Happy New Year

Ok I went to start this post last night and got as far as the title when Dave received a call from our friends Joe and Christen. Dave had invited them over earlier in the day and they were calling to let us know they were on there way. Of course this was the first I heard of this so I had to go change back into my jeans and nicer t-shirt than the one I was in. So that put an end to my post which I had all figured out and was really liking.

Now that I have a moment to think I thought I would get on and write my post finally. Only there is one problem, I can't remember what my original thought was. I am really sad about this because I can remember that it was really good. So instead I will write what I am thinking about.

Growing up my mom never did the resolution thing so as a young adult I didn't either. I do know people that do them but it seems like they never follow them or stick with them. So last year Dave and I decided that we would set some goals (not resolutions) for ourselves and our family.

Mine two were very simple and probably pretty common things people pick as a resolution but remember this was a goal for me (yes I'm crazy but I like the sound of goal better). First up was to loose some weight. I had been unhappy with my body since I had Emma and having Ian only made it worse so I set a small simple goal that I thought was reasonable for a person that didn't do diets well at all. I wanted to loose 10 pounds and by May I had reached my first goal. If I was smart I would have kept going because there are still somethings I need to work on but I didn't. I stopped there to take a break and haven't gone back since. I will say though that I am blessed with the gene of not gaining weight easily so I am still at they same weight I was in May.

My second goal was something a little more personal and something that until now I've never talked about with anyone even Dave. 2007 was a very emotionally stressful year for me because of finally learning the truth about my biological dad. I was going through a spell where I just didn't know who I was anymore and for me that was a HUGE deal. So I decided that if I was ever going to change some things about myself that I didn't like it was going to be now or never. I've always been a person that doesn't take allot of risk or try new things and I wanted to change that. While I still have allot of work to do I think I did a good job of this. Starting off with this blog. I'm not a good writer and it's never been something I enjoyed but I took the risk of looking like an idiot and did it. I think this was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I have gained some new friends from it as well as learned some things about myself through some of the post I have written. I also took some risk at work and wound up holding a training seminar for a week where over 150 people attended, again this was HUGE for me since I freeze when speaking in front of groups. I did a great job and all the feedback was positive from my training class. Lastly I took some new risk with my looks. For the first time in my life I had my hair colored and I loved it. I also started forcing myself to try on different styles of clothes and add some color to my wardrobe which has paid off. As little as it seems those small things have really made me feel better about myself which is making me a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend.

I haven't completely decided what goals I would like to set for this year yet but I do know I want to continue to improve on the ones I set for last year. Dave and I have also talked about living a healthier lifestyle for ourselves and our kids. We don't eat badly but we also don't eat like we should and we want to teach our children while they are still young how to eat a balanced diet. We both had single mothers which resulted in a lot of junk food growing up and we don't want that for out kids.

So what are your goals/resolutions? Do you stick to them?

Christmas 2008

I should have done this over the weekend but I was so busy and so tired.

Our Christmas went very well this year thanks to Dave and I agreeing to cut out some of the stops. It was hard not to see some of our family members but I think we all benefited from being home more than on the road.

We started things off Christmas Eve with my MIL Sharon. We headed up to her house as soon as I got home from work.



First thing we had to do was open the presents. There was no way the kids were going to sit and eat dinner with the presents staring at them calling their names. As usual they got way to much but we always appreciate it. Emma's big present this year from Sharon is a wooden vanity for her room that is still in the box because Dave has worked everyday since Christmas Day. Ian's big present is a table race track thing and it too is still in the box. Dave and I waited to open our presents until the kids were all done. I got a Kitchen Aid mixer that I can't wait to use and Dave got and Acoustic Guitar. After the presents were all opened we ate some very yummy pizza and a million cookies and candies. One tradition we always have in our family is Christmas PJ's that my mom makes for the kids each year and that I put on them before we leave Sharon's Christmas Eve.



(now Dave got a hold of my camera and was playing with settings which messed it all up so most of these pictures did not turn out very well)

We left Sharons around 9 which put us home around 10. The kids somehow managed to stay awake on the car ride home but they were still forced to their rooms as soon as we got in. Around midnight Dave went upstairs to see if they were asleep yet which they weren't. When Dave asked why they were not sleeping Ian told him it was because they were too excited to sleep! So in order for me to get the presents upstairs and wrapped we put the baby gate at the bottom of the stairs that way if they snuck down they wouldn't be able to get off the stairs.

During my wrapping time Dave's good friend Joe called to say his girlfriends water had just broke and they were on their way to the hospital. I finished up around 2am just as Joe was texting Dave to say she was for sure in labor and they would be having a Christmas Baby.

Thankfully the kids slept until 8 instead of 7 like last year. They had a great time opening all their gifts and were really fun this year. Santa was very smart this year and got them similar things so not to cause more fights than needed. They both got Leapstar II's with carrying cases, sleeping bags, luggage and new backpacks, and movies of their own. Emma also got some barbies and a board game while Ian got a wild west electronic gun and targets.

At 1 my family (Steph, Nick, Alicia, Kj, and mom) arrived for lunch and presents. Again my kids got way to much but loved all of it. After presents it was time to relax and eat way too much junk food while watching A Christmas Story. Around 5 my brother Nick and his wife Alicia left to go to her families and Dave and I headed off to the hospital to see our friends baby who was born at 9:58am that morning.



Finally it was back home to put the kids to bed and for some quality quiet time for mommy and daddy.

So that was our Christmas, I hope yours was just as Merry as ours was.

3rd Precentile

First let me say that we had a wonderful Christmas and I promise that post will come later. Right now I need to talk about the events of this morning.

I took the day off work and since I knew months ago I would be off today I scheduled the kids yearly check ups for first thing this morning. I got up early and got myself ready before I went and woke the kids up. By 9am we were walking in the door of the doctors office. We were the first appointment of the day so we didn't have to wait to go back to the room. Once there both the kids had to be weighed and measured. I remember Emma was exactly 40 pounds but I can't remember her height now just that it was normal compared to her weight and her growth chart. After Emma went it was Ian's turn and for some reason he didn't now want to get on the scale. Like with Emma sitting here right now I can only remember Ian's weight of 28 pounds which is following his 30th percentile growth chart.

After that the kids had to take there clothes off and put robes on while we waited the one minute for the doctor to come in. She checked Emma first and everything was perfect. Her weight and height is finally back to normal after the tonsil issues when she was 3. Her tonsils were so large when she was three she was unable to eat much of anything causing her to not gain weight or grow in height. After she had them removed she gained and large amount of weight and grew which was normal for what she had gone through but now she is back in the 25th percentile for both height and weight which is where she was before the tonsils.

Next up was Ian and right away our doctor went into Ian's numbers. His weight was still in the 30th percentile but his height was of some concern. He had dropped to the 3rd percentile in height and anything under 5 is a concern. She asked if Dave or I had any family history of Growth Hormone Deficiency's which as you all know we don't really know since Dave and I don't know our biological fathers. I had to explain to my doctor about this and then say that from the family we do know there is no history of this. Of course I asked what her thoughts were about what would be causing Ian not to grow and she seems to think it's one of two things.

