Busy August

Mitch and I are going on a float trip this weekend.  After one of the most temperate JulysI can remember, summer will be back with a vengence just in time for a camping/float trip.  It should be fun though. There are about 13 people going, and the mix of different personalities should be OK. 

Then the following two weekends I’m taking Gaby for visits withher aunts.  I can’t believe I haven’t seen Jessie since our weekend in St. Louis.  I’m very excited to see her! Then we’ll head down to Oklahoma City for a quick weekend with Missy.  I’m excited to see how she’s doing, what her appartment looks like, and catch up face-to-face.

We are going to be going and going.  Plus, our friend’s have their c-section scheduled on the 18th.  So, there will be a new baby Kollmeyer around. 

Finally, the garden is really starting to come in.  I fully expect tons of tomatoes and cucumbers when we get back from floating.  I made a batch of tomato sauce last night to use a few before they went bad.  I’m really happy with the vegetables we decided to use this year.  I’ll do one post that is reserved for garden issues because we have a lot this year. 

Look forward to lots of pictures and posts from all the festivities we have planned.

 

Back At It

Hello everyone.  I’m back.  I needed a break from most everything plugged in for a while.  The legislative session was very busy this year and then with the whole foot surgery thing, I just needed a break. 

This has been a busy summer.  Aside from the previously mentioned items, we’ve been to Gulf Shores, AL with Mitch’s family.  Long drive with a 3-year-old, but we had a good time.  I get to have a couple long weekends with Gaby coming up, so Linda can have a babysitting break.  Mitch and I are going on a float trip with some friends.  And I’m going to try and fit in visits with the sisters.  Oh, and we are having another half-marathon girls weekend in October with more runners this year.  We are going to be busy. 

I’ve got some crafting projects to work on and need to start on Christmas gifts.  Life is great right now. 

Please anticipate more frequent posting from here on because we are busy and have lots to show for it.  Happy summer everyone!

 

Good and Bad

Sorry for the unexpected blog break. I have a feeling that as long as I work at the Capitol springtime blogging is going to be rare. Session is over. I survived another year, and this one was a crazy one. 12 of my bills passed, so that’s pretty exciting. It was a good session. The good news is I’m back.

Bad news is I’d been having some pretty bad heel pain. Went to the doctor and he told me I had a heel spur that would need to be surgically removed. I had than done today. I’m going to need crutches for the next 10 days, a real sexy black moon boot for at least 3 weeks, and the potential for limited daily activities for 3-6 weeks. Yuck!

But the garden is pretty much in and doing pretty good. The family is good. And I’m looking forward to a great interim this year. Regular updating will resume shortly. I have lots if updates for you.

 

Unplugged

So, I pretty much spent last week unplugged; therefore, no blog update.  I took some decent pictures, but since I was off work I didn’t have the motivation to sit behind the computer and edit pictures.  (Plus I think our monitor has blown a color tube, and I can’t tell which colors are which.  The computer is almost 10 years old and won’t die, but we’ve gone through two monitors now.) 

I cleaned house, cooked real food, played with Gaby, and worked in the garden.  It was a great and well-needed week off work.  Now the craziness at work ensues.  The final eight weeks of session will be grueling, starting with this week.  I just have to remember that the prize is time off this summer.  Eyes on the prize, Ang.  Eyes on the prize.

 

It Was Just Like Spring

The weather this weekend was just like spring.  Winter is my least favorite time of year.  I never get the full on seasonal affective disorder business; however, after about three weeks of winter, I’m done.  I’m sick of the cold.  I’m sick of the dormant plants and trees.  And although the majority of my wardrobe is gray, I’m sick of gray.  So, when the weather hit the 60s and 70s this weekend, we made the most of it. 

Pardon the pale feet, but I had to break out the flip flops.  We grilled dinner outside for my parents and Missy on Friday night,  kept the windows open all day, and spent a lot of time swinging and sliding.  Come on spring!  The Green’s are ready for you! 

 

Girls’ Weekend

I took this shot driving into St. Louis last weekend.  Mom, Jessie, Missy, and I drove up there for our girls’ weekend.  We had a lot of fun.  First on the agenda was looking at wedding and bridesmaid dresses for Missy.  This was a fun and mostly successful trip. 

Then we did some shopping at the Frontenac Plaza.  I could have really done some damage at Sur la Table and Williams Sonoma; however, I practiced some restraint and only picked up items we needed.  (Oh, and a cookbook I’ve been eyeing for months.)  We then had to book it to check into the hotel, make our dinner reservations, and make the play. 

We ate dinner at a fusion tapas restaurant called Mosaic.  It was so good.  I described it to Mitch as a meal made up with Quick Fire Challenges from Top Chef.  It was fabulous chick food, and the sangria was yummy too. 

