GOODBYE JANUARY!!!!!!

I would be lying if I said I was sad to see January end...but I am elated. For me, January is the greyest, bleakest, coldest (usually), snowiest, most boring month of the year. This one wasn't any different than the above description. I am a person that needs the natural "lift" of the sunshine. Fortunately, we ended the month with gorgeous sunshine and some much needed warmer temps. Tonight, we could smell that bit of "spring" smell in the air and it was delightful.

It's always a wonderful weekend when Josh is off and this was no exception. We all miss him when he works long hours, but by the same token...we are happy he has a job to put in long hours. Many don't have that luxury. At the same time, I think it is human to just miss someone's company =). We had a pretty simple weekend and that was fine. Low key and chillin'. We are starting (it seems) to turn the corner on these colds. The extra rest helped immensely along with a Sunday afternoon snooze. We enjoyed dining together and having yummy pot roast for lunch. Now that is comfort food! We tried to go visit our preferred car wash (the one with a dryer) and the automatics (with dryers) were all closed down. I guess we will have to wait a few more days to wash that salt off our cars.
Other than that, we did little chores around the house, went to the grocery store, and enjoyed some of Josh's fabulous French Toast with Harry & David maple syrup. THAT WAS YUMMY!

Before I close, I have to mention this...
Tonight we went to Starbucks to get a White Mocha. I ordered and was probably half-way pulled up by the time she said "pull up". Anyway, while we were waiting at the window (which sometimes can be an eternity for those little drinks), I noticed that SB has a video on the person ordering at the drive through. I know this is not new technology, but when I say video and TV, I mean...you could give a full description of the person's face to the police if necessary. The whole screen is literally the orderer's face on the screen so the SB employee can see it. I'm unsure of the necessity of this. With that in mind, I'm sure they see some interesting stuff when people order on that screen simply because people are unaware they have a whole tv/video thing set up. I know drive-thru's have tv's to see the cars, but I haven't ever seen one like this...it's a mugshot of the person ordering! Anyway, keep that in mind when visiting Starbucks before you pick your nose, make faces at the screen, or scream at occupants of your car. OR--maybe you want to give them some entertainment...Josh said he wanted to go there and make all kinds of goofy faces while ordering and I can somehow imagine that happening.

Visitor

A visitor came today and he's leaving right now. I hope he comes back tomorrow and many days to follow. Who, you ask? Well, Mr. Sun. Mind you, he was missing one thing...the warmth that he's known for. It seems that if we get higher temps, we get gray days. When we get the sun it is sub-zero or in the teens. I don't know about you, but global warming--meh.

Today was a pretty nice day despite the constant need for tissues. I came home at lunch and was just in time to answer the door for Mr. Fed Ex man. He would have left a call tag, so I felt really fortunate to be home at that moment. He brought our new camera!! This was especially exciting to me as my camera (although it works) is falling apart literally. Josh won this camera in a contest at work in like November and so now here it is. It's the same brand as my falling apart camera and pretty much the same everything...just newer and higher megapixels. YAY!!!!! It made me excited anyway. Now I will have to try it out!! This really should get me motivated to work on a little V-day project that I've been thinking about. We shall see. I also need to check out the free Shutterfly book as well.
Code READYMADEBOOK gets you a free 7 x 9 book...all you pay is $5 shipping. Their books are awesome--IMHO.

Well, off to an evening of rest to help this cold/sinus thing and laundry and warming up.

Waiting for Warmth

As if to remind us that winter is still here, the weather has reverted back to its VERY COLD ways once again. Snow has fallen the past couple of days and the ground is covered once more.

We have all been battling some kind of illness. Josh and I are probably the ones most battling it right now. He has been working more lately so rest hasn't been easy to come by. It makes you feel like going to bed for days on end with a box of tissues. Sinus pressure, sneezing, coughing...we need some sun and warmth!

There isn't anything on TV tonight as it is SOTU address. Sorry, not watching. We don't have cable, so there are not any other options. Early to bed sounds fine to me.

Bring on summer!

Chuckles

It's January and time for a few chuckles. Anyone with me?

Tonight, Keirah climbed up on the roof of the "hi" house and needed fireman daddy to rescue her.



Yesterday, Josh joined some family members for lunch to celebrate his grandma's birthday. Now, I am a self-confessed lover of HOT spicy food. I add hot sauce to MANY, MANY things, but Josh's grandma takes it to a level beyond any I have seen.
The first time most of us witnessed this we thought it was possibly a mistake. She ordered a pizza at a local restaurant and proceeded to unscrew the lid of the hot sauce and dump it on the whole pizza--not drops (like a good portion of the bottle). Even I being a hot sauce lover was cringing at the thought of the HEAT. She proceeded to happily eat it. Fast forward to yesterday, time to celebrate grandma's 83rd with some pizza and you guessed it HOT SAUCE--quite a lot. Josh said that at one point she asked the server if they had anything HOTTER--WOW! It just makes us chuckle. Go Frank's Red Hot Sauce for spicing up grandma's food!



