let it snow!

Big white fluffy flakes all day. It's the day after Christmas and it's all white outside. We woke up to find a couple of inches of snow on the ground and that a dead tree fell on 2 sections of our horse paddock .

We spent some of the morning picking up the house and then we all got suited up and headed out into the white world.

David got the tree cut up w/his chainsaw and David & Caleb drug the cut up pieces over and put them on a sled and Saber and I pulled them over to the log pile. While we were working in the paddock we let the horses out into the pasture to run and that's when we noticed that the bottom of their tails have frozen into dread locks and click together when they run around. They had a ball kicking up their heels out there.

After the work was done the kids all broke out their new paintball guns and it was on. They ran all thru the woods and yard in 2 teams. I'm not sure who won, but I think they all had fun.

After all of that we came inside and warmed up in the hot tub and then the kids went down to the basement to play rock band.

Later on in the afternoon I decided to make snow ice cream, but this time I tweaked the recipe a little and it was the best snow ice cream I've ever made.

Here's the recipe for anyone who'd like to try it:
1 egg beaten
3/4 cup sugar (give or take a little)
3/4 cup milk (give or take a little)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tub of cool whip (this is the part I added)
mix it all together and then fold in CLEAN snow until it has the consistancy of ice cream. I'm not big on measuring so I just am guessing on some of these amounts:)
If you get it right though it tastes like homeade french vanilla ice cream. YUM!

Today was such a fun day just because we got to stay home and enjoy the fresh snow. Tomorrow reality will set in when we're trying to get to church in this mess!

Hope you all had a wonderful day!

Christmas Card & Letter 2009

Comfort & Joy 2009
2009 has been a year that has spanned many emotions for our family but in everything, God has been faithful to bring us much comfort & joy. January brought Caleb’s 16th birthday and that meant another licensed driver in our house. Caleb loves spending time w/his friends in the YG. He also loves playing the drums & any kind of sport or game.

In February I was able to go to Haiti on a work team from our church. It was good to see my sister’s family and experience the country. In April we spent Easter break in Gulf Shores along w/about 40 other Meisters. In May Logan turned 12. He is the finder of all lost things in our house. He really has a knack for it! He also is his father’s shadow.

In July Luke turned 9 and is big into skate boarding. He is also still very creative and loves making things w/paper, tape & scissors.
Also in July Caleb’s best friend “BJ” went home to be w/Jesus. He had battled a heart condition all 17 years of his life. He was such a great friend to Caleb, we miss him very much.

In August we took the kids to Colorado. It was a good time for our family to just be together hiking, backpacking, & fishing.

In October David & I were so blessed to go to Greece for our 20th Anniversary. The highlight of the trip was sitting on Mars Hill. Awesome. On October7th David turned 19. He is enrolled at ICC in their Graphic Arts program. He also is enjoying his friends in the YG and plays the guitar and has been learning to play the piano off of youtube (hey, it’s free:). On the 18th we were saddened to hear that my little nephew “Gabriel” was killed in an accident in Haiti. We are praying for God’s comfort &for healing in my sister’s family and we know that He is faithful and good. Jessica turned 15 on the 20th of October and has gotten her driving permit. She is taller than me now and loves to hang out w/her cousins and the YG.

David is plumbing the addition at OSF and God has continued to bless my photography business so we are both staying plenty busy.

We want to wish you God’s blessings in the coming year.
Love,
The Sauders

A VERY SPECIAL "THANKYOU" TO ALL OF MY WONDERFUL CLIENTS....IT'S BEEN ANOTHER AWESOME YEAR! MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES IN THE YEAR TO COME!

Dealing w/a landslide

For those of you who haven't been out to our house lately you may not know that we have been dealing with a pretty major landslide off the side of the dam of the lake. The one we live on and drive across everday. Made for an exciting trip with the snow & ice last week. It started sliding one night in Sept. when we had a ton of rain. At first it just cracked and slid about 4-5 inches, then 8, then stopped at about 18 inches.
Anyway, we've had one excavating company come out and rework all the soil, knock down the trees and add dirt to the slide, to which that very next day, in the rain, I planted the entire side of the dam w/grass seed. The grass came up beautifully all thru October. Then we had a bunch more rain, and another crack, and another slide...a big one. So for the past 2 months we've been driving past a 5 foot cliff everyday. Oh yeah, did I mention we now have 3 teen drivers?
So after consulting another man that deals w/slides, he recommended we get concrete scrap slabs hauled in and dumped over the side. We called the trucking company and they said they'd call us as soon as they locate the concrete. Yay!
Then, I get a call today, while I'm in Peoria that they are on their way out w/a couple of loads and they are not sure if they can dump it off the side. So David & I rush home to find that they were successful in dumping the first load off the side but just barely. The second load ended up in the middle of the drive. So at 5:30 tonight my amazing husband and I moved about 16 tons of scrap concrete by HAND off of our road. Some of the slabs David moved had to weigh at least 300lbs. This is the reason I don't join a gym to "work out".
Tomorrow they are supposed to come w/4 more loads so that should be fun. I think we may need a skidsteer.

