the mirror, but it would be great in a doorway or hanging from a light fixture as well. Just don't look too close or you might see the scotch tape we used to attach the leaves to the fishing line! I would have used the hot glue gun, but I wanted the girls to be able to do it all on their own.

Super simple and perfectly pretty if you ask me!
Thanks for the idea mom, and thanks for the fall decorations girls!

Inspired

2008-10-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

Whoa

2008-10-06T20:44:00.000-05:00

Two months since my last post?! Are you kidding me? Where has the time gone? Well, I guess I'll jump right back in to posting pictures.

Belle and I went out to the farm yesterday to pick pumpkins, it was a blast!

Family Room

2008-08-12T12:03:00.001-05:00

This room was a lot of work! The wallpaper was nearly impossible to remove and the walls got really damaged in the process, so we had to retexture. Also painting the wainscoting was not easy, it required lots of taping off and filling in cracks and nail holes (time consuming!) Since I've used dark colors before I was worried that the "barn red" that I chose would be a pain too (lots of coats) but we got some really good quality paint and it covered well-yea! Now for the pictures... Drumroll, please!

Before:

After:

Okay, I cheated, I didn't take a picture behind the couch where the computer desk used to be, but trust me it's wide-open now. I just didn't want you to see the ladder that we used for installing the home theater speakers or the pile of frames that are yet to be hung up :)

Before and after

2008-08-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

I really want to share more pictures of the house with you now that the painting is almost complete and furniture is in, but I also want to wait until I get the walls decorated so I'm really torn! For now, here are some pictures of the entryway.

Before:
After: This is just to the left, when you come in the door. I took down the wallpaper that was here and painted the walls and trim.

I wish I were a better photographer!

A Helping Hand

2008-08-04T09:53:00.001-05:00

Belle has been an awesome painting assistant. Give that girl a paint roller and she's off! (Face paint courtesy of the Downtown Fargo Street Fair) :)

Slow Progress

2008-07-28T19:02:00.000-05:00

I feel the need to document today as we have been here for 2 months now. The garage is still holding pretty much all of our furniture, this is not where I expected it to be at this point. The good news is that the upstairs is now completely painted (minus a few touch-ups) and the carpets are being cleaned on Wednesday so by this weekend we can move our furniture in. I'm crossing my fingers that I will be settled by the time school starts in a couple of weeks. Yikes! Where did the summer go?!

Ch ch ch changes

2008-07-18T11:00:00.002-05:00

Before:
After:

This is ground zero for my painting supplies so it's kind of a mess in here, but I was so excited to get this room painted and show the transformation. Besides removing wallpaper and covering up the sponge-paint I painted all the trim, doors, and the ugly beam (you can kind of see it in the uppper corner of the second picture). I love it. I'm using these two colors in most of the house with a few color accents here and there so it's a good thing I'm happy with how this room turned out! The sheetrocking and texturizing of the living room walls is complete today so, I'll have lots more makeover pictures to share after this weekend.

Moving On

2008-07-17T14:33:00.001-05:00

This is the current view of the front of our house. York and Colleen have started moving in to their camper and plan to be at Pelican Lake by Sunday. This means I have moved into the kitchen (20 boxes down, 100 more to go). Thanks Lori, Missy, and Shannon for all the notes you packed in with my dishes. You made unpacking so much sweeter :) Miss you lots!

I'll post some before and afters soon, I just have to remember to go upstairs and take pictures of the formerly sponge-painted walls. You will be amazed!

Back Home

2008-07-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

Here we are, good 'ole Fargo :)
These are some pictures of the outside of our house. We've already done some improvements to the outside, including painting the front porch and flowerbeds, new house numbers, mailbox,and a flag. We stained the back deck and added lots and lots of flowers. Not bad considering we don't even close on the purchase of the house til Friday!
I have pictures of the inside, too, but I think I'll post those room-by-room as I finish my painting projects and we get our furniture in here. Look how green everything is here... It rained for the first two weeks straight, I swear. And some days I think I'm going to choke to death on the humidity. I heard someone say recently, "I washed my hands today using only a bar of soap and air" LOL. It's gotten better, though the temps are up and the humidity is down so I'm happy.