Aliyah is counting down the days to February and more importantly Valentine's Day --as if it were Christmas revisited. We aren't sure why she's so excited???



We bought roses today and they were supposed to be in packages by the dozen...ours had a baker's baker's dozen at 14. Yep, random pack of flowers out of tons of them.



When we went to Monical's tonight our server came to the table to see 3 outstretched hands craning toward me with the hand sanitizer waiting for their squirt. Don't worry, he didn't think we were crazy. He laughed right along with us and even offered us some of their hand sanitizer since my bottle looked close to empty. We've had this kid multiple times and he reminds us of Troy from HSM.



Our girls got UNO MOO for Christmas--they love it. Unfortunately, Uno Moo was missing its haystacks that hide each player's pieces (not a huge deal--yet helpful in the way of the game). The directions say to call such and such number if any pieces are missing. My mom who bought the game for the girls called up and told them what we were missing. This seriously would probably cost them 44 cents to mail this little item, yet they told her that it was just more cost effective to send out the whole game rather than break up sets so we would be getting a new one in February. The game was apparently popular and on backorder. Well, it came today and she got the ingenious idea to take the (haystacks) and trace them and draw her own so that the other set would have some as well. I must say...they turned out pretty well. Grandma was doin her own art project. The girls will enjoy playing the game at her house as well now. As you can see below, the haystacks are just little cardboard piece things.

Oh yeah, and this isn't for chuckles, but I had fun with this...ebay has this thing that is called ebay bucks. You earn bucks when you purchase and at Christmas they were doing all kinds of bucks promos. Well I had some bucks to spend so I found Josh a pair of Ruehl jeans for $11.50 plus shipping and myself a Vera Bradley checkbook cover. The jeans were totally free and I only spent $8.32 on the checkbook cover. I was excited.

Winter Wasteland

This has been the longest it has taken to get our outdoor Christmas decorations down. The reason...ice. Well, I happily report that with our warmer temps finally and buckets of rain, the snow is all gone and the ground is a muddy/soggy mess. The decorations are finally down and drying on our porch. It is time to officially declare the yard/flowerbeds a winter wasteland.

When we put up the Christmas decs starting in mid-November, the mums were still in bloom and things were still green. Well, the greenery of the decorations and the snow covered up the dying stuff underneath. Now, with everything gone, all I have is ugly window boxes that need painting or replacement and dirt and old leaves from the fall. Couple that with the January gray outside that we have been experiencing for a few weeks and...you get the picture. I am so ready to see the sun again!

The girls have taken their turns having some kind of sickness with colds and Keirah's has been the worst of the two. They passed on various forms of it to Josh and I so umm...yeah.
I've spent the last two weekends not going much of anywhere to stay home with Kiki.
Aliyah wanted to go to church today so badly. She said, "when are we going to start getting ready"? I told her Kiki wasn't feeling well. Aliyah took solace in the Sunday comics. She looks forward to that each and every week because she loves to read them. Now, she cuts out various comics and makes a "book" of them. We have a Charlie Brown comic book given to us by Aunt J, which gets read and looked at all of the time.

Well, there's plenty to do...from cleaning to laundry to making V-day cards and all of the things on my list that are escaping me. Please come soon...spring!

Here are a couple of pictures of the girls from days gone by. Aliyah is 4 in her picture and Keirah is 1. Wow--the time flies. Keirah calls her picture "the pink princess".

Family Night

We have family night anytime Josh is home/off work. I have looked forward to Wednesday evening for the past few days...simply because nights without Josh get long in the winter.
We were all excited to go eat at Texas Roadhouse tonight. I couldn't tell you of really anyone I know that doesn't LOVE their food. One of our friends owns it and he is super nice as well.

Once I got off work, we took off to go eat dinner. It wasn't particularly busy due to the fact that most evening events were cancelled due to the threat of icy weather. Well, it wasn't icy really at all since the weather kept going above/below freezing all day.
Anyway, they have a special that if you dine before 6, they have several HUGE meals for $7.99. I chose sirloin, steak fries, and loaded sweet potato. Normally, I have leftovers...not tonight. I ate.it.all! Oh my! I savored every bite. The girls got steak as well and Josh chose the chicken. That was one huge plate of chicken--gasp--he even brought some home.
After talking to our friend for a bit, we headed to Target to make a return. We didn't have anything we were shopping for however I had a few coupons to use up that were expiring.

On the way home, the girls thought it would be fun to visit my grandma. We took the game Monopoly Deal over and played a few rounds with them and then watched the girls dance around the living room. Josh even got to hear about the place grandpa retired from and what grandpa did there. I knew some of it, but since we drove by the place the other day...Josh just wondered.

