Horner's Corner

Gloria gets to play T-ball

2009-05-21T05:36:00.000-07:00

Since the triplets on the team and one other child were out for the game, coach asked if Gloria might want to play. After James reassuring her that he would be right there to help her, she agreed and she had a blast. It took a couple of time at bat for us to realize that she should be batting lefty, then she really did well.

(Sorry about the song playing. I couldn't figure out how to get if off.)

Niagra Falls

2009-05-17T06:25:00.000-07:00

Cam helps vacuum the car.

2009-05-06T11:14:00.001-07:00

Cam's first T-ball game

2009-05-04T17:02:00.001-07:00

Crazy kid

2009-02-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

So, today there's a foot of snow outside, but both of my kids are wearing shorts. Gloria doesn't pose for picture, so I had to surprise her. She is so funny.

He got a job!!!

2009-01-28T12:53:00.000-08:00

Thank you for all your prayers and offers of help. James got a job and will start Monday. I haven't quite figured out all the details as he is driving back from Buffalo right now, but at least we will be back to work.

Prayers Please

2009-01-26T04:37:00.000-08:00

Last week, James lost his job. It was quite a blow to us. But after reflecting on it, we realize that it may be a blessing in disguise. We have many options before us. We could stay in Rochester. We could move back to Ohio. We could move to Missouri. We could move to Boise. We could even move to Utah. We have had many family members offer their homes to us. We are very grateful for all the love and support we have been shown.

James did have an interview last week and also may have a lead to get back into the FAA. However, we don't have any family to keep us in Rochester. So without a job, we aren't sure we should stay.

Today, we are fasting and praying for guidance and direction. We want to do what the Lord wants us to do. His will is what is most important to us right now.

If you would like to add your prayers to ours, we would be entirely grateful.

2009-01-21T09:37:00.001-08:00

Today I went to Pre-K to help. Gloria has been sick so she wasn't there. One little boy, Dylan, looked at me and said, "I know almost everything." I thought that was very cute.

Nothing to blog about

2009-01-17T04:02:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't blogged lately, but quite frankly, I have had nothing to blog about. It is freezing so we have been hunkered down at home.

Oh yeah, one exciting thing has happened. I joined Facebook and have been reunited with 2 long lost friends from my youth. I have tried to find them before, but couldn't until now, so I am very happy to have them back in my life.

Marley and Me.....my real life.

2009-01-08T06:30:00.000-08:00

Today I got paid for babysitting. I set the money on the counter. I got distracted doing something else. I hear, "Marci, Marley has money in his mouth." I run out to find a $50 bill in his mouth. Thankfully, it is wet, but not ripped. I proceed to go through the house picking up mangled money. The only fatality is a $5 dollar bill which is ripped in half. I taped it back together and hopefully the bank will exchange it for me. It could have been worse as she usually gives me all large bills.

It's Cold Here!!!

2009-01-02T14:20:00.001-08:00

Addicted to snow

2009-01-02T09:47:00.000-08:00

This kid is addicted to snow.

Gloria is too. While sledding yesterday, she kept licking her gloves.

New Year's Eve with the Griffiths

2008-12-31T18:35:00.001-08:00

This is Veronica, Joann and Monica. Veronica made the best quacamole. I gained several pounds eating it. I'm not even kidding.

Our good friends, Ben and Joann. They are such a cute couple.

Ben, Cameron, Loyd (Veronica's husband), and Gloria. Just hanging out.

BJ. Don't let this photo kid you, he is totally a ham.

Joann was giving me a manicure and we were having a photo shoot at the same time. What more could a girl ask for?

New York City pictures

2008-12-30T17:36:00.000-08:00

Here's some pictures of our trip to New York City.

Who would have thought there would be deer in the middle of New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the country.
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This is Leann. She is married to Larry, who is James friend from the old days. We had a great time shopping in New Jersey. They don't have tax on clothing, so...cha ching!

Now this is traveling in style.

Of course you have to post Christmas pictures.

2008-12-30T09:49:00.000-08:00

Christma

2008-12-28T17:53:00.000-08:00

Well, we're in New Jersey for the weekend. We drove here on Friday and will be going back home Monday. We are visiting James' friend from high school and his family. I'll put pictures up when I get home. It was amazing to drive through New York. It is more rural than we thought. New Jersey is so crowded. We took the ferry to New York City on Saturday. It was so foggy you couldn't see the tops of the skyscrapers. I couldn't believe how crowded it was. But I did buy a purse of the streets just because.

