A Very Thankful Thanksgiving

After a busy trip to Fort Collins, catching up on laundry, getting back to work, Geoff getting sick, then I got sick.... I am finally able to blog about our Thanksgiving!! Geoff and I were very excited to get to spend Thanksgiving with his brother Doug and family.  Plus who doesn't love a trip to the mountains?!?! I was excited as well since this was my first Thanksgiving as a Karhoff!  As usual, we spent Thanksgiving day feasting on all sorts of yummy foods and watching the Lion's, unfortunately but typically, lose to the Packers.  And of course a couple of naps were had by most all.  That evening, Amber and I headed out to Toys R Us to score some sweet deals on Black Friday Sales for the kiddos.  And thankfully, they opened at 9pm so we could go shopping and come home to sleep!

Friday was a super exciting day.  We decided to take off and go up to Estes Park and look around since Geoff and I had never been there.  It was absolutely gorgeous.  We both said that we are definitely going to live there some day! Unfortunately it was super crowded for the Christmas Light Parade and really cold.  So we said we will plan better next year and go watch the parade.  Then it was time to take off to head to Denver to eat at Casa Bonita!!! I had never eaten at Casa Bonita so I was super pumped, and let me say, it did not let me down!  It was totally awesome. 

Saturday we went to Downtown Fort Collins to go ice skating!!! I love ice skating, Geoff on the other hand, not so much.  So I was really happy to have a chance to go with Amber and Raegen.  The boys decided they would just watch and swap manly stories.  That evening I got to go with Amber and Raegen to a dinner theater to see White Christmas.  It was fantastic but nothing beats Danny Kaye and Bing Crosby.  Plus our very flamboyant waiter, Ryan, was also in the chorus and he truly thought he was the star.  We all had a great time enjoying his facials, and he was Raegan's favorite character!

Geoff and I loved our visit and are looking forward to making this a yearly tradition!  Here are a few highlights from our trip:

Geoff and his new little Buddy. 

Us in Estes Park

 

At Casa Bonita, I was a little excited.

Cliff Divers

Ice Skating with Raegan.

B.T.W. My Gorillas just beat Northwest Missouri State for the second time this year!! One step closer to the NCAA DII CHAMPIONSHIPS!!! GGOOOORRRIIILLLAAASSS!!!!!!!!

My Most Favorite Time of the Year!!!

Its here! Its here!! The Holidays are here!!!! If you know me, you know that I absolutely love Christmas and everything associated with it!  Now before you all jump down my back because I'm skipping Thanksgiving.  I consider Thanksgiving to be lumped right in there.  Nothing beats a day with family, good food and thankfulness.  I find it so appropriate that we enter the Christmas season with a day to be reminded of how thankful we should be for everything that God has given us, especially the greatest gift He has ever given us! An eternal life with Him!!

This past weekend, Geoff and I decided to take a trip back to the Ozarks to get our fix of Lamberts and Christmas at Silver Dollar City!!! And it made our trip even more special because both of our parents went with us!  So we had full tummies of yummy hot rolls and chicken friend steak and pass arounds and our hearts were full of joy from Silver Dollar City!  And good news: the highway to St. Joe is back open from all of the flooding this summer so now it only takes 5 1/2 hours to get home instead of 7! YAY!!

So after our festive weekend we decided it was time to deck our halls!  It was fun to pull out all of my Christmas decorations since I didn't get to last year. (I was moving back home from Pittsburg to student teach) Although, sadly a few of my music boxes are still in my parents garage, but I don't think there would be room.  Our little place is pretty festive!  And Geoff has big plans for our porch, that is this weekends project.  Lets just pray that Michigan beats Nebraska, otherwise I will have one grumpy husband for quite a while!

Us at Silver Dollar City!!!

My Christmas Decorater Helper

Our Tree!!

All ready for the Holidays!!!

Updates and Cooking

Hello bloggersphere readers!  I haven't updated in a while so I thought I would inform you of whats been happening around the Karhoff casa.  After a somewhat disappointing Halloween (refer to last blog post), we got to look forward to my parent's visiting the following weekend!! So our week was spent preparing the little abode to be ready for visitors.  Friday FINALLY came and my parents were here!! We really enjoyed just spending time with them, showing off Lincoln and cooking yummy food!!  We didn't do anything major, and I don't even have pictures to post of the weekend (Gasp!)

