Bye Bye

The Boys First Snowman!

The kids came to the front door and asked for a carrot.

Hmmm that could only mean one thing :) They made a snowman! And he's adorable and in true boy fashion he is now demolished into a pile of snow. Thankfully before they took him apart flake by flake I took these pics!

Pretty Bags!

I love purses and with the new arrival of our little Zachary I met a friend of Erin's who's Aunt makes the neatest bags!

I thought I would share her info just in case anyone out there may want to shop. Erin bought one for my mom for Christmas and it was beautiful. I love the upholstery fabrics matched with velvets, satin and fringe! Very feminine.

Happy Shopping!

My favorites are the Serendipity! Just beautiful.

About 65.9% Better

Today's better day for me but not so much for the family. Poor Tanner was up in the night with a ear ache and then first thing this morning he was vomiting.

The silver lining is after having severe abdominal pain for 2 days I lost 2.6 lbs due to being scared to death to eat. I never "got sick" I just was in a lot of pain. I almost think having the relief of being sick may have been more tolerable. I'm out of bed, bathed, and thinking of coffee. All 3 major improvements over yesterday.

I'm praying this doesn't run through my family on their remaining days of vacation. We still have Christmas with Jared's family and who wants to have the flu on break?!

Okay, back to bed. I've expended the energy I had to offer for the day.

600th Post!

It seems like this should be monumental. Something fancy or pertinent but I've got nothing.

Yesterday I felt weird all day and last night about 11 I started running fever and having severe abdominal pain. Apparently I have the flu and I'm miserable. I woke up at 11 this morning to my husband cleaning my house, making lunch and hushing the kids. He's so good to me. Unfortunately he had to leave for an appointment so now I'm on my own with 5 little creatures that are not interested in my resting. Not even a little bit.

Sis just laid down for her nap so hopefully the new DS games, the Wii and Nickelodeon can entertain them while I moan uncomfortably in my bed.

Thankfully we are still on Christmas break. School starts back up for us on Monday. Hopefully if this spreads we'll be all better by then.

Thank you for reading my goofy ramblings. 600 posts? Apparently I'm just as chatty in Cyber land as I am in the real world.

Home Stretch!

Tomorrow officially starts my 15lb count down.

I have 15 pounds to lose to be exactly where I want to be. I decided to take it easy over Christmas because...well...I wanted to :)

I've lost just shy of 70lbs and have worked hard for 9 months and I wanted to enjoy our Christmas. For those of you who know my craziness you should be making a mental note about how much less crazy I am than in past years. I have gained prospective and patience. My goal is health not a particular size and even though my Wii fit claims I'm obese I know I'm well on my way to having an ideal BMI.

With each of my 5 babies I have gained and then lost so much weight that this feels like old hat. I'm in the "I'm freezing" stage of my weight loss and it's come at a slightly inconvenient time due to the blizzard and all. I spend most of the day in sweats, wrapped in my pink fluffy robe, sipping coffee.

It is my goal to be 15lbs lighter by my birthday in March. That seems completely reasonable and I also plan to take full advantage of my new Wii Fit Plus my husband gifted me for Christmas. It's a huge improvement over Wii fit. I love that you can customize an actual workout and it tells you how many calories you've burned.

What are your health/fitness goals for 2010?

Random Happenings

-Yesterday my family braved the weather and still made it for Christmas. You guys were extremely generous and we appreciate not only the gifts but your willingness and desire to spend the day together as family! We had BBQ meatballs, ribs, rolls, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and cream corn. It was absolutely delicious!

-I'm desperate to take the tree down. Well kinda. I have all the desire for it to be down but none of the energy to start the process. The decorations go up Thanksgiving evening and typically come down Christmas evening. It may have to wait until tomorrow afternoon.

-Mealtime at the Altic's has become a battle of wills. I will them to eat what I make and they will to complain and argue. As you can imagine with 4 little bodies requesting and refusing different things it gets very frustrating. I have begun timing our meals. I set a timer and if the food is not consumed before the ding it's off to bed for the night even if it's only 6:30. They sit and chat, stall, and goof off until the food they did not want gets cold and shockingly enough they really don't want it then. The worst part is I can't predict what they'll like. One night spaghetti and meatballs is a hit with everyone and the next week Eli will arbitrarily decide red sauce nauseates him. I will win, I will win, I will win...