Please excuse the out of focus picture, we were almost running to get into the theatre with time to use the ladies room.  The play was good.  We saw Legally Blond this year.  I think we all agreed, it was good and very, very pink.  However, it was no Wicked. 

We found this place for breakfast called Rooster.  The food was outstanding.  I ordered a crepe filled with German-style sausage, cooked apples, and white cheddar cheese.  It was a little spicy and had a great sweet/salty combination.  So good.  I tried to get some food pictures, but again I was having some camera issues. 

Then we walked off (at least that’s what we told ourselves) our breakfast walking to the Arch.  I can’t wait for Gaby to be old enough to go with us on our girls’ weekends.  This was so much fun!  I can’t wait for the next one.

 

Girls’ Weekend

St. Louis, here we come! Mom, Jess, Missy, and I leave in the morning for a short weekend trip to the Fox Theater for a play and wedding dress shopping for Missy. I think Mitch is looking forward to some time with his little girl. This should be a fun weekend! I’ll take lots of pictures.

 

Random

Sorry, that’s the best title I’ve got in me due to the nature of this post.  First, I’ve finished a painting I’ve been working on for a guy Mitch works with.  This is the same MU fan who asked for the logo.  He wanted some tiger eyes, on a canvas, to hang in the bar area of his home.  So, this is what I painted on a 48×24 canvas. 

I think it turned out pretty good.  The photo isn’t the best because it was taken with my phone, but you get the idea.  Now, my plan is to paint some artwork to put up in our house.  I think we need more than just photos on the walls. 

Other news:

After a lot of thought and discussion, Mitch is changing jobs.  He was no longer happy with his job as a loan officer and it was apparent that upward mobility was lacking at the bank.  So, Mitch has decided to go back to work for Metropolitan Insurance with his dad.  This is going to be a bit of a change for us but in the long run will provide our family opportunities that the bank simply wouldn’t offer.  Mitch is excited and ready for a change.  I’m nervous and ready for Mitch to make a change.  What’s nice is that this will likely change the dynamics of our household a bit and take some of the pressure off of me to make the big bucks.  What’s nice is Mitch will be working in a supportive environment with his father who only wants the best for our family–that makes me feel a little better about the decision. 

Also, for those of you who don’t know, my youngest sister Missy got engaged just before Christmas.  She is so excited, and Bryan will be a great addition to our family.  The down side is that she will be moving back to Oklahoma.  I’ve already told Mitch that her move will require Gaby and I take some long weekends over the interim breaks to go see Aunt Missy.  We have our girls weekend coming up this weekend and dress shopping is on the agenda; along with other shopping, dinner at a fusion tapas restaurant, and Legally Blond at the Fox Theater.  The four of us are really looking forward to this time together.

 

I’ve Been Cooking

Mitch and I have had many conversations recently about our household.  We agree that we need to simplify our home.  We eat out too much; which is not only unhealthy, but it also depletes the bank account.  So, one of our efforts has been cooking at home more.  We both love to cook and often we find that what we’ve made tastes better than anything we would have ordered carryout. 

Last weekend I made beef and noodles, with homemade egg noodles.  Here is a picture of the noodles drying.  The mixing, kneading, rolling, and slicing was so relaxing that I had to take a picture of the process. 

 

We also like to try new meals.  So when our Egyptian neighbor moved in, we’ve had the opportunity to share meals.  He has brought over kofta and I’ve made fried chicken with all the sides.  Since the kofta dinner, Mitch has wanted to try his hand at it.  I found a recipe for a pita-type bread (that is easy and very, very good).  Then we both looked for kofta and tahina(sauce) recipes.  Our neighbor did inform Mitch that this was more of a Turkish variety of kofta rather than Egyptian because it uses different spices.  Here are some pictures of the meal.  Now I can’t wait to make this in the summer with fresh vegetables.  Ah, only a few more months. 

 

Christmas Recap

So I’m a little slow getting this out.  I was somewhat unplugged over Christmas and New Year’s, then work got busy with the legislative session starting up, so I’m just now getting around to posting about Christmas.  This was a good year.  By far this has been the most fun Christmas as a parent.  Gaby had so much fun with everything she was give.  Color books are already almost filled up and dress up clothes have been greatly used. 

Between Christmas and New Year’s, Gaby and I spent a few days with Jessie and Missy in Kansas City.  We had a lot of fun.  I got some new fabric I can’t wait to use.  Gaby got to ride in what she thought was Cinderella’s coach.  It was a fun trip.

With school, work, and all the Christmas crafting, I didn’t get Christmas cards out.  I hope to get a card of sorts out in the next couple of weeks.  Here are some of my favorite pictures of the holiday to tide you all over. 

 

A Year Ago This Week…

We had a horrible ice storm. 

