Just In Case...

Just in case you were wondering how to make a Thanksgiving turkey, Michael has written the instructions down to make things easier for you. Actually it was a writing assignment. I am sure there are so many thoughts running thru his mind but to get that down on paper. His teacher says it is a real struggle.

Translation

'I am going to tell you how to make a Thanksgiving turkey. You will need: a turkey, a knife, a gun,a plate, and a fire. First, hunt down a turkey. Kill it and cut off the head. Get rid of the blood and get out the guts. Next, take out the bones. Roast the turkey by hanging it on a bar over a fire. When it is a gold brownish color, take it off the fire. Then, cut it into slices with a knife. Then, cut it into slices with a knife. Put it on a plate and serve it. Last, eat it. That's how you make a Thanksgiving turkey.'

HS Reunion

We had a blast last night! Andrea is here from Brazil...she was an exchange student the girls senior year. Another daughter to us. She has been in the states for business in DC all week and added a few days onto her trip to come to see us. We are TOTALLY BEYOND THRILLED!

Emily is in red. Mo has the beautiful red hair. Andrea is in blue. Our Emmy is in green plaid. Brian (I hope I remembered that right) has the beard and Reade is behind Emmy. Brian and Mo brought their kids, Sal, Iris, and Theo who were soooooo cute. Michael was in 7th heaven. They had a ball playinf together, running all over the house and playing in the basement. We had a wonderful dinner. And shared stories and caught up on everyone we could think of. I am thinking that Andrea should come back once a year (and even maybe bring her husband) and we should definitely do this again...who else could we invite?...Carly, Sandy, Marian Fiorella, Courtney, Megan...

Over The River.....

Guess who came to Pappy and Wammy's? And they get to be here for a week! We are going to jump in the leaves (they don't have any in CO), ride bikes, have a sleep over in the tent, celebrate Ellis's birthday, have Thanksgiving, check out everything we can find in the big city, and enjoy every second they are here. They even went to WV to visit the great grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. And of course Sarah Beth.

Ellis to Wammy...'Wammy, it took the plane a long time to come down out of the sky.'

WE ARE...MARSHALL

Today I proudly fly my Marshall flag to pay tribute to the players, coaches, team doctors, and fans that were killed in an horrific plane crash just before landing at the Huntington's Tri-State Airport 39 years ago.
I was a junior in high school. Mark was a freshman at Marshall. I remember it because one of my girlfriends dated one of the football players and my sister's best friends parents perished that day. Mark answered the phone at the fraternity house trying to answer questions from parents and friends. The Spring Hill Cemetery, where the Memorial stands and some of those who died are buried, is not far from where we lived. If you would like to read the account of the crash and the days and years that have followed click here MU. Every time I watch the movie I get goosebumps.

WE ARE... MARSHALL

SHHHHH...Don't tell Ellis...

Ellis got to celebrate his birthday a little early this year. But today is his actual 4th birthday. I think when he comes to Wammy's we might just have to have another one. You know us...we celebrate with birthday weeks!

Senior Shots

Sarah had her senior pictures taken by someone at church. We have an entire booklet to go thru to pick out the best one. Of course we don't agree. So we need you help...please vote for the best shot.
Shot #1

Shot #2

Shot #3

Shot #4

What A Weekend!

We got to get out of the big city and go to Archbold, OH. With Michael so sick I wasn't sure that we were going to make it. But with antibiotics and doubled up breathing treatments we were able to go. Our good friends in WI were celebrating the wedding of their eldest son. Two fun things in one. We drove the flat lands of Ohio toward Toledo.









Finally out of a corn field grew The Heritage Inn.

Mr. and Mrs. Benny Bresson

Dan and Joy

The Bresson girls

Sarah and Hannah picking up where they left off.











Sauder Village was right on the grounds. Of course. last week it was open but now it was closed for the season. But a few of the shops were open so Mark and I took one morning to check them out. The building were old log cabins or old buildings. I could live there. Maybe a summer job?

A quilt that I someday hope to make.

The quilt of my dreams.

the glass blower...This guy was a little crazy but the things he could make were awesome and totally amazing!

The studs

The three stooges

Adam and Krista...she rocks at Pictionary! Best parnter...ever!

The Bresson's and The Ellis's once again minus the pie!

We have decided that we aren't going to wait for the next wedding to get together...sometime soon we will meet again in some far away field and have Game Nights and some pie.. Can't wait!

One Sick Little Puppy

I knew it was too good to be true. I should have kept my thoughts to myself. I could just kick myself.

Thursday Michael and I stood in line for his H1N1 for 2 hours and five minutes...you know it is a long 125 minutes for all those involved. It wasn't a pretty site. But we did get to go to Sonic for dinner. We ever got to sit outside the car at the little tables. Everything was going pretty well until Sunday night...fever hit and it has been downhill since. Yesterday we ended up in the doctors office. We left with probably more germs that when we entered, a breathing treatment (we ever got to keep all the plastic piling and stuff for the nebulizer), an antibiotic and instructions to treat the asthma more aggressively while Michael has a cold...which also equals an ear infection and instructions for no swimming lessons or school for the rest of the week! Every four hours from now until cold season is over Michael will be sitting taking a breathing treatment somewhere. But the good part is that he really doesn't mind as long as he has something to keep him busy...a book, his DS or some Legos. Wish us luck!

