Birthdays, Gold Keys, and so much more...

Waaaay back on the 4th of the month Kirstin celebrated her 15th birthday.

How could this be? Just yesterday I woke her up for school and snapped this picture of her and Emil Michael. (It was super hero day.)

OK, well, maybe it was Halloween in 1997 or 1998

Well how adorable are they here? A couple of years later, playing in the back yard.

I love that picture!

Emil M. & Kirstin

2000

It seems like no time at all has past and my kids have grown like they've been fed a steady diet of Miracle Grow. (Who's doing that?)

Noah, Emil M., Kirstin

2002

Kirstin & Kai

2006

Kirstin

July 2010

I just don't like this growing up thing at all. However I will say this, sometimes, she is easier to reason with than in, say, the first picture.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl! I love your style....

Now on to my writer....

Great News!!!! Emil Michael has been awarded the Gold Key Award for a short story, The Court of Angels by the Alliance for Young Artist and Writers.

In their words,

"In 2011 more than 180,000 works were submitted to The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards nationwide. Of these, 984 works from the Writing Region-at-large earned Gold Keys... (Emil M. was one on them!) Since 1923 The Awards have recognized some of America's most celebrated writers while they were teenagers, including: Truman Capote, Sherley Anne Williams, Bernard Malamud, Joyce Maynard, Joyce Carol Oates, and Sylvia Plath."

His work now goes on to be reviewed on the national level by a panel of writers and literary professionals. We'll know how he fares with that part on March 11th. Keep your fingers crossed!

We are very proud of him. This Friday he was accepted into UNC-Greensboro. Yay! We're still waiting to hear back from some others.

Noah got his braces last Friday. The agony! It's been over a week and he's doing well. We've already had to go in to get a bracket replaced. (Totally my fault!) He's adjusting but not loving it by any means. Only 51 more weeks!

I went to the doctor this week to find out why I feel like I've have a lump in my throat the past month. They think it's Globus sensation caused by acid reflux. I've never had heart burn so that puts me in the special category of people with "silent heartburn" you never have any of the symptoms of it or are uncomfortable from it, well with the exception of feeling like you have a lump in your throat because of all the acid irritating your esophagus. They took blood to test and make sure it didn't have anything to do with my thyroid and in 2 weeks I go in for a ultra sound on my throat then back to the GI doctor in a month. They may need to do a scope down my throat. The really horrible thing is what really irritates acid reflux is, get this,

CHOCOLATE!

@#>

I know! How is that so? I had to question the whole medical community when I heard that prognosis. I mean,

really,

we all know I love chocolate and it loves me.

OK there are other things like tomatoes, mint as in Chocolate Mint.

This sickness just gets more and more irritating. Right now I'm on a generic version of

Prilosec (?) to help with the symptoms. On with better things.

Did I mention in my last post that Emil's selling his bike???!!!!!!

It's on Ebay right now so, Gentleman, start your bidding!

Yay for Me!

Now you're all caught up on everything new.

Til we meet again......

After much work.....

and pining, ripping out, sewing and re-sewing....

more pinning.

It's done!

Yay Kirstin! She looks so darling in it and we got it done 2 weeks before the Valentine's Dance!

Emil Michael had his Board of Review for his Eagle Scout Project last Wednesday.

He project was accepted and he is an Eagle Scout now. There will be a Court of Honor which is a ceremony to recognize and give him the award him but all the paper work and requirements on my, I mean his, part are done. (Can I just tell you- I feel like I've completed a marathon. As far as accomplishments in life go.)

This is my new friend Maxine. She is very large. 5.2 cubic something or other.

She's an LG and she definitely uses more water than my last friend who use to live in this location. How much more I don't know yet and I'm afraid to ask. But she's pretty and shiny and entertains people at random when she works. I found Noah watching her wash the other day. Noah... a almost 11 year old boy watching clothes being washed. She's bewitching that way.

