The Lion

You all knew it would happen.... March came in like a lamb (or a furry cow) so it has to go out like a lion. We are having the crappiest weather tonight.... snow, rain, wind, cold and it's not going to quit anytime soon.

April should bring rain showers to melt away this snow and bring us May flowers.

Inspiration Piece

While visiting Lynn in Appleton we had lunch at a very cute Italian Pizza Place. The pizza, pasta and sandwich menu was mouth watering along with the view. I was looking for inspiration to paint the dining room, living room and entryway and I think this is it. I little Tuscan Italian Style. Here is the front view of the Italian Cafe, we had to eat inside since it was a little chilly for outdoor dining. I am going to have this picture framed.

Okay so it's not really the Pizza Place we ate at.... maybe it's a picture I bought at Hobby Lobby which happens to match the colors I picked out. What'ca think? Walls will be 2 shades of tan with an accent wall of burnt orange and apple green along with mustard yellow for a pop of color, pottery vases, detailed wood pieces and scrolled iron decor.....Here is the picture with the color samples. Now I can't wait to start, anyone wanna go shopping?

(Tan colors look a little off on my monitor), don't worry they won't have a pink hue.

Family Day

Today we went to visit Lynn for her birthday. We ate at a pizza place (fantastic) and while the guys watched a little TV and drank beer the girls went to check out the mall. It was a very good day just hanging out as we don't get to do that very much anymore.

It's been along time....

since I had to take off of work for a sick child. Adam had his wisdom teeth removed yesterday morning and as of right now he is doing very well and my watch time is up, I'm free again!! He has not taken any pain medicine except for Ibuprofen (I think he wants to go somewhere tonight so he's being tough so we'll let him drive).

Adam has his uncle Wally's sense of humor and he cracks me up so often (it drives his Dad crazy). We drive to the clinic yesterday morning and he sleeps most of the way there, we pull into the parking spot and he wakes up to say "you two have fun, I'll be right here when you get back" next the nurse is hooking up the heart monitor stickers to his chest and she can't believe how skinny he is, it's just skin covering his bones (like another nurse said, he has 5% body fat distributed through his entire body), any way the nurse looked at me and said "don't you feed him"... before I could say anything Adam say "no, can you talk to her about that"!! I had to get bigger cereal bowls just for him or figure out how to put sides on the bowls I had..... don't worry I feed him, this kid can eat!

John and I went back to recovery and he looked so sad and doopy. He doesn't remember any of the conversations we had or the bunny ears they had him wearing. He slept most of the way home (and didn't try to jump out of the truck like Shan). We get home and as he's standing in the livingroom turns to say his first words and blood pours out of his mouth onto his clothes, my clothes and the livingroom rug..... Yuck! He faints at the site of blood so we rushed him to sit down and we changed gauze about 4 more times and he finally quit bleeding. The worst is behind us.

Here is my little bunny boy... not very often do I get to see him in one place for so long anymore, I will enjoy it while it lasts.

Happy Birthday Again...

Today is Lynn's Birthday.

Where did the years go, it seems like only a few years ago we wrapped her in pink blankets and brought her home, she rode her pony down the front steps, tight rolled her pants, wore 2-3 pairs of socks, wallpapered her room with magazine shoe ads, giggled with her sister at bedtime, stamped her feet up the stairs when she was mad, and now she's 25. She is our creative child so I needed to use my noggin and find a picture to represent her.

Lynn this picture is for you

Independent

Creative

Strong

Adventurous

Unique

and

Beautiful

Happy Birthday Sweatheart - We love you

Gerbera Daisy

I brought this plant in the house this last fall and it's finally produced a flower. It is bright red and makes me want summer to get here. Since I have gotten this camera I have taken so many pictures of flowers that I just don't know what to do different anymore. This one was a little more challenging since it was indoors and the lighting wasn't the best.

Since the pictures were taken the same ole' way I played with this one in Photoshop,

I kinda like it.

Happy Birthday Dad (Grandpa Earl) We love you

44 years ago today....

my best friend was born.

Tuesday is self portrait day but I wouldn't be who I am without him.

Happy Birthday John

Easter Joy

I can't tell the story here since Lynn wants to on her blog so keep checking over there until you hear why these two girls got so excited. Click on her link to the left.

Now for the POTD. Grandpa Great just watching his family on Easter. We celebrated at the hunting shack this year and it was a good time. Grandpa fits right in the shack decor.

