I will win the skillet bet no matter what it takes.

Jeff and I went to breakfast Saturday morning...just the two of us.

We ate at the Waffle Shop...an old diner that looks like Mr. and Mrs. Seinfeld would frequent.

Pink flowers with sea foam green stems painted on the glass partitions.
Mauve booths. White coffee cups that showed my pink lipstick. Clinking dishes.
I loved it there actually...it was a cute little place.

I ordered a malted waffle.
Jeff ordered a skillet...his usual choice.

As we were eating, I told him I should make skillets more often.before work.during the week.

He laughed and said..."Yeah right! You're going to make me a skillet everyday? Ha!"

Now...I wake up with Jeff most mornings. I make his lunch.{Try to} Make breakfast before he leaves.
He's handed a travel mug full of piping hot coffee on his way out the door.

For all my morning efforts..I get semi-mocked and laughed at when I bring up a new idea?

Well....right there in the restaurant we made a bet.
I said I would make Jeff a skillet every morning this week!
I won't go into the details of what we bet...but we shook on it and I plan on winning.

I went all out at the grocery store.
Sunday afternoon I arrogantly confidently shopped for my deluxe skillet ingredients.

This morning he enjoyed a delicious sausage, potato, roasted red and green pepper skillet
topped with melted provolone and fresh ground pepper.

Tomorrow he will be sitting down to a Shitake mushroom skillet with caramelized onions and bacon.

No husband of mine is going to "Ha!" me and then win a bet.
Eat up Jeffrey!!! Eat up!

XxOo


P.S. It was sooooo nice to have a quiet breakfast alone!

Wrapping up the week....

The past week and a half we have had gorgeous weather!

We are usually covered in ice and snow and dealing with blustery winds...
.....60's and 70's are quite a treat. Pretty much unheard of this time of year!!!

We took full advantage...
Parks
City walks
Windows open
...all those good spring things we so look forward to during the tundra season.

Today you need a coat and can see your breath. Tomorrow is snow.
It's winter again.
....and it's just fine by me....bring on the scarves. I am a lover of old weather too.

We can't get THIS SONG out of our heads!!! ...thanks Caitlin.

I am in love with her hair!!! If only mine was silky and straight...sigh.

HaPpY Weekend to you.

XxOo

My almost death and the rooster that almost was, but still is, but we'll see in the coming days.

The Rooster.

I've always had a soft spot for our rooster...
He's nice looking, I like hearing him crow early in the morning...and he's {mostly} calm..
...for a rooster.

As of today that soft spot has become as hard as a rock!

This morning the girls went out to feed the chickens and collect eggs.
The rooster {who holds the name Pecker...ummm...the girls named him last summer...
"because he pecks!"} was being kind of naughty.
He was a little aggressive towards them and then he escaped out of the coop...
....which then led to more chickens escaping into the yard.

No biggie...we let them free range for a while.

Right before lunch the girls, Frankie and I went outside to gather the birds and put
them all back into their coop.

The girls were a little nervous because of his morning attitude...I said I would get them back in.

Soooo....I am standing by the chicken coop, checking on the one bird that is still in there....
....when all of a sudden the rooster started to attack! ME!!!

Feathers all fluffed around his neck, the arrogant bird comes at me pecking my legs...
he runs around me and twists my legs!

He trips me and I go flying through the air and land on the ground.

As I'm getting up, Mr. Rooster is still attacking me!
I stand and for the first time in my life kick the rooster!!!
He flipped over in the air cawing and came right back at me!

As I am kicking him away...he is still coming at me.


My girls started yelling....
"MOM! Are you okay?"

Then I hear through heavy giggling before I am even able to answer that I am indeed alive.....
"HURRY! Run in the house and get her phone so we can take a video!"

They are rolling on the back porch laughing their heads off!

Here I am, in the process of getting my head pecked off  by a rooster
and my daughters are cracking up and TAKING MOVIES OF ME!!!

{NO! I will not be posting, don't even ask! ;) }
This is the most you will see....

I grabbed a broom...
I guided the rooster along...and pushed him away when he started to turn toward me.

What I really wanted to do was swing the broom harder than a golf club in a sand trap...but I didn't.
I thought about it though....visions of the rooster being launched into the air made me happy.
I also had visions of him surrounded by potatoes and carrots in my Dutch Oven.

After many, many tries I could not get the chickens or rooster back into the coop.

Thankfully the boys next door came over and duh!...lured them into the coop with oats.
Hmmm....forgot about that one.

Tonight the rooster sleeps peacefully...but I've got my eye on him.
He better be careful...very, very careful. Or my Dutch Oven vision will come to fruition.

That time in February...

...when five days in a row we broke warm weather records.
{which will be ending this upcoming weekend}

....when Jeff had a day off and we went to the Field Museum.

...when we walked along Lake Michigan because it was just so sparkly and blue.

......when we had a great day as a family.
{minus Tyler because he is almost all grown up and working and doing that college thing and we just miss him being little and carefree.... but I also love seeing my kids grow up too...bittersweet}

.....when {once again} I told Jeff I NEED to live in the city.

..I came home to my old house, in my small town and remembered I love it right where I'm at!

........when we stopped for hot dogs at the BEST place on the planet!!! and I may
have eaten more than I should have. ...or maybe not. whatever.

I love my family so very much.
XxOo

Forced to live the life of a model... when all you want is your tractor.

I often hear...
"Say cheese..."   click, click, click.

Then I find photos like these of Frankie on my camera.