Eating Snow

2008-12-24T05:27:00.001-08:00

Yes. They are eating snow.

Briana's Vist

2008-12-24T05:05:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun pictures from Briana's visit to NY. We had so much fun.

Christmas Program

2008-12-19T06:27:00.001-08:00

Sorry about the lousy sound. This is a video only a grandma would love. Cameron is singing, but he was too shy/embarrassed to do the hand motions.

School pictures

2008-12-16T10:40:00.001-08:00

Glori-ism #3

2008-12-14T15:41:00.000-08:00

After church today I picked up the kids from primary. Gloria had drawn a picture. She said, "This picture is for Heavenly Father." How cute is that? Then she turned to me and said, "Will you remind me to give it to Him?"

Another Glori-ism

2008-12-08T09:57:00.001-08:00

When the teacher asked her what she would like to give her mom and dad for Christmas, this was her response (as repeated to me by her teacher):

Gloria:

I'd like to give mommy a necklace.
And for daddy, I'd like to give him...his own bed!

For my dad.

2008-12-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

Dad, your legacy lives on. This is for you.

Gloria obviously is a little camera shy, but if you listen carefully you can hear her.

Note: Some kids grow up with their parents singing children's songs to them...not me. My dad always sang songs like "Witch Doctor", "Boppa-oomow-ma-mow", "Purple people eater". Now my kids always ask me to sing them the "Witch Doctor" song.

Smart girl

2008-12-05T10:30:00.001-08:00

Today I was helping Gloria make her bed. A small green Lite Brite peg fell out of her bed. I asked her why that was in her bed. She said, "I was trying to trick the tooth fairy."

Random pictures

2008-12-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

She takes after her Grandma in Missouri.

I took this in Ohio on Lake Erie. I thought it was a cool picture.

My in-laws are so great. My mother in law lost 99 lbs so far. I am so proud of her.

What can I say??? Getting pretty is not as easy as it used to be.

Ultimate hero worship.

Great pictures of my adorable daughter.

2008-12-01T16:34:00.001-08:00

Leaving for Ohio

2008-11-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we leave for Ohio. James never gets black friday off, but this year he has a wedding to go to so he was lucky enough to get the holiday off. I am definitely going to see Twilight on Thursday. We are bringing a friend of ours and Megan's with us. Her name is Monica. She is pictured below with my cat. Anyway, I can't wait to see family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

By the way, this Thanksgiving I am thankful for answered prayers. It is amazing how things work out when we put our faith in Heavenly Father.

First snow day

2008-11-21T05:03:00.001-08:00

You probably can't tell, but I'm juggling snowballs.

How I make whole wheat bread.

2008-11-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

After popular request, here is how I make whole wheat bread. But first let me say that it has taken me a while to master it. So, if it doesn't turn out great the first time, keep trying.

Ingredients:

1 1/8 cups warm water (110 degrees)
1/4 cup honey
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 to 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons oil

(This makes one small loaf. I have been doubling it. I have a PC stone loaf pan. When I double it it fills the pan and rises up over it to make a perfect loaf.)

In my mixer, I put the water, honey and salt. I stir the honey around a little to get it to dissolve. Then I sprinkle the yeast onto the mixture. I let it sit for about 2 minutes. Then I start my mixer and add the wheat. I put in 3 cups of flour and the oil. I always end up adding flour so that it isn't so sticky.

This is where I simplify the whole bread making process. I set my oven to warm. I spray some oil in my loaf pan. I dump the dough in my loaf pan, cover it with a cloth and put it in the oven to rise for an hour. (I don't keep my oven on the whole time, but if it feels like it is cooling down too much I'll turn it back to warm.) After an hour, I preheat the oven to 350 degrees with my bread dough in the oven. If I have NOT double the recipe I bake it for 12 minutes after the oven has heated up. If I have a double batch in one loaf pan it takes about 20 minutes. Don't forget to take the cloth off your dough before you preheat your oven.

So there it is. Even my mom is amazed that the bread turns out so well. It is really so easy after you get the hang of it.

Let me know if you try it and it works for you.

Kids and chores.

