A Little Potty Humor

Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I told Zachary that I would take him to Inflatable Wonderland when he was potty-trained. (I am sure he was just barely 3 at the time, but as you can see, I was already to the point of throwing bribes to the wind.) Though he had been to other "jumpy jumpy" places around town, as we like to call them for the sake of simplicity, Inflatable Wonderland was going to be that special place that would only be entered upon his successful completion of this very important developmental milestone. It didn't work very well as an incentive, however. Instead of enticing Zachary to actually do SOMETHING to BECOME potty-trained, he simply reminded me, every time we passed it in the mall, that someday he would go there when he was potty-trained. And, each time, approximately 5 seconds later, his mind would already be on something OTHER than being potty-trained. Eventually, as the months came and went with very little progress in that department, I decided in MY mind that we would probably NEVER be going to Inflatable Wonderland. "Woe is me," I'd think to myself. "I guess I'll have the first child to enter college in a Pull-Up."

Then comes the end of my long, sad story. Miracles do happen! Just recently, Zachary, literally, woke up one day COMPLETELY POTTY-TRAINED!!! After all those months and years of madness spent trying to get him to this same end, he did exactly what his pediatrician told me he'd do: He did it when HE was ready!

I am still counting the days since this miracle took place, but now I'm sure that it's the real deal. Zachary is 100% potty-trained! Not one single accident since Day 1, and we're well into the double digits. So, amid my joyous dancing and singing of the Hallelujah Chorus, one of the first things Zachary said to me was, "Now we can go to the jumpy jumpy place at the mall because I'm potty-trained!" Of course, he didn't forget. And I assured him that, YES, we would be going there very soon.

There was just one little dilemma: I didn't know what to do about Ashley. I wanted this trip to Inflatable Wonderland to be a really special reward for Zachary, but how could I leave her out? After all, she has been way ahead of him in terms of potty-training progress until, well, April 14th, to be exact. (Which, by the way, will probably now remain burned in my memory as one of the best days of my life...the day I became a believer.) Ashley is not far behind. I just didn't think it would be right to let her come, too, on the account of being almost potty-trained. However, with her birthday coming up, I thought Zachary might not mind too much if his sister got to join him for that reason. Of course, I hadn't said anything about this to Zachary. But somehow he just knew...

Last week, Grandma came over after work to go out for ice cream with us. One of the first things she said to Zachary was, "Zachary, I heard you're potty-trained! Are you going to go to the jumpy jumpy place at the mall now?!?" Ashley was standing there in the living room with us and her face lit up with excitement. "I want to go to the jumpy jumpy place at the mall!!!" Zachary turned to her and said, in complete seriousness, "No, Ashley. You have to stay with Grandma, because you're not potty-trained. Only I get to go to the jumpy jumpy place at the mall because I am potty-trained." And as if to add insult to injury, Zachary added, "Happy birthday to you, Ashley!"

Ouch!

"Easter Beagle Eggs"

It was fun getting ready for Easter today. For some reason, Zachary and Ashley weren't interested in watching, "It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown" this year as they have every year (and not necessarily only at Easter time) since Zachary was about a year old. Instead they watched "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown"...TWICE. Crazy kids... After dinner, we dyed eggs..."Easter Beagle Eggs" as they have come to be affectionately termed. But have no fear, we didn't waffle them. We didn't toast them. We didn't fry them, and we didn't turn them into egg soup. We BOILED them!!! ;)

Easter Egg Hunt

Today, I took Zachary and Ashley to our neighborhood-sponsored Easter Egg Hunt...which wasn't actually in our neighborhood, but whatever. This is the first egg hunt they've been to that wasn't really Mom-sponsored, and they had a great time! Ashley loved the Easter Bunny the most (she wanted to know where he was at all times), and she was a pro at raking in the eggs. Zachary wasn't as interested in the bunny, neither was he as hard-pressed to gather up as many eggs as he could find, which is OK. I just didn't want him to be upset after they let the other kids back out for another run at 'em. Both Zachary and Ashley were so cute to watch, though I spent more of my time with Ashley, since the egg hunt for the under-3 crowd was in a different spot than the rest. Zachary was just excited to be with so many other kids and on a playground at the same time. Fun!

Go Fish!

I've never been a huge fan of Goldfish, but my kids seem to like them. Then we discovered new Flavor-Blasted Goldfish, and boy are those tasty! So, the last time I saw them on sale at Target, I decided we should try out several of the different flavors. My pantry is stocked with 3 packages, only one of which was opened. The other day, Ashley brought me an unopened (green) package of Ranch-flavored Goldfish and wanted some for a snack. Not wanting to have 3 opened packages at one time, I went in search of the already-opened package which was nowhere to be found.

Me: "Chris, did you finish off the Mozzarella Goldfish?"
Chris: "No. Did YOU finish off the Mozzarella Goldfish?!"
Me: "No. I just wondered why they're missing all of a sudden if nobody has eaten them."

Ashley was sitting at the table when Chris, strangely inspired, opened the trash can and pulled out the half-full (golden-colored) package of Mozzarella Goldfish.

Chris: "You mean THESE?!"
Ashley: "NOOOOOO! I WANT GREEN!"

Hmmmm....I just WONDER how THOSE got THERE!?

That's Some Powerful Juice!

Did you know that one of the amazing yet lesser known benefits of drinking Sunny Delight is that it helps you swim and surf? No? Neither did I! That is, until tonight. Zachary brought this to my attention. Wow!

"What I Meant to Say..."

Last night, during Family Home Evening, Chris read the kids a story about a little boy who was going off to school for the first time and was so excited about learning. Just as the boy in the story was asked to do by his teacher, Chris asked Zachary to say his name and something about himself. Zachary said, "My name's Zachary, and I like blocks and shapes. I like circles, I like triangles, and I EVEN LOVE SQUIRRELS!" Ooops, I think that came out a little wrong! And I think Zachary knew it, because he was laughing as hard as the rest of us.

Not Quite the "Trip" I Wanted to Take

I was so annoyed today when I went to turn on General Conference and found that absolutely NOTHING was playing on the channel we were supposed to be tuning into. For as long as we've lived in this house, we have always watched Conference on cable channel 77 at home in our living room. However, even as good as it got, we often experienced problems here or there. For example, we'd catch the morning session, but in the afternoon, this no-name channel would air a baseball game instead. That was pretty annoying in and of itself, but today I was REALLY ticked off. The screen was SOLID BLUE and they couldn't air Conference?! Come on! So, not having a lot of other last-minute options, I was grateful that we do have internet and can tune in online. The problem with that was that I couldn't actually watch it without the audio totally breaking up. So, we (or rather I--Chris was laying on the floor, sick, and probably didn't catch much besides his zzZZ's) listened while watching something crazy like sound waves dancing on the computer screen in front of me. Colorful stars and bands of "sound" moving in time with the speakers' words and voice inflections or something crazy like that. After awhile, I couldn't handle any more of it, so I got on Facebook and tried to work Sudoku puzzles in the meantime. Yeah, that was a little distracting, but so was the crappy mood I was in already. And so here lies the end of my rant.

Mommy's Little Helper vs. Mommy's Little Helps-Himself

This morning, I awoke to hear the following conversation between my kids, who were cheerfully discussing the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches they wanted for breakfast:

Zachary: "Ashley, bring me a chair so I can get the bread from on top of the refrigerator."
Ashley: "I don't think so. Mommy can help."
Zachary: "Then I'm going to climb on the treadmill and then on the counter so I can get it."
Ashley: "No. Mommy can help."

And that's about the point when I got up, walked into the kitchen and calmly suggested, "Yes, Mommy can help."

Bad Karma Strikes and I Claim My Place in the Family Infirmary

I exposed my sick child to other people and their children today, so I guess I deserve to claim my spot in the family infirmary now. After all, what goes around comes around, right? I have had quite the headache for the past several hours now and am feeling pretty sick at my stomach, too. After watching Zachary throw up all day, though, is it any wonder why???