I've also kinda of gotten into cooking lately.  Maybe I'm becoming more confident in this wifey skill but I really am kinda proud of a few of my creations.  So I thought I would share my little tiny tid bit of success in the kitchen. 

1. Chili
I'm pretty proud of my chili.  Granted, chili isn't something that is too hard to mess up, but your talking to the girl who made the most disgusting batch of mashed taters in the first few weeks of cooking.  It all started on the first cold day, Geoff and I were freezing and decided to make chili.  It turned into throwing in a bit of this and a bit of that and voula, CHILI! I made a pot while my parents were here, and they were pretty impressed. 

2. Baked Potato Bacon Soup
This was a recipe that I added to from a cookbook I got at non other than Silver Dollar City! Its super simple and sooo tasty.  It reminds me of the baked potato soup from Chili's.  Here's the recipe:
1 can cream of potato
1 can cheddar cheese soup
2 cups milk
salt and pepper
2 cans of diced potatoes or peeled and cut up baking potatos
4-5 strips of bacon fried up and crumbled up into the soup

Throw all of the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil, then simmer until the soup thickens.  I add in bacon once the soup is simmering. 
It is sooo yummy and good that we have had it twice in the past two weeks.  I think you could even crock pot it but I haven't tried yet. 

3. Calzones
Tonight I made homemade calzones that turnded out way better than I thought.  I'm still perfecting it, but I think it might be a new favorite.  I found this really awesome dough recipe from my new favorite blog, The Small Things blog. 

You should really check The Small Things blog out.  She is awesome with hair, makes cute jewelry and crafty things, attempts to cook like I do, and loves the Lord.  I'm pretty sure she is supposed to be my best friend.  Lol.  Here is the link: The Small Things Blog

Well thats all for now.  Our tummies are full of yummy calzones and we are watching Jericho, a show we have recently become addicted to on Netflix.  Until next time...

Fall Festivities

Happy Fall!!! Today was the first official snow of the year!!! WAAAHOOO!!! It really got me in the holiday mood.  So much so that I played Christmas music on my way home from work! But before I get into my Christmas/Thanksgiving holiday mode, I'll catch you up on our Halloween. 



We started out by visiting the pumpkin patch near our house.  We got to take Roscoe with us and he loved it!! They had a small petting zoo, corn maze, hay ride (or as they call it in these parts a hayrack ride, I don't get it) and you got to pick your pumpkin straight from the patch!  Roscoe was really intrigued by the donkey and the donkey wasn't so sure of Roscoe.  All in all, it was a fun afternoon.  

Then this past weekend we carved our pumpkins!! Geoff hates the nasty insides of the pumpkin, so it was funny to watch him squirm.  Fun fact for ya: this was the first time in all our years together that we were able to carve pumpkins together!

On Halloween, I had to work, with kids...ugh.  It was a long day, but when I came home I got everything ready for trick or treaters.  We even had an extra "spooky" dinner! 

Even our Gnome dressed up for Halloween! 

"Spooky" Rigatoni...Geoff is never going to let me live this down. 

Unfortunately we did not have a single trick or treater all night.  Oh well more candy for us! 

Homemade Holly

Recently I have been a big money saving kick!  I've been scouring the interwebs look for ways to save us money through couponing and have discovered some really awesome things!  So as the title implies, I've learned to make a few things that I use nearly every day for only cents.  So listen up cause I'm about to share these awesome tips with you. 

"Fake Febreeze" 

As many of you know, well probably all of you, we are the parents to an adorable, loving, slobery, hairy, STINKY hound.  I love my Roscoe and I even kinda love his houndy "corn chip" smell, but not when my house smells like it! So we go through a lot of Febreeze.  I was thrilled when I stumbled upon this "recipe" to make your own Febreeze.  Its so easy, you will wonder why you ever paid full price!  This is all you need:

2 TBS of Baking Soda
2 TBS of your favorite fabric softener
          ***I use Gain because I like the way it smells best, but you could even the cheap stuff
Mix in a bottle with hot water and shake

TAAADAAA Febreeze!  I think this even smells better than the real stuff.  I also shake my bottle before ever use to make sure it has stayed mixed.  It will leave a film on your tables if they are accidentally sprayed, but it wipes up really easy.  So you're welcome, enjoy your Febreeze. 

