I am back…and I am going to try to do better this year!!!

I having been slacking…so bad that I noticed that my last post was on January 2009…Has it been that long???  We did a lot in 2009.   We went to Disney World during Spring Break, Benjamin played a little football, we went apple picking, we went to Charlie Brown: Ice in Nashville, TN at Thanksgiving, we saw Star Wars:In Concert, we went sledding, and visited Grandma Wilson in Washington D.C.

Benjamin at Disney World - Spring Break 2009

Benjamin playing football for the Cowboys.

Picking apples at Lynds Fruit Farm 2009

Benjamin Sledding at Blacklick Golf Course - Jan 2009

Cool Program I discovered…

I saw someone with a picture on facebook with a black and white photo with shot of color.  I was thinking to myself, “What program did they use?”  and it dawned on me that they used Adobe…which, as most of us knows it expensive.  So, I did a google search and found this cool program called Magic Splash Color Studio. It costs only $15 and is a pretty easy program to use.  All you do is open up a color photo in the program and it turns it black and white and you use this eraser type tool to go over the parts you want color and if you make a mistake you can go back over it in black and white.  It’s pretty cool for $15 and not $99 (and complicated).  Anway here are a an example…

Wordless Wednesday

Student of the Month – Kindergarten 2008

 

         

Benjamin received Student of the month of November 2008.  We are so proud of him!! Way to go Benjamin!!!  He was so excited.  They presented the award to him at the Taylor Road PTO meeting.

All About Benjamin

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1st Snow in Columbus, OH

It’s been awhile since I have posted anything.  We have been busy, and well I have been slacking.  It’s hard to believe we have almost been in Ohio a year.  I was trying to block out the cold memories we had last year here.  Well, It’s back, the snow!!!  I tried to get a good picture and this is the best I could do.  None of the news channels or weather channels want to commit on how much snow we will be getting.  In Huntsville standards, this is more than a dusting.  I will have to admit it though, it is very pretty.

Happy 33rd Birthday, Honey!!!!

It was 33 years ago that my husband was born. 

In that same year…….

The Jeffersons debuts on CBS.

Junko Tabei becomes the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

The name “Micro-soft” (for “microcomputer software“) is used by Bill Gates in a letter to Paul Allen for the first time.

Cincinnati Reds win the World Series.

Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl IX.

and….A bomb explodes at New York City’s LaGuardia Airport killing 11.

How much things cost…

Yearly Inflation Rate USA……………………………….9.2%
Year End Close Dow Jones Industrial Average…………….858
Interest Rates Year End Federal Reserve…………………7.25%
Average Cost of new house………………………….$39,300.00
Average Income per year……………………………..$14,100.00
Average Monthly Rent……………………………………..$200.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas……………………………………44 cents
Average cost new car……………………………………$4,250.00
Foster Grant Sun Glasses…………………………………….$5.00

Benjamin wanted to say…..

Happy Birthday Honey!!!

We love you very much and hope you have a special day!!!!

First Day of Kindergarten

Benjamin had his first day of Kindergarten today.  I don’t know who was more nervous, him, mommy, or daddy.  Our little boy is growing up.  As you can see in the first picture he was very nervous before KIndergarten, to the point of crying a little. I explained what was going to happen and once we got to Latchkey he was fine.  I guess he was just a little overwhelmed.  The second picture was after I picked him up.  Mrs. S-T is his Kindergarten teachers name.  She is really nice.  Benjamin likes the fact that she teaches sign language.  I think it is pretty cool too.  I took a sign language class in college, so I know a little, so it will be fun to be able to try to communicate with each other.

Places around Ohio and other things we have done…

We have a had a busy few weeks.  My mom came up for a week and spent time with Benjamin before school started.   We went to the Longaberger Estate and looked around.  Above is their headquarters.  Its only about a 45 minute drive from our house.  I don’t think Benjamin could believe how they made the building look like a basket. 

We both have finally gotten our Ohio Drivers Licenses.  Well, at least one of us.  My poor husband has such a common name that he had to clear his name from Pennsylvania before he can get it.  So after he sends them a $25 check to clear it, he can finish getting his drivers license.

We also went to The Wilds.  This is like going to the Zoo only up close.  You take a bus through acres and acres of land.  You see rhinos, giraffes, and leopards, and many other animals up close.  

 

A Great Man…A Father…and a Military Man…

This past weekend we buried my father-in-law.  It was the most honorable ceremony a person could ever witness.  He would have been proud!!!  A great man, like himself, who served for our country and fought for our freedom, deserved this beautiful cermony.  He married a wonderful woman, had 8 beautiful children, and was surrounded by lots of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  My DH, Benjamin, and myself traveled to Washington D.C. on this past Tuesday.  The funeral and Arlington Cermony was on Wenesday.  There were lots of family and friends present.  You could feel the love and warmth of my DH’s father around us the whole time we were there.  It was almost like he was right there with us.  Thursday we went and saw my DH’s youngest brother’s new house.  It was beautiful.  We also got to visit with my sister-in-law’s family.  We swam, jet skied, ate crab and enjoy each other’s company.  We even found out that we are going to have a new baby in the family!!!  How exiciting is that!!!  On Friday, we went to the National Zoo and Saturday we saw all the sites in downtown D.C.    Benjamin and his Aunt Liz even ran a race!!  Benjamin did pretty good for his first official race.  He wasn’t first, but he was last either.  It was fun watchinn him enjoy himself.  I I have included a few pictures.