2008-11-18T08:10:00.001-08:00

One of the kids' chores is to make their bed. I was so impressed with their work. I have to admit that I didn't start making my bed until about 2 years ago.

My silly cat

2008-11-18T07:59:00.001-08:00

As a mom, I expect my kids to drink out of my water. In fact, it seems that every time I get a nice cold glass of water for myself, they inevitably want to drink it all. But the last thing I want is to share my water with my cat. However, she doesn't mind sharing with me.

She loves boxes...

and baskets.

My brother, the vampire.

2008-11-17T14:14:00.000-08:00

My sister in law, Krista, isn't a fan of Twilight. Well, she thinks its a good story, but doesn't understand the hype. But she, herself, is secretly married to a vampire. My brother has been a vampire since an early age. I guess she's the lucky one, right.

Homemade Bread

2008-11-17T04:21:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been making a lot of whole wheat bread. I've actually been making a loaf a day. I have finally perfected it so that it is just right. My mom convinced me that it's a waste to only make one loaf of bread. She said that its a lot of work and I should making more at a time. So now I'm making four. That just means that we eat one loaf straight out of the oven and have three left. It is so good.

But I told her it really wasn't that much work to make a loaf of bread. All I do is mix the ingredients. Put the dough in my stone loaf pan and let it rise in a warm oven for about an hour. Then I preheat the oven with my dough in it. After the oven is warm I let it cook for about 12 minutes. She was amazed because "that's not the way you make bread. You have to let it rise, then knead it, then shape it into loaves, then let it rise again, then bake it for 30 minutes or more." Well, that is a lot of work. She wondered where I learned to do it the wrong way. I really don't know. But here's the thing. My bread is perfect without doing all that work. She tried it for herself and agrees.

So I'm here to tell the world...You don't need to go through all that work to make bread. It's actually rather easy and just as yummy my way.

Who said cats don't like water?

2008-11-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

Snow before Halloween?!?

2008-10-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

That's right! We woke up this morning to snow on the ground. Actually, it didn't stick to the ground, so we wouldn't have known it except that it stuck to the deck. Blah!

Field Trip

2008-10-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Last week, the kids had a field trip. I always grumble that James has to work on Saturdays, but it was nice that he was able to go to the field trip.

We got to go on a wagon ride.

The kids got to pick their own little pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. Later, when the field trip was over and most of the kids had gone home, we walked past the pumpkin patch to get to the corn maze. Instead of watching more little pumpkins majically growing for the next group, we saw a few workers emptying a big box filled with little pumpkins. Replenishing the pumpkin patch.

Then they got to go down this huge slide. I was surprised Glori went down it, but she did and loved it.

This is Cam with Dylan, one of his best buds.

And, of course, Gloria, with one of her rare moments of willingness to let me snap a picture.

No room for me?

2008-10-18T11:59:00.001-07:00

So, the other night, after putting the kids to bed, I go downstairs to get in position next to James to watch TV. But what do I find? Not 1, not 2, but all 3 animals curled up next to him or on top of him. He is very snuggly.

A visit from Kim

2008-10-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

Last week (well, maybe 2 weeks ago)my cousin, Kim came for a visit. She is the one who gave us Marley. Marley definitely remembered her.

It is autumn and what is autumn without jumping in a pile of leaves. The kids had so much fun and we didn't even have that many leaves. This time of year, I become a little depressed at the thought of cold, but with all the trees here in NY it is so colorful. I can't help but be grateful for the beauty of the earth.

Reading, reading and more reading

2008-10-13T05:50:00.000-07:00

I have totally been slacking in the blogging department. I know, but for some reason, downloading pictures from my camera is not my favorite thing to do. I keep putting it off like the laundry. But I have pictures from a recent field trip that I promise to get around to.

So what have a been doing. Well, I've turned into an avid reader. I finished Wuthering Heights last week. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Yes, it was dark, but very interesting insight into why people are the way they are. But the book I just finished was a wonderful story. It's called Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale.

I loved the heroine of this story. She is so faithful and selfless. She believes in herself and the power of prayer. And she makes things happen instead of waiting for things to happen. And of course, it ends happily every after...my favorite kind of ending. It is a great story. You should read it.

Cute videos

2008-09-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Cam hit almost every ball daddy threw at him. This particular hit really impressed the guy walking down the street.

