Happy New Year!

Ahhh the New Year. I just finished grocery shopping for our party tonight. I was excited because I remembered to buy some shrimp for Hunter. He likes it, and I don't so I don't always remember it. Only to have him remind me, that the last 2 times he has eaten it, he has had an allergic reaction. The first time, we thought it was the neighbor's cat, but the second time he had a reaction...there was no cat. Shrimp was a factor in both episodes, hmmmmm. What is everybody doing tonight? I filled a grocery cart full of snacks and junk. I saw a trainer from the gym at the store, and he asked if I worked out today?? Uh, no!! And please don't look in my cart :) hahaha.

Usually, I don't like the whole goal setting thing at the new year. If I want to set a goal, I just do it. I don't need the new year for a good excuse, but the other day I had a massage (thanks Holly-Christmas LAST year). AND I decided then a there, I need to do this WAY more often. So, I haven't decided if once a month, is just too much or not. :) I hope you guys all have a Happy New Year!

I really do have a good excuse...

I really am still alive. So, here is a recap of the stuff I'm been doing to keep me off blogging.

#1- we drove up to Dallas for 2 days. Left early Saturday morning and returned late Sunday. We had a great visit with Scott's family, his sister lives there, and his parents and brother met us there. We stayed at the Residence Inn, and the kids had a blast, in the hotel and with their cousins. Plus, it was nice not to work around the house for a few days.

#2- painting painting and more painting. Finally, the painting is over, done, completed. Only to be followed up by new carpet on the 2nd of Jan. Great fun. I'm telling you, I LOVE moving...can you hear the sarcasm.

#3-organizing. What sucks (yes sucks) is I feel like I 'm going to have to move 2x. Let me explain. There are 6 people living in this house, and we have lived here for 10 years...we have lots of stuff/crap. So, we have been busy busy busy de-cluttering, and organizing. Not everything is even close to being done either. AUGGGGGHHHH. We have almost filled up the storage unit with "stuff". Toys, books, pictures you name it, it's there. Why couldn't the movers have come this week, and then again when we are going to actually move???

#4- fixing this joint up and cleaning. I have cleaned my little fingers to the nubs. And I look around and this place still needs so much work. But dang it, this place has never looked better. I told Scott, every few years we are going to go through the new house like we are moving. You know replacing/fixing things that need it.

#5-we are having a party tonight! But first I need (aka would like, but probably won't happen) to go take a nap, I was up early this morning to take down the Christmas tree. Darn insomnia!

Top 100 recipes

I got an email from Food Network, the top 100 recipes of 2007. Now that is certainly blog worthy. Know this though, most do not look even remotely healthy, but hey how could mac and cheese be healthy??

Say it isn't so...

Oh, say it isn't so. Christmas is almost over for another year. I say almost, because I don't consider it over until New Year's Day. I spent a lovely Christmas day in my PJs. I did shower, only to put my PJ's right back on! ha. Yesterday, was a busier day, the painters were back at 8 am! We got lots of packing/de-cluttering done yesterday, too. Two big trucks loads to the storage unit. I got real sad Christmas night...too much change for me. But I got over it, and I'm feeling good today. Today, will be a more typical day after Christmas. Lots, of sitting around by the tree, and going to the movies. We are going to see National Treasure. Oh oh oh, I got my new Canon camera I have been lusting after! It is camera heaven. It's so fast and fancy, I love love love it. Bye for now. I have some lounging around to do. :)

Come on Mom...

Hayden: Come on Mom it's Christmas Eve, can't I just open one toy??

Hayden: Com on Mom, please can I open just one new toy?? I bored with my old toys and I need to open up one new one.

Hayden: Come on Mom, if you let me open up just one present, I'll call you "Nice Mom" forever.

Hayden: Come on Mom, if you let me open just one present, then when Hunter and Hannah make big messes I will always clean up after them??

He is cracking me up! He is coming up with all kinds of good excuses/reasons for him to open up a present. Oh don't you just remember that magic?? We have been watching that Christmas Story movie around here. I asked Hayden just a few minutes ago what was the one thing he wanted most from Santa. He said, "the gun just like Ralphie. The bb gun rifle with a compass and a stalk". Those are his words, I don't even know if that's what it really is...