Poor Zachary has not been able to keep anything down all day. After cancelling our lunch plans, Zachary was very sad when I told him we'd be staying home instead of riding the Zilker Park train as planned. After each episode he had of throwing up, I'd say it again, "I promise we'll go next week when you're feeling better!" But that did not ease his troubled little heart. At one point, while sitting on the floor next to the toilet, he offered this impassioned plea: "Mommy, I have tried EVERYTHING I can think of, but the sickness is just not going away!" Who likes to see a kid have to work so hard, and despite all his efforts, feel like he has failed? Not me. I know there will definitely be times where I have to put my foot down and keep him home when he is sick, but I didn't feel like this HAD to be one of those times. He wanted to go so badly, and he was even wearing his little train conductor's hat and bandana and looked so cute, I figured we could give it a shot. I packed up an extra shirt and towels just in case and we headed down to the park, but not before Zachary eagerly offered a prayer that he would not throw up and have to miss the train.

After arriving at the park, we bought our train tickets but had a little time to play at the park before its departure. Zachary was all over that park and seemed to be happy despite not feeling well. We played so much that we almost MISSED our train. We boarded right as the conductor yelled, "All aboard!" and took off in a matter of seconds. We were lucky that we made it. That was close! It was a beautiful day outside, but the wind was blowing pretty hard, so I spent half the time shielding my eyes and mouth from the flying dirt and grit, but the kids enjoyed themselves. Zachary was sad, though, that we didn't see Woody this time (a man who hangs out along the route playing his guitar and harmonica.) Apparently, Woody was a significant part of what made the train so fun the first time and the reason why Ashley insisted on bringing their harmonica (though I made her leave it in the car.) We played a little more in the park before Zachary found a spot atop one of the slides and laid down. I told him, at that point, that we needed to go home so he could rest. We managed to get through our outing just before Zachary's stomach began acting up again. On the way home, I tried to supervise his next episode while driving along the toll road. I came prepared, though, and he was covered in a towel and the car was spared. He looked pretty bad at that point, so I asked him, "Do I need to take you to the doctor?" He replied (weakly), "Don't be so rude!"

We made it home and Zachary rested all afternoon while I worried about what more serious ailment he could possibly have than the innocuous 24-hour stomach bug that Ashley had over the weekend. I was looking up appendicitis when a friend suggested that a way to tell if a kid has that is to straighten out his leg and push firmly on his heel as though I'm trying to push his leg into his pelvis. Does that not sound HORRIBLE?! At the time, Zachary was sleeping, so I waited until he woke up to inflict more pain on him. First, I asked him if he felt better (he said "yes") and asked him if his stomach hurt, while I pressed lightly on it (he said "no") and then I straightened his leg and inflicted the torture, which only resulted in Zachary throwing up all the water he had drunk over the 2 hours prior. He was holding NOTHING down. I hate to see anyone so sick.

Chris got home around 5:30 and after a few minutes, I went and lied down to see if I could shake the headache that had crept in over the course of the afternoon. He was so good to watch the kids while I ended up sleeping all evening. I didn't feel much better when I got up a few hours later, but maybe this will pass by the morning. Worse than taking care of sick kids (or husbands) is caring for them when you are also feeling yucky. So, with that, I'm going to sign off and get myself ready for bed and pray that this is gone when I wake up.

Mindbender

If it looks like barf and it smells like barf, I have no trouble identifying it as barf. But if it doesn't LOOK like barf, and it doesn't smell like ANYTHING, but your kids says it IS barf...do you believe your kid and treat him like he's sick? I'm having a hard time wrapping my brain around that one.

This morning, Zachary seemed to be feeling fine, but a short while later, I found him hugging the toilet and saying that he already barfed 3 times: once in the bathroom, once in the living room and once on himself. First of all, I had to go LOOKING for it, and when I did, it just looked like water and I cleaned it up. Despite myself, I went ahead and sniffed at the clear wet spot on his shirt and was puzzled that it smelled just like water.