Some of the sights were beautiful.

Our backyard, not so beautiful.

We were without power for two days, not bad compared to thousands of other people.  Our trees were severely damaged, to the point that we decided to cut two of the huge maples down in the back yard to make more room for the play set.  All in all we were very lucky.

 

What do you do?

Question: What do you do when your mommy makes you a nice floor pillow with a huge pocket? 

Answer: You collect all your princesses, Barbies, and fairies and then put them to sleep. 

I opened the door to the spare room that has been converted to the playroom and found that Gaby had put all her dolls in the pocket of the pillow I made her.  So sweet.  That’s my girl.  She is getting so big.  The first picture below was taken 10/07 and the second picture was taken 11/08, only 1 year between the two.  She is definitely no longer a baby, she’s a little big girl.  She uses her imagination in the funniest ways and loves anything art related (just like her mommy).  What a joy! 

 

Pumpkin Festival, 2008

After our rain out last year, we went to the Hartsburg Pumpkin Festival again this year.  Honestly, I’m kind of over it now.  Yeah, we got some cute pictures of the kids, but really it’s not my thing.  There are too many people, you can’t really let the kids run around, and did I mention there are too many people.  Each year the tiny river town of Hartsburg anticipates 30,000 people for the festival. 

We went this year with Tasha, Julia, Cody (aka Little Cody); Melissa, Blake, Grant; Linda; and Jess, Cody (Big Cody), and their newborn Colton.  The parking was different this year, so we had this horrendous walk through a corn field and a gravel road with wagons and strollers. 

The white area in the middle, left of the picture is our destination. 

OK, now it’s in sight.

We got to the piles of pumpkins and let the kids out to play. 

Grant, Julia, and Blake

Gaby

One of the few where she was sitting still.

Grant, with the moms in the background snapping pictures.

Blake

Julia

Cody

Peek-a-boo in the corn maze.

Anything to keep him happy well past lunch on the ride home. 

What, I hope, will be the first of many pictures of these girls posing. 

Oh, and by the way, we didn’t buy a single pumpkin at the festival.  Next year, I’ll just add pumpkins to the list of items to plant in the garden and we’ll have our own pumpkin patch.

 

Eight Years of Marriage

What’s great about our anniversary is that neither of us should forget how many years we’ve been married.  A wedding in the year 2000 makes remembering the number of years a snap.  We don’t have any plans, which is kind of nice.  This month is just really, really busy for us.  So, tonight, I’m planning a quite dinner at home and some playtime with our princess-loving 2-year-old.  I love my life. 

Happy anniversary, Mitch!

 

Wisconsin Wedding

We just got back from a very quick trip to Wisconsin for a family wedding.  The leaves were just starting to change and the weather was perfect.  The only downfall was that we only had a couple of days and I felt rushed the entire time.  Gaby didn’t nap either day we were there, so she was ready for bed by 8 or 9 each night.  However, it was great to see my grandma, uncles, aunts, cousins, and various other family members. 

Here are pictures of my cousin Jeanna, her new husband Brent, and my uncle Gary.  She is beautiful ordinarily, but she made an even more beautiful bride.  To Gaby she was “Princess Jeanna.”  Very sweet coming from girl obsessed with princesses right now. 

Every time we tried to get a posed picture with Gaby, she was less than willing to cooperate.  Here is the best four generations picture we were able to get.  Gaby is screaming in the other one. 

We got some nice pictures before the reception really got going.  It is odd how much my sisters and I resemble each other more with age. 

But the reception was the best part.  Although she was tired, Gaby transformed into Gaby Green Dance Machine.  The child never slowed down.  She even tried to get out on the floor for the first and wedding party dances.  And, once anyone got on the dance floor with her, they couldn’t leave.  She had fun finding everyone and getting them back on the floor.  “Jessie, come here.  Missy, come here.”  And on, and on, and on.  When we got back to the hotel, she looked at me and said, “Mommy, I tired.”  Enough said. 

By the way, I love Jessie’s face in this picture.

It was a great time.  Next time, I’d like to have more time and no event to attend.  That will make the trip even more enjoyable.

 

Gaby Update

This post is for anyone wanting an update on the little girl.  It amazes me how much things have changed from a year ago.  Gaby’s always been very independent and this trait only continues to get stronger.  She’s able to communicate so much more.  It’s nice that she’s able to let me know when she’d like to have some juice or milk, when she’s ready for a snack and what she’d like for said snack.  This makes the constant trial and error parenting virtually obsolete. 

The girl is a sponge.  She can recite songs from her favorite Disney movies.  She quickly repeats new things she’s learned.  It just never ceases to amaze me. 

I also think she’s destined to be a performer of some sort.  She loves to sing and dance.  I got out one of my recital costumes from when I was a little girl.  It’s just a tad big on her, but absoultely adorable!  I find myself asking, what happend to my little baby and where did this girl come from. 

