Monday, January 31, 2011

Happy Last Day of January!

I don't know about you but I am (and never have been) a big fan of January.  It is always cold and windy and just plain yucky.  So I am happy that February is just "one sleep" away.  So let's review...what have we done in January.
Dec 28th (ok I went back a few more days): we bought our first house
Jan 1-7: started making repairs on said "new" house
Jan 7: Moving truck came and dropped off our stuff...well most of it...more on that later
Jan 8-present: Continued fixing things in the house, added a water softener and RO system, unpacked many boxes, got Kitchen and Corbin's room completely done!
Jan 10: Announced that Baby Vogel #4 is on the way

Overall, January has been a very busy month.  I am very happy to have it done with and anticipate February to be just as busy.  I mentioned that we got most of our stuff.  We found that after the moving truck left that we did not receive a few things that are especially important to Hubby.  His tool box with all of his tools and his drill did not make it.  These were very nice and we suspect that someone else thought so too.  We are now going through the claims process to see if we can recover the cost to replace these items.

February is already starting to sound busy.  This coming weekend my mom and mother in law are taking me shopping for my birthday!  YAY!  Then on the 19th Hubby and I are planning on heading to Sioux Falls to go to a baby shower for his cousin and his cousin's wife.  It is their first and I am super excited for them.  Oh and they are cloth diapering too!!!  YAY!  We also throw Hubby's birthday, my niece's birthday, Valentine's Day, and my birthday in the mix and that makes for one full month.  I hope we have time for it all!

How was your January?  Did it treat you well?  Were you stuck inside most of the month?  Tell me about it!
<3 Alison

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Integrating into a New Environment

We have officially been in our house for over 2 weeks.  I am very excited that things are starting to come together and our house is starting to look like, well, a house and less of a storage space.  Feeling semi on top of things at home is a great feeling.  But then I look at my kids and realize that I don't have them involved in much of anything and how are we to make new friends if we stay in our house all the time.  So I called the local E.C.F.E office (Early Childhood Family Education) to see what they had available.  It turns out that they have a kindergarten prep class starting on February 10th for Butterfly.  They also have several classes for Bee and Bubby.  I am very excited.  :)  The kids are too.

We were lucky enough to have the Pastor of the church we visited over for "coffee" on Thursday night to chat about that church and the local area.   It was great getting to know someone new.  We are also going to be having dinner with a family from that church this evening.  They have four kids all similar ages to our three at this point.  I am very excited to get to know them.  They live just down the block from us.

With any luck this is going to be a good start to our  new lives in our new home/area.
<3 Alison

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Sausage and Lentil Soup Recipe and Review

At some point this fall Hubby and I went on a date (GASP!) and went to Carraba's Italian Grill.  We ordered some appetizers and our food.  My dinner came with a soup and I ordered the Sausage and Lentil Soup that they offered.  It sounded really good and it WAS!  Since then I have been wanting to make some at home.  Well this week I found a recipe that mimicked what I had that night.  :)

I got the recipe from food.com.

Here is how I made it:


Carrabba's Sausage and Lentil Soup



Ingredients

    • 1 lb Italian sausage ( You can also use Italian turkey sausage)
    • 1 large onions, chopped
    • 1 stalk celery, chopped
    • 2 large carrots, chopped
    • 1 small zucchini, chopped
    • 6 cups chicken broth
    • 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
    • 2 -3 garlic cloves
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 cups dry lentils
    • black pepper

Directions

  1. Brown sausage; drain off fat.
  2. In a large pot combine all ingredients bring to boil.
  3. Reduce heat,cover.
  4. Simmer for about 1 hour or until lentils are tender. Add water if necessary, for desired consistency. 
  5. Enjoy!

    I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine did.
    <3 Alison

Monday, January 24, 2011

Much needed picture post!

Well, it is about time I add some pictures to this blog.  :)
Many of you have been asking for them and I apologize it took me this long to get them out there.  You will have to disregard the boxes and messes as this is still a work in progress.  But alas you will get your first peek at what our house now looks like. 

First off we have the kitchen.  The main part of the kitchen is Lemon Souffle.  The back part and the connecting hallway are Artichoke Heart green, as is the main hallway and the kids' bathroom. 



Corbin's room (the one I posted on FB about, ya know, radioactive green) turned out like this after adding some accent colors.  I now LOVE it.  :D

This is the girls' room.  It is a Disney color and the kids love it! 

This is the living room.  A basic tan/brown. 

Our bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet are all the same color as the living room with the exception of the back wall which gives the room a whole different feel.  I have always wanted a chocolate colored accent wall!  :)
And just because he was sitting in his chair going, "eeeeeze!" (aka: Cheese!) I snapped a cute pic of Bubby.  :)




So there is an updated bunch of pics of our house.  Hoping that this week I can get more into place and can show you all at least 2 finished rooms by next Monday.  :) Wish me luck!!!  :D

<3 Alison

Friday, January 21, 2011

I've got my computer back!

