The Last Two (Ahem....) Months

Crazy that it's been nearly two months since I've posted.  I mean, aside from our fabulous (why no, I have no shame!) Christmas card I posted a couple of weeks ago.  Oh, and a little more on that.....we had this great opportunity to get custom family pictures for a SCREAMIN' deal through my husband's auntie. 

And we got to keep the images.

And they turned out great.

What more could this cheap momma ask for??!?!?

Anyhow......I was talking to my mom a few weeks ago about this poor neglected blog of mine.  I feel so bad that it's been pretty much put out to pasture.  Because I like my blog.  I do.  But I like my pictures better than my writing (and I am NOT saying I have photography figured out--not by a long shot!), so I feel I always need to include pictures in my posts.  However, by the time I get the photos edited and sorted and ready for posting, I have no energy-much less time!!!-to get it all done.  And let's face it, the blog requires that I think.  And at the end of a L-O-N-G day, I don't want to think.  I just want to veg out and watch my mindless TV shows and call it a day.  Ya' know?  That and then the only time I have for this blog is after both the kiddos are in bed, and that is usually when my hard working husband is getting home and I'd rather spend those few precious minutes with him before we head for bed to get some sleep before it all starts over again.  

And I am not complaining.......I'm really not.  I guess what I am saying is that my priorities have shifted.  I used to blog during Peanut's nap time.  And I don't have that anymore......plus I have two littles that occupy my time, along with all my other home-fires-burning-responsibilities.  Plus, we are home now, so family occupies my free time too.  How blessed am I???

I would love to say I am going to consistently post three times a week, but I know I won't.  Hopefully it will be better than every eight weeks, but who knows?  I definitely will be around and I'm not throwing in the towel, but for now, please know that if I am not here consistently, that I am enjoying life! 

Now that my sparseness in posting has been addressed (for the final time!), here are a few of the highlights from the last few months. 

The Sunday before Thanksgiving I finally, finally got over myself (my fear of getting up in front of more than 5 five people) and I got baptized at our church's Thanksgiving service.

It was nerve wracking and wonderful.  

At the beginning of December, we got to attend Peanut's preschool Christmas program.  It was precious. 

I couldn't stop crying. Are we surprised? 

I think it was my favorite part of the Christmas season. 

Oh, and case in point about getting photos ready to post and then never getting them posted:

Peanut got QUITE the kick out of her little brother and herself having froggy jammies.  So I snapped this at bedtime when I realized he was about to retire his pair. 

We had a great Christmas celebrating with lots of family.  It was fabulous.

Peanut received a pink Princess guitar from my aunt and then proceeded to entertain us for as long as we let her on Christmas Eve.  Thinks she's Maria Von Trapp, she does.  If only we didn't have to wait until she is five for CYT. 

Finally, our little guy is growing up so fast.  He was over 21 pounds at his six month appointment. Yes, I know.  He is rolling over as his main mode of transportation at this point, but I am sure he will crawling soon just to keep up with his sister.  Speaking of Peanut, well, he adores her completely.  CANNOT take his eyes off her when she is around.  (yes indeed, more I never got around to posting....)

He started solids this week and is enjoying it immensely.  He is sitting up really well too.  Still sometimes topples backwards, but he'll go 5-10 minutes at a time before he does topple.  His little ear tufts are nearly gone and he has graduated from the carrier car seat to the big boy car seat (still rear facing of course).  I miss the carrier.  Although he was SO heavy in that thing, they are SO convenient.  Now I am using my shopping cart cover or stroller all. the. time. to avoid as many germs as possible.  But he loves it.  Stimulation overload I think. Plus, he is such a smiley baby, he has the other fellow shoppers eating out of his hand. 

I kid you not. 


 He is my sweet boy and she is my spirited girl.  I can't wait to see what the new year has in store for us. 




  

Merry Christmas from Our Home to Yours

Moving Back to Hometown: Mission Accomplished (or at least the first part is....)

Life has been a whirlwind for the past week and a half.  First, we are moved back to Hometown!  As if you couldn't tell that already by the title.   

My aim is to be helpful, people.  

Peanut's last play in the snow.....at least in Smalltown.

Let me give some background before I dive into the story.  Smalltown is in a portion of our state that gets a fair amount of snow each year.  MUCH more than we ever did back in Hometown--we even purchased studded tires within a month of moving here.  BUT, we hadn't had hardly any snow this winter season.  We had a small bit back in November and an even smaller amount on New Year's.....but neither lasted long.  So we were due for some snow.  Of course my hope was that it would occur at least two weeks prior to our move so we would have lots of time to look outside and enjoy it, Peanut could play in the snow, and all roads home (aka the mountain passes) would be nice and clear for our 6+ hour drive home with two vehicles and a 26 foot moving truck.
 
Well?  Not so much.  God had other plans.  And isn't that always the case?  

Her FINAL night in her toddler bed/crib.  Sigh. 

