Life According to Cassie

Friday, December 5, 2008

Some of My Favorite Christmas Projects

I love houses. windows. city streets, buildings & yards this time of year.

It is amazing how just a few decorations and some twinkle lights make everything look so happy and festive. Throw some cookies in the oven (or better yet, plug a wallflower in the wall) and everything smells just as wonderful as it looks.

(3-D Snowflake)

My favorite part of the season is Christmas Cards, hands down!

I added the links to the two projects up top, try them if you get a chance.

They are fun for adults & kids.

Enjoy the Holidays, Everyone!

End of Family Week

(thanks for the beautiful poinsettia, Becky)

Well, things didn't quite end with a bang like we had planned.

Actually, it did end with a bang...on Justin's head.

Mitch and Justin were racing on their bikes and Mitch cut Justin off. Then Justin's front tire hit Mitch's back tire and Judd went down. Big gash in lip/lots of blood/off to the ER for a couple stitches.

This trip to the ER wasn't quite as gross as when he nearly bit his tongue in half, a couple years ago, but it was yucky and Mitch felt awful. The big scab came off yesterday so it looks lots better now. The stitches come out next week.

So we spent our last night of Family Week at the hospital. We'll have to redo that night tomorrow. As a matter of fact, by popular demand, we'll be redoing many of our Family Week nights.

Friday, November 28, 2008

Family Week

A few years ago the President of the United States of America proclaimed a week in November to be National Family Week where time and energy would be focused on strengthening and honoring families.

This year the Dayton Ohio East Stake (a stake in our church) is supporting this concept with its own initiative. The DOES First Annual Family Proclamation Week has been this week, November 23-29, with a strong focus on families and family time. Our stake and ward calendars have been cleared to make room for a whole week of free time to spend with our families.

They even put up a website for more information about this wonderful initiative. It is a good place to go and register, find ideas, and refer others in our communities to learn about Family Week.

We decided to start our evenings off with our usual scripture study and then we spend time learning about one of the kid's aunts and uncles. Then we have a fun activity together.

- So far, we've -

Played games. (Sunday & Thursday)

(button, button, who's got the button)

Went Swimming. (Monday)

Went bowling. (Tuesday)

I was really surprised how nervous I was to go bowling. Last time I went (two Christmas' ago) I fell and broke my tailbone. It was a LONG time healing....18 months or so.... BUT, it was a fun time and I bowled better than ever. As a matter of fact, we all bowled pretty good. You can see here that Judd had a blast.

Read a book together. (Wednesday)

Tonight we are going to put up all our Christmas decorations together and Saturday we are going to make some goodies to take to some new neighbors and our 'Ohio Grandma & Grandpa'. I'll try to post about those two days too.

This has been a great week. No electronics (TV, computer, phones, movies, video games, etc) allowed from 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Just us together, doing something together. Josie took the week off from work so that didn't interfere, and since Thanksgiving was on Thursday, piano lessons weren't scheduled. It was great to have a clean sweep on the calendar for the evenings this week. Yea for family!

*****

We had a fabulous Thanksgiving. We had good friends and lots of yummy food that filled up our day. I hope all of you had a wonderful day with friends and/or family and being able to notice all the blessings you've been given.

(Thank you for the beautiful flowers, Holly!)

Monday, November 17, 2008

On the other hand.....

Some things that have happened

these past few days.

Tuesday through Friday in bed. I ended up with the flu.

* The upside? I can cancel my appointment for my flu shot.

We had to drive to Dayton three times this past weekend.

* The upside? We could fill up for $1.77!

We got our first measurable snow on Saturday.

*The upside? My boys are in heaven. Mitch lives for winter.

Today my right eye was completely swollen shut most of the day.

*The upside? I got to sleep most of the day away while the Benadryl did its magic.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

image this

*rules* search google images to match your answers
only use images from first 2 pages of your search

*my age*

*place I've been*

(niagara falls)

*place i want to go*

*one of my favorite places*

(Mudlake, Idaho)

*favorite object*

*favorite food*

*favorite animal*

*favorite color*

*birth place*

*current place of residence*

(bellefontaine)

*current pet*

*past loves*

*best friend*

*nickname*

*first name*

*first job*

*what am i doing now*

*tag*

Becky S./Becky P./Beth M./Angie M.

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

I Refuse

Today I refuse to have a pity party. So I'm going to do what I know I need to do.

Keep saving money.
Focus on my family.
Buy another gun, before I can't.
Determine what is a need and a want.
Make sure our kids know how to work.
Figure out a way to convince my husband to come home from Japan.

Layne, if you are reading this, see what I made for you. You love cake.

By the way, Banana-Sour Cream Cake, easy, pretty, & yummy.

Or maybe if the cake doesn't tempt you back to the good ol' USA....maybe these guys will.

Only kidding! Can't wait for you to get home Friday. We miss you!

The funny things kids say.....

Last night Todd was filling out a job application and asked, "Who should I put for contact incase of emergency?" Layne said, "Put your mom." Mitch said, "I'd put the police."

(November 20, 2013)

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Todd just came up from putting away some things in the basement. "Why do you still have all of those fake dolls?" No wonder Josie didn't play with dolls that often. All I bought here were the fake ones.
(August 14, 2013)
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While ordering dinner at Texas Roadhouse tonight, Justin (in all seriousness) asked the waitress, "does this corn come with salt on it?"
(March 16, 2013)
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Back story:Justin smashed his finger in the car door this past weekend.
Justin had the flu yesterday and was laying in bed and he called for me to come. I hurried in there and he looks up at me and says, "Don't you hate it when you have the flu and one of your pinkie fingers hurts?"
Yes, I do hate that.

(Feb. 21, 2012)
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We were at Layne's cousin's mission report while in Idaho. There were lots of family we hadn't seen in years. Justin asked who one lady was. I said that is your Great Aunt Debbie.

Justin asks, What makes her so great?

7-10-11
-----
His list is growing...
Judd & myself were driving in the car. Out of the blue he says, "Mom, when you die I call the house."

2-10-11
-----
We were driving home from school today. All was quiet. No one was talking. The radio wasn't even on.

Out of the blue Justin says, "When I get married I call the wii."
I guess when you're the youngest you have to be a forward thinker or you'll end up with nothing.

(1-4-11)
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Justin & I were babysitting a new little baby. (4 weeks old) Justin came to me and said, "Mom, I can't get this baby to laugh at my jokes."

(8-25-10)
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I was throwing away a large handful of watermelon rinds and Justin yells out, "Wait! Don't throw those away. The pigs will eat them." We don't have pigs.

(5-22-10)
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Justin wanted his way on something and I wasn't giving in. Finally he comes up with his own threat.
"If you don't let me...I'll watch TV all day long."

(1-26-10)
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We were leaving for church and in the rush I didn't remember my coat. In the car I commented that it was SO cold and I forgot to put on my coat. It was quiet for a few seconds and then Mitch says, "Well, at least you smell good."

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This morning (today was a Fast Sunday) Justin came in my bedroom and asked me to get up and get him some cereal. I told him I would but that I just needed to wake up first. He laid by me for a few minutes and then said that he thougth I would have been quicker since it was FAST Sunday.

(10-11-09)
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After lunch today I asked why I am always so tired after lunch on Sunday afternoon. Justin said he was never tired after lunch. I asked him how he could not be tired. He told me, "I just blink my eyes closed and then I blink my eyes open all day and I don't get tired."

(9-19-09)
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I asked the boys what they wanted for dinner tonight. As usual, Justin yells SPAGHETTI! Everyone else yells, NO! (He'd eat spaghetti forever if we'd let him.) So Justin says, "Ok, lets just have pasta with some sauce with meat in it."

(8-13-09)
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Yesterday the boys were at the neightbor's house playing. Kelli, the mom, asked Justin how old he was. He told her he was 4. Then she asked, "When is your birthday?" Justin's responded, "When I turn 5."

(7-16-09)
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Our friend Becky P. was trying to pay Josie some money for somthing Josie didn't think she needed paid for. Becky made the comment, "You are as bad as your mother." Josie replied, "No, I'm as good as my mother."

(5-9-09)
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How old does this make you feel?

Todd was calling someone the other day and keep redialing and finally said, "Mom, there is something wrong with the phone. It keeps making this beeping noise." I went over and listened.....it was a.....busy signal. Our children live in a world of voice mail and for the first time called someone without it.

(2-18-09)
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Today Mitch had an interview with the Branch President because he'll be baptized this coming Saturday. He came out of his office and walked over to me smiling so huge and said, "Mom! I passed!"

(1-25-09)
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The other day Justin and I were in the van together and he said something not very nice. I asked him why he did didn't choose the right. He responded with, "This time I chose the left".

(1-17-09)
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The day after Halloween I noticed that Justin was gathering up all the candy from all the Trick-or-Treat buckets. I asked him what he was doing and he told me, "We've got to get this stored for winter, Mom".

(11-1-08)
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Today Josie was on the phone leaving a voice mail message to a girl in her class at church. At the end of the message she finished up with..."In the name of..."

(10-08)
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A couple nights ago our friend, Mitzi, came with her three youngest little girls. When we were getting everyone out of the car Mitch poked his head in the open door and said, pointing to the youngest, "Is that the zero-year-old"?

(9-08)
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This morning Mitch got up and told me, "I can't believe I've had all my dreams. I'm only seven." So I asked what on earth he was talking about. He said, "I already had the dream I had last night so I guess I'm just starting over."

(9-08)
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Today I was getting the two youngest boys ready to go to a friends house so I could take Todd to the doctor. My friend isn't feeling very good right now so I was telling Mitch (7) that he needed to be on his best behavior because Becky isn't feeling 100%. He looked at me and asked, "Is she at least at 90%?"

(8-08)
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We went swimming today. When Layne got home from work Justin went on about how fun the 'cat pool' was. For the life of me I couldn't figure it out. Then finally it came...I call it the 'kiddy pool' - not the 'kitty pool'. LOL

(8-08)
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Today Judd told me that it would be too dangerous to go to Heaven in a rocket so it would be easier to die first and then go there. My answer.....'okay---go play now'.

(7-08)