Silliness

Things that made me smile this past week :-)

Just Dance 4. 

I'll admit, I might have bought this more for me than the kids...and I might have a slight addiction to it.  I've also discovered that 1)  none of us have moves like Jagger and 2) we're all just a little overly competitive when it comes to this game.  So much so, my husband pinned my arms at my side when I played, so I wouldn't beat my daughter who was crying that she never wins!

Here's a few pics of Anna and Noah competing playing:

    Dancing to "One Direction: singing, "You don't know you're beautiful", over and over and over....

Notes on doors.

This is what I found on Nick and Anna's bedroom doors this week- Anna's door (lol, at least she is giving me fair warning!)  I actually think she is a good artist.  Doesn't this kind of look like Bratz girl meets Madusa?

Anna cracks me up with her spelling-  "not hare to day", and "knock plese", and "grils only, no boys plese".

Nick's door.  Don't forget to "knok" first!

No sign of notes on Noah's door yet, but I'm sure he will soon follow.


Sledding.

We have a nice hill in our backyard, and the kids have been getting in lots of sledding this year.   They take buckets of water to ice down the hill to make it extra slick.

Buzz hair cuts.

Love the new "old-fashioned" barbershop we found called, "Blue Sky".  Both boys got buzz hair cuts, and love them.  I'd show you more pics but my hubby thinks they look like they are wearing lipstick because their lips were chapped, he he...so no frontal shots this time.


Cousin Love.

We went to the Japanese Steakhouse for my nephew's birthday.  It just so happens to be my kids favorite place to eat.

My fashionista- ready for the pa-tay!

The cousins-  waiting for the "show" to begin!

Troy and Noah- buds.

My girl likes to collect all the umbrellas from the drinks and wear them in her hair.  C'mon, you've never done that??  Me either.  Just kidding.  Ahem.

Happy Birthday Cousin Grant!

Happy "almost" end of January....

A favor, please?  Please read the latest from "No Greater Joy Mom" blog, listed on my sidebar.  They just brought two children home from Bulgaria, who so need our prayers.  Their daughter, Haysa, is 15 years old, and weighs only 26 lbs.  No folks, that is not a typo.  It is absolutely heartbreaking.  Please read their blog and keep them in your prayers.  Thanks- Kim

New beginnings....

I can't believe it is January already.  Heck, I can't believe it is 2013.  Why is it the older you get, the faster the time flies?  Every year I sit back in amazement that my kids are another year older already.  Seriously, it just seems like yesterday they were babies, and now?  They are 9, 8 and 6 years old (but only until May- ack!).

Speaking of time flying by, did anyone else feel like the Christmas holiday was over in like a nano second?  I must admit, I felt deflated this year, and just had a hard time getting the Christmas spirit.   First, I just could not stop thinking about the parents of the Sandy Hook victims.  I could only imagine what this Christmas must have been like for those families, and it just made me feel so sad, and a bit guilty.  I was one of those people who had to watch every video of the parents who were interviewed.  It was like I could not look away.  I felt their grief, and it just broke my heart.  My Noah is a first grader.  I kept putting myself in their shoes...

Second, the news that Russia was shutting down adoptions was like a double punch.  Look at these sweet faces of my kids in these photo's.  What would their lives have been like had they not been able to be adopted?  Statistics indicate a life of prostitution, crime and suicide.  To use these children in a political tug-of-war is unconscionable. There is no domestic plan in Russia to help them.  In addition to the adoptions themselves, most of the orphanage improvements came at the expense of American dollars.   My understanding is that they may allow adoptions to continue through 2013, and then cut them off, with maybe the exception of special needs children.  Did you know that the special needs children will end up in mental institutions?  We are looking to see what we can do to help, and we hope you will too.  Please pray.  They are all our children, regardless of where they live.  "Whatsoever you do for the least of my brothers, that you do unto me".. 

Here are some photo's from this Christmas.

Christmas Eve, 2012:

Christmas with the Grandma's:

Christmas morning:

My older brother, Mike, has been a "Big Brother" to Troy for many years.   Troy stayed with our family over the Christmas season and is now living with my brother, Scott, and his wife, Amy.  We love this little guy to pieces!

New Cousins:

I've spent the past four months working on making the inside of our house feel like home to us.  Mostly just paint, curtains and finding places for our stuff.  Here are some before and after pictures of our new house.  You'll have to excuse the flash, it was a cloudy, grey day in Ohio when I took the "after" pics.

Living Room, before:

Living Room, after:  We painted the room a different color, and I had my window treatments from the last house cut down to fit these windows.

Dining Room, before:

Dining Room, after:  We brought our chandelier from the last house, painted the room a beige color and again, had our window treatments from our last house cut down to size.

Kitchen/Family Room before:

And after:  We painted the room a brighter color, added a gas range, and refinished the hardwood floors.

Here, we took out the ceiling fan, and replaced with this chandelier.

