Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Look Back

Just taking a look back at all the events of 2008.

-Ringing in the new year among the flu with Ryan, MaryRose, Isabella, and Claire. (Anna wishes Isabella was here again this year.)

-Preparing for a new job in Montana.

-Auntie Kara watching the kids for a week while Ben and I moved Ben to the one bedroom apartment in Montana.

-Selling the house in Kentucky...bittersweet.

-Beau in kindergarten in Kentucky.

-Visiting Michigan for a few weeks, taking care of Caroline while Liz went to Florida, memories I am so thankful for.

-The kids and I moving to Montana.
-countless hotel room.
-the waterpark, where Beau got stuck in a tube ride, scary but he handled it well.
- Mount Rushmore.
- Devil's Tower.
-finally reuniting with daddy...even if he was sick for the next 2 weeks.

-Ben's illnesses and a brief stay in the hospital.

-Ben's truck accident and all the aftermath, thankyou God for your protection through it all.

-Living in a one bedroom apartment and being given the gift of a three bedroom house we could afford while building.

-A puppy for Mother's Day.

-Another miscarriage, suffering loss and knowing God's plan is bigger than mine.

-Mom and Dad come for a summer visit and bring Mattie and Zip home.

-Beau's in first grade, