Image taken from the web.
Why is it when a huge winter storm is on the way people rush to the store to buy eggs, milk and bread? Because we all eat french toast apparently.

Another storm is on the way. This one is supposed to be ugly with a lot of ice. I am stocked up on groceries and cleaning products. The last I heard the brunt of this one is supposed to be a bit further north than where we are. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it stays that way. I'd really like for the kids to have a full week of school. At the rate they are going, they will be staying all the way into October!

I am ancy about spring. Maybe it's the retail world and seeing the new colors, shorts and bathing suits....across from the winter coats. lol.

Brrrr.

Nothing like getting into your car after work and seeing that it is 5 degrees outside.

I am so confused as to what day of the week it is too. The kids have had the past two days off of school due to snow. We got eight inches of it yesterday. - This is also during the same week that they had Monday off due to the holiday. A two day school week is not too shabby!

Megan went over to a friend's house today to go sledding. I actually had to drop her off at the end of the driveway because the house is on a hill and there is no way anything but a 4WD could make it up the slippery driveway. The boys and I stayed inside all day and watched shows on the Food Network and Travel Channel. We like to watch food shows together. Trevor always gets inspired by whatever we watch. I think the boy is going to grow up to be a good cook like his daddy. :)

Feeling nostalgic.

Image above taken from the web.

Well.....my scrapping and writing has slowed down quite a bit over the past year. It's not that I don't enjoy it anymore, and really I don't consider myself to be a good writer at all....in fact I know that my sentence structure or punctuation is not going to pass any English class rules....and I have even been known to start a sentence with BUT (which I realize is not proper, and I do always pause before using it.....but.....I write on my blog like I would speak, casually.) I have to remember this is for me.

It's more just to jot things down as I think about them. My picture taking even slows down this time of year. Not sure why, other than maybe like some others have suggested it is that December is such a photo full month. Not to mention that it is usually cold out in January. lol.

So, back to the writing. I feel like so much has happened over the past year and I've let it slip by. I found a place for some daily journaling prompts. Some I like, some I don't. Some just don't pertain to me at all. Some I stop and think, "Wow. I really do want to remember some of that stuff but don't really think I want to devote an entire scrapbook page to it."

So, this is something that I hope to continue through this new year. When I don't have much else going on to blog about, I may just write down a few things that come to my mind from the list of prompts.

One I chose from this past week was:

Think of the place that you consider to be home, even if you don't live there anymore. Why is that place "home"? What events/people make it home?

This answer may change, in fact as time goes by here, I hope that this will be a different answer. As of now, the place that I still consider "home" is Arizona. Even though I was born in Florida, spent some time in Southern California as a child, and currently live in Kentucky.

I did the most of my growing up in Phoenix, Arizona. My family is still there, I went to school there, met Mike there, got married there, had children there. I lived there for a few decades and had been around to see so many changes.

The cotton and corn fields that I used to ride my horse through are now six lanes of paved road that run through one of the busiest areas of Chandler. I have seen street names change from Indian names to the more politically correct versions, seen local stores come and go, can recognize the smell of a monsoon storm or never take for granted the bit of cool air and the amazing smell of the orange groves in the spring. I understand the good fortune of finding a parking space under a small palo verde tree even if it only gives the illusion of a cooler temperature and often times is a farther walk than finding a close parking spot near the door of a store. - Or driving with pot holders. Or that brief moment when you have been frozen to death in a restaurant with great air conditioning in August and you sit inside your 150 degree car before your a/c starts....and it actually feels GOOD.
*
Just the sound of cicadas can make it instantly feel 10 degrees hotter. Burning the bottoms of your feet on the sand at Big Surf. Riding a bike miles to the store. (The hills here aren't conducive to casual bike riding!)
*

Never understanding the idea of a 'snow day.' Being able to play outside in 60 degree weather with new toys on Christmas day. A quick getaway to San Diego. Saguaro cactus, in ground pools and real Mexican food.
*
The energy of downtown Phoenix during a game, the history of Mill Avenue, the sound of small aircraft and being a part of that sound and seeing the area from the air. A city big enough for U2 to visit many times, multiple Targets and movie theaters, Peter Piper Pizza and anything ending in -ertos. Like Filabertos!
*

I love my new home in Kentucky, and as we plant roots here I know that things will change. I can list a thousand things I already love about here. Ironically I did always want to live in Kentucky when I was a horse loving girl. I think it is strange that someday my kids without a second thought will consider this 'home' as they live and learn more about the area, go to school here and grow up here. It is hard for me to shake that in my heart....Arizona is still "home."