Hannah is busy making books and other crafties. Hunter and Hayden set up the train track a little while ago. Hope was asleep, until Hannah "forgot" and went in to her room to get something she needed. :)

Merry Christmas

We have been having fun over here! I just wanted to sign on real quick and wish everybody a Merry Christmas. Scott just left to go do some "last minute" things. Hmmmmmmm. I don't know what that is all about, but I like it! :)

insomnia strikes again!

It's 7:30 and I've been up (doing stuff)for 2 1/2 hours. Insomnia again. I wake up at 4 am just about every morning now, and just lay there. Today I read for a little while, but then, just as I was falling back asleep, Scott had to get up to go run. That was it, I was up for the day. I started out, by going into the Christmas room (aka guest room) and got everything out (yet again) to make sure I'm not lop sided on anyone kid. Looking good. We are going to a neighborhood Christmas party (aka Texas BBQ) at Chase's today. The Reinke's, our old neighbor who moved to Austin, will be here. Maria, is making tamales with her family tomorrow, SO I will have a special treat come my way soon. Chase has gotten a bunch of fireworks, so the kids will all be happy. Especially Hayden. He and Chase are "bestest pals" when it comes to fireworks. EVERY afternoon/evening for days leading up to ANY holiday, Chase is out there with the fireworks, smoke bombs, sparklers...and so is Hayden.

My house is so torn apart right now. We are having the whole inside painted, and we are in the middle of that right now. In fact the painters should be here in about 10 minutes. I think they are painting over the wall paper in the kitchen today. New carpet comes the 2nd of January. At least I'll be able to enjoy all the renovations for a few weeks.

My timers should start going off soon. 3 pumpkin pies, and 2 loaves of corn bread. (one pie is for tonight, the others are for us!) Oh oh oh sugar cookie and thimble cookie dough was made too. The kids will have to be awake to help cook and decorate. That would be a SIN if I did that by myself!

call me crazy, but I think that I know who did this

I'm not 100% sure, but I have a pretty good idea that he was responsible for this...

Scott made the mistake of leaving the realtor's card out, on the desk. I came in and found that a creation had been made. So creative, I'm so proud. Do you think he might have issues about moving? That's okay, cause I do ;)

Four things I'm doing today...

I've got RELAXING on the brain. I have been just a tad bit stressed lately, what with Christmas, painting the house, re-carpeting the house, new schools, new house,selling this house...hmmm what else?? You get the picture. I was reading in my Body+Soul magazine, and found a few good articles. I did happen upon these photos and wanted to share, with you. Just in case you are sharing some of my pre-holiday stress. These are some of my all time favorite yoga moves. Especially, that plough move. Seriously. It's the best. Anyway, I did the 5 minutes of breathing thing today and it's amazing how refreshed you feel. Go ahead try it.

Why can't we live like this all of the time?

On Saturday, Scott got a storage unit. (all his idea too haha) So, we worked for a while on Saturday afternoon filling up some boxes and taking them over. I did some more work today and Scott took a couple over this afternoon. All I can say is, why can't my house be like this always? Do we NEED all those blankets and toys and CRAP that just take up so much space. It does feel like a breathe of fresh air around here. We are having another realtor come over today. We'll see what she has to say about this house, and what all we need to do to fix her up to sell. Buy for now, I'm off to make sure the kids don't undo all the hard work I did today.

A Christmas Story

When was the last time you watched this movie? I bought it this year for $5 at Target, and we watched it last night. Complete with a fire and popcorn. It was a lovely evening, and we all laughed out loud.

Update

12. Starbucks peppermint hot chocolate. It is so delicious. Go try some right away. My Mom turned me on to this little bit of heaven when she was here for Thanksgiving. Can't believe I forgot that!

My Favorite Things for 2007

I love Oprah's favorite thing show, so when Holly had the great idea of doing her own favorite things, I just knew I had to copy.

1. First and fore most...my new ring. I still love that bad boy and still find myself gazing down at it. Scott's comment " we should have done that a loooong time ago". Smart man.