Now, it is home sweet home. A nice, cozy home with a meowing kitty. Side note about Chaney...he seems to know his name, but responds more to being called "Joshy". Isn't that funny??

This morning on the way to work, I heard the Steven Curtis Chapman song "Cinderella". It's not that I haven't heard it and pondered it so many times, but it brought tears to my eyes today. The harsh reality that while we want our children to grow and mature, it goes so fast and then it's gone. I for sure will miss it. At lunch, I wrote Josh and the girls notes--just cuz. I wanted them to know that I love them so much! I am blessed beyond imagination and more than I ever deserve to have Josh and the girls. They light up my life and my day. "all to soon, the clock will strike midnight...and she'll be gone".
Cherish the ones you love!

Short

Work.School.Dreary.Tired.Mundane MONDAY.

Weekend?

Well, it was pretty much the typical January dull--looking weather. We took all of the Christmas decs down that weren't frozen in the ground. Only a few items remain and I'm glad. This is turning into the longest undecorating ever.

We pretty much just spent time together all weekend--nothing to complain about there. Our taxes are done and submitted--yay! We sold our kitchen table on Craigslist--yay!
We had plans of going to a 40th birthday party last night, however Keirah has been under the weather with a nose dripping like a faucet and watery eyes and such. It was quite evident that she wasn't feeling well. She has rubbed her nose/face raw with the tissues. We also had plans of going to lunch with some friends today, but I stayed home with Keirah while Josh and Aliyah went to church.

We did manage to wash our cars--inside and out. WOW--they were AWFUL!! They look and smell and feel so much better!

Oh, yes...we went to the local health food store to pick up some of the "magic" cold drops for kids that they sell since we ran out. They had this all natural soda in glass bottles called "Boylan's". It is natural-colored, caffeine free, and made with real cane sugar. My choice was Black Cherry and WOW--I'm a fan now. It is simply--awesome!! The bottles that it comes in are cute too. We will be purchasing more the next time we go that way.

Have a great week!

Drip Drop

With our 47 degree high for the day, there is A LOT of melting going on! I went outside after work WITHOUT a coat or gloves and proceeded to take down some lights and other decorations that are not frozen into the ground. Slowly but surely, we are getting them put away.

It's been a busy week of work, school, cleaning, doing taxes, catching up, but a good week too. Keirah has finished school for the year, and Aliyah continues. She will be done in early March--hooray! We are doing adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, Roman numerals, measures, and so much more!

Well, there are still several things to do before I sleep so I had better get going!

It's Warmer

It's climbing a little day by day. I think we reached 35 today--hooray! So, what did I do after work in light of the warmer weather?

Well, the girls played around in the snow while I used snow to clean the garage floor. I discovered a couple of years ago that snow works like cat litter in cleaning up all of the yuck that accumulates on the floor from the salt, cinders, and dirt. It worked like a charm today as well. Now, I have dirty snow.
I took down a few more outdoor decs. The ones that are in the ground will be there a bit longer until some more thawing occurs. Josh is going to take the decs that are on the porch drying to the basement for storage after he gets off work.
I relished in the fact that the days are once again getting longer =).

Since winter seems to be a perfect time to clean and organize and do it all again and again, I'm going to do some of that tonight. For the life of me, I cannot figure out how these dust bunnies take on a life of their own and you find them rolling about on the floor. What goes?? I vacuum/dust at least once a week and most of the time 2 or 3 times. Yet, the fuzz flies. Don't even get me started on what my rag looked like when I cleaned the blinds a few days ago. I did it twice to make sure that I got it all!

I'm looking forward to the next few "warming" days so we can get our cars washed and vacuumed--they are disgustingly salty and dirty from all of the recent weather.

Have a great evening!

Movin' on Up!

WOW--I can't believe what a difference a few degrees make! The snow is slowly beginning to wane and the residential streets are beginning to look like streets again. You don't lose your breath when you go outside now. I think we reached about 29 today =).
We had a wonderful day just the four of us. We ate a nice lunch, purchased roman shades for the remaining room that needed it (they've already made a huge difference), used Aliyah's gift certifiicates for the bookstore, and did a few things around the house.
Finally, Josh was able to begin taking down the outdoor decs. They are sitting on the porch on old towels so that they can dry off before going to the basement for storage. The rest of the week looks promising to get most of them down as we are set to make it to 40 on Thursday--hallelujah!
Aliyah had fun using her gift certificates for being a well versed kid. She got 4 Odyssey CD's, 2 books, and a pencil. All of them are already in use!
I get excited about weird things ok...so we had to run a few errands this evening and I wanted to get a white mocha at Starbucks with our Christmas gift card. We received one of the surveys on the receipt which in turn gets you a free drink at SB!! YAY!! That's like extending my gift card!
Anyway, have a great week all!! I look forward to thawing out and things clearing off a bit. There are many icicles around town as we drive around.

