Flash Flood!!!

Yesterday was a flash flood here in good old Lancaster County, PA.
And in Mount Joy alone we received over 7 inches of rain!
Kindergarten was cancelled for Ella and the news was filled with reports of the National Guard being on call for our county.

So, I did what any discerning parent would do in such a "State of Emergency".
I allowed my kids to get into their swimming suits and play in our backyard, which was completely flooded.

Made hot chocolate with my new and amazing cocoa maker.
Got some much needed sewing done.
And then went out to dinner with my friend, Kirsti.

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Quote of the Week

While riding in the car on the way home from a trip to the local thrift store on Tuesday night...

Ella: When I grow up I want to be a doctor...

Me:  That's a great idea.

Ella: ...so I can see everybody's bums, even though bums are private.

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I really need...

one or all of these adorable hats for Baby Ahern.

(All available from LovelyKnits on Etsy.)

Or I need to learn to crochet. 

Oh wait, maybe that's not such a good idea.

Remember this?

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watermelon in the face = good television

On my birthday my Mom called from Sweden and we had the following conversation...

Me: I have decided it's time to stop denying it...I LOVE television.
Mom: Oh really?
Me: Yeah, I know it's not cool to admit, but I adore it.
Mom: Well, I think anyone who reads your blog probably already knows that.
Me: Too true.

The Amazing Race is back, which means Sunday is no longer the lamest day in television. And I know for all of you masochists out there, like me, the best moment was the watermelon to the face...

Ummm...They don't call it The Amazing Race for nothing?!   Hey brunette, at that point you should have grabbed a melon and fast pitched it into your partner's face. Seriously.

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Happy Birthday to Me

starring....

Eggplant Parmesan from the Black Gryphon

restaurant in Elizabethtown, PA.

Consumed last Friday night in celebration
of my Birthday on the 21st.

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a new niece!

Face it, we Aherns make cute babies.

Look at those big, beautiful eyes!

This baby makes my 29th Niece/Nephew!  Whew!

I cannot wait to meet little Sofia.

Huge congrats to the new parents, Aaron & Carolina.

We LOVE you!

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God Bless America...

where the Casinos are plentiful
and the teeth are optional.

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Just So You Know...

 ( NOT Mormons. )

( NOT Mormons. )

( NOT depicting Mormons. )

( definately Mormons. )

You may think it is strange that Mormons do not...
drink coffee or alcohol
smoke
shop on Sundays
or have sex before we are married.

You may not know it, but we...
are Christian
read the Bible
are normal.

But we are NOT polygamists.
I'm just sayin'.

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Mark Your Calendars...

Because come November 2022 we will have a

17, 15 and 12 year old teenage girl

all living under the same roof...in our house.

a.k.a. "The Year I Lose my Will to Live".

See clip below for a small taste of what's to come...

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I live in a college dorm...

I have realized this lately while observing our Living Room. Bare white walls, no art or photos on the walls, mismatched furniture from Goodwill and Craig's List.  I have been eyeing the variety of unique coffee tables available. Awww....a girl can dream right?

So I am going to try to fix this situation. First stop...removal of TV. We will use the one in our basement exclusively. Then, paint the walls. I was thinking of blowing up some of my favorite photos of our family to poster size for artwork.

And we really need a coffee table like this one.

I love the mid-century modern feel of it, don't you?

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memories my 32nd year...

Top to bottom, Left to Right:

01. Girls' Dinner out for my 32nd Birthday
02. Trip to NYC with friends
03. Discovery and love affair with #10 apples
04. A home made Halloween costume to be proud of
05. Winning the church's Chili Cook-off
06. Monthly Mixed Craft Club at my house
07. Play dates with the Lemmons family
08. Thanksgiving with good friends
09. The winter storm that rocked PA
10. Throwing a baby shower for my best friend
11. Visits from family
12. Successfully potty training Eva
13. A much needed 2nd car
14. Monthly visits to the Temple with the Raleighs
15. Book Club meetings with Kirsti
16. Finding out we were pregnant with no. 3
17. Celebrating Nation Pie Day with friends we love
18. The girls' Rock Star birthday party
19. Attending Disney Princesses on Ice
20. A visit to the Jersey Shore
21. Celebrating Cinco De Mayo with authentic food
22. Coming in 2nd place in the SYTYC competition
23. Our yearly visit to Dutch Wonderland
24. Finding out we were having a BOY, then finding out we were actually having a GIRL.
25. Girls' night out at the movies
26. A fantastic 4th of July
27. Building picnic tables with the Campbells
28. Gallery E Photography takes off
29. Starting the Year of FHE blog and having more regular FHE
30. The Barnstormers baseball game with our little family
31. Ella begins Kindergarten
32. A full year in Mount Joy, where we feel safe and happy.

