Merry Ice Day

I love thunderstorms.

I love thunderstorms especially in the unexpected season of winter.

I love falling asleep to the lightning and thunder.

I love the pretty ice storm it leaves when the rain freezes in the middle of the night.

Until Steve is leaving for work and finds his car CAKED, COVERED, SMOTHERED in ice so that he can't even get INTO his car, and it's so solid thick that the ice scraper does NOTHING on the windshield.

Fabulous.  His will be the Honda Odyssey in the parking lot today.  Mine will be the 4 door sedan, with 2 car seats, and a booster.  I may call it a stay-at-home day.

The boys' best scare on Daddy!

How high would you jump if you came for socks 

and found this instead?

Looking for Tropical Volunteers

Anyone willing to go here for me?

I'm running dangerously low on my supply of pure Mexican Vanilla that we stocked up on 6 years ago.  You'd think in 6 years I would have found the time to go back, but it hasn't come.

So, please, if anyone is willing to go to the Mexican Tropics and back,

Please, pick up some vanilla for me.

50% off at All Aboard Diner

Sometimes a screamin' deal is worth screamin about.

Everyone with boys in the house say "I''. 
Everyone with boys in the house that like trains say "I I"
Everyone with boys in the house who are looking for anyway type of entertainment or easy dinner that also makes them feel super special say...well, you get the idea.

I don't know if you've been to All Aboard Diner, but it's really good and really fun.

(not to be mistaken with Choo Choo Johnnys which was t.r.a.s.h in my opinion).

Anyway, they have a deal today only that you can spend $12 and get $25 certificate.  So, cut to the chase, that's half the cost.  

Cool, I say.

Remember When?...Blizzard of 2011

Oh, hello grass!  I remember you.  Nice to see you again. 

But remember when...:

...our front door was snowed shut

...and we had 2 1/2  - 4 feet of snow drifts in our driveway

...and it took 5 hours, 5 adults, 3 shovels, and 2 snowblowers --and one little helper -- to clear off the driveway

...and we had our fairshare of "Randy moments" when we couldn't put our arms down and couldn't get up from falling.  (Go ahead and comment on her garden gnome outfit -- hey, the child needed full coverage!)

...But we made the best out of the feet of snow by making mazes to play in

...and tunnels to crawl through.

Yeah, those were good times.

But grass, welcome back.

Feel free to stay a while.

Happy Valentines Day!

From our Love Bugs

We made 24 of these cute little love bugs for Carter to give to his preschool class

The whole clan with the Valentine in charge of artisitc design

This one became an instant family favorite, and STILL keeps us in hysterics!

And I made this Eat Your Heart Out treat and was so pleasantly surprised it actually worked!

For the recipe, click here.  I followed the recipe exactly, and it worked.A big thanks to Brandi who gave me this idea on her blog a year or two ago.  (get back to blogging Brandi -- I miss you!)


Ta-da!

Birthday Post Take Four -- The Finale

For those reading this story for the first time, the whole birthday story is posted in reverse order.  As you scroll down, you'll get the complete story.  Or, to go in order --which I prefer --click here.

After 3 posts encompassing my birthday of a lifetime, it's time (and I think you will agree) to wrap it all up and move on to other things (like posting pics of the blizzard, or --heaven forbid --the Christmas pics I never got around too *sigh*).  So, here goes:

9:00 AM:  We woke up to this:  breakfast brought to our cottage where we could sit by our roaring fireplace dining together.  The most delicious breakfast I'd EVER had:  A Brown-sugared broiled grapefruit, eggs florantine, and a Apple Caramel muffin, and fresh squeezed (literally, not like Minute Maid's claim) OJ.  And Hot Chocolate -- a change to the normal menu since they learned we didn't drink coffee.

11:00 AM  Next up: Steve surprised me with the present of the morning: an incredible hot stone couples massage scheduled at the Inn.  After the hot stone massage I got last year at my birthday, I swore I'd never go back to regular...and Steve remembered.  And this being his first hot stone massage, he's now right there with me.

12:30  Shake off those relaxed muscles and jello legs for some real action:  SNOW SHOEING!!! (Something tells me we did the snow shoeing and the massage in the wrong order)  This is such a fun fun sport!  If everyone wants to come with us one day and relive it all over again, we found a place "nearby" that rents the shoes for $11.  Open invite.  So fun!  (but let's wait until we reach positive temperatures again!)

 

I love this man.

4:00: Hit the city of Galena for all the cool eclectic boutique shops.  Fall in love with a pair of shoes, well, sounds like you've heard this story already (prev post).  And for some strange urge, we really wanted to climb these city stairs. 190 stairs going up.

 

And the same amount going down:

 Steve took the easy way out.

At the bottom, we confessed we are not ready to climb the ruins of Tikal, Machu Picchu, or Chichen itza.  That trip will have to wait.  