-Christmas with the Altic's has been postponed due to the ridiculous snow. Apparently it's even worse up North. The kids were really disappointed but Jared was relieved. This has been a very busy week for him and he has worked every day. He's up at church now and I'm hoping he'll be able to be home for nightly prayers.

-Graham had a terrible allergic reaction to something last night. His right eye was red and his face started to swell. He had trouble breathing and required a breathing treatment. The poor little guy was a mess. It seems obvious to blame the new kitten except she's been in our house for 3 days and Graham's had his hands and face all over her. I would have thought if he was allergic to her specifically he would have reacted the first night when she was new, fresh from the barn and all in his face. He did this one other time at church and I had to rush him home for a breathing treatment and we never did figure out what triggered that reaction. The good news is he perfectly fine today and back to his goofy self. He's had Mellie in his arms most of the day (much to Tanner's disapproval) and not a sneeze.

Scoot Down Low

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." -Romans 12:1&2

I have been praying for a special verse. A verse that would be a reminder of why I do what I do and why I am who I am. I prayed for a very specific verse to be an encouragement when ministry is hard and home schooling is tiresome. I wanted God's reassurance that I was in His will for when the days are a little too much for me. Romans 12:1&2 is my Christmas gift from Christ himself. While reading and rereading my new scripture I found this devotion on the opposite page of my Devotional bible.

Merry Christmas, Emmanuel God with Us

Scoot Down Low
Read Romans 12:1-21
"Humble" comes from the word HUMUS, meaning "earth" or "brought down low." Yes, the Creator of the universe who flung the stars into space is also a very down-to-earth God. Why was Jesus "brought down low"-why did he come down to earth in our form?

I was pondering that thought one day as I was busy in the kitchen, my "hive of five" grandkids buzzing around the living room. I put dinner on the table and gave the "y'all come" signal. My grown children and their children began to make their way toward the feast and the smells of my home-cooked turnip greens, buttered carrots, okra gumbo, mashed potatoes, brisket, baked chicken and corn bread (with ice cream waiting in the freezer to top it all off a little later)!

But two of my darlin's were too busy playing to answer the call. "Alyssa, Alaya!" I called again. Still they paid no attention. So I did the only thing I could do. I went over to where they were engrossed in their baby dolls and scooted down on my achy knees to look them in the eyes.

Now I had their full attention. "Girls," I said with loving firmness, "did you not hear me calling you?"
They shook their heads no, their dark braids flying, their brown eyes wide with surprise.

"Well sweet things, now that I have your attention, help your old Grammy up and let's go eat." Together the girls tugged on my arms and off we went toward the banquet.

As I walked with them, I thought about having to go to all that trouble , to physically scoot down low to get the attention of my granddaughters. It was then I realized that this is exactly what Jesus did for me.

God had a wonderful feast prepared for us in heaven and he called his people to come and eat and enjoy! But most often, caught up in their own little dramas, they ignored his call. So, in the form of his Son, Jesus "scooted down low" and became on of us. Why? To get our attention, to meet us eye to eye-to take us by the hand and lead us to the feast.
-Carol Kent, Thelmas Wells

Introducing Mellie Snowflake Altic!

The boys and I had the opportunity to go meet Mr. Sterling (a.k.a. the grey fluff ball). I'm so thankful for the chance to meet him before we decided to take him into our home for the next 15 years. He was a spitfire who snagged Tanner's thumb and made it bleed something fierce. He was so cute but wanted nothing to do with us. It may be because he found out Jared wanted to name him Cletus (I love you sweety, I couldn't help myself.)

I was super thankful when as we were leaving Tanner said, "I don't think he's for me." Jess T. had sent me some pics of a few kittens they had. Her mother was so touched by our story that she desperately wanted to give Tanner a new kitty. We decided that we should meet Sterling before we decided since we had already contacted them. So once we decided no on Sterling we headed over to Ms. Jess' house. Her mom had already went out into the mud to retrieve our new baby.

