Winter Wonderland

And the white stuff keeps on falling...My mom in Hawaii has been calling for weather updates...Well, it finally snowed! Here's a makeshift family photo of us smiling through the continuous downfall of snow in front of our house. The kids started a snowball fight...Max tried out his new Spiderman snow boots we bought him...and the kids are just grateful for "hot chocolate" weather. I'm trying to convince my husband to chauffeur me to the grocery store. He asked, "What is this? Driving Miss Daisy?" I hate driving in the slush and snow! I just hope they don't get couped up in the house when it's too freezing to go outside. What does your family do when the snowfall hits? If you'd email me with fun family ideas to share on the air, I'd be so grateful!

Windy City Weekend

How ironic that after Scott's praise of my prolific blogging, I've been out of the cyber-loop for days! Sorry! I whisked my husband away for a Thanksgiving weekend in Chicago. He banned me from blogging because he wanted me all to himself! We relished every second spent together. Jeff & I are just embarking on our second year of marriage, but sometimes with the stressful reality of a blended family, never-ending bills, and just plain life, we need to escape and pretend that we're newlyweds. This weekend felt like a second honeymoon...we returned to our life in Peoria recharged and rested...gosh, did I say REST? :) This picture was taken in front of one of Macy's interactive Christmas displays--it was the ONLY time Jeff smiled along the Magnificent Mile. Don't worry--his hand tightened around my wallet so I actually didn't spend a dime on Black Friday!

I love Chicago because of the many characters milling around. People watching is the best in a big city. I found a couple decked out in Medieval period clothes in front of the Art Institute. They were hilarious...and spoke Old English. I just HAD to get a snapshot with them. Speaking of a throwback to old times, Jeff and I saw the play "The Brothers Karamazov." I finally understand the book I was assigned in high school way back when!
I hope your Thanksgiving was full of love & laughter! I also hope you had better luck than I did on the busiest shopping day of the year.

Sniffle

Just look at her go...Cat the blogger. My morning show partner loves to write. I'd predict a 2-to-1 ratio of Cat to Scott blog entries on this site. Hard to keep up with her over-active brain. She's a woman and can multi-task. I gotta take one thing at a time. Plus, I've been sick...you know one of those colds that picks a different part of your body to hang out in every day. So today it's a blog entry about blog entries...or the lack thereof. Perhaps I'll be in a better groove after the holiday. Cough...sniffle...cough! - Scott

Baking like the Amish

Now here's a sight I've never seen in the two years I've known my husband: JEFF BAKING. I about died watching him divide batter into two loaf pans. Our friend, Crystal, gave me the starter for Amish Friendship Bread and my husband loved it so much, we decided to make it. It took about ten days total (about eight days of mushing the bag and two days of adding stuff to the mix). It's kind of like the chain letter of baked goods...Someone gives you a starter (cup of batter) and you follow a recipe to make a loaf of bread and four other starters so you can pass it along to your friends, hence the term "friendship bread." When we talked about "weird foods" today I thought about this...The difference is, Amish Friendship Bread is DELISH...I'm not so sure about making rutabagas, as one listener suggested!

Gimme Some Love

Aside from my husband, the greatest loves in my life are my precious nieces. I love them so...and they obviously adore each other to bits! Baby Ali simply couldn't snuggle with her baby cousin enough.
The whole family gathered together to celebrate Thanksgiving a week early. The feast was fabulous...and my husband FINALLY took me to see the movie Fireproof (I'll write about that some other time!)...but my favorite part of the weekend was enjoying the gift of love my darling nieces give so unconditionally in every way.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

If Lester loves Nutter Butter cookies (see post below) maybe he'll like some Double-Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake. That's one thing on the dessert menu at my house for Thanksgiving since my husband and I aren't the biggest fans of pumpkin pie. I found the recipe on AllRecipes.com--a site that's been a lifesaver for me. Here's the recipe:
* 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust
* 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 pinch ground cloves
* 1 pinch ground nutmeg
* 1/2 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs one at a time. Remove 1 cup of batter and spread into bottom of crust; set aside.
3. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to the remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set. Allow to cool, then refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