I know my 33rd year will bring even more joy and happiness!

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SO YOU THINK YOU'RE CRAFTY Season 4 Recap

The competition is officially over.

And I came in second place! YAY!

I never expected to get that far, especially with this pregnancy being so difficult.

I have no problem taking second to Cheri from I am Momma – Hear Me Roar.
She is amazingly talented!

The competition was very fun, since it forced me to make time for something I love to do. And the talent each week was amazing. Here are a few of my favorite crafts from the season...

TOWEL RACK SURFBOARD by Cheri from I am Momma - Hear Me Roar.

If I had little boys, I would be ALL up on this!
It is so adorable and crafty! Get the full tutorial here.

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MINT GINGER PREGGO PILLS by Vanessa of Tried & True.

Yum!  Get the full tutorial here.

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 BEAN BAG BUDDIES by Vanessa of Tried & True.

I thought these should have won the week!
 I totally voted for them.  Adorable.

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WHAT'S UP WEEKLY BOARD by Cheri from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar

I mean, c'mon...it's genius! See the full tutorial here.

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HUGE THANKS to all of you who voted, cheered me on and supported
me throughout this competition (especially my husband)!  It meant so much to me.

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The Phonecall

Do you remember these Play Date cards that I ordered for Ella?

Last week I loaded about 5 into her backpack and showed her where they were stored. I wondered if she would use them or even understand the concept.

Yesterday afternoon the phone rang. A small girl asked for Ella. You should have seen Ella's face when we told her the phone was fer her.

Well, it was her best Kindergarten friend Erin. And the following conversation was about the cutest thing I have ever heard.

They chatted about their planned Halloween costumes, Barbies they each owned, their favorite movies, their siblings and about their teacher at school. Ella explained why our phone is currently making a buzzing noise (Curse you, Vonage!) and they chatted away, without pause, for 20 minutes.

They ended with a "Thanks for calling. See you tomorrow!" and hung up.

I know someday I will become annoyed at how long this girl talks on the phone as a teenager, but this first phone call from a friend was delightfully cute and a milestone I will always remember.

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Lancaster Family Photographer

I awoke earlier than usual this morning and tip toed out of the house to head to Lancaster and do a photo shoot with this adorable family. Boy, was I impressed! While my family was still in bed, this family was up, dressed and gorgeous!













This is what I love about my job! Look at these beautiful faces, all shining, and all a part of a happy family. And they gave me the honor of capturing this moment in time for them.

If you live in Lancaster County and want to get your family's photos taken by me visit the Gallery E Photography website for more details.

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just ordered this....

for new baby ahern.

It's a kidswoot.com for any who are interested.
It is priced at $30.18 before shipping on Amazon.com,
but I snagged it (today only) for $19.99 shipped!

Score!

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Why do I feel like I deserve a medal?

We were up early this morning.
Showers for everyone.
Freshly cleaned clothes, still warm from the drier.
And we were off to "Bubble Day" with Seniors at our local Library.
And I took pictures for our Children's Librarian, Miss Jan.







After which I got Ella off to school on time.

This is what women all over the US do every day,
but to me it was a great accomplishment.
8 months pregnant might have something to do with it.

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Please to Enjoy...

No, for real, this is one of the funniest clips of television I have seen in years.

My stomach literally ached.

If you can't watch it within my blog click here.

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SYTYC FINAL!!!

It's the FINAL ROUND of So You Think You're Crafty! And for this round, you get to know exactly which craft is mine and go and vote for it!


My competitor is fabulous, but so is my craft!!!

PORTABLE FUN CANVASES AND CARRY-BAG. Hang them in any doorway or hallway. Or take them outside and string between two trees or hang on a clothes line. Hours of fun and easy too!


Make this Castle themed Puppet Theater with movable curtains AND this Under The Sea Bean Bag Toss! Now, I know what you’re thinking….”But I can’t draw those sea creatures!“. Never fear. Along with my tutorial comes my sea creature images, all ready to print, cut out, trace and become a quick and easy template for your design. When you're finished, roll the canvases, rods and beanbags up and store them in this handy bag made from the leftover canvas!


Click here to go and vote for me!

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this past week...

Human beings annoy me.
Women in particular, I'm afraid.

So I'm going to dye my hair,

then I'm spending the night out with my hubby
on a double date with another couple
who are normal.

Yes, I needed that.

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