This little girl has the prettiest smile, but she refuses to show it on film.

Birthday Time

2008-09-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

A Princess cake for the princess.

Spiderman Cake for the boy.

1st day of Pre-K

2008-09-08T16:05:00.001-07:00

Aren't they cute?

Gloria got started playing right away, while Cameron was a little more apprehensive.

Gloria even made a friend.

At the end of their class, they were able to spend some time on the playground.

Day 7 in Missouri - later in the day

2008-08-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Day 7 in Missouri

2008-08-29T13:57:00.000-07:00

I am so mad that I didn't take my camera. We went to an Amish auction in the morning. It was so fun. We came home with a car full of tomatoes, yellow squash, onions, cucumbers, and 1 canteloupe. Bidding was very exciting. The auctioneers talk so fast. It's like they're singing. At one point I put my hand on my face to brush some hair away. It turns out I had bidded for 10 boxes of butternut squash. Luckily, I was outbidded. It was so neat seeing rows of Amish horse and buggies. Grrrr, why didn't I take my camera????

Day 6 in Missouri

2008-08-29T13:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we spent the morning riding horses.

We rode through this wooded area and up a hill. Then we tied up the horses and had a picnic.

At this point, I saw some teeny tiny little bugs crawling on Cam. There were a ton of them.

We had to take his pants and one shoe and sock off because they were embedded in his clothes. It turns out they were little micro ticks. They were the size of half a freckle. I'm not even exaggerating.

He had to ride home with no pants.

When we got home, I threw them into the bathtub. Afterwards we pulled handfuls of off of them. It was hard to distinguish between ticks and moles.

Day 5 in Missouri

2008-08-28T06:11:00.001-07:00

Cam and Grandma mowed the pasture for hours. I love this picture. You can see my mom's dog, "Girl", riding with them.

This one's for you, honey. I miss you. See you soon.

Lost Blogs

2008-08-28T06:01:00.000-07:00

I was messing around with my layout and lost some blogs. If you're blog isn't listed on the right anymore, please let me know so I can put it back.

Day 4 in Missouri

2008-08-27T07:54:00.001-07:00

Today we did much of the same. Here is the cute little Post Office here in Jameson. The population is 120 although I don't think that's accurate. I've never seen more than a handful of people here.

This is the "pop store". It is the biggest money maker here in Jameson.

This is the main drag. Only 1 building is occupied. I'm not sure if you can tell, but the road is gravel.

This would be James' biggest competitor. When I asked Jim Duly how many tires he replaces a year he smiled and, after doing a little math on his fingers, said "well, none".

We did go and play on the sand in the Grand river (which isn't so grand right now).

Day 3 in Missouri

2008-08-26T06:03:00.001-07:00

Grandma has a little apple tree at the side of her house. We like to pick the apples and feed them to the horses.

Glori loves animals. I think Dolly is her favorite of Grandma's horses.

Glori worked really hard helping Grandma plant flowers and fix the garden.

Glori is giving Joy more loves. We also fed them corn husks and cobs.

Grandma just jumped on Honey to bring her across the street.

Cam earned a quarter carrying the branches to the tractor.

Then he dug a hole and buried some apple seeds.

They enjoyed running through the water hose. After Glori jumped in the water trough and had a ball.

This is my horse, Blue. Her name is actually Blue-eyed Joy because she has blue eyes. She is only two years old. This is why I look so huge. It is because she is so small. Either that or I really am that puggy. This was my first bare-back ride and on a 2 year old, I was scared to death. I'll definitely take a saddle over that.

Day 2 in Missouri

2008-08-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of the back of my mom's house.

Grandma wanted to put up a tree swing. We couldn't figure out the right knot, so Mr. Worley came over and helped. The kids enjoyed putting it up. Glori even went up the ladder. Don't worry daddy, she was completely safe.

This is Cam's favorite part of Missouri. He loves the tractor. Glori isn't so fond of its noisiness. But we all got on it in and rode through town to the "pop store", i.e. vending machine, to buy water. They don't put water in it anymore, so we had to get a lemonade. Now the kids are hooked.

We rode horses in the evening, but didn't get pictures. We'll have to get pictures tomorrow.

Day 1 in Missouri

2008-08-24T06:57:00.000-07:00

Yummy, tomato sandwiches for breakfast.