This week I've discovered 2 new craft sites that are awesome. I added buttons at the top of my blog. It's made me want to craft. This time of year is so blah! weather wise here. Everything is brown, gray or black and I just need to make something cute. Here's what I did today. I repurposed a denim bag my sister had made and given me. From this

to this.

I know, nothing life changing but Noah has been home sick for the last 2 days and I have been limited on what I can delve into time wise.

The cookbook is still coming along. So far it's 72 pages so you can see why it's taking me so long. I'm about 80% complete.

No braces for Noah last time. It was just a check to get molds done. His official date is Feb 11th.

I must go.... Maxine calls.

Stitches, Washers old and washers new

January is always a catch up month for me. I like to be organized so I like the idea of a fresh new year to plan for and begin anew. I've done my fair share of lazing around this month and we only had a few things newsworthy going on.

A few weeks ago I got a call from Emil M.'s art teacher, Ms. Rubino. She is amazing and I love her. "Emil's had a little accident," those words strike fear into my heart, especially when followed by "but he's awake and coherent now."

Apparently he was in the art room headed to the studio and there was a chair in the path of the doorway. Rather than just walk around it or move it he stepped on the chair and jumped off to go through the doorway, he forgot how tall he's become and banged his forehead on the frame of the door knocking himself out and fell back to the concrete floor giving himself a goose-egg on the back of the head while bleeding from the gash on his forehead. Thankfully she didn't tell me about the gash just that the EMT's were there and they thought he would be fine. I rushed to school to see him sitting on a chair surrounded by teachers, the EMT's, assistant principal and principal. Blood streaked through his hair holding an ice bag to his head.

We headed off to Patient First to get 6 stitches. He did great but we learned that he has a high resistance to pain numbing medicine. They gave him 2 shots and he still felt every stitch. Poor guy! He got the stitches out last Wednesday and it was much easier than staples he informed me. (The staples were from his concussion at scout camp one year) So he is well and I am grateful. Sadly, no pictures. When your kids get to be almost 18 they don't want you documenting every moment of their life with a camera.

My beloved washer died this week on Tuesday. It served me well for 9 years but Emil had to replace a bearing in it last year and it wasn't the same since. Finally on Tuesday it gave up the ghost. We went out looking for new ones that night and found one we liked. I picked it up yesterday. And did several loads yesterday and today. It's top loading and I can fit a lot more in it but I'm afraid it uses much more water. It's suppose to be High Efficiency but it has a glass lid and I can see exactly how much water goes in. (It seemed like a great feature in the demo) I'll have to get online and check the stats between this one and our last one. However I don't know what I'll do if it does use a lot more water. Emil say's he's not worried about it because he's not hefting another washer up the stairs. (Sigh) I guess I'm stuck.

Kirstin and I are working on sewing a dress for her. She is doing it as a personal progress goal. She picked out a hard dress and a difficult fabric. I'm not the best at sewing clothing. I think I'm going to have to call in some help from my friend Jovita who is a wonder at clothing. I hope it turns out well. She's worked really hard and I want her to be successful.

Noah gets braces this week. He is not happy about it but it should only be for a year so he can survive it I'm sure.

I've been redoing my cook books (and laundry). It's a very big project but I will appreciate it when I'm done.

Emil's been busy working on cars. After Christmas he picked up a commuter car from the for sale board at work for $1000. It's a cute little '91 Mazda Miata convertible. It was in good shape for it's age but he's been getting it in better shape tweaking this and that. It's getting twice the gas milage his Yukon was so I'm all for it and I'm sure it'll pay for itself in 6 months if he drives it to work everyday.

That's life here at the Mosters....

Let it Snow and it did!

Christmas was quite and nice I think our biggest gift was the 6-8 inches of snow we got Christmas Night. For us here, that was quite a haul and it was so beautiful.

I enjoyed taking pictures along the back trail and especially of the tree limbs covered in snow.

We enjoyed playing in the snow and none more than the biggest kid in our house, Emil.

