Grandma's bloom

The red one has four blooms.  Andrea, did you get your planted?

Love, Grandma

Chicago does Amaryllis

I had to leave them for two weeks and they are still doing well!  I gaveBeth a watering plan.  I fear she might have over watered them, but I'm watching them carefully now that I'm back. 

Breakfast for the girls!

There is nothing like warm oatmeal and apples on a cold morning!  The girls love their apple oatmeal.   Deb

BLOOMS

Help! They're growing and I can't stop them!

Love Grandma

Sweetest Dog in the World (the black one)

Tammy taught Septima how to spoon. 

Norma Jean was cold.

Manger scene 2011

Dad cut some of the rocks with a tile saw.

They are sand stone rocks.

Moms rock manger scene 2011

Halloween 2011

12 point buck 2011

slow and steady wins the race

Well I really wanted to get an update out before my trip but my less that spectacular packing skills kept me from having time last night.  Lucky for me United Airlines ability to run an airline properly is about on par with said skills.  My flight was cancelled and now I'm back home waiting for my flight tonight at 8pm.  I took this opportunity to share with you my little budding plants.  Hopefully when I get back home in two weeks I will have caught up with you grandma.  Don't worry, I have beth on Amaryllis watch, so they will not go unattended.
love,
abi

Amaryllis Update!

I don't know why this picture is lying down (fix it if you can).  Two weeks and one is going great guns.  It is growing almost too fast, I think it is because I had it in a west window and the sun was really making is grow.  I moved it to the north window.   Grandma

Watch out Grandma, you've got competition!

Day 1 for Abi

Here are my three ladies, soaking up the eastern sun light on this beautiful saturday morning! 

Let the Amaryllis Games begin......2011

Grandma's Amaryllis at 12 days, one bud (not the biggest).

Spartan Race Chicago

Two weekends ago my friend KC and I did a Spartan Race together.  Essentially it's a 5k run filled with all kinds of crazy and insane obstacles.  Check out the website if you want to see some of the insanity...
http://www.spartanrace.com/
but really, in the end, this is what it boils down too...

...a muddy, muddy mess! 

Best way to see the rain forest in Costa Rica!

Just Keeps Getting Better

We got more pics from the photographer and they are really good!!  I love seeing his different perspectives.  So fun to see the room again.  It was so beautiful!!!!

My Pretty Babies

Hi All,
Sorry I haven't posted pics of my babies lately.  Below are some of the latest.

 Lizzy and Sonny tusseling.....they love to play with each other!!

 Stripe and Sonny (foreground).  Almost as big as Mama!

 Blue, Lizzy and Sonny.  "Sitting" like good obedient babies!

 The whole family.  Blue, Stripe, Lizzy and Sonny.

Sacked out!!

Love y'all,

Fwev

My ceiling

This is a ceiling I designed being constructed in the luxury apartment of a hotel in Hangzhou China.  While I was in Shanghai another designer was at this property reviewing the halfway point of the construction.  She took this picture for me :)

The Real Deal

If you haven't already seen them on facebook, here are the pictures we have all been waiting for!
So exciting, we totally relived the moment when we saw them.

Ethan-Football

This is at Ethan's first college football game at Leavenworth. It was a beautiful day (on and off), rained then sunny, rained then sunny.  We had a great time. Grandma & Grandpa, Heather, Wes & Charlotte and even Andy & Caleb came up to cheer Ethan on.  The Friends Falcons came out on top.

Love Deb

The BIG Proposal!!!!

Here's the story:

Caleb told me a couple weeks ago that he was trying to win tickets for something through work, like a musical, concert or sporting event, etc.  He wouldn't tell me what the tickets were for, wanted it to be a surprise.  He didn't know exactly when he would get them, but thought a Monday or Tuesday night in the next couple weeks.  And then since I got a new job, he wanted to go to a nice dinner at The Bristol, a fish place that I love and he's been wanting to try.  So he had reservations at The Bristol at 7pm, and tickets to a "mysterious show" at 8pm.  He picked me up at 6, and said we had to stop at his hotel to get the tickets, he left them there so that I wouldn't see them.  And he had a sack of work shirts that he needed to return to his boss. 

