January 31-Day 35

Ok, so I'm a few hours early for tomorrow's photo....but had to take a picture of the dishtowels I bought in Colorado!

I am going to make aprons for the girls since they are always helping me in the kitchen, and I found a really easy pattern to make them from towels. Figures I have to go all the way to Colorado to find "fun" towels! lol

Thanks Dad for mailing these to me since I couldn't fit anything more in my suitcase last Sunday!

January 30-Day 34

This is the stack of books I am either reading or waiting to find time to start reading.

Somehow, I can never find enough hours in the day to read...but if I start a really good book, I am often up way too late at night!

January 29-Day 33

Ok, I really should get to bed....but wanted to catch up from the last week or so while the house is quiet!

Love this quote that I have by our bed...so few words but yet says so much!

January 28-Day 32

This is Ellie at nap time this afternoon....guess she likes her new shirt from the AF Academy that I picked up for her! She wore it right away on Sunday...it made it through the laundry on Tuesday, and she has it back on again today!

Spent the last few days at the office trying to get tax stuff done....w-2's went pretty smoothly but the 1099's on the other hand are another story! Maybe by Friday we'll have the mess figured out!

January 27-Day 31

Got home from my trip just in time for Kacey's first basketball game! Love the first picture (even though it is blurry) as you can see her making a basket...and considering that she didn't make any last year, she was pretty excited! lol

Her team lost 10-8....but as she joked, she scored half of the points for her team and already has more points than last year! Gotta love that attitude!

She has another game on Thursday...gonna have to work on my settings for my camera so I can get some clearer pictures. Somehow with the lighting in the gym and the action, I can never get good photos!

January 26-Day 30

Happy 8th Birthday, Jerbear! Can my 'little' guy really be eight years old already?!? Felt really good to sleep in my own bed last night....and today was a busy day of unpacking, re-grouping, and baking chocolate birthday cake with brown sugar frosting. I think Jeremy has requested this same cake for his birthday for the last five years!

Doug and Carol came over for cake and presents tonight after dinner...it's amazing how fast a little boy can open up all of his birthday presents!

Happy birthday, bud! I love you! (and we didn't even start the oven on fire making your birthday cake like we did a few years ago!)

January 25-Day 29

Picture from the floor waiting at my gate for my flight back to the cities. Dad and Annie dropped me off at the airport in Denver this morning...was a tearful and quick goodbye at the front of the airport. I hate saying goodbye!

Found my place in line for the security check among about 400 other travellers! Wish I would have thought to take a picture from the upper level looking down on the check point....what a zoo!

My flight left Denver over an hour late as they had to de-ice the plane and then we sat on the runway waiting our turn in line for take off. I was a little nervous about missing my connecting flight in the cities for Duluth....ended up with about 15 minutes to make it from one end of the terminals to the other in the cities. Enough time to grab a very quick bite to eat and find the restrooms!

The kids were excited to see me when I got to Duluth....although Kacey told me that I looked very tired! Guess sleep was 'optional' during the weekend, and even though I didn't have the kids with...I never did get a chance to sleep in!

Was an awesome weekend in Colorado but felt good to be home at the same time....does that make sense?! Maybe next year we'll have to make a family trip to Colorado Springs for a hockey weekend!

January 24-Day 28

Big Mike, me, and little Mike....three Phillipich's! lol

Tried to sleep in this morning after the late night we had last night at the hotel but got a wake up call from Minnesota from the kids! Wes told Ellie that if she finished up her breakfast, she could call mommy....so she woke us up this morning! And right after that came a call from Kacey and Jeremy who were at Grandma Carol's and thought they should wake me up and see who won the game last night!

Air Force won again tonight....with a score of 3-2. We were really hoping Mike would score a goal for us 'groupies' in Section BB! Got a chance to visit with Mike and meet Emily (his fiance) after the game.

Another late night at the hotel....no pie tonight but leftover pizza from Old Chicago's. I felt bad for my cousin Uno as he had to leave for Denver at four a.m. the next morning to catch his flight home! I don't think he got more than a few hours of sleep.

Took over 200 pictures this weekend so I'll try to upload some to facebook in my spare time this week.

Hard to believe how fast the weekend is going by and that I'll be heading home tomorrow morning.

January 23-Day 27

Friday was a fun afternoon catching up with my "Kivi" relatives at the hotel. Uncle Ray even thought enough to pick up some reading material for my flight back to Minnesota and gave me a current issue of the 'dreaded yellow book'! lol Don't worry...paybacks will be fun with this one!

Go Blllluueee! The Air Force Falcons won the game tonight against Army, 5-1. Had a lot of fun at the game....I used to love going to watch the North Stars at the old Met Center in the cities with my dad when I was a kid!

My second (or is he third?!) cousin, Mike Phillipich (#19), is the captain of the hockey team...so that made the game that much more fun! We've been emailing a bit back and forth trying to get to know one another again...after we determined it had been years since we had seen each other 'up north' when he made a few trips with his Grandpa Tony to visit my Grandpa Phil, who are brothers.

