Garrett’s 1st Birthday

Jett and Jake seem to think Garrett shouldn’t get clothes for his birthday…. I’m wondering why he got Bud Light???

Elly got him a shape bucket, because he likes the one at Grandmas house. 

His Mommy and Daddy got him a bead maze, I think it’s his favorite.

Can I have it mom?     Please!!

He bearly got messy but he loved all the attention.

Here is the sweater that Adam wore when he was 2 so the girls thought it would be fun to have Garrett sit on Adam’s lap and make their mother cry.  Adam had that white hair just like him…. where does the time go? 

I’m not so sure I could have stuck that toothbrush in my mouth…. it’s usually dripping with Garrett drool.

Then Jett was wearing an Adam t-shirt too….. those girls are not nice to their mother. 

Halloween adn Garrett's 1st Birthday

Here is the birthday boy in his giraffe costume, with of course his toothbrush. He can now walk all over, get himself up without help and can even walk while dragging his blankie between and under his feet. At one point we even found him almost completely upstairs.... I guess that means he can climb steps really fast.

Elly loving her picture taken with Mallory.

Miss El the kitty cat sporting her new haircut.


Here's all three of them. Garrett can hardly move, Mally can't see and El refuses to wear her ears. Gotta love Halloween.


Elly (6.5 years) and Garrett (1 year)

Coffee Cake Recipe

I found this recipe on someones blog but I can't find the link anymore or I would certainly give them credit and leave a comment on how wonderful this cake is. I made it last night and as John knows I rarely follow all the directions (which drives him crazy). I'll give you the real recipe and then I'll add my alterations below.

Coffee Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese
1 tsp. almond flavoring
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cup blueberries tossed in 1 T flour and 2 T sugar

Lemon Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 T lemon juice
2 T heavy cream
1 T softened butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, cream cheese, almond and sugar; beat until fluffy. Add eggs and then flour, baking powder and salt. Then fold in blueberries. Bake in a well-greased bundt pan for 35-40 minutes. While it cools, combine ingredients for glaze and stir until smooth. Drizzle over pound cake and enjoy.

Okay I didn't use blueberries I used apples to the same amount and tossed with the flour/sugar mixture. I didn't make the glaze since I don't really like the sweet frosting and I'm not really a lemon fan. It was fabulous without the glaze.

After last night and tonight eating half of this cake I realize it taste much like a cream cheese danish and I love cream cheese danishes. I love just about anything with cream cheese and then when you add almond flavoring.... ummmm yeah that's the bomb. It's suppose to be a crappy weekend so go bake this with whatever fruit you have in the house or even without fruit would be good too.,and then sit in front of the fire and eat the whole pan so I don't feel so bad.

Adam updates

I started this post back in Sept and decided I should probably finish it up before too much more time passes by.

Adam bought a new truck so the ole' car is no longer going to be seen on the open roads. I know you will all miss that car and you will no longer be able to wave to Adam since you won't know it's him coming but there is no way on this little green earth that he is going to screw any horns or antenna's to this truck.... right Adam? You'll all have to just get used to Adam in the white clean truck, at least he kept the same color.... I'll tell him to watch for you and wave. Here is Adam with his past and present pride and joy...

Adam has been going to school about 40 minutes from home and his first class starts at 7:30 AM, yes AM and that class is 5 days a week...... his mornings are no longer meant for sleeping in as he likes to do. I get up before him and then when I'm done in the shower I knock on his door and open it slightly so the hall light shines in on his face. Adam is either somewhat awake when I do this or his sense of "Emmerich" humor is way strong and he can't help it. I will let you in on a couple of morning wake up conversations

Me - Wake up Buddy Boy

Adam - Leave a message after the beep....... beep

Me - Morning Bud
Adam - I don't smell the coffee

Me - Up Son
Adam - They canceled school due to lack of interest

Me - Good Morning
Adam - Good afternoon, I must have missed school today

Me - Are you getting up buddy
Adam - I already took a shower

Me - Sun's up
Adam - No I'm not

It's always interesting as to what the next morning will bring, but Adam gets up every morning with no complaints, he doesn't like it but he does it. I think sleeping in is a Emmerich thing too, I wish I liked getting up in the morning but I hate it. That is one of the reasons I cannot nap during the day.... two mornings in one day I couldn't handle that.