That's My Boy

You have all by now heard a tale or two about my dog Lester. We've had him a little over a year now. We got him a T.A.P.S. in Pekin (wonderful way to get a pet by the way). So many of you have asked about Lester, that I thought I should post a blog or two about him. First of all, no we did not name him Lester...who would name a dog that name? Sounds like someone's uncle. He came as Lester, and since he was 4 at the time, there wasn't much hope of changing it. Once you get to know him though, it totally fits. People ask us his breed all the time because he is unusual looking. None of the experts agree (TAPS, vet, dog trainers, etc.) Some say White Shepperd mix, others Great Parinese, others a mix of Lab or some sort. We just think he's a pure bread idiot, but we love him. Tonight he ate a full package of Nutter Butter cookies. Oh have I got stories. Meet Les--Scott

My Funny Prankster

If you happen to see Delaney in an arm sling...just keep on walking by! She's faking it! I've fallen for that trick one too many times. When I sprained my ankle this summer she asked to keep my brace but I knew better! At night I pay very close attention to the doors because she might be hiding behind them, waiting to pop out and scare me! When I go upstairs to tuck her in, she sometimes pretends to be asleep until I get close and then she pops up and screams. Gotta love kids...if they don't send you to an early grave, at least they'll keep you young!

M.A.S.H.

That's the piece of advice my dad gave me for a long and happy marriage...M.A.S.H. No nothing to do with the TV show from the 70's, but an acronym for "Mutual Affection, Sense of Humor." I adore my wife and have immense affection for her. I think of her beauty inside and out as well as her quirks...the whole package...and it gives me joy. Plus, as Cat says below, Susie and I get really silly together. Goofy names for each other, goofy voices we talk in, jokes, whatever it takes to make a smile break out, especially when the stress of life is on overdrive. I'll share one such crazy thing we do at the risk of having you dismiss us as "off the deep end." The first dog we owned as a couple was a little Fox Terrier mutt named Chipper. We loved that dog, he was our child before we had children. Now you dog owners will understand that we talked to Chipper and, yes, he talked back. We even made up a high-pitched voice for him that lives on, even though Chipper does not. To this day, when one of us says or does something stupid that might normally elicit a cross response from the other, the "voice" of Chipper comes out and says something like "I wouldn't go there Mr. know-it-all." I don't know if it's the silliness of us putting on a character voice or some of the unique "insights" Chipper can have about a situation, but "he" never fails to break a serious or dark tone. Hey, Chipper may not make YOU chipper, but get silly with your spouse today. You'll be amazed how it can take a little of the edge off life.--Scott

True Love

Here's a picture taken of me and my hubby on our wedding day--September 17th, 2007. The phone lines were on fire this morning when the talk turned to love. Does the honeymoon last well beyond the first year of marriage? Popular wisdom says no...but a new study says YES! I was tickled pink when Scott's better-half, also known as the Amazing Susie, called in to say their love is even stronger 25 years after saying "I Do." Scott agreed, saying the secret to keeping their union strong is lots of laughter...along with celebrating the silliness of the other person. (Boy, I'm sure glad someone finds Scott dancing with his dog amusing! I find that rather...well, let's just say my doll obsession pales in comparison to doing the fox-trot with my pet!).
Hmmmm...if laughter's the glue that seals the deal for marriage, Jeff and I are on the right track. Above all, my husband prioritizes fun and family togetherness...he's the only guy I know who can rival Scott in the sense of humor department! He is hands-down, slam-dunk my soul's companion. We believe the couple that PRAYS and PLAYS together...STAYS together.
--Catherine

Volunteer Time!

