Goodbye, 2010!!

Unexpected surprises from this past year were many...
At this time last year we had submitted an application for a house. A big, unfinished house. For one, we didn't think we'd be chosen and for another, well, we just hadn't thought past that. In the course of 2010, we were chosen, the house was finished, we moved and have already made some wonderful memories in it. Something to truly be thankful for!!

I've always been one to be looking for the "perfect" part time job.  I've had alot of them.  Some good, others not so much.  Well, I think I've got it now.  Getting the job at Kettle Creek has been a pleasant and wonderful surprise.  I love it and it's just the right amount of work for me to do right now.  I couldn't ask for a better environment, a better boss or a better anything.

You don't think I'm going to pass up on mentioning football, do you? 

I didn't think so :)  The success of the team was not the surprise this year.  They were expected to have a good year.  It was how the season went for me.  I, without fail, always have a mild (or major) meltdown 2-3 weeks before the end of the season.  Too much single-parenting, too much running around, etc.  It's been like clockwork every year.  I didn't this year, though.  In fact, I could have gone a few more weeks, I think!  I don't know what the difference was, but it was wonderful!  I hope my football meltdowns are in the past...one can dream, right?!

It was a great year.  One I know I will remember. 
Happy NEW YEAR!!!

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Unless, of course, you and/or your family gets sick!

There is some nasty bug flying around our town and we caught it the day after Christmas.  Oddly, enough, we were in Missouri at the time, but I think we just carried it from Kansas.  We're on the mend, but there are still many down, which nearly put a wrench in my New Year plans!

We're hosting a New Year's Eve party tomorrow night and I'm SOO excited!  Excited enough to not even care if my house gets totally clean.  It will be "clean", but I'm so not stressing on it to look perfect. 

Besides, it's an adult and kids party so it's gonna get trashed anyway!

My kids are as excited about it as me. 
We're planning on have some different "activity" areas for the kids so they will leave us adults alone!

This is what Elijah was up to this morning before I got out of bed...

The papers say "Sit here for chess. (You are white-or black).

Movies will be upstairs.  There are 3 other signs leading you to the boys' room...just in case you get lost.

HyperDash in here.  I'm not too sure if this will be happening.  Too loud and alot of running involved.

 Now, if I can only get him to mop and clean the bathrooms...

Christmas

What a crazy time of year.  It can be overwhelming and exhausting.
I generally consider myself to be a social person.  I love spending time with people, just hanging out or doing whatever. 
Christmas is a time when I begin to wonder if I really am that social.  It just gets to me after awhile.
The shopping, which I managed to avoid almost entirely this year by shopping online, the cooking, the traveling, the visiting. 
I love it and Christmas just wouldn't feel right without all that, but it wears on me.
I'm currently sitting in a hotel room with 2 sleeping boys, listening to classical music, while the other grownups are playing cards.
I'm here by choice.  I just need some quiet time.  A time out.  I'm tired and crabby.

Despite having the holiday crabbiness, I am thankful for so much.  For a Savior that loves me, a wonderful family that I love, and so, so much more!  My kids are making awesome memories with their cousins this weekend.
I love that! 
It's fun...and exhausting :)

Merry Christmas!

Hair

I gave Elijah a haircut tonight.  He cried.
Let me backtrack...
He has GORGEOUS hair. 
It's crazy thick and wavy and soft.
I love it.
I had let him grow it out quite long and he liked it.  It fell into his eyes and he had to constantly brush it away so that he could see.  Apparently that is really cool in 4th grade.
Anyway, he loved his hair.
The problem had become that he loved it too much.  It was a vanity thing.

Now, I didn't cut it with the intention of it becoming a lesson in vanity, but that's the point we ended up at.

Anywho, after we were all done and he looked in the mirror at what I thought was a very nice haircut.  I was rather proud of myself that it was all even and nice looking seeing as I'm not a trained hairstylist. 
Elijah, on the other hand, started crying.  He said he looked like a dork.
Ouch!
I told him he looked handsome, which is not something a 4th grader is going for apparently.
Then I went the route of telling him he will probably be able to run faster since his head is so much lighter now. 
Still no good.
I tried to us all kinds of adjectives and reassure him that he did not look weird, or dorky or crazy.
This went on for a good 10 minutes.  At which point, I gave him a lecture about vanity and how it's ok cause hair grows and he has to decide if he's going to really let it bother him or not. 
That didn't go over so well either.
I decided I only had one thing left in my bag of tricks.  A bad hair story from my childhood...
So I told him about the time when I was about 10 and I REALLY wanted a perm.  I begged my mom until she said she would do one of those home kits.  I was so excited!  Lots of curlers and chemicals later I had a perm...it wasn't at all what I had imagined!
 My hair had been fried and rather then having cute bouncy curls I had an AFRO!
Frizz ball.
Fuzz head.
Poofy. 
That was me.
Well, this lovely story of my pain and humiliation made Elijah laugh, which in turn made him not care about his hair. 
Mission accomplished.