"Clorox Wipes" 

I love these things, but they are so expensive I kinda gave them up.  That is until now!  I just found this recipe the other day and tried it out and IT WORKS.  Here's whatcha gotta do:

1 roll of paper towels
       ***Use Viva, Bounty or the like.  The cheap stuff doesn't hold up well
Cut roll of paper towels in half and leave the cardboard tube in the middle, this comes out later
       ***This was the hardest part.  I'm still working on a good method so if you come up with one please share!
Place half of the paper towel roll in a Tupperware type container. 
Mix two cups of hot water with your desired cleaning concentrate.  I'm a Lysol type of girl, personally. 
Poor liquid over paper towel rolls, swish around.  Place lid on container and flip upside down.  Leave the container like this for a few minutes to let the liquid soak into the towels.  When you come back to the container you can pull out the cardboard roll.  This is brilliant! 

If all cleaning products are this easy to make, why aren't I making more?? Do you have any clean tips or DIY cleaners?  Please share! I'm all ears!! And as a bonus, I discovered an awesome way to store cleaning products that makes them easy, accessible, and organized!  I was so tired of having everything on a shelf and having to move them all around and the bottles falling over....it was a mess.  All I needed was an over the door shoe organizer.  Check mine out:

I love it! Geoff likes it.  We all like it! Until next time!!

Word Up

Word up, home skillets.  Lets see, time to keep all of you up to date with whats been going on in our lives.  Lets start out with 2 weekends ago.  I was super excited to get to finally go home for a visit!  We both took a day on Friday and left Thursday evening for home.  We enjoyed spending Friday visiting everyone, getting some Chick-Fil-A and emptying out our storage unit.  We loved having dinner and belated birthday cake for Hannah with both of our parents Friday evening and were looking forward to a trip to SDC on Saturday.  Well when I woke up sick around 2am on Saturday we knew our plans completely changed.  I spent all of Saturday feeling pretty awful and in bed.  Luckily I woke up on Sunday feeling much better, just in time to load up the Hound and myself to head back to Nebraska.   Geoff stayed behind to head to Dallas for a Dyson training.  It was a real bummer leaving, since I had the long trip ahead of me, by myself.  This was the first time Geoff and I had been apart since we got married! Luckily it was only for two nights and I survived.  I was super happy to pick him up from the airport on Tuesday.  Unfortunately I didn't get my "home" fix in and I'm ready to go back more than ever!  I know that Lincoln is where God wants us to be, and we truly love the life He has provided for us here, but I just wish it wasn't so darn far away.  I miss family dinners, seeing people we know when we go to the store, having girls nights, good Mexican food and Chick-Fil-A, being close to steel a weekend away in Branson, and even the Tornado damage.  Don't get me wrong, Lincoln is great and we are really settling in.  In fact, just this past Sunday when we saw several acquaintances to say I hi to during "shake hands" time, did I feel like we belonged a little bit.  And we love exploring this little part of Nebraska, we always find something to do on weekends and evenings! Its just rough!! 

My job is going really well and I'm finally starting to figure everything out!  (Well at least the best I can!)  Although, if I could change one thing about my job it would be Lunch Duty.  I LOATHE lunch duty.  I feel like I need to wear rubber boots and a poncho!  The kids are so very demanding as well!  Heaven forbid that we run out of ranch momentarily, or that the kitchen staff is running slow.  It just kind of goes to show what type of world we are living in; a world of right nows and no manners!  There are some days that I think I should get tipped for all of the running around pouring ranch and getting forgotten spoons and forks.  I do find ways to make it enjoyable, and when I'm constantly trying to keep up poring ranch or ketchup or even the condiment trifecta of ranch, ketchup, AND BBQ sauce, the time in the lunch room goes by quickly.  It just reminds me of a poem...

