Happy Valentine's Day!

Today is Valentine's Day.

I just wanted to write a little something I had read on Wikipedia. This was put on the calendar in 1969 by Pope Paul the VI. At first this day was just suppose to show the person that you love how much you love them.

Then all of a sudden Hallmark came along and started to put it all on the greeting cards. Then there was the clothes and the flowers and candy. Then came the kids exchanging the cards and candy at school.

I just can't believe how commercialized this has come over the years. Yes I had to buy the cards for my kids for school because I did not want them left out in school. They started to put all the things out for Valentine's and Christmas wasn't even over yet. This is really getting out of hand.

I have told Drew all I need is to be with him I don't need anything else. I did surprise him last Thursday there was a c.d. he wanted and I went out and bought it for him and I tied a balloon to it and I told him it was a early Valentine's for him. I did this because when I have a bad day at work he will surprise me with a rose laying on the bed. This was my way of showing him how much I love him.

I just want to wish everyone a Very Happy Valentine's Day!♥

Happy New Year!

I thought for this blog I would tell you what I have been doing this year.

This whole year has been so great for me. I have been with the best man. I know I have never told you my boyfriends name. His name is Drew. Drew is so sweet, kind, caring, handsome, knows how to make me laugh and just wants me to be happy. He is everything I could dream of in on man. We have been together for over a year and a half.

It has been a very busy year for me. This is what

I have been busy doing this past year.

My son came down for the Superbowl and he told me that his girlfriend was pregnant and I was going to be a Grandma. I was in shock that day. All I remember is calling for Drew to tell him what my son just told me.
 
Yes we did have the blizzard the beginning of the year. After the blizzard our car decided to go on us and we had to go looking for a new car.

For Easter we went up north to be with our families and friends. It was really nice to see them after the long winter. It was great to get away.

Then we had a lot of graduations. There was my daughter, Drew's daughter and my niece graduating from high school. Then Drew's son graduating from eighth grade.  This was a really busy time for us. This was the same time as Drew's birthday too. I had the graduations, the parties and Drew's birthday all at one time.

Then Drew had his vacation and we didn't really do a lot. We did go to Summerfest and we seen Styx. We did plan to go and see some other concerts but we didn't. During his vacation we did go to the beach to see bands there and we went for long walks in the woods around here. 

During the summer we did have my ex husband's seven year old daughter. We had her one time for a week and then on weekends. We took her to the pet store where she could pet animals, to the park by the lake, my daughter had her in the pool here and we went out to eat one day. But most of the time she followed Drew around. She also went with me to see Drew for lunch.

Then my niece that graduated got married. This was on the hottest day of the summer too. Then come to find out she was having the service outside. But the wedding was beautiful and it all turned out great. I was really happy for her.

I was getting everything ready for the kids for school again. My youngest daughter was starting college and his son was going into high school. My daughter is going to Gateway so I had to go with her to find out what classes she wanted to take and get his son's class schedule for high school. This was all during when I just started my new job too. It was hard getting all this together plus going school shopping for the things they needed for the first day.

Then next was the baby shower. I was going and buying some things for my first grandchild. We had to go up north for the baby shower. Drew's mom went with me and this was the first time she met my kids and the rest of my family. She also met my ex husband. This turned out really good.

Then my son called me and said the baby was coming and wanted me up north with him when the baby was born. I just happened to have this weekend off of work. We had my ex's youngest daughter with us for the weekend. I told my son I had to talk to Drew about it and my son kept calling and Drew gave in. So we went up there for when she was born. We missed a concert we planned on going to but it was worth seeing my granddaughter being born. She was a little stubborn one like her daddy too.

To tell you how sweet my man is he took me away for my birthday. Yes we did go up north by ourselves this time to get away from everything here. My daughter stayed here with the dog. It was so nice to just get away with no kids. We did spend time with both families and I did get to see my granddaughter again. It was just what we both needed time alone together.

Then for Thanksgiving we spent here. I could only get one Holiday off of work and I decided not to take Thanksgiving off. Drew's parents went out of state for the month and my family understood. I had to work and Drew made dinner. The dinner turned out great and this was the first time he had made a turkey.

So for Christmas I took the time off of work and we had a wonderful Christmas. This was our second Christmas together. It just seems like each year just gets better and better for us. This year on Christmas Eve morning my son, older daughter, granddaughter and the seven year old came in the morning. My younger daughter was here with us and Drew's son also. It was great. We opened gifts with them then they went to Illinois and we went up north by Drew's parents. We had Christmas Eve with his family. Then Christmas Day we went and did Christmas morning with my mom and younger sister then we went to my older sisters and had dinner there. Then we left there and came home. We got home just in time for the Packer game.

So for New Years it is going to be a nice and very quiet one for us. My daughter is up north and his son is spending it with his mom. I am going to enjoy every minute I can alone with the one and only man that I love in this world. Yes that is Drew. I could never ask for a better man I have the best man in the world right here with me. I have never been as happy as I am with him right now. This past year has been the best for me and I have been so happy being with Drew.

I am leaving you with a video that I thinks tells you how much I love Drew!♥

Merry Christmas!

Yes it is time for me to write about Christmas.

I think everyone has forgotten the true meaning of the Christmas Holiday. This is suppose to be about Baby Jesus born to Mary and Joseph in Bethlehem. He was wrapped in cloth and laid in a manger in a barn. They had visits from the animals, wisemen and angels. They brought Mary and Joseph gifts.

I remember growing up and going to church to celebrate Christmas about Jesus being born. This is the way I had raised my kids. Then all of a sudden I am listening to my nieces telling my sister what they want for Christmas. The things that they wanted was really expensive. I asked one of my nieces if they know the true meaning of Christmas. She said yes just to tell my mom what I want for Christmas and I will get what I want. I was really shocked what came out of her mouth. I heard the same thing from my boyfriends son saying what he wanted his grandparents to get him for Christmas. Then my youngest daughter told me he said he can get what ever he wants from his grandparents. I know he was never taught this from his dad. That is not what you would hear from my kids.

When I was living back in Illinois my kids and I would help out with a live nativity scene for church. The kids loved to do this with my parents. You should have seen my son and my dad just goofing around getting ready for it. I wish I would have taken pictures of them. My ex-husband would never take part in this with us.

I love going around looking at the Christmas decorations. I remember when I was younger my dad taking my sisters and I around looking at the decorations. My dad has been gone for about fifteen years and I miss him so much.  This was his favorite holiday and the one holiday I really like. There are times I get sad because I think of my dad.

When I was growing up my parents would have the family and friends coming over to visit during the week of Christmas and New Years. Some of them would call and ask if they could bring one of there friends and my parents would never say no. This is how I was raised you never say no to people and you share what ever food you have with people. There was also one Christmas my dad was laid off his job. That Christmas we really didn't get anything from our parents but we where happy with what we did get. My mom would make all her homemade cookies and give them out to family and friends. I took on this tradition with my mom.

 Now it is all about getting what you want not about being with your family and friends. I really miss seeing my family that I use to see when I was younger. Some of my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents have passed away.

I just wish some of the kids would just realize how it was for us when we were younger. The really should get the real reason for Christmas.

I also have fun putting up the Christmas tree and the decorations in the house. While I was married my ex-husband started a Christmas village for me and my family kept it going. I have about a fifty piece village to put under the tree. I haven't put it up in the last two years because we don't have the room for it.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and please be safe. I am leaving you with a Christmas song and video!♥

My Boyfriends Work Christmas Party!

Last month my boyfriend came home and showed me a piece of paper saying his work was having a Christmas party at his work. The Christmas party was this past Sunday.

On the piece of paper is said that there was going to be a lunch, tour of the place, presents for the kids, presents for the employees and Santa and Mrs. Claus would be there.

So I asked him if we could get my ex's seven year old to take her to see Santa. He said yes. We had to let his work know how many people would be coming. It was my boyfriend, my ex's seven year old, myself and my youngest daughter was suppose to go but she got sick.

We had to walk in the main door and sign in. When we signed in you got a name tag and a bell necklace. Then you walked through the design room with the cutouts of gingerbread men, candy canes and Santa's. Like you see in the picture above. Then you would come to a hallway if you go ahead it is the lunchroom, if you went to the left it is a door to the parking lot and if you go right it is to the work area by the machines.

We went to the right to see what was happening there. There was tables set up for the kids to get a book or a poster. This is like one of those places you can order kids books from school. I thought that was really nice. This was like the kids present from Santa.

Then after that we went and had something to eat and I was meeting a lot of the people that my boyfriend works with. It was really nice to put faces with names that I have heard so much about. My boyfriend would talk about the people when he would come home from work and I never met any of them until Sunday. Then I found out that one of the guys I work with his wife works with my boyfriend. What a small world.

Then when we were done eating everyone was going outside because Santa and Mrs. Claus were coming. It was neat they came by tractor and hay wagon. That is the picture you are seeing. The kids went  crazy watching them come in. When they came off the wagon they came up to all the kids and said hello and shook there hands. It really was something different for all of the kids. My ex's daughter really enjoyed this. Sometimes I don't know who enjoyed it more her or my boyfriend. So then all the kids followed them back in the building. The bell necklaces were for when Santa and Mrs. Claus came to ring the necklaces for them.

Santa and Mrs. Claus went into the the area by the books. This is were they would talk to each of the kids and find out what they all wanted for Christmas. Also each of the kids would get there picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus.

We took are own picture of her and Santa Claus so we would have our own picture.  It was cute watching all the kids sitting on Santa's lap. Some of the real small kids would cry if they went close to Santa and the parents had to sit there on the floor with them for the picture. We have one picture of one of the dads that had to do that. It was someone that my boyfriend worked on the same machine with.

Then after that we went walking around looking at all the different machines in the plant. My boyfriend was explaining what each machine did. I was really interesting. I have always went to take him to work and pick him up. I have been inside but upstairs in the office to help him figure out some stuff. But I never got to go inside and see the machines like this. Believe me when I say the machines are huge they are huge.

Then after we walked around Santa and Mrs. Claus left. It was time for the employees gifts to be handed out. The way the did it was like a door prize but everyone would get a gift. My boyfriends gift is a Smokey Joe Grill. That was good because are small grill is on its last leg. After everyone had a gift they had a big gas grill to give away so they put everyone's name back in the box and picked one name out. But we did not get that grill. We also were able to take a poinsettia plant home. So I let my ex's daughter pick out the one she would want us to take home.

I really enjoyed the day at his work and really enjoyed meeting the people he works with. When we were on are way I really didn't know what to expect. But it was so much better than what I was thinking. I know my ex's daughter really enjoyed herself and I know my boyfriend enjoyed himself there.

Then when we got home we put our Christmas Tree up and the decorations. That was a job in itself.

To end this post this is my boyfriends machine he works on everyday he goes to work. This is the front of the machine.

Free Christmas Music

by Crystal on December 1, 2011

Abiding Radio is offering a free livestream of sacred Christmas music. They also offer an instrumental, sacred, and kid’s livestreaming channel. (Thanks, Rachael!)

Classical Composer’s Monthly is offering many different free Christmas music links.

Don’t forget, Amazon.com has a number of different Christmas mp3 downloads available for free right now. Just look for the ones with FREE! listed as the price.

And you can also still download a free mp3 track from Merry Little Christmas. I liked this piece so well that I ended up buying the whole album off of iTunes with an iTunes gift card and it’s my current favorite Christmas album.

This post was obtained from www.moneysavingmom.com.
For similar posts, visit cjrlwebinteractive.blogspot.com. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes I am writing this early. I have to work tomorrow and on Thanksgiving Day. I just wanted to make sure that I posted this for everyone.

This has been a National Holiday since 1863 and it was proclaimed  by President Abraham Lincoln. This was during the Civil War.

The first Thanksgiving was to give thanks to God for guiding them safely to the new world. The Pilgrims and the Native Americans got together for a feast that lasted for three days. Sometimes I think that people forget what this Holiday is all about. It is about giving thanks for everything that we have. To celebrate our thanks with the people we love and to thank God for what we do have.

This is the day to be thankful for everything you have. I am so thankful for being with the most wonderful man in the world, our kids, my granddaughter, my boyfriends granddaughter, our families and friends.

Last year for Thanksgiving we went up north to spend it with my family and my boyfriends family. But this year I have to work on Thanksgiving so we can't make it. My family will be at my sisters house and my boyfriends parents are out of state this year. My two older kids will not be with us this year. It will be my boyfriend, my younger daughter, my boyfriends two kids and his granddaughter.

This is the first year I will not be spending the Holiday with my family. That is alright because I am with my boyfriend. He is the sweetest man and I love him with all of my heart. I will miss being with my family and his family. My older daughter has to work that is why she will not be able to make it. My son is going to be with his dad. I do understand why my older two kids will not make it.

Since I have to work my boyfriend has to get dinner started. This will be the first time he is making a turkey so I am getting some stuff started tomorrow for him. Then I will leave instructions for him what to do. He will be alright and I know it.

I hope everyone has a safe and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Veterans Day!

Yes I am late in writing this. I was meaning to get this done last night but I forgot about it with my work.

Yes we are all very lucky for all the men and women out there risking there lives for all of us. Trying to make it a safer place for all of us to live. I am very thankful for them.

I just wish that they would all come home to there families very soon. So none of there families have to worry about them anymore and they can see there children grow up.

I also feel bad for the families that have lost there husband's, wives, sons daughters and grandkids that have died overseas. When I hear about the people that come home and have been killed overseas I feel so bad for the families.

My dad was in the Army and he was in the Forgotten War called the Koren War.

I have a lot of family members and friends that were in the Military. There is my dad, my uncle, my boyfriends dad, my ex husband, my cousin is in the Coast Guards, a friend that is like a brother to me was in the Army and a lot of friends.

My dad use to drive a deuce half truck which is now called a cargo truck. He had a gas tanker on the back of it. He had to drive in the dark and try to miss the mines in the field. My dad would tell us kids about this a lot. I never did mine listening to my dad talk about it because I really enjoyed it. Learning about what my dad went through over there.

Then my uncle would tell us how it was for the Navy over there also. It was not easy for any of them.

I just want to say thank you to all of the men and women in the Military and sacrificing there lives to keep us safe!♥

The Holidays Right Around The Corner!

Yes I chose this picture for my kids. They love the Peanuts shows when they were little.

I can't believe it is this time of the year already. Thanksgiving just two weeks away. I am not ready for the Holidays yet.

I still have to do the shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Last year we went up north for the Thanksgiving. This year with me working we have to stay home because I can only get one Holiday off. So we are going to have are own Thanksgiving dinner at home this year. My older daughter has to work and my son may not be able to make it with my granddaughter. My boyfriends family will not be around either his parents are out of state and his sister is busy with her in-laws.

If I do have to work my boyfriend and my daughter are going to have to make sure that dinner gets done. I will have some of it done the day before so they will not have so much to do. I really like to make the homemade stuffing because it tastes a lot better then the stove top.

Then a month after Thanksgiving is Christmas. That means a lot of baking for me.

Between working and trying to make my Christmas Cookies and keeping the house clean it is going to be crazy for me this year. But it is always worth every minute to me to make my family happy. I did forget one more thing shopping for everyone's Christmas presents.

I will just have to take one day at a time to get this all done. Then when this is all done it is always worth it. Because I feel better when I am baking my Christmas Cookies. I have two taste testers for my cookies to make sure that they taste good that is my boyfriend and my daughter. Some of the cookies are not easy to make so I tell them to stay out of the kitchen when I am making them.

