Saturday, February 27, 2010

Predator Hunt

Last night my husband called from camp. He had shot a coyote and thought we would all be excited to know this. He actually invited my grandson and I to come out to camp to check out the kill. Did I want my grandson to see that? I did, but I didn't. At deer season Nathan was always asking Grandpa if he got his buck. I don't think he really knew what a coyote looked like. You can hear them on our property but you rarely see them.

Nathan didn't seem too thrilled with the dead coyote but my dog, Daisy was all over it! The dog was so excited she kept walking up to it and sniffing it. When we went into the camp she was whining to get back out to it.

Grandpa was showing Nathan where he shot the coyote. Nathan kept talking about the blood in his nose. He wouldn't touch it......thank goodness.....grosse! Hello....no touching the dead thing!


This is a closer look. He shot him in the neck and some of the shot had gone to his cheek area. For a coyote he's not bad looking. No mange and he's not too skinny. Must be an abundant rabbit population this year. This coyote's head will get mounted for the deer camp and his coat will be tanned and hung there also. No room on my walls at home for this.
They have this predator hunt every year. As far as I know it's coyotes and foxes. I think foxes are beautiful but they do damage to the bird and rabbit populations. I'm not a big fan of this stuff but.......at least my hubby gets out to play with the other big boys.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Looking Into The Past

My Dad and I were looking for a cool picture of my brother and I holding a HUGE lobster. We came across these beauties. The first picture is of my older sister's 1974 school picture. Love the glasses.
This next picture is of ME! I always hated this picture and I still do. Big ole chubby cheeks. My Mom says I'm beautiful but she has to say that.:) School picture from 1974.
This last picture is of my brother. School picture from 1974. I just told my Mom "How could you dress the poor boy in a purple turtleneck!" I'm sure he took a beating at school for that shirt.

It was so fun going thru my parents pictures. There were a lot of pictures of his family from years and years ago. I have never met my great grandparents. I was born on my great grandmother's birthday. I'm glad I got a chance to at least see them.

Still haven't found the picture I wanted but we'll keep looking. Then I'll put it up on the blog.

Another Friday Picture


This is one of our boys. Isn't he a handsome dude. He's single and looking for someone special. Oh, sorry. This isn't a dating blog.
I snapped this picture of him while he was marching in a Fireman's tournament parade. He loves being a fireman.....loves to follow in his Dad's footsteps. He even wears the hat Dad used to wear when he was a member! Too precious. We just gave him a tie pin that Dad wore while he was a volunteer fireman.
Jeff loves all trucks. Big, little....ones that move dirt, ones that moves logs. He's a little boy in a big boy's body (aren't all boys?)
I know my hubby/little boy is out hunting in a predator hunt this weekend. Those boys so love getting together at camp.

Friday's Picture

It's Friday!!
Today's picture is of my daughter at skating practice. Our club is getting ready for our annual ice show in March. Our theme is Skating Through The States.
I am sure glad I don't have to pick the music for the ice show--hats off to the ladies that did that. They did a great job. Now they have the task of putting together the script.
Costumes have been chosen (there is always drama that goes with that) and will be distributed soon. I can't wait to see what dress was chosen for Terra. I should know but I just don't remember. We looked at so many different dresses. I have a closet full of past ice show dresses and competition dresses. I should try to sell some of them on Ebay.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Shabby Chic Decorating

My attempt at re-using materials.

I found this old window at our local Habitat For Humanity Restore. I had the vinyl tree but didn't know what to do with it. When I came across the window the "light" came on. I painted it white and put the vinyl tree on the glass but it still looked a little lonely. So, I bought a roll of vinyl and planned a trip to our local scrapbook store to have some words cut out on their Cricut Expression. I have a Cricut but I didn't have the font I wanted so.....off to the store I went.

I had never done vinyl before and I was hoping the kind lady at the store would just whip this out for me.......not so lucky. She hadn't attempted it yet, but Mary and I did do it together and I think it turned out great.
Thanks Mary!!

This next window came from a friend's garage that they were tearing down. I saw it on the side of the rubble and asked him what he was doing with it. "It's going to the transfer station...Why?" I told him I wanted it for a decoration in our house. Now, he knows my hubby and he gave me that 'does your hubby know what your up to' look and I told him not to worry....his name wouldn't come up in the conversation. "It's yours if you want it." Whoopie!! I loaded it up in the car and away I went. I cleaned it up a bit and then painted it. I wanted it to have the worn look so I didn't fix anything. I just made sure the glass was going to stay put. Then I put the kids pictures in and made a little "Family" page and up on the wall it went. I want to take it down and finish putting paper behind the kids pictures. Looks good for now.

A Couple Cards For Special People



I love paper. Plain, textured or patterned. Doesn't matter.....I'm a paperholic. Can't quit. Won't even think about it. No interventions for me please. I love paper crafting. Cards, bags, boxes......whatever.

I also love scrapbooking. I will definately fill you in on that little hobby in this blog.

I made this Father's Day card for both the Father's in my life. My Dad and my father-in-law.

It was really fun to make. I learned this from a Stampin' Up demonstrator, Chris. I used to belong to a group of ladies that would meet once a month. We would make a couple things and then order our supplies. I miss that group. I stopped going because my daughter's skating was getting so expensive. I do still order.......Have to satisfy my addiction!

Around the end of Terra's 6th grade year she told me one of her favorite teachers was leaving the area and she asked if I would make her a card so she could put a picture of herself in it for her. I checked some of my favorite blogs for ideas and came up with this. Terra was happy with it and her teacher told her it was gorgeous and she would cherish it always. Just a few days ago she mentioned this teacher and wondered if she still had her card and picture. Probably.....my girl is unforgettable!! Hee! Hee!

My Girl, Daisy


This is my dog, Daisy. She is a Sheltie. I bought her from a couple in Hancock about nine years ago. I only paid about $200 for her because they said her coloring was off for showing. I didn't care. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her. My parents bought her brother. I was actually there checking out their dog. Puppies are sooooo cute!!! She came up to me and sat at my feet. That was it.....where's the checkbook? I knew my husband didn't want a dog (we already had a cat...another story) but she stole my heart. I paid for her and out the door I went. We had two of our boys in the van and they were so excited. We did our shopping and they stayed in the car with her. When we got home I called my parents to tell them I bought the female. I think my Mom was upset with me because she said they were thinking of getting both the male and the female. Too late!! She was ours! She is a very sweet dog and I love her so much. She loves to cuddle and when Mr. leaves in the morning she will jump on the bed and lay on his side. After a few minutes she sneaks closer and snuggles next to me.
She is a funny little dog. Of course Shelties have their quirks but we love her.

Having Stromboli For Supper Tonight

It's game night tonight--Terra has her last basketball game. We usually try to have something that is fast and easy as her game starts @ 5:45. By the time we get home, it's too late to start making something. So today I decided to give the hubby a break from cooking. The picture above is all the ingredients I need to make my ham and cheese stromboli. It's up to him later to brush it with melted butter and get it in the oven.

Here it is with the bread opened and the cheese on. I did add more cheese after this picture. I try to get the cheese on the whole surface.

Next comes the ham. You don't need expensive ham for this. Thin slice works the best. Roll it up, pinch in the sides and .....


Your stromboli is ready to be brushed with butter and put in the oven. The main thing is Terra likes this and that's a plus. She's not really a picky eater but we try to have things that are her favorites.



Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Family

So, we had our family portrait taken. This is just the hubby and I. We don't usually like our photo taken but we hadn't had one in such a long time that we decided it was time. I'm not very photogenic but the hubby is. We had our daughter with us and she helped to get us to smile....she's such a cut-up. We had an individual photo taken of her also because we had the boys senior pictures on a wall and no Terra....so, we had hers taken with her ice skates. We are planning another photo session this summer as we want to get our grandson in there with us.
Well, in May we will celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary. I want to surprise Mr. with a weekend getaway. I've been looking on-line to find someplace not too far from home but far enough that it feels different. Not a shopping place...maybe a quaint bed and breakfast somewhere on a lake. I want to do this for him because he is such a wonderful man. He does so much for Terra and I. I know....that's part of the Dad/Hubby job but really....have you ever been around when I come up with a crazy idea for a craft project. He definitely keeps me grounded. He also has become a great cook for us. 10 years ago when he started a new job, he got off work before me.....so a cook was born! He was not really enthused about becoming the family cook but...when you get home first....you get to cook. I have to honestly say he's never cooked a bad meal! So whisking him away for a weekend where he doesn't have to cook will be enjoyable for him. We've come a long way...both our second marriages. Getting two families together is not an easy feat especially when dealing with exes. But, we got thru and it certainly has made us stronger....individually and as a couple.
So for family away that hasn't met my Mr.---here he is. Isn't he a handsome one. So glad we came across in an ice rink---just at the right time. This may sound corny but, I saw him across a room and he was laughing. His eyes are what brought me to him. A friend of his introduced us and we talked long into the night. HISTORY!

The next photo is of his family....This was taken this past Christmas. Everyone was there!! I love this picture.