We had plans today to meet a friend downtown for lunch. We were just going to meet at McDonald's since that's what is most kid-friendly and she works nearby. I figured I'd take advantage of an opportunity and take the kids to ride on the train at Zilker Park, which is just down the road from where we were meeting, afterward. As long as the "barf" episode was an isolated one, I figured we could let it slide (no pun intended) and continue on our way. I bathed the kids, asking Zachary every few minutes if he felt alright and if he still wanted to go on our outing. He seemed fine and said he did. I dressed Ashley first and then went back and got him. His face looked a little pale, but I dressed him and told him to go put on his shoes. That's when Episode 2 occurred. I witnessed it with my own eyes, so I called my friend, cancelled our lunch plans and told the kids we had to stay home today. Of course, by THAT point, Zachary seems like himself again and is sorely disappointed about having to miss the train.

So there's my dilemma: If I hadn't already called my friend to cancel, I might have kept those plans, too, but I guess it's better that we not get our friend sick or risk Episode 3 occurring in a public eating establishment. On the other hand, I'm going against my better judgment and am taking the kids to ride the train anyway. I'll pack an extra shirt and a towel in the diaper bag, and what's the worst that could happen? Guess we'll find out...or, hopefully, we WON'T. Am I terrible?

Welcome to the Family!

This morning, at 9 a.m. to be exact, some unfamiliar music started playing from my cell phone/alarm clock on the nightstand beside my bed. I received a text message from my brother, Steven, with the news that "It's a girl!" He and his wife, Amanda, had their ultrasound today and found out that they, too, are having a girl this summer...due approx. 3 weeks after ours. I am very excited for them (this is their first--not that I wouldn't be excited if they *hint* had a second or a third...) and I had a hunch it would be a girl. After all, their 2 cats and 1 dog are all "boys" and there needed to be a little balance in their family, in my opinion. I can just see her now, with her wrapped around her daddy's (and mommy's) little finger. She will make a beautiful addition to their family, and they will be great parents, I'm sure.

I sent a message back immediately to brag at just how intuitive I am that I KNEW it would be a girl...with an added note that it is a good thing, because Steven and Amanda's favorite colors are purple and more purple. It is tough to find cute clothes for a baby boy in purple...or ANY baby boy clothes in purple for that matter. They'd have to shop at the TCU store, and every piece of attire would have the wrong "monogram" on it or else a picture of a horny toad. Not a pretty picture, but I digress... It will be so much easier to shop for their little girl, so I sure hope that this news is 100% accurate. :) On the other hand, I guess I should feel bad that they will have a hard time dressing her in a Batman costume for Halloween... Maybe she will be the only little girl out there who insists on wearing a Batman costume with her mother to the grocery store. I shouldn't limit my new niece already by needless gender stereotyping. I'll have to get right on it and start thinking of some ideas for incorporating Batman into her early childhood. Perhaps Grandma can make her a quilt comprised of blocks of purple pansies amid a field in blocks in the dark hues of Gotham City. (Sidenote to Grandma: Please leave out the Joker, because if he gives ME the creeps, imagine traumatizing your poor granddaughter from the time she is born...or by the time she turns 5 and actually receives this quilt. I'm just teasing, Mom! You know I love you and appreciate the hard work you are doing on Zachary's quilt even as I type this. heh heh)

Anyway, so you can see that I am already finding joy in my new niece. I tried to explain to Zachary and Ashley today that they are going to have a new cousin and that her name will be Leah. Ashley seemed excited too: "A new cousin for me-a!?"

Welcome to the family, Baby Leah, and congratulations to Steven and Amanda!

Does My Blog Need an Extreme Makeover?

I'm looking at this blog and am reminded that I am not a designer. I originally chose the colors because they were bright and the design because it worked. My blog does look different than most others I have seen, but is this a good thing or a bad thing? Does it make you want to throw up? Be honest. I can take some constructive criticism and would welcome any design talent you may have to offer.