Each day I’m reminded that being a mom it the best job I will ever have.  I love being a wife, my job that brings home money is great, but I wouldn’t trade my time as a mommy for anything.  Even when I hear: “No, that’s mine!”; “Go away, Mommy!”; or “Hey, Mommy!  Hey, Mommy!  Hey, Mommy!  What doing?”  Because for the last couple of nights as I lay her down for bed I hear her whisper, “Good night, Mommy.  I love you too.”

Here are some recent pictures, enjoy because I know I do! 

Don’t worry, immediately following the picture I removed the beads from her neck.  It was just too cute hearing her say “My necklace” each time she put on a new strand of beads.  I’m telling you the kid is a ham. 

 

Update

Well, in the past couple of months we’ve had a lot going on.  Gaby turned 2!  I can’t believe it.  Our little girl is growing so fast.  Here are some of my favorite pictures of her birthday. 

 

 

                               

This weekend one of her favorite sayings is “No, way!” 

Me: “Gaby, do you want some milk?”

Gaby: “No, way!”

Me: “Gaby, do you want to eat dinner?”

Gaby: “No, way!”

Me: “Gaby, do you want to go outside?”

Gaby: “Swing?”

Me: “Yep.”

Gaby: “Let’s go!”

 

Mitch and a couple of our neighbors got Gaby’s swing set finished a couple weeks ago.  So we go out with suncreen, water, hat and sunglasses and swing for well over an hour.  I love having a two-year-old!

 

Break

So, I’ve taken an unexpected, but necessary, blog break.  The legislative session is over.  I’m not sure if it is because this was my second session or what other reason there might be, but it seemed to fly. 

As a family, we’ve had lots of things happen, but nothing major.  I’ve signed up to run a half marathon in October with my sisters (hopefully) and some friends from work.  It’s in Kansas City, so we’re going to make a nice girls weekend out of the occasion.  We recently had Gaby’s 2nd birthday party.  This was a great party with many of our friends and family.  I’m really looking forward to this summer and fall.  We have planted a small garden, which is a satisfying feeling.  It will be nice to know some of the food we put on our plates will have been grown at home.  We are going to spend a quick weekend in Branson in June with my family.  I’m heading to New Orleans in July to attend a conference for work.  I’ve never been there, so I’m excited about this trip.  Then in September I have a cousin getting married in Wisconsin, so we’ll be traveling north for the event. 

Finally, I’m looking forward to having some time this summer for my more crafty endeavors.  I still have this nagging thought in the back of my mind that I have talents that aren’t being used by my current desk job.  Don’t get me wrong, I really like what I do now, but I just feel like I could be doing more.  So, stay tuned.  This summer, I plan on experimenting with some ideas rattling around in my head. 

Ang.

 

Who Is This Girl?

 

 

I’ve said this before, but seriously, where did this little girl come from.  I thought I had a baby.  So many days I’m amazed at the things she does or says.  This week she finally climbed out of her crib.  Mitch and I knew this was coming, but had hoped to wait a little longer.  (She’s not even 2 yet!)  Plus, she was so proud to have climbed out, she was more than happy to do it again.  I’m trying to cherish every moment, because I know there’ll soon be a day I’ll look back at her toddler years and wonder where they’ve gone. 

 

Christmas Gifts and Other Stuff

So, these are pictures of a couple of the Christmas gifts I made this year.  I think both of the recipients were pleased with their presents.  I know I’m late in getting around to posting these, but please enjoy all the same. 

I love how this Weekender Bag for my sister, Jessie, turned out.  The white trim was an unfortunate mistake, but I do think it sets off the edges nicely.  What I’m most pleased with on this bag, is the design matching I was able to achieve with the panels and pockets.  Plus, another bonus, even Mitch complemented my craftsmanship.  I really like this bag.  Now, if I can only decide on the fabric for myself. 

 

Then, here is the Frenchy Bag for Mitch’s sister Melissa.  I think this turned out really cute too.  This was a super simple pattern for a novice sewer, like myself.  I’ll make some changes with the next one I make, but I do really like the design.  Luckily, I didn’t run into any major snags with this bag.  Plus, Mitch and his friend Jeremy both complemented my work.  Now I do realize that I asked them what they thought at 11:00 one evening, after they had just spend several hours tiling our bathroom.  But, to me, a complement from Jeremy in particular is still a complement. 

Other things: I’ve been extremely sluggish on posting since the new year.  It’s not that we’ve had so much going on in our personal lives.  I’ve been really busy at work, and when I get home one of the last things I want to do is get on the computer.  However, one of my goals for 2008 is to make more time for myself, my crafting, and for sharing our lives with you.