First one being a growth hormone deficiency but typically with this it's something they are born with and they just don't grow from day one. Ian doesn't fit this because up until this past year he was growing just fine, but that wasn't enough for her to rule it out.

The second thing she thinks it could be is Celiac Disease which is and allergy to Gluten's (wheat, rye, and barley) which is a digestive disease usually accompanied by constant diarrhea. Ian doesn't not have diarrhea except for the occasions of the flu so maybe once or twice a year.

These two diseases left us with two options at this point. One being going to a specialist and the other having some test run through them to see what is going on with Ian. Running the test first seemed to me like the smartest and easiest option so my doctor filled out a slip to go and have some lab work done. She did finish the rest of Ian's exam and other than his height he is perfectly healthy!

Since I was all ready off today I decided to just go and have the lab work done. So I went straight from the doctors office to the Lab. I am really glad I did that because it was nice and slow today. When I walked in there wasn't anyone else there so we didn't have any waiting to do.

The first thing they did was take an x-ray of Ian's wrist so they can see what his growth plate is saying. If it's only showing as a 1 year old then that will be able to point them towards what is wrong. Until now I hadn't thought to ask what that might point towards. After that it was time to have some blood drawn. They had Ian sit on my lap and one nurse came in to hold the shoulder and arm they were going to draw the blood from while I held Ian's other arm. I actually just put him in a huge bear hug, while the third nurse was the one to draw the blood. Just like his father Ian's veins are very hard to find once they did they stuck the needle in and of course Ian started to cry but nothing to bad. There wasn't any blood coming out and the nurse was trying to figure that out when Ian let out a huge scream and stared to squirm. The cause of this was Ian's vein rolling which is also just like his dad. It took what seemed like forever for the nurses to get the vein t stay still and for it to release the large amount of blood they needed for the test.

At one point during all of this I looked over at Emma who was sitting off to the side to see her crying. This completely broke my heart. There I was holding Ian who was screaming crying and I couldn't help him and then Emma is crying and I can't get up to console her because I have to keep holding Ian. As much as I wanted to cry then I didn't which makes me very proud of myself I just kept talking to both Emma and Ian telling them it was ok and it would all be over soon. Once they finally got all the blood they needed one of the nurses went over to Emma and gave her a big hug and then let her pick out a special band aid for Ian while I held and rocked Ian. Emma choose a Charlie Brown and Snoopy band aid which Ian loved. The nurses also let both Emma and Ian pick out a sticker to take with them which I thought was very nice.

By the time we left there it was getting close to lunch so I called Dave and decided since I was half between home and his work I would just go meet him and we could all go to lunch. We let Ian pick where to eat and at first he wanted McDonalds but then we told him he could have anywhere so he decided on HomeTown Buffet. By the time we got there Ian was back to his normal self and he must have been a starving Ian because he ate two chicken legs, a helping of Mac and Cheese, some french fries, mashed potatoes, and chocolate ice cream for desert.

Until about an hour ago I hadn't thought much about the events of this morning because I didn't want to. I kept myself distracted so I wouldn't have to. The doctor said that either of the things she thinks it is can be treated but this all still seems very scary to me. I feel a little helpless right now. There is something wrong with my baby and I can't fix it and I don't like this feeling. Of course once I started thinking about it I got online and looked up Celiac because I didn't know much about it. This was a mistake because I looked at what it was, then the systoms of it some of which are irritability, and dry itchy skin both of which Ian seems to have. Then I clicked on the button labeled Common Diseases Associated with Celiac. this list was pretty long and in it were Type 1 diabetes and cancer there was also a type of rash that I don't know how to spell but reading about it I actually think Ian may have recently had an outbreak of it that only lasted about a day. We have always thought Ian had eczema like his siter but a few weeks ago he had a rash in the diaper area that looked a little different. We put aquafora on it hoping that would take care of it and it did but now I am wondering.

After reading that I decided to close out of that page and I am not going to look up anything else because I don't want to get myself all worked up over nothing. We wont know for about a week what is really going on so until then I will do my best to act normal. In an effort to do that the kids and I are going to the zoo tomorrow with my friends Shanna and Jenn and there kids. We are going to take advantage of the record highs for tomorrow of almost 70 degrees.

Ok I think I am finally done for tonight and I know this was long so thank you for listening or reading my complete ramblings I just needed to get this all down and out of my system.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all of you out there. I hope you have a great day doing whatever it is you want.

The Wilson's will be heading out to Mammaws (MIL) tonight, stopping in Pick-town to see the 19 house music and lights show. Then it will be back home for bed and Santa duties.

Tomorrow my family will be traveling to my house for lunch and presents.

Letter to Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,

Was is it completely necessary to bring an ice storm to my area 30 minutes before I left for work? Of course said Ice Storm brought about complete chaos during rush hour traffic which caused me to be late to my children's Christmas party at the babysitters.

What should have been a 20 minute trip from work to the sitters house ended up being an hour long going no faster than 30 mph. The fact that it took me a full hour to get there meant I missed Santa showing up and handing out presents to all the kids. Of course in order to get the presents from Santa each child had to sit on Santa's lap. If you remember the freezing cold trip we took to the zoo to see Santa then you will remember that Ian completely freaked out when placed on Santa's lap. Yet today while I was driving on sold sheets of ice created by you that were once roads Ian sat on Santa's lap without screaming. Thank god for friends that use the same sitter and there thoughtfulness to take some pictures for me because by the time I got there Santa was getting ready to leave.

Now to be fair once I got there I was able to get a picture of Emma with Santa,



but when I tried to get one with Emma and Ian, Ian freaked out again.




So thank you very much Mother Nature for the perfect timing of your Ice Storm I wont forget it.

Sincerely,

One pissed off, stressed out Mother

P.S. The 80's style bangs on Emma was not my choice. The babysitter made a comment last week to Emma about needing her bangs cut. Problem was Emma didn't have bangs because she is like her mother and does not look good with bangs. So after hearing the babysitters comment she decided to take matters into her own hands Saturday night. Now we are stuck with bangs for a few months. Yippie!

The Day I Became a Mother, Again

Today is Ian's 3rd birthday and since I shared the story of the day Emma was born on her birthday I am going to share what this day was like 3 years ago.

Now I had to have a c-section with Emma so from my first doctors appointment with Ian we knew I would be having a c-section with Ian. My pregnancy with Ian was a little more difficult than Emma. My morning sickness was worse but it did stop half way through my second trimester. I also had the same back and hip issues that I had with Emma only worse this time. About half way through my pregnancy Dave went down to New Orleans because of Hurricane Katrina so I was at home with Emma by myself and pregnant. The worst part of that experience wasn't that Dave was gone (don't get me wrong here I hated that he was so far away) but it was that the company he was working for wasn't paying him. Finally right before Thanksgiving Dave came home due to issues with his pay.

