2009 Blog Year In Review- Fun Exercise!

Take the first entry for each month. (If you like, you can skip over memes and fluff to get to a real entry about what's going on, but don't just cherry-pick the coolest ones. Unless you want to.

Post the first line or two from that entry.

January:
Back to Life: My darling husband is leaving me for work tommorrow. He made it to work during the "Artic Blast" almost every day, but last week the company was shut down, but he was required to work on Friday, which he did from home.

February:
Feels like Spring To Me! According to the official national groundhog: Punxsutawney Phil, we are in for another 6 weeks of winter. Today did not feel like winter- it was a beautiful, sunny, warmish day.


March:
Tired: Sums up my life. I took a little break from blogging-- all I can say is tired is the one constant thing right now.


April:
Boys at Play & Ice Skating for Tots: With our tax refund we indulged and put the kids in a few classes thru the Parks and Recreation.


May:
Life is but a Scream- really. I have so much on my mind. Life is really crazy.


June:
Packing is a Funny Thing: Against my druthers, Jeremy is heading out to the wilderness with the two big kids for two nights of wilderness fun.


July:
Quiet: I haven't posted in a while-- well a while for me. Life has been busy. Good Busy. Sad Busy. Emotionally Busy.

August:
Quick Update: So, Little Miss Kathryn came down with *ANOTHER* UTI this past weekend


September:
Happy Birthday Angel Girl: Can you believe this beautiful little girl is my baby?


October:
School Lunch: I think she gets a lunch tomorrow for sure from all the thought process she used to make us that nifty chart.


November:
The Pumpkin Part: Really- is all the extra hub-bub really needed when you get smiles like this?


December:
He is still a miracle I look at this sweet boy I am so honored to care for and raise and I am still amazed at the miracle he is.

Best Friends Forever

I wonder about connections. In my 30's, I have memories well over 25 years old. I have friendships that have been around that long too. Some began in the time frame of very uncertain, painful, geeky, funny, carefree, learning years of teenagedom.

April was one of these friends I made a deep connection with almost immediately. I wanted to be with her all of the time. She was funny, witty, complimentary, very funny, thoughtful, intelligent. Our friendship lasted years, we took a break, met back up, took another break, and now we are back together again. Hopefully this time for a long time.

There is comfort in a friend who remembers me from these awkward years and to hear her memory a much more positive one that my own. I am not sure why we connected so strongly, but every time we have been apart, we are able to pick right back up where we belong.

April is strong. She knows how special she is. She is currently going thru very hard times and the make-up of her family is changing. This is very hard on her, but she is holding her head high and proceeding forward. Her two beautiful daughters have her example that will guide them and let them know that they are loved.

I love you April- we are friends forever.

Christmas Morning Moments

I have everything I want and need. I have a amzing friends I got to "see" in letters and cards. I have my loving family-extended and immediate. I have my healthy children. I have so much. I love you guys more than I can ever express.

I Love Leila and how she completely adopted her new doll and now they are twins, except Leila did put her in time out once for falling on/hitting Kathryn. They are like sisters, except Leila has a bit of authority over her. She was also quite proud of actually sitting on Santa's lap this year(Her first year).


I love Nathan. He was so excited with his gifts, except he still had to ask when the "Devastator" was going to get here. It was so innocent- it was on his list after all. When was he getting it?


Kathryn got a baby doll. When I asked Kathryn what her baby's name was she patted her head. So we call her Patti. :o) She kisses her and loves her- how cute. And don't forget the zhou zhou that both Kathryn and Alli Cat chase.


I love my husband. We both gave each other gifts of needs, or wishful needs since life wouldn't stop if we didn't get them. I love that we are both OK with that right now.


We spent Christmas Eve with a little Christmas Program for just our family that included a viewing of Mr. Kruegers Christmas. We had our usual Beef Stew and enjoyed our time together. Christmas Day was spent with the Frederick's. We had a blast and a cookie exchange. Can you say No to Weigh-In on Monday? Boxing Day will be spent with the Conser's at our home to enjoy more family togetherness.


I have so much. I am overwhelmed with the love in my life.

Collections

A few Christmases ago I was unpacking all of my decorations and reflected on the fun times I had collecting these items. My Santa Collection was one I started in HS and a fun one to track down. My Snowman Collection was also a fun and joyous. I realized I had very few items about the true meaning of Christmas- this year I was excited to see my little collection grow- all of which were given to me by my dear friends.

Merry Christmas Baby Jesus!

Priorities

I hope my previous post didn't alarm too many of you. I used to write a lot more personal posts like this before, but for lack of time among other things I have turned my blog into more of an update blog and less of an outlet blog(for which I felt was very helpful to me personally)-- I have been trying, in vain, to work with someone and I guess on some level trying to prove to her that I was capable of being her friend- trying to prove those she had wronged that on some level she was OK because I could still put up with her. Why I thought I was anyone special I do not know- certain people just can't be helped.

A weight has been lifted. My shoulders feel light and I feel good about the limits I have set. Life is good.

My family is my priority. My beautiful children. My sweet Husband. My friends(and I use that term with all the sacredness in the world) are priceless. My Father in Heaven, my Brother Jesus Christ, my Faith- I am blessed with that knowledge and am so grateful I have this support. I have so much. I am grateful to reflect on all that I have.

Merry Christmas Eve! May the love in your life surround you and lift you.

Let it go

I find it odd many people who say they can't stand someone who judges are usually the most judgemental.

I find it funny those who start out a sentence with: I am a very caring person... really have no idea what it means to be caring.

You know the person who is just a train wreck waiting to happen? Someone who can cut so deep and hot that it literally shakes you to the core. This person isn't worth it. This person isn't even a friend. No matter how hard you try. No matter how much you invest, or how much you refrain from your own judgements, no matter how many times you are the bigger person, it wouldn't make a difference. This person is not a friend. This person is incapable of being a friend. This person doesn't have a clue.

Time to let it go. Let go of dead weight.

O' Christmas Tree...

Baby's first Christmas- magical.

Peek-A-Boo

I can't get over how much this sweet little baby brings to my life.

She is only 10 months old and I feel like she has brought more happiness to my life than I could have ever asked for or imagined.

Her personality is sweet, determined, excited, fascinated, and fun, fun, fun.

She has her eyes on the big kids like a hawk and tries to join in on their play and simply be near them as much as she can.

Now that she is learning the word "No" she is trying her ways of coping by getting us to smile next and will scrunch up her face and sniffle.

Curiosity is definitely a journey she is on, and I have to say I am enjoying it. I love watching her look at things, figure them out, loose interest only to have it captivate her again.

She is still a Mama's girl- I have left her a few times this past month and the reunion is always very sweet.

Here she is playing peek-a-boo on her 10 month birthday:

He is still a miracle

I look at this sweet boy I am so honored to care for and raise and I am still amazed at the miracle he is.

My little man is 5 years old today!
I look at his hands, his curls, and his sweet little smile and I am in awe. I feel his sweet tender spirit and his sharing attitude and I am warmed. He has potential that goes above and beyond what I can imagine for him. His world is completely open to him. What a sweet opportunity I have to go with him on his journey.

I love you little man- more than I can ever express.

We had quite the weekend- Friday night we went to the Beaverton City Park for the lighting of the tree. Saturday Nathan had his birthday party. We do family parties on the odd years, friend parties on the even. This was a family party- so we invited all the cousin and his very best buddy and it was as big as his friend party last year! Sunday we played, opened more presents, had cake after Nathan's choice of Taco's for dinner. All in all, I think it was a good weekend.

Hey Baby, its cold outside