Wordless Wednesday - Our Wedding Anniversary

A year into dating (12 yrs ago!)

Engaged (10 yrs ago)

Wedding shower (9 yrs ago)

Our Wedding day December 31, 1999

Our family growing

And us now. After 13 years together and being married for 9:)

Tackle it Tuesday -Painting Project

I have overcome a fear.. The fear of painting. I have always let my husband do these sorts of projects unsure of my capabilities. This fall I couldn't wait for him we had a deadline with new carpet coming and so I painted the whole downstairs! Now it isn't perfect by any means and there still are a few spots that need touch ups or spots I missed. But I no longer am afraid and am moving on to other projects. Our cousin gave us her old dresser for our youngest. So this weekend I took advantage of the nice weather we had and painted this. I put the handles on and put it up today.

Before: It was quite sunny on our back porch, kind of hard to see.

Here is the after: She already put her things on it

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Wordless Wednesday - Merry Christmas

Aunt Judy sent the kids these hats from the place she works, so I thought it would be cute to snap a pic to send to her. So this is as close to a Christmas shot as we'll get this year:)

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No School, No School La-La-La-La-La-LA!

Not exactly how I wanted to wake up this morning, Our school system has just started an automatic call system that will call you when there is a delay or cancellation so you no longer need to get up and listen to the radio or watch TV to find out if there is a change in school, my phone is next to our bed so when they call, I don't even need to wake up- which is nice-They just started this last week and already have had to use it twice. A delay on Wednesday and today school was cancelled. So we now are officially on Christmas Vacation! Two weeks off! The kids had fun things planned at school today. Elena is really upset, she was so looking forward to her Christmas party at school. She doesn't want break, she loves school.

So with the roads full of ice, I am bummed because it puts a slight damper on my plans, I was planning on grocery shopping this morning, picking up Jason this afternoon and Christmas shopping with Bill this evening. I still have most of it to do!!

This is the first year in some time that I have more than a gift or two to purchase yet and it is consuming me. I will not do this again if I can help it!

I will try to shift my attitude around and try to enjoy this extra day of being stuck inside and do something fun with the kids, the shopping will have to wait until tomarrow....UGH

Weekend Recap

Well I thought since I am sitting here half awake, I would try to wake up my rusty brain and post a recap. I did have an almost KC like weekend. Hee, hee. Usually my weekends involve one major event over the course of it, but this weekend was busy and FUN! Friday I took the day off work so that I could get things done before my cookie exchange that I host. I have to plan things like this from time to time, because it actually motivates me to get things done. I need that deadline.

So I stayed up late Thursday night baking cookies so I wouldn't have that mess Friday. Friday was all about getting the house ready. And also having a day off from work without having to run around was soo nice!! I am counting down the days until Christmas Break! Whoo-hoo! The joys of working in a school:)

Friday night I had some friends over here to exchange Christmas cookies and we had quite the wintery weather. It snowed all day and there was quite a bit on the ground and on the roads. One girl couldn't make it because of the weather. (Crazy as it is all melted already and in the 50's right now) of course KC the blogger girl already had pics up. Here are a few I took. I should of just made her my party photographer :p

Saturday we woke up and the whole family just lounged around ate Christmas cookies for breakfast and watched The Santa Claus. Such a great way to wake up!

My MIL wanted the girls to come over for a tea party lunch, so I took them over there, stopped and picked up a few things at the grocery and came home to a quiet house. AWESOME!!! Bill took Ethan sledding so I had some time. I cleaned out one of my cupboards and then made some cookie dough for Sunday.

When Ethan came home we started putting together Christmas gifts we are making for family and teachers. Can't show you because I don't know who will see. Don't want to spoil the surprise!

Saturday night we went to this neat cabin for a surprise 60th birthday party for my Aunt, my mom's oldest sister. It was the first time in a long time I have seen all 4 of my mom's siblings together. They took some pics by the Christmas tree and I got a bit sad. It has been 25 years since my mom has passed....

It was nice to see cousins and family I haven't seen in awhile.

Sunday got up and went to church, the kids did the bell choir thing for the congregation, I love when they get to do this, they are soo cute.

Came home had lunch and went to Aunt Sandy's social hall at her church and spent the afternoon baking cookies with the girls. It was fun and a great way to get a bunch done!

We went back to her house and ordered pizza and just hung out. Was a great weekend. Of course throughout most of it I forgot my camera, but that is just how it goes. Maybe Santa will bring me a camera phone?