On the right is a picture of the kids serving their Daddy in his favorite way--making him chocolate chip cookies! Today on the air, I mentioned that my husband and I were trying to brainstorm ways to get our whole family involved in volunteer work we can do together. Maybe it's massive sleep deprivation... but neither of us could come up with anything great. So THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your wonderful suggestions...a couple of you suggested taking the kids to a nursing home. I'm thrilled with that idea because I'm pretty close to my grandparents and I think bridging the generation gap between grandparents and kids is great for everyone! Another caller mentioned raking leaves and shoveling snow for the neighbors. I'll leave that task to my husband! :)
But I really love the email I got from a tired mom who said, "I'd love to do something extra for service but I'm just way too exhausted!" Trust me, I feel your pain! I'm burning the candle on both ends myself.
A lot of listeners are surprised to learn that once I'm done with my morning air shift, I'm still working at the station until 1:30-1:45 in the afternoon...then I've got a husband and two kids to serve when I come home! But you know what? I wouldn't trade it for anything.
--Catherine

A Good Man = A Good Listener

I concur with Scott...Most women I know love it when their men actively listen to them and validate their feelings. I've just got to take a moment to brag on my husband, Jeff. He takes a lot of heat from my rants on the morning show about his shrinking my favorite fall sweaters (still haven't gotten over it!), being the messiest man alive (why do you think I'm fighting a cold?), and restricting my doll collection (c'mon, who doesn't love Marie Osmond?)...But I've gotta tell ya...Jeff is the greatest husband I could ever ask for. He's a wonderful listener who genuinely tries to make sense of my hair-brained antics. He's consistently loyal and loving...and above all, tries to live his life for the Lord. And frankly, I just think he's the most darling thing I've ever seen! And listen to this, ladies--He thinks I'm beautiful in flannel sweatpants, glasses, and no make-up! Now, THAT'S MY KIND OF MAN!!!

Kid Advice

On the show today we talked about a judge who made a convicted burglar wear a tattoo that said "Daddy don't steal." That's because the defendant admitted that his 6 year-old boy encouraged him to turn from his wayward ways. It got me thinking about advice my kids have given me that has proved to be pretty helpful. Here's the best one..."Dad, don't always try to fix things, just listen." As a man and as a dad, fixing things is my natural tendency. Their reminder is so important, Thanks ladies. --Scott

Allowance Dilemma...Resolved

About a month ago, I shared a dilemma my husband, Jeff, and I were discussing: Should we give Delaney, 9, and Max, 6, a flat-rate weekly allowance for chores or should we give Delaney more because she's older and capable of doing more difficult tasks? I was in favor of giving the same amount of money to each child while my husband wanted to give Delaney a little extra.

Well, thanks to a caller who suggested that we "pay-per-chore" to make things fair AND enforce a rule that any misbehavior is grounds for subtracting allowance, we've decided to do just that! A listener also suggested that we hand out "chips" of some sort instead of loose change so that it could be redeemed for money at the end of the week. Brilliant idea! Thank you!
My husband and I both think it's a great way to teach the kids to work for their money, contribute to their family while being respectful, and learn to spend, save and give to the church responsibly.
--Catherine

A day in the life...

This snapshot of me & Scott in the studio captures the essence of our mornings. Can you see the coffee mug about six inches from my arm? It's the lifeline that pumps energy into my brain so that I can keep up with my witty co-host!
A lot of you ask me what time my alarm sounds in the morning. Well, on a typical morning I'm up between 4:15-4:30 a.m. I get dressed in a mad dash and scurry out the door to be at the station by about 5:00 a.m. so that I can write news updates and prep for the show. But the very first thing I do when I walk through the doors is race to the kitchen to make a pot of coffee--between the two of us, we pretty much tank the entire thing by the end of our shift!
I'm not a morning person by nature so it's been a challenge to force my body out of bed before the crack of dawn every day. But I feel incredibly blessed for the privilege of serving you by playing great music that glorifies our Savior and sharing my life with you! My favorite part of the morning (aside from Scott cracking me up non-stop) is talking to those of you who call into our studio line with colorful comments and stories. I really do love hearing from you! Thanks for making it worth waking up so early in the morning!
--Catherine