Halloween Alphabet

Last week after out time at the Corn Maze we went to Kroger to get out pumpkins for carving $2.99 was way better than $8 a piece.We decided what patterns we were going to use....created just a little bit with stencils or we would still be working on them. Michael was in charge of choosing what went on the front of each pumpkin. Emmy was the queen guts-getter-outer and I was the cutter-outer.Michael was the official holder. He HATES that gross stuff inside and there is no way he is going to touch it. If I remember right his 4 year old preschool teacher made him stick his hand in the guts!

Luke let me borrow his library book from school...BOO! Halloween Poems and Limericks by Patricia Hubbell. I thought it was appropriate and the pictures are of our Jack-O-Lanterns and Trick -or-Treaters. (But we were missing our buddy Luke)

A for Attics, Awed, Afraid, Apples in a tub.B for Bobbing, Bats, Brooms. BOO!C for Cats and Creepy.D for Doughnuts, Devils,Dark.E for EEEEEEEEK! And Eerie.F for Fright and Fear and Flee.G for Ghosts and Goblins.H for Hats and Haunt and Help!I for poor old Me.J for Jack-o-lanterns. Jump. Jump, jump, jump away!K for Knock, and Keep me safe.L for Let me be!M for Monsters, Moans, and Masks. Moon and Mischief. Magic.N for Nightmares, No! No! No! Night as dark as pitch.O for OH! Just Oh! Oh! Oh! Ohhhhhhhhh! I saw a witch.P for Pumpkins, Plain and carved.Q for Quiet! Quaking!Rfor Rats and Rattle. ROOOOOAAAAAR! Rap, rap, rap, upon the door.S for Scared. Shudder. Shake. Screams and Shivery Shadows.T for Trick or Treat, and Trolls.U for Ugh! Up there!V for Vampires and for Vats, and Very Very shaky.W for Werewolf, Wizard, Whoooooooooosh! Witch, and Who? What? Where?X for eXtra scared. That's me.Y for You are too.Z for ZZZZZZZZZZZ. Home safe. Home free. Curled in bed. Asleep ZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

First house

Last "house"

My Little Friends

Just thought all of you out there in Blogville would like to meet some of my little freinds.

The View

While I am sitting on the porch of I lean forward jsut a bit and look up this is what I see.And if the setting on my camera are right...I can get these vivid colors everytime! What a way to start the day!

Corn Maze

Today was a perfect day to tackle a corn maze. So off we went! Michael was all over it. He decided that we would have a team of boys and a team of girls. We would just see who was the best...Boy's Rule...Girls Drool...As any good thing, you must first go thru the maze of things available before you get to your destination. We by passed everything but couldn't miss the big horses drawing the wagon. And no...we did not ride. We held fast to our agreement...the Maze and then Kroger for our $2.99 pumpkins (they are $9 at the pumpkin farm). Emmy and Michael got us set up with our clue sheets. You have a little scorecard thingie and when you come to a Jack-O-Lantern it has clues. The right answer sends you down the correct path and out of the maze easily. Here are what the clues looked like.


If you are wondering about you pumpkin IQ, you can click on the picture to make it bigger to read the questions. Good luck.
There was a little chasing going on.

FYI...the girls got a ll the clues first but the boys (Michael) got to the finish first. So I am saying it was a tie but of course Michael says the boys won. NOT

UC Homecoming

A few weeks ago our neighbor asked if we would like to use there football tickets because Bill was going to be in Kenya and Kay was going to visit her daughter in Indiana. Heck yes! Little did we know until the day before that it was Homecoming. So off we went to find the parking garage and our seats.The game is getting ready to start. Notice all the pink. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and some of the players were showing their support by wearing pink shoes, pink gloves and pink things on their arms.We had great seats...almost right on the 50 yard line and 10 or so rows from the top under the Press Box. I even had a open seat next to me. One of the traditions is for the band to run down the aisles in the student section to get to the field. That was pretty cool. The student section was filled and boy were they loud.All of a sudden we saw parachuters bringing in three different flags. And there were lots of GI Joes (actually ROTC) all around the stadium.This flag was HUGE. And then there was the Alumni Band. I think they said there were 8 different classes represented. About 100 strong. And if you look closely you will see a little old man with a white hat. I thought he was the drum major...oh, no...he was the featured twirler! He was so cute. He got a standing Ovation...he had to have been in his 80's. He moved pretty good...and he still had the twirling skills.I loved these flags! I can only imagine how heavy they are and hard it must be to carry them around!There were lots of extra things going on...ESPN was there, largest crowd ever, the basketball team has been invited to Maui to play in a tournament and the football team is ranked 9th in the nation. How about that? I think if our neighbors ever go out of town again...we will volunteer to take the tickets.