Gloria is in training to run The Health Store.

Fun at the park.

Our stop in Ohio

2008-08-23T06:25:00.001-07:00

We stopped in Ohio for the night before the long stretch. We went to the beach (Lake Erie) near their house with Grandpa Ho-Ho (Horner).

Megan

2008-08-23T06:19:00.000-07:00

I finally took pictures of Megan. Isn't she cute in her new hat.

I DID IT!!!!

2008-08-23T06:17:00.000-07:00

I arrived safely in Missouri yesterday. I live about 45 miles west of Palmyra and my mom lives less than a mile from Adom-Ondi-Ahman. I feel like a Pioneer. Granted I drove in my air conditioned car and ate fast food on the way. But I did it. Let the fun begin.

On the road again.

2008-08-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

I'm leaving in the morning to take Megan back to Ohio. We have had a fun 10 days with her. Then I will be driving to Missouri to spend a week with my mom. We are all very excited, although I am a little apprehensive about the 12 hour drive by myself and the kids. I plan on leaving really early on Friday morning while the kids are still asleep. I wish I was a coffee drinker. Oh well.

New entries.

2008-08-15T09:45:00.001-07:00

I've updated my blog with 3 new entries. Enjoy.

Strong Museum

2008-08-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

I've blogged about this place before. It is so much fun. I wish I could put all my pictures up. Here are just a few. The kids love to shop at the grocery store. They get to pick 5 items and then go through the check out. They even get to be the checker.

The Clifford exhibit was a lot of fun too. I could hardly get any pictures of Gloria because she just runs from one thing to another. I would say she enjoys the museum more than Cam.

Cleveland Zoo

2008-08-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

While I was at girl's camp. James took the kids to Ohio. They had a fun day at the zoo with Chris.

"Are you looking at me?"

Soccer

2008-08-15T08:43:00.000-07:00

Soccer season is over. James proudly touts that Cam scored 65 out of the 69 goals this season. Here are some action pictures.

Miniature Golfing

2008-08-15T08:04:00.000-07:00

We went miniature golfing (or putt-putt if you're from Ohio) before girl's camp, but I never got around to uploading the pictures. It was a lot of fun. We also rode the go-karts. Cam and I beat everyone on the track. James and Gloria got bumped and she was very scared. She didn't like it.

Back from girl's camp.

2008-08-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I survived girl's camp. I'm home and without a family. James took the kids to Ohio, so I'm all alone. It's weird. I'll blog later, I'm exhausted.

Happy Birthday James!

2008-08-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Today is James' birthday. Of course, we had church and then he had a Presidency meeting. But we should see him for a little while. Our air conditioner died so I'm not baking a cake. I bought those microwaveable Betty Crocker Molten Skillet Brownies. Yum. Tomorrow I leave for girl's camp. He will have the kids all to himself. I think he is excited. I am terrified.

Grrrrrrrrr

2008-07-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

This is Cocoa's favorite game. Until now we have had to play with her. Now it's Marley's job.

Family Fun

2008-07-25T17:06:00.001-07:00

We had the best water fight ever.

Bath Time

2008-07-25T17:04:00.001-07:00

My kids -- 2 legged and 4 legged.

2008-07-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Cameron snuggling Cocoa.

Gloria snuggling Marley.

Both snuggling Marley.

And...

James reading them all a bedtime story.

Except for Marley.

He's not allowed on the bed.

Well...

Gloria

2008-07-25T16:33:00.001-07:00

Here are the much anticipated picture of my darling daughter.

She loves dressing up. Sometimes is it just a glove and a sock...

...sometimes, she's all duded up in her swim gear (over her clothes).

She has quite the imagination. She can entertain herself for an hour.

Marley

2008-07-18T05:42:00.001-07:00

He's big. He's playful. He's big. He's loveable. He's big. He's Marley.

My cousin had to find a new home for him. James has been wanting another lab since Moose died 4 years ago. I said I didn't want another puppy. So, he's perfect for us, right? He's already potty trained. He's past the chewing phase. He rode on the plane from Utah. Well, after we all get adjusted I'm sure he'll be fine. I forgot how much work a new dog is. He wakes up at the crack of dawn wanting to play. He wants to play when we're ready to veg for the night. He slobbers all over the floor after he gets water. AND James seems to be allergic to him.