"Are we finished yet girls?
My tractor and trucks are waiting..."

Model Life. It can be tough.

Sophia baked us M&M cookies....

The kids and I had a candle-lit dinner...we made roast chicken and rice and ceaser salad.

And of course......

{Taken from my insta-story...}

...off to clean up the hearts and sparkles.
XxOo

13 Things I do for Jeff every single day....

....or at least I WISH I did!
If anyone could attest to my failures as a wife, it would be Jeff.
I'm thankful for the grace he gives and that he loves me anyway.
The man I married puts up with a lot.... remember my tea story? {rolls eyes}



Since it's the week of love, I thought I'd share a list of little things a wife can do to keep marriage fun!
...and vice/versa! A husband can do these things too.


Things A Wife Can Do To Keep Fun In The Marriage

1. Fix UP! Make up, hair..no old sweat pants and hole-y tshirt you painted the living room in.
A husband wants to see his wife pretty.

2. Wear pretty underwear and bras...and yes ladies, lingerie! {if your husband likes it..wink}

3. Wear clothes your husband likes...if he likes that red sweater, wear it.
If he likes you in a skirt..put one on. If he likes your sweat pants, then by all means..wear them!

4. Keep mints/gum next to your bed or under your pillow...
...you never know when you're going to need fresh breath.

5. Surprise your husband with a massage.
I am the worst massage-r in the world, so this one is hard for me.
Are you reading Jeff?  ....this I will work on! {wink}

6. Be spontaneous!
As children get older, spontaneity starts to fly out the window...do your best to hold on.
Seize those little moments... sometimes a quick "chat" while hiding out in the closet is fun and just what you need to keep your marriage exciting. Backseats, garages...etc.
Really, your options are endless. Ha! Be creative.

7. Keep those legs shaved! No man likes stubble.
{or your face if you're a man...unless your wife likes a beard, then don't shave}

8. Send love texts...it's the modern love note.
Send "pictures" to your husband if you're brave enough.
Just double, triple or even quadruple check the number before you hit send.

9. Only say happy things when he walks in the door from work.
This one is hard on a bad day....but do your best to not complain! No one likes to be around a crank.
I promise it pays off...your evening will start out on a positive note and the mood will be lighter.

10. The ten minute pick up. {This idea from my neighbor....we've been doing it forever.}
Ten minutes before your husband gets home, set a timer and have the kids pick up the house for ten.
No husband wants to come home to a pig sty. ...and no wife wants to live in one. Pick up!

11. Pray for your husband! Praying for him will not only encourage him, but you as well.
I can't tell you how much praying for my husband makes me fall in love with him.

12. Surprise your husband with a date..or a night at home with no kids.
Let's be honest, most husbands don't plan dates...instead of being down for him not being romantic,
be the date planner!  You'll both have a great time...in the end, no matter who plans, it's a win, win.

13. Make him breakfast before work. Pack a lunch for him. Make him coffee...do something special
each morning...it will start the day off right.

HaPpY Valentines Day.
XxOo

Wrapping up the week...maps and cookies and the loss of a friend.

1.Sunshine on our map.

2.Whipped cream is so pretty.
3.Making pizza.
4.Gymnastics.
5. More sprinkle cookies.
6.English Riding Lessons.
7.Ice fishing.

An old friend I went to school with passed away suddenly this week. He was only 39!
I feel terrible for his family. Just terrible.

He left behind a beautiful wife and three young children.
Please pray for their family as they deal with the shock and loss of a husband and a father.

If you're interested in donating to his memorial fund...you can go HERE.

Life is short...so very short!
It's sad that it takes situations like this to remind us to slow down
and appreciate the people around us.


I told Jeff a thousand times this week he is NOT allowed to die!
I could not live without him....

Happy Weekend.
XxOo

Wrapping up the week....and new songs for you from Ellie.

1. My daughter wants to move to a farm and buy a 100 horses. {or just one}

2. Scrabble Slam ....one of our favorite games. They played with Jeff's mom yesterday.

3. These buttery sprinkle cookies are very, very dangerous...to me. I'm not telling how many I ate.
Swiss Maid is my favorite bakery...It's old school but not? Do you know what I mean?

4. Maybe Jeff and I are behind...but have you guys seen THIS!?!  ....problem solved.

5.  Oh Ellie!!!! Your NeW SoNg !!! and this one !!! How sweet. and THIS ONE !!!
...I think the last is my favorite...but they are all good.
I wish I lived next door to Drew and Ellie...I'd sit under their open windows and just listen.
Until I was arrested for being a stalker...but whatever.


Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
XxOo

Old coats and muddy puddles and warm-ish days.

....his little face was this serious most of the time.

"We're going on a bear hunt...we're going to catch a big one."
He really thought we would....down the path, behind the trees, under the branches.
Unfortunately we never did. Probably because bears don't roam free in Illinois.

We read the the book often.
He loves it. so do I. If you don't have it...Get it!

It's smelled like spring...and felt like spring earlier this week.
37 degrees...we almost pulled out the sandals!

Today it all changed. We had sunshine, but Brrrrr.....!


I do love winter..but these walks and windows slightly cracked
open in the bedrooms for fresh air are making me long for spring.
{...don't tell Jeff about the cracked windows...something about wasting heat?
but we heat with wood..so no energy lost, right?}


His little brown jacket is from Gymboree ... it's 19 years old and has been worn by all the boys.
I bought it for Tyler when he was a baby.  I'm not a big saver...but I'm glad I have this little coat.