On December 20th Dave drove to the companies hub in West Virginia to get his check. He also cashed it at their bank down there in fear that if he didn't he wouldn't be able to up here. This is by far the largest check either of us has ever had. Dave called me that afternoon to let me know he was able to cash the money so after work that evening my mom picked Emma up and I ran all over town finishing up my Christmas shopping. I got home about 10pm that night and I was exhausted so I went straight to bed and actually slept really well.

I got up December 21 to get ready for my Dr.s appointment and work but I was not feeling well at all. I was a little sick to my stomach so I made some toast and ate about half a piece. My all stomach and back felt really strange, the best way I can describe it is it felt tight but I wasn't having any contractions (I had contractions off and all from the end of my first trimester on with both kids) so I chalked it up to all the running around the night before.

When I walked into my doctors office the first thing the receptionist did was ask if I was feeling ok. Apparently I didn't look very good. Then she proceeds to ask me if I got the message they left about needing to reschedule my appointment. Clearly I hadn't got it and I knew there was no way I could leave and come back that day. I guess I looked really bad at that time because one of the nurses walked in to hear my conversation about my appointment and she asked if I would be willing to see one of the nurse practitioners. I said that was fine so I went and peed in the cup and sat back down.

It didn't take them very long to call my name and I was surprised to hear as I was walking to my room that my Dr. was on his way in. I guess he had forgot to cross off a surgery from his personal calender. The nurse took my blood pressure which was high and not like me. Then she started asking me all these questions so I stopped her and asked if she thought I was in labor. She was honest and told me that it was possible but she wasn't sure. The next 10 minutes I just laid in the room waiting for my doctor. I kept thinking this couldn't be happening, Ian wasn't due for 3 1/2 more weeks and his c-section was schedule for two weeks later.

Once my doctor got there her checked me and I was still dilated to a three like I had been for weeks but he was concerned about the way I looked and the tightness I was feeling. He told me that he wanted me to go to the hospital so they could monitor me for a while. If I was in labor they would do the c-section that day and if not they would send me home.

Dave wasn't working that day so I drove myself the 10 minutes home to get him and go to the hospital but when I got home Dave wasn't there. It wasn't even 9 am so I couldn't figure out where he would be. The only thing I could think is that maybe he went to the bank to deposit the cash from his check. I decided I would wait a few minutes to see if he came home. About 5 minutes in I started having contractions and I knew at that point I was in labor. This is when the panic set in. Of course my mom was doing an inspection in the Dayton area and back then she didn't have a cell phone. I called my grandma to get my Aunt Pat's cell phone and I had to pretend everything was ok so she wouldn't freak out. As luck would have it my Aunt wasn't answering her phone so I called my mom's office and talked to the receptionist, I explained to her what was going on and she said she would call the place my mom was going to and leave a message and she would also do the same for my Aunt place (my mom and aunt both work for the Ohio Department of Health). Dave still wasn't home yet so I called my best friend Shanna at work. I told her what was going on and how I didn't think I could drive myself to the hospital but I didn't know what to do. She stayed on the phone with me for the next 10 minutes which is what we decide we would give Dave to get home before Shanna left to come get me. Literally at the 10 minute mark Dave walked in the door. Of course he didn't get very far before we were both back out the door and he was driving rather fast down 270 towards St. Ann's. By this point my contractions were strong and fairly close together.

When I got to the hospital they hooked me up to the machines and said they were going to monitor my contractions for 10 minutes then they would call my doctor to see what we would be doing. 5 minutes later they were back in my room telling asking me some questions because it was clear to them I was in labor. One of the questions they asked was when the last time I had eaten was. Being the honest person I am I told them I had toast around 7:30 that morning. Because of that piece of toast I was going to have to wait 8 hours before they could do my c-section. At that point they asked me if I wanted an epidural or some pain medication to help with the contractions. I opted for some pain meds because I did not want the epidural, I would take my chances with the spinal later. While they were getting all my IV's hooked up and my pain meds Dave went and made some calls to Shanna and his mom, my sister, the babysitter, and my mom's office. It didn't take long for the meds to kick in and I was able to relax a little more.

About an hour later Dave's mom arrived which allowed Dave to take a little nap, then my sister showed up which was surprising to me since she was supposed to be in class at Bowling Green (3 hours away) Finally I received a call around a little before noon. My mom was on her way and she wanted to know what was going on. I explained to her that it would be a while because I had eaten so she had plenty of time. I also asked her if she would get Emma before coming to see me.

The day seemed to drag on and on. My mom was able to get Emma and come to the hospital before it was time for me to go into surgery. Shanna and my other good friend Jenn also made it up before to see me. Finally my doctor arrived and it was time to go.



My anastesologist was awesome this time around and got my spinal on the first try. My doctor and him knew each other really well so the two of them, the other doctor helping, and Dave joked around the whole time. This time things seemed to move a little faster than they did with Emma and I wasn't nearly as nervous. I'm sure this is because I knew what to expect.

At 6:04pm Ian was born at 6lbs 7oz. 19 1/2". He was a tiny little guy with tons of dark hair and blue eyes. Just like with Emma they showed him to me from across the room and then handed him off to the nurses first. This is where things got a little weird for me. I hadn't heard Ian cry and it seemed like it had been a while so I started asking questions. Dave answered me and said he was fine and then I finally heard a little whimper. Later I was told that Ian didn't want to take a breath at first. While the nurses were still cleaning Ian up my doctor asked me if I was going to have any more kids? Being high as a kite at that moment I asked him if Ian was a boy for sure. Yes was the response I got so I said then no, no more kids for me. I never thought to ask why he would ask me that questions until the next morning when all the drugs wore off.






The reason for that question was because when the got me open the were surprised to see that my uterus walls had thinned to the point where they could see Ian clear as a bell through them. Basically I was on the verge of having my uterus rupture. They had shown Dave this and he says it looked like if you blew a balloon up until it was ready to burst and then put a baby in it. When they got Ian out they asked Dave if they wanted him to tie my tubes but Dave was too worried about Ian so he told them we would deal with that later. Hence the question they asked me. I really wish Dave would have taken a second to think about things before he answered them because having my tubes tied at that point would have been so much easier but oh well.

Once they had me stitched up I was taken back out to my triage room where my friends and family were waiting to see me. I was able to sit and hold Ian for about 10 minutes and then they took him off to the nursery.



While him and Dave were gone I was taken up to my room and everyone but my mom, Emma, and my sister left for the night. While Ian was with Dave and I as they were stitching me up Ian's body temp dropped some and they were having some problems bringing it back up in the nursery so Ian was gone for a long time. I kept asking my mom to go find out why they hadn't brought him back but my mom wouldn't tell me what was going on until everything was fine. They were able to get his temp up and have it stay so about 11:30 pm I got to really hold Ian and feed him for the first time.



Having one childs birth scheduled and another not I can say I would prefer the shceduled one because it's so much easier and less stressful but I wouldn't change the events of Ian's Birth day.

P.S. I have to share this picture of Emma holding Ian the next morning becase I just love it.

My week in Review

This week has been a strange and busy one for me and I wasn't able to tell you all the things going on. So I will give you a review of my week.