YAY!  I am so excited!  It has been a long time since I have been able to post because of a lack of computer and internet connection.  At any rate, here I am and I need to update!

We are now living in our new house.  It still looks like a construction zone but we are working on that.  :)  We love the location.  We love that it is ours...even though we have found a few problems...snow in the attic and a leak under the kitchen sink.  We have loving family who is always willing to help us.  LOVE THEM TO PIECES!!!

Our biggest news was this...we are expecting baby #4!!!!!  I am 15 1/2 weeks along.  This baby was a total surprise but we feel very blessed.  We just have to get the house ready and then baby can come in July.  :)

Butterfly is desperately needing to find an out of the house activity...like preschool again.  Bee needs to find some sort of sport to do and Bubby needs it too.  I am hoping we can get involved with a local ECFE program (Early Childhood Family Education). 

We are starting to look for a church this Sunday.  Our first stop will be at the First Baptist Church that just happens to be right around the corner from our house.  We hear they have an AWANA for the kids, which is something that we had the girls in prior to moving. 

It is time for me to get ready for the day and more unpacking...oh yeah, and that dr appointment that I keep forgetting.  :)
 <3 Alison

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Progress...

Progress is slow at the house.  Yesterday we got the snow out of the attic and the door knobs switched on 2 of the 3 doors.  They also got the master bedroom closet un-taped so they can start re-taping it today I think.  Then they will work on putting the texture back on and then repainting.  Hopefully they will have the majority of it done soon. 
Hubby left for his first business trip with his new company today.  Oddly, he went back to the state we just moved from!  I contemplated going back with him and visiting with old friends but the timing wasn't good.  So I am here with the kids at my parents.  My Dad is at my house working.  I feel like this is a little bit of fruit basket upset...lol.  :)
With our new house our kitchen has a large entry from the hallway/bedrooms and I am wanting a gate for it so I can keep the kids out of it so I can work and not worry about anyone getting hurt.  Do you have any recommendations? 
That is all for today.  Hope you are all doing well.
<3Alison

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Fun week planned

I can't wait to get started on all the new things this week.  My Dad, a friend of his, my father in law and Hubby will be working on the house this week.  Hubby will be working with them tomorrow and then he has to go out of town on business but he will be back on Friday for our move in date! 
The rest of the week we will be filling cracks, re-texturing, re-painting and cleaning to get the house in move in condition (or close to it) by Friday.  Our moving truck is scheduled to come in on Friday, so pray for good weather...lol.  :)
I am going to prepare meals for the guys to eat so they don't have to spend the time and money to go out to eat.  I hope I can think of enough crock-pot style meals for the week!  My aunt has graciously offered to provide a meal or two for us for Move In Day on Friday and that will be a HUGE help. 
I will try and post pictures of the work in progress but that means I have to remember to bring my parents camera since the cord to mine is MIA...or in storage...either way, it is inaccessible.  Oops!  :)
I can't wait to get things set up in the new house.  I am now going to have my very own crafting area!!!!  YAY!  I won't have to take things out, work on stuff and put it away.  It can all stay out from now on!  YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!
Hope you all are having a fantastic weekend!
<3 Alison

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy 2011!

Happy 2011 everyone!
I am feeling very blessed already this year.  I went to bed much before the "ball dropped" and am very happy that I did so.  The new year came in just fine without me.  :)  And I am in a much better mood because of it.  I think that should be my new holiday tradition...going to bed before midnight.
How did you all celebrate the new year?
Last night we got to spend the evening with lots of family.  We went out to my grandmother's house and met my 2 of my aunts and their families and one of my cousins.  My sister's family was there too, as were my parents.  We left my parents and sister there and took the kids back to my parents house.  About the time we got back to my parents house we also realized that we don't have a key to the house.  After several phone calls to my parents we found the key and tried it in the garage door and the front door.  Another phone call and we realize that the key works in the patio door.  Hmmmm.  Now in Ohio this would not have been a problem.  But here in Minnesota there is a BIG problem.  The problem is called snow.  And we have LOTS of it.  Poor Hubby had to wade through the snow which at best is knee deep.  Another thing that you must know is that my Dad makes a sled run from the top of the steps of the deck to the back yard...which has been packed down and is slick from the kids using it.  So Hubby had to maneuver up that.  Just to get to the top of the steps where there is waist deep snow.  Thankfully Hubby got to the top of the deck, unlocked the door and let us all in. 
It was a funny start to the new year.  We then put the kids down and enjoyed some time together.  I think that was my favorite part.  Just being able to see my hubby by himself.  We have one more week of not living in the same house and then we will be able to live together in our new house together.  YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope your 2011 will be a good one.  We are looking forward to the new things that this year has in store for us.
Love and Blessings,
Alison