made ya look

hahahahaha.

I made you all look!

But as long as you are here, you might as well stay awhile and check out my blog.






For any of you slightly confused, please check out this CaringBridge site for my cousin Mary and see where I signed her guestbook: http://www.caringbridge.org/cb/viewHome.do

Inspiration

Just thought I would share this incredible, touching story that I saw on KARE11 last night. Please go to this site and read or watch the story about Amy Taylor! I hope that if I were to be diagnosed with a terminal illness, I could handle it with as much grace as Amy. I am sure that she has horrible days and painful days. But she is an inspiration to me.

http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=519872&GID=GZEuH26kwV0TSAECrdCaI58H55O18aus9DlpD1WrQac%3D

Here is Amy Taylors CaringBridge site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor

Land of the Free

We had a great 4th of July! We started the day out with the good ole Delano Parade. The kids collected loads of candy, way more that Halloween even. And we saw many friends and had a wonderful time. After the parade, we drove out to Mahtomedi and went to grandma and grandpa's for a long weekend! We spend the afternoon at Uncle Paul's swimming and catching up with family. Later in the evening, we sprayed the bug spray and walked down to the lake for the fireworks show. They were beautiful...but the kids had a looong day and barely made it...we had to start walking before the grand finale!

Like my Sig?

SO I found this really cool thingy...turns out it's called a "signature". I have one on my email and thought it would be neat to add it to my bloggy!

I had some time to kill (ie waiting for my blood to stop boiling so I wouldn't beat one of my children silly). I was just sitting here perusing blogs and found a link to a signature place. Fun fun.

My husband if off at an interview (praise God, for the interview, not that he's gone), I was cleaning up dinner and the fighting. O the fighting. I am so tired of the fighting. Those boys just do not know when to stop. So I sent them to their room (maybe that's the problem, too much time together) so I could calm down before I spanked them out of anger. That's when said perusing happened and all the signature stuff and now here I am blogging aimlessly. But they are playing oh-so-nicely in the next room. Maybe I won't need to spank them after all.

Proud Big Sister

I suppose I could get into major trouble for doing this...but I took this article off the White Bear Press site. I am in no way crediting myself for this article.

I just thought I was really fun to see a picture of my baby brother Aaron and an article about what he did. He is going to have his 15 minutes of fame. "Well, done brother!" (he's the one in the blue shirt!)

My parents are friends of the Donatelle's and we have been going to their restaurant since before I can remember! Their food is wonderful...pizza to die for! I even remember my parents threw me a surprise party there when I turned 12!

Food Channel host Guy Fieri was in White Bear Lake to film at Donatelli’s with owners Trish Appleby and Steve Donatelle. The restaurant will be featured on the show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" this fall. — Submitted photo

Donatelli's not your average 'Diner, Drive-in or Dive'
Jun 25, 2008 - 10:19:34 CDT.
by Mike Morgan Staff WriterWHITE BEAR LAKE —

Donatelli's soon will be known far outside its loyal local customer base.The restaurant is being featured on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," a Food Channel program. A crew from the show was in town recently for two days of nearly constant filming.It all started when a former local resident now working as a producer on the show was in town eating at Donnatelli's — as she often had growing up.

Thinking the establishment would fit the show, she sought out Trish Appleby, one of the restaurant's operators who was working at the time.Appleby later spent a few hours talking on the phone with another producer describing Donatelli's independent nature.

She learned that the "Diners" series focuses on independent restaurants that make a sizable portion of their offerings from scratch.Additionally, the show only features restaurants that are one-of-a-kind and aren't looking to expand into chains, Appleby said.The criteria fit perfect with Donatelli's. It's been open for decades and makes its own Italian cuisine originally derived from owner Steve Donatelle's family recipes, said Trish, his wife, who goes by the last name Appleby.

In fact, Donatelli's opened as a pizza place in 1979 and has stayed with one owner ever since. It attracts longtime employees and regular customers, some of whom have been going long enough that staff members are meeting their grandchildren.The ever-changing menu of homemade food, along with a few signature dishes, impressed the show's makers.

The amount of food the staff makes each day impressed the crew as well, said Appleby.The show's host, Guy Fieri, watched longtime cooks Aaron Liedl and Jessica Kissell create the restaurant's pasta, sausage, pizza, meat balls and other Italian cuisine.

In all, the film crew shot footage from 8 a.m. to midnight June 1 and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 3. They interviewed staff members and customers and got plenty of shots of the food — all for a televised segment that will probably last about 12 minutes."I'm curious to see how it comes out," Appleby said. "It was a really interesting experience."

For those wondering how the show's creators select which restaurants to feature, Appleby said they're basically chosen through word of mouth, often through suggestions from people who operate the featured restaurants.Appleby said she suggested the crew head to Florida for a restaurant she frequents there.

As for Donatelli's segment in the spotlight, Appleby says many customers are fans of the program and can't wait to see their favorite local dining spot featured."Every day, people ask when it's going to be on," she said.The date has yet to be set, but the episode featuring Donatelli's is expected to air this fall.

RBS

I know. Everytime you come to this blog, it's a new color, isn't it? I think I have a condition called Restless Blog Syndrome. It flairs up quite often. I contunually have the intense need to change things, improve things or make them look just right. I have no idea where it comes from. But everyday, I log on and think "it just does not look right". Sadly, I spend countless hours looking for the "right" blogger template. It's ruining my life, my children are suffering from lack of attention. So is my husband. My house is a wreck. ;o) Consequently, I have the same urge when I log onto my MySpace account. "MUST CHANGE BACKGROUND. MUST CHANGE PROFILE PICTURE." What's to become of me? Maybe I'm just calling out for help.

Ahhhh, Summer!

Today was a fun in the sun kind of day. For the purpose of watering the ever crunchy grass, the sprinklers had been turned on and all children were dressed in their swimming suits. It's a good 84* in Minnesota and the perfect day for causing a sprinkler raucous.

So innocent looking and yet so full of mischief.

Let's get some sun on that boy!

It's always a good idea to remember your rain boots whilst running in the sprinkler! And always bring your Frisbee so you can shield yourself.

Our buddy Logan came to play and ride bikes. We had a Lemonade stand, which soon became the Medical Station due to the perils of biking, it's brutal. But the Raspberry Lemonade abounds and now 5 children are fast asleep at 2:33 in the afternoon.