Starting off with Sunday we had Ian's birthday party which was great. Later that evening I attended a Jewelry party hosted by one of Dave's managers. The women selling the jewelry was the General Managers wife and the rest of the women there were all wives of the other managers so I was very nervous about going. It turned out to be a nice evening and everyone but one of the wives was really nice.

Monday was a rough day and you can read here to find out why. It was also Gymnastics's day which meant we rushed home to eat and change so we could make it to class on time.

Tuesday I actually got to come home and relax after dinner. The kids played nicely all evening, then it was time for bed. About 15 minutes after I tucked them in Emma came down the stairs screaming at the top of her lungs. You really would have thought someone was chasing her. As I rounded the corner into the kitchen I saw her coming down the stairs holding up her nightgown and something was on her leg but I couldn't tell what it was. When she got to the bottom I realized she had poop on her leg and my first thought was she had diarrhea but she told me no when I asked her if she was sick. Once I got it cleaned off her leg she calmed down enough to explain to me that Ian had taken his pants and diaper off then rubbed his poopy butt on her leg. Of course I raced up the stairs wondering the whole time what I would find in the room. In my mind I was seeing poop smeared all over the walls and bed but it seems Ian only put it on Emma's leg.

Wednesday was another crazy busy day for me. Dave was off so he picked the kids up from the sitters so I came straight home and changed my clothes. Mom came over shortly after I got home and she watched the kids while Dave and I went and got the kids Christmas presents. Usually I have things done by now and even wrapped but Dave's work screwed his check up right after Thanksgiving and they didn't pay him back the money they shorted him until Monday. Of course that money was our Christmas money so there we were Wednesday evening doing all of our shopping. The only good thing about this year was I was able to find exactly what I wanted for them all at the same store.

Thursday marked 12 years that Dave and I have been together and he surprised me with something to celebrate it but you will have to go and read all about that.

Finally Friday came along and while work was complete chaos things at home were pretty relaxed. So much so that I was able to talk Dave into going grocery shopping with the kids and I. Usually I wait until the kids have gone to bed and I go by myself but last night I really didn't want to wait that long.

That brings us to today and so far things have been good, well kind of. When Dave got up at 7:30 this morning Ian was in the living room playing with both mine and Dave's phones and he had Dave's wallet with most of it's contents on the floor. Once Dave got Ian to pick it all up Ian came in and laid down with me so I was able to sleep until 9. I'm not sure how long Ian had been up this morning but if I had to guess I would say awhile because Ian stayed asleep until 11. that allowed me to take a shower and clean the Kitchen, Living room, dinning room, and bathroom all before he got up. Now I can enjoy the rest of my afternoon watching TV and playing with the kids.

So how was your week?

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta

So this week I am torn about it being Friday all ready. I'm glad the week is over but that also means we are less than a week away from Christmas and this year I am just not ready for it. I'm sure I will get everything done but it's going to be a little crazy from here on out. Since it is Friday (or almost anyway) that means it's time for Candid Carries Friday Foto Finish Fiesta and here is my entry.



This is a picture of my new Blackberry that Dave got me. First I need to explain that this summer we switched our cell phone provider from Nextel to Verizon. When we were doing this I tried to talk Dave into getting us Blackberry's because I really really wanted one. Dave didn't think we needed them though so we ended up with a regular old phones. Then a few months ago when Dave got his promotion they gave him a Blackberry. Since then Dave has fallen in love and he would rub it in all the time. It really wasn't fair that the person who wanted one didn't have one but the person that didn't see the point in them does. Of course I have been giving him a hard time about this since then.

Now that brings us to this morning (Thursday 12-18). At about 7:15 while I was driving to work I heard my phone vibrating in my purse but it was allot louder than my phone normally vibrates and I knew I didn't have it set on vibrate. So I reached into the pocket on my purse where I keep my phone and tried to pull it out but it isn't coming out right and it feels weird. By the time I finally got it out the vibrating had stopped but what I had in my hand was NOT MY PHONE, it was the one above.

I'm sure for I should receive some kind of here's your sign, or real women of genius award but my first thought when I saw my phone was that I had the wrong purse and it clearly belonged to someone else. In my defense it was only 7:15 in the morning and I was still on auto pilot at that time. At that point my phone started vibrating again and on the screen was Dave's name. That is when it hit me, Dave got me a present and this is MY Blackberry! Of course I answered the phone and the first thing I said to Dave was "what did you do?"!

So Dave being the sneaky husband that he is bought me a 12th anniversary/Christmas present after we agreed not to buy each other Christmas presents this year. we normally don't celebrate the anniversary of us being together but Dave decided to this year. Honestly I think I need to learn that even when Dave says we wont celebrate something he always ends up getting me something and then I feel guilty that I don't have a gift for him. It's been like this since the first Christmas we were a couple. We decided since we would only be together a week at that point we wouldn't get each other anything. Christmas morning Dave shows up at my house with 7 red roses and one white. He goes on to tell me that there is a red one for each day we had been together and the white one was to represent the future. 12 years later I still haven't figured out that when he says no presents he doesn't mean for me.

Do you have a picture and a story to share? Then head over to Candid Carries and join the fun.

12 years and counting

Today Dave and I have been together for 12 years. Some days it seems like that was so long ago and others it seems like it was just yesterday.

For those of you that don't know Dave and I were High School sweethearts and yes those still exsist. At the time our best friends were dating and one night when my friend was staying at my house and Dave was staying at his friends house they made us talk to each other. Apparently something hit them and they just knew we would make the perfect couple.

We only talked for a few mintues that night so I was really surprised the next evening when he called. That time we talked for a few hours and it was really nice. I had just recently broken up with a biyfriend and it had me a little confused and Dave had just told a girl he like forever that he liked her so it was a strange time for both of us. Somehow though we talked at school and on the phone everyday for a week. During that time Dave asked if I would want to go on a date.

Our first date was on December 14, 1996. Dave picked me up around 7 that night. Our orignial plan was a movie but nothing good was playing so at the last minute we decided to go bowling. We bowled a million rounds and had a great time. Dave still had a couple of hours before he had to be home so we went back to my house and watched tv. I can't remember which movie it was but it was one of Steven Segals movies that we watched. When it was time for Dave to leave I walked him out. I was really hoping for a kiss but that was not in the cards that night. I later found out that Dave wanted to kiss me too but he was too nervous to do it.

The next four days were a little rough for me. The day after our date the girl Dave liked called and told him that she decided they should go on a date. being the stand up guy that Dave is he told me about this converstion later that day and he also told me that he wasn't sure anymore because of me.

After school on December 18th my friend Jenn came over to work on our Frech class project. Dave called shortly after I got home and asked if he could come over before he went to work. When Dave got there Jenn and I were in the middle of baking our Yule Log (I don't remember the French name for it. The house was really warm so even though it was December I had on a pair of cotton short shorts and a t-shirt. If you mention this day to Dave the first thing he will say is always something about those shorts. Anyway, being the good hostess that I am I walked Dave out when it was time for him to leave. We were standing on my front pourch and I was freezing so Dave gave me a great big hug to help keep me warm. While we were standing there he looked down at me and asked me if I would be his girlfriend. Obviously the answer was a yes that came through some tears of mine. Then he leaned down and kissed me.

