Holidays 2013

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas with friends and family!

For us, this Christmas was the best yet.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  The month of December started with me accepting a promotion at my job.  It's a BIG promotion with a lot more responsibility and some traveling involved.  Hubby and I discussed it and decided it was the best thing for our family - the initial increase in workload and time away from the family (only a few times per year) will be worth it in the long run.  I start my new responsibilities next week.

The kids' Pre-K class did a Christmas musical this year and it was a big production.  They practiced for weeks.  I can already tell that I'm going to be one of those mom's who gets teary eyed over everything.  I just can't help it.  As soon as I saw them walk in, my eyes got all watery.  I'm just so proud of them.

My parents came up from North Carolina on Christmas Eve and stayed with us through Friday (12/27).  It was just so great having them here and really made it feel like Christmas.  I have such fond memories of my mom's parents coming for 2 weeks over Christmas and it makes me so happy to create those memories for my kids.

We all went to my SIL house for Christmas Eve - our yearly tradition.  We had fun catching up with everyone and the twins had a blast playing with their cousins.  We got home around 10:30 and started playing Santa.  Luckily, I was organized this year and already had the twins' gifts wrapped and there was nothing to put together so we got off easy.

The kids truly understood the whole Santa concept this year and it just made it SO much fun.  Their excitement was so contagious.  I just love Christmas.

Christmas morning, the kids woke up around 7:00 am.  I tried an overnight crock pot breakfast casserole recipe that I found on Pinterest so we came downstairs to wonderful smells and no pressure to cook breakfast right away.  The kids opened their presents while the adults sat back and enjoyed coffee.

Oh, and cocktails.

Christmas afternoon, we went over to my BIL's mother's house to spend time with my sister and her family. They drove up from Nashville on the 23rd and were busy visiting with my BIL's side of the family.  By the end of dinner, I think we were all feeling the effects of the day and we came home around 8:30.

I coordinated a happy hour on the 26th so local friends could visit with my sister and that was a great time. My sister and BIL stayed the night with me that night so it gave us some extra time to catch up.

I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for us!

It's All About Family

On this Thanksgiving Eve, I know many of us are pondering the year and thinking of things we are thankful for.

When I think back over the year, there are many things that come to mind.  It was a pretty crappy year.

My husband lost his job.  Twice.
We needed expensive and unexpected car repairs.  Three times.
My entire family moved out of state, leaving me "alone" for the first time.  Ever.
My job has been unrewarding and there were many mornings where I hated to get out of bed.

And, as I type this list of crappy things that happened, I'm also reminded that some pretty good things happened too.

My husband found a job.  Twice.
Our cars are still running and for the time being, we have avoided taking on new car payments.
I've adjusted to my family moving away and surprisingly, I talk to my mom more now than when she lived close by.
While I'm still stuck in a dead-end job, at least I have a job.  Right?

Of course I'm thankful for my children.  They are my true purpose in life.  If we could afford it, I would love nothing more than to be home with them.  Thinking ahead, I'm hoping to have some flexibility with my work hours so I can be home after school when they start kindergarten.

There is not a day that goes by that I don't thank the Lord for my babies.  It's so funny how perspective changes. Before kids, I was very career-driven.   I wanted to take on more and didn't care what I had to do.
Now, my job doesn't seem to matter.  Don't get me wrong.  I still work hard and I'm dedicated to what I do. But, I'm not willing to travel or relocate like I used to be.  I just want the day to end so I can see my babies and snuggle with them on the couch.

Oh, those snuggles.  They never get old, do they?   No matter how stressed I feel, it all goes away as soon as I feel their body relax into mine.  I still rest my head on theirs and take in their smell just like when they were babies.

That's not weird, right?

So, let's talk about Thanksgiving dinner.  In the first time EVER, we didn't have plans.  I was happy and sad.  Maybe it would be fun to have a small dinner with just my little family?  But, Thanksgiving is about family and I was a little bummed that we wouldn't be seeing anyone.

My sister-in-law is now hosting and to put this in perspective, I'll just call her Hoity and my brother-in-law Toity.  They are very odd.  They live in a million dollar house but they act like they are poor.  Until they want to buy Pottery Barn furniture.  She hosted last year and I think it's pretty standard that people bring different dishes to share.  Last year, I brought mashed potatoes and a broccoli side dish.

Now, my SIL is very nice but she's not always the brightest bulb in the pack.  As I was preparing my dishes, it occurred to me that she might not think to make gravy.  And, how horrible would that be to have to eat mashed potatoes without gravy?!

So, me being the planner, I rolled up in there with my mashed potatoes and gravy packets in my purse.  Just in case.

This year, I again offered to bring a dish or two.  I again got mashed potatoes and this time, green bean casserole.  She told me her mom was bringing dessert and that my MIL was bringing the meat.

Um, what?

