Isn't She Lovely?

Jeff and I went out a couple of weeks ago and designed and ordered my engagement ring. I told him not to get me anything big for Christmas since the ring was more than enough present for me :) He agreed and told me that he would still get me something to open Christmas morning and I was fine with that as he usually gets me my favorite lotion or a gift certificate every year.

Um, he broke my rule. After he opened his presents and I opened my lotion AND gift certificate he went and got a heavy box and plopped it down in front of me. After my initial protesting and mild chastising for spending more money on me, I tore off the paper to find this beauty.




A gorgeous shiny Kitchenaid Artisan stand mixer. I have been dreaming about one of these since I was about ten or so, but because of the price and space limitations, I could never bring myself to splurge on one. It was always on my dream list of items for the future when we had more space/money. Well, I made the space. This thing is AWESOME! I made an initial batch of chocolate chip cookies (those are Jeff's favorite and well, since he got me the mixer, it only seemed right) and the next night I used it to make pizza crust for some awesome homemade pizza! I am most excited about being able to make bread. I am getting arthritis in my hands (yes, at 26. Genetics are fun...) and the few times I have attempted to make bread the kneading has always been painful. I thought about a bread machine but the loaves are always the same and I love the look of hand shaped artisan loaves and having that chewy top crust on every slice. You just don't get that out of a bread machine. I can't wait to slice into my first loaf!

Unfortunately most of my spare time now will be spent getting my mom's new house ready for my sister who will be visiting next week. Not that I'm not ecstatic about my sister (and my precious sweet niece) coming to see us, but my baby will just be sitting there in the kitchen, all alone, quiet, and still. Patiently waiting to cream butter and sugar, or knead some warm dough, or mix up a meringue. Soon, my dear, soon we will be together in all of our baking glory....

Archery Tournament

Just thought I'd share this picture I took of Jeff shooting in an archery tournament earlier this month. He is third from the left in the bright red Hoyt shirt. They have to shoot x's the size of a dime from (I honestly can't remember how many) yards away. That's hard enough on it's own, much less with a person just a few inches away on either side of you. It's even worse when a left-hander is next in line, because then you are face to face. I don't think I have the concentration required for this hobby.

Changes

I know I haven't posted in a long time, it just seemed for a while that nothing very noteworthy was happening. Well the month of November sure took care of that! Lots of changes came about and they seemed to come one right after another!
The first change was the addition of my beautiful new niece, Alexandra Grace.

She is so perfect and sweet and wonderful! I was so lucky to spend the first week with her and just enjoy holding her and snuggling her and having her fall asleep in my arms. There is absolutely nothing better in the world than rocking a baby to sleep. I am looking forward to seeing her grow and learn but I hope she stays tiny and snuggly for just a little while longer.

The second big change happened while I was gone visiting Ali. My mom bought a new house! This one will be much better suited to her and her needs. It's a little bittersweet, since it means saying goodbye to my childhood home, and that Mom will have to say goodbye to the home that she and my dad spent 30 years building together, but overall it's a good change, and we'll get through the hard parts together and enjoy the good parts!

Finally, the biggest change is that Jeff and I are ENGAGED!! We went to lunch together the day before Thanksgiving and the topic sort of came up in conversation (okay okay, so I might have brought it up, ever so subtly...) and we ended up deciding that we were going to aim for September. So that set the planning into motion and the official date is now September 18th 2010! I can't wait! We have spent four years building our relationship and it's exciting to take it to the next level and commit our lives to each other.

So lots of changes in November. So far, December has proven to be a little calmer. I am enjoying this time of just being able to enjoy being engaged, because come January things will really kick into high gear. We will begin getting my mom's new house ready for her to move in, and begin getting the old one ready to sell, I'll begin looking for a wedding gown (yay!) and sorting out all of the details that will go into making our day.

Phew, that makes me tired just thinking about it! I'd better go take a nap in preparation..

North Dakota hunting trip

Jeff was in North Dakota last week on his annual duck hunting trip. This wasn't a record breaking year for them but it was better than the last two years. He came back with some great pictures though (which is clearly the most important thing) so I thought I'd share.

these are a mix of blue geese and snow geese

Jeff, Russ, and Ricky

One Year

It's been one year. One year since I got a late night phone call. One year since my brother and I drove down to a Springfield hospital. One year since we walked into that hospital to learn that our lives would never be the same again.

