Sesame Street 3rd Birthday

Addi is having a party soon...check out these cute diggs -

My mom is so talented...I wanna be young again so I can pull off this A.D.O.R.A.B.L.E. look.  "Brought to you by the letter A & the number 3!"

Give me a Breck!

I have been on a semi "Stay"cation with my sister, Addi, & parents.  It was so nice to spend a week in Breckenridge...the weather was great & the pool at The Grand Timber Lodge was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G (to say the least)!

We had fun wandering Main St. - gettin' our shop on!  Of course we bought ornaments (it's tradition, one that Shawn started).  I found a super cute mini-stained glass snowman, mom found a country snowman, & Shawn found some pine cone/glass bells, with painted snowfall. 

It was fun to just relax and have no schedule - sleep, shop, swim in the gachuzi (what Addi calls the jacuzzi), REPEAT!  It was also fun to see Addi's enthusiasm about everything - music, swimming, the petting zoo, BBQ...whatever we did, she was down for the adventure!  Man I love this kiddo...so glad to call Shawn my sister & Addi my niece (too bad Juan & Nick didn't join us, oh...and Chuck, Evelyn, & Noah for that matter too!) ~



"and, Another one for me!"

My mom and I went on an ornament hunt today! Don't you hate when you go shopping for a specific thing & it eludes you? I can't stand it!

However, I do love when you get the best gift ever & it happens unexpectedly - so I guess it can't go both ways {although, it SHOULD!, LOL}. Well that is what happened to Mom and I today. We went to 3 Ross stores in search of Steinbach ornaments, that mom found all through my childhood in Germany for $3-$8. They are all our favorite ornaments {mom, Shawn, & me}.

Well Shawn found them by chance in 2 different Ross stores in AZ - mom and I thought we'd give it a try, no such luck!

If you know me, you should know that cute ornaments are a family trait - it's in our DNA! My mom's tree is super cute with these Steinbachs - and I am OOBER jealous that my sister's tree will now have 8 of these cuties. Mine will have 1, my sister's ornament gift to me this year {bummer for me that I don't have 8, I must have gotten genes from the shallow end of the pool!}

If I wanted, I could purchase them from the Steinbach store in Germany for $25 a piece! What?!?!? I'm sorry but part of the fun of having an ornament giving tradition is that they're not super expensive, I don't own an ornament that is more than say $10 (and that's a stretch)!!

Mom and I stopped at the Southgate Ross in a final attempt, no luck (it was our 3rd store). I did find some super cute ornaments for mom & dad at Gordmans though. Check 'em out...

And now the post title...my mom was deciding upon her final purchases..."Let's see," she states. "I have 1 for me. OH, and another one for me. And...another one for ME!" Yes, she was so funny talking to herself, so proud of all 3 of her ornament finds - FOR HERSELF! She ended up buying me a "Frosty Latte" snowman in a coffee cup & I bought these two pictured above. She still ended up with 3, all for herself! She's so funny.

Nonies Having a Birthday!

O.H. my word! My beautiful, rambunctious nephew is turning 4 tomorrow! How can that be? I'm sure my brother & Evelyn feel the same...but really, where does the time go?

I can't wait to see him tomorrow, at Mr. Bigg's house {so funny that he calls it that} and give him his presents...

1. An Elf on a Shelf - I bought one for my class too, and parents let me tell you Taylor the Elf {named by my 24 1st graders} is Ah-MAZ-ing at correcting behavior so only nice things are reported to Santa each night! Plus, it is so fun to watch the children scour the room looking for the elf's latest hiding spot. If you don't have one, you are missing out on a F.U.N. Christmas tradition!



2. Art supplies - the kid loves to color, the bulk of his gift was #1. I just wanted to give him some fun things to supplement (and I don't want him to only get Christmas-y gifts from me on his birthday).

I swear though, December birthdays should be outlawed - not because we don't want to celebrate. But what do you get for a kid who will get a TON in 3 weeks?!?!

XOXO Noah, Aunite KK loves you so much!

Family Vacations...Phew!

So, we had our ups and downs - but we managed to have a 10 person family vacation! Only thing I'd do differently...wear sunscreen on my LEGS at Daytona beach, BEFORE falling asleep!

Of course we can't please everyone, but I'd do it again (vacation with 10 people, I mean). AND, I'd go back to FL, just I'd try to do a little less - 4 amusement parks in 6 days is A LOT, especially with 2 toddlers.