Was a late night at the hotel after the game....who would have guessed the conversation would revolve around pie pants, podunk, and packsackers!

January 22-Day 26

Ellie and mom at the airport in Duluth...she was smiling before mom had to go through the security check point. Afterwards, she was in tears and wanted to know why she couldn't come with me cuz she had her backpack with her!

The flight ended up leaving late from Duluth so my layover in the cities was cut short. I got into Denver at close to four that afternoon...and played phone tag trying to find my dad and Annie at the airport! Thank goodness for cell phones!

The weather was absolutely incredible....65 degrees when I got off the plane. And to think that we had 37 below zero a week ago at home!

Finally got to see my sister, Rachel's new house and spent the night with her and Nate (and their new puppy!). Got a chance to do some catching up after we went out to dinner with dad and mom...but wish we could have had more than 24 hours to visit!

January 21-Day 25

Packing for my trip to Denver and Colorado Springs....sure is strange just packing for myself and not everyone else in the family! And so much less to pack when it's just for one person! lol

In December , my dad was joking that he had one extra ticket to the Air Force/Army hockey games in Colorado Springs for the end of January. Who would have guessed that I'd be heading to Colorado for a weekend of hockey and re-connecting with relatives that I haven't seen for awhile?

Leaving in the morning for Duluth. Not sure about the small plane from Duluth to Minneapolis....as they are too crowded! I know I will miss Wes and the kids like crazy, but I am looking forward to a weekend 'away'....however, it will be my first time away from Ellie!

January 20-Day 24

Trying to get the laundry caught up before I leave for Colorado Springs on Thursday morning. Somehow with five kids the laundry piles grow faster than I can keep up with them!

January 19-Day 23

Spent the weekend trying to upload photos, save them, etc. from the last year....and made myself sick to my stomach to realize that I am missing three months of photos. Photos from Kacey's first year playing basketball, Easter, project bowl, Ellie's second birthday, track season, and so much more.

I am hoping that maybe I am just missing that card from my camera and that it will turn up somewhere soon.

January 18-Day 22

Not sure if you can read the thermometer in today's photo....but it said 20 above zero, not below! Almost felt like a heat wave here this afternoon!

Hope everyone is enjoying warmer temperatures than last week....it was awful having below zero temps for the whole week!

January 17-Day 21

My new calander and the page for January.....filled with such fun 'creative thoughts' for each month. Things I want to try to incorporate into our daily lives not just myself but as a family.

Be amazed. be inspired. be excited about life. be touched. be special. be home. be paradise. be thoughtful. be gorgeous. be art. be full. be interested. be there. be into the details. be a collector. be calm. be delicious. be in the moment. be open. be willing. be cool. be you. be playful. be a writer. This month, celebrate simply being.

So many things that I am hoping I can 'be' this year!

January 16-Day 20

Wow....day 20 already! Almost made it through the first three weeks of project 365.

Had to get a photo of Ellie's "security" when she is tired....she loves to snuggle. As long as she has her Nuk and a sleeve to put her hand in, she is one happy little girl!

Of course, the sleeve can't be too tight or she can't fit her arm in with yours...and short sleeves just don't cut it! Somehow I think it would have been easier for her to be attached to a blanket like the other kids were..but then again, it is cute to hear her ask for skin from whoever is closeby when she is tired.

I think we may be working our way out of the deep freeze as the temperature this afternoon is actually seven above zero!!!

January 15-Day 19

Had to borrow this photo that Emily took last night of Kacey and Shane. Thanks Em for sharing with mom! lol

They were both trying to look sweet and innocent for the picture...and then proceeded to keep picking on each other after the picture was taken.

Not sure who will have more black and blues in the morning!

January 14-Day 18

Another day of below zero temperatures here....sounds like we are stuck below zero until Friday!

Had to take a photo of the fun new boots I picked up over the weekend...they sure are warm! And of course, all the girls have decided that maybe we could all share them!

January 13-Day 17

(Excuse the photo....I am playing on photoshop to incorporate two photos that I can just print up as a 4 x 6 for my Project 365 and then cut it in half.)

This makes me happy today....as the girls and I are each going to work on these albums this year. Maybe by the end of the year I will have one album completed!

Woke up this morning to 33 below zero....and wondering why we live in northern Minnesota this time of year?!?

January 12-Day 16

Happy 14th Birthday, Emmy! This was a quick photo with the birthday girl and her flowers from dad before Doug and Carol came over for carrot cake tonight.

You sure are growing up fast Emmy....can you slow that down for awhile?!

Hope you had a great day today....and I can't wait to work on your own project 365 with you in the upcoming year!

January 11-Day 15

Ok, somehow I lost my photo for today that I took at St. Mary's of Ellie reading one of the maps in the hallway....but I did take this one on our way home from Duluth. So I guess this will be my photo for today!