Oops, I guess I didn't do a very good job of showing the trees and all the greenery, but more pictures are to come.
I miss all of my Colorado friends and family so MUCH and think of you everyday!!!

Badlands

2008-06-28T10:30:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Medora, ND with my mom and visited Theodore Roosevelt National Park and saw the "Medora Musical" we had lots of fun, minus the gnats that seemed to be everywhere!!! Here are a few of the pics. The scenery is absolutely beautiful there. So different from the Eastern side of the state where I'm from.

Dance Camp

2008-06-28T09:18:00.000-05:00

Belle spent the last week in a Dance Camp with the West Fargo High School Dance team. This is her dance they presented on the final day. Look for her on the right side of the screen. There are a lot of blonde ponytails to keep track of!!

The Fair

2008-06-13T10:02:00.000-05:00

The "fair" was in town this week, so my sister-in-law and I took the kids. Belle and Lexi are graduating from the kiddie rides to the "big-girl" rides, but as you can see they are still enjoying both. They were mad that we wouldn't let them ride The Zipper, but I really didn't want to clean up any puke that day. Gunnar was just as happy as could be riding around in his stroller and hamming it up for the camera.

Tattoo

2008-05-11T13:38:00.000-05:00

Well, now that Jake has broken the news to Mom that I got a tattoo I guess I will post some pics of our little outing! Lori, Shannon, Missy, and I all got tattoos yesterday. This was a first for Shannon and I and we were both pretty nervous.

I got a columbine flower as a symbol of my time in Colorado. One of my students drew it for me and added the word "inspire" which I love!

Shannon's is a cross, modeled after a pendant that her mother-in-law got at the Vatican.

Lori got a cherry blossom branch in keeping with the floral theme on her feet. (or is it a symbol for the Cherry Creek Mall?!) Just joking, Lori!
Missy's is a palm tree with plumeria flowers (she's got a tropical theme going on).

I can't imagine, that I'll be getting anymore tattoos, but I'm glad I did it! Pain and all!

Belle's New Glasses

2008-04-27T11:27:00.000-05:00

Rearranged Living Room

2008-04-09T21:04:00.001-05:00

Here's what Belle and I did to fix the big gaping hole in the living room furniture arrangement.

Proof

2008-04-09T20:58:00.000-05:00

I really did it! I cleaned out the craft room today, except for my sewing machine and fabric ( I have to have something to work on afterall! I even moved the boxes to the garage. Jake didn't believe it so here's his proof.

Gunnar loves his family

2008-04-07T21:42:00.001-05:00

My visit to Fargo over Spring Break was great, especially getting to see how Gunnar has grown and changed. These videos are still making me laugh (even after watching them many times)

Gunnar Says NO!

2008-04-07T21:11:00.000-05:00

Trying something new

2008-02-10T22:33:00.000-06:00

I was adventurous this weekend and went snowshoeing with my friend Shannon and her husband!

Family

2008-02-06T22:12:00.000-06:00

This post is going to ruin a little bit of a surprise, but it's too funny not to share... Belle and I were working on Valentines tonight and before we start writing on cards we make a list of everyone we are writing to. Well, apperently "Cody, LeeAnne, Lexi, and Gunnar" looked really long to her so she asked if she had to write all of their names. I told her "Cody and Family" would be ok. Then she wanted to know if she could write separate notes to Lexi and "the family", so this is how the inside of their card looks :) Love it!

Bags, Bags, Bags

2008-02-03T15:11:00.001-06:00

I'll admit it, I've become obsessed! These are a few of the bags I've been working on. It's been really fun to play with different fabrics, patterns, and layouts.

I made a zippered pouch to go with this one, and it's my new purse.

I learned how to install a magnetic snap with this one.

LOVE this pattern from my coworker and the fact that I recycled some old jeans is pretty awesome.
Pink owls in honor of my friend Lori.
I bought this fabric because it reminded me of Shannon.
Ahh, my favorite, notice the aqua :) This is my school bag.
And a mini quilt I made, I thought it would be a nice TV blanket for Belle, but it's pretty small. I may give it to a coworker who's wife just had a baby.I'm off to make some yummy Super Bowl food!