We added some windows over the bookcases in the family room to add in more light, painted the room a brighter color, and added window treatments.

Master bedroom and bath, before:

And, after:  we just painted and added window treatments to the bedroom and bathroom.

I'll post pics of the kids bedrooms next time.  Current project, we are working on the basement-  adding a bedroom and egress is our next step.  

I went back to work in December (to fund all our home projects, ha!), doing some contract work at a big law firm downtown.  It's been years since I've practiced law, but it has been a good transition back to work.  I work from home two days a week, and on the other three days, I am home in time to get the kids off the bus.  I'm very grateful for this arrangement.  It allows me to take Anna to gymnastics and her tutor, Nick to piano and basketball, and both boys to Scouts.  Speaking of Scouts, here is Zeke with the boys before the big pinewood derby race yesterday.  Unfortunately, no one got a trophy.  I know that Daddy  the boys were very disappointed :)

That's enough catch-up for one day.  Will try to post more often!  Hope you all has a blessed Christmas, and wishing you a peaceful 2013.  

Cliff notes version....

Yes, I know I haven't blogged for months.  This has been a crazy, busy summer and honestly, I have just been too tired and busy to blog!  Here's a cliff note's version, though, to catch up.

Lets see, this summer we moved ourselves back to Ohio from PA in four separate U-Haul trips.  One of those trips the trailer detached from the truck and went flying down an exit ramp.  Thankfully no one was hurt, and it's kind of funny now, but at the time, not.  We moved into my parents house (which is empty since they live in FL), while we looked for our new home.

We traveled this summer.  We went to Cancun, and to visit my parents in Florida.  I did post pics from Cancun, but nothing from Florida.  Why, you ask?  Because the hard drive on my Mac crashed.  It can't be fixed, I had to buy a new computer, and ... um, I never saved anything to an external hard-drive.  I lost every picture I stored since Nicholas was 4 years old, I lost hundreds of songs on I-tunes, etc.  I am just sick about it.  If you're like me and keep thinking some day you'll get around to backing up all the important stuff on your computer- make that day today!  I did have these couple photo's of Florida left on my camera disc that I hadn't deleted.

In case you can't tell, the kids aren't happy in this photo.  It was hot, the sun was in their eyes, and they wanted to get to the beach!

Lunch at R.C. Otters- an annual tradition:

The kids started school the week before Labor Day at St. Paul.   This year, they are in 4th grade, 2nd grade and 1st grade.  I was worried about how they would do moving to a new school again, but they absolutely love it.  There's something to be learned from children in their agility to new circumstances and making friends.  I used to be the same way.  Change didn't bother me so much.  Now, even when the change is for the better, and it's something good, it throws me for a loop.  I guess I'm just getting old, LOL.  Side note- I love that the kids wear uniforms to school, but Anna wants to know why the kids who go to "republic" schools get to wear whatever they want?  LOL.

Now that the school year has begun, so has the many activities they are all involved in.  Nick is doing Scouts, soccer and piano lessons this Fall.  Anna is doing gymnastics and Girl Scouts, and Noah is doing flag football and Scouts.

We bought a house and closed on it last week.  We really wanted something that we didn't have to renovate this time and could basically just move in.  We looked all summer.  Every time we found a house we liked, it went into contract before we could put an offer in.  We finally found a house in the area we liked.  It needs a little cosmetic work (painting, new carpet, and re-finishing some of the floors), but otherwise, it's got the space we need and a neighborhood full of kids.  Here is a pic of the outside:

Once the painting and floors are done this week, I'll post some more pictures.  We moved the garage, basement and yard items over the Labor Day weekend, and our furniture goes next Wednesday.  Moving is never really fun, especially when you do it on your own, but moving twice in three months?  Not fun.   We'll miss living out here in the country next to my brother and his wife, but...we won't miss the 40 minute commute to the kids school twice a day we are currently driving.  

Hope you all had a great summer.  I'll try to do a better job of keeping up with blogging!

Cancun

Three words- hot, hot, hot.  Although, it has been just as hot here in Ohio lately- 100 degrees the next couple days.  Crazy weather this summer, right?

We spent last week in Cancun, or Playa Del Carmen, to be exact.  My hubby's Dad and his wife own a time share at the Mayan Luxe, so we had a very nice place to stay and just relax.  Zeke's sister and her boyfriend and daughter joined us as well.

The beach:

The pool:

Cabana's for napping:

Swim up pool bar:

We went into town a couple times.

Here is a pic of Anna getting her hair braided:

Noah holding a "squirrel" monkey:

Nick getting a fake tattoo:

Zeke's sister, Pam and her boyfriend Pat:

Noah and Papa walking through town:

But mostly, the kids just loved hanging out at the resort.  There was so much to do.

Nick won a bingo contest (he was playing against a group of ladies), so he won a free drink from the pool bar, lol.  He chose a virgin strawberry daiquiri.  He thought he was the bomb!

Thanks Bill and Cici for a great week!