Highlight: Chef Mickey Breakfast...it was expensive I won't lie, but it was so much FUN to have 1-on-1 time with the 5 charaters & to see the excitement on Addi & Noah's faces. The food was nice too, not at all like a "buffet" experience I was expecting.

Here are a few photos - check out Shawn's blog for others:

Little Miss Sunshine

For the past month, or so, I have been blessed with 2 very SPECIAL house guests!

I love spending time with my sister - she's super generous with sharing her home with me, so it was nice to return the favor.

Addi was a fun addition to the party! She is truly a doll. It has been fun to hear her little phrases, listen to her mimicing EVERYONE, and watching her antics! She truly is a bright, little Miss Sunshine; bringing light wherever she goes.

Claustraphobic?

So I never thought of myself as afraid of enclosed spaces--elevators, closets, trunks, etc. Probably because I've never been locked in one!

Well, on Wednesday that all changed. Have you ever experienced that panic when you lose control & really aren't sure how to solve a problem?

I'm pretty sure that's what happened to me! I was leaving for work & my garage wouldn't open...the overhead motor was just blinking. I didn't start to panic until I pushed the buttons, reached over my car & reset the motor & it STILL wasn't working. Then I realized I wouldn't be able to leave, how would I get to work--how would I get my car out--did my car have to stay trapped in here? My heart started racing & I kind of freaked out--who was going to help me?

Oh, but the cord--THANK GOD for the pull cord thingy that allowed me the freedom from my beastly garage. It is amazing how little I stopped to assess a situation before panic ensued! I'm even more grateful that I didn't get in total freak out mode before I recognized that the escape pull cord was dangling there all along.

Oh and have I mentioned before ;0) just how FANTASTIC a brother I have? ;0) Called him on my way to work & he dropped by to save the day. He fixed my garage & my garage light--it was doing that annoying flicker thing (even with new bulbs) so he rewired a new ballast, which is MORE energy efficient--YAY for BROTHERS. Then Evelyn made dinner. Love those 2!

Best Mom

I think my Mom is the greatest!


But, this post is to give congrats to my sister Shawn. She is really a TERRIFIC mother! Addison is such a pleasure to be around & she is super smart.


I see all these posts about wonderful kids...and I'm sure that is the case. I however want to take a minute & tell my sister that I think she is doing a AMAZING job with Addi-girl! Addison loves to be around people, shares, uses manners, and cleans up. She is after all only 17 months old -- that speaks to the routines & boundaries that my sister & Juan have established.


It is so much fun to bathe Addi, get kisses from her, shop with her, and watch her learn & grow in her little stubborn way. Keep up the hard work Shawn & Juan--Addi is truly A BLESSING to me!!

A Button?!

Well, actually a few buttons, some pipe cleaners, & felt. These little guys took about 1 hr. and I made 10! That is an easy project! It is a tradition for my Mom, Shawn, and I to get "The King" family members ornaments every year. It makes unwrapping them super fun from year to year & recalling memories of painting them or opening them.

Found this particular craft on Martha Stewart's website, under Kid Crafts. My siblings all seemed to love them, my dad & Juan especially loved the reindeer (I added a small red nose to Santa & the reindeer too).

~ Merry Christmas ~

Cinnamon! Cinnamon! Don't Forget the Cinnamon!

So...my wonderful, crafty friend Clare gave the website listed below for Cinnamon Ornaments. I was feeling adventurous (and CHEAP). So, I made 30 of them--22 was what I was aiming for (1 for each of the 21 kiddos in my class & 1 for my Secret Santa).

Mom and I stayed up 'til 12:00 baking them--they did turn out nicely! I hope my kids don't break them before they make it home. It cost me a total of $5 for the supplies & the house smells wonderful. Check out the recipe: http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Other/Cinnamon-Ornaments.aspx

Here are the results:

Garage Key!

Funny story behind this post's title...it will come later.

Once again, I was treated to the SUPER generosity of my brother & Dad. Chuck called Sat. morning with an agenda...installing my garage door opener. He got one for free & needed some parts from Home Depot to get it working.

Dad joined him around 10:30am & they got started. Well, a few hours later I pull up to my house & there they are, finishing the installation. I guess the free garage door opener was "too good to be true" and they scrapped it...the parts needed to make it work don't exist any longer! So, I got a brand new garage door opener--courtesy of Dad & Bubba!!

Merry Christmas House!

P.S. The title of this post--Garage Key--is actually a German word, which to this day my family knows NOT!! In the 80's my family & some friends were having dinner in a neighborhood guest house in Germany. At the table next to us, German men kept clinking their glasses together saying what sounded like "Garage Key" to our American ears. My sister & I joined in the festivities (we were only 6 & 4). The men thought it was hysterical...my parents were mortified!! Out of the mouths of babes...