As soon as Tanner came in the house the kitty snuggled right into his arms and started her little motor. She purrs so loud and was soo sweet. Tanner couldn't quit smiling. It was love at first purr.

Her name is Mellie Snowflake, Mellie is Greek for dark, and Snowflake is obvious. It's perfect for her little grey and white self. We are so thankful to have her and it's been surprising how very different she is than Leukas. He was obviously so sick and we just didn't know. She leaps and plays. Even while Tanner holds her she's alert and bats at his face or chews on his hoodie string. We love her and are so very thankful.

His Mercies Are New Every Morning

Blech, blah, waaaaa

What a stinky day. My head hurts and my heart is sad.

On a positive note I pulled an old box of lego type toys from the garage and my 5 children have been playing in the living room together for over a hour. They are wonderfully distracted and playing very well together. They are working together to create a monstrosity and it's super cute.

Tanner had a very rough day but we've not had any tears since 2pm. I collected all of Leukas' odds and ends and stored them upstairs in the attic for the time being. We fully intend on another kitty so all those things will be put to good use eventually.

I have to say there is a lot of anxiety at the prospect of a new kitten. I don't know how many of you have met our cat of 11 years but she's not nice. We wanted a new kitten to be raised around and with the kids so that he would sleep with them and allow them to love on him. We were thrilled with little Leuk because he was a love bug. He preferred to be on us or with us at all times. I really don't want another Kayla. Jared and I feel strongly about keeping our pets for their lifetime and we wouldn't ever get rid of an animal even if it wasn't the demeanor we hoped for.

So, now we're starting our search all over again. We're sad and we're broke. I would seriously consider waiting a while so our checking account and our hearts can recover but a very sad little boy asked me today if we could find him a new kitty to sleep in his bed.

It's actually difficult to find a healthy, freshly weaned kitten 4 days before Christmas. I feel a lot like a 8 year old little girl and I just want my kitty back.

***A sweet update***
Pam R. came by the house tonight bringing a precious gift to our sad little Tanner. A friend of hers came across some Zhu Zhu pets and purchased more than she needed. Pam brought Tanner two new hamster friends. For those of you who know Tanner know what a perfect gift this was. Thank you Pam we love you.

Sad Day :(

We are having a rough day.

Our little Leukas died today and Tanner's a mess.

We had him 10 days and in that time the tiny 1.6 lb blue eyed love bug stole our hearts. It may seem silly to some of you but we are devastated at the loss. It's heart breaking to see my son so very sad due to an animal I introduced into his life.

Last night around 11 he vomited a couple times but since our older cat Kala deals with hair balls regularly we didn't think too much of it. This morning however he struggled to walk and was limp. It was obvious something was very wrong. I rushed him to the vet only to find out a few hours later that he would not make it.

In the 10 days we had him we incurred a large vet bill and a large void now that he's gone. Please pray for Tanner and the rest of the family as the children learn a very hard life lesson.

You will be missed Leukas Snowflake Maxwell III

Menu

While reading my book Home Schooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit by Teri Maxwell there is an entire chapter about organization and how disorganization can be a quiet robber. I can really relate to that so I decided to try out the weekly menu idea that several of my friends have adopted. It not only helps with grocery shopping but I'm hoping for less stress come 4 pm when everyone starts asking, "what's for dinner."

It may seem minor but when there are 4 talking children and a husband and they all ask at least once this mommy starts answering with less and less kindness with each passing question. So here is our menu for the week and thankfully I already have the bulk of what I need for groceries. If there is a recipe that you would like just request it in the comments and I'll post it.

Monday-Chicken and stuffing (this is a crock pot recipe that I prefer to make in the oven, super easy and a family fav)

Tuesday-Creamy chicken and rice

Wednesday-Spaghetti and Meatballs w/homemade garlic bread

Thursday-Hodge podge and leftovers due to Christmas Eve service at 6:00

Friday-MERRY CHRISTMAS!! My family is coming over for dinner and I plan to have Grandma Jean's cinnamon rolls for breakfast, BBQ meatballs, ribs, rolls, mashed potatoes, and Texas sheet cake for dinner!