Christmas Cards

No pictures today, just a musing about Christmas cards. Don't you love how someone can be placed on your heart and then you hear from them? I have a friend who I was closer to anyone in the world and with kids and business we drifted over the past few years, I miss her terribly, and she has been on my mind daily. She has been dealt a lot and she shuts down instead of reaching out for a friend for comfort. I haven't spoken to her in a year and a half and I woke up yesterday morning thinking I should send her a Christmas card, it was heavy on my heart and when I opened my mailbox yesterday there is a card from her! It literally brought me to tears.

Only at Christmas:)

Wordless Wednesday - Silent Night

I looove this picture! They fell asleep watching The Polar Express and the Josh Grobin Believe song I have playing on my blog was playing when I walked into the room. Such a perfect little moment to store to memory:)

I know not so wordless, but if you want more wordless posts, check out Five Minutes for mom!

Wordless Wednesday - What I woke up to yesterday!

I couldn't believe it being so early, but we are loving it. It looks so pretty I hope it sticks around a bit.

Sick, Sick, Sick

The flu bug is going around and unfortunately decided to come to our house so last night I was up all night with miss Natalie. Ick. I can handle any kind of chest cold, respiratory infection, but I don't do well with the pukes!

So I am spending my day today disinfecting and cleaning -when I am not snuggling with my little girl- We didn't get much sleep last night, so I am hoping she will sleep more today. We have a busy weekend ahead so I am hoping the Lysol does the trick.

Miss Elena is having two birthday parties. One tomorrow with her friends and one Sunday with family. So I have the house to get ready, which isn't much but we had new carpet put in last week and I still need to move some furniture around. But later I need to make cupcakes and when Bill gets home I need to shop for all the yummy food and decorations. Her theme is Littlest Pet Shop.

Today is one of those crazy little gifts, that you asked for but just not exactly. I was just complaining to my dh about how I have all these projects upstairs that are started but not finished and I can never keep the kids in one spot so I can finish them. Last night while miss Natalie drifted off to sleep after getting sick, I sat in her room and finally got all their summer things out of the closet and dressers and put away, sorted play clothes and school clothes, tossed some things and got the girls room cleaned. Today I have moved her into my room so she can watch cartoons and hopefully I can sort through these piles of papers around my desk and start on the boys summer things. If she was well, it would still be sitting here. Crazy.
Now I just pray I don't get sick!!

Wordless Wednesday - She loves her big brother :)

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SNOW!

Before I went to bed last night, I looked out the window and shrieked! Everything had a thin blanket of white! It snowed!! The kids were getting ready for bed and got all excited as well. This is the only time of the year that I get so excited to see the white stuff and the kid in me now that I am working in a school thinks - maybe school will be canceled tomorrow?? Hee, hee.

Of course it didn't really stick around by this morning, but it brought back good memories of when I was a kid and my brother and I would mark the calendar when the first snow was and compare it to the last year and run outside in it. Love the first snow!

So guess what i am gonna have to listen to as I do the mountain of laundry? Christmas music of course!

Have a great Monday!

Wordless Wednesday- Halloween - kids and their friends

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Wordless Wednesday - My husband's dreaming:)

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Blogging, what is that?

That is how I feel lately, I never have any time to post, let alone read up on other blogs. I miss my sahm days:( I definitely am working more than I expected to and it's amazing how just working 2-3 hours in the middle of the day throws a kink into everything else! I had a nice four day weekend, but I babysat Natalie's friend Friday and babysat 2 kids on Monday so nothing really got caught up. Oh yeah and throw in a play date, a night of puking by Elena and a trip to the Dr with Ethan (luckily not the ER) because he sprained his wrist!!

I really want to take more time on here, but I need to hop in the shower and get ready to head to the cafeteria! Lunch duty calls once again. I go to a new elementary school today so I get to torment a new group of kids. YAY!

I hope I can get this new routine down and get back to blogging. I miss it. Really, I do.

Have a great Tuesday and probably week too!

Wordless Wednesday - my 3 yr olds drawing

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Wordless Wednesday - Last days of summer break

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I've been tagged!

My friend Katie over at greatlife-happy2bme has tagged me for a meme. Now it is 6 random things or quirky things. I don't know if I could think of 12 random and quirky so this will just be a combo of both. Thanks for the tag!

1. First one since I have been thinking about my past pregnancies with my first baby turning 8. When I was pregnant with him. I was completely obsessed with what I ate each day. "The books" said I needed to eat this much of this and this much of that so I made charts and was sure to eat EVERYTHING on the list. Never touched caffeine because the book said not to, not even chocolate. Chocolate had caffeine. One time I drank root beer assuming all root beer was caffeine free and when I realized there was some in it, I freaked!