We've made it through the first everything. The first Thanksgiving without him. The first Christmas, Easter, Father's day. On my 25th birthday I got a hug from my Dad. On my 26th I didn't. They say that the first everything is the hardest. Does this mean that the second everything will sting a little less?

We have navigated this new territory together as a family, settling into different roles and routines, trying to fill in the incredible void that he left. But we know that it can never be filled completely.

There are still days that I am just desperate for a hug from my Dad. Days that I just NEED to have a conversation with him. About anything, the weather, the Cubs, the fact that the refrigerator is leaking...

This next year will bring new members into our family, through birth and marriage. I so wish that he could be here with us to welcome them, but I know he is watching and smiling.

Dad, we love you and miss you so much.

just like Robin Hood

well, minus the green tights and feathered hat. And he'd better not have any girlfriends named Marian.

Btw, I just realized it looks like he's aiming at poor Ace. There is a target, it just didn't make it into the picture. You can tell how impressed Ace was with our presence though...

animal control

Four men using two rakes and an oil dipstick to get a squirrel out of the engine of the van. I don't think any further explanation is necessary.

Right Stone, Wrong Spot

My Mom and I had the task a few months ago of ordering a headstone for my Dad's grave. She had an idea of what she liked as far as the type of monument and the color of the stone. We went to a company that was recommended to us by the funeral director. This company has been in business in Peoria for a long time and has a very good reputation. Mom had a simple design in mind for what she wanted, both of their names and dates, their wedding date, and a cross with two wedding rings, which was the the topper on their wedding cake. Nothing too elaborate, nothing too complicated...simple and straightforward, like my Dad.
Well, the first proof that came in the mail read as follows:

Stephen Gale Bowman
September 19, 1949
October 11, 2008

Leslie Mower
September 18, 1947

Married August 19, 1949


Take a look at the wedding date, Mom was not quite 2 and Dad wasn't even born yet.

So back to the drawing board it went and they soon mailed a proof with all of the correct information. We waited patiently to hear that the stone had been completed and placed. Fast forward to yesterday, when the letter finally came saying the stone had been placed on September 9th. "That's funny," I told her, " I was just there Sunday and there wasn't any stone..." . So before she called the company I drove to the cemetery to see if maybe they had placed it after they sent the letter. Nope. No stone. So I called and let her know, and as I was driving around the lane to get back to the entrance, I see BOWMAN on the back of a stone. A stone that looks suspiciously like the shape and color that we ordered. A stone that's about two rows and for spaces down from where my Dad actually is. So I called her again and she in turn called the company and they promised to get it in the right spot.
My Dad has to have something to do with this. This is the man who would wrap bricks with Christmas presents, and who would wrap a small present in box, after box, after box. I have a feeling he is keeping us on our toes even from Heaven :)

It's Apple Season!

Susie, Heather, Miranda, and I had our annual Apple Pie Assembly Party yesterday and it was yet another success. In addition to the four pies in the picture there were even more in the freezer. We assembled regular apple, dutch apple, and even a gluten free version. Looking forward to caramel apples sometime in October!

The Ryan family and I had our second session yesterday and Nolan was definitely in a much better mood this time :) He was awake for the first half of the session and then he fell asleep and let us pretty much do whatever we wanted after that, pose his feet, have him hold props, etc. Hope you enjoy!

Kisses from Momma

Daddy Time

So Peaceful

Dreaming about the Bears' next superbowl win :)

Afternoon in the Country

Jeff went out to his Mom & Dad's house to mow yesterday and since they have blackberries growing out behind their house I went along to pick a bunch and make a couple of cobblers later on.
As you can see in the picture below, it wasn't exactly a bumper crop. I'm not sure what has happened but there used to be waaaay more blackberries out there in years past. I just barely scraped together enough to make my cobbler (and even then I had to supplement with some frozen from the grocery store). So what else did I do but run around with my camera taking pictures of anything and everything that caught my eye. All in all, the weather was perfect, there was a nice breeze blowing, and it made for a very relaxing afternoon.

My overload of blackberries

This is Ace, the neighbors' horse. He's pretty much not interested in anyone if they don't have apples or some other treat to feed him.

Here he is looking slightly annoyed that I kept sticking a camera in his face while he was trying to munch on some grass. I did toss him a few blackberries for his time.

I guess the occupants were done with this one.











Kicking back on the front porch. I love the country.

Thunderbirds

Yesterday we climbed up on the roof of the hardware store to watch the USAF Thunderbirds perform for the air show. V.I.P. seating rocks.

Mr. Nolan

A few months ago I took maternity pictures for my friend Sonya and her husband Greg. Well their baby boy Nolan finally decided to join the rest of us on the outside last Saturday, the 20th. He was a week and a few days overdue and put his poor mom through two days of labor. But he was well worth the wait. I got to go over last night and take a few pics for his announcements. Unfortunately he wasn't in the greatest of moods but I was able to get a couple of good shots. There will be more to come when we have our next session but here are a few just to introduce the little guy :)

I do not...

recommend putting a gallon of paint on the paint shaker when the lid is not fully hammered down.

Thank you. That is all.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to all of the great dads out there. I certainly had one of the best :)

Memorial Day

For Memorial Day we went to the cemetery and put flags on Dad's gravesite. Here are a few pictures.



Happy Memorial Day Dad and thank you for your service to our country.

lunch

I came back from lunch today with that totally stuffed, I couldn't take another bite feeling. Then I was informed that people from Texas Roadhouse brought in a box of warm rolls and a tub of cinnamon butter. Somehow I squeezed a few rolls in.
My waistline and jeans are not happy with me at the moment.
The End.

Noah is 7!

Bubba turned 7 years old on Tuesday! (sniffle) When did that happen? It seems like not that long ago we were all gathered up at the hospital straining our ears to hear his first little cries from the delivery room. Time is flying. Especially when you have a 7 going on 30 year old!

He had a baseball cake and I was sure to get him lots of Cubs gear (shirt, tatoos, and a penant)!

The big present of the night was a new scooter! It even has a motor (he can ride it without the motor too) ! He and his buddy Josh can scoot around the neighborhood together now! Happy Birthday Bubba!

Dancing Queen

McKenna had a dance recital Friday night at Eastlight theater. Her cousins Tristan and Desi were also in it and all three did a fantastic job! McKenna was in two dances, Tristan was in a tumbling routine and Desi danced later on. Great job girls!

This was in the parking lot before she went in. This was her outfit for "A Spoonful of Sugar" (the pink crocs aren't part of the ensemble haha!).

This was after her second dance "I Pledge Allegiance"




"A Spoonful of Sugar"


After with me and my mom, with flowers from her Nana Karen and pink roses from us

My Mom

Just taking a moment on this Mother's Day to appreciate my Mom. Amazing that someone just 4'11" tall and is 80-some-odd pounds is indeed the strongest person I know. She has overcome more in her life than most of us ever have to face. In fact, if I had been challenged with even a fraction of what she has had thrown at her, I would have buckled under the pressure. But not her.
She dealt with polio at age 5. Then the diagnosis that she would never walk again. Then years of physical therapy and training her legs to walk in a new way, using different muscles. Spent her childhood having surgery after surgery. Had two C-sections. Worked. Only took 1/2 hour lunches, eating a sandwich from home rather than spending money on a restaraunt lunch. Dealt with her daughter's lovely teenage years. Deals with MS with dignity and stubbornness. Handled losing the love of her life. Even though she deals with pain and illness on a daily basis, if I so much as sneeze or mention a headache, she is much more worried about me than herself.
I hope that when I am a mom, I have the same elements of compassion, grace, stubbornness, priorities, and most of all love, that she has.
Happy Mothers Day to my mom and to all of the moms, grandmas, aunts, sisters, and moms-to-be!

It's Morel Season!!!

It's time for Morel Mushrooms again! This season was delayed a bit by the weather (normally it's long over by May) but the wait was well worth it! Jeff went turkey hunting yesterday morning and decided to look for mushrooms while he was out. He ended up finding about 5 lbs including this whopper in the picture (the quarter is there for size reference). While it's certainly not a record setter it is the biggest one he's ever found. So tonight we feast! Can't wait to get the little gems all breaded and fried... mmmmm.....

Maternity photos with Sonya

Yesterday my friend Sonya had a maternity photo shoot (photo shoot, that sounds professional doesn't it? Ha ha!) and it was a LOT of fun! Sonya, her husband Greg, and their baby boy are great subjects to work with. It was so easy taking photos of them, I could have snapped pics all day long. Here are just a few of my favorite shots. Enjoy and thanks to Sonya for letting me share!