Way to go , Tae Kwon Do!!!

During the test- they have to do the whole form together and separately

Amy receives her gold belt-she's now an eigth gup

Sarah receives her gold belt; she is now an eighth gup, also.

New yellow and gold belts. Notice our friend Owen, in the back row on the left. He earned his yellow belt tonight.

Remember this?

I do, and it makes me weep. Which I've done a lot of this weekend.

For the Iowejuns

Overheard on the weather last night:

Weatherman Wes: "Watch out tomorrow morning! The windchills will be in the thirties."
Anchorgirl Melanie: "Ooooh, that's really cold!"

No, I'm not kidding, that was it, word for word.

Dad's hat has been felted!

When I was little, my sister once told me I was adopted-----please, say it's true....

So,will you please stop asking me why I am so odd?!? Isn't it obvious--I had no hope of being normal.......



Le-Le, you did a great job! Thanks for helping make our dad just a bit warmer, if not weirder!

He wasn't gone 30 minutes B4 this started....

Matt is gone again this week. Rememeber how things got out of hand last week? Today we got a head start on the madness, and didn't even wait to clean up the lunch dishes.







Oh, and we call this "Fat Bat War."

Some things you might not have known...

I'm always seeing these lists on blogs and thought it would be fun to do here. If you don't think it's fun, please don't tell me. If you find something interesting, let me know, maybe I'll elaborate.