6:30: On the road home, knowing our kids will be awake and waiting for us back home, we enjoy the remaining hours we have just by ourselves.  

Somehow we feel reconnected, more united, like a real team that now knows how to put first things first, and who to put first.  Steve and I realized that we are "go out" kind of people.  We become different people when we can shake out of the routine.  We both value experiences more than things.  You may never see me in a $100 pair of jeans, but you'll see the glow that I carry after a getaway like this.  

We treasure these times where we can reconnect.  It makes me tempted to have another birthday sooner than later.  Anyone know how to do that?  Well, I suppose anniversaries and celebrating his birthday will have to count....which reminds me, I have a great idea for his birthday that kept me up all night.  I have 6 months to plan.  I better get started.

And thus, the birthday posts come to an end.  Thanks for sticking through to the end.  Even the skimmers.  Even those who just came for the pictures.  It's a fun story to tell, and one worth remembering.

Birthday Post Take Three -- The Miracle

Sometimes things are better left unborrowed.

Like a car, for example.

You think borrowing a four wheel drive SUV from your mom would be a good idea considering the snowy "mountainous" terrain.

It's a good idea, until you slide off the road anyways, 

and wind up like this:

Stuck in trees:

 

that need to be chainsawed down in order to get the car out. 

Yes, at that moment we wished we'd done this to our own car.

This happened on our way back to our cottage from the restaurant.  It looks bad, and it should have been, but our testimonies have been strengthened that the power of God protected us.  The folks that came to rescue us agreed that it was miraculous that:

1. We didn't slide off the side of the steep bluff -- which laws of physics and sliding on icy roads would have otherwise made us do.
2. We didn't hit the thousands of huge oak trees lining the path of the road.
3. Our car found the only 7 foot clearing of big trees to nestle into for a soft landing in a pile of snow.

Sure, we hit a small skinny tree with a trunk about 8 inches wide.  It was butted up right against Steve's door, so we had to climb out precariously from my side of the car.  And we saw that the mirror was broken.  But what surprised us most was when we saw the car in the morning, after the Innkeeper and his friend got the car cleared out and towed back to our cottage.

No other major damage done.

Steve and I just stood there, amazed.  stunned.  and realized we had just been part of a miracle.

Birthday Post Take Two -- The Enchantment

to view "take one" click here or just scroll down to the next post.

On the Road Again

When all was said and done (meaning our cheeks were frozen and our boots were soaked) we decided to call it a day and end our snow hiking (uh, er -- trekking) for the day.  I was in birthday heaven, so did not mind if we went home right then (after all, I had more letters to read in the car).  But, you and I both know Steve, so driving over more roads like these to another surprise destination was exactly what he had in store:

Looks mountainous, doesn't it.  But remember, we're still in the Midwestern Plains.  This is what we refer to as Rolling Hills...despite the drastic slopes on both sides.

The Enchantment
After 30 minutes of more mysterious driving, we ultimately stopped here (could have been because it was the only building we saw for miles.  No, that couldn't have been it.  Steve actually had an unprecedented surprise up his sleeve.)  When it came into view, well...Wow.
Welcome to:  The Inn at Irish Hollow (click here for their website and more pictures).

If the snow hiking adventure could be topped, this is what did it.  The most amazing Bed & Breakfast I have ever seen.  Wow.  Classy.  Incredibly.  Decorated with the utmost taste.  Not a porcelain kitty, lacy doily, or skirted kitty cat to be found.  No, this place was so stately and beautiful, it made our home decor cry.  Upon check-in (again, they knew us by name), I found out that we weren't actually staying in the Inn..Oh no...he had something far better planned for me.  Steve had booked us our very own cottage!

That's it.  It's settled.  I'm living a dream.  Perhaps a fairy tale life.

This is our cottage:

 And we took LOTS of pictures,

so that we could remember this place forever!

To read the review I added to the Guest's Journal, click the picture below.   (I confess, this place was amazing and enchanted, so it made me write so romantically poetic.  I didn't know I had it in me.)

Fried Green Tomatoes--more than a movie title

Shortly after arriving at our cottage, we got all dolled up and went to the fanciest restaurant in Galena -- 9 miles away.  (Well, second fanciest...Steve knew I wouldn't be too keen on the other menu of veal, lobster, and roasted quail entrees...good job, Steve).  Fried Green Tomatoes -- That's the name of the restaurant.  And we actually ordered fried green tomatoes to eat and mmmmm, I want more right now.  Best real Italian food I'd had in a looong time!

See:  My spinach & garlic tortelloni with tomatoes, zucchini, and asparagus, all in a heavenly cream sauce.

(Note to self:  That's it.  I'm scratching my dinner plans and will attempt to reinvent a similar dish tonight.  Sorry cordon bleu, you'll have to wait.)...and will the rest of you, for the rest of the story...