I Can See How She Might Be a Little Confused...

My dad has developed an interest in woodworking and also likes whimsical characters, so I think that's why my mom bought this statuette for him last Christmas. Right now, it sits on a small table in their living room for all to see. Ashley (age 2 1/2) saw it one day and asked, "Whistle?" My mom corrected her and said, "That's a flute!" And with all the innocence of a little child, Ashley asked, "Heavenly Father plays the flute?!"

*Not that it changes the point of the story, but I found out today that this is NOT an exact replica of the statue on display in my parents' home. The one they have is definitely more stylish...as stylish as a gnome statue can be, anyway.*

Sugar and Spice

A lot has happened in the past couple of months that is certainly worthy of a blog-posting or two...or maybe even a dozen...or two, but as anyone who has been checking my blog can tell, I have been AWOL for some time now. So, if you miss reading my blog (Mom, I know you do), I'm going to see if I can get back into the swing of things. Having posted three whole times in all of 2009, I can easily match that pretty effortlessly. I'll start with the most important of all.

I am now 23 weeks into this pregnancy and all is going very well, and the official word is that we are having another girl! I am excited and happy that Ashley will have a sister somewhat close to her in age. I'm not sure if Zachary is still insisting that it's a boy, but he was for awhile. I think he's finally starting to understand a little better. Today he said, "Mommy's going to have a baby in FOUR MONTHS! But first, it's Ashley's birthday. Then it's going to be MY birthday, and then vacation." And he's right. I told him that after he didn't quite understand how long four months was going to be. He said, "I can count to 4! One...two...three...four!" And maybe he wondered why the baby didn't just magically appear? I think he knows better, but delayed gratification is not the gift of most 4 year-olds, now is it?

Aside from the fact that I'm in no hurry for this baby to show up before her time, I think I have just about everything ready so she can come home. On New Year's Day, Chris disassembled the crib in the kids' room and set it up again in our bedroom, alongside the rocking chair and other stuff I set up to make the sleepless nights to come as comfortable as possible. As I polished the crib, I couldn't help but feel so excited to be welcoming another baby. That's when it occurred to me that I hadn't even wondered if I would be able to love a third as much as my first or second. This baby was very much hoped for, as much as the others and I am thrilled that all is going so well.

As far as a name goes, I have told this story many times already, but I once promised Chris that he could name our second daughter. I came up with Ashley's name (Ashley Rebecca) sometime before I was even pregnant with her. I asked Chris how he liked that name, and my recollection was that he agreed that he also liked it. By the time that we found out that we were expecting our first little girl, he claimed he never said he liked the name I had my heart completely set upon at that point. Reluctantly, I tried to come up with other names, but his ideas and mine were about as different as night and day. There was one name that he really liked, but I just couldn't take my mind off of Ashley Rebecca. It wasn't until the day Ashley was born that Chris finally relented and said that we could give her the name that I loved. And in that moment, I promised him that if we ever had another daughter, we could give her the name that he loved. So, I am keeping my promise to him and we will name our baby Katherine Elizabeth. I know Chris plans to call her Katherine. I'm a little undecided, as I think it's a little too formal for our family, but at the same time, I can't really think of a nickname that I'd prefer. For the sake of family unity, I might just have to call her Katherine, too...

So, that's a little update on our baby girl! We are still due around July 26, but due to the fact that Chris is registered to start the Bar Exam on July 28, we're hoping to have her up to a week before. July 20th would probably be the earliest, but that sounds pretty good to me!

To Say That I Was Sufficiently Warned...

I was trying to think of what to make for dinner tonight, and I admit I was being awfully slothful about it. Chris was taking a snooze on the couch, and the kids, who really should have been starving, were happily playing together in their room. I felt no pressure.

