Random

Random photos. We had an awesome Christmas with just us and the kids.We also celebrated a bit with family friends. Good times!







Megan, Me and Susie

Wy at the "dance party".

A fell asleep in place after playing with toys all day long.

S and some friends. Aren't they such posers?

The Reason for the Season

I wrapped up (haha, notice my pun) the shopping today. My in-laws sent cash so I had to do their shopping for the kids and it was my last trip for gifts. There were so many people spending oodles and oodles of money on gifts. Overflowing or multiple carts were in abundance. All fine and good. I just hope everyone takes a step back to remember the reason for our celebration. We don't overdo "it" ourselves and never really have. We don't spend a certain amount or worry obsessively over the big thing this year. While the gifts are nice, I'll be re-iterating to my kids the whole meaning of Christmas. And remembering myself, the ultimate sacrifice given for me. With that said, I hope you all enjoy your holiday season with family and friends. And speaking of family...here is our annual family picture. Merry Christmas!

A Million Years!

It feels like a million years since I have blogged. The last half of this year has been a whirlwind! My oldest child started kindergarten, my baby started preschool and my son goes to full-day preschool a couple days a week. I quit my part-time job, it was too much to travel and the expectation to be away more was finally coming to fruition. I was being pulled in a million directions and to be honest multi-taking chores is one thing, your life is quite another.

My papa Hugh died in August, we went to Michigan in September, I came down with H1N1 in October and in November my dad became really sick so I left my family for several days to be with him. Add in all the school and church events and upkeep of the house and family, I am one crazy lady! So that is it in a nutshell. I have been so busy that I finally ordered some pictures but I was so backed up that had to order 1000 photos just to get caught up to this Fall! Coming up I have the girls' and my husband's birthday parties (I'll be baking a lot!) and my brother's wedding after Christmas. Don't know the exact date of that event but it's a funny story so we'll be in Idaho at some unknown point in the future. Oh, and Christmas, I have 2 gifts left to buy and 4 to make so I am sort of on top of that one. But it is a great and wonderful life I have been blessed with, so I don't mind it one bit. Well, I have my moments...

You Know Your Hungry When....

you are driving down the interstate and see a billboard with a sandwich on it, then as getting closer you realize it is a furniture store billboard with a leather couch with pillows. That was me last night on the the way to St. Louis. Thank goodness I am home!

Are They Related?

Thankful

I am really thankful right now. There are so many situations a person/family can fall into and I am telling you thank God literally it has not been me/us. I have a blessed life. And in all seriousness, glory be to God for it all!

Busy

May is filling up fast. Yesterday we held Wyatt's 4th Birthday party, and roughly 30 friends attended. Call me crazy, but it was fun. I think it might be the first birthday that he will ever remember and I think it was memorable. Next weekend I have a special getaway on Friday night, a baby shower on Saturday, Mother's Day and the circus on Sunday, then Wyatt's actual birthday on Monday. The next week I am having an Arbonne party followed by a weekend of hopefully finishing the basement. The next week I have my work trip to St. Louis and if I have enough energy, I plan to make it to my monthly once a month cooking group that I missed last month. Then for a couple of weeks we will have family in town. We are busy bees around here.

And did I mention that Wyatt gave Audrey a haircut? Poor thing, she doesn't have a lot to begin with. So now, being so short, it is especially frizzy and we can barely make her famous pig-tails.

This is Sadie acting a goofball at Wyatt's party.



Here is my Audrey striking a pose.

Here is Wy at his Pirate themed party and Wy again testing for his orange belt.

Police - Open Up!

At 2 a.m. this morning I was awakened by a knock at the door. I rolled over and told Matt to go get it. He was out of it and just shrugged so I jumped out of bed just as the door bell began ringing. I knew it was the "law" based on the fact I could see the spot light shining VERY brightly through the front windows of the formal living room. The whole time my heart is about to jump out of my chest. My first thought was that Wyatt left the house, he has tendency to be very sneaky about trying to leave but he would have go past our bedroom door so surely I would have known if he left, right? I got to door as the policeman was walking off. He never really said, "Police, open up!", I just thought that was a catchy title. Anyhow he sees me and tells me that the garage door is open. What? He tried to get dispatch to call but they couldn't get a number on us. So thanks, I think. Thanks because I wouldn't want anyone to steal our stuff but we live in a nice area and that doesn't normally happen around here. But no thanks for the heart pounding the knocking and bell ringing caused me. I was so shook up that I couldn't get back to sleep. I have that problem when the phone rings late at night also, I always assume the worst. I checked on the kids, to verify their whereabouts just in case, and to love on them.

I am so bad...

at keeping this darn blog updated! We have been so busy. Trying to finish the basement for one thing and long list of events at preschool and work of course. But thank goodness Spring has FINALLY sprung! I think the on again off again cold killed any chance I had of my seeds and bulbs coming into bloom so I bought more and I need to get those in the ground. I actually mowed the front yard myself. I haven't touched a lawn mower in ages and it was fun, until Rufus ran down the road and that was the end of that. I am looking forward to this summer and I can't wait for our pool to open. This is the last summer before Sadie starts kindergarten so there is a lot I want to do. Wyatt's birthday is just around the corner, so I am planning a big bash for him and I need to get his invites to preschool tomorrow! I have become quite the procrastinator lately. I used to get things planned weeks in advance but now days, a couple weeks of planning works. So sorry for being so absent on here lately but with one dog, two jobs and three kids, I am quite busy. Oh, and congratualtions to my step sister Rebecca, she just gave birth to her 4th child, Cooper, last week!