Aparently any time is a good time to climb, even in a blizzard!

Kirstin got a sax and has been gracing us with it's melodic tones ever since. Although it has slowed down some from the first few days.

Noah got a DS and took pictures of us non stop for the first day. Thankfully that's settled down a bit too.

Emil Michael got plenty of comfy PJ's , writing paraphernalia and other incidentals.

Blaze got a new bed and wasted no time at all testing it out.

The kids are back at school now and I just finished taking down the last of the Christmas decorations this week. It's nice to get back into a routine,

although I do miss the sleeping in.....

The Road to Bethlehem

Isn't this the most beautiful picture of Mary and Joseph? I love the little Shepard keeping his eye on the two of them. It's titled The Road to Bethlehem by Joseph Brinkley

In the beginning of the month I gave a Family Home Evening lesson on remembering to not become overextended during this season and being deliberate about focusing on the true meaning of Christmas. I'm glad I did it early on because I do think it has helped me to do just that. (One of the many reasons I haven't blogged this month)

I have found that in seeking opportunities to serve others during this month I was led to people who needed me the most and in addition to that the Lord has blessed me with the time and patience of my family to be away from them and serve as others have needed me to.

I am so very grateful for Jesus Christ and his birth, life and example for each and every one of us. What a great love our Heavenly Father had to send his only begotten son to save us. I like to think that Jesus birth and childhood were some of the few times he was blissfully unaware of the heavy burden that would later be upon his shoulders bringing an added measure of joy and sweetness at the thought of birth in Bethlehem. This is my Christmas message to you.

Christmas 2008

December always brings thoughts of Kai. His birthday was December 12th and the week before was a tough one for me. This year he would have been 8. Emil would have baptized him and we would have celebrated this important milestone in his life. I know that there will be many such times that significant birthdays will hit me hard but this one was the first and it was difficult.

Kai's 6th Birthday

We made it through though and I know that we had the thoughts and prayers of many of our friends and family that sustained us that week and especially on his birthday. Life's journeys are not easy but if we endure it well they will be worthwhile and hopefully shape us into the people the Lord would have us be.

In other news......

I have been busy with Christmas recitals, Band Concerts, Christmas Parties, baking and crafting. Here are some of the recipes I promised.

Sausage Cheese Balls

Really easy and the kids like to snack on them. They are great for a quick breakfast. Just warm them in the microwave for 20 seconds and you're good to go.

Makes about 4 dozen balls

3 c. all-purpose baking mix (bisquick)

4 c. extra sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

1/2 c. milk

1 (16 oz) pkg. sausage ( I like spicy)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended. Form mixture into 1 inch balls. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 23-25 minutes or until browned and cooked through. Serve warm for breakfast or as a snack.

Peppermint Bark

12 oz chocolate chips

1 lb. white chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 c. peppermint candy crushed

Line 13 X 9 pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Melt milk chocolate in double boiler or in microwave in 30 second intervals. Stirring in between. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Pour melted chocolate into to pan. Place in fridge until cold and firm, about 20 minutes. Let warm to room temp for about 10 minutes after taking out of the fridge otherwise the white chocolate may not adhere.

Melt white chocolate chips in double boiler or in microwave in same manner as milk chocolate. Add extract after white is fully melted. Pour over top of the milk chocolate layer then sprinkle with crushed candy.

Chill until both layers are firm. Lift foil out of pan and cut into pieces.

Enjoy!

My crafts have varied from knitting the fingerless gloves to crafting the super cute Christmas ornaments I highlighted in my last blog. I decided to design my own Lighthouse Line which I was very please with. This has been fun and I've enjoyed stitching at night as we watch TV or others read.

Merry Christmas!

Back at Last

I know, it's been almost a month since my last post but I really have been busy and I have proof!