Saturday-Christmas at the in-laws! Homemade chicken and noodles (with my very own noodles, yumm!) rolls, and whatever else the Altic's/Rice families create.

Sunday-Pot roast with carrots and potatoes

5 days Til Christmas!

Saturday before Christmas and all through the house lots of creatures are stirring but I doubt one's a mouse (because of the cats, get it...)

I'd have to look up Night Before Christmas to keep that going since I barely know the story so that'll have to do.

I started laundry when I woke up this morning. Today marks the beginning of our 2 week Christmas vacation and I decided to get caught up on everything. The scary part is that it's 9:00 pm and the washer and dryer are still going. They've only had brief breaks in between loads. I'm trying to decided whether or not to stay up until it's complete but as you all know laundry is never really done.

I've ran my dishwasher 3 times just today so apparently I've let things go longer than I should've. In my defense I've also made 2 dozen home made cinnamon rolls and fed my family 3 times.

We have a guest tonight. Reese M. is staying over for Tanner's birthday. He came bearing gifts. The sweet little boy insisted his mom buy me a gift for inviting him over. My kitchen smells like fresh flowers thanks to my new candle. What a polite, sweet boy. He's pretty taken with our menagerie. Dana said he wrote an entire paper for school about his "pets" all of which are neighborhood strays. He and Tanner definitely connect on that level. Reese was giddy that Leukas (the new kitty) would be sleeping with he and Tanner.

Christmas is nearly here. Jared and I are so excited for the kids to open their gifts since most of them have been purchased for months now. We desperately try to stretch our holiday dollars as far as possible. We figured out (thanks to my husband's holiday gift spreadsheet) that we have twice the money in value than actual dollars spent due to thrifty shopping and getting started early. The kids will be thrilled and so will we.

Tomorrow is our first Sunday going back to one service. It's really nice that we are having one service for Christmas Sunday. It's always so nice to see everyone and having two services made that difficult. I always worry people slip through the cracks because you assume they were at the other service.

God is really blessing WCCC and I can't wait to be with my church family and worship our King.

Cinnamony Sweet

I had a request via facebook for Grandma Jean's cinnamon roll recipe. Since she published it her church's cookbook I assume it's safe to share :)

Tomorrow we are having cinnamon rolls before Sunday school and several different ladies in the church are contributing. We love Grandma's rolls so I thought I'd create a yummy batch for all the Altic/Rice clan.

1/4 c. warm water
3 pkg yeast (1 pkg = 2 1/4 tsp)
1 Tbsp of sugar
Pinch of ginger
1 1/2 cups warm milk
1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbsp salt
6 Tbsp Crisco or margarine (I prefer butter flavored Crisco)

Combine first 4 ingredients and let set 10 minutes. Combine milk, sugar, eggs, salt and Crisco. Add yeast mixture. Add about 3 cups of flour (I use Gold Medal Bread flour for a lighter roll) and mix well. Let rest and then add enough flour to make a soft dough (about another 3 cups). Turn out on floured surface and knead til smooth. Let rise until doubled. Roll 1/2 out into a rectangle. Smear with softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon (I eyeball this until it looks good and bad for you). Roll up and cut in 1" slices (a pizza cutter is AWESOME for this). Place in greased pan and let rise about a hour. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. It yields about 2 dozen rolls.

Once they're baked and somewhat cooled off I like to ice them with a basic powdered sugar icing. I dump an entire bag of powdered sugar into my Kitchenaid Mixer and then add 2 tsp vanilla, 2 Tbsp butter and then milk until it's the right consistency. Then I just goop it all over the tops of the rolls. If you wait until they're too cool the icing just sits on top. We like to put it on when they're warm enough to melt the icing.

Let me know what you think! They take a lot of time but it's time well spent :)

Our Sweet Tanner

Yesterday (18th) was Tanner's 8th birthday. I typically try to post a birthday blog for the kids on their actual birthday but yesterday was a very full day that started awful early so sweet Tanner gets his birthday blog today. Here is a slide show of some of my very favorite Tanner pictures. I went through our iPhoto and found over 20 images I wanted to include but I narrowed it down to the ones that show his personality the most. Happy Birthday precious boy!

