Ready for the day...maybe.

I am cautiously optimistic about this day. Granted, it's only 6:27 and only one of the girls is awake. Maybe it's more of a "If you build it, they will come" kind of thing. Whatever the case, I have been blessed with another day, and I intend to rejoice in it.

On another note, I've gotten back onto the exercise daily bandwagon and feel so much better! I'm also eating better, but I'll save that for another day. Anyway, in my internet travels yesterday I stumbled upon the Real Age site (http://www.realage.com/) again and found that they have workout videos online. So yesterday, in addition to my EA Active workout on the Wii and my 30 minutes of pilates (much needed as a stress-reliever), I did a resistance band workout and really liked it. My arms are sore today, so I figure that's the sign of a good workout! Here's the link, just in case you're interested: http://www.realage.com/videos/?bcpid=30402252001&bclid=5030523001&bctid=16660446001

New Look

I decided it was time to do a little revamping of the blog. I hope you enjoy the new look! I took the barn pictures at my grandparents' old farm last fall. There are many other pictures that might make an appearance on here, but these are a few of my favorites. There's just something about the colors and skies of fall that I love. At this point, I'm looking forward to any season that might bring warmer weather!

Again...

We'll just pretend that nothing notable has happened in the past couple months. I've avoided writing a blog lately because it had been so long since I updated. I was intimidated by the amount of information I'd have to update. So, to alleviate that stress, we're just going to assume that nothing at all happened.

However, two weeks ago the girls brought home a bug that left them (and me) with fever, congestion, cough, etc. It wasn't fun. They were almost to kick the leftover cough this weekend when Hannah's nose started running. I hoped that it was just because I hadn't given her Zyrtec for a couple days, but I was wrong. We've been invaded once again. I'm being optimistic on this one, though. I think it's just a head cold. I hope it's just a head cold. So they're home today drinking until they float! It's the rule of the house, you know. When they begin getting sick I enforce the drink anything, drink continually rule. Gary started it on me even before they were born. It wasn't pleasant for me, but I don't think I'm quite as hard-nosed about it as he is! :)

We celebrated Gary's birthday Saturday by giving him gifts in the morning, baking & decorating his chocolate chip cookie bars while he was reffing Saturday afternoon, and sharing those bars with him when he returned home Saturday evening. We also got to go out for lunch Sunday. We had planned to go shopping as well, but were interrupted by a short-lived Kansas blizzard. We decided we'd better head home before the roads got bad. Thankfully, the worst of the snow occurred while we were inside the restaurant. It was a memorable day!

We're counting down the days until warm weather finally arrives. This cold, snowy, miserable winter has been way too long. I'm ready for warm days, flowers and days spent playing outside. Spring break had better be nice! :)

Must be a Twin Thing

I promise there will be a better update on the blog soon, but I need to get this written before I forget it! The girls told me last night (and their teacher told me this afternoon) about the latest "twin thing" they've done. The class is currently working on a book describing what they're going to do/be when they grow up. It's important to note that Hope and Addie do not sit next to one another and had no idea what the other one wrote until last night before they took baths. Both of them wrote (almost identically, according to their teacher) that they are going to go to KU, be a vet, and live in Florida. Hannah, on the other hand, is the individual kid and plans to play basketball at KU and live in Lawrence. Needless to say, their dad is NOT thrilled about their ideas! :)

Ahh...December

I love this time of the year. I really do. I don't love that we seem to spend 90% of our time sick this time of the year, but aside from that, I really love it. I love having the Christmas lights being the only lights on in the house. I love the cozy feel of the house. I love having everybody home (even when they're arguing...). I love the excitement in our house. I love spending the entire day baking (did that Saturday). It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

We have spent the last week+ sick. We were able to enjoy my birthday with a trip to KC to the Cheesecake Factory, so that was fantastic. That night I slept on the air mattress with the twins while Hannah slept with her dad. It's a good thing it worked out that way, because Addie woke up with fever at around midnight. It was just the beginning. The following morning Gary informed us that he had had a sore throat for a few days. Within a short amount of time, we were all complaining of sore throats, runny noses and coughs. All the girls in the house went to the dr last Wednesday. Ironically, while I was concerned about the girls' ears (Addie's having tubes put in January 6 - did I mention that earlier?), it was my ear that had the infection. At that point they were all just fighting viral stuff. They stayed home all week. They are going back this morning to get checked out again.