So we went to the hotel restaurant and got the tickets and he tossed the sack of shirts on the bar.  Then he wanted to show me one of the newly renovated suites at the hotel.  His hotel is really old and historic and absolutely beautiful, so he knew I would like to see behind the scenes a bit.  We toured the room and then I thought we were leaving, but he wanted to stop and show me The Crystal Ballroom.  He stopped at the door, handed me one of the tickets and said, "Oh, here's your ticket:

I was so confused, and then he opened the double doors and this is what I saw (its a bad picture from my phone):

White rose pedals leading to a little two top table with beautiful flower arrangements and candles throughout the room.  There was a pedestal table with a ring (which he used the bag with the shirts to sneak in), he knelt down (he was so nervous, which is SO odd for Caleb, he is usually so calm, and he was already crying) but he managed to get out part of his planned speech and said, "I love you so much, Will you marry me?"  I didn't even hear him because I was so worried about him being so nervous.  I kept saying, "Why are you nervous, don't be nervous, I don't like seeing you nervous!"
He had planned the whole thing out on his own and the director of the hotel heard about it and wanted to be in on it.  He wants to use the idea to create a package for the hotel to offer guys planning a proposal.  So he hired a photographer to document it and create marketing materials.  And he did all the set up and flowers for Caleb.  Caleb planned the entire meal with the chef so that it was all gluten and dairy free.  We had champagne, wine, appetizers, salad, lamb with bacon and asparagus risotto, pork chops with mashed potatoes and cabbage, and sorbet with berries.  Everything was perfect and so great to have the entire room to ourselves!!  We were so happy and giddy all night!

So there it is!!!  I love it so much!  Caleb did a great job.  It's perfect and so vintage, which I LOVE!!!

Sorry this took me so long.  Can't wait to see you guys in person soon, we're gonna plan to come down to Chanute in the next couple weeks.  Love you!!!

Kim & Rick's new implement shed

Ethan's College Dorm room

Ethan & Skyler (Skyler is suite mate, not room mate)

 Skyler, Mason & Trevor (Trevor is room mate)

 Ethan

Mason writing "Happy Campers" on white board.

Hello?

Is anybody out there?!

I'm looking for my family, have you seen them?

If you have any information please post it here to this site.

Hansom reward of love and affection from yours truly.

-abi

Summer Time!!!!

the beautiful garden store by my house that i go to when i need an instant jolt of happiness!  i asked if it was byo hammock, but they just laughed.  I was serious though.

picture from one of the stops on our all night bike ride with the Midnight Marauders.  It was a really cool new installation in the park commissioned by Chicago power and electric.  It stays on all night, yet a heavy rainstorm can wipe out a neighborhood for a week!  Good use of resources?  I think not! 

 We went on a river boat brewery tour in Millwaukee.  Four breweries with great beer!  Plus that city is pretty awesome too!

Morgan and I not paying attention to who is taking the pic!

 The sunset over the Millwaukee Art Museum.  One of my favorite buildings in the region!

Kim showing off her vocals for the crowd on the Rutter bar crawl!  That night was a total blast!

I got to tour a handmade wallcovering factory.  It was a ton of fun.  I wanted to play with all the fun paint and papers!

wallpaper hanging to dry

a super cool macine call a ruminizer!  it puts a special finish on the paper using a matalic paint.  no rum included.

I went to a party for an industry event at the coolest place in Chicago, Salvage One.  It's an architectural salvage warehouse.  I'm going to beg them for a job.  No joke. BEG!

There is a really cool festival put on by Fat Tire Brewery.  It's all about bikes!  They even give a few away. There are all kinds of funky bikes you can ride.  It was hot but so much fun!

A bunch of my KSU friends went down to the Ozarks last weekend to catch up and hang out on the water.  It was a much needed break.  I brought two girl friends from Chicago with.  They were not disapointed by the Ozark lifestyle!  Like my hat??!!  I got it in China Town for $3!