The 'copper top' church....where Wes and I got married almost 17 years ago....by 'the big lake'! It really is wonderful how many fun memories I have that revolve around Lake Superior!

It's also amazing how much has changed in 17 years....we have all come a long way, together!

Doug was released from the hospital this afternoon and will be waiting to schedule the laser surgery sometime tomorrow. He was anxious to head home...but of course, no trip to or from Duluth is complete without a stop for ice cream in Floodwood!

Spent the afternoon piling up the laundry that needs to be caught up after being gone, along with taking care of Ellie, (who decided to throw up about a mile from home today). I never realized how many parts are on a carseat to take it apart so you can wash it! lol

Thanks again for the prayers and words of encouragement......we are all home now and wait patiently to see what the next week will bring!

January 10-Day 14

Somehow, as many of you know, Lake Superior is a very special place to me...and helps me feel just that much closer to God.

I woke up Saturday morning with a bit of dread, not knowing what the day would hold for our family, but when I looked out the hotel window after getting out of bed.....wow! I knew God was here with us at 'my lake' and would hold us up whatever the day would bring! Only one word can describe how I felt....awesome!

The picture isn't the greatest since there was a screen on the window...but I just knew that this was my picture for the day....and a reminder that we are not alone through all of this!

After spending the morning at the hospital and talking with various doctors, Wes' parents decided that the best option for treating Doug's brain tumor will be radio laser surgery. We're praying that the procedure will go well, that God will be with the surgeons and guiding them through the process, and that Doug will regain some of his speech and feeling in his right hand.

If all goes well, this will hopefully be done before the end of next week. Thank you so much for all of you that are not only praying for Doug and Carol, but for praying for Wes, myself, and the kids....your support means the world to us!!!

January 9-Day 13

Just a quick shot I took close to midnight of the front of the hotel we stayed at in Canal Park after leaving St. Mary's and while waiting for supper.

Was a whirlwind afternoon getting a phone call that Doug had to be brought to Duluth immediately...leaving us about fifteen minutes to pack.

Needless to say, after we checked into the hotel, we realized we left one of the bags at home....the one with diapers, pajamas, toothbrushes, and what not.

Doug's MRI on Friday resulted in finding out that he now has a tumor in his brain and swelling in his brain as well. Saturday would bring us further results and decisions to be made about what step to take next.

January 8-Day 12

This is my new favorite mug....and I love the quote on it, especially the part about embracing imperfection! lol (the entire quote says....date: today. notes: it is ok. embrace imperfection. go with the flow. find your voice. tell your story. don't make it more complicated than it needs to be. i am a life artist. play. capture life. create art.)

Congrats to the girls CC team for receiving Gold Honors for team academics this year....way to go girls!

I'm hoping my project 365 kit will come soon so I can get the first couple weeks of my project scrapbooked!

January 7-Day 11

Somehow it seems like we have flowers on the table for the whole month of January!

Wes started a tradition when the kids were born and brings flowers home for everyone's birthdays~and with three of the kids having birthdays in January....that means lots of flowers this month!

January 6-Day 10

Miss Ellie still isn't quite ready for us to put the small nativity set away....she said she has to take care of baby Jesus! Guess it won't hurt to leave it out for a few more days!

January 5-Day 9

Since I got a photo of Kacey's new hairdo...thought maybe I should take one of my new hair cut! lol

The house sure was quiet today with just Ellie home with me....she woke up in a panic because she couldn't find "her kids" to play with!

January 4-Day 8

Kacey got a perm this afternoon....now we have another 'curly haired' girl in the family! She loves her new hair!

Hard to believe that Christmas vacation is almost over and that the kids go back to school in the morning. Wish I could keep them home longer!

January 3-Day 7

Almost forgot to take a photo today! lol Thought I would take a picture of Ash's favorite birthday cake...I think she has requested this cake for her birthday for almost ten years in a row now!

Grandpa Paul and Jim headed back to Marengo today instead of tomorrow...hoping to beat the storm that was headed our way!

Finished week one of project 365! Maybe tomorrow I'll take a photo of myself with my new haircut for the new year!

January 2-Day 6

Ellie and Grandpa Paul were busy this morning working on Ellie's new puzzles that she got for Christmas. She has a whole story that she will tell you about the animals and barnyard on the puzzle!

Hoping to get some pictures backed up, edited, and off of my computer and onto my external hard drive this next week or so....have the last years' worth of photos to work on so I can stay caught up and organized~wish me luck!

January 1-Day 5

Happy New Year's! Hard to believe our "baby girl" is 15 today....where does the time go and why do they have to grow up so fast! Ash was the first new year's baby born at the hospital in Ashland...and it was a great way to start 1994!

She decided to lick the frosting can after we frosted one of her cakes! Her favorite cherry cheesecake brownie cake didn't last long!