A little while later, I managed to get the kids to emerge from their room and I began probing them for some easy dinner ideas since, clearly, nobody seemed to really care WHAT I made. I asked the kids if they would like corndogs. The only problem with corndogs, or so I thought, was that Ashley will only eat the breading part. And on a day like today, if all she wants to eat is corndog breading, well, so be it.

Zachary piped up, "I want to eat a frozen corndog!"

Well, I have heard this a number of times before, and I have always been opposed to the idea. I'd kind of think that CPS might rightfully be called if I knowingly fed my kids frozen meals without preheating them first. I would never do such a thing, because I do *try* to be a good mother...even on my lazy days (like today.)

I speak only for myself when I say that I was doing what any lazy mother ought to be doing and was checking out Facebook instead of making dinner for my family at 7pm. So, it was no surprise when I heard my kids scrounging around in the kitchen for something to eat. I wasn't going to be on the computer for much longer, and kids in the kitchen (at least at MY house) always warrants an inspection and a quick one. That was going to put a hasty end to checking out my friends' status updates.

Just a few minutes earlier, the kids had been asking for Pillsbury Toaster Strudels for dinner...or in Ashley's own words, "Toaster Noodles." I had rejected that proposal, so when I heard the opening of refrigerator/freezer doors in the other room, I figured they might just be helping themselves to those anyway...or maybe they were after the tub of Cool Whip in the fridge. I knew it wasn't the parmesan cheese they were getting into, because I recently placed that on the list of "Foods That Are No Longer Welcome In My House" after the fourth container (in about 6 months' time) was emptied onto the table and eaten fingerful by fingerful. I wouldn't have been surprised if they were munching on chocolate chip cookies. After all, there was a tray of those sitting out unattended on top of the stove. But no...

What should I find when I emerged from my momentary Facebook stupor but Ashley with a corndog in each hand, frozen ones of course, with polk-a-dot-sized pieces of breading missing from each of them. In the kitchen, Zachary sat at the table with 3 frozen corndogs in front of him--two of them already half-eaten and the third one mostly unscathed. After initially being grossed-out, I wrestled the corndogs away and popped them all into the microwave and, voila!, "It's what's for dinner."

So today wasn't a stellar day for me in the balanced meal department. In my own defense, however, this is definitely not typical, so please don't call CPS. (After giving it some thought, I really wasn't very lazy today, either, because I got a lot of cleaning done.) You win some, and you lose some. But just where my kids get their crazy appetites, I think I will never know!

Ring in the New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I haven't really been setting goals, have you? I like to think (or, perhaps, pretend) that I set mini-goals throughout the year so the New Year doesn't prompt me to get serious about goal-setting. If you have set goals, good for you! I would love to hear about them.

As for me, instead of listing my goals for the New Year, I have decided to compile a different sort of list:

12 Months of Things I'm Looking Forward to in 2009:

January: I am soooo enjoying having Chris off school for winter break! He doesn't have to return to classes until the day after Martin Luther King Day, so I'm lovin' that!

February: Hmmmm... OK, here's one: Chris will, of course, be BACK in school (that brings other untold blessings, like getting more of my own computer time back...ha ha) BUT he will only have Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday classes. How nice is that?! I intend to enjoy his easier schedule along with him.

March: This will be the month of finding out fun stuff, I think. If not, then the fun stuff will have already been found out and I'll be celebrating the knowing. Also, Spring Break! Maybe we'll make some fun plans for that.

April: There's always something to look forward to in April...nice spring weather, and Easter falls on the 12th. Also, I look forward to listening to prophets and apostles speak in the Church's semiannual General Conference at the beginning of the month.

May: Ashley turns 3, and I am so excited about that! Aside from celebrating her birthday (which I always enjoy), it means that she can start taking gymnastics and swimming lessons just like Zachary has gotten to do for the past year or so. She will no longer have to be the spectator. AND HOW COULD I POSSIBLY FORGET ABOUT GRADUATION?????? I keep forgetting that Chris will not be in school forever. He'll finish his finals around the 15th and officially graduate on the 23rd!