2. My nice new LG fridge. That sucker is coming with me to Washington. If the people that buy this house want it...they can buy it. I'd get another one just like it. Even if that new house already HAS a fridge, that one would go in the garage, and my LG gets center stage in the kitchen.

3. My Dansco Maryjane clogs. How have I survived without them for so long???? I could wear them everyday with just about every (casual) outfit. Sometimes, when I wear a nasty uncomfortable pair of shoes (like to church) my feet just can't hardly wait to put these lovelies on.

4. My Gap boot cut jeans. My most favorite pair are the boot cut with the patch pocket. They fit perfectly and they are oh so comfy. Also, the regular boot cuts are good too. They are cut a little more generous and looser than the ones with the pocket. This Momma liked the price tag too. $49.50 for the flap jeans. These are the jeans I had to look high and low for when they first came out. I finally got them in Las Vegas with my sistas.

5. My new IPOD nano. I got the green one, and it makes me happy. I went running yesterday, and had that thingy cranked up and could have run forever...well maybe not forever, but it does add a little spice to my life. Much better having your own that sharing with your husband...ewww yuck, right? Funny thing was, Scott got me a fancy smancy one last year when Hope was born...but I took it back!!! What a crazy.

6. The Venus Breeze razor. Sounds kind of silly, but it has revolutionized the way I shave. The little shaver head has this little soapy thing on either side of the razor that moisturizes so you don't have to add soap or shaving cream. You just wet your let and shave!!! Love it. I find that I shave WAY more. You know, because the cream and the soap can be SUCH a pain ;)

7. Nedi Pot. Now, I don't recommend using one when your sister (Hayley) is standing right there making you laugh and choke. That was not so good, and the pot almost got cut off my list. But it's not the Nedi pots fault that my sister Hayley is a spaz. I would recommend doing the Nedi pot "cleanse" at night too. You might have some excess drainage (d0n't worry it's just water). Okay, now I have probably totally turned you off to it, but still, it's one of my favorite things. Gross things, yes, but still a fav.

8. My Willow Tree nativity. I know I just got it, but I do love it so. I'm just glad I finally got it! I remember the first time I saw it, we were at Scott's cousins house, and I saw it and fell in love.

9. My Cosmo Cricket paper that I got several months ago. I have only done a couple of scrapbook pages with it, but I love love love it.

10. On-line math facts. Oh my gosh how I love these! There are so many sites out there, but a favorite of mine, is this one. Just to make sure, you know these are for my kids not me. But it really is for me because now, I can be a good Mom and have them know their math facts like pro's but also a lazy good Mom cuz I don't have to do it!!

11. Okay so this next one is a package deal. There are several favorites all mixed together. First of all, I love the food network website. I love the recipe box thing on there. I discovered Giada De Laurentiss this year. So, that leads me to favorite recipes for this year. Amaretto Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches and Linguine with Chicken Ragu. I wouldn't say either recipe is hard, in fact both are easy, but they are time consuming. Just don't make them both on the same day like I have. Oh my gosh though, good stuff.

And who was is that said you can't buy happiness?

And who said you can't BUY happiness? I don't know, but my necklace came a day ago, and my Willow Tree stuff came today. I'm feeling pretty happy girls. When a girl is feeling a little blue about leaving her home and her buddies, a little shopping does help. The only thing is I'm now needing the angel stand. NEXT year. I don't want to be too "happy".

Are you just trying to drive me nuts??

I woke up this morning to rain. Lots of it. So, I found the nice bone in my body and offered to take Hunter to school. Poor kid would have been dripping wet today if I made him stand on the bus stop. But, by doing so, I had no time to warsh my hair. Because, it was my day to volunteer in Hayden's kindergarten classroom. I did find a moment to shower, don't fret. Then, Hayley and I ran back to the school to do lunch with Hannah and Hayden. Hunter's turn is tomorrow. Oh the good times keep rolling around here.

I am starting to get a little complex. (just kidding really about the complex, but still...) Over the weekend, a few people called Hope a boy. Come on people, she had cute little flair jeans and pink shoes. Okay, so maybe her shirt was navy, but it had stripes of pink and purple. I just thought, it's dark and people are dumb. Then a lady today started calling her a him. I even responded once, with a "SHE is 14 months". Still "he". Whatever people. I guess if I don't stick a big old bow in her hair, she will be a he, for now. Oh and did I mention she always has a little bracelet on!!???