Update and Pictures

Basement Update: The walls are up! Yippee! It looks good. Just a little taping and bedding, paint and flooring and it is good as done. My step dad did a great job. He was pretty thorough and did some quality work down there. I've got a custom bar to order, maybe a kegerator (for Matt) and some comfy furniture for me. I will post pictures of it as soon as it is complete, and believe me I can't wait.

On another note, here are some recent pictures. We were over at my friend Erin's house and she was nice enough to snap some photos of the kids and myself. I think she is a budding photographer, so thanks Erin!

It's Gonna Be Grand

It probably won't be grand, but nice I bet. The basement that is. When we bought this house a year ago the basement was one of my main concerns. It is only half of a basement but has a wonderful large nook area that is begging for a bar. We may even add a bedroom to double as a workout room which is what the entire basement functions as now. Definitely a bathroom since my step dad is a plumber by trade, a small family room and a new office for me! No more office/home office/guest bedroom/ playroom. I am so excited! My step dad called me this morning to tell me he'll be here next week to begin the process. My mind is racing with all my ideas. Poor Matt though, I can already feel that he's going to be tired of me talking about it. I was just about to call the granite place to schedule that for the kitchen but I might as well wait to have the basement bar done at the same time. Ooh, and I can order flooring, I already know the wall colors, should I do an accordion or pocket door to open up the bedroom area to the family room area? This house was built mostly to my specifications when we bought it, we were able to choose a lot of the things. However we were to late to choose granite or wall colors so it will be great to be able to choose EVERYTHING. Hmmm...decisions, decisions...but it's going to be fun!

Dream

I had the weirdest dream last night. I was in the building where I went to elementary school. I was seeing the teachers who taught me from 2nd to 5th grade, Mrs. Maxwell, Mrs. Condict, Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Askins and they weren't saying anything but I had the overwhelming feeling I didn't belong there...and my dad was there. So strange. It was dark and it was like I was trying to hide. It seemed earie in my dream but in reality, I loved those teachers and that school. My only guess is that this is coming up because we are about to start kindergarden round-ups with Sadie. Interpretation anyone?

Life

I am sick today. Not deathly ill like a couple of months ago, but I'm feeling miserable none the less. The kids have been sick intermittently so it seems like there is always someone with an illness. Even Matt was feeling under the weather yesterday and that is very unusual. So we are sick and the weather sucks - I think I am starting to get cabin fever. When there is ice and snow, it is so yucky out and the kids complain about being cold if I force them out into the weather. It is so cold here and has been for while and I can't wait for Spring and the pool at the country club to open! I kept the kids home from preschool this week so we have had a lot of time together and I have had a lot of time for reflection and to be thankful for our truly blessed lives. Really, we are in good health (generally speaking), want for nothing, are in God's good graces (most days anyhow) and are just generally happy and thankful for it all. Some days I wonder what in the world could make this life better?

New Addition

Well it has happened, we added to the family - via a new pet. We picked him up Sunday and we are all pretty excited about having him in our lives. Sadie has been begging for a pet for a while and even had a plastic worm she named Tiny that she carried around for a few days. She has been great at keeping him fed (so far). I keep saying he because we thought we had a name, Brutus.


But then I can't remember that for some weird reason so Rufus had been coming out of my mouth. The kids call him both so at this point we are undecided. He seems very calm and is semi-house broken. He HATES the cold weather and literally starts pulling at the door when we pick him up and take him out to potty. He tried some of my coffee yesterday and seems enamored by the stairs in the house therefore, we have to carry him with us. He doesn't seem to mind the kids at all! I think he'll blend in well.

Dee Dee in Distress

Wyatt has a stuffed dog affectionately dubbed Dee Dee Bear. I don't know why but that is what Wyatt calls him. Oddly enough Matt had a blanket as a child that he called Dee Dee. So Wyatt had a birthday party to attend at Mickey D's and for some reason he took Dee Dee along. Amongst all the chaos somehow we left him in the play area but did not realize this until bedtime. Wyatt has had Dee Dee Bear since the day he was born and has been attached to him practically ever since. So when bedtime arrived and Dee Dee was nowhere to be found we knew we were in trouble. I ventured back to McDonald's and was looking in the play area like I was looking for a child. Seriously, I felt a little crazy asking the people at the counter to double check the lost and found and checking every nook and crannie of the play area like some stalker, but anything for my child's precious toy, right? I called the family who hosted the party and they had taken him home so I went by to rescue Dee Dee. I am so glad to have found him. Not only would Wyatt lost sleep(along with the rest of us from his whining - and guess how I know that), but I would have felt so much guilt for letting him loose his most favored toy. If you ask Wyatt who his best friend is, he'll reply, Dee Dee or Daddy!