I'm a Popsicle

-We took Leuk to the vet today. He has been sleeping about 23.5 hours a day. He needed a well kitten check as well as his vaccinations. Apparently the sleeping is due to a bacterial bug in his gut and with some canned food and a little dewormer he should be good as new in no time. He weighs a whopping 1.6lbs. He's a heavy weight, they just kept commenting on how tiny he is. I wish there was some way to keep his little fuzzy self just like he is.

-I started into my book Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit again. It's a really good read for all mom's since we all teach our children and most of us need more patience. I'm still doing well with my quiet time and this book has an entire chapter on how important it is to take time in the Word. It asks what are "robbers" of meekness and quiet in your life and honestly disorganization and a lack of connection with the Lord are my top two. If I'm nurturing my relationship with Christ life in general is just more tolerable.

-Friday is a big day! Tanner turns 8 and we have Zachary's last court date. As of Friday all the T's are crossed and I's dotted and Zach's permanently a Hancock! I can't wait. I don't know if my family is aware but I'm planing to head to Topeka and celebrate both boys so get ready for us :)

-Anneliese is pulling up to a standing position now. Just last night we put her to bed and a hour later she was crying and wouldn't stop. I went up to check on her and she was standing in the corner and was too timid to lay/sit down. She was stuck and was soo tired! I laid her down and she went right to sleep. FUNNY!

-I found a guy on Craigslist that is selling a barbie set that has Princess Anneliese and all her cohorts. I'm trying to decide if I should get it and put it away for her until she's old enough to appreciate it. I'm a little concerned that by the time she's old enough it will be impossible to find Princess Anneliese gear. All you Barbie fans out there let me know if you think this is a good deal.

-Brennan my 3rd grader is on chapter 10 of the first Harry Potter book. I was curious what level of reading it is so I looked it up and it's 5.1. Way to go Brennan! He's really enjoying it and wants to watch the first movie but I wanted him to read the book first. He has his daddy's hunger for knowledge and love of reading. I don't think there's anyway you could have convinced me to read a thick chapter book without pictures in third grade. I was still reading Judy Bloom at that stage.

Catch Scratch Fever

Jared and I have been a little hesitant to announce the newest member of our family simply because several of you drop a jaw when you find out we have 5 kids, 2 dogs, and a cat. We have been considering adding to our brood for quite some time and decided long ago it would NOT be another dog simply because they require so much. Yesterday Jared let the cat out of the bag during church and mentioned our little bundle several times so here's how he came to us:

Tanner is our tender heart who loves animals and his birthday is Friday. He'll turn 8 and since all his hamsters have gone to hamster heaven (at no fault of his, the kind of hamster he had only lives 12-18 mos in captivity) we decided to find him a kitten of his very own.

It may shock some of you into coma to find out that Jared and I have been researching for years the ragdoll breed due to our desire to breed them. This first came up before Maury joined our house (2 1/2 years ago) and has resurfaced due to our desire to have kittens for the kids.

It seemed very Proverbs 31 to me. Jared and I have stretched our dollars until they scream hallelujah and having a small cattery, caring for, raising, and then selling the kittens seemed like a way to add some cushion to our financial year and pay of some of our mountains of medical debt all while teaching the kids the facts of life, the business model etc.

Regardless of how much I search the web and beg wisdom from experienced breeders no one seems to want to help. Buying a breeding pair is an investment that we just can't afford even though the first litter would pay for it's parent's purchase.

I've come to the conclusion that my days as a cat woman are going to have to wait. So instead we rescued a precious little polydactyl Siamese. He is 8 weeks old and Tanner has named him Leukas (greek for white) Maxwell Snowflake. It's a mouth full so we just call him Leuk.

Answered Prayer

Just 14 months ago we were deep in prayer and petition.

Just 14 months ago we received news that our tiny baby may have a genetic malformation.

Just 14 months ago Jared and I discussed where we would bury our baby if the results were positive for Trisomy 18.

Just 14 months ago I wrote this blog about being Sleepless but NOT Hopeless.

Tomorrow Anneliese turns 9 months old and it is not lost on me that this precious little life is a gift and our prayers were answered.