Entertainment at Easter on the Hemmer Happenings Blog.... check it out!

Peeps

What is Easter without Peeps? I like them stale, the harder they are the better. John's mom always brings me peeps that are stale, this year she thought they were too stale and was going to throw them away...... NOOOOO they are perfect, they crack in pieces vs pull apart. Yummy!

Have a Happy Easter

Note: why can't they get the eyes and nose on these little guys where they belong. First I had to search through a bazillion packages at the store for the best ones and then I had to search for the best bunnies in the package to place them in the front. I put the off center eyed guys in the back, they just look like their looking to the right.

What's your name?

Ask Elly her name and she will tell you Elly Mae Hemmer Clampit Laska. Her grandpa A has been calling her this since she was a baby. Now Elly thinks that is her name. One day I was bringing her home from daycare and I asked her what her name is and she says "Miss Amanda tells me I only have one name and it is Ellyn Hemmer..., no it's Ellyn Hem...., no it's Ellyn.... Grawma wants my name?" Today I talked with her on the phone and I asked who I was talking to and she said Ellyn, I said Ellyn who? She said Ellyn Mae Hemmer Clampit Laska. I'm not sure how long it's gonna take for her to know what her real name is but for right now it's really cute for us to hear her say it. I'm sure her teacher, Miss Amanda, doesn't think it's real cute trying to get a 4 year old to spell that big ole' name. Here is a picture of my little Elly Mae Hemmer Clampit Laska wearing Tia's boots.

And here's another picture just because I can.

Look at those catchlights (reflections in her eyes).

First Day of Spring

Cards for no reason make the receiver feel great. Why don't we send them more often?

I got this card today from a good friend, she was thinking of me.

Thank you L.

I love how you do what you do, you always think of others before yourself,

and you do such sweet unexpected things. You are a great friend and I love you.

The card looks like it was meant to be on my table.

Guess

What is it?

Backside of a CD with water drops on it..... real exciting huh??

Self Protrait Tuesday :(

So John gets a little frustrated with me once in awhile, I run from one place to another, I press my luck with the clock all the time. Here's the story.... last night I leave work 45 minutes late so I can't go to the gym, I promised to take Elly to gymnastics, so I rush home. On my way I call Adam so he can feed El supper.... she's sleeping and they can't wake her up. Great! I fly in the house, John is making BLT's for supper and I have 15 minutes to wake up El feed her, myself and change my clothes. So I make El's supper and try to wake her up, I need to change.....John washed jeans and socks so they are downstairs for me.... perfect, I strip in the living room... boots right in the middle of the living room floor, jacket on the chair, skirts, nylons, and blazer lying all over the steps. I make and eat a BLT, pack El's supper b/c she is still sleeping, get the car seat from Adam's car, get El in her boots and coat while she's sleeping, grab everything, kiss John as I fly by... oh yeah Hi Adam! This is me and my schedule all the time, I overbook everything and I think I can make and do everything, and I can, but it makes me stress and rush.

So I get El to gymnastics 5 minutes to spare... yeah. She even woke up in the truck ate half her sandwich, a cheese slice, juice box, and half her treat. Now I can relax as I watch her tumble and jump around. At one point I had to turn my back on those little girls jumping on the sky jumper a million at a time, someone was gonna get hurt. Now I am suppose to go to the gym... I don't feel like it, it's late and I'm just going home. Of course I get home and have to take a POTD so I rush around the house collecting all the green items, grab the camera and my lens cap is missing....WHAT?? I panic, where did I lose it, where did I put it??? okay silly calm down and just look at the last picture taken so you can look there for your lens cap..... well it's a picture of my boots, coat, and clothes lying all over. I'm shocked, who would leave their stuff lying all over the house and not pick it up. I get upset with that type of behaviour, it doesn't take but two seconds to pick up your clothes, there's a closet hang up your coat!! I snap my head around to look at John who is grinning from ear to ear and says "thought you might want to blog your mess I had to pick up". I found my lens cap, he forgot to put it back on after he took the pictures.

John had a little camera issue so the pictures were a bit blurry so I had to do a funky glowing edge but there's my boots and coat, just where I left them.

Thank you dear for putting up with me and my busy schedule. I am always late for meetings or appointments we make after work, I am always in a hurry, I am always overbooking myself and you are the one to suffer. You do more laundry and cleaning during the week than I do in a month, you pick up after me, and you try to stay out of my way when the Tasmanian Devil spins through the house on her way to another place. I challenge you daily and I'm very sorry, someday I will slow down.... maybe.