2. On the same subject when I was pregnant with my girls I had my cup of decaf each morning and had chocolate everyday!

3. My favorite candy bar is peanut butter twix, I like to eat all the chocolate and peanut butter off the top and sides and then eat the cookie part.

4. I am constantly misplacing my sunglasses. In fact I stopped buying sunglasses that were at all expensive and now buy cheap ones because I leave them everywhere I go!

5. I cannot go to bed at night unless I make sure everything is shut and locked up, if I fall asleep and am not sure I need to get up, check all the doors and downstairs windows, lock the car and make sure the garage door is shut.

6. I cannot leave the house without forgetting something. It is a joke in our house that I have to make one more trip back inside for something. Sometimes more than once - it is horrible!!

I think those things were more quirky than random, but there you have it a little more information about my life :)

Wordless Wednesday - Ethan's 1st Demo Derby Car

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New Beginnings

First day of school underway and Miss Elena starts today. She was so excited. She picked out a
Hannah Montana shirt to wear with sparkly silver shoes and of course a silver headband to match. I was never so accessorized as a kindergartner. Not even in high school! Anyways, I keep thinking I need to pick her up in a few hours. That will be different. She didn't act nervous at all and we found out there was a little boy from her preschool that she played with all summer that is in her class. So that was reassuring. A familiar face.

Ethan wasn't so crazy about his first day. Lunch was later and his friends were all scattered. It will be better for him today I am sure. He thinks he doesn't need me to walk him to/from school anymore. He got mad when I made him walk with us. Big second grader.

My first day was fun. It was great to see all the kids that I know and the teachers were so nice. Surprisingly Ethan's teacher from last year was quite chatty and told me of a job opening. So I am going to see what I can do about getting it. The ladies I worked with were great and I got to work with my friend who got me my job so that made it so much easier getting into it.

Natalie was super excited to go to the babysitters, but had a rough afternoon. We'll see how she does today.

So my new beginning besides working out of the house is getting back into working out! I have been such a slacker and I can feel it. I don't usually go by the scale, I go by how I feel and lately I can feel that I have put on a few pounds. When I went to the Dr a few weeks back his scale said I have gained 12 pounds since late spring!! WOW! So I have been watching what I put into my mouth, trying to snack on veggies and such and since I just have one child with me starting today I amgetting back into walking daily. I took the kids to school and took Natalie on a 30 minute walk. I am gonna shoot for 30 min a day this week, bump that up to 45 next and keep moving until I am at an hour. I will walk until the weather gets too yucky and then I will head to our local rec center.
So wish me luck with this. It is so hard to get into a new routine.

Okay now I am off to bake a chocolate cake for dessert tonight. Hmmm wonder how those 12 pounds snuck on? I have no idea!

Back to School

The last weekend of summer vacation. A month ago I was dreaming about this, craving the regularity of a schedule. I have 2 going to school this year. My middle child is beginning kindergarten and although I have been so excited for her to go, now that we are days away I am getting sad. I know she will thrive in that environment. She loves school I am hoping it continues now that it will be an all day everyday thing. I am looking forward to days with just me and my 3 year old though. She is at such a fun age, I know we will make lots of special memories together.

Another thing about school starting this year that I am nervous/excited about is I am going back to work. I was hired by the school system the kids go to in May as a substitute helper. I will float between all the schools wherever there is a need, secretaries, library, teachers aide, kitchen. I am a sub so I can for the most part choose my schedule. Well I got a call with a request to work at the elementary school my kids attend for the whole week next week. I will only be working for two hours each day just to help in the cafeteria. Perfect. I will be here with them before and after school. I am glad I will get to see them at school each day, but nervous about returning to the work world. I have been home for over 3 years and even before that I was only working 1-3 days for 2 years before that. But I know once I get in there it will be fine. Natalie is excited about going to the babysitters, she has been telling me for weeks that I go to work she will go to the babysitters. So I know the adjustment for her will be fine.

Well I better get myself ready to go shopping. Just a few more items to pick up and the kids are ready for back to school!

Thursday Thirteen - MOPS MOMMAS!

I went to our county fair yesterday and since I usually run into so many mops moms there, I thought I would do a Thursday thirteen on who I see. I did see a couple more than 13, but oh well. It was fun catching them all off guard when I said "Hello, SMILE!!"

(If you don't know what MOPS is, be sure to click on the word above and it will take you to the website. Great Group every mom should know about! This years theme is adventures in motherhood, so seeing these mommas at a fair was quite fitting)

I left names out for privacy reasons, but the last one is ME:)

Happy Thursday!