Final Ride

2008-07-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

If you haven't seen this before, it is very cool. My grandpa was carried to the cemetery in this.

I'm back

2008-07-14T06:43:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been gone FOREVER. I haven't slept in my bed in 12 nights. The longest stretch in one bed in those 11 nights was in Delta for 3 nights. It has been a long time away from home and James. But the kids are such troopers and we had such a good time under the circumstances. We also have a new family member now. He's a 92 lb, 1 year old, yellow lab. Cocoa doesn't like him yet. I'll post pictures later. I figure I have to go through my mail, pay my bills, get groceries and do laundry before I can justify blogging. It shouldn't take too long, haha.

My grandpa -- Carl Probert

2008-07-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

My grandpa died on July 2, 2008 after fighting for a year with that dreaded cancer.

The night before he died, my mom flew in and sat by his bedside. She talked to him through the night. She said, "Come on, daddy, let's take a ride up the mountain. Get on ole Trigger. Don't worry, he can take you. [Trigger is about as old as I am.] I'll take the lead this time, daddy." She talked him through the trip. The next day he died. They called to tell a dear cousin, Donny. Donny had gone to check on the horses that day and found one dead. Not Trigger, but ole Gus. Donny said, "All my life Uncle Carl has let me borrow one of his horses. Maybe this time he needed to borrow one of mine." Grandpa took Gus up on the mountain, then Gus took him right up into heaven.

I have been blessed with wonderful men in my life. Grandpa was one of the best. I'll miss you Gramps.

Olympic swimmer

2008-06-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, so the other day I was telling my dad how Cameron copies any sport he sees on TV. He copies the basketball players, football players, gymnists, even the ice skaters. Well, last night was the swimming trials for the Olympics.

I know, I know. I don't get nearly enough videos of Gloria. She is equally adorable, but goes from thing to thing so quickly I often miss it by the time I get the recorder. She loves to organize and pile things. Playing babies is her most favorite. She is also a little camera shy. But tonight I am going to try to get her cheering at Cam's soccer game.

Soccer game

2008-06-26T06:41:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Cam had his first soccer game. They only played 3 on 3 with no goalies, and 4 four minute quarters. Cam has been so excited for this. He was worried that everyone would laugh at him if he didn't make it in the goal. In the past he has been too shy to even play.

So, imagine James and I on the sideline watching our son get the first goal. It was so exciting. Then he scored again. Luckily, I was in the right frame of mind to get my recorder going. Then he scored another and another. I looked at James and swore there was a tear in his eye.

I had to leave early, but James called with the outcome. Of course, they don't officially keep score so there are no winners or losers. But James was keeping track. The score was 9-2. And can you guess who scored all 9 of our points? That's right. Our little Cam. With Glori cheering him on all the way. She is the best cheerleader. They finally took Cam out so the other kids could have a chance to get the ball.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-06-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

These are not your ordinary chocolate chip cookies. They are soft and fluffy. Absolutely irresistible.

1 C shortening
1 3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla

Cream together
Add:
1 C milk

Mix until smooth

Combine then add to creamed mixture:
4 1/2 C flour
2 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 t salt

Add:

Chocolate Chips

Bake: 375 for 11 min. Makes 4 dozen.

"Yummy...mmm, yummy" was all my kids could say. But then Glori said something that made me glad I'd let them lick the bowl. She said, "You're the best mommy ever."

Pacabel Canon in D Rant

2008-06-25T06:22:00.000-07:00

If you're a music geek like me you'll appreciate this. I personally love Pacabel's Canon.

(Jen, I hope you don't mind me stealing this from your blog.)

Gary and Becky -- June 7, 2008

2008-06-21T15:04:00.000-07:00

These are the some of the pictures from my dad and Becky's wedding. It was very lovely and I'm glad I was able to be there.

Soccer kid

2008-06-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

Cameron starts soccer next week, so we got his uniform and he puts it on every chance he gets.

She takes after me.

2008-06-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

Glori is so cute when she jumps and she love it so much, just like her mom.

Shameless...

2008-06-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

I know I shouldn't show off like this, but I can't help it. I have always wanted to be able to do a back flip. When I was 30 I decided that I'd lived a decent enough life that if anything happened to me in the attempt to do one, I'd be okay with that. So I did it. Now I love doing back flips. I put the kids to bed and go jump all by myself.