Fast forward 12 years and here we are still together, married with two kids and a dog. I knew back then that he was the one. Most people thought I was crazy but I knew what I felt. I am so lucky to have found the person that makes me whole. I'm not very good at describing my feelings so I will just say that I love him with all my heart and I am so glad he choose me over the other girl.

Happy 12th Anniversary Baby!




P.S.: Cowinceidenatlly a few weeks ago Dave ran into that other girl and the past 10 years have not been very good to her body accourding to Dave. This may make me sound like a mean person but hearing that made me feel good, but only because she was geourgous in school and she knew so after Dave and I started dating she tried a million different things to get him away from me.

The Rhino's Return and Departure

Well the day finally came when the Rhino returned. It was last Monday. I know I promised to let you all know when it happen but things were crazy last week and I wasn't sure how things were going to go.

I conveniently had to stay home last Monday because of the furnace issue. So when I got to work Tuesday my co-workers filled me in. They said she was fine on Monday and spent most of her day upstairs. Tuesday was a little different though. You could tell some things were bothering her but she never said anything to anyone. This went on for a couple more days.

Then Friday morning she was finally called into the office and informed that the investigation was complete and that she was being written up for creating a hostile work environment and age discrimination. This did not go well from what I was told and our union rep that was with her had to call the Union President to come over. Eventually she signed the report but she also requested a copy of the report which is no surprise to me. I'm sure she will try to do something with it to pay me back because that is just the type of person she is.

Now here comes the interesting part, yesterday morning their was an email waiting for us saying that the Rhino would not be returning to work until the first of the year. This is good news because it truly is more relaxed when she isn't there but we are all wondering why. I was never told what her discipline was going to be and I only know about the meeting because she told someone who came to me. So it is very possible she was suspended as part of this or she could be so pissed off that she is having her doctor give her another excuse.

I guess I will never really know why she is out again but I will enjoy it while I can.

Little Man's Party

This Sunday Ian will be three. Being born 4 days for Christmas makes it really had to have a birthday party on your birthday or even around it. In order to get the most out of a birthday party I throw his early every year. This year was actually the latest I have done it since he was born. We had Ian's party this past Sunday so only a week early this year.

When I was planning this Ian said he wanted to have his party here at home instead of the skating rink like Emma's. So that is what we did we invited about 30 people total (adults and kids) and about 20 RSVP'd. Since Ian is in love with Dinosaurs that was the theme on the invitation and the cake. I made and bought Ian's favorite foods, subs and lunch meat sandwiches, meatballs, taco dip, chips & pretzels, and a fruit tray to keep us a little healthy.



As people arrived they fixed some plates for once all the kids were old enough (well all but Jenn's newest Tyler but he is only a month old)to eat by themselves so we fixed their plates and sent them up to the kids rooms to eat at the little tables they have. That meant us adults were able to eat in peace downstairs and talk a little too which was nice.

Once we all had eaten more than we should have and passed Tyler around a little it was time for Ian to open his presents. Now my sister was in charge of the camera because Dave was holding Tyler and while I'm on that I should mention he announced to everyone that he would like another baby. This is not going to happen since I can't have any more and he doesn't want one knowing how dangerous it is for me but still if things were different he would want one. Anyway back to the story, my sister hasn't had much practice of taking pictures of 3 year olds so all of them are of Ian's back opening his presents. He got a ton of cool toys this year including the Imaginex Fire Station, a tonka truck, a musical Hummer, some superhero figures, clothes, A Metalica t-shirt (from Aunt Stephy and Daves favorite.

Of course there were two big gifts this year Elmo Live from Dave and I which Ian has been asking for non stop. He loves his Elmo too which is great. Then there was the big gift from my MIL, Spike the remote control Dinosaur that is almost as big as Ian and he loved him in the store.





So how do you think he feels about Spike being here?

Yeah, he was so excited when he saw the picture of Spike on the box. He pulled the box across the floor and begged Dave to put him together right away. Once Dave had him all together we turned him on and the first thing Spike did was rear up on it's tail and roar. That was it Ian screamed, well all the kids screamed the first time but Ian took off for me which is when Steph snapped the picture. I will say as long as Dave doesn't torture Ian with Spike I think he will warm up to him. He will sit on your lap and use the remote control just like in this picture.



Of course once all the toys were out and you couldn't walk through the living room it was time for cake. These next few pictures are some of my favorites. As soon as we started to sing Happy Birthday to Ian this is what he did.



I guess he didn't like they way we sounded because he covered his ears and kept yelling at us all to stop. So we sang really fast. Since he was made he didn't want to blow his candles out so his friend Andrew and I helped. Ian did finally blow the last one out which was the big 3.





All and all it was a nice party and a good time. Ian loved most of it and I'm thankfully.

In Memory Of

Twenty two years ago today my father John William Jurden passed away. I decided that since this was the first anniversary of his death that I have had a blog I would share the story of that day this one time. You may want to grab a box of tissues and settle in for this one.

Shortly after I was born my dad was diagnosed with melanoma which is the worst form of skin cancer you can have. It started with a mole on his back that he didn't know had changed or looked weird because he couldn't see it. By the time he knew something was wrong it was too late. They removed the mole but the cancer had spread. For the next 4 years he had numerous surgeries to remove tumors and moles in different parts of his body. Early in 1986 doctors at the James Cancer Research Center found a brain tumor. After a few months of getting second opinions and looking into all the options my mom and dad decided to have it operated on.

The operation went well and then as planned my dad started rounds of chemotherapy and radiation. After a few weeks in the hospital they moved my dad home but it was to a room with a hospital bed and a nurse from hospice that came in everyday to take care of him. For the next six months my dad lived in the front bedroom of our house and was taken care of by my mom and nurses.

Usually by the time I got up in the mornings my dad was awake but on the morning of December 15, 1986 my dad was still asleep. Because of this my mom kept yelling at my sister and me to be quiet so we didn't wake my dad up. She told us that Nick had woke up in the middle of the night and it woke dad up too so he was just tired and needed to rest.

Shortly before I had to leave for school I overheard my mom on the phone with someone telling them that she couldn't get my dad to wake up and she was worried about it. Of course hearing her say she was worried made me worried but I did my best to act normal around her. Typically my mom would walk me half way to school (it was just down the street from our house) but that morning she told me the neighbor was going to walk with me but before I left I need to go in and say goodbye to dad. At first I argued with her about this saying that I didn't want to wake him up but I finally listened to her and went into his room. I climbed up on the stool next to his bed and I gave him a big hug, a kiss on the check, and I whispered in his ear "I love you daddy".

Those were the last words I said to my dad and the last time I ever saw him. After that I headed off to school. At the end of the day the school secretary called my classroom via the intercom to tell my teacher I was to walk to my Grandma's instead of home that afternoon. This was not an uncommon thing for me because my Grandma lived one street over from us. When I got to my Grandmas things were a little strange. Steph, Nick, and mom were all there as well as my Aunt Pat and her two sons Jeremy and Christopher.