 
So last Tuesday (the 17th) it started snowing.....and it didn't stop.  Or at least it didn't seem to.  My Dad, as well as my mother-in-law and brother-in-law, were all to fly into Smalltown late in the afternoon on Thursday.  Well, the major city that they all had to fly in from practically shut down from this ginormous amount (at least by West Coast port city standards) of winter weather, thus making it very difficult for all our family to get to Smalltown.  My Dad's flight?  Canceled within two hours of his original departure time.  My mother-in-law and brother-in-law?  Their flight was delayed for over eight hours.....while they were stuck in got to hang out in the tiny airport restaurant.

With family having already purchased airfare to come help us move, having given notice to our landlords that we were going to be vacating, and with both Hub's current and future restaurants juggling their schedules around Hubs' and our transition, we weren't really in a position to say, "Hey let's put this off for a week while the weather improves." 

Despite the massive number of power lines, it IS pretty, isn't it?

 
 
So we pushed through.  Hubs' mom and brother got in LATE Thursday night and my Dad flew in late Friday morning.  (Where, by the way, in the car on the way home from the airport my Dad informed me he was so glad he was able to make it to help us make the big move home--but that he would have crawled there if that's what it had taken to get there to help us--he was that excited to get us home.  Isn't that just the sweetest thing?!?!?)  We had already got our moving truck early Thursday morning (due to the weather and the rental place closing early) and we promptly went and purchased chains for the moving truck.  At that moment in time chains were required on the mountain passes on all vehicles over 10,000 pounds--which of course would be the case with our moving truck--so $100 later, we were the proud owners of chains for our moving truck.

Hubs, his brother, and my Dad busted their you-know-whats from about 11 am on Friday until about 10 pm Friday night.  With a stop for lunch, a stop for dinner, and countless stops to put salt down and scrape the walk ways and drive way free of snow, they got the truck loaded with *most* of our stuff.   Hubs' mom helped me in keeping the Peanut occupied for most of the afternoon with a trip to the mall and a stop at Costco to pick up pizza for dinner. 

Several days before the move, I left the smallest suit case in Peanut's room to use on the big day--this is what I found when the big day came. 

 

We got up bright and early on Saturday.  Me?  I woke up at 3:30 am and COULD NOT get back to sleep. Ahhh, the joys of being pregnant.  I finally gave in and got up at 5 am and took my time showering and getting ready one last time in our sweet little place we called home for the last two and a half years.

The boys got the rest of the odds and ends loaded in the truck (which seriously take WAY more time than all the big stuff), while Hubs' mom and I busted our you-know-whats cleaning our little home to insure we got our deposit back.  Luckily, I had done the deeper cleaning (windows, light fixtures, etc.) about a week before we moved, so we really were just vacuuming and cleaning bathroooms and floors--but all that stuff takes time.  And my sweet mother-in-law?  She cleaned the fridge.  Inside and out.  Can you say nomination for sainthood?

 

Our landlords came around 1:30 on Saturday afternoon to do the final walk through and exchange a not-so-looking-forward-to, tearful goodbye.  I've said it before, but we are blessed.  I mean, who exchanges tears and hugs and parting gifts with their landlord (or tenants for that matter) when they move out?  People who are blessed to have had very special landlords that took them under their wing, that's who.  I can say with strong conviction that it was no coincidence that our paths crossed with them.  And I am ever so grateful.

 
By the time we got gas for all the vehicles and got potty breaks (mainly for the preggers and three year old), it was 3 pm on Saturday before we got on the road.  Much later than the noon hour we were shooting for, but we wanted to get on the road before another significant amount of snow hit.  (And hit, it did--Smalltown got another 6 inches Saturday night after we left--on top of the approximate 12 that were already on the ground.)  And quite honestly, the roads weren't too bad.  They were really clear until we hit the mountain passes and fairly clear after the mountain passes.  Driving conditions really could have been so much worse--but we took it slow for the safety of all of us.  Hubs and his mom drove in the moving truck, my Dad and I and Peanut were in our car, and Hubs' brother--bless his heart!--drove Hubs truck, all by himself.  And we were all wiped. out. by the time we got on the road.  I was exhausted and I had only cleaned house and packed some boxes--I hadn't been outside loading a 26 foot moving truck in 20 degree temps, like all the guys had.  So yes, Peanut's adored uncle definitely gets a nomination for sainthood as well.

 
We rolled into my parents driveway about 11:30 pm on Saturday night....were I promptly fell asleep in my clothes within a half an hour of stumbling walking in the door. I even abandoned ship and left my mom to get Peanut into bed.   (Thank you, Mom.)

We unloaded on Sunday with the help of Hubs' sister and her family--her husband helped unload while Hubs' sister and mom took all the kids out to lunch.  This was such a big help too, so my mom and I could unpack and get things around the house somewhat organized for our temporary but several month stay.

 
Peanut has already started preschool here and we have been able to share a night out for a birthday party with Hubs' family.  I had my first "doctors" (it was actually the initial visit with the OB nurse practitioner) appointment and Peanut had her first dental appointment here in Hometown.  We are settling in--thank you Mom and Dad!

And the verdict?

It's SO good to be home.

Happy New Year!

Blessings to each of you in the new year...

Why yes, the toupee hair WAS all Peanut's idea.  For reals.