Double Nickles

Today is my birthday..55..double nickles. All week I have been thinking of my life and where I have been and where I want to go. I have had a 'Bucket List' in my head for a long time. Some of the things are very serious and I don't think anyone knows my desires as they are concerned. Some of the items are just fun.

My Bucket List

• grow my own crop of strawberries


• take an Alaskan cruise and whale watch


• vacation in Hawaii (check)


• find my older brother's grave


• finish a marathon (check)


• live in a log cabin on a farm in Asheville, NC (with a goat)


• learn to fly fish (working on this one)


• discover a hummingbird nest (always searching)


• ake a difference in the lives of as many kids as I can (check, check and check)


• drive from the east coast to the west coast...do the USA loop


• learn to quilt (check, but still learning)


• own an 'old school' yellow convertible VW bug

I wonder down the road if I will think some of these things on the list are silly? I wonder if I will add more? Just thinking if I am all that I can be? I keep humming a song that I think the children's choir at BHBC did one year. "I am a promise, I am a possibility, I am a promise with a capital P, great big bundle of potentiality. And I am learning to hear God's voice and I am trying to make the right choice. I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be."

Game On

Thanksgiving Day you will not find me in the kitchen. But you will find Mark at the grill...I will be walking in the 100th Thanksgiving Day Race in Cincinnati. We have helped with the race in the past and now Emmy, Erika and I are walking...no matter what the weather. I can smell those steaks on the grill now!

Not So Sneaky Snake

Emmy was pulling out of the driveway yesterday and found this snake. She called me from her cell phone at the end of the driveway and told me there was a snake...a big one...come and get it. Thank heavens the little girls were sleeping. I ran out with a glass vase and some cardboard out of the recycling bin....oh, and a pair, thick pair of gardening gloves. Brave Emmy caught the very stunned and slightly injured snake...I think it go hit...must have been sunning himself on the blacktop at the end of the driveway. Cassie called a little later and I told her about the snake saga. Ellis wants pictures.... so here you go buddy...Sneaky Snake's capture and release...







Garter snake, harmless snake of the genus Thamnophis, abundant from Canada to Central America. There are many common species; members of most species are about 2 ft (60 cm) long. Most garter snakes are striped or banded lengthwise, and some are spotted between the stripes. Less aquatic as a group than the related water snakes, they are found near water in dry country and are widely distributed in moist regions. They prey on cold-blooded animals, chiefly frogs, toads, small fish, and earthworms. Females bear live young in large litters, sometimes numbering 50 or more. The common garter snake of the NE United States, Thamnophis sirtalis, varies in color and pattern but is usually blackish or brownish with three yellow stripes. The ribbon snake, T. sauritus, is a very slender garter snake that prefers wet places. Garter snakes are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Reptilia, order Squamata, family Colubridae.
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Second Grader

Look what came home in the backpack on Friday...I think this is the best smile ever!

Adventure at Hocking Hills

Emmy has been talking about wanting to go to Hocking Hills. Mark was up for the marathon trip. Michael was bored...go figure. And I wanted to try out the settings on the camera. In usual Ellis Family fashion, the trip there was filled with the long way around, food, potty stops, snacks, a little complaining, sleeping and frequent stops at apple orchards and such, stops to eat, site seeing and making fun of one person in the car...wonder who that was? This was our first encounter with the rocks...huge one hanging right over the road. Also in this area we saw a dark and creepy cave.

See, I told you it was right over the road. If you think that is impressive...just wait!

Getting prepped for the hike down the mountain.

This is just a little bit of what we saw on the way down the path.

Can a girl get a little help here?

Mark had to find his own way down...Joy, I keep thinking of the time we went hiking and someone got injured?

Emmy is trying to convince Michael that there are no bears in the caves. He wasn't to sure about all these caves.

Grand Daddy Rock

I think he just discovered another way to get to the next place we needed to go.

Emmy decided that she should have a turn with the camera. I know she took 50 shots of us. This was the only one that turned out. When I smile my eyes disappear. At least you can't see my double chin!

My hands were tingling and my palms were sweating...I was so afraid that someone was going to fall into the deep cavern below.

I love this shot for so many reasons.

Michael found cave writings and all different colors. Not to mention lots of bird poop.

Didn't see any trolls.

I love this one...don't we just look like two old people out for an afternoon stroll i n the woods?

It's official...you saw it first here...
Emmy is a real tree-hugger.

These are beautiful hills but nothing compares to the WV hills of my youth.

"Oh, how majestic and how grand." Only these are in Ohio.

Alaire is Two Already?

There is no stinkin way that she turned two last week! It just isn't possible! But she wears her crown everywhere proudly to prove that she is two. And what a birthday celebration she had. You can read all about it on Cassie's blog.

A Few Weeks Worth

Since our computer has been out of commission I haven't been able to do anything in the way of blogging. So today while everyone is either at work, watching a movie, "watching football" or at the movies...I am playing catch up. Our fun over the last week...
willing to share








please, read to me













not feeling so good








what's in this box?













LOVE my new hat








I love this music...Wammy's not very good at it














I am really serious about my books














let's just get it all out









"Aunt Sarah" did you come to p lay?













I just had to have my turn with the hat...