Introducing the "Mini"

I'm excited to post the new "Mini" session that will be available starting January 2010. I've needed this for quite sometime. Whenever I have someone bring in a toddler and 20 minutes later we've gotten all the shots we can get from him or her, I always felt bad because they paid for a full hour session. So this session will last only 30 minutes will be only $30. I think it will be a perfect solution for antsy toddlers or even for the kids that cooperate so well that we don't need a full hour.

Home w/out injury

We got home from Galena on Sunday night. I'm happy to say that no one was injured (in our group) One of the boys friends did end up w/a dislocated shoulder, or something so that's a bummer.

We had really good weather and the kids had a great time.

Today was the day I had set to be my last day of work but I'm realizing that's just not possible. I'm getting flooded w/orders everyday so that means that it will be at least another week of filling them.

I'm also trying to get caught up on bookwork (my most unfavorite) and finish up my Christmas shopping.

I've had 2 different things come from online and not be what they were supposed to be so I get the fun job of returning them and so I'm STILL not done. I've been almost done for 2 weeks!

Well I've got 1 boy leaving right now to take finals at ICC and 2 that need to be on the bus in 10 minutes so I've got no business blogging. Gotta go!

A Christmas Tree

We did it, we were able to go out today to the Old Dairy Barn all together as a family and pick out a Christmas tree w/only a tiny bit of teasing and arguing from the boys. It is home and up in our basement and twinkling w/lights and the house smells like a forest....mmmm! I did miss the smell last year when we put up the dreaded fake one!
Walking up and down the aisles of trees w/our kids brought back so many memories of when they were little and so excited. The younger ones still are but the older kids are stalking behind us, one teasing the younger boys and one w/his sunglasses and mp3player....I can't believe I'm saying this but I miss having the little ones. Not the wiping noses, and changing diapers part, but the way they just can't wait to do stuff like this and how everything is soooo cool part...I miss THAT part:) They grow up WAY to fast! After we picked out our tree and we're walking back to the barn to pay for it Luke looks up at me and says "Mom, when I move out and am single what will I do for Christmas?" I told him no matter how old he is or where he lives he can always come home for Christmas. I think because we have older boys, it makes me treasure the cute things the younger ones say at 12 and 9.

Yesterday I finished up my last couple sittings. They are up on my site and besides some backing up and keeping up w/orders I am officially done taking pics until the 30th! Now, maybe I should do something crazy and take pics of my own kids?

Next weekend we are planning on taking them up to Galena for some snowboarding and they ALL are excited for that. Boards and boots are beginning to appear all over the house. As I'm typing this there is a board on the living room carpet next to me. Logan came downstairs the other day in full gear. Yep, I'd say he's pretty excited.

Jessica & Caleb are both in the Bible class Christmas play this year so this whole past week they've had either practice or a performance every night except Friday night. We stopped in tonight and watched the play. Caleb was a Wise man and Jessica was a ninja and a diner. They did great on their parts but I am happy that tomorrow is their last performance because they've hardly been home all week.

I think David & Caleb have friends coming over tonight to spend the night so I've got to get some sleep so I can get up and make breakfast before we head to church. I get to watch my little niece "Aubrey" tomorrow at church....she's a cutie!

first day of December?

I can't believe December is here already. The fall just flew by!!
I spent the morning editing a couple of sittings and putting in orders and getting other orders ready to mail out. I does seem like there are never enough hours in a day.

Had a fun session w/the Endress girls out at the studio but it was so nice that we ran outside and did a few fun shots. In December...who'd have thunk it?

Got home just in time to finish up dinner (my wonderful husband had already put the pheasants in the oven and turned it on) and had a nice dinner w/all 7 of us....so rare anymore.

We put up our manger scene last weekend, which is a really special tradition from my childhood and we started doing the same tradition the year we moved into our house. We had about 20 of my family over to sing carols and eat cookies & buckeyes...yum! Did I mention I've decided to diet during the holidays?
This saturday our plan is to get our Christmas tree. This will be the first time in 3 years that we've gotten to go out and actually cut one down at a tree farm. Two years ago we were iced in and walked down into the woods to find a make due tree...which my daughter despised and would not help decorate...it was a sad looking tree. Last year we were just too busy between the kids scedules and our own, so we put up a fake one...again the kids were not very happy about that.
So this year we've got it planned and on the calendar. Hopefully all the kids will be home because even if they're not...WE'RE GOING TO GET A TREE...unless there's another ice storm:)