The Host

2008-06-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

This post is for all my Twilight buddies out there. I just finished The Host. It is a must read! It takes a little getting used to, but it is definitely worth it. Try it and if you live near me, you can borrow mine.

College buddy.

2008-06-14T18:31:00.001-07:00

This is Jen, my best friend from college. Cam was our camera man. We are cracking up because he kept lowering the camera and getting pictures of our boobs. (I decided not to put those on the blog.)

Our kids: Gloria, Jericho, Solomon, Cam.

Pics of my family.

2008-06-14T18:12:00.001-07:00

I love my Boise family. I never really saw them very much growing up. Basically just once a year. But I am bonded to them. I love them deeply. Here are some of their pictures. I wish I would've taken more. There are so many that I didn't get pictures of.

My cousin Kathi

This is my aunt Martha. She has dimensia. I was sad that she didn't know me, but I'm glad I got to see her. She was a dancing fool at the reception.

My cousin Dave. He and his wonderful wife housed us for the week.

My cousin Debbie and her daughter Briana (my cousin once removed).

The kids with Mac (Debbie's husband). Cam asked me if we could keep him.

My cousin Steve. He's a hoot.

Steve's daughter Kaitlyn. She loves me because she though I was Belle in my dress.

Steve and Diane, and girls: Jenna, Kaitlyn and Emily.

My dad's new dog. He's learned how to compromise. He didn't want a dog. Becky did. He got a dog.

Wedding pics

2008-06-14T18:07:00.001-07:00

I am so happy for my dad. Becky is great and she makes him happy.

More pics of Boise

2008-06-14T17:58:00.001-07:00

My athlete.

My princess.

Cousins, Kaden and Morgan

Turner great-grandchildren

My nephew, baby Andrew.

We're Back!!!

2008-06-12T17:10:00.001-07:00

We just returned from a great vacation in Boise. Luckily, we had no problems with flights. It was so good to see my family. I will post pictures as I have more time. But many of you know the saga of the dress. I am proud to say that I was able to fit comfortably in the dress. This is my dad and my brother. Handsome, aren't they?

Chris graduates

2008-06-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Ohio to go to Chris' graduation. We had a little get together for him. Cam absolutely adores his big brother.

Chris was obviously so excited to graduate.

Again, his enthusiasm was almost too much!

Poor Cocoa had to share her kennel with Megan. (I'm going to get in so much trouble for this one.)

Strong Museum

2008-05-29T04:54:00.001-07:00

We have this great museum here in Rochester called the Strong National Museum of Play. It has the most amazing exhibits. It would literally take all day and then some to see all that they have in there. Luckily, we have a membership, so we can go for a couple hours at a time. They have a new permanent Berenstein Bears Exhibit. Everything is just their size and they can play for hours. It is exhausting!!!

2008-05-28T05:14:00.000-07:00

Still, nothing too exciting going on here. The garage sale was a success, although I still have some big things that I'd like to get rid of. And my obsession with Twilight is still ongoing. I finished the series and then found myself starting over. I just finished New Moon for the second time. I need to read and finish Eclipse before I go to Boise next week. Then I think I'll be okay until August when the 4th book comes out.

It's going to be crazy for us for a little while. We are leaving for Ohio on Friday. Chris graduates on Sunday. We will come home on Monday morning. I will have to be laundering and packing like crazy. We then leave for Boise on Tuesday. My dad is getting married on Saturday the 7th. I'm very excited to see my family there. It has been a long time.

2008-05-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you might be wondering why I haven't posted anything lately. Well, I have only one answer and you probably won't like it. But, some of you will understand. I began reading Twilight and have been hooked. Those of you that have read it might understand. I will add something soon. I'm having a garage sale this weekend, so when that is over I'll have more time.

Cute pictures that didn't make the cut.

2008-05-12T06:46:00.000-07:00

My little gardeners

2008-05-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

The other day, the kids were went straight from biking to gardening. They were so enthusiastic about getting the dandelion out of our yard. In the meantime, Cam found a worm that he was...well, trying to smash.

Anyway, they decided that they were going to do something special for me for Mother's Day. So, they were digging and watering and moving dirt around. When I came out to see if they were doing okay they were in the middle planting a dandelion that they had picked elsewhere in the yard. They were disappointed that the dandelion were limp. But I thought they were beautiful. I love being a mother.