I spent all day Saturday in the kitchen. Addie spent all morning sitting on the counter next to me helping me make sugar cookie dough, peppermint bark, caramel puffcorn and cinnamon rolls. She's quite the little helper. At one point while she was sitting on the counter and I was at the kitchen sink, she told me, "Come here, Mama. There's something I HAVE to do right now." I wasn't sure what she meant, but when I got there she wrapped her arms around my neck and gave me a big smooch. If that's not a taste of heaven, I don't know what is. We spent some time having a family Wii Fit Plus competition then delivered cinnamon rolls and looked at Christmas lights. It was great! FYI, our little town has the best Christmas lights I've seen this year!

We're looking forward to this week. They have school today and tomorrow (hopefully we'll get there later today) and then will be off until January 5. We've got plans to make a birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve before we go to church. We'll also put together a breakfast casserole so we can throw it in the oven Christmas morning. I bet you'll never guess the big Christmas supper request at our house. The girls want homemade pizza. Sounds like the beginning of a tradition to me...

Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk...

I finally got to go to a KU basketball game! :) It was a real treat for almost all of us. I think I saw a hint of physical pain in Gary's face at various points while we were perched in awe at Allen Filedhouse. Hannah told me on the way to school yesterday that she was more excited about going last night than she has ever been about anything ever before. That's pretty impressive, because that child gets excited over EVERYTHING. Her sisters were slightly more reserved about their excitement because they have, after all, been to a KU football game. They were playing it cool. We met Gary in Lawrence at 4:45, went to eat, parked (less than a block away, no less) and walked into Jayhawk heaven. It was great. The girls were in absolute awe, and I have to admit that I had goosebumps during the Rock Chalk chant. I did feel sorry for the opposing team when KU was on a 34-0 run on them. I apparently wasn't alone because when Alcorn State finally made a shot (their FG % was down to 14 at that point) the entire place erupted in cheers. That might've been the only time Gary clapped... Anyway, it was a great time and one we'll never forget. Sometimes it's those little spur of the moment fun times that mean more than the well-planned activities. It was the evening I needed! :)

December Already???

I'm ready for Christmas. Well, I'm ready mentally, but not physically. I have a few - very few - presents bought, none wrapped and few good ideas, but I am ready for the good times. I fully intend to enjoy the next few weeks if it kills me.

The last month has been pretty crappy, to be blunt. The Monday before the girls' birthday Addie came down with a stomach bug that hung on for 5 days. She then successfully shared it with Hannah and Hope which derailed the whole birthday party for a week. Hope then immediately brought home a cold of some sort that has slowly made its way through the entire household resulting in sinus and ear infections for everybody. We have all been on antibiotics now, so hopefully we'll rid ourselves of this lovely invader. On the plus side, most of us (everybody but Gary who ended up staying home with a sore throat, going to the doctor and being just generally miserable) had a fun Thanksgiving. We spent it at Meme & Papa's house (as well as Donna & Jim's) and were blessed to have good weather and lots of fun. Saturday night the twins & I went to Ernesto's with Donna's family (minus Jonathan who also picked up the beloved VC bug). Hope was an absolute crazy person on the way there. At one point she told Kerri, "Nanner, nanner, fur on fire..." On our way home she was, again, Little Miss Witty. I commented on how dark it was outside and Hope, just to be disagreeable, said it was light. Kerri said, "Alright, Miss Smartypants, do you know how to spell light, then?" Hope replied, "S-U-N-N-Y. Sunny." She had us laughing most of the way there and back. I have a feeling she's going to be our quick-witted one...