Saying Goodbye

It is never easy to say goodbye! Tell me your hardest experience saying goodbye. I'm interested in hearing everyone else's sad tales as opposed to dwelling on how hard it was to say bye to Andrew today...... (Oh! By the way, today is my 7th wedding anniversary!!!)

Dressing Up for Christmas

I always love dressing up the kids for Christmas. Aurora LOVED her dress (I think she just liked the white fur on it.) I took a few pictures, but this is the only one where one of them doesn't have their eyes closed or looking away. The older two are checking out the TV while I'm trying to take pictures....probably should have turned that off, huh? I know I'm biased, but I think they are all so adorable!!!!

Arts and Crafts

The kids wanted to open their gifts from G&G Robrecht today. I gave in because I wanted them to know what they got them (as opposed to what "Santa" brings). One of the gifts that they opened was a craft. It was making Noah's Ark animals out of pipe cleaners. It was pretty hard but the kids loved seeing the animals "come to life." It was really fun, and just a little frustrating, putting these together. I'm glad I got the pictures when I did because they then decided to "play" with them and most of them are smashed now. HA! Nothing lasts for long in this house!

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I love this time of year! The time between Halloween and New Year's brings back so many memories. I remember when I was little, we'd always go with Dad to pick out our favorite tree from the Christmas Tree farm. Dad would haul it into the house, w/ Mom pushing the vacuum cleaner around to pick up all the needles. We'd make a thousand trips, it seemed, to the basement to bring up all the ornaments and decorations and then we'd chaotically set everything out. We'd listen to Christmas tapes on the stereo and either Dad or Bub would videorecord us decorating. Molly would always end up dancing in front of the camera and would get reprimanded to move away so we could see everyone else.

On Christmas Eve, we'd have a family dinner and then watch Christmas shows on TV while having snacks. Dad would usually build a fire. Christmas morning was always so exciting! We'd wake up early just to sit in the living room and look at all the gifts and lights. I remember the year we got the Little Tikes kitchen and the Christmas we got the Barbie Dream House. As I got older it seemed a little different without my older brother and sisters there. However, I remember one Christmas when everyone came back and we all spent Christmas morning together. That was a really fun time!

I also remember the Christmas right before I got married. Andrew and I were married December 28th, so that Christmas seemed like a really busy time with a bridal shower, finishing decorations for the reception at the church, and making sure everything was set for me to be moving. But I can remember how I felt so excited and sad at the same time. Maybe everything seemed EXTRA special because I knew that it was the last Christmas I was going to spend single at my parent's house.

And now, this Christmas is a little bittersweet. Andrew has been gone for almost 5 months. He got to come home for a little while during Thanksgiving and he'll be home for Christmas morning (thank you, Sheila & Kevin!!!!), but the Christmas holiday is more than just one day and I'm missing him here everyday. The kids are excited about Santa and all the other things that kids love about Christmas so I'm trying to make this the best Christmas for them.

Hope you all are thinking about how special this time of year is and remembering all those great memories. Happy Holidays to everyone!

Things That Go Bump in the Refrigerator

It's a running joke in the family that I buy green onions and never use them up before they get all "wilty" in the refrigerator. You know what I mean, right? There's always that one thing that you buy at the grocery store (because you forget that you have it already) only to come home and realize that you already had some. And isn't that just great, because you really only needed a little bit of it anyway. Then, the next time you go to the grocery store you pick it up again....and the vicious cycle just starts up all over again. Well, green onions is the culprit in this family. And today I achieved the unthinkable!!!.....I used ALL of my green onions.

Guess it's time to go back to the grocery store.....

Christmas 2008

Holiday Greetings

I know I haven't written on my blog for a little over a month....but what a month it has been! My hubbie got to come home for Thanksgiving after 4 months apart and we spent the time cooking and playing with the kids. It was really nice to get to see him. He's lost weight! Where's the fairness in that?? You'd think that my grueling routine of making bottles, baking cookies and changing dirty diapers would have sloughed off about 40 lbs already....but no.....all I have is more hair and a husband who can't wear any of his clothes anymore because they fall off of him.......hmmmmmm...... maybe I shouldn't complain anymore! :)

My kids are really worried about how Santa is going to get into our house on Christmas. I thought about telling them that I would leave the door unlocked. Yeah, not going to encourage that one. So I asked them, "How do you think he's going to get in the house?" My 3-year old said (with a serious look on his face), "Through the toilet, Mommy!" When I could stop laughing I told him that's as good a place as any I guess!! HA! HA! (Still makes me laugh)

We have a Christmas decoration in our house that has little numbers of it that you change to count down to Christmas. Every night before I go to bed I change the numbers....when I wake up in the morning the numbers have always "mysteriously" been changed to "01." I think someone's a little anxious for Christmas. I guess this year will just be the longest Christmas Eve ever!!