As far as moving goes, I have asked myself "why??" a time or two. What a pain in the butt, no? I have told Scott all along, that we need to rent a storage unit and start to de-clutter. Well, he kept saying let's just wait and put the house on the market after we leave...okay, so I was finally won over. Sounds like a plan to me. Today, he instant messages me..."let's get a storage unit so we can start to de-clutter before the move". Oh my gosh, are you just trying to drive me nuts?? Sometimes, I feel like I just talk out of my butt.

Confessions of a Redhead

Okay, so I'm coming clean. We are moving. We are moving to the Portland, OR/ Vancouver, WA area. More specifically, Camas, WA. That is where Scott and I visited this last weekend, and then also several weekends ago. It was a hard decision to make. I LOVE my home here. Not just the home, yes I do love it, but we really have out grown it a bit. But, I love my friends, the kids schools, kids friends, church/ward, neighbors. I love going to Target and seeing people that I know. Not to mention Sharon the checker, that knew me when I was pregnant with Hayden AND Hope. I like walking into the school and chatting it up with all kinds of people I know. People I have raised a family along side. I brought 3 babies home here. I know the nail pops in my ceiling. And I know just about every ding in the wall and how it got there. UHHHHGG. It was hard, but it will be a really good and exciting move for us. When I'm not crying that is. I went to talk to administration in the Camas school district, and I started to cry...right in the middle of talking to her. Oh boy. It's just the realization REALLY started sinking in. Moving is hard. We are digging up our roots here. Not fun. BUT, to have winter again without the bitter cold of Chicago. It was cold this weekend, but very manageable. It even snowed. It was too warm to stick, but still people -snow. Loved that. My mind has been so consumed lately, I haven't been able to blog much. It's hard not to talk about something, when that's all you think about. So, there you have it, my confession. More later. Momma tired, Scott is a fan of the red eye. :( He did let me have the first class seat though. He is "first class" all the way. Oh yeah.

You guys do know about these candies, right? Just making sure. BECAUSE they are gooooood. White chocolate, with little flecks of candy cane, yummy. I discovered them last year, and have been counting down the days...just kidding, but they are really good. I needed a good treat especially since the M&M people went and messed with the Mint M&M. They should have left them alone. Don't get me wrong, we still "managed" to snarf down a couple pounds over here, but.......

"Did somebody send corporate in here to do the decorating?"

Last night for family night, the kids and I (Scott is out of town, but it still would have been..the kids and I) made our annual gingerbread house. I really did let them help a lot this year. Sometimes...I may or may not be a little anal, but last night I said "let the good times roll". Hunter came downstairs this morning quoting the movie Elf. A fav around here. Anyway, he saw the gingerbread house sitting on the table and said, "did somebody send corporate in here to do the decorating?" haha. I love that kid's sense of humor, most of the time.

Speaking of Hunter, he was one of 6 boys(from his Patriot team) that went to the pro-bowl this year. They won! Way to go Hunter.

Blog worthy

Last Sunday morning the kids all worked on a play. Hannah wrote the play and recruited all her siblings. Hope practiced, but had stage fright, hence the doll. The play was called "The Happy Ending" Hunter was The Bad Guy, Hannah was Princess Laya, Hayden was King Charming. Let's just say, it involved some dialogue, but a lot of screaming and sword fighting. Definitely blog worthy :)

Hannah and I got to go see A Christmas Carol at the Alley Street Theater in Houston on Saturday night with her Faith in God Girls group. It turned HOT that day, hence my summer attire and no nylons. We had a great time, and hung out at 59 Diner after ward for way too long. They do have a great wedge salad though.




Okay, this hair. I "help" Hunter dry his hair with a blow dryer most mornings. Since it is kind of longish, I have fun combing it all kinds of crazy just about every day. I comb it really bad and pronounce that he is "ready to go". Well, on Sunday he came down having showered and towel dried his hair. Not even a comb had been run through that boys hair. I saw that and said "I'm taking a picture of that mess, that's blog worthy it's so bad".