I have been away from this blog for far too long. I am thinking that this is still a great way to keep family and friends updated on our happenings. Also, a way to keep my journaling updated for my scrapbooking - if I ever get that back on track. Life has been crazy busy for us lately. I have taken steps to make it more manageable. I am back to working 3 12 hour shifts a week. So far that has been a huge help in making our lives happier. Mainly cause I am less stressed.

I am taking steps to getting other things healthier as well. I made MD appointments for me and the kids. Mine is today. Have to say, I am a little nervous about going. I choose an MD that I do not know. He comes highly recommended but since I do not know him I will have to let him be the MD and me just the patient. Next step dentist appointments.

Nicholas is finished elementary school. Can you believe how quickly the years have flown by? Seems like yesterday I was putting him on the bus for kindergarten. Now he is sooo ready for middle school. He was chosen to play the tuba in band and he is major excited about this. Daddy is proud that his little "mini me" is following in his footsteps.

Allison remains that over achiever. She is a great student. Allison has this great ability to just make me laugh. She def has her Daddy's sense of humor and just goes with whatever happens like it was her original idea. Tonight she has a date with her Daddy and I think they are planning on hitting a bucket of golf balls, movie and popcorn.

This is an older picture of the kids holding a baby monkey. This little monkey was so adorable we all wanted to keep him. Glad we resisted that urge!!!

Silly Faces / Christmas Gift

You need to take time to be silly.  I love this photo of the Nickster and me.  Such crazy faces.  Allison loves to be the little photographer and capture all the REAL moments.  My biggest gifts this holiday season will be the words of Nicholas "Mom, the BEST part of Christmas is getting to spend extra time with my family"  and  coming home Sunday of last weekend to find my house cleaned and decorated for Christmas by my loving husband and my two beautiful children.  I love the saying "It may not be a perfect life but it is my life"  It seems about perfect today and I love my life.

Sharon

Sharon came down for a visit.  She is gone back to the frozen north now and we sure miss her.  There is something about a sister that is a forever kind of friend.  You may disagree and argue but underneath it all - she is your sister and will always be.  I feel that she just knows me and I do not have to explain anything to her - She accepts me just the way I am.  Funny thing though.....as we have gotten older and: hopefully, wiser, we seem to be drawn to the same types of things.  That was sort of weird to me.  I was always the country bumpkin and she the sofisticated,  more refined type.  She into fashion and me def not.  As we went shopping, I would say I like this and she would say me too - it about blew me away.  We went to the kid's field day, the quilt show, the forbidden gardens, but mostly we shopped and spent time together.  We love you Sharon and please come back soon.

ROSIE

I never thought I would fall in love with a dog.  Rosie just climbed right into my heart.  She follows me around the house and where ever I stop she plops down beside my feet.  When I leave one room she gets up and goes to the next.  I adore that about her.  She is not a dog that has to be in your face all the time just in the same room as you.  She just makes me smile and laugh and that is a good thing!  Thanks Rosie.

What a car!!!

Uncle Ralph has the coolest car.  It is a Saturn Skye.  Midnight black.  The kids are in awe of this car - and I must admit so am I.  When the kids see Uncle Ralph washing the car they run right down to "help?"  They are really growing up fast and their interests are shifting from little kid toys to big kid toys.  

We were walking through the mall as a family and we saw a hot red skye.  Chris said "maybe we should get this one"  Allison was quick on the draw and said "It's a very nice car but it is not for us"  So I asked her why not.  She said "Cause, mom, it only has two seats and we are a four seat family"  That girl is sooooo funny!

Our Chaplain

"The greatest discovery of this generation is that a human being can alter their life by altering their attitude." Spoken by William James over a century ago.  Our chaplain at work John sends out these little messages on a regular basis.  They always make you think.  John walks around the hospital with a smile on his face, a hug at the ready, and a kind word on his lips.  Thanks, John, you make our day better.

Yumm-o!!!

Today is a teacher appreciation lunch at school.  So, being me I volunteered to bring something. The theme this month is soup and buns.  I was not about to bake buns.  I wish I could bake buns like my mom but that would mean I would have to actually try.  Maybe one day.  So, I decided on a baked potato soup.  It has baked potatoes, sour cream, milk, bacon, cheese, green onion and cheddar cheese in it.  Easy to make but looks impressive.  For sure NOT diet food - that is why it is going to school and not staying here at the house.

Nicholas made a trip to the MD on Wed.  Yup, he had another sinus infection.  The doctor started him back on singulair to try and keep him from being so stuffed up.  And a round of antibiotics to knock this infection out.  I think it is helping because Nicholas woke up early again today.  He had been falling asleep early and then not waking up until time to get up for school.  That is how I knew he was sick.  This kid NEVER sleeps in!!!

Allison just loves brownies.  She sold 25 products in her fall product drive.  So, she will earn the large badge!!!!  She cannot wait for cookie sales time as she already has her uncles lined up to buy BIG!!!!  This girl may have a future in sales.

State Farm has apologized for the delay in quoting our claim.  They are going to meet with our roofer in the next week and settle this thing.  The state farm guy said we had picked a good roofer and they had worked with him before.  He did not think it would be much of an issue once they meet and discussed things.  He thought they would write the roofer a check at the meeting so things could get going.  Hopefully, we had a big rain storm over past 2 days and more shingles look loose on roof.

Only two more weeks until Sharon comes!!!!  The whole family is so excited and busy making plans.  I hope she is not coming here to rest.