June: Zachary turns 5! June will mark the beginning of summer and that's always fun. Grandma will finish working so we can hang out more with her. Swimming lessons will probably start in June and, for the first time, both of my kids will get to take them.

July: Summer fun continues and the month culminates in some very important and exciting events. Chris takes the Bar Exam from July 28-30, which means that (presuming all goes well) our *new addition* will be born sometime the week before. We could just end with that, but I guess we'll probably celebrate my birthday, which falls on the 31st. With Chris having finished the Bar by then, we'll all have reason to party.

August: Chris can take this entire month off, but we haven't set any firm plans yet. Having a new baby at home, this will be especially nice if he can be around. Also, if we haven't done so already, we will probably be replacing my car with something bigger and more accommodating...or else I'll have no choice but to be sit at home and just take it easy until that happens. Call me crazy, but that sort of sounds nice to me, actually.

September: Chris will have started his new job by now! We are so thankful he was able to get the job he had been hoping for and that it's with a great place here in Austin. I hope that he will enjoy it (after all, that's the biggest reason he went back to school in the first place) and that we'll be able to count on it providing us with steady and stable employment and, oh yeah, something better than student benefits!

October: Fall finally kicks in, I guess, and that means cooler weather. Once again, General Conference takes place at the beginning of the month. Chris' birthday is on the 18th, and preparations for the holiday season can begin. Hopefully by then, I'll be getting more sleep at night!

November: Our anniversary falls on the 9th and Chris won't be getting ready for finals! Instead, he will find out this month that he (cross your fingers!) passed the Bar. And for that, among other things, we will be giving much thanks.

December: "Christmas time is here...Happiness and cheer..." I love enjoying the Christmas season with my family and friends. It's a busy month that gets stressful at times, but it is ultimately a season of peace, joy and unity as we celebrate the birth of Christ and give gifts to Him and to each other. Sharing this season with a new baby in our home will be one of the greatest gifts of all.

I hope that you, too, will enjoy many blessings throughout 2009. Happy New Year!

Dear Friends and Family...

I had no idea that you were still reading my blog while I have been off on some deserted (imaginary) island neglecting it! For the first time in months (or since the last time I posted...however long ago that was), I have come to visit the blog of my youth. I have aged slightly since the last time I visited, so this is bringing back some fond memories.

I also discovered that some of you have posted comments that I was not aware of. Seems like I used to have comments sent automatically to my email inbox, but for some reason, that has not been happening. So, if you felt snubbed by my lack of acknowledgement, I do apologize and assure you that it was nothing personal.

Finally, I have a bit of sad news to share. Our second computer (the one with all of our pictures stored therein) had to be disassembled and removed to make space for our old bed in the computer room. Why would we want a bed in the computer room, you ask? So that Chris can simply lie down to sleep once he has finished his gaming raids at all hours of the night. ;) Just kidding. The real reason is that we finally did get all of our new bedroom furniture, including a nice new king-sized bed (so we never have to sleep within arm's reach of each other again--Woohoo! just kidding) but we did not want to part with our old bed, either. Someday we hope to have a guest bedroom and will need a bed for our guests to sleep on. So, the moral of the story is that I am currently unable to post any pictures on this blog unless they come from our main computer. I might be able to expend a little effort to figure out how I can start dumping the pictures from my memory card onto that computer, but seeing as Chris is enjoying a well-deserved break from school right now, I might have to wait on that.

In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas and New Year's holidays. We did, indeed, enjoy ours and are doing well. We love getting to have Chris/Daddy/whoever that man is ;) at home for 3 weeks, so we are taking advantage of our time together (relatively-speaking since he does need a rest.) I have more thoughts to share with you but will wait until another time, since it's 2:12 a.m. and, darn it, I have to get up before noon tomorrow. ;)

Thank you all for your love and friendship and for continuing to look at my blog even though I've been lame in not posting. I'm still glad that there are people like you who stop by to read it. I hope to write more in 2009--because this is going to be a very exciting year with much to blog about!

Happy New Year, y'all!