Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Today I will walk the Turkey Trot with my dad and then Ross and I will head up to Kansas City to spend Thanksgiving with his family.

This will be the third year in a row that my dad and I have done the Turkey Trot. I did the Turkey Trot by myself for five years before my dad started doing it with me. It was fun and I'd always run into (ha, no pun intended!) people I knew, but always thought it'd be fun to do it with a family member. So it'd been quite fun walking with with my dad!

Ross and I will leave Springfield around 11 to be in KC at his parent's house for a 3pm Thanksgiving dinner. It will be kind of different spending Thanksgiving without my parents. For 31 years Thanksgiving to me as been spent at my mom and dad's, not really doing much and having dinner (not always turkey) around 5-6 at night! My mom would always make coffee cake and then we'd watch a bit of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. After the parade we'd watch some of the National Dog Show and then turn on Titanic while we decorated her house for Christmas. Even though we never did much on Thanksgiving it was always nice.

But now it's on to starting new Thanksgiving traditions with my new husband! I hope you have a super great day celebrating with your friends and family!

Friday, November 19, 2010

The Family Room is Finished!

Our family room is now painted! We painted it in September and love how it has turned out! Here's the before:







And now the after:






I love this room so much! It is just nice and cozy. I put up two collage frames of wedding pictures and love having our memories of that happy day displayed! I also made curtains for the family room! I looked all over and just couldn't find a pattern I liked or any that fit the length of the windows correctly, so decided to make some. I found material I liked and basically just cut, measured, sewed the hem, and they were ready to go! During the day I have the curtains on the left side pulled back, but I left them down so you can see what they look like when closed. I enjoyed sewing these and look forward to more sewing in the future!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

7 Months!

Happy 7-Month Anniversary to my husband! I love you, Ross!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Birthday Recap!

My 32nd birthday was Sunday, November 7 and it was a good day!

Ross kept the Peterson (my mom's side of the family) tradition of breakfast in bed on your birthday alive by serving me breakfast in bed that morning! He used our "You Are Special Today" plate along with my November china cup. He brought me exactly what I'd fix myself for breakfast - Fruit Loops, toast with butter, and orange juice, just perfect! I had lots of cards to open, presents from Aunt Linda, and then two presents from Ross. He gave me two bottles of Vanilla Lace lotion (my absolute f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e) and then a beautiful silver heart necklace. He is such a good gift-giver!





We went to church and then to my mom and dad's for a birthday lunch of cashew chicken. This is the absolute best homemade cashew chicken. Ever. The Herndons came up for the afternoon so we all had a nice day together. I opened presents and then we had cake. Now my birthday cake really deserves a separate posting, but I'm just going to combine it with this post. Let me give you a little history on birthday cakes in the Ward house...

When I turned 16 my mom made a "themed" birthday cake having something to do with an event, special occasions/accomplishment, etc., that happened during the previous year. My 16th birthday cake had baby keys and a Little People brand car and people (think toys we used to play with growing up), thus representing that I turned 16 and received my driver's license. She has continued this ever since for me and Stephanie, too. The year I started rock climbing my cake resembled a mountain. The year I bought my house my cake was a mini replica. The year I got engaged the cake had different elements from our engagement night on it. And this year, the year I got married, my cake certainly did not disappoint!

Although this time it wasn't so much the cake itself, but rather the cake maker (or buyer) that did not disappoint. My mom purchased a cake and had it decorated in our wedding colors and put a bride figurine and man and woman toy on it with a picture of my face and a picture of Ross' face taped to the toys.

And now to the funny part.

When it was time for cake I was told to close my eyes. I sat with my eyes closed for probably about five minutes, wondering what was to come. All of a sudden I heard familiar music playing and realized it was from our wedding. Then I heard the five wedding bells that chimed just before the doors opened my dad walked me down the aisle. (Do you know our wedding day was the ABSOLUTE perfectest, best day of my life?!) I was now able to open my eyes and when I did I saw this:



My mom changed into the dress she wore at our wedding to go along with the theme of the cake. I thought this was so funny. Now I realize that to others this might seem odd and not nearly as funny as it does to me, but I don't care! My mom is so good at making people feel special. I only hope that someday I can make my kids feel half as special as she makes me feel. Thanks, mom! I love you!







Monday, November 15, 2010

One Dozen Roses

...but who said they have to be real?

I love Ross - he is such a romantic. :)

Thursday, November 11, 2010

It's the Little Things That Get Me

I love cereal and I pretty much like only a select few types of cereal: Honey Nut Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Golden Grahams, and Lucky Charms.

One morning last week while eating breakfast with Ross I realized I was not so much into the Golden Grahams in my bowl. I told this to Ross and also said I wish I had some Fruit Loops.

To my surprise I came home that afternoon to find this waiting for me:



Thanks for my Fruit Loops, Ross!

Monday, November 1, 2010

November = Birthday Month!

Happy November everyone! I think November is my absolute favorite month ... but not just because it's my birthday month, I just like November.

We have a somewhat busy month on tap. Ross is taking me out for my birthday this weekend and then we'll go to my parent's for the day on the 7 to celebrate with them! This month we'll be busy with our church small group and home fellowship group meetings, a jewelry party for a friend, girl's night out at Firehouse Pottery, a visit from Aunt Linda and Uncle Dale at Thanksgiving, the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning with my dad, a trip to KC that day to spend Thanksgiving with Ross' side of the family, lots to keep us busy!

And if that's not enough we have a few projects around the house we'd like to do. We'd like to put in a storm door in our front entryway and still have a few more rooms left to paint. Plus, don't forget, the ever-important task of decorating for Christmas!! And yes, I am one who puts my decorations up the weekend before Thanksgiving.

All for now! Happy November!