Shawn & I hugging at the German guest house--a few hours after Garage Key!

So, an apt post-Thanksgiving blog--we still hold our glasses high & Garage Key each year. I almost did it at my sister's wedding, but hence that was too far!! :0)

Black Friday

I can't believe I caved...

Evelyn convinced me to join her on Black Friday at 12:00am at Wal-Mart of all places. And, I went!!!

It wasn't so bad & she even sprang for coffee - French Vanilla Latte. After leaving Wal-Mart at 2:00am or so, we headed to Toys R Us. Nothing there was worth buying, so we drove down to K-Mart and Kohls...well the lines there didn't look promising, so we left!

Right around 4:00am, we went BACK to Wal-Mart (yes, I went 2 times...CRAZY) so Evelyn could get some eletronic things - which only went on sale after 5am. 2nd trip wasn't as calm & could've been a little nasty for me (ran into a former someone who I hope to NEVER see again). Thank the Lord (really) that I was able to appear distracted & my hair was straight...people tend to have to look 2-3 times in order to recognize me...this gave me ample time for an escape route!!

I know it doesn't sound like me...long story...but there are people in my past who I want to stay there!

Black Friday isn't so bad, can't say I had a bad experience. There's a first time for everything...fun to spend some girly-time with Evelyn!

"I Need a Hero"

I have the BEST brother in the world--haven't you heard?!?!

So, Ol' Man Winter has finally arrived (UGH) and before the really snowy, icy weather starts I wanted to make sure my tires were okay. Well, of course they needed replacing (I never have luck in this department--just ask my Dad, his infamous comment: "If there's a nail/screw in the road, Kristan will find it...har har har!").

Well, a few $100 later I was looking at a REALLY LONGGGGGGGGGGGGGG wait. I guess I failed to ask, or the Discount Tire guy failed to mention just how long (3-4 hrs.). I settled in with a few articles about gender in education. 45 min. later - I thought this isn't looking good, I think I need to ask just how long I'm going to be here. Right about then, in walks my ridiculous brother...he was wearing brown plaid shorts, gray boot socks to his knees, a beanie, & tennis shoes! He was looking for me...he had been cleaning his truck & noticed mine in the parking lot. He found me and told me about the 3 hr. wait & then invited me to dinner at his house to wait there instead of the waiting room--Evelyn & Noah were already on their way.

Thank goodness for BUBBA--aww, he's polishing his armor!!

Summer Ball

It is nice to be in AZ - well minus the 110 degree heat!! I'm not complaining though, because it beats SNOW in June any time.

I love to watch baseball. It seems that every time I'm in town Nicholas has a tournament & I get to load up on all things baseball. I especially love to watch boys baseball...yes they make errors, but they try so hard and it's so rewarding to watch them make the base hit that scores a run or catch a ball to tag a runner and get that final out.

Congrats NICK - Cal Ripken Little League Champions for AZ!! That last game was a nail biter for sure but it was awesome to watch.

Scrapbooking with Sis

My sister and I enjoy so many of the same things. One of which is scrapbooking. You know that whole 2 heads are better than one thing...well, we work well together especially in the memory album arena.

We had fun purchasing items, learning how to use her Cricut machine, organizing, croppping, & designing Addi's baby book pages. (On a side note...Juan if you want to buy me a Cricut I'm down!!)

We only got 8 pages done because man, it's A LOT of work!! I think we get side tracked easily & photos bring up stories/memories that we talk about but that's the FUN of it.

I can't wait to visit & do more...it's been great!

Love Your Bubba!!

I know everyone loves their family...but I have to jump in and say that my family is the best!!! This weekend was moving day.

On Friday, at 3 pm Mark, Ryan, Chuck, Dylan, Dad, Evelyn, & I got everything over to my place. The boys doing most of the work...I was just sorting and directing where to put things. After 2 1/2 hours we were done.

Saturday morning the fridge was delivered at 7am promptly & Bubba came over AGAIN. I swear everyone needs a brother like mine! He was "handyman extrodinare" and got my kitchen light installed, old light mounted in the garage, shock installed in the door, leveled my fixtures, repaired a broken fixture (from moving-the only casualty), leveled my stove, installed my 2 broken mini blinds, installed & reprogamed my thermostat, & hung my shower curtain pole.