There is one thing I have never told anyone and I want to put it on here. That is I always miss one person every year for the Holidays and that is my dad. He loved this time of the year because of all the decorations to go and drive around and see. He has been gone for about fifteen years now. But for me when this time of the year comes around it is always the hardest for me. I was always closest to my dad and that is probably why it is still so hard for me and also why I decorate my house. I am trying to keep my dad with me for the Holiday.

I will see my kids for Christmas with all the rest of my family. Christmas Eve we will be with my boyfriends family and Christmas Day is with my family. This is all up north and a lot of driving to do but all worth it.

Happy Halloween!

Yes I know this is early. I will not be around for weekend to post this.

My boyfriend and I are going away for the weekend so I just figured I would get this post out now.

When I was young I remember my mom telling me the day before Halloween they would go on one side of the railroad tracks to see if they could get candy. Then on Halloween they would go on her side of the railroad tracks. This is down in Illinois. They did get the candy the day before Halloween. I didn't think they would get the candy.

I also remember taking my kids trick or treating the different costumes I would get them. There was a couple of them that I did put together for them. I really enjoyed taking my kids out trick or treating because I had just as much fun with the kids as they did.

The only thing I don't like about Halloween is how the older kids think it is funny scaring the little kids. Yes I can see how some of them like to do it but I remember how much it hurt my youngest daughter. My son did it to my youngest daughter and I spend some endless nights up with her.

I think carving the pumpkins with the kids is so much fun. My kids made some really neat ones. I also remember taking my son to a haunted house and he was so scared. I also like some of the music that they have out for Halloween and there are also some really good scary movies to watch.

Some people have Halloween parties that you can go to so that the adults can dress up too. But to me Halloween is for the kids and I don't dress up.

I am going to leave you with one of my favorite Halloween videos. I would like to hear what you like about Halloween!♥

Happy 4th of July!

I know I am putting this up early but I just want to wish everyone a very Happy 4th of July. I was thinking of what to write about and it is the weekend of the 4th of July so that is why I am writing this.

I was just reading about it on the the computer about the day of Independence and the signing of the Declaration. I just found out the declaration was not signed on this day it was signed on August 4th. It was actually a month later. The only ones that really know the truth are Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin and they are gone. So no one will ever know the truth about this.

Everyone celebrates this day by going and seeing parades, cookouts, visiting family and friends then going to see fireworks. Yes I know some of you have your own fireworks also to shoot off. I remember going up north to my parents land and my dad shooting off the fireworks. We use to enjoy this so much. If you are shooting off fireworks please be very careful and please watch out the the little kids with the sparklers because those can hurt them too.

I would also like to thank all the men and women that are serving  in the Armed Forces. They put there lives on the line for us everyday. A lot of them are still overseas and can not be with there families today and have missed a lot of the Holidays with there families. To me this is there day also.

My dad was in the Army and I have had family and friends in the Armed Forces. My ex husband was in the Army also. I have cousins that are still in the Armed Forces and this is why I put this picture up also. I am just praying they are very safe today. I pray everyday for the safety for each and every man and women in the Armed Forces.

I hope everyone has a very safe Holiday and I hope you enjoy you Holiday with your friends and family. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY to all you!♥

Happy Mother's Day!

This is a day for everyone to appreciate everything your Mom has done for you while you were growing up.

For me I know my Mom has been there for me all the time. She has been there more for me in the last nine years. This is since my ex-husband has walked out on my kids and I. I really appreciate the help she gave me. My kids and I love my Mom very much for all her help.

I told my boyfriend and my daughter I am on strike for Mother's Day. I am not cooking or cleaning. This is my day to relax and enjoy the day. I think every Mom should do this.

I also want to say to my Mom and to my boyfriend's Mom we love both of you very much and we miss you both.

                                        HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL THE MOM'S!♥

EASTER!

I know I am writing this early. The reason for this is we may be going up north tomorrow to spend the Holiday with my boyfriend's family and my family. I just wanted to make sure that I had this posted for everyone.