100 little known facts about Me

1. I was born in Puerto Rico.
2. I have lived in 31 houses/apartments.
3. I was in a mobile home during a tornado in 1982.
4. I once owned 3 goats-Larry, Laura, and Amy.
5. I owned a car when I was 14.
6. I sold the car and bought an appaloosa named Mack.
7. I could drive a stick shift at 14.
8. I’ve had 6 miscarriages.
9. I’ve been to India twice, and loved it. I’d like to live there.
10. I won 3rd place at the state level in a “Make It With Wool” contest.
11. I started sewing for profit at age 19.
12. I’ve raised 50 chickens twice, and learned to butcher them myself.
13. I won a bet that I couldn’t eat meat from our bottle calf, Lucy.
14. I played the flute in school.
15. I dropped out of piano lessons twice.
16. One spring and summer I killed 10 snakes in my yard with an ice chopper.
17. In 1992 I canned more than 200 jars of produce from my garden.
18. I hate to paint (as in walls).
19. I used to wallpaper for hire.
20. I started wearing glasses in 7th grade.
21. I would like to have 2 more kids.
22. I could live without a dog, but not without a cat.
23. I hate sand—including beaches.
24. I am very uncomfortable watching a movie or TV without doing something else.
25. I once took my knitting to a theater and knit part of a sock there.
26. Being in a chicken coop is very peaceful to me.
27. I dream of building and living in a straw bale house.
28. I would enjoy living off-grid for a season or two.
29. I have no aunts or uncles, and have never had a 1st cousin.
30. When I was 10 years old, I still had 6 grandparents. I lost 3 of them that year.
31. I still have the dress I wore to my high school graduation.
32. I have always been a night owl.
33. For both of my high school proms, I asked the guy.
34. I love Bungalow and Mission style.
35. I only own 3 pairs of pants: sweats, and 2 jeans; one with holes and one without.
36. I am terrified of snakes and bats.
37. I have 1 friend I’ve been friends with for 29 years. (I love you, Ann Johnson).
38. I drove 1,503 miles across country with 4 kids and a cat by myself in 2006.
39. I really dislike hot weather.
40. I would like to learn to spin and weave.
41. I wish I owned a scroll saw.
42. I once wanted to go to construction school.
43. I love bakery frosting, especially cold, on cake, for breakfast.
44. When I was little, I was allergic to strawberries and crab.
45. My first car (when I had a license) was a Volvo station wagon. We called it the B.O.M.
46. I was co-captain of my high school drill team.
47. Catholicism saved my sanity.
48. I have never had a broken bone.
49. Growing up, we once had 3 dogs and 2 cats; it was bedlam.
50.I absolutely. do. not. understand Algebra.
51. I have no natural sense of direction.
52. I used cloth diapers with my first 3 kids and loved it. I even sewed them myself.
53. I have a well developed sweet tooth.
54. I am allergic to wheat, corn (starch, syrup,), potatoes, egg yolks, and trans fats.
55. I used to smoke—a lot. I quit 21 years ago.
56. I didn’t learn to ride a bike until second grade.
57. In 2007, I had hives for 4 months straight.
58. I love cheesecake. Plain is the best.
59. In 1982, I was in a (multiple) rollover car accident and walked away from it.
60. I’ve had fibromyalgia since 1991.
61. I worry a lot about having a house fire.
62. Watching blood being drawn makes me nauseous.
63. I gag almost every time I brush my teeth.
64. I listen to NPR every morning except Sunday.
65. I love “The Waltons.”
66. I detest reality TV shows.
67. I have a dream to attend a 6 wk course in Canada for bra fitting and construction.
68. I think driving a conversion van would be fun. Everyday.
69. I’ve lived in 8 states, plus Puerto Rico.
70. I will not watch scary movies.
71. My ears were pierced with ice and a needle when I was 12. It didn’t go so well.
72. I love red tulips and pink roses.
73. I would rather receive yarn or books than flowers from my husband.
74. The Rosary is my favorite prayer.
75. My least favorite household chore is vacuuming, and I dislike carpet--a lot.
76. I enjoy doing laundry.
77. I miss having a clothes line.
78. Coffee from a thermos brings back many memories for me.
79. I can tie a perfectly balanced, horizontal bow-first time, every time.
80. I love, love, LOVE, college wrestling.
81. Number 2 lead pencils are my favorite.
82. I don’t do politics.
83. My hair and eyes are my favorite features about myself.
84. One summer I worked the night shift in a nursing home.
85. I once quit a job before I even started it.
86. If given the opportunity, I would not visit the moon.
87. I can remember our phone numbers from 1977. They were 8892 and 5491. Yes, we had two.
88. The phone number at the DQ in Creston has been 782-2826 for over 30 years.
89. I find OCD helpful at times.
90. Dental procedures require me to use meditation to avoid nausea.
91. I still have my tonsils.
92. Wearing pantyhose can send me into orbit.
93. I’ve sewn 16 bed-sized quilts.
94. I named my Honda Odyssey-Agnes.
95. I failed Library Sciences.
96. I bit my toenails as a child.
97. I was anorexic in my early 20’s.
98. I am not (!) anorexic now.
99. I would love to see a live hockey game.
100. Best gift from my husband: Tickets to an Iowa State wrestling match. See #80.

Well, there you have it. Please don't ask why I chose these particular 100 facts, they're just the ones that came to me when I was writing. I'll bet I could make another list of 100 things that I don't want you to know, too, but don't hold your breath for that one.

Our Valentine's Celebration

Our traditional Valentine's Day Dinner was enjoyed by all again this year.

On the menu was spaghetti, homemade French bread, pink Sprite, and chocolate cake. I always use the ruby dishes that were Grama Smith's,

and we all wore red for the occasion.

A simple cake this time, but still good.

We read St. Valentine and then made these tissue paper

hearts with St. Valentine's picture in the center. Theo and I also made the cards of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

For Grama Elaine

I thought this would be a boring post, so I left it out when I showed the lego bomb. However, we regularly have "lego mania" contests here. Each kid builds something, keeping it hidden from the others. Then they place them on display. Displaying usually means covering them with towels, blankets, or scarves until judging time. The judge is me. I give out prizes for things like "most original use of blue" or "best creative in color management." Here are the results of the latest contest: Sarah won "most colors used"
Theo won for " best use of people"
Marty won for the "best use of wheels"
Amy's award was "best use of a set"

Anyway, it keeps us busy and happy. Hope this gives you a smile, Grama Elaine, and we hope you are feeling better, too!