The Baxa’s

I know, I know, I’ve been a huge slacker, AGAIN. Well, here I am to catch you up a little bit.

About a month ago, we headed out to Brookfield Zoo for a day of fun, to try and chase away those winter blahs. We got there, and guess what? It was free! Woo Hoo!! What a great way to start the day.

We just walked around, took in the sights. Saw the polar bear, and the giraffes up close and personal in their indoor space. I think the kids always have the most fun at the family “Play” zoo. Playing veterinarian, painting faces and what not.

It was a great way to spend the day and get out of the house.

Guess the big ten year old is too big to paint his face.

In other news, my new tattoo is itching bad as it heals up. I’ve accidentally scratched it twice without thinking about it. Let me tell you what that feels like. It feels the same as when you have a blistering sun burn and you scratch it! That is what if feels like.

More catching up in the days to come…

Ok, so I’m a huge wimp when it comes to pain. I’ll admit it. Everyone who knows me, already knows this. Never in a million years did I think I would have the guts to go through with something like this.

I think Jeff STILL thinks it is some elaborate hoax. He’s waiting for it to wash off.

I would have never, ever, ever done it – if my MOM hadn’t gone first. She was all smiles. Told me it didn’t hurt. Said it just kind of burned, and that a paper cut was worse. And I BELIEVED her!

Then Janice went. She said it wasn’t bad either. She’s a big liar too.

She got two.

So then, the moment of truth. And I thought, if my MOM can do it, so can I right? Seriously, what was I thinking!! It hurt bad. BAD.

But, I do really love it. I can’t stop looking at it. I’m so proud of myself that I actually did it. I told Mike that he better make it spectacular, because this was my first and last tattoo. Did I mention that it hurt?!?

Then it was Kris’s turn. She told me if I got one, she’d get the stars she wanted. She decided to go with on the top of her foot. I think hers hurt worse than mine. I didn’t feel sorry for her. Is that mean?

I wish April were there. We would have chipped in for yours April!

I guess the lesson learned is, never trust your mother. Or your sister. They don’t tell the truth. Or, I’m just a bigger wimp than them.

Madeleine told me: “It’s going to be even colder tomorrow, it’s probably going to be up in the negities.”

Today, little Miss Madeleine turns 7 years old. She’s a little bit taller, a little bit smarter, and a little bit…something. My girl Madeleine has her own style and an attitude to go with it. One day last week, she came home and said “I want my hair cut short”. So, it shall be done. We went to get her haircut last weekend, and it turned out super cute! She loves it, and we do too.

Madeleine, everyday is an adventure with you! Happy, happy birthday to you my baby girl. I love you!

Love, Mom

Well my friends, on Monday, at 11 am I thought, what am I going to make for dinner? I wanted soup, in the crockpot. A quick mental inventory, and I don’t have the ingredients on hand for one of my traditional soups, but I do have potatoes. So, I did a few searches, and found a recipe for a cream of potato soup in the crockpot. I had everything I needed to get it started, so I did. I’ve never made a cream soup before, and was a little intimidated. However, the soup turned out better than I expected. It was delicious! Of course, I didn’t follow the recipe exactly, what fun would that be?

Now, Jeff was making fun of me for taking pictures of my food, but I was so darned proud of myself, I couldn’t resist!

And to go with the delicious baked potato soup? A loaf of fresh baked french bread, with a little cheese thrown in for good measure.

And before you go thinking I’m some fancy cook or something, I’ll tell you what is on the menu for tonight. Frozen pizza, or maybe hot dogs. I have some hot dog buns that are at the end of their shelf life.

The day after Christmas, we went to Uncle Frank’s house to celebrate with the Demski’s. It was snowing when we left, no big deal. As we headed northwest, the snow started to pick up a bit. Still, no biggie on the well beaten path. Then, we turn onto the country roads. Wow. That is all I can say. The road disappeared, and we wondered if we should turn around and go home. We decided to go forth, and take it slow. Every now and then, there would be an oncoming car, and in their wake, a complete white out. A little nerve racking to say the least, when you can’t see where the road stops, and the farm field begins. We made it safe and sound, and enjoyed some great company. Here are a few pictures, although, I don’t think they really do justice to the situation.

Happy winter to you all! They are forecasting 7-9 inches of snow tonight/tomorrow morning.

We seem to make it through every year. The pre-holiday stress, the last minute shopping, searching high and low for that perfect something. I love Christmas. I love neighbors that drop everything and come over at a moments notice to watch the kids for a few minutes, send over Christmas cookies, and shovel my driveway for me. I love seeing the family that we don’t see all year, and some family that we don’t see for years on end. I wish everyone lived close, so we could see them more often. I love little boys that LOVE Christmas lights, and pull up a chair just to look at them out the window. I love baking cookies, and giving them away. I love the excitement of the kids on Christmas eve and Christmas morning. Who am I kidding? I have that same excitement. I never sleep good on Christmas eve, anticipating Christmas morning! So, in short, I love everything about the season!!

So, with Christmas all wrapped up and put away, I’d like to wish you a Happy New Year! May you enjoy good health, be prosperous, make many good memories, and laugh out loud as often as possible!

We’ve been busy around these parts. Playing, baking, cleaning and what not. Here are some pictures of all our fun.

Having a good time.

Knitting. I knit these two scarves for Madeleine and Quinn’s bus drivers.

Losing teeth.

The Christmas program at church.

And, let’s not forget the baking. I will admit, I get just a little bit carried away at Christmas.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

We hosted our first Thanksgiving for the Baxa/Waldvogel clan this year. I think it was a success. Our turkeys turned out wonderful, we brined two birds, in different brines. They were super tasty, cooked on the Weber grill.

The kids really enjoyed seeing their cousins. Especially Madeleine, loving on Danny Jr. and Kate. She told me yesterday “Aunt Sharon said she could come pick me up to watch Danny Jr.” after she asked the day before if she was old enough to “watch Danny Jr.”. That would be scary.

And Quinn was especially sad to see Grandpa Baxa and Grandma Barbie leave. He loves spending time with them. But no worries, he keeps telling me how they are having two sleepovers at Christmas.

We sure are thankful for all we have. 

I think I’m in love! From her beautiful, glossy, deep cinnamon color, to the pour guard, to the fast, easy mixing! She is a beauty. How did I live without her for all these years?! 

She mixes all the way to the bottom, I only had to scrape the bowl twice, and she even mixes in the chips! No more mixing in the chips by hand for me!

Here’s the finished product.

Oh, you want to see more pictures of my beauty? Here they are.