 

A Die Hard I Am Not

Um, yeah.

Thought I would attempt to go to the WalMart Black Friday sale, which started at 10 pm tonight.  I am SO not the early riser, so I thought this would be ideal for someone who just doesn't. do. mornings.

Apparently, so did everyone else in SmallTown.

And I do mean EVERYONE ELSE.  

As in, the WalMart parking lot was FULL, the sides streets were FULL, and the adjacent Home Depot parking was FULL and crowds were trucking across the street from the Home Depot towards the WalMart. 

Me?  I kept on driving.

They had some good deals and all (obviously good enough to get me out) but not enough for me to walk five blocks, in the cold, by myself, in the dead of night to attain them.

As I was driving home, I was thinking about years past and my previous Black Friday excursions.  First off, this is the first year I've ever been out this "early."  The earliest I've ever been in years past was about 6 AM.  Second, I forget that this is the only WalMart for like a hundred mile radius (you think I'm kidding!).  Back in HomeTown, there are dozens of stores in the metropolitan area for the crazies to choose from.  Third, in my years past when I have gone, I've never got out of my car and waited in line.  All the other people didn't either, they all waited in their cars where it was warm and then, when the employee unlocking the doors, you got out of your car and walked calmly inside.  Not here, apparently.  You bring lawn chairs and ear muffs and look every bit the part of a nut. 

And I was more than a little disappointed to come home empty handed.  I had high hopes of getting the Peanut a sweet little bike that will be under the tree for her on Christmas morning.  And with my savings, I would have been able to squeeze in a few other treats for her.

I keep on thinking I will try again later this weekend.....

But if tonight was any indication of what the rest of the weekend will be like, perhaps not! 

But It's a DRY Cold

That was said in the same tone as "Oh, but it's a dry heat."  I used to think that was so silly.  You know those people that said 120 degree summer days were fine because it's a "dry heat."

Really?  'Cause I just don't buy it. 

Then we moved here to SmallTown.  Although it's not quite the dessert, it might as well be, considering where we moved from.  We went from 50-60 inches annual rainfall to like 10.  Yes, it's much drier here in SmallTown.

And that dryness?

Makes all the difference when it comes to being cold.  

It gets cold here in SmallTown.  Like really cold.  We will go for weeks at a time without getting above freezing.  And it's that way for a greater part of the winter here.

Now in Hometown?  Not so much.  It's a much milder winter.  Snow it a treat there--depending on how you look at it of course!  It's certainly not an every week occurrence like it is here.
 

But it's wet.  It's rainy.  It's gray and cloudy and damp.   

A lot.

But that's what makes the Pacific Northwest famous for being so pretty and picturesque and green. 

It never occurred to me (or Hubs for that matter) that the dampness was the major reason why I was so cold all the time in HomeTown.

Until we went home for our first visit after we moved here in late 2009.

This was the extent of the snow packing capabilities....it was super dry snow. 

 
During our visit, I remember laying in bed one night and I could. not. get. warm.  My feet were like ice cubes.  Hubs and I were discussing it later on our long drive home.  I made the comment that in SmallTown, it is oftentimes 20-30 degrees colder than in HomeTown, but it doesn't ever feel that cold.

That's when it hit us.  It's because the dampness makes it feel colder.  It's not damp in SmallTown, so it doesn't ever feel that cold.  And don't get me wrong--it is cold here, but it's rarely that take your breath away cold like it is HomeTown.  

Now that I've lived in a place where humidity {read dampness} is not a major factor?  I am a *little* more understanding when they say it's a dry heat {or cold}.   

And Peanut?  She is loving all that white stuff we've had this week--whether snowballs can be made or not!

First Snow

I always forget here in Smalltown, that when the forecast calls for snow--it snows.

I guess it's time to put the studded tires on.  

Merry Christmas!

From our home to yours....

have a wonderful Christmas celebrating the greatest gift of all.

Look at All That Snow!

We went to the ChristmasTown tonight.  Although we went a little later in the season than last year, there was a ton of snow there this time!

These pictures may not do it justice, but according to Hubs estimation, he thought that there was at least two feet of snow on the rooftops.  The huge mounds of course, are from clearing the parking lots, but still!  Let's just say, I've never seen snow like this in SmallTown and definitely not ever in Hometown.  Some of the locals even sled down hills in the downtown area...but it looked painful to me.  However, I'm not that adventuresome, so what can I say?

And look at Peanut's little darling hat.  My dear friend's talented mom made it for Peanut--custom.  Our last trip down, Sarah's mom sat there and just whipped it up like it was nothing.  Isn't it just the cutest?  I was hoping to get a cute picture of her in it for our Christmas card, but you know what they say about the best of intentions.  Yeah, it just didn't happen liked I had hoped. 

Peanut wasn't a terribly cooperative photo subject tonight as she was too distracted by all the goings on around her.

What a difference--his without flash, mine with flash. Crazy, huh?


And on our way back, Peanut was getting restless, so I told Peanut we were headed home.

Her response: "Go see candies!"  {Go see the gingerbread house} Is she my daughter, or what?

I'd say she had fun this morning, wouldn't you?