Thank you Lord for all of our children, and thank you for our little girl.

More of Him Less Of Me

It has been my goal for quite some time to spend more time in the Word. Jared reminds me regularly that life wouldn't seem quite so overwhelming if I would dwell on God's promises.

Hebrews 13:5 (NIV)
⁵Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you"

Jer 29:11 (NIV) "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

I have a partner that has agreed to keep me accountable and it is working. At first I was just really convicted that I needed daily time reading something, anything in scripture. I struggled for a couple weeks with severe conviction but I couldn't move to action.

As you can imagine life is very busy and sometimes hectic with 5 children and all that comes with it. I would go 2 days and not stop and spend just a few moments reading. After talking to my accountability partner she asked if I did anything during my day that was just for me. Well, of course I do. I enjoy Facebook and catching up with friends and family, I love to play Scrabble on my phone and I love to snuggle into my bed and catch a few minutes of a show now and then. I do have the time I just choose to spend it otherwise.

So she challenged me. Her challenge was to read at least a couple chapters of scripture before I got online. Since I typically check my email and Facebook first thing this has been a great idea! Now before I do anything I am spending some time dwelling on HIS promises!

I want the Word to be a daily part of my life for lots of reasons. I want to be an example to my children that He is my priority. I don't want the stress of this life to take my joy and reading about God's provision and His unconditional love for me and my family grants peace!

I am so thankful to my sweet friend who has had the courage to challenge me and I'm taking it a step further by putting out there so you too can be challenged and we can encourage each other to make our God our Lord.

Well Hello There

-When I look at our Christmas picture I just think, "Wow that whole crowd came from my womb." That is really odd & overwhelmingly wonderful.

-Our sweet Jess T. made Elijah's little world today. Brennan and Tanner both own Nintendo DS' and Elijah has been longingly looking on. He's been quiet and doesn't demand anything but he desperately wants in on the action. We explained he simply needs to be able to read before he could really benefit from one. Today Jess brought him a Game Boy Advance that she's had hiding in a drawer for nearly a decade. She found a simple Mario game and he's in heaven. He came up to me at church and shyly placed his forehead against my belly, held the game system over his head and said, "This is all I want for Christmas, I love it. It's so fun." He couldn't be happier and neither could I. It's really true, love my babies and I'll love you forever. Thank you Ms. Jess, your generous sweet spirit is truly a gift.

-Anneliese is sick. The poor little thing just looks awful. She went to bed tonight looking as if someone dipped her nose first into a vat of ointment. Her little face is cracked and chaffed from all the nose wiping. We've resorted to blotting vs wiping due to the pain she's in. I decided the only way she'll survive with her nose in tact is with a dose of benedryl and some heavy nose lubrication. Poor baby.

-I have really been enjoying going through all our pics on the new computer. The facial recognition software is fascinating. It thinks Brennan and Elijah are my dad. It thought Anita and I were the same person (weird!). Apparently all of you who think Sis and Graham look identical are right. It's really interesting and a lot of fun. Be prepared for a lot of videos and pics in future blogs.

Merry Christmas 09'

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
From left to right: Brennan 9, Graham 3.5, Anneliese 9 mos, Elijah 5.5, Tanner 8

Want Homemade Bread For Christmas? Let Us Help!

Jess T. and I want to make your family homemade rolls for your Holiday dinner! These are actually not just homemade but handmade from scratch. This particular batch is garlic bread to go with tomorrow night's dinner at church. They are definitely best fresh so you would want to pick them up no earlier than 1 day before your meal. We are asking $5 per dozen and will make as many as you need with a 2 dozen minimum. Please send me an email at wornslick@sbcglobal.net if you want to place an order. YAY yummy bread :)

New Video of Sis!

I have been having some fun with our new iMovie application on the computer. I can do all kinds of stuff with the little clips of video I've accumulated. I didn't post this one when I originally videoed it because it was on it's side. I was able to simply correct and edit it and now you get to enjoy!

Blog Blog Blog...Blog...Blog

I am blogging simply because I want to play on our new computer.

