Halloween 2016

Happy Halloween, friends!

Again, thank you Maci for sending pictures!!! :)

Garrett & Maci's first time to carve pumpkins.....

There's is the "nerd".....2nd from right.  

A close-up so you can see the nerd's pimples.....

Delanie as Jack Skellington......

Maci as a graduate nurse (in honor of her new job!)......

He would never admit it but Jim is totally in his element on Halloween!! 

We have no less than 10,000 kids in our neighborhood and he greets every single one.  

Right after I took the photo above, a kid came to the porch and elbowed his way to the front of the pack.  Jim said, "hell kid.....are you coming in for supper???".

OMG!!!  That is my husband, folks! :)

He finally gave up and met them on the driveway.

Meanwhile, Bailey was a nervous Nellie all night long.  

She refused to even look at the kids and hid behind the coffee table pretending to be asleep.  

Life lately

Life is great (and busy) around our house! 

 

Fall has arrived in Minnesota and the leaves are saying their brilliant good-bye’s. 

 

Jim is back to feeding the deer.  They come around each night around dusk and gobble up the corn.  It’s always a kick to look out the window & see them staring back at you.

 

And it’s time to switch out the garage.  The snow blower & shovels come to the front, the lawn mower goes to the back.  

 

 

And because he’s a big believer in “a body in motion stays in motion”, my sweet husband is CONSTANTLY checking off his chore list. 

 

 

Delanie is just starting her Winter Drum Line season.  Remember her show from last year?  They placed 2^nd their inaugural year so I’m excited to see how they do this time. 

She is taking Photography this year and editing photos.  Love that pop of color on the drum!

 

 

Her Senior year is here. 

 

*SIGH*

 

A group of her friends getting ready for Homecoming. 

 

Delanie, Tuba Tom, Matt & Amanda

I took this next photo when I was laid up after surgery.  Delanie asked if she could borrow a necklace so I told her to help herself to my jewelry box.  

I love this candid photo of everyday life.  It reminds me of my mom.  I used to rummage through her jewelry box all the time.  :)

 

Maci snapped a few pictures of she & Garrett taking Sophie to the park.  Of course, Garrett is hiding his pretty face in the pics.  J 

 

Big news!!  Garrett’s softball team won FINALS!! 

 

Woot woot!! J

 

 

Check out the celebration!!

This is such a funny group of guys.  Thanks again to Maci for sharing the photos! 

Speaking of Maci......she texted me this picture on her way to her nursing interview at Baylor.

She got the job!!!  :)  So proud of you!!

My right foot is healing…..slowly but surely.  I was able to wear real shoes to work a few times this week.  It’s the little things, right?!

 

Four more weeks until we do the left foot and I’m back to the boot. 

 

 

I can’t believe it’s time to update the Etsy shop with Christmas signs!  My main focus this weekend is to get them finished, listed on Etsy and drop off a bunch to Art2Heart.

 

Stay tuned……I’ll post more photos of the finished product soon! 

 

 

Last but not least, our adorable Big Booty Judy has been keeping us laughing.  She’s such a good dog but she’s getting on up there in years. 

 

 

Her back legs are starting to shift out from under her and she’s having trouble getting up the stairs.

 

Jim built two really awesome ramps for her.  One for the front steps and one to help her climb into the truck for vet visits. 

  

There is nothing ordinary about these ramps!  He even attached slip-resistant material so help when it snows. 

I snapped this picture one morning last weekend.  When I look at it, it reminds me of sleeping late, waking up slow and making plans while whispering so Bailey doesn’t wake up. 

  

 

Jim caught me taking the picture and the sappy moment quickly changed into this…..

 

 

Yep, that’s my man.  Gotta love him!!

 

So that’s life lately around our house. 

 

Have a great weekend!

Ciao Roma!

All of a sudden it was our last day in Rome.  Jim and I were both completely exhausted!  

But.......we couldn't leave without seeing the Colosseum.  

Originally built to house the gladiator games, this sucker was MASSIVE!  It took me by surprise just how big it was.  

One last quick nap before we were off again! :)

Before heading to the airport, we took a quick detour to the Altare della Patria (Alter of the Fatherland).  We seemed to pass this monument every time we got into a cab so it was good to finally check it out.  

It was built to honor the first king of Italy, Victor Emmanuel.  

Part of the structure has the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.  

I'm not going to lie.....the flight home was miserable for me.  I expected to sleep the entire time but never could fall asleep.  I read an entire book (Giddy Up, Eunice.....so good, check it out!) and watched 2-3 movies.  

Jim, on the other hand, had no trouble falling asleep.  :)

Man oh man oh man......definitely the trip of a lifetime!!  :)

Vatican City

Monday morning had Jim and I standing in line in Saint Peter's Square to take our much-anticipated tour of the Vatican.

The square is HUGE.  The entire walk up, you're staring at Saint Peter's Basilica and there are just no words for how beautiful it is.  

A papal welcome.....

Even the doors were breath-taking!  Each panel tells a different story from the Bible.  The "Holy Door" (below) is only open in jubilee years.....every 25 years.  

Our tour guide gave us ear buds so that we could still hear the instructions in case we got separated in the crowd.  Speaking of the crowd......goodness gracious it was jam-packed inside!!  

Inside the Vatican Museum ......

After walking through the Vatican Museum, we entered the Sistine Chapel.  The crowd was so overwhelming that I didn't even think to take photos.  I've never been in a crowd that big.  

Breathing a little easier in a bit of open space....

The dome of Saint Peter's Basilica.....

Directly under the dome is the baldachhino.  It is the largest piece of bronze in the world standing 98 ft tall.  Legend has it that Saint Peter is buried (after being crucified upside down) under the pavilion. 

We caught a glimpse of the Papal Swiss Guard while leaving the basilica.  The Papal Swiss Guard has one job:  ensure the safety of the pope.  This dude (below) was no-nonsense and refused to even look at you.  

Fun fact:  To be a Swiss Guard, you must be a male between 19-30 yrs of age, at least 5 ft 8.5 inches tall, single and Catholic. 

So.......I broke my camera leaving the Vatican.  Yep, I could not believe it.  The rest of the photos had to be taken with our iPhones.  

Fast forward to our last night in Rome.  I mentioned the Piazza Navona in an earlier post.  This square was absolutely gorgeous!  

We spent our last evening at a front row table looking out at the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers).  The monument was erected in the 1600's.  Look closely at the shape.....it was used 200 years later in the design of the Eiffel Tower.  

Jim & I were eating dinner listening to a band in the middle of the square (the guitarist did an awesome Santana!).  All of a sudden, this guy stands in front of our table and bursts into song.  Hearing the sound of his baritone voice, we could do nothing but stop and stare.  Our own personal serenade! :)