Easter is the central feast in the Christian Liturgical year. It is told in the gospel that Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Sunday.

Easter marks the end of Lent. Lent is a forty day fasting, prayer and penance. The last week of Lent is called Holy Week. This contains Good Friday, Commemorating the Crucifixion and the Death of Jesus. The Lamb is a used for a sign of the Crucifixion.

Easter is a movable feast. This means it is not a fixed date in the relation to the civil calendar. It occurs in the Spring in March or April. The method to determine the date for Easter Sunday is complex, based on the lunisolar calendar. 

Easter customs vary across the christian world. By decorating eggs, egg hunts, the Easter Bunny. Customs like the egg hunt and the Easter Bunny extend from the domain of Church.

Sun rise service is in reflect to the gospel account of the woman coming to the tomb at dawn on the first day of the week. The tradition to sun rise service use to take place in the church cemetery, yard or at a nearby park.

Easter has extended beyond church. Such customs as Easter games, outfits, egg rolling, decorating eggs. Today's date Easter is commercially important with wide sales of greeting cards, chocolate eggs and bunnies, marshmallow eggs and bunnies, jelly beans, filling the Easter baskets and hiding the eggs and baskets. 

I think a lot of people forgot the reason for Easter Sunday lately. That is why I am writing this post. I am not a very big church going person but I do believe in Jesus. I just hope nobody does take any offense in this I am not trying to hurt anyone in anyway. I just thought I would post something about Easter Sunday.

Do-It-Yourself: Easter Baskets from Newspaper and Vegetable-Dyed Eggs

Roots of Simplicity shows you how to making Easter baskets out of newspaper. Love this, though I doubt I have the patience to pull it off! (However, I don’t recommend using uncut coupon inserts to make it unless you are 150% sure you won’t be needing/using the coupons. You’d hate to be tempted to pull apart the Easter basket because you found out after making it that it has a coupon rolled up in it that will make something a money-maker!)

Want to avoid artificial food coloring? Tinkerlab has a tutorial for making vegetable dyed Easter eggs.

This post was obtained from www.moneysavingmom.com. 

St. Patrick's Day!

I thought since today is St. Patrick's Day I would write about it today.

St. Patrick's Day has been a Religious Holiday ever since the ninth century. It was named after the Saint Patrick of the Patrons Saints of Ireland. Back then the color was Blue. They made the color Blue because of the color that the Patrons wore.

Then in the 17th century the color changed to Green. They changed the color because of the the clovers and the shamrocks. 

This day is observed my many Religions. Some of them are the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox and the Lutherans.  There are more but these are the ones that observed this day back then. 

In the 17th Century this day became a Feast Day and a celebration for the Irish. This also became a public holiday in Ireland. They made St. Patrick's Day on March 17th so it didn't interfere with the Holy Week. Holy Week is Palm Sunday and Lent. 

In 1903 St. Patrick's Day became an Official Public Holiday in Ireland. This was with the help of the bank act 1903 an act of the United Kingdom Parliament. This was introduced by Irish MP James O'Mara. He is the person that helped get this day for a holiday for the Irish culture. 

The first parade was held in the Irish Free State of Dublin in 1931. They had to close the pubs and bars down because to many people were drinking and getting really out of hand. Starting fights in the middle of the streets and in the bars and pubs.

The first festival was held on March 17, 1996 this was a one day event. Then in 1997 it became a three day event and in 2000 it became a four day event. In 2000 there was more than 675,000 people at the festival. The festival included concerts, bands, the parade, theatre performances and fireworks.

The biggest celebration was held in Downpatrick, County Down. They had more than 2,000 participants and 82 floats, bands and performers. This was in 2004 and it was a week long festival.

In 2007 Vincent Twomey wrote this " It is time to reclaim St. Patrick's Day as a Church Festival." They are worried that this day has gotten way out of hand.

This is how the Holiday St. Patrick's Day had started many years ago.