Warming??

Well, it's a start anyway. I think it's around 20 degrees. At this point, we'll take any degree we can get in the positive direction. I'm ready to leave the negative temps behind!

We had a pretty quiet weekend--just the girls and myself! Last night we all watched "Santa Buddies" while all snuggled up together. I must confess...I watched my first Christmas movie weeks after the Christmas season--oops! One of our goals this week is to begin taking down the outdoor Christmas decs. Maybe with the temps moving the right way it will happen.

I think my brain is frozen because there isn't a whole lot else to say besides "bring on spring"!

January: Reflections

Typically, January is my least favorite month and this year has not become an exception due to the VERY COLD weather we continue to experience. Usually, I try to drudge my way through merely counting down the days until the brighter months of spring.

Today as I was organizing yet another closet, I began to reflect. Maybe January is really supposed to be like this.
The month that follows the celebration of the glorious birth of Jesus does not always feel like any postlude to a celebration. However, maybe God has different ideas.
After a dizzying, frenzied pace of the past months that culminate with several Holidays one right after another, January is where it stops. We are forced inside more often during these cold months and thus most likely spend more time playing games with family, talking, reading, and just being together. January brings togetherness with family.
Busyness and crazy schedules leave us exhausted. January offers opportunity for sleep...there are not any plants to tend to, yards to mow, or many places one needs to go. I'm trying to think of it more as a time to recharge those very low batteries.
In the months leading up to Christmas, thoughts race a million different directions with sadly little time for reflection. January offers plenty of time to reflect and think and put into action.
For us, January has offered some time to catch up. There is opportunity to get those nagging little things done at home (like organzing closets) or cleaning & laundry.
So, while it has not turned into my favorite month, I am trying to enjoy January for what I think it is intended for...rest, peace, reflection, and rejuvenation.

New Year, New Look

I realized that my Christmas blog decoration was still up. I found something I liked and I'm happy with it. Don't expect it to change anytime soon. I do wish the weather would change, though and the mercury would rise. It's far too cold for my comfort and liking.

We are back in the saddle again in the way of school and work and routine. I keep telling myself that just a couple of months and the warmth will return and we will finish the school year =).

Just in case you were wondering, we got the house in order and the laundry completed and the closets and drawers organized that were on my radar. We do have Christmas thank-you's to write, though...hopefully tonight.

What to do in January when it is cold and dark early:
Well, if it gets warmer (it won't take much with what we are seeing), we will go sledding again. I may get better at making cards--yes actually do it. Cuddle with the girls and Josh (if he's home).
Clean my hall closet yet again--towels somehow get really stuffed in that closet. Figure taxes.
Read. Wait for warmth!

Goodbye Holidays

So sad to see it all over! I have been absent from my blog because we've been off doing things like celebrating, visiting family, visiting with friends, sledding, shopping, braving the negative temps and just enjoying being with each other. It's hard to see it end especially since January and frigid temps are what we have in the future.

It has been nice to spend extra time with Josh and the girls and do fun things. I took the girls sledding the other day. They loved it! Keirah got cold quickly so to the car we went. I promised Aliyah that we would take daddy back that night for a twilight sleddding trip at the big hill. Sure enough, when daddy got off work, we went out to the large hill under the light of a full moon and giggled and screamed! We were the only crazy ones there at night. That's probably because it was NYE and it was cold. There was a certain magical quality about standing at the top of that big hill covered in crusted snow with the bright full moon shining down as we overlooked a golf course and the city lights. Really, it was so silent and gorgeous. We took only a couple of trips down the hill since it was soooo cold.
We had a nice weekend getaway up to none other than the burbs of Chi-town. We stayed overnight at Hyatt Place. The room was very inexpensive and very large. They had a wonderful complimentary breakfast as well. The girls were thrilled to go swimming. They are part fish. The location of the hotel was absolutely perfect for us as it looked right at PF Changs =). We did some deal-finding and had fun! Josh and I spent some Christmas $$ and YES it is stretching far. I went to Ann Taylor Loft and they had another wonderful sale going on: 4 shirts at $2.93 each, a skirt for $2.93, pants for $11.88 (I know I splurged on those--lol). Anyway, how do you pass up those prices??? Josh got some great deals at Ruehl also.
After we got home yesterday, we began the massive post-holiday clean up. I don't know how things get so dirty and disorganized. We organized closets and drawers and took down Christmas decs. The outside decs will be up for a bit as we aren't about to brave the negative temps to take those down yet. They are probably frozen in the ground anyway.
Well, I must run and do a load of laundry and finish up the cleaning. School and work begin again tomorrow. Goodbye holidays!