My husband's Dad had been ill and we were so afraid we were going to lose him but he is a Finlander (which translates into "a stubborn man") and he is doing well. The only boys missing are mine and the extra little one by me is my grandson Nathan. We had Grandma and Grandpa, all four of their children with their spouses and the kids. My sister-in-law usually just gets the grand kids out for a group picture but this time she got us all out there. It was a mild day, but cold. Of course cold....we live in the Copper Country.







Our Far Away Sweetheart


This is our granddaughter, Sophie. This picture was taken at her third birthday party. Although we never get the chance to see her I am grateful for pictures. Sophie lives with her Mommy in Canada. It is heartbreaking to have a grandchild that you never get to hold and kiss and play with.
Maybe one day we will get to travel to Canada for a visit with her. I am hoping that her Mommy and Daddy can work out their differences so she can one day come back into the states to be with her Daddy and his family. It's just not right to expect Daddy to be responsible in some ways but not be allowed to see his little girl.
We love you Sophie and someday you will get big hugs and kisses from Grammie. XXXOOO

Monday, February 22, 2010

Nathan Shoveling

This is my grandson. Isn't he a sweetie. He loves coming to Grandma's and helping Grandpa Pepper shovel. Hope that continues well into his teen years.


He will go out anytime, anywhere. He loves being outside and it is almost impossible to get him back inside.

This is his very own snow scoop. For those of you in a warmer place (Aunt Joann), this is what we use to move snow off the deck.
Hopefully the snow will go away soon and we can put the snow scoop in hibernation for a few months.

High School Skating Competition

This first picture is of a zamboni. Some of my family may not be familiar with this vehicle. My grandson loves this. He was able to sit on one at the MTU rink last year. Yep, got pictures.
The Yoopers even have a Zamboni song. Some day I will get the lyrics and share with you.
This next picture is of my Mom and Dad cheering Terra on at the skating competition. They weren't real familiar with the competition but they were there and that's all that counts!!

This picture is of our high school girls. They did a great job. We have a B team and a C team. The B team came in fourth in Michigan and the C team came in third.
Great job girls. I will post more pictures of the girls later.
Thanks for stopping by.


Saturday, February 20, 2010

She's Broken But Getting Better


This is my broken Mom. Her arm I mean. She broke her arm really really bad on the 15th of January. She had to wait 10 days until she could have her surgery to repair the damaged arm.
Two metal plates and 16 staples later,she was out of surgery and doing fine. Now going thru physical therapy and not really thrilled with how they move her arm around. Of course, they say if it hurts, it's working.
Mom and Dad are here with Terra and I. They also love to watch Terra skate. They have been coming to skating competitions with us since she started. I sure wish my family away from here could see her too. Maybe one day they will get here to see her. I'm crossing my fingers.
I talked to my Aunt Joann just minutes ago and I would so love to put my arms around her and give her a gigantic hug. Hoping she can make it to the Yoop for a prolonged visit. Hope your reading this Aunt Joann......we so want you here!!

Home Away From Home


Tonight this is home away from home.
My daughter has a high school figure skating competition in Marquette. This is her first year on the team but she is not a stranger to competitive figure skating. She has been competing since the age of 5......she is now 14. We loved it the most when she was younger. As she got older and progressed it was a lot more......hmmm, how do I say it nicely? Can't. Some people are just nuts when it comes to their kids competing.
This town is soooooo busy here this weekend. Dog sled races, skating, skiiing and who knows what else. Great for the businesses in town. Not so great when you are trying to get around. Whew.....and the stores here are full of people. Needless to say we did get our shopping in.
I bought a towel and a Taylor Swift cd for Terra. Nathan got a new plate, a dry erase board and a new T-shirt with a dump truck on it. He loves the construction vehicles. Competition tomorrow and then more shopping.
Be back tomorrow with results from the competition.

Friday, February 19, 2010

Handmade Tool Belt


This is a toolbelt I made for my grandson, Nathan. I found this on a blog and I can't remember the name of it so, I am giving credit to someone but can't remember the name---sorry.
It was super easy to make and I'd like to make more for friends kids. This would be so cute for little girls to use as a garden tools holder.

Conference Champs


This is my daughters's High School JV basketball team. They had just played a game against West Iron and won in literally the last second of the game. They were so intimidated by the team and were behind after the half. When they came back they looked like they were on a mission. They changed up their defense and got some energy going!! What an awesome game.
I love watching my daughter in all her sports.

New

This is definately something new for me. I have been blog hopping for about two years now and love all the craft/family blogs out there. I have been wanting to start my own blog but have been intimidated by it. Well, yesterday I checked out a friend's blog and decided this was the time to start.
I have family away from where I live and this is a good way to stay in touch.
Hope you enjoy my photos and my crafts. Hopefully this blog will get better and better the more I learn.