I love you!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

A girl can never have too much green.

As Elly would say "Grawma it's green, that's your favorite color". Here are a few of my favorite green things to celebrate St. Patricks Day.

The super ball is not really one of my favorites, but it fit the picture perfectly.

Around the block again.

John and I took a ride around the block to find a POTD.... I'm getting really tired of winter pictures.... and here was the winner. It's not a favorite but it's all I have for today.

Pink or Blue???

What will it be?

We'll have to wait and see.

Elly's gonna be a big sister.

Being told I'm gonna be a grandma again was different this time.

Time to think

Time to worry

Time to wonder

Time to dream

Time to plan

Time to love

Time to wait

There will be lots of firsts for this grandchild that we didn't have with Elly.

The first of the firsts is it's been more than 20 minutes since I've known. :)

Fire and Ice

These two mix like fire and ice....

Adam trys to sleep before going to work on Friday night and dad picks on him. As soon as Adam got home from school they start to bicker about who's tougher than who, who can throw who in a snowbank....

Adam is a wanna-be gear head and John is as far from a gear head as possible, they bicker about Adam's car constantly which is different from the girls that had to come home and in the middle of a conversation about school in a very fast pace mention "oh dad by the way the engine soon light is on in my car" continue conversation about school so they could avoid the "I don't know what's wrong with it, why tell me, call the garage!!".

Now with Adam he comes home bragging about what is wrong with his car or what he's painted on it, sawed off, welded to it, broke on it, blown fuses, dumped in the anti-freeze, raised the tire pressure, lowered the tire pressure, changed the sparkplugs to something cool.... and that get John all fired up and the bickering begins.... thank goodness there are no other children here to listen to the madness, just me wishing they could talk about these things instead of bicker.

They really are best friends but don't want anyone to know and especially each other.

Here are my bicker boys in a cool pencil drawing when they are getting along, it could be because Adam is sleeping and didn't know this was taken.

It's here

It's here, It's here... spring is here!!

It was 43 degrees today and by the blue water you can tell there was not a cloud in the sky.

I missed her, did you?

I haven't seen my little Elly girl in almost a week.... I missed her so much. Today was Daffodil Cancer Day so I got a vase of flowers at work and Elly was so excited when I walked in the door with flowers for HER??? How could I not hand them over to her, she loved them and even let me take her picture, that doesn't happen very often anymore, she sees the camera and runs to hide. I thought she would forget about taking them home until Mommy came to get her and she grabbed onto them flowers and was taking them all with her.

Grawma - Elly you can take one

Elly - All of them, please

Grawma - Just one, Grawma wants them

Elly - Pleaaaaassssseeee

Tough Grawma - Okay Elly you can have two

Elly - But they're Mommy's favorite color

Really Tough Grawma - I'll let you take two or you can't take any

Elly - Okay fine

Grawma said under her breath - Thank goodness because I almost gave in!!

So since Elly got two flowers to take home you all get two pictures to check out.

Doesn't she have the softest looking skin?

I snuggled and kissed it as long as she would let me.

Hard phone call to make...

John had to make a very hard phone call to me today at work,

John - I LOVE YOU

Connie - Yeeeeesss

John - DON'T BE MAD

Connie - What did you do?

John - I was only trying to help

Connie - What did you do?

John - Where does a guy, if they wanted to, buy a cable thing that you need for your camera?

Connie - What did you do?

John - Can a guy buy one?

Connie - What did you do?

John - I was vacuuming the floor...

Connie - and

John - I thought I was far enough away from the cable..

Connie - and

John - And the vacuum sucked it right up

Connie - WHAT?

John - I thought I could stop it and pull it out but it was completely gone

Connie - How bad is it

John - Remember I was vacuuming for you

Connie - How bad is it

John - It's in 3 pieces and the bare wires are showing

Connie - Radio Shack sells them and I need it by tonight

John - Okay, I'll go buy one but remember I was helping you!!

Connie - It's okay, I still Love You

I know it's Self Portaint Tuesday but I couldn't resist this moment... it reminded me of a song I just love, it's by Kellie Pickler.... I could add to the song lyrics today.

I should pick things up before I vacuum, instead of going around them!!