More Hemmerfest

Okay so since I have a day of vacation and it’s raining outside let’s load up some more Hemmerfest pictures for you to see.

I think this is where we left off….. Hummmm I’m not sure why this happened but I got the pictures.  From left to right is Michelle, Shawna, Grandma Hemmer, and David. 

Here is poor Grandma getting her hair done by the others…. don’t tell anyone but Shawna is a licensed hairstylist!!

There now she looks Purdy!!  Anyone want a appointment with Shawna?

Ohhhh one tidbit of information so it doesn’t look like all the kids’s fault….. Grandma had a very large Old Fashion and then everytime I got near her she would drink out of my glass….. not a sip either like gulping half my glass.  She loves Paul’s Old Fashions!!

The little kids were feeling left out, they wanted to know why wrapping yourself in toilet paper was so fun.   : )

Megan is showing Grandma her lovely pictures…. Shawna looks like she may be in trouble…… hint – look in Grandma’s hand

Here is what Grandma thinks of all of us picking on her…  I think she belongs on the front of a Hallmark Card!!

All kidding aside they really are the reason we have Hemmerfest for a number of reasons

1) They had 5 wonderful sons who married awesome girls who had beautiful children who now are marrying great people and together they are having beautiful children….. Circle of Life

2) They gave this land to their sons when they sold the farm and it has been the family gathering place for everyone.

3)  They taught their sons to enjoy the outdoors and ride around the woods…. summer or cold winter it’s always good weather for a picnic.

Hemmerfest

During our Hemmerfest weekend we took hayrides around the block.  We borrowed the hayrack from Bill and Gayle and Bill made sure he put the slow moving vehicle sign on the back of the rack…. ahhh oooopps I think I covered that up with the Hemmerfest 09 sign.

On our hayride we stopped at the old Hemmer farm and had the sons that were on the ride stand in front of the house for a picture.  It’s sad to see the house but it still holds lots of memories for them.

I can take you for a ride on my big green tractor,
We can go slow or make it go faster,
Down through the woods and out to the pasture,
Long as I'm with you it really don't matter,
climb up in my lap and drive if you want to,
Girl you know you got me to hold on to,
We can go to town but baby if you'd rather,
I'll take you for a ride on my big green tractor.

Next ride was for the kids so all grandchildren and great grandchildren stand on the steps and stop acting goofy…. yeah right.  Gilbert and Fran sold the farm when I was 8 months pregnant with Adam.  Adam is the last grandchild of 12 and now there are 9 great grandchildren.

Josh, Jake and Jett

 

Mallory and Lynn enjoying their ride

Here is Garrett finally smiling, he was cutting all 4 teeth on the top this weekend and ohhhh was he crabby.  Poor baby

We went back to the farm one more time to get a picture of all the grandchildren that were at Hemmerfest.  These kids were so darn funny and having such a good time together.  I never laughed so hard for so long, they all have different memories of the house Grandma and Grandpa lived in, well expect for Adam he doesn’t remember a thing!! 

They are from the top left Adam, David, Jody, Shawna, Shannon, Megan, Sarah and Lynn. 

Here’s the girls without those dumb boys…. Poor Adam and David were out numbered.   Don’t you just love those Hemmerfest shirts?

yeap we had no fun on this trip to the farm.

And here was Grandpa and Grandma’s ride from Adam.  They got to ride around the woods.  They love to be able to get out and see what is happening, right now it’s lots of mud so Grandma screamed at Adam most of the trip…. did he slow down or go around the mud….. I’m thinking not, he loves to mess with his Grandma.

This is enough for tonight but I have plenty more.

Garage Sales are the best

I didn't realize how well I liked finding deals until this summer and even more fun is envisioning what it could be with a new coat of paint or give it a new use besides what it's designed for. I thought I'd show you a few finds that made my heart skip a beat.

Here is a yucky gold mirror and two vases that tug on my heartstrings and beg for fresh flowers.

Now here's the mirror that I seen as a fun apple green accent for the living room. Also remember the large round mirror that I used as a coffee table for awhile, it's still in the same finish but moving it to a new area gives it new life. I am considering painting it but so far I like it brown and rugged. Check it out here as a coffee table.

Here it is closer so you can see the detail in the frame, of course I had to rough up the new paint treatment, that's just what I do.