Snow day number two

above: Trevor heading up the hill.

Another snow day! This time at least the school made the announcement the night before. For some reason our district is always the last in the county to announce if the school is going to be closed.

At least this time instead of getting the call in the early morning, the school had made the calls the night before. We took advantage of that and stayed up kind of late, and slept in today. Mike made breakfast, then shoveled the driveway again. He did this yesterday, but even by yesterday afternoon you couldn't tell that he had spent all that time out there clearing it. It snowed all day and night.

After digging ourselves out, we went to the hill.

above: Trevor after doing quite an awesome flip sort of dismount. Luckily no broken bones.
above: Matthew, who really was having a great time but looking at this photo...he looks somewhat scared.
above: Megan, who wins for sliding the farthest.

above: The van. I still am in love with the van. It did kill me to have snowy, wet feet in it. I have to remind myself that it is only water and nothing a trip to the car wash with a high power hose won't clean out of floor mats. I do have my rubber winter mats in the front for now. But isn't it pretty in the snow? :)
above: there's a car under there. Somewhere.

As nice as having two days off midweek has been...I am sure the kids will be going to school tomorrow. The snowplows have been busy and you can hear them everywhere. The roads where we live have been clear all day. The rural roads getting cleared are the ones that dictate whether or not there will be school tomorrow.....so we'll see!

Mike made the best rueben sandwiches and greek salad for dinner tonight and we'll all sit down to watch Modern Family in a bit. We were all pretty productive in finishing up a bit more laundry and completely going through all of the bedrooms upstairs. Clean feels so good!

Not much going on....little details of today.

Snow day. :)

This is one of the best ones. I am off from work until Friday, Mike is still home, the kids are all home, we are stocked up on things to eat, movies to watch and no place we really need to be. These are the best!

Laundry is getting done, house is clean. :)

I just went outside to take some trash out (really I just wanted to stand in the snow and watch it come down.) and the street looks so pretty right now. Those who have been here know that is a rare thing....lol....but the snow has covered everything including the street and everything is untouched. For once I can say that it really looks beautiful.

Right now I am baking some cream cheese filled cinnamon breadsticks that are making the house smell wonderful.

By the looks of the weather....tomorrow will be another day off from school.

A collective sigh......

Dang. Who is happy that the holidays are over? ME ME ME!

They were nice. There were nice surprises, nice memories and all that, but it was a whirlwind. Somebody I work with said exactly what I felt. That we had been putting out Christmas decorations in September at work (I actually had missed the overnight of putting up Christmas trees and all of the holiday decoration displays since I was still recovering from surgery at the time, so I remember exactly when those went up....then came back to work with Christmas trees all over.)
*
However....we had been looking and dealing with Christmas for so many months, and trying to get through the season with the whole retail madness.....that by the time it was all over......it felt like we missed it. I mean really....Valentine's Day stuff is already out so that whole Christmas thing was a blur.

Ours was nice though. Mike ended up being home for it, which for a week or so we didn't think was going to happen. He is doing a contract job ferrying a new airplane overseas in his off month from his regular job when he is supposed to be off and home for a month.
*

We were bummed about the possibility of him missing Christmas, but a financial boost was hard to say no to.
8

Long story....and this IS the internet.....but he was home for the holidays! Nice. :)

I am putting together a Daily December book to remember all of the details from the last month.
8
So.....
8

Thank you to the above mentioned job, we have a new car. All mine. A 2004 Mazda MPV. This came about with a trip to Indianapolis to take a look at one that was found with everything that I could have asked for. The best is....it is clean. Oh, so clean! It looks brand spanking new inside and out. It was privately owned, so we got an amazing deal on it. I enjoyed the road trip back to Kentucky in it the other night.
*
2011. I am happy to see it and hope everybody has a happy and healthy one! It is already looking up here. :)

snow messages and low batteries.

This was a message I found in the snow when I opened the blinds to the back deck the other morning. :)

*

Mike called me from New York this morning. I had my cell phone laying on the bed after I talked to him. I went about some morning stuff, took a shower and sat on the bed for a minute. I hear my phone make a noise. I look at it and the screen is telling me "battery low." I laughed for a second and said, "I know the feeling." My battery is low too. Working this season has been a little rough. I keep thinking that it will be over soon, and that I am grateful it's only a temporary thing. Seriously, staying open until midnight.....and people STILL come to the door 10 minutes after you have locked the doors.

*

Only a few more days until Christmas. I think I am done with shopping, but have really dropped the ball on getting things out in the mail. I really have not had time. I know this sounds awful and like an excuse, but I work, I come home and sleep, I try to do important errands in the few hours in between getting the kids to school and returning to work again. My good intentions of picking out Christmas cards at the beginning of December fell through. They still need attention. I hope to get to those later today while I am sitting on the couch with Mike and catching up on some missed TV. (I haven't even watched the reunion show from Survivor this past week! I KNOW! ME! I live for Survivor.)

*

Christmas spirit.

*

OK, I forgot to mention that last night as I was working on the register that I am grateful for a job at a place that I am allowed to say "Merry Christmas" to people. It's a small thing really. I remember the first times I had somebody say it to me here I always stumbled on what to say in return. I think over the past several years (and maybe some of it is geography, and it was more confusing on the West coast compared to here) I never knew how to react to a simple gesture from somebody wishing me a Merry Christmas. I never thought of it as somebody pushing religious beliefs on me, but rather a nice wish for a special season. And Season's Greetings never gave me that warm fuzzy feeling as much as something I grew up used to....Merry Christmas.

*

Also, I can't say that it is necessarily in the spirit of Christmas because really Kentucky people are a certain type of people. They like to talk. They like to be polite (for the most part) and like to be helpful and courteous to others. It's definitely something I have noticed since being here and having spent so much of my life in Phoenix. There is a different vibe here. I can tell you only TWO stories of somebody being an all out jerk to me. But when I have been stuck for one reason or another, there are always people willing to go above and beyond.

*

He won't see this....but I am thankful for Tim. I went to take some papers to the kids' school that Trevor forgot to take with him earlier. Returning to my car, it wouldn't start. Ugh. Battery issue. Ironically after posting about my phone battery this morning too. I think a theme for the day is to recharge ALL batteries around here. Phone, car, body and mind.

*

Anyway....after calling Mike in a frantic freak out while he is sitting in a terminal at JFK, (sorry Mike. lol) I go back into the school office. The secretary calls somebody she knows, and a man with a huge work truck comes to the school. He's a local guy that everybody except me must know. He is like the Walton go to guy. He pops out with a toolbox and looks at the car. Fixes a loose cable on my battery and the car starts. Christmas miracle. He was so nice. He only drove out to help me after the secretary had called. Thank you Tim!
*

While this was going on, Megan made a new friend. We overheard a mom and her daughter in the office at the school. This girl just moved here from the district we used to live in. She went to the same middle school Megan did, and heard that she was in the 7th grade. This girl looked just like Megan did this time last year when we moved down here....nervously waiting in the lobby of the school and trying to peek into the hallways. We broke the ice by saying that she'll like the principal at this school much better than her old one. The girl seemed a bit more relieved that somebody was talking to her.

*

When we were leaving the parking lot the girl and her mom got into their car and the girl waved at Megan. They waved at each other and when the mom accidentally set off the alarm on her car both girls laughed and waved again. Megan said she'd look for her when they go back to school so she'll feel comfortable knowing somebody right away. That's one thing I love about Megan....she is compassionate. Such a good girl. (With a really messy room right now. hint hint....)

******

I think I need to go visit my friend June at the Richwood Mcdonalds and get a soda to kick start this day off.

I know tonight is one of those nights where I will finally feel like I can breathe. Everybody will be under one roof and things are beginning to level out. :) and yes....get those cards in the mail!!!

Snow day!! - and dorky the snow dog.