Being creative

2008-01-23T22:33:00.001-06:00

I've been slacking on the blog lately, sorry... Belle wanted to do a project together tonight so I found these little blank canvases that I'd stashed in my craft closet and we went to town. Here's what we ended up with:I think I want to add something to the heart, maybe "JUST BE" any thoughts?
Belle is definitely a budding artist, she did point out that her color scheme was "Vikings colors" though. Am I really surprised? No.

Christmas Card Keeper

2008-01-04T15:23:00.001-06:00

Here's the book I made for storing special Christmas cards. I got the idea from an issue of Simple Scrapbooks. The pages are manila envelopes, so I'm putting our card on the outside and storing the cards we recieved on the inside. Another idea I saw was to use this as a portfolio for school work. Pretty cool!

Projects

2008-01-02T21:05:00.000-06:00

Here are some purses/bags I've been working on:

Bag #1 Front
and back
Bag #2 front and back

Mom, here's a mini-version of the one you and I tried to figure out, I just used some scraps I had on hand...

White Christmas

2007-12-22T21:03:00.001-06:00

I officially kicked off my Christmas vacation last night. We went to White Christmas at the Buell Theatre in Denver. It's always been one of my favorite movies, so I was a little nervous that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it was wonderful! A perfect girls' night out with Lori, Shannon, and Missy.

Now Jake and I are on our way home!

Christmas Time is Here...

2007-12-16T20:20:00.000-06:00

We had our little family Christmas tonight, it would be just too much to take all of this to Fargo with us. It was also nice to let Belle open her presents without so much commotion going on.

Belle got a singing Hannah Montana card. (Despite the look on her face here, I think this was almost as popular as all the other presents)

And a Hannah Montana game I made her an apron to match my "Gourmet Goddess" one
AND she got her own digital camera (which meant she had to take a picture of each individual present)
One of Belle's first photos...
Can't wait to see you all next week! I don't know how I'm going to make it through 5 more days of school !?!

P.S. I finally got my KitchenAid Stand mixer (isn't it pretty?)

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-12T20:37:00.001-06:00

I saw this at Target and thought it was so funny that I bought it just so I could put on my bulletin board!

The Assistant "Cheft"

2007-12-09T18:28:00.000-06:00

Belle and I have been baking like crazy. BUT, I have cold and I'm feeling really tired, so after a while she said just write me some directions (NOT IN CURSIVE) and you can go sit in the living room with dad. So I did, with one eye on the kitchen ;). She did a really good job, after I explained that forming the cookie dough into a ball didn't mean one BIG ball, and the cookie scoop was not the ice cream scoop... It is so much fun to watch her process things!
She has been fascinated by my school since she came with me this spring, so I think she was feeling like a teacher when she was working in the kitchen "by herself" she asked us to call her Mrs. Sinkler, "I mean Miss Sinkler, cuz I'm not married!"

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2007-12-09T18:22:00.000-06:00

We had a beautiful day yesterday (cold, but beautiful). I've always loved how the first snow makes everything look so clean! Jake had to take a call for work so I went with him and wandered around Boulder, it was awesome because of the falling snow and hardly any people were out.

Belle-ism

2007-11-29T18:51:00.000-06:00

Jake and Belle were watching the news last night and a story came on about the proposed ban on spanking in Massachusetts. Of course, this kind of thing makes Jake really angry, but he turned to Belle to get her opinion. "Do you think some kids need a spanking if they are being really naughty?" he asked. She thought about it for a minute and said, "not in this house!"

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T08:05:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! We miss our family very much and wish we could all be together today, hope you all have wonderful celebrations. In the wise words of Belle, the best part of Thanksgiving is being thankful for our family and friends. Keep in mind, the first part of that conversation revolved around her drooling over our pumpkin pies, she very nearly said pumpkin pie is the best part of Thanksgiving. Then I think she caught herself and realized what she should say! Love you guys.

Thirty

2007-11-22T07:57:00.000-06:00

Jake and I are both turning 30 this week. When I found this, I thought it was just perfect!

Uffda

2007-11-21T23:30:00.000-06:00

You can't have Thanksgiving without lefse...

Belle got in on the action this time, she has some work to do when it comes to rolling, but her flipping skills are right up there, and in her own words, "I'm still the number one taster!"