It's been 6 years since my sister, Sumi, painted Noah's room in a Dr. Seuss mural. What started out as 1 character grew to be a whole kingdom and though many wanted to keep it that way until Noah married, Noah himself was ready for a change. Sumi is an amazing artist! Here are some of the pictures I took before I started painting.

HOP ON POP!

And here are the after pictures. I know it seems boring beige (sorry Melissa! I won't make you sleep in his room if you come visit!) but it's really opened up his room and allows him to put pictures on his walls. That took about a week but it was well worth it.

BABY GIFT SPOILER - Don't read Theresa!

This past week I finished Theresa's Baby quilt, actually the baby quilt for Baby Cara. It's so sweet. I left it with the glider we are giving to Theresa and Chad for the baby at Emil's parents. Since I haven't heard from her I don't think she's picked it up yet. She doesn't know I was making one for Cara. I can't wait to hear what she thinks!

I hand quilted it. WHEW! That takes a long time as opposed to machine quilting. It is nice to be able to take it with you though.

PLATOON GIFT PACKAGE INFO- DON'T READ SGT ROB!

I wanted to do something special for our platoon so we got the names of all the service men and 1 woman and I made pillowcases for them. They are all different and I took this picture prior to getting them embroidered with their names but you get the idea.

We sent them off the week before Thanksgiving since they had to go early in order to get to the troops in time along with some Honey Mustard Pretzels and candy. I hope they like them!

This past week, before Thanksgiving, I got together with my friend Jovita and we had a crafting day. I had gotten a craft book on felted gifts and here are some of the ones we made. The two on the left aren't fully finished.

Isn't this little reindeer so cute!!!! There is a snowman I think will be killer cute too.

Jovita also had a pattern for fingerless gloves and since I was looking for a pattern,

I made one of them.

I have some varigated yarn that I'd like to try but one word of advice. Kids should have mittens! Working the fingers with 4 different knitting needles was very hard! Even on an adult glove.

I'll probably make a pair for me and one for Emil M.

There are few crafts that I have tried that I feel you should pay full price for but gloves and baskets are among the few! However there is something I love about making something uniquely mine.

Next Blog,

Holiday food creations..... ;)

Pumpkin Carving, Halloween, & Fall Soccer

Disclaimer:

The responsible party will not be obliged to blog when the past couple of weeks have been consumed with Soccer, College applications, essays and interviews.

Emil Michael sketched out our kitty profile.

Just how dedicated are you to cutting your pumpkin? Enough to stand on the table for it?

I'm sure you're not surprised to see Kirstin was up to the task.

Noah with the "yuck face" I get every year when they pull out the pumpkin seeds and guts. This one actually didn't have much by the way of that.

I'm smiling cause I got to sit back and watch while everyone else did the dirty work.

Ahhh, life is good.

Finished Product.

(My night time pictures stink. Anyone have hints on that?)

Here is Noah (3rd from the left or right just in case the makeup fooled you.)

with his friends from the neighborhood. They all decided to go as army guys, with the exception of Sponge Bob. Any guess why.....

This past weekend Kirstin played her tournament games for the Travel soccer team she was on. They tied the first game and won the second. They have 2 games today but we don't have the kids play any sports on the Sabbath so we'll have to find out how they did when she asks her teammates at school tomorrow. They are ranked 1st or 2nd depending on how the games go today.

She's really enjoyed the season and it's been to fun to watch. I have to admit. Sports are more enjoyable the older they get and the more competitive they are.

She plays midfield and is quite tough and aggressive. Lately she said her knee is hurting her. Hopefully she doesn't have her Mom's bad knees.

Hopefully this week will be a slow one but it doesn't look like it when I already know I have

School Board Meeting Monday where they recognize Emil M. for his writing award

Cooking Club and pick up new furniture Tuesday night

Only a 1/2 day of school on Wednesday, a teacher conference and Youth

Thursday kids off school for Veterans Day

Friday go grocery shopping.

Saturday Theresa's baby shower

Emil's also hiking from Tues to Saturday. UGH!