Isn't it standard that the host typically makes the main course?  Who the hell asks a guest to bring MEAT?

Oh!  It gets better!  My MIL came over last weekend to visit the kids and said she needed to leave by 3:00 so she could make it to the Honey Baked Ham store.

OK, stupid question.  Do they sell...... turkey?  Because the last time I checked, T-U-R-K-E-Y was the meat of choice for Thanksgiving.

I asked her about it and she said she was planning to buy a turkey breast.  Doesn't that feed like, 3 people?

So, now I'm gonna to have to roll up in there with mashed potatoes, gravy packets and turkey legs in my purse!

But hey - at least we'll be with family.

Bye Bye Blog?

I, like many of the bloggers I follow, have had a difficult time finding the time and energy to keep up with my blog. 

I've given it some thought and I keep asking one question:   Are blogs a thing of the past?

I originally started this blog back in 2008.  It was an outlet to help me grieve the loss of a pregnancy and I found great friends and comfort over the years.  As the kids have grown, the blog has moved away from me and is now more about the kids and what they are doing. 

It's not that I have less downtime than I did before.  If anything, I probably have more.  The kids are able to play by themselves now, requiring less supervision.  In the evenings when I do sit down to relax, I find myself grabbing my iPhone.  Not my laptop.

I use my phone WAY more than I ever thought I would.  I do almost everything with it, including reading other people's blogs.  (I miss you guys when you haven't written in awhile).

If I want to browse Pinterest, I do it on my phone.
Email?   Phone.
Facebook?   Phone.
Instagram?  Phone.

But, when it comes to writing a blog post, my phone isn't very convenient.  And, OMG.   What a pain to wait an extra 30 seconds while my laptop boots up, right?

I think we all go for the "quick fix" these days.  It's so much easier to write a quick blurb on Facebook or to post a picture on Instagram.  You're done in less than a minute and still able to effectively communicate with friends and family.

I'm wondering if this is happening with some of you too? 

This blog will always have a special place in my heart.  I still go back and read some of my older posts and I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye quite yet. 

So, in the meantime, I'll continue to keep my little piece of the blogosphere.

Fall, 2013

The twins' birthday always kicks off fall for us.   We've had some wacky weather here but I think it's finally taking a turn for colder temperatures now.  The leaves are turning and falling to the ground.

Making for PERFECT piles.

The last 2 years, we went to my sister's neighborhood for Halloween.  Since they moved, we got to see our neighborhood this year.  The kids had a Halloween parade and Trunk or Treat event that afternoon at school.  When I picked them up, they were already ahead of the game with 2 bags full of candy.

We ate pizza for dinner and they were so anxious to get their costumes back on.

It's always that fine line of waiting for people to finish dinner and getting out so we have enough time to get home for bedtime.  We started out about 6:45 pm and within 5 minutes, it started sprinkling and then turned into a very light rain.

No stopping us!  I grabbed an umbrella and off we went!   It's just water, right?   I had to leave my good camera at home so I only got a few photos with my phone.

We also received the kids' school pictures this week.  Such a difference over the last few years.  We've gone from dreading them because the kids would never smile to dreading them because we can't decide on which ones to buy!

The did 3 poses of each child individually and then 3 poses of them together.  
LOVE the larger black and white photo and the one of them hugging each other.  They look so grown up, don't they?

For the first time in FOREVER, we don't have plans for Thanksgiving.  I'm so conflicted about it.  Part of me is happy that we'll get to spend the day together as just our small little family.  And then the other part of me is sad because it's supposed to be a day to spend with family, meaning everyone.  Creating new memories, I guess.

And, before we know it,  Christmas will be here!  We received a catalog from Target last week that was all about toys.  I caught the kids looking through it and their sheer innocence and excitement was so contagious.  It brought back such great memories from my own childhood. 

I can't wait for the fun to begin!

Happy Ectopiversary

I'm fairly certain Hallmark doesn't make a card for Ectopiversaries.  

Roses are red
Violets are blue
You almost had a baby
But, we fooled you!

October 29, 2007 is the day I had the surgery to remove the baby that was growing in my left fallopian tube.  It had a heartbeat and aside from it's poor sense of direction, it was a healthy baby. 

I'm not proud of where I went after that "event".   I blogged about it so if you are so inclined, just take a gander through oh, almost all of 2008 and you'll get a pretty good sense of where I was. 

The words ANGRY and BITTER pretty much sum it up. 

But, as they say, things happen for a reason, right?

That event also gave me a kick in the ass and once I was lifted out of that dark hole, I was more determined than ever to have a child. 

Or, children.   LOL!   What can I say?   I'm an overachiever. 

October 29th will always be a reminder of the sacrifice to be where we are today.  So very thankful. 

The Evil that Lurks in the Shadows

Last year, my husband and I got hooked on the TV series, "The Walking Dead".  If you haven't seen it, it's a show about zombies.  This season, it has taken a new twist and there is now a hemorrhagic plaque circulating around the survivor's compound.