She Is Her Father's Daughter

2007-11-19T19:15:00.000-06:00

Last night Belle and I were working up in the craft room before dinner. As we sat down to eat, I realized that I had forgotten my pop upstairs. This is the conversation that ensued:
Me: I don't suppose you'd go get my Diet Coke for me?
Belle: Did you leave it upstairs?
Me: Yes, ok I'll just go get it.
Belle: While you're up there will you get me my water?

She is something else!

Double Vision

2007-11-12T19:56:00.000-06:00

Are these girls creative or what?! I thought they were up to something when they emailed to ask me, Lori, and Shannon if we'd be at school on Halloween, little did we know... It was hilarious, they had everything down, the clothes, the "Midwestern accents" for Shannon and me, and they even cut the wigs to match our haircuts . Awesome.

Whoa

2007-10-31T21:17:00.000-05:00

Here's the loot, kinda sickening huh?! I think I may have to take some to school or something.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T19:44:00.000-05:00

Belle is out trick-or-treating with her friend Bekah (yes, very scary) so Jake and I are left to greet the goblins on our own. Here are a few pictures of our little butterfly...

Gourmet Goddess

2007-10-31T19:33:00.000-05:00

I think this is quite possibly the coolest gift ever! One of my former students came to visit me last week and gave me this apron. LOVE. IT.
How 'bout that ruffle!

Brrr!

2007-10-21T12:02:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe that it was 80 degrees yesterday... This was our view when we got up this morning (yes, that's snow). Looks like a good day to bake something!

Pumpkin Carving

2007-10-17T21:45:00.000-05:00

We had Dawson over for some Knephla Soup for supper tonight (yum!) Then we got down to business- carving pumpkins. After the initial "gross out" from the pumpkin guts, they got into it and had a good time. They did a very thorough job of cleaning out the pumpkins and we have lots of seeds to roast!

We are using those patterns where you poke holes in the pumpkin and then saw around it so Belle and I are quickly developing hand cramps. She asked me, "Are you going to say uff da when you are done?" Yep, she's Norwegian!

I'll post pictures of the finished product tomorrow...

Pics

2007-10-09T22:29:00.000-05:00

I had a chance to catch up on some scrapbooking this weekend and here are the results:

(they look kind of funny because I have to scan them in halves and "stitch" them together)

You should be able to double click on the images and get a better view of them. Hope you enjoy!

Colorful Colorado

2007-10-07T13:14:00.000-05:00

I had Friday off due to conferences, so Shannon and I went up to Estes and Rocky Mountain National Park to hike. We got kind of a late start, but saw so many beautiful things! I have WAY too many pictures to post here, but these are some of my favorites.

A majestic elk in Lake Estes:

Inside Rocky Mountain National Park:

Shannon and Me:

The golden aspens:

Just some pretty stuff:

We drove up "old fall river road" which takes you up to over 12, 000 feet in elevation! This elk was just meandering along the road all alone, he got so close we could have reached out to touch him!

Sunset at 12, 000 feet:

When we started out in Estes it was about 75 degrees, by the time we got up here it was in the 30's and there was snow on the ground. It makes your lungs burn to breathe up here too. The day was pretty incredible!

Autumn

2007-09-30T10:04:00.000-05:00

Jake, Belle, and I spent the day taking in the gorgous fall colors and mountain scenery yesterday. We started by driving up through Lyons, and Belle pointed out all the artwork from the sculpture trail which she and I explored this summer.

There wasn't much for fall color on the way into Estes Park, but we got a huge (literally) surprise when we pulled into town and drove past the lake... There was an enormous bull elk just sitting there in the middle of the park with crowds of people all around! I thought it was a statue at first. Belle was begging her dad to pull over and practically jumping out of her seat. Unfortunately there was too much traffic and nowhere to park, but we promised to find more elk.

We drove up to the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park and looked around the visitor's center and they said it was already so cold and snowy up there that some of the roads were closed. So after a kind of questionable start to the day we decided to venture out on our own and see what we could find. This approach proved to be rewarding. We got up close to some elk and the landscape was incredible as we drove through Allenspark and down along the St. Vrain River back into Lyons. What a day!