About an hour or so after I got there my mom and grandma asked me to come into the kitchen with them. We all sat down at the table and my mom proceeded to tell me that my dad had died. While I remember all the events of the day leading up to that moment I do not remember the exact moment my mom uttered those words or even what those words were. What I do remember is telling her she was mean and I hated her for lying to me because dad was not dead and I wanted to go home and see him. There was also a large amount of crying on my part but eventually I calmed down and realized my mom was telling the truth. After all the talks my mom and dad had with me about that moment it still didn't seem real but it sure was.


Until I was 18 years old I believed that when I hugged and kissed my dad goodbye that day he had already died but this was not the case. I was finally able to get my mom to talk about the events of that day with me over the phone one evening. Like I remembered her telling me Nick had woke up around 3 am that morning and he was crying but my mom had been up late the night before so she didn't hear Nick. What finally woke her up was my dad calling for her because Nick woke him up. She went and got Nick then took him into my dad where she sat and rocked Nick. When he finally fell back asleep she said goodnight to my dad and went back to bed. Sometime between then and 7 that morning my dad slipped into a coma. The doctors and nurses had told my mom that this was probably how it would happen so she wasn't that surprised by it. While Steph and I were playing that morning mom made calls to hospice, the doctors, my grandma, and my dad’s parents. She asked that everyone wait until I had left for work before they came over. As soon as I was out the door my moms mom came and got Steph and Nick and the nurse, my dads parents, and a few of his sisters came to say goodbye. Shortly before noon my dad passed away while my Grandma Jurden was sitting with him.

Hearing this information truly changed everything for me. Instead of feeling that I never got to say goodbye I realized that he was alive when I said I love you and they say people in comas can hear you so I believe he did.

It may seem strange to you that I remember so much about that day when I was only five years old. Somehow through the years I have been able to keep the memories of that day and ones before it with my dad but I do not remember much of the whole year after it or much of Nick as a baby. I guess that is the price I pay to remember my dad and how he seemed like the tallest person on this earth (he was 6’2” so not really) and how before he got really sick he always smelled like the pipe he smoked. Or all the nights I would sit on his lap watching the Browns, or the Reds play and I would eat half of the grapefruit he got for himself. There was also the time I thought he was trying to trick me with our word game when he asked if I got to see my Grandma get on the plane, but I was too smart to fall for that one and told him he was silly and she would fall off.


December 15, 1986 changed my life forever and not just because my father wasn’t going to see me go to prom, graduate high school or college, walk me down the isle at my wedding, or be there for the birth of my children. His death taught some very hard lessons of life; life is too short, life is not fair, and you don’t always get what you want out of life. I have been able to keep these lessons with me as I have grown since then and because of him I am able to appreciate some of the smaller things in life and I don’t take the big things for granted. This event truly made me the person I am today and as sad as it was, and as much as I wish it never happen I am in a way grateful for the things I have because of it.

The Stork, A Miracle, or the Truth?

It finally happened this week. While we were eating dinner this week I was telling Dave about a friends whose newborn is in the NICU at Children's Hospital. Just to mention but it seems that everyone I know whose was pregnant and due this month has had their baby early. Of course that means there has been a lot of baby talk going on lately which lead to the question.

Yep, Emma asked us, well no, she asked me where babies come from. When she asked this my fork was on it's way to my mouth and I just dropped it. I knew this question would eventually be asked but I wasn't ready for it. I'm really not sure why I wasn't ready because she is five but still she asked.

Once I finally regained my voice I told her to ask her daddy, which she did and he looked at me and said "she asked you first so answer her".

So here is what I said. "Two people fall and love and get married and then they have a baby" Then I crossed my fingers and toes and prayed that she didn't want any more details. It worked she was completely satisfied with that answer and we went on to talk about Wonderpets and their Christmas special.

My issue now is did I answer her right? Does it matter what my answer was at her age, or could the wrong answer screw her up? I don't really believe you should be married before you have children but if I'm being honest I would prefer Emma wait till she is. To the real point though, should I have said something like the stork brings them or god puts them in a mommies belly or should I have talked about sex?

You know these are the moments when being a parent can really suck!

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta

This week I decided to pick a picture that would honor the Christmas spirit.

So here it is let me know what you think.



This is of Emma 3 years ago. If I remember correctly this picture was taken about a week or so before Ian was born.

Now it's your turn to share a picture of anything you want. Just head over to Candid Caries to see how easy it is.

Picture Game

All American Monkeys tagged me today to post a picture. The rules are simple just go to your pictures, find the fourth folder, in that folder find the fourth picture, then post it with a story about what it is.

Just so everyone knows I am on my laptop which didn't start having pictures stored until this spring so my fourth folder happens to be the one from my brothers wedding and thankfully the fourth picture was this one.



This is my Brother Nick the Groom (middle back), my baby brother KJ the Best Man (middle front), my sister Steph a Bridesmaid (on your right), and of course me a Bridesmaid (on the left)

Now for my turn to tag four people and they are;

1. Tif-McCallen Mussings

2. Lindsay-The Adams family

3. Em-Hannah, Charlie, Austin, Adam, and Me

4.Carrie-Candid Carrie (just to see if she will do it)

Santa = Mom & Dad

I was reading All American Monkeys post today and it made me think about the year I found out there was no Santa. That year was without a doubt the worst Christmas I can remember (I know the year before was worse but I have blocked that time period out).

It was the Christmas of 1987 and I was a mere 6 years old. The year before in December my father passed away so my mom had absolutely no Christmas spirit that year which is completely understandable but it sucked for us. I don't think we got our tree up until the week before Christmas and there were no presents under the tree to shake and make guess at until a few days before Christmas. I'm not sure about all of you but for my siblings and I this was a big deal.

Finally Christmas Eve arrived and as always we went out to my dad's family to celebrate with them. On the way home Mom was a little more herself and drove us around town to look at Christmas lights then it was home and off to bed for us kids. A tradition in my family for as long as I can remember was that Steph, Nick, and I would always sleep together in the same room and usually the same bed. That year it was in my room which happen to be the first bedroom in the hallway off the living room and across from the bathroom.

Sometime in the early morning hours (I've been told it was around 3am) I woke up and had to go to the bathroom. After some consideration as to whether or not Santa would be mad at me for getting out of bed, i did. I figured it was better to have him made at me then to wet the bed. As I was walking across the hallway to the bathroom I caught something out of the corner of my eye which made me turn.

That was a BIG BIG BIG mistake on my part. See what caught my eye was my mom sitting on the floor putting together the Barbie Doll Dream House for my sister and I. Of course I gasp, maybe even screamed a little which caused my mom to jump and turn around. She tried to give me some line about how Santa doesn't have time to stay and put all the toys together so the parents have to. Looking back I am very impressed that my mom thought of that so quickly but I wasn't buying it. I was so angry that there was no such thing as Santa, and even more angry because I felt like my mom had lied to me. Finally after 5 minutes of her trying to convince me she gave up and made me swear on my life not to ever tell Steph or Nick.