Well we knew it was coming. It was so strange after yesterday being a nice day with sun and bright blue sky to think that the next day would be so....not. It doesn't bum me out though because I really like the changes in weather as often as it happens here. - and I still kind of like the snow.
*

Everybody was talking about this big storm coming. It was supposed to get ugly. Lots of snow and ice. 100% chance. There was no getting around it or 'hoping'...it was going to happen. Of course the stores were crazy. Even work last night.....I guess people trying to finish up Christmas shopping early if we get stuck for a few days before Christmas and people couldn't get out easily.
*
I ended up at the register more than my department last night simply because it was so busy. Everybody would plop down their purchases saying the same thing, "Almost done....shopping before the storm gets here....etc." On top of toys, housewares and stuff....there's always the people who find themselves without winter gear. Like me...who has come home almost every night from work with gloves, hats, earmuffs, snow pants.....etc. Every day is like Christmas coming home from work lately. lol.
*
Teachers at the schools yesterday were already talking as if there wasn't school the next day. The bus driver even said to Matthew, "See you on Friday!"
*
Of course they couldn't make it easy and announce it last night before bed, making it a frenzy of the kids putting jammies on inside out, flushing ice down the toilet and sleeping with spoons under their pillows. Then the phone rang at 5:00 this morning. Even when you expect it, being woken up by a ringing phone from sleep scares you. I picked it up and heard that school was closed. Then went back to bed, got all warm.....and the phone rang again. Telling me school was closed again. Ugh.
*
I have to go in for a few hours today so I went out to shovel the driveway. Plus if we are expecting more snow tonight, at least I will have gotten 5 inches of the stuff ahead of the game. This is Piper's favorite thing.
*
As much as I threaten to send her away to my parent's house in Phoenix this time of year (more because of us having to wait while she sniffs and plays when she is let out in the morning) I think this dog looks forward to this time of year. She sits in Megan's room and stares out the window when it snows. She just sits there still and watches it.
*
She goes nuts when somebody has the shovel. That is when it is time for serious play. She'll hear that door open and she bolts out the door and plows her face through new snow and leaps like a deer.

She will stand near you, crouch or circle you while you shovel. She'll even bite at the snow you are trying to scoop up. She LOVES when you fling a shovel full on her.

snow day...continued.

Just in case you thought this was animal abuse....she is definitely asking for more. ;)


I loooove this picture.

again...again...again....

Finally I threw a snowball at the bush and she spent a long time looking for it. That is about the only way to get rid of her for enough time to actually do productive shoveling.

Snow day.....day 13

The kids had a snow day today. The first one of the season. We'll see how many we end up with since this is supposedly going to be a very cold and snowy winter.

We have done gingerbread houses every year, but I have gotten smart and started buying them early and hiding them until we had a day off from school. They are a good snow day craft. In the past I have bought one big house that all three work on, but this year I was excited to find a kit that had five small houses in it. Each one got to pick out a house and have one of their own. It works out perfect because they each have their own style. Matthew is very meticulous about his house. Trevor.....not so much. His kind of looks like somebody shot at it with a paintball gun by the time he was done with it. The way the red frosting came out of the bag and on to the roof I thought looked like he was trying to build Chilis.

Megan went with very simple decor this year and glued the sides and roof together, frosted the top and lined chocolate chips along the roof.

The boys both went out and played for a long time today. There is a small hill at the end of the road where they spent most of the afternoon with a couple of friends. Luckily friends who have extra sleds. (I think they are getting sleds for Christmas this year since I keep seeing them at Kroger and make a mental note that we need a couple.)

No snow day planned for tomorrow....and after two whole days off I go into work for a few hours.

I'm not doing such a good job with my Daily December project like I had hoped. I do have stories to write down, but in a way that is the point of my blog too. A place to keep these stories. I'll have to go back and put it all together sometime after Christmas.

So....

Lots of snow today. I had the day off (on a weekend day!) which is totally strange right now. I am not complaining one bit.....and believe it or not I have tomorrow off too. Thankfully....because tonight while we were watching the finale of The Amazing Race the kids were anxiously watching the crawl at the bottom of the screen waiting to see the name of their school. Sure enough....school is closed for tomorrow. So our big plans are to sleep in a bit, do some work around the house and then decorate some small gingerbread houses that I bought earlier to work on. It's perfect for a day where we will be stuck inside.

We have milk, bread, chocolate and driveway heat.

Today the boys went to the park with a friend and went sledding. Just in time too as I had brought home some new hard core waterproof gloves for all the kids from work the night before.