Then to top it off, he came over Sunday too & helped fix my water line so that my ice maker would work...which it is!! I love my Bubba...he is amazing & so considerate. It is nice to have a family that works hard for each other - such a gift from GOD!

Home Owner!

Just a small post - yes, I am officially a home owner today. They rejected my first offer & approved my second. It's a townhome just off of Powers ~ really close to my school. 2 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, 2 car garage, & now it's mine.

I am equally scared & excited. Now I have to furnish it...we'll see. Growing up is scary!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I truly believe that. I set up Christmas at the King house today. A little bit of help from Grandma & Dad, but I did most of the unpacking.

It looks good. I'm officially domesticated, first a pie! Now I'm packing & decorating like a home-owner. Too bad it's not my home.

Enjoy every minute of it...I am!!

Thanksgiving Baker ?!

Well, who'd of thunk it? Kristan can bake!! Yes, I am just a bit proud of myself for my latest baking endeavorS - yes, there were 2!

My mom left last week suddenly, to be with my Grandpa Anderson. He was having diabetes & congestive heart failure complications. Lately, due to the 20% heart circulation rate, his legs especially his toes, are developing ulcers. Well, he had to have a toe amputated & developed pneumonia while in the hospital. My mom left last Wed. to be with him.

The original plan was for Dad & I to drive down the following Wed. before Thanksgiving to pick her up & be back in town by Sunday. Since, Dad & I both had work obligations, we'd be leaving late Wed. & didn't plan on celebrating much Thanksgiving on Thursday. We have a large extended family, so we were confident SOMEONE would take us in.

Well, mom wasn't sure if Sun. she could leave and Dad and I didn't want to make the drive for 12 hours, just to return to CO without her! We changed plans & scheduled Thanksgiving with Chuck, Evelyn, & Noah instead. Evelyn planned the menu & I brought additions that I can't be without (green bean casserole, Grandma's Salad, & pumpkin pie). Where, however; was I going to get enough GUTS to actually MAKE this pie?

Yes, I was being the "loving sister"--I have been known to do so from time-to-time :0)! I know my brother LOVES pumpkin pie - it's his favorite, but he only gets to eat it around Thanksgiving & Christmas time. My mom always makes it because he loves it so...well, Grandpa's sick & now it's up to me.

I read all day, attempting to ignore or avoid the beast in my head saying, "You can't do this. You can make the pumpkin filling (as I have for MANY years 'helping' my mother) but you can't make the crust, roll it, unfold it, scallop the edges, etc. Just like mom does! Chuck is gonna taste this and laugh at you. It's going to burn, crack, or leak all over and make a mess." Finally, at 9:00pm I got started--I know, I'm SUCH a procrastinator (well, chicken too). Grandma's Salad was easy & by 9:35 I was ready to attempt the pie crust.

Everything came together nicely, rolling the dough was a NIGHTMARE. But all in all, I think my 1st pie looks alright. Best compliment was from my Grandma Anderson; I sent my Aunt Dee Dee via my cell phone, a picture of the pie. Grandma A saw it, called me, & said, "Ina, it looks lovely!" I replied, "Well, it's okay. It has some funny edges & some of the crust is crumbling." She said, "Well, you made if from scratch right? You know, Ina, you could have just bought a crust at the store but you didn't. Good for you! It looks wonderful."

Through the phone I beamed. You know it's true. We talk ourselves out of the difficult tasks, find everything else to do instead of just throwing down the flour and making the pie crust! Jeesh, who cares if it's a little crumbly? What matters is that I tried, I succeeded, I BAKED!

P.S. I also felt like making popovers after watching a Martha Stewart episode in October. I went to Wal-Mart, Target, & finally Williams Sonoma to find a popover cooking tray. Yes, they were fun to make & tasty too. I think I'm becoming some-type of domesticated, single girl!! Maybe it's practice so I don't become BUS BAIT! Ha, ha, ha...

Nanny

So far this week has been WONDERFUL! I can't say enough about how cute, cuddly, fabulous, & beautiful my niece, Addison, is. She sleeps well, cries rarely, & LOVES a warm bath. She looks just like Shawn...

The only sad thing is I leave Sunday :0(. I will miss hanging out with my sis & holding Addison. I get even more sad when I think about how I'll only see her 4-5 times a year!! I think I really have to look into moving. My family is wonderful & CO has grown on me over the last 8 years, but NO ONE compares to my sister - she just "get's me" without explanations or judgements. I LOVE that she is truly my BFF & we can have such a FABULOUS relationship. I truly feel adored.