Like some evil being, it lurks in the shadows and no one knows when or who it will choose as its next victim.
I've begun to think of cancer as this evil.  We all go about our lives not knowing that cancer is lurking in the shadows.  Will it choose me?  You?  Your son or daughter?   Your best friend?

Over the last year, I've learned of several young children (ages 2-10) who have been struck by this horrible disease.  They all live within 10 minutes of my house and I learned about all of them through the miracle of social media.

I've often asked myself, "Are there more cases of childhood cancer now or am I just hearing about it more because of social media's prevalence in our everyday lives"?

After learning about every single one of the children, I have followed their stories.  Some are still battling that dark evil and some, sadly, have lost.

And, with every story, the heaviness of sorrow and fear weighs on my heart.

Last month, I attended a fundraiser for a little boy who has battled 3 different cancers in his short 10 years of life. He is now partially paralyzed but he's alive.  At the event, the mother of a remarkable young girl got up and spoke to the crowd.  Her 10-year old daughter was scheduled to speak and the mother apologized that Gabby recently had a treatment and was exhausted after attending a Girl Scouts' retreat the day before.

I learned yesterday that Gabriella passed away Saturday night. I never met her and for all intents and purposes, her life had no link to mine.  Yet, I can't stop thinking about her.

Now that I have 2 children of my own, the thought of that evil choosing one of them scares me to pieces.  I can't imagine being a parent and watching your child have to endure the horrors of chemo, radiation and endless drugs.  And, then watching your child take his/her last breaths on this earth.

Part of me wishes that I never learned about those children and their stories.  Part of me would rather live in a world of oblivion where nothing bad happens to children.

And, the other part of me is glad that I got to "know" them.  Without their stories, there would be no research, no awareness, no purpose for their lives.

Life is so precious.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted. Things have been crazy busy.

The twins turned 4 years old on October 4th and we had their Carnival Party on the 5th. My parents drove up from North Carolina and my sister and her family drove all the way from Nashville to help us celebrate! We had a full  house Saturday night and it was so great to have all of us together again.

The party turned out fabulous but it was A LOT of work. I took their birthday off from work to do party prep and was literally non-stop from 7:00 am until 10:00 pm.

(when I start to post about their birthday party next year, y'all remind me how much work it is!  Deal?)

At 3:00 pm, I took a break and took some treats to the kids' classroom (cookies, pretzels and juice). I think I could have only done that and the kids would have been happy. Christopher thanked me at least 5 times for coming.

Friday evening, the kids opened their presents from us and they made out like bandits. Chris is currently into anything super hero (Iron Man, Spider Man, Batman).  He also wanted some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stuff.  Kendall's favorite show right now is Little Einsteins and wouldn't you know?  It's out of production and they no longer make new toys.  After some searching on Amazon, I found a set that was decently priced and not considered a "Collector's Item".  She also received some Bubble Guppies and Team Umizoomi stuff.

Are they spoiled?  YES! 
These kids are a true blessing and I just have to spoil my babies on their special day!  :)

I tried to make their party as carnival-like as possible, considering we were really just in our front yard. LOL!  Thankfully it didn't rain but it was unseasonably warm and turned out to be a 90 degree day! Everyone accepted the invitation and we had almost 40 people attend.  Quite a crowd!

For food, I made cupcakes that looked like popcorn, funnel cakes, cookies that looked like corn dogs, popcorn, soft pretzels, cotton candy, peanuts, hot dogs, chili and sausage & peppers. Oh, and we had a nacho bar too. Phew!

For games, we played ring toss, corn hole, basketball, beanbag toss (knock the cans over) and I found a really cool Duck Arcade game where you shoot the ducks and bells ring and music plays. We also had face painting, a Photo Booth (which was the hit of the party, by the way), a "Kissing" booth, a "Fortune teller" (Magic 8 ball and Fortune cookies) and Spin Art. Do you guys remember doing Spin Art on the boardwalk at the beach?  Sooooo much fun!

I had planned to make these really cute goldfish soap favors but after just one, I quickly realized that 1) I didn't buy enough supplies to make 12 of those suckers and 2) it was WAY too time consuming.  So, I made one and bailed on the idea.  But, it is cute!

On the big day, I was so busy that I completely forgot to take pictures. Duh!

Here's a few taken by some of our guests.  You can get a little bit of an idea of the decorations.  We had 6 tables set up across the parking lot.  The games were set up to the right and you can sort of see the food table all the way in the back.

The next morning, we woke up and I suddenly remembered that we completely forgot to give the kids their BIG birthday present.  I couldn't believe we forgot!  Pop Pop and Daddy sneaked down to the basement to put them together and then we surprised the kids.

It was an exhausting weekend but I know the kids' will have such fond memories and that's all that matters!