I still love watching snow. I stood outside in my coat and watched it fall for a little bit. It's so quiet. I never get tired of that weird quiet. It's so pretty.

Day 8...Christmas mail and turtles!

There seems to be a theme... since yesterday had photos with turtles too. Turtles are pretty much the thing around here having a boy who has been obsessed with them for as long as I can remember. I've always like them too. Also.... I LOVE boxes. I love containers of all kinds. I love to put boxes inside of boxes. I can't get enough of them. Add my love for boxes with a love for turtles and you get the ultimate: Turtle box.

This is a great time of year to check the mail. It's not always junk mail or bills, and you instantly recognize a handwritten address on a different shaped envelope from the rest in your box. Christmas cards. I love them. They are always fun to get and they get taped on the backside of our front door every year for display.

Christmas packages are the best! I remember the excitement when I was a kid and knowing that my grandma had sent a huge cardboard box FULL of wrapped presents that we'd be allowed to open on Christmas Eve. But they were the presents that were allowed to sit under the tree until Christmas. They were the ones that you were allowed to sit near the tree for weeks - and shake, and guess what was in them. The suspense killed me each year.

I just got back from the store and noticed a small box on my porch. The item inside was not wrapped....so in my opinion that means I don't have to wait until Christmas right? I opened it and did a girlie high pitch squeal! Such cuteness contained in a little box!

That is a little bit of leftover snow on the deck off the back of the house in the background...(and a very dry hand that needs some lotion!)
My mom and dad recently went to Hawaii (twice this year...once for a first time there vacation, the next to celebrate Thanksgiving the Hawaiian way.) This was one of the little treasures that they found over there. I know my mom and how she includes little notes or something. There has never been a gift or anything that didn't include some sort of 'thing' or dollar bill or something in a pocket. I opened it and saw two little bags of sand from Hawaii. Which is so cool, and goes with my 'sand, dirt and rock' collection from other areas around the world.

Blue sky today and remnants of snow left on the ground. Work tonight....and surprisingly not getting tired of the Christmas music that the store plays. Survivor tonight, snuggling on the couch with the kids.....and a day off tomorrow to start some Christmas shopping. Including A TREE.

Day 7.

Not really Christmassy....but definitely a sign of the season. When it is cold outside, and the sun is out, we like to sit by the glass door and feel the warmth. It's a good time to get the tortoises out too. They had a little bathtub soak and then some time in the sun. Kind of a spa day for torts.
I think Jet must know without a doubt that she belongs to Trevor. She loves him as much as a tortoise can show affection I suppose. When he is in the room she finds him and burrows into him. I guess he is warm. She stays for a long time. Koopa comes and goes. He has places to go and potato sacks to climb.

There is still some snow on the ground, and I took the kids to school during flurries this morning, but the sun is out. A nice break from the gray skies for the past couple of days. It's still pretty to see things covered in snow.

I swear the turtles did this on their own. I was laughing at how long they stayed there looking at the pillow. I imagine they sound something like this:

"What does that say?"
"I don't know I can't read."


Cute little Jet monster enjoying the sun.

I have actually kept up with my daily December, but not so much in photos each day. I have done some writing that will go into my little album of the month. Just so you don't think I'm a slacker. ;)

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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
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.
*
That's about it from here. Not much of an update, and I hope to get back to a normal blogging routine again soon.
*
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.

Party of five.