Birthday Post Take One -- The Snowy Surprise

The birthday begins  

Breakfast -- Gourmet.  It takes "2 hours to make" with "all the kids help".

Translation:  Enjoy your morning and relax while you get ready.

I did.  I even had time to paint my toenails!

And so does the fun

I open some cards from family during breakfast.  Steve slides me the envelope.  The envelope that in years past has sent me on scavenger hunts and surprise adventures for me and me alone on my birthday.  The envelope that I am genuinely surprised to see, even though it's been in our lives longer than Alana.

And right when I'm about to open the envelope....

 ...The doorbell rings.  It's Grandma.  "Coming just to wish me a happy birthday"...

 

...or so she says, when Steve blurts out.  "Okay, Kerri, now it's time to go and PACK!"   

Surprise!

Pack?  Pack what?  Does any other woman out there relate to the anxiety of packing without knowing where you are going and for how long you'll be gone and just exactly what shoes you are going to need?  

 Oh don't worry.  Steve gave me a hint:  Pack warm.   

Gee, thanks.  Warm -- as in pack warm clothes for frozen tundra or pack cool clothes for warm tropics?  Flip Flops or Mukluks?  A girl's got to know these things.   

He knew that, too, so he came up to be my coach.

My surprise face (trust me, if it wasn't genuine, I wouldn't put it in the post because it's not the most attractive shot in my career...but hey, it captures a moment).  

 

I'm pretty sure the words "What?!?!" or "Are you serious" or "Are you kidding me" were coming out right about the time the flash went off.

And within 10 minutes we were out the door, driving to I-didn't-know-where for I-didn't know-how-long.  And it felt amazing.  Once I got comfy and we passed every known landmark I recognized, I realized we were in for a long haul.  The dirt roads surprised me.  The country roads I didn't know existed but our GPS did were a bit of a shock.  The several-hour trek through snow, highways, farmlands, and roads I'm-not-so-sure-were-legal passed by quickly with our dazzling conversations (just the two of us, and neither of us telling kids one more story or passing out crackers) and of course, my en route entertainment...bringing us back to the envelope.

The Envelope, please.

Inside, the envelope Steve told me about these:

Over 40 letters from dear friends and family wishing me a happy birthday, that  I was to open one letter per hour while we were gone.  So many of you wrote me the nicest, most genuine letters and I thank you sooo sincerely.  Your efforts, your words, and this gift alone made my birthday the most magical, memorable, and wonderful of all, for Steve -- and you -- gave me the greatest gift I could have asked for:  a healthy dose of self-confidence and love.  I am saving them all, and have already referred back to them when I'm down.  Thank you for helping me see myself in a new, more positive light.  You are dear dear friends.

Thank  you!

We're Here!

At last (I say that with an author's flare, since truly, I could have kept driving with Steve forever; we were having so much fun!) we "arrived".  "We're here!"  Steve announced, but all I saw was this:

But soon, I saw some of these frozen waterfalls, rivers, and breathtaking views:

 The Apple River Canyon State Park.  He pulled into the ranger station, and I couldn't help but panic a little, knowing we aren't the klondike camping type.  But when we walked in, they greeted us by name (I should have known they'd be expecting us), happy birthday wishes, oodles of "this-is-the-sweetest-thing-we've-heard-of"s and equipped us with trail maps.

Steve had planned an adventurous afternoon of SNOW HIKING (trekking, as the more experienced call it).  Oh, I see...pack warm.  Sorry flip flops, you'll have to sit out 'til next time.

Married.  Together.  And still having fun.

Back at the car, Steve opened the trunk and displayed my array of winter accessories to choose from -- 2 pairs of boots, winter socks, gloves, scarves, you name it -- and off we went into the frozen tundra together, the only souls to touch foot on the freshly fallen snow (making the trails hard to find, which only made for better laughs).

 

 

We spent the next 3 hours hiking in snow up to our knees.  It was Breathtaking -- 

• first because the untouched snow and views were beautiful...
• and second, and probably more influential was because it was a hard workout :)  
• Plus, Steve and I just could not stop talking and laughing with each other!!!

It felt like we were back in college dating each other!  Filling every moment with something else to talk about.  Not having a single lull in conversation.  A had that feeling that I was supposed to return back to an apartment full of giddy roommates waiting for an update on our date, but no -- I was actually MARRIED to this man and we were actually having THAT much fun!  Here's proof: 

The new, older version of me.

 Is it possible to age and not mature?

I may have entered a new decade, but I'm still just as fun!

Our Campsite

 Just kidding.  But this secret teepee was a fun find, and served as a perfect picnic site. 

 Can you believe he thought of EVERYTHING!

To be continued....
It's a proven fact...Steve once again, planned more incredible surprises for my birthday than I can hardly put into one post.  He's an amazing man to be married to (good thing polygamy is outlawed!), and I can't wait to tell you the rest!