After that I went back to bed and did not want to get up when Steph and Nick woke up but I did for them. I put on the fake smile and excitement as I opened up my Santa presents but inside I just wanted to scream. If I had not had to go to the bathroom that morning I really think it would have been my best Christmas ever because mom got us everything on our list that year even my Fisher Price Kitchen Set.

Of course even knowing how I reacted to the truth about Santa I still pretend that their is a Santa for my kids because I eventually got over the anger and realized that the magic of Santa for little kids is worth the few moments of anger.

When It Snows It Pours

As I mentioned yesterday it snowed all day. Actually there are still a few random snowflakes falling today. With all this snow has come some pretty cold wind and temperatures. Of course this means that it's the perfect time for the furnace to die!

Yes sir re, I was sitting in my chair watching a Christmas movie yesterday evening about 7:30 when I realized even with my big comfy sweater on I was freezing cold. So I got up to see what the thermostat said. It was set at 72 but it was 66...65... in the house. I thought that seemed a little odd but my first thought was just to turn the temperature up so the furnace would kick on. 73....74....75....80...but nothing was happening.

Of course Dave wasn't home from work yet because he had a late sale yesterday so I gave him a call to make sure I wasn't doing something wrong with our new digital thermostat. He walked me through how to turn it up and I was doing everything right which of course was not what I wanted to here. The roads were kind of bad so I let Dave go to drive home and I went up to the kids room and brought there space heater down to the living room.

When Dave got home he went and looked at the furnace and noticed the pilot light was out. He tried relighting it but it would stay. At 8:30 we called out land lord and he came out to try and help. Somehow Dave and him were able to get the furnace going again. Our land lord stuck around for a little while to make sure it would stay on.

The furnace ran for about an hour straight before it kicked off. Around 11:00 when I was getting ready to go to bed I noticed I was getting cold again and I realized I hadn't heard the furnace kick on again. Dave went back downstairs and the pilot light were out again. This time Dave and I did everything that he and the land lord had done before but nothing worked.

I knew if I left the kids upstairs they would freeze overnight so I brought them down to the living room and we all slept here with the space heater to keep us warm. Somehow Dave was the lucky one and got the couch while the kids and I slept on the floor. Let me just say that my back is thanking me today. I'm actually amazed I was able to stand up this morning!

Are Land lord came back out this morning and after about 30 minutes Dave and him were able to get it going again and so far it's been ok. I am praying that it doesn't go back out again but even if it doesn't someone is coming out to look at it tomorrow. Part of me wants everything to be ok with it but another part of me hopes it needs to be replaced so when we go to buy this house in the spring we will get a brand new furnace. Is that wrong?

Let It Snow, Let It Snow,

Let It Snow!

Today we have received our first substantial snowfall of the season. Sure it's snowed off and on since Halloween but nothing you could really measure and nothing that stuck for more than a few hours.

When I awoke this morning the sidewalks and cars were just barley white with snow. Now everything is pretty much covered and It's beginning to Look allot like Christmas keeps popping into my head every time I walk by a window.





Of course the kids have been bugging me all day to go out and play in the snow but up until a hour or so ago there wasn't a whole lot on the ground to play with. I figure if all this snow stays put overnight then maybe if the kiddo's are good we will go out and play tomorrow. Today I just want to stay in the warmth of the house.

I do wish I would have watched the evening news yesterday though so that I would have known this much snow was coming. It's the perfect kind of day to have a pot of stew simmering on the stove but I have non of the ingredients. It's also the perfect day for some warm hot chocolate, but you guessed it, I'm fresh out! Lastly this is the perfect day to read a new book but I'm fresh out. If only I would have watched the news!

What are your favorite things to do when the weather is cold and snowy?

Family Fun Night, Christmas Style

The suburb we live in isn't technically a suburb of Columbus because it's not a city yet. Groveport is still classified as a village. We live in the heart of the village just down the street from the Police Station and about 3 blocks from the Town Hall. Most of the village is comprised of historic buildings and homes like ours so it has that small town charm.

Adding to the small town charm is their Christmas spirit. At every intersection down main street they have planters that are changed to reflect the season we are in. Currently each planter has a small real Christmas tree that is completely decorated. We also have the old fashion oil lamp looking street lights that currently have Christmas wreaths on them. The cherry on the cake though is the enormous, time square sized evergreen tree that sits across the street from Town Hall.

Every year at Christmas time the village decorates the tree with massive sized ornaments and lights. The first Friday in December they have a tree lighting ceremony. So we of course bundled ourselves and the kids up and headed down.



While we were waiting for the guest of honor to arrive they entertained us with some carols sung by some of the Elementary students. After what seemed like an hour because of the cold (only 15v minutes) we heard the sirens coming. This year Santa arrived via Fire Truck.





Emma being the smarty pants she is asked us if the fireman went and picked up Santa and Mrs. Claus at the north pole. Dave told her that Santa drove his sleigh to the fire station and then got on the fire truck.

After a few more songs it was time for the countdown. 5....4....3....2....1....



Once the tree was lite it was across the street to the Town Hall where we waited in line for almost an hour just for Emma to sit on Santa's lap again.



She told us that she was unable to tell Santa everything she wanted at the zoo a few weeks ago so she just had to see him again. This time around Ian said from the start he that he did not want to sit on Santa's lap so we didn't force him but Emma did great as always.



Our next stop was upstairs to get some cookies and cocco and then on our way out we stopped downstairs to look at the Lego Mania display. Ian was completly fasinated with this. The picture here is of the lego version of our Town Hall.



It was a great family night for us and the best part for Dave and I was that it was all free!

Friday Foto Finish Fiesta

Wow has this week just flown by which is a really good thing because it has been one mess of a week. Of course since it's finally Friday that means it's time for Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta.



If you read my last post then you already know that the kids and I put our tree up Tuesday. I decided this year to start early to get a good picture of my two babies together in front of the tree. So far this is the best one. I know how sad is that.

Now it's your turn to head on over to Candid Carries and share a picture with us.

O Christmas Tree

First off I need to apologize for my absence this week. Things have been nuts since last Friday for me and it seems that by the time I am able to sit down every night I am way to tired to get on the computer. Really everything started going down hill last Friday and things just keep heading that way.

Last Friday when I got home from work I opened a bottle of wine and started putting our Christmas Tree up. Growing up my mom always procrastinated on getting the tree up so we usually ended up with only a few weeks with it. The first Christmas that Dave and I lived together we put the tree up the day after Thanksgiving and it has been that way ever since.

So I get the tree all put together and looking perfect then I plug the cord in and nothing happens. I start to panic a little and frantically go through the whole tree to make sure I got all the different strands plugged in together. We have one of those pre-lit trees so all your supposed to do is plug them into each other and then into the wall. All of my plugs were together but nothing was lighting up. I decided to call Dave and see if he had any ideas of what might be wrong and he suggested I go through and replace some of the fuses. I went through and replaced every single fuse on the tree and still nothing. I new it couldn't be because of a burnt out light because these lights are the ones where if one burns out it's the only one that doesn't come on. I called Dave back in complete meltdown phase because I knew we didn't have the money to buy a new tree, or at least not one I would really like, but in my crazy state I couldn't figure out what we were going to do with no light's on our tree.

