Daily....day 4

Snow! Real snow. The accumulating kind. The kind that makes it's own type of snow emergency.... not the type you can't be on the roads in.....but the type that causes a huge indoor frenzy trying to find all of the stuff that you packed away since last year so you can get out and play in it. Part of the stuff is in the basement, part in closets, and part because I was able to plan better this year and get some things on clearance over the summer just waiting for a day like today. Only I didn't find it fast enough. So out the boys run without scarves or gloves.

Last night was the BIG Walton Christmas parade on Main. I was grumpy at work before needing to take Megan to meet up with her friends at one of the churches so they could line up for the parade. It was cold yesterday, and honestly after working all day I didn't want to be out in the cold, but instead sitting on my couch with a Friday night snack and watching The Soup. I was hoping they would move the Christmas parade to a Halloween/Christmas parade next year. Doing outdoor things at night when it is cold still frightens me a little.

Megan was in a group of people from her school walking dogs for the animal shelter. So Megan walked Piper in the parade.

Trevor opted for staying home while Matthew and I were dropping Megan off. Because of the main street being closed, we had to park somewhat farther away and walk to the meeting point. It ended up not being bad temperature wise because all of the businesses on Main had fire pits outside where you could stand near them and warm up. Also, many businesses had free food and hot chocolate. It really was a neat thing to go to, and maybe next year we'll be better prepared. It's always funny when you start to know people where you live too. I know many from the kids' schools, from work, and people that I recognize as frequent shoppers from work. It made this seem like a big block party.

Matthew and I walked back towards the car but stopped in many places along the way to have a bowl of chili and cornbread, or soup, smores that the fire department was making (they had quite the bonfire going with several of the guys roasting marshmallows for fast smore making.) Hot chocolate, cider.... lots of stuff. There were a lot of horses, and a lot of things decorated with Christmas lights. It actually was pretty festive. Next year we'll stay longer.

Megan had a good time walking in the parade. Actually by the time Matthew and I had wound our way through all of the food and fire pits, we met Megan at the end of the route. It worked out perfectly. She went home with a couple of friends and ended up spending the night.

(I'll add those photos soon. For day 2 and 3.) Or do them all in one catch up post.

One more photo of T. Matthew had run off to play with Lego men in the snow at this point.

daily december....day 1.

I'm going to give it a try. Nothing like going from one extreme of feeling like you have nothing to blog about....to a project of taking at least one photo a day during the month of December. BUT it is the 1st of the month and I'm pretty proud that I remembered to start it on time this year.
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Things have been going along as usual. Work, Mike has left and is back in Africa for the time being. He will be home before Christmas. The kids are good and doing well, happy and content in school. Health is good and I have to be reminded about the whole surgery thing not long ago. That has to be a good sign right? Feeling better than ever. Also trying to make my way through my first year of retail at Christmastime.
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Matthew stayed home with me today after a horrible night of asthma. So far being here, when one of the boys has an attack it doesn't seem to linger as long as it used to when we lived in Phoenix. It used to always mark the beginning of a long, sick week. He needed the extra sleep that he got this morning, and he's doing much better now.
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So today I took him out for lunch, and to go for a drive to see some SNOW. It has been snowing all day. Only about 1/2 inch has stuck, but I love driving through it when the roads are still in good shape. Photos never show how much it is snowing though, which is a bummer. We were excited to watch big, huge flakes hitting the windshield.

My favorite: Richwood Road. This road never gets boring.

We had to stop to see these two. They must not be used to people stopping as much as the horses we used to visit all the time in Triple Crown. These two came cantering up to us.

Matthew getting out to say hello.

I'll be leaving to pick up Trevor in a few, and then back to the school to pick Megan up. She is staying after for a cooking club that she is in at school. She was so excited when the papers came home for it. They get to use the kitchen classroom in the high school. I am looking forward to hearing about what they made today.

Matthew's glasses

He looks so cute I want to smush him.

Not long ago Matthew was complaining about reading and how it seemed like he was reading the same line over and over. It was time for an eye exam anyway. Long story short.....he needed glasses.

We picked up his new glasses today, and he was so excited! Apparently now it is cool to have glasses....so he'll be cool tomorrow with his new look. He was not only excited about getting to wear them, but was so worried that he wouldn't get a case to keep them in at night so he can take care of them. He piped up and asked the lady at the store if he could please have a box to put them in. He picked out a cool blue Sketchers case to put his cool dark blue glasses in. He seems very particular about taking care of them so far.

I just think he looks adorable. More photos soon!

Still here....

I'm still here. I haven't been the best blogger for a long time. It's not that I have lost interest....but life has been crazy, and busy, and different, and I'm tired. I'm probably in a bit of a funk when it comes to taking pictures too. I don't always have to be going somewhere to want to take them, but let's face it....right now we are BORING. Even the everyday stuff that I love so much. Life is going by fast lately, and as much as that should be a reminder for taking more photos, I haven't been.
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I have loved having Mike home for the past month. We've been catching up on things we've wanted to get done around the house, spending time together and as a family, and having company. Both my mom and Mike's parents have been out for a visit.
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Our birthday season is over for another year. October is always a blur with all of our birthdays. Halloween....etc. I was at work for Halloween this year and Mike and my mom took the kids out. Well, Megan and Trevor....and some of Megan's friends. Matthew opted for trick or treating with a neighbor friend of his.
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I wasn't into Halloween much this year. I never got out any decorations. I'm usually much more excited about it. I'm not really into where we are living at the moment, and I'm sure that had something to do with it. It doesn't feel like home, and knowing that we will be moving out of it makes it that much harder to try to turn it into one. Plus again....just tired. Matthew did bring up a haunted house and a big bendy tree that I have (which was my mom and Mike's favorite since they kept getting snagged on the branches of the tree as they walked by the table that Matthew had last left it on. It kind of made me laugh as each time they would grumble how much they hated that tree.) The only reason those got brought up from the basement is that Matthew wanted to use them to play with his Lego guys.
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We did carve some small pumpkins. I don't know....for me Halloween lost some of it's magic this year. It's just been a very stressful year and I'm sure we will be back to normal next year.
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It has been getting cold already, and last week we had a chance of flurries. I think I am ready for snow. I still get a bit giddy when the first snow happens. Snowflakes are cool.
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That's about it from here. Not much of an update, and I hope to get back to a normal blogging routine again soon.
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Photo above taken at Steak and Shake. For as long as we have been here and eaten there (thanks to kids eat free on weekends!) Matthew finishes his meal and goes to sit at the counter to watch the guys making hamburgers. It keeps him entertained for a long time.

Below: layout with some random photos taken over the summer.