[Things That Never Cross A Man's Mind] Kellie Pickler Lyrics

I need to go shopping

These shoes are all wrong

Just look in my closet

Not a thing to put on

I wonder how these jeans make me look from behind

Things that never cross a man's mind

Lets turn off the tv

Now can't we just talk

Lets lay here and cuddle

Til we both drift off

If we don't make love

That'll be just fine

Things that never cross a man's mind

That joke is too dirty

This steak is too thick

Ain't no way in the world I'll ever finish it

That car is too fast

This beer is too cold

And watchin all this football is sure getting old

Wish I was workin this weekend

Not on the lake reelin my line

Things that never cross a man's mind

Here lips are too red

Her skirt is too tight

Her legs are too long

And her heels are too high

Boy, she looks like the marryin kind

Things that never cross a man's mind

That joke is too dirty

This steak is too thick

Ain't no way in the world I'll ever finish it

That car is too fast

This beer is too cold

And watchin all this football is sure getting old

Wish I was workin this weekend

Not on the lake reelin my line

Things that never cross a man's mind

I feel a little bloated

I think I'm fixin to starve

That movie was good except for the violent parts

Brad Pitt is sexy

Why did he change his hair

I knew him and Jenny never had a prayer

These curtains clash with the carpet

The color scheme is a crime

Things that never cross a man's mind

Sunset after 6:30

Sunsetting on the porch makes me want to open the windows, turn up the radio and enjoy the evening as Adam and Elly ride their bikes all over the driveway.... snap..... okay it may be awhile yet, does anyone else have cabin fever?

Let's throw in another photo of the porch even though I'm sure you seen it before, it's one of my favorites.

Spring Ahead

Today we lost an hour in our weekend. We also lost the daylight in the morning when I'm getting up for work, we also lost the darkness of the whole evening. What this means is we are getting closer to spring, it's just around the corner. The daylight in the morning will be back, all clocks have been changed, and everyone has sprung ahead without missing a beat.

Last fall I brought in 8 plants from the outside with attempts to keep them alive all winter so I could have them again this summer on my patio.... This one is doing okay, the fern is only living on 1 side of the pot and it loses it's leaves everyday making a mess on the floor, the gerbera daisy is living.... bearly..... and 1 really green leafy plant that is doing fantastic.... everything else is gone. I'm just not a houseplant person, all the flowers and plants of the summer are my passion but in the house it's a different story. This guy's leaves all fold up at night and it looks really sickly but during the day it's very pretty. Hopefully my efforts will pay off this summer.

Where is spring?

This has got to be cold, your belly and feet in icy cold water all day long...

Cookies

I love baking cookies so I baked 3 different kinds on Sunday. The part that I struggle with is not eating them all myself. As long as they are chocolate chip John will help with a few and Adam doesn't eat very many at all.

Working from home...

There is only one good thing about me having to bring work home.... I can have a drink while I work! LOL I'm working on a new program and there is not enough hours in the day to take care of all that is required for production to start so..... I must work at night also.

I had to blur the screen due to the new project pictures being TOP SECRET, it's very fun having cool projects to work on and not just radio knobs. Gotta keep this short so I can go back to work. John just shakes his head at me with two computers, two cameras, a stack of paperwork and my drink surrounding me on the couch as he relaxes next to me.

My Friday belt

I have had this belt for years, I don't even know how long. It's been a few notches tighter and a few notches looser over the years.

It has been a measurement for me, now my jeans are lower so the belt has to be viewed differently. Of course a girls hips are bigger than the waist where our jeans used to be (looking back I feel they were only a few inches below my chest :O) now the jeans fit below your belly, heck the zippers are only 2 inches long and they used to be 6 inches long. I hope the style never goes back!!

One of the things I love

I love clean sheets, blankets and a tightly made bed to crawl into. I am one of those people who has to have their bed made everyday. If I don't have time to make it in the morning (which is rare) I have to make it before I crawl into it. Tonight I have clean sheets and blankets and it's made really tight... oh I can't wait to go to bed.

Turkeys

Turkey's everywhere.

In like a Lamb

March came in like a lamb so we all know what that means for the end.

I took a drive around the block to take a picture of this tree. It sits out in the middle of the field and someone tied a yellow ribbon around one of the three trees.

I also found a few more fun pictures to take along the way so I thought I could share a couple of them. I drive by this old house everyday and have to look at that window as I go by.

I want it!!

He might not be a lamb but look how fuzzy he is.