Lunch Duty! Oh, Lunch Duty!
I hate you! You stink!
I wish I could wash you away in the sink,
if only a bomb
would explode you to bits.
Lunch Duty! Oh, Lunch Duty !
You're giving me fits.

I'd rather take baths
with a man-eating shark,
or wrestle a lion
alone in the dark,
eat spinach and liver,
pet ten porcupines,
than tackle the Lunch Duty,
my Principal assigns.

Lunch Duty! Oh, Lunch Duty!
you're last on my list,
I simply can't see
why you even exist,
if you just disappeared
it would tickle me pink.
Lunch Duty! Oh, Lunch Duty!
I hate you! You stink!

Jack Prelutsky (Minor Changes by Holly Karhoff)

This and That and Such and Such

Hello again! I know I have been neglecting my blog a little bit but to be honest, not much has been going on.  I've started a new post several times now and just realized I didn't have anything to say.  But today I'm actually gonna do it, I'm gonna blog and I'm gonna blog my little heart out.

Two weekends ago, Geoff and I went to the Lincoln Air Show.  It was really neat and I had kinda been looking forward to it for a while.  The school I work at is located in "Air Park" where the airport is.  So for the few days leading up to the show we got to see all of the planes practicing while I was outside with kids at recess.  Which of course made them WILD, but it was still fun.  I was excited to see the Blue Angels in person, very cool!  I don't know how they do it, I would be freaking out and definitely puking out my guts!  But never the less, we had fun and even could see some of the performances from our apartment!

 

After this weekend of really nice late summer temps, it got cold.  And when I was cold I mean low 50s high and almost in the 30s at night.  And to add to the enjoyment it was windy and rainy.  I know this doesn't sound like a huge deal but when I was sweating my you know what off on Monday at recess then nearly freezing on Wednesday, it was a bit redic.  I mean, its still technically summer!!! This cold spell lasted almost a full week.  It was nice to get to wear jeans and hoodies for a few days, but luckily we are back in "normal" late summer/September weather.  If this is a glimpse at what winter will hold for us, I'm scared.  Its not like Joplin, where if the temps are below freezing you have indoor recess.  I'm hearing we pretty much go outside no matter what.  And lucky me, I have 3 different recess duties!!! Looks like I'm investing in warm clothes and a good coat! 

Geoff and I are also really excited about the church we have been attending.  Northpoint Community Church has been a Godsend! We truly feel welcomed there and really enjoy the fellowship and worship.  We have recently joined a small group and know it just must be a God thing because I truly feel its a group of just the kind of people we need.  It sounds terrible to say, but its nice to have other people to talk to besides Geoff and Roscoe!!

Lets see, I've started to coupon... Its going ok I would say.  Still trying to figure it out.  I can't wait until I get a good "haul" that I can share with you.  I'm going to start going to a new grocery store per suggestions by some small group members and that they double their coupons!  So, snif snif, I'll have to lay off of HyVee goodness for a while.  This week will be our first Super Save trip so we will see how it goes.

Geoff has another project he is dreaming up.  After the success of our chair and bench, he is ready to tackle something else.  Our bathroom is just not very well thought out.  The plug is right by all of the drawers so my Chi cord gets in the way all the time.  Plus the way the door opens, you can't open any drawers unless the door is closed.  Very frustrating.  So Geoff is using his carpentry skills and new found electrical knowledge and supplies (thank you CED!!!) to create a cabinet/shelf/plug in base for extra storage and a different place to plug in.  So we will see how it goes.....

My job at school is going really well.  Other than the kids have been living in Crazy Town for about two weeks (Thanks to the air show, weather, full moon, and now we're thinking they are just crazy) so I come home pretty tired.  Although, who wouldn't want to start their morning being greeted by 100 plus kids at breakfast saying "Good Morning Miss Holly!!"  Makes my day and my heart happy.  I did find out that a new elementary school is being built and will open next fall.  So fingers crossed, this could be my chance to get in as a elementary music teacher!  The only con is that the school is on the complete southeast side of town, making my possible drive nearly 30 minutes one way (compared to 8 minutes currently).  So lots of prayers would be appreciated for guidance and seeking His will. 

Well, I won't bore you any longer.  I promise that my next blog will be a little bit more exciting....hopefully!  Until then!!