Christmas cards

I LOVE Christmas cards.
Pictures are a big bonus and a letter is just the icing on the cake.

Now, that being said, I have NEVER sent a Christmas card, picture, or letter.  Ever.
I don't even know why.  I just didn't really think about it the first few years we were married. 
So much happened with us those first years that it seemed silly to start writing a letter or a card at that point.
The expense is always a consideration and I just can't bring myself to use technology to send out a Christmas "email".  Just doesn't seem right.
So this year, as in all the years past, I haven't sent anything out.  I always feel a little bad when we get them in the mail. 
I get so excited to open them up and see our friends and families.  I put the pictures or cards up in our kitchen window so I see them everyday.  I don't know if other people enjoy getting them as much as I do.  If I thought they did, maybe that would motivate me. 
Maybe I'll do one next year...
Yeah, I say that every year.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Funny is subjective...

This picture makes me laugh!  It was taken last summer at my family reunion.   

I spent most of the weekend with these brothers and I must say, we're funny. 

I went back to my parents cause I wanted to see Isaac (he's the less blurry blur running towards me in the picture).  He' in the Navy and is out in S. Carolina these days.  I like him alright so I thought I better go see him now or who knows when I would get to see him again. 
And, I'm working on being asked to be in his upcoming wedding, so any extra time I can get with his fiancee is key.  Seriously.

I also wanted to catch a bball game of my youngest brother, Seth (he's the blurriest blur in the picture.)
He's fun to watch and they won so it was a success!
AND, I got to see Gabe and Dan, which is always a bonus.

So, anyway, back to being funny...I don't know if it's just cause we're from the same gene pool, but we crack ourselves up. 
Basically, I laughed the majority of the weekend.
We got on a tangent about creating a line of really inappropriate greeting cards.  We actually discussed starting a business. 
Here's one for a sympathy card..."Remember when you said if you weren't with someone else, we would have a chance?  Sorry for your loss.  Can I take you out to dinner."
Or..."Thank you for your loss."
Do you think they would fly??  Who knows, but we laughed til we cried and I almost peed my pants.

There was also an incident with my mom making a chipmunk sound and then praying, which made me laugh til I cried. 
So, I'm pretty sure not a single sentence I've written made you laugh, but I've laughed all over again just thinking about it!!
Here's to funny families and good memories!!

Warning: Totally biased opinions to follow...

I think my kids are awesome.  They are the smartest, cutest, funniest little people around. 
I told you this was a biased opinion!
Anyway, as I mentioned in an earlier post, E, A and C have been taking piano lessons. 
Elijah has had 2 lessons and Cory and Autumn have had just one each.  They do play quite a bit on their own and I help here and there.
Elijah played in his first piano recital this afternoon.  With just 2 lessons under his belt, he managed to get up in front of  40+ people and play his Jolly Ole St. Nicholas perfectly.  It's hard to get up in front of people, peroid, but to get up in front of strangers,on a grand piano he's never seen, in a place he's never been and play!?!
He's my hero.
And, yep, I was proud!

I might be

watching movies on Netflix all day in my pajamas, while eating toffee and drinking coffee.
It's possible.

These are a few of my favorite things...

After pouring over my new cookbook, I started thinking about all my favorite material things.  I'm not particularly picky about anything so it takes alot to get on this list. They are in no particular order.

1. My VHS of Notting Hill.  Don't laugh.  I love it.  Not necessarily the VHS part, but I love the movie.  It might be the soundtrack or that it's set in London.  I don't even know what it is about it.  I can watch it over and over.  Weird, I know.

2. Explode the Code series-My kids have all learned to read on this series and I love it.  It's simple, which is probably my favorite part.  It's an old school workbook.  No frills.  It gives just enough on each letter for them to "get it" and then it moves on, but still builds from previous knowledge.  I only use it through kindergarten and first grade.  Then we move on to other things.  It's not time intensive either, which is my second favorite thing about it.  I'm all about getting in and getting it done.

3.  Greek dressing, specifically Kraft Greek dressing.  We happened upon it years ago after Chad had returned from his deployment in Greece.  He RAVED about the greek salads over there.  (Chad doesn't really rave about anything, but he came as close to it as I've seen).  It's not exactly "authentic" according to Chad, but oh man, is it good.   Make a salad with spinach, roma tomatoes, red onions, olives, ALOT of feta cheese and this stuff.  YUMMMMM!!!!!!

4.  Everyday Minerals.  http://www.everydayminerals.com/  I love it.  It's cheaper then some other stuff and it's as good, if not better, in my humble opinion.

5. Tresemme hair products.  I have tried ALOT of kinds and I always go back to this stuff.  

Short list and not all that exciting now that I look it over.  Nothing techy or trendy.   Geez, I should get out more.  Broaden my horizons. Try new stuff.  Well, until all that happens, I'll stick with all of these!