Our Anniversary

Today is our anniversary. We've been married for 6 wonderful years. There have been lots of ups and downs but it's all been worth it. I wouldn't change it for the world.

I wish we could celebrate today together but since that is not possible, you will be in my thoughts as always!

I love you so much!

First snowfall of the season

Today, we had the first bit of snow of the season. It wasn't much, just barely a dusting but it seemed fitting that it was on the first day of December. Kind of like Mother Nature's way of saying Thanksgiving is over, time to get ready for Christmas.

Even though I am not a big fan of snow and the cold, it kind of helped me get a little bit more into the holiday spirit. I usually love christmas time and getting ready for the holiday, but this year, I'm just not really into it. I think it's because Mark is in Florida and we're here. The stress of that situation is taking it's toll on my mood.

The christmas tree is up, I've started my shopping, and the christmas cards are almost ready to be sent out but I'm just not excited for it all. I still have things to get done and I need to get motivated to do it. It's just no fun without Mark.

I'm trying to keep in mind that it's for the kids and that I need to make it fun for them, but it isn't easy when you just don't "feel" it.

Today, with the cold and the snow, it helped to make things feel more like the christmas season. I'm still not quite ready for christmas, but I'm sure as the time gets closer, I'll get more excited for it. One day at a time.

The Perfect Christmas Card....

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to start getting ready for Christmas. First thing on my list was to get a picture of the kids so I could get my Christmas cards ordered from Shutterfly. I thought it would also be a great idea to include the dogs in our picture since they are a big part of the family.

All the boys got ready in their new sweaters, we brushed the dogs so they looked nice, and we got the living room "picture ready." Unfortunately by the time everything was ready, Sebastian was in tantrum mode. We tried making him happy by blowing bubbles and giving him candy (yes, I will bribe my children when I am desperate!) but nothing was working. When we did manage to get a smile out of him, the dogs would not cooperate.

I took a few pictures and decided to give up. It wasn't going to happen today.  I was not going to get the perfect picture for my perfect christmas card.

I downloaded the pictures to my computer to take a look at what we ended up with. I couldn't help but smile. Even though I couldn't get everybody to sit still or look at the camera at the same moment the pictures were "perfect"! I looked at them and thought "This is my life....chaotic and crazy, no one listening at the same moment, and definitely not all neat and pretty." I decided to use what I had to design my christmas card! And I got my perfect christmas card after all!

Begging in the Streets.

Today we headed out to get a couple of errands done because I didn't want to have to worry about going out on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

First stop was the copy store to make some copies of the flier I made up for my open house. As we pulled into the parking lot, I glanced over to my right to see a woman bundled up in a hoodie sweatshirt holding a cardboard sign the read "Hungry...3 kids at home."

This isn't the first time I've seen people standing on the street corner looking for help, but it seems I'm seeing it more often. This really saddens me. I just read the headlines today that stated 45 million people are struggling to feed their families! How, in a country that has so much waste, are families going hungry? This just shouldn't be.

I don't know what the best way is to fix such a big problem but I know we must all do our part. When somebody is down and needs help, even if you have very little to offer, do something.

Today, I didn't have much to offer. I had no cash to give but I did have a $10 Kroger gift card in my purse that was given to me. Even though finances are tight for us, I just couldn't turn the other way. As we were leaving the copy center, I gave this woman my gift card. It isn't much but at least she'll be able to get some food for her family.

I am thankful for the people and things I have in my life. I am also thankful for being able to share with others, even if only in a limited capacity.

Boo-boo bellies

We were not fortunate enough to avoid getting a stomach bug this year. It started last week with Sebastian. He woke up Tuesday night vomiting. By Wednesday morning he seemed to be doing better but ended up vomiting again later in the evening. I hoped that would be it for him but once again he woke up in the middle of the night vomiting. When Thursday rolled around he seemed to be feeling better and by Thursday night he was back to his old self.

I knew when Sebastian got sick, more than likely, this bug would make it's way through the house. I kept my fingers crossed that no one would get sick on Saturday. Mark was flying in from Florida to spend Thanksgiving week with us and I had to pick him up at the airport. I didn't want to have to worry about getting him with pukey kids along for the ride!

Luckily no one got sick again until Sunday! We had gone to the store to pick up a few things. Mark took the kids to the toy department while I went and picked up what we needed. I couldn't find everything I wanted and decided we would head over to Target. When I met up with Mark and the kids in the toy department, I told them my plan. But Eric told me he had a belly ache. He looked a bit pale and I decided it wouldn't be a good idea to do anymore shopping. I told Mark to take the kids out to the car while I paid for what I had gotten, just in case Eric got sick. Fortunately there was no vomiting in the store or car!

When we got home, Eric stayed in bed the rest of the day. He kept complaining his stomach hurt. Finally, the inevitable happened! Fortunately Eric only vomited that one time. After that he was able to get some sleep and by Monday he was feeling better.....but I wasn't!

Monday I spent the day in bed sick! I'm so glad Mark was home to take care of the kids and do the Thanksgiving grocery shopping! I luckily didn't vomit but I came close a couple times! My boo-boo bellies was affecting the other end!

And here we are, Tuesday afternoon. I'm feeling better but wondering who's next? Hopefully everyone else can avoid it. I would hate it if one of the other kids or Mark got sick over Thanksgiving. It is one of the most anticipated meals of the year and if they couldn't eat, I know they would be disappointed! I also hope Mark doesn't get sick when he has to fly back to Florida. I'm sure that would not be pleasant.

I really hope we're done with this. It hasn't been an enjoyable week and I'd really like to relax and enjoy spending time with my husband (sans vomit) before he heads back to Florida!

Friday Funnies.....

Say Cheese(y)!!!!!

A Shutterfly Holiday!

I remember when I was a kid we would get all kinds of holiday cards in the mail. It seems, as I've gotten older, fewer and fewer  people send out holiday cards. This is kind of disappointing to me. I love getting and sending out holiday cards. I find it more personal than an email holiday greeting and I think getting cards in the mail is a nice reminder that somebody is thinking of me and my family!

I will, of course, continue to send out holiday cards. Since we don't live in the same area as our family, I like to send out photo cards. That way family members and friends get updated pictures of the kids every year! Last year I ordered cards from Shutterfly.com and absolutely loved the cards. I've already started looking at the different styles of cards Shutterfly has to offer for the holidays this year! I'm having such a hard time choosing the one I like best! There are tons of styles to choose from and the quality of the cards is fantastic! It's great that the cards can be personalized, which saves me a bunch of time during this busy time of year.

Another great thing about Shutterfly is I can do a little gift shopping on the site. Last year, I ordered a photo book for my in-laws. It was easy and fun to make and the price was right!

This year I think the calendars might make a nice gift for my parents and in-laws. It will also be a great family project. I'll let the kids choose which photos they'd like to include for their grand-parents.

I can't wait to design my cards and gifts for this year. I hope others will be inspired by everything Shutterfly has to offer and send out holiday cards this year as well. I'll be watching for them in the mail.