(I should explain that it was 7:00pm and I had been up since 4:30am and worked a full 8 hours, so my mind was all functioning at that point)

Now Dave being the logical one says to me "well I guess we are just going to have to pull all of them off and put regular strands of lights on". So I took the tree apart and I started with the top section. Again my mind not being at full capacity I sat there and twisted every hook holding the strands of lights on to get them off which not only took FOREVER but killed my fingers. An hour and half later when Dave got home from work he picks up the middle section and just starts pulling and the stupid clips are popping off left and right. I worked for about another 30 minutes before I called it quits for the night and went to bed. Of course I got up the next morning and spent another couple of hours getting the rest of the lights off and the tree back up. This is where everything stopped.

Having a pre-lit tree meant we did not own any regular strands of lights so we needed to go and get some but that wasn't possible since payroll screwed. See Dave was supposed to get his check on Friday but the ladies in his payroll department didn't get it turned in on time before the Holiday so no one got there checks until Monday. This meant for the first year in 8 years my tree was not up and complete over Thanksgiving weekend.

We were able to go to Target Monday night to get the lights and then finally Tuesday night after dinner the kids and I put all the lights and decorations on it. I am very proud of myself this year because I let the kids put up most of the ornaments and I haven't gone through and moved very many of them. I am a major perfectionist when it comes to things like this and usually have to have all the ornaments spread out evenly. The only ornaments I have moved have been breakable ones that they put at the very bottom.

So what do you think? Was it worth all the hassel this year?

Country, Rap, and Surfin Bird

Thanksgiving day after we had all eaten and the football game had been played all of us cousins (younger folks) were in my Grandma's living room talking about some of our nights out. This conversation led to my sister talking about how her roommate Courtney has been wanting to go Karaoke with Dave again. It just so happen that her, my sister, my SIL, and Dave and I were all going to be free Saturday night so we made the plans.

Steph & Me

Courtney & Alicia

Dave & Uncle Bob

When ever Dave goes to Karaoke he always calls his Uncle Bob to join us because his uncle is the one that got him into it. Now we all know I don't get to go out like this very often and when I do it's usually with just Dave so it was a real treat for me to have some girls to hang out with and even more of a treat that one of them was my sissy! I think the last time I was out with her was about two years ago and I was the DD.

I've never been out drinking with my SIL before but Steph has told me many stories of their nights out together which always seem to be fun. Up until this past Saturday my SIL Alicia's claim to fame was the night out a month ago where the Surfin Bird song came on at a local bar and she jumped up and did the Peter Griffin dance for the whole song. If you haven't seen this episode of Family Guy you really should.

Alicia, Dave, & Steph

So the night started with Dave doing Johnny Cash's Folsom Prison Blues, then Steph, Alicia, and Courtney singing Journey's Don't Stop Believing. The girls were a little nervous to sing at first because the bar we were at is a Biker Bar but really you wouldn't know if you didn't see the "No Biker Colors" sign posted on the door. Anyway they got a great response from the crowd so they were feeling pretty confident. Next round Dave sang David Allen Coe's If that Ain't Country. When it came time for the girls next song Dave joined them in one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Him and the girls sang the Trashman's Surfin Bird and my SIL and Courtney kind of did the Peter Dance to it while my sister just kept singing the same lines over and over. Dave of course nailed it and was their saving grace! The crowd must have been bog Family Guy people because everyone loved and were laughing the whole time. I was laughing so hard I almost peed my pants and as soon as they were done I headed off to the bathroom. The final song of the night went to Dave and he closed it out with Eminem's Without Me which brought some Thirty something Ho's to the dance floor. One of which was wearing what looked to be a brand new white sweater belly shirt which my SIL thought was the funniest thing she had ever seen in her life.

(Look toward the bottom of this pick and you will notice the white swaeter belly shirt from the back)

Now for those of you not from Central Ohio you may not get this but if you close a bar around here to have to follow it up with a trip to the closest Tee Jay's restaurant. It's kind of like a cheap Bob Evans and they are famous for their Barnyard Buster which is eggs, hasbrown, and biscuits covered in country gravy. I personal find this beyond disgusting but most people love it. My sisters roommate is from Michigan and my sister had yet to take her to Tee Jays so had to go. It started out being pretty nice but quickly went south when these two guys were seated next to us. Somehow they new Dave's uncle and they were just talking to him but then they started to become obnoxious and make rude and stupid comments to everyone around. I'm pretty sure they thought they were being funny but they weren't they were just pissing everyone off. My SIL ordered a Grilled Cheese which came with two sides and for one she choose a salad. Of course the waitress brought her salad out before the rest of the food and she was eating it. The annoying guys decided that they needed to comment on this and started saying things to her about how rude she was to be eating her salad before the rest of us had our food. My SIL said something back to them that I can't exactly remember do to the large number of shots I had but I do remember them saying something about her being so angry and she responded with a "well I wouldn't be so angry if drunk ass's at other tables weren't trying to talk to me". I'm pretty sure that these guys could sense the anger building in Dave and they finally left us alone to eat our greasy food in peace.

By the time I got home Saturday night it was after 4 am. It has been years since I have stayed up that late and years since I drank that much. Of course I paid for it all day Sunday and a little bit today. I guess I am getting to old to pull that off but it sure was nice to feel young for a night!

The Wilson's Turkey Day

I wanted to write this post on Friday or even Saturday and I knew I wanted to share some of the pictures I took but I seem to have temporarily (so I hope) misplaced the cord to upload the pictures. So since I still haven't found it I decided I had better write this now before it is way to late!

Every year for Thanksgiving Dave and I alternate which family to spend it with. This year was with my family at my Grandma's house. We loaded up the kids around 11 and headed an hour and fifteen minutes west. Of course we had to go over the river and through the woods but we finally arrived just in time for lunch. The whole family was there except for one of my cousins who lives in Florida and wasn't able to get the time off work to come home and his Dad, my Uncle, that passed away this summer. We could all tell that it was really affecting my Grandma and my Aunt Nan but we all did our best to keep their spirits up.

The food was GREAT as always, and there was way to much to choose from but that just meant we all had some kind of leftovers to take with us. The best part of the whole day for me was when my 13 year old brother KJ took my kids and my cousins sons outside to play some football. It wasn't long before some of the adults took notice of the game being played in the front yard and had to join in. Of course I have some really cute pictures of the game that I wanted to share but you will have to do without for now. The game itself was a pretty sad one, Emma had the best play of the whole game by running for a touchdown.

Around 5pm Dave and I loaded the kids back into the car for the trip to his moms house. Both Dave and I had to work Friday but the Babysitter somehow gets it off and my MIL is the only person I know that also doesn't have to work. So she got to keep the kids the entire holiday weekend. Which meant that Dave and I were able to go out and have some fun this past weekend but that is for another post.

By the time Dave and I arrived home it was after 9 and we were both exhausted so it was straight to bed for us.