We have a magnet on our refrigerator that has all these different faces on it, and you are supposed to move a small black frame onto how you are feeling for that day. I forget about it most of the time, or leave it in between emotions. But last night I officially moved it to HAPPY.
^
I had gotten a quick IM from Mike yesterday that he was shutting down his computer and would call me when he got to New York in the morning. He flew all night from Lagos to NY. I went to bed and felt good knowing he'd be home the next day.
*
This morning we got up and the kids went to school. I heard from Mike early that he had a long story but was able to make it on the flight and would be home. I watched flightaware and tracked his flight from NY to DC, then on to Cincinnati.
&
I left for the airport and waited for about 20 minutes before the screens said that his flight had landed! I was so excited!! I waited at the top of the escalator waiting for everybody to make their way up from the gates. It's funny because the way you look down, all you can see is feet for several steps before you see the whole person come out. I noticed that I always recognize Mike's feet and his gait how he walks. Sure enough... I spotted his feet. :) That is 20 years of marriage.
k
That escalator ride up from the bottom floor to the waiting area is painfully long when you are waiting for somebody! I stood there trying not to jump out of my shoes, like a little girl! Finally he made it up, stepped to the side and I got a kiss. Then we went over to wait for his luggage.
*
He's home.
*
The kids were so excited to see him after they got out from school. I know he was so tired from the time difference and traveling for so many hours. After awhile we ended up taking a quick nap on the couch while we waited for Matthew to come home. Matthew never comes in the house quietly after a day of school. Usually he opens the door and says something to make sure everybody knows he's home. - I heard him come through the door, loud as usual, and woke up. It startled me at first to realize that I had my head on Mike's lap. The first few days are always so strange. It always feels like a dream.
*
So of course we're getting used to the time difference again....which means he stays up as late as he possibly can. Tonight he made it to 9:00, 2:00 a.m. in Africa. Even going into our room it still feels strange to see him asleep on the bed.
*
I'm glad this year he gets to be home during the fall. He missed it the past two years. It is such a pretty season around here. I can't wait for him to see some of it. The last things we had done together were enjoying the motorcycle rides during the summer and then my surgery. It finally feels like life is normal.
*
I'm posting a couple of layouts from the two birthdays this month. The one of Matthew has a white background, which always posts weird. I'll be working on another one of his birthday with his presents and his big shopping trip that he has been patiently waiting to take with Mike to the Lego store tomorrow.

Happy birthday Matthew!!!

I LOVE this boy!!

He had eight candles on his cake....but he wanted one more wish. Hey, that is ok with me. Can you have enough wishes on your birthday?

I think Matthew had a good day today. He was so excited to wake up and have presents on the table. Before school he got: a lego set, several Star Wars figures (I saved R2 for his cake as a surprise.) a cool camo dog tag necklace and some Star Wars jammies.

*

I took cookies and birthday plates into his school....which he had picked out the day before at the store. He came home with a bunch of cookies and told me that he hadn't eaten one. I asked him why not and he said, "My teacher said that they had peanuts in them."

"Um, no...why would I send you to school with birthday treats for your class and you not be able to have one? Let alone, why would I buy anything with peanuts??"

*

Apparently they were a little freaked out that the label said that these may have been baked on equipment that had come in contact with peanuts. Ugh, a label that is on EVERYTHING. I am glad they were cautious with his allergy, but really??? Would I send in cookies that he wouldn't be able to eat on his birthday? Oh well....

*

*

Today may be the official birthday, but we'll be celebrating tomorrow. TOMORROW Mike comes home, and we'll go out to dinner. - and we'll make sure he gets an extra piece of cake to make up for the missing cookie.

*

And thus concludes the birthday season......lol.

These little feet....

are going to be EIGHT years old tomorrow.

The weird thing is, I remember when Trevor turned eight here in Kentucky. It really doesn't seem like we've been here that long. - Matthew just cannot be turning eight. Sorry Matthew, but you are still the baby and forever in my mind as four or five years old. I just can't get used to eight.

*

I went out today and got some things for tomorrow. He wanted a chocolate cake, so I got all of the makings for it. Plus birthday paper plates for his classroom tomorrow to share cookies with his classmates, PLUS a few surprises. A lego set, some star wars guys and a dog tag necklace. (He's very into military stuff and was wanting one a long time ago, but i was never able to find one.) Today I stumbled upon one and knew that it was meant to be. I think he'll be surprised.

*

ALSO!
*

Mike comes home on Friday!!!!! I can't contain my excitement! I am giddy! The best part is that he'll be home in the afternoon, so I will be able to pick him up from the airport before the kids get home so we can enjoy a lunch together. Then we'll have a family dinner to celebrate all of the October birthdays.

*

He's going to be surprised by the weather here. He's been in Africa and has told me about how hot it has been. It is so beautiful here with the fall. I'm glad this year he gets to be home while the leaves are actually falling and we can drive around and look at the pretty trees.

*

Also, my mom is coming back out for a visit! I am looking forward to having some time without post surgery stuff. Honestly....I was on so many medications that I don't remember a heck of a lot from her last trip here.

*

It's Survivor night. :)

TRAVEL SAFE!! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YOU AT THE AIRPORT!! I LOVE YOU!!!