Now here's my finds from today. I took Shan and the kids out of town for a doctor appointment and very close to the clinic were tons of.... yeap you guessed it, garage sale signs. I had a whimper in my voice and told Shan we were going after the appointment. Her suggestion was for me and El to go while her and Garrett were at the clinic for an hour and a half appointment..... super "can you jump out as I roll past the door?" I got a jacket and purse to match my house decor, every girl needs clothes to match her house. Check it out here.

Then I was looking for a box to hold my make up on my make up stand, I wanted something with a cover so it wouldn't get dusty and I also wanted it to be pretty. After a coat of paint, a fun design or words and a little re-do on the inside this twenty-five cent jewelry box will be great. Then El found a bring pink one that will work great at two upcoming weddings we have and it was also a quarter.

Then I found a old tool tray that was full of spiderwebs and had small little compartments that needed to find a new home in my garden or maybe this fall move into the livingroom, after he gets a fresh coat of paint to hold magazines, candles, jars, beads, flowers.... hummm yeap and it was only $1 and it said Earl on the side of it. The little old lady told me "I hope it holds your tools just like it did my husbands".... ahhhh yeah, that's right it will.

A chair for 1 dollar, I see these in magazines all painted with fun colors all the time.... MINE!!

Then the item that made me pee my pants, I was late for picking up Shan and El was begging me not to go to this one but I was right there and it would only take me a second. There it was right at the opening of the tent.... a clay fire chimney. OMG and the price was only $50, do you know how much these are new? I never deal at garage sales, I just pay the price they want but I thought what the heck lets try a deal.

Me - "I'll give you $30 for the fireplace"
Man - "I'll have to ask the boss"
Man - "Hey, wanna take 30 for the fireplace?"

Boss - "Ummmmmm"

Man - "Do you want to get rid of it"

Boss - "Fine"

Me - {peeing my pants} "I'll get the truck"

Here are my last 3 finds, and Shan didn't even care that I was 15 minutes late. I love deals and I'll be sure to update you with the finished projects.

House Update

Since I haven't shown you the wide view with the column being stained and the table painted here is a look into our space.

I love the updates and now living in an old house is so homey and the character you get cannot be repeated, if you want to remember what we started with go here or here. Now I have to start saving my loose change for hardwood flooring throughout the entire downstairs. When we moved into this house there were hardwood floor throughout both floors and we have managed to cover them all except in Adam's bedroom (I painted that one). My only dilemma is what to do with the steps, John doesn't like my idea of rebuilding them so I'll have to do some magazine shopping and find the perfect solution.

Summer time with the grandkids

Elly - Age 6

* Elly finished her first season of soccer.
* She liked the games but not practice.
* She is not aggressive enough to get in there and kick like the other kids.
* If another kid fell down or got hurt she would stop and ask them if they were okay.
* She made lots of new friends and one BFF, this weekend she spent the night at her house.

Garrett - 8 months
* Garrett got used to his nightly naps in the stroller during the games.
* We loved spending the time with him twice a week, we're gonna miss him now.
* He's a momma's boy, we had to keep Shan out of his sight and she had to keep quiet or he'd whine for her.
* Grandpa loves his little boy.

Mallory - 7 weeks
* It's time to smile and coo
* Mallory is recognizing voices and faces.
* She's gaining a little weight, she's not so fragile anymore.

Flower Walk

I thought I’d take you on a flower walk since almost all the lilies are blooming.   Of course it just got done raining and I’ll tell you the names of them if I remember.  I don’t remember this one’s name and it’s a huge flower.

Moonbeam Coreopsis

Volunteer Petunias that are coming up inside my bricks on the front steps.  I have problems with plants coming back from their seeds of last year. 

This Lilly is so white until the pollen gets blown around on them.  I guess I can’t remember many of their names, I should have taken notes while I took them or stop being so lazy and walk back out there to look at their tags.

Salsa

Dancing Eyes

Shirley

America

 

Coneflowers are getting close

Some stray Lupines are still blooming and Pink Poppies in the back…. don’t worry they are in the garden that I don’t care about so they can grow as much as they want.

Purple Loosestrife

Gara – This is an annual that I put in my pots…. I love this stuff.

That’s what I have so far, there are tons more out there so if you’d like to come take a real walk just give me a call, with the cooler July weather I have plenty of plants to share with you yet (besides the Lilies, I don’t share them).