Jared and I have a eMac that we've used for 6 years and it has been a great computer. Over the last two years we have saved up enough to buy a new computer so the eMac could be used primarily for school and each time we've had to spend the money on more emergent needs.

Finally we have two functioning computers and as a home school family with soon to be 5 students this is such a blessing!

The keyboard is tiny and is taking a bit to get used to but I'll manage :)

Caroling went great this morning. I really enjoyed Jessica and the crowd enjoyed the two of us. We had several episodes of applauding. At one point we had our picture taken and our information taken down for a small publication. They asked if we were professional. We get paid so I guess that makes us professional by definition but Jessica and I are a tad too goofy to be "professional."

The rolls that Jess and I made yesterday seemed to go over really well at the Altic's today. Unfortunately Jared and Graham stayed home due to being under the weather. Graham had a fever all morning and is having labored breathing. Brennan, Tanner, Elijah, Anneliese and I went up for a few hours and had a yummy dinner and some fellowship before returning home with leftovers in hand.

Jess T. has introduced me to a new way of baking my rolls and it requires several muffin pans. If you have some that you don't need/use I would love to take them off your hands and offer you more space in your kitchen cabinets :)

Merry Thanksgiving?

Today is an interesting day!

This morning Jessica R. and I are heading to the Piper High School to carol at the craft fair. This is my 3rd or 4th year doing this. People look at us kinda weird at first but end up singing along and really enjoying it by the end of the day. Karen B. hires us and the extra money is always nice to help with Christmas gifts for the boys. My favorite part is looking through all the crafty crafts while we sing.

This afternoon we are having Thanksgiving with all of Jared's extended family. It was just the best day for us to get together. As soon as caroling wraps up the family is heading to Platte City for the rest of the day. Yesterday Ms. Jess and I made 9.5 dozen of homemade rolls. She cooks for camp all summer and has the large batch making down to a science. I'm super thankful for her help because I would have been making small batch after small batch.

We ended up making two of her enormous batches of bread because one wasn't quite enough and two is wayyy too much but this way there's extra vs not enough. I know my mom in law will appreciate that.

I'm off to get all dolled up so the customers at the craft fair assume I'm supposed to be singing at them vs some vagrant that has wandered in for warmth.

Anneliese is All Done!

In this clip Anneliese does the sign for "all done" (waving both hands at the same time) twice before she finally verbalizes it with a tone of "seriously, I'm all done!"

Randomness Is All I Can Muster...

-Mom, the kids, and I went to UMKC Dental school today for Graham to receive laughing gas and a filling. He was sweet and super cute while under the influence. He told the dentist that Mommy calls him cute and handsome while daddy refers to him as Squirt. The dentist was trying to numb his cheek and kept calling Graham "friend" to which Graham replied, "You are not my friend!" Can you blame him? The guy had a needle and was using it freely.

-Since we had already driven down there we decided to head to Union Station and check out the trains. Graham is our little Engineer second only to Brennan in his obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine. The kids were mesmerized by the display and had a wonderful time. Tanner at one point grabbed my mom around the waist and said it was the best day he'd ever had. So sweet.

-Graham's best friend is Clara Jean. He loves her dearly and constantly talks about her and how he wants to share this or that with "Cara Jean." Today he announced he wanted to marry her. I briefly explained he couldn't marry her because she is his cousin. He looked right at me and said,"I'm going to go to a different church where they will let me marry Cara Jean." I didn't expect to lose one so young :)

-Jess and I are still walking our little legs off each morning while freezing our tootsies. Oprah said once that you burn more calories in the cold because your body works extra hard to regulate your body temp. I may have to start running however just to create enough heat not to be miserable. The wind in our faces this morning was just painful.

-I weighed after Thanksgiving and I weighed exactly the same as I did the week before! I am super happy with that. I have lost 65lbs and have another 20 to be super happy or 15 to be content :) It may be taking longer this time but I can honestly say I am happy to be on the journey and enjoying life during the process verses being a woman obsessed.

-I am so in love with my family and my friends. It may be Christmas or Thanksgiving or the fact that God is soo good. Regardless I am happy and so thankful for all of you, so much so I can't stop thinking about it.