The Water Fight

2008-05-09T05:49:00.000-07:00

Daddy...going after the kids...

The kids preparing for war...

The kids going after Daddy.

The move is on....

2008-04-30T05:52:00.001-07:00

So, we have finally moved. I have unpacked most of the boxes and it finally feels like a home. However, in a few short days we have had a leak under the sink and huge carpenter ants. But all in all we are happy with our choice.

Zoo animals

2008-04-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

We love going to the zoo. The Polar bear here in Rochester is such a flirt. He love to swim right near the kids. The wallaby (looks like a kangaroo) had a baby in her pouch. You can't see it in the picture, but for a moment the baby stuck its head out. It was so neat.

Swimming lessons

2008-04-23T08:08:00.001-07:00

The kids are in swimming lessons. We started them off in a parents and tots swim program, but they quickly graduated. So we went and bought them their own bubbles. They were so excited to get to swim lessons. So they got dressed in their swim suits, had their bubbles in hand and off we went. Well, since the swim lessons are at a school....and it was spring break...well, you can imagine the disappointment. So the next week they were even more excited. They got dressed in their swim suits, had their bubbles in hand and and off we went. Well, apparently, that school was off for a week and a day, so we came home downtrodden. But Gloria wanted to wear her swim bubble, so we put her in the bath with her swim bubble. She stayed in there for a good 20 minutes.

Meg and I

2008-04-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Megan decided to start her own blog. Check it out by clicking on Megan Horner on the right. Take the poll and tell me if you think we look alike.

Gloria dancing

2008-04-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Gloria has been in a community dance class for 4 weeks. I think she enjoys it, but she is really excited to start gymnastics. I recorded her last dance class. You'll see that she is not the kind of girl that worries about looking like everyone else. She didn't want to wear her pink leotard and refused to wear tights. I didn't want to make a big deal of it, so I didn't make her.

New bikes and ice cream

2008-04-17T18:17:00.000-07:00

Scootering is now taking a back seat to riding bikes. Gloria got a princess bike and Cameron got a Spiderman bike. They love them. Cameron has told me that he thinks he is good enough to take the training wheels off...after 1 day. Right!

Since Cameron helped Daddy put Gloria's bike together last night, we kept losing a pedal during our rides today. She would pedal about 20 times before her left pedal would fall off. It was very aggravating. We have a circle we like to go around here that is 1/3 of a mile. I swear I screwed that pedal on 15 times today. And the kids could only go about 10 feet before their momentum would was gone. So every 10 feet they would need a push. Between pushing one, putting the pedal back on, pushing the other, and pulling the dog (she has to smell where all the other dogs you know what), I am exhausted.

So about this pedal...our maintenance man was out today. He is a very nice young man. The kids know him because he has had to fix some things in our apartment. Gloria, who is not too shy to talk to anyone...anywhere, asked him in her sweet voice (with a little prodding from mommy) to fix her pedal. He couldn't resist her. So he tightened it and the pedal is fine now.

After daddy got home, we took the kids across the street to Lugia's. Now, here in New York, there is no such thing as a small ice cream cone. We got the kid's a baby cone. It is huge. But it was 78 degrees today and they needed it. Gloria had totally finished hers and changed her clothes before Cam was even done with the ice cream on top. She takes after me.

My bed

2008-04-17T18:15:00.001-07:00

Every day I make my bed, and every day I can't figure out who messes it up. Sometimes it is completely unmade again.

My competitive son

2008-04-16T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, during yet another day of scootering, I witnessed the difference between 2 youngsters having fun. Cameron had decided to race our young friend Kaitlyn around our building. He was to go one direction and she was to go the opposite direction. He thought that whoever got back to the corner first was the fastest (I guess the fact that they would have met in the middle didn't cross his 4 year old mind). So Kaitlyn's mom, Donna, and I watched this scene over and over. Cam would start off going as fast as his scooter could take him, all the way around the building. While Kaitlyn would go halfway down one side of the building, turn around and wait for Cameron at the corner. Cameron couldn't believe that she was faster than him. So, he continued trying to beat her. I hurried into my apartment and got my Flip video and recorded the last race. Here it is....