valentines made with love

We are not buying Valentines this year. The girls are making their valentines instead from old cards I have saved and other craft items around the house. The only rules are have fun, use your imagination, and make them from your heart!

Each card is unique and special and I love how the girls have embraced this challenge.

Below is a sampling of each. Julia and Serena put a lot of thought into each card.

Serena cards:




Julia's cards:

Christmas celebrations

We had another wonderful celebration. I should say we had two wonderful celebrations since we visit with James' side of the family on Christmas Eve and my side on Christmas day.

I have been married to James for 11 years and this year was my 14Th year celebrating with his family on Christmas Eve. Grandma Stephanie cooks up a Ukrainian meal each Christmas Eve and I just love it. James grew up eating this meal or a version of this meal each year. Stephanie, too, grew up eating this meal in Canada with her Ukrainian parents.



it looks messy, but it tastes oh so good!


Traditionally, Ukrainians eat 12 different courses on Christmas Eve to symbolize the 12 apostles.Preparation for these meals can take days. Our meal is much smaller. No red meat is served. Only fish. Traditionally it is a white fish, but we had salmon with a mushroom and tomato sauce to die for. Varenyky (or pyrohy or perogies) is also served. Julia particularly is a perogi freak. She eats these once a week and seriously cannot get enough of them. We also had potato pancakes, grilled onions, and some delicious desserts.


The next afternoon we headed to my parents house. This year only our immediate family was there to celebrate the day. So weird. We missed everyone, but it was a very nice and relaxing day. Kristi made some beautiful, tasty, fruit skewers.

Aren't they pretty?

We had ham, bean and corn salad, green salad, homemade mac and cheese, rolls and cheesy potatoes. Delicious. The desserts there were good too. Christmas night...the girls and I made an impromptu visit and sleepover to Kayli's house. It was their first time sleeping on the floor, besides camping. They loved it.

it's a tradition

When I was little my mom always had us decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. My sisters and I could not wait to do decorate either. Now that my mom is a grandma she still does use her same decorating strategy and now my sisters and our kids help grandma trim her and grandpa's tree each year.

Grandma's house is cool. She has a year-round Christmas tree decorated for each holiday and she does have a lot of snowmen.

Julia's ornament circa 2005. I just love that feisty look.

Later that afternoon our cousins visited. Below is the only shot I could get that was not blurry. Those kids are fast.

four from the 4th

I have been busy lately with school, but my class ended last night so I am finally writing my Independence Day post. It was a sunny, warm day spent with family and friends. We avoided the crowds and the kids were asleep before the big fireworks went off in the night sky. They were beat from the excitement of the day.

our friend lighting "snakes" the good ole' boy scout way


all 3 kids and their scooters


hot dog and watermelon of course