Where did the time go!

It is the end of December and the holidays are over. Where did the time go!!! I have not updated anything lately and we have had a lot that I could have written! I kept saying that my goal is to update weekly but that obviously was a LYE!!

So here we are at the end of 2010 and it is time to make a New Year resolution. What should my resolution be? Should it be being a better blogger, working harder at keeping my house clean or the ever so popular, becoming a healthier person. If I were smart and driven, I could do all three!! I could blog about how I keep my house clean while eating only oranges! I am not sure that would make for some good reading, but one just never knows! Either way, I will attempt to update my blog with some fun Althof adventures. I might have to do some catching up to do, with all that has happened in one short month, but I will do my best. I will blog what my resolution will be!

One final question, do you have a New Year's Resolution??

The New Oven!

I am excited to announce that I officially have a NEW oven!!! Not only is it new, matches the kitchen, and evenly distributes heat, but it is NORMAL SIZE!!! I have for the past few years been baking with an oven that has the lifespan of a 200 year old turtle. Nothing is going to stop this thing. I am pretty positive to say that it was the original oven from when the house was built in the early 60's.




Now, I wish that I can say that we went and bought an oven and then ran home and slapped it into the wall. That would be every girls dream, but not at this household. Wyatt and I (or Wyatt) have been working on updating our kitchen. We (meaning Wyatt) painted and added trim to all of the cabinet doors and painted the kitchen several different colors. (I was told that he was not painting it any more!)I got a new cooktop and then one Mother's day, Wyatt and the boys got me my new oven, with the intentions of having a new cabinet built. We were told that we would need to have the measurements from everything. This awesome new oven sat in my basement, year









after year.




Then, that wonderful day in October came...and so did my cabinet!





I agreed to do all of the painting. I never painted so fast in my life, which showed as Wyatt had to do some touching up, but it officially matched the other cabinets!!






With a little help from Chris Etzel, the cabinet was installed!



I love it!! I think that I have officially used it everyday since it was put in! We still have some finishing touches to make, but I can deal with it.

How time flies!

I realize that I have really slacked in the blog area!! We had so much going on this last few months so I am just going to post some pictures of the fun things that we have been up to. Haden started playing soccer. He did much better at soccer than T-ball!! He actually went out on the field and ran and participated. I was very proud of him!! We also had the annual Octoberfest out at the Etzel/Blevins farm. As usual, we had a blast hunting for store bought pumpkins and talking with good friends! Rachel Gross even brought out a pony for the kids to ride. Of course, my boys share the same love for horses as I and refused to ride it. We did not stop there! My sister, brother in law, and the kids and I headed out for a full day of fun at Renyers Pumpkin Patch. What a great time! We participated in EVERY activity that was available and enjoyed every last bit! Haden LOVED leading us through the corn maze and Brody enjoyed climbing to the top of the tire tower, until he could not climb down. That meant Mom to the rescue!
We finally wrapped up the two months with some Trick or Treating and Halloween fun! I had the cutest Fireman and Doctor at my house this year! We tried to get some cute pictures of the boys with Olivia, Zoe and Lilly. Each child had their own agenda, but they all looked ADORABLE running around the front yard! I had tried to carve pumpkins with the boys before their friends came over, but that was an unsuccessful task. Haden said he did not want to touch it and Brody just kept telling me it was "yucky" so I got to carve the pumpkins by myself. Haden did draw the shapes of the jack o lanterns face for me!
I have chalked up the last two months as some great memories and lots of fun. I hope you enjoy the pictures!!

WOW!!

HOLY MOLY!!! Has it really been over a month since I have posted anything??? I have so much to share, but I have to download some pictures. We have been really busy the last month. Be sure to check back soon and hopefully I will have something on here. Don't give up on me!!

7%

A friend on Facebook shared this video so I thought that I would share it on my blog. It has a great message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ko_VSKn1DAE

Another Cake

I was asked to make another cake for a friend of mine. Her husband was turning 40 and she asked me to make a cake for her. I was very honored that she asked me. I will admit that I am pleased with how the cake turned out. I finished baking the cakes on Thursday and was planning on decorating the cakes on Friday to be ready for Saturday. Of course things did not go as I had planned. It began to storm Friday and we lost our electricity for a little while. It is hard to use the mixer without power!! I was finally able to get the frosting made and decorated the cakes by party time on Saturday. I wish that I could say that I did it all without any major panic attacks, but that would just be a dishonest! I believe that at one point my mom told me to drink a beer and chill out. I must have been a lot more panicky than normal!! I have to admit that the final product did not turn out to bad!

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow!!

As you all know, my baby boy has a head of hair with lots of wave. NOT ANY MORE!!! I am going to be honest and say that there were a few tears in my eyes as I watched all of his hair drop down to the ground. Wyatt and I decided that it was time for a hair cut, and out came the razor. I think this is the first time I have ever seen his scalp!!! Now, Brody has had many haircuts in his two years. They usually consist of a trim. Only one other time has he really had a major cut and that was when Wyatt cut off all of his adorable curls. I am pretty sure I cried then also!! Wyatt keeps on reassuring me that his hair will grow. I suppose I will admit that he is right!!

BEFORE




After