Happy New Year's Eve!

(New Year's Eve 2005) Be safe, have fun, make a resolution or two and hug someone!

Hamburger Helper v. Roasted Chicken??

I am finally admitting what I have known for a long time... my husband of 30 years is a better cook than I am. There, it has been said and now that I have said it once, I am sure you will here it from me again and again. Case in point: this weekend when I was thinking of what food I had to prepare for the weekend so I made a pot of southwestern chili and knew I had a frozen pizza somewhere so I think, Good to Go. Bob on the other hand, prepared the pizza for LUNCH and then went shopping for dinner. At about 7:30 he calls me and says, dinner is ready, would you like some Reisling with the chicken? Bob has brined and roasted two whole chickens and roasted new potatoes and carrots alongside it. He also made a sage, garlic, and pine nuts couscous. The chicken is flawless, moist, hot, infused with herbs and garlic. Too good to eat with a fork, you find yourself needing to pick it up and bring it to your lips the way God intended you to, with your hands. The veggies were perfect

Date Night!

From time to time Bob and I make actual plans to go out and have a good time together. Tonight is one of those nights! We are headed to Columbia to the Deja Vu Comedy Club to see John Reep, the guy who won Last Comic Standing. I watched him while he was on the show and I liked his style! Ashley and Eric will join us and although it hasn't been planned, I am hoping the evening might include a dinner at Hu Hot! Have a delightful weekend!

Christmas Love!

Here is a brief glimpse into the Steffes family 2007 Christmas. I am ready for the new year and all the joy it will bring! Gone til next year!

Christmas, weddings and messy houses!

It is obvious that Christmas is over, and that although we have shopped the post Christmas sales and returned the not-so-perfect gifts, it is not so obvious that our house is torn apart due to the return of one college graduate who shall remain nameless. There are shoes everywhere and wedding things and all kinds of stuff that I cannot describe. Lets just say that disorder creates a monster and that monster is ME! We are hot and heavy into wedding planning. I am still in my pjs and am hoping I can get dressed before 4:00. I have been frantically calling, emailing and answering phones since 6:30 this morning. I have ordered sheet music, flowers and applied for a liquor license, ordered pictures and started on the pew decorations and its just 8:30. Since I love Christmas and weddings, I will live with the messy house, especially since I know it means she is still living with us... that will be the hardest thing to do... "give her away" and know that our home is not hers a

Here We Go!

We are off to North Central Missouri to visit my mom, sister, nieces and nephews and then off to Bob's parents to do the same! It will be a treacherous trip as the roads are snow and ice covered. And.... we made it back! Our trips were cut a little short since we were spending so much time on the road. What is usually a two hour trip was closer to three. However, spending time with our families was well worth the stress of the drive! Here are my darling great niece and nephew... and here is the four of us at Bob's mom and dad's house...

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Just wanted to wish each of you a Merry Christmas! It has been a wonderful year of blogging and I am looking forward to more posts and making new friends!

A Blogging Question....

All of a sudden I cannot see many pictures on your blogs. They are marked with a red x and a box around the x. I think it may be my school's firewall. Does anyone else have this issue? I can't see some of the pictures on my blog, either!

Tagged!

My friend Nan, from On My Porch, tagged me for the Christmas Hoopla meme. I did this for Pea, so I am going to link you back to HERE to see it!"

Baby, Baby!

Being an October baby meant that Ashley's first Christmas came when she was just eight weeks old. Bob took this picture of her and we used it for our first christmas card. What is interesting to me is that when I was 22 and looking at my early christmas pictures, I think the pictures look old. When I look at Ashley's early christmas pictures, I think the pictures could be from today! Wonder why that is??

Why do I like these quizzes???

What The Holidays Mean to You For you, the holidays are about generosity. You give as much as you possibly can to friends, family, and charity. You celebrate the holidays in an over the top style. If something is cute, you'll buy it. People end up with a lot of gifts from you - and your house is like a holiday wonderland, full of decorations. During the holidays, you feel magical. You love all of the decorations and how happy people are. You like to sit back and take it all in. You think the holidays should be decadent and indulgent. You never mind gaining a few holiday pounds... it's worth it! Your favorite holiday memories are complete and very visual. Past holiday events play out like a video in your mind. What Do the Holidays Mean to You?

BooMama's Holiday Home Tour!

BooMama is hosting a holiday tour today of our homes. I am participating so you can see what we have done to decorate for the holidays! Our Christmas card tree is in the dining room. This is where I display our cards that we receive, if they are picture cards! These pictures are of our basement family room. The table is an original 1950s formica table with the original chairs. This was in the parish kitchen while Bob was the altar boy at his church. The tree is done in ornaments made by family and friends and photos of those who have passed on. This is in our master bedroom. This is Bob's reading chair. The room is light and airy and we love it! Photos of our living room! The bannister is decorated with Wallace silver sleigh bells and is one of our favorite decorating features. Bob gets one of these with each year of JCPS employment! And last, our kitchen! I love our old hutch (via 1790s!) and the wrought iron chandelier! Our entry way. Filled to the

Candy Marathon

Our annual open house for Bob's staff is Wednesday night. We make all kinds of goodies for the teachers and their spouses. Today was Candy Day and with having such good help we were able to make a lot in a short time! You are seeing oreo truffles, vanilla bark, chocolate covered peanuts, Bailey's Irish cream balls, crockpot candy (from Bri at Messy Thrilling Life), and you are not seeing Tipsy Cherries, which are my faves.

Twelve things about Me Christmas Hoopla!

I was tagged by Pea to do this cute post: 1. List 12 random things about yourself that have to do with Christmas. 2. Please refer to it as a ‘hoopla’ and not the dreaded ‘m’-word… 3. You have to tag specific people when you’re done. No “if you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged” stuff is allowed…then nobody ends up actually doing it. The number of people who you tag is really up to you — but the more, the merrier to get this ‘hoopla’ circulating through the blogosphere. 4. Please try and do it as quickly as possible. The Christmas season will be over before we know it! Let’s involve as many people as possible! 5. Please give Andrea some link-love as the “Hoopla-Creator! 1. I love Christmas Eve almost better than Christmas! When Christmas starts, I know it will be over in a very short time. Christmas Eve means Christmas is still a bit aways... 2. I do not like tinsel. I don't think it is festive and if I am around it, it clings to me. 3. I love Nativity Scenes . 4

Graduation Day!

It's Graduation Day at Lincoln University! Of course, there is four inches of snow on the ground so none of my extended family will make it but Bob, Ashley and Eric plan to be there! I am the only Education Specialist graduating today so for a couple of moments is the "Terri Show" which is rather fun. I got a lot of attention yesterday from the administration since I make them look good. My gown is tight and that irritates me to no end. I know that Masters and Education Specialists can wear their gowns open and I might do that although I have not been excited about that. My degree is in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis. Sounds important, don't you think? It just means that I can continue doing my job as a principal and or become a superintendent someday! Pictures later, I hope!

Hmphf....

This appeared on my door this morning. I have only been at this school for six months, how do they know me so well so soon?

Reason for the Season

I have a special love for the holy family. My favorite mass is the mass following Christmas where they bless the families and the mass centers around Mary. Because of this, I also have a fondness for nativities. Growing up my Grandmother Oliver had the most lovely Nativity scene I had (or have) ever seen. The pieces were large and colorful, yet were subtle in design. The wise men and their camels were studded with jewels, yet the peace on Mary's face is evident and Joseph's love is shining through these pieces of ceramic. I have tried to have a nativity set in every room of my house. I am taking this collection slow, as I want each one to reflect in some way my love for the holy family. The top nativity came to me from the school I just left as principal. The "administrator gift committee" gave this to me, not out of love for the season or for me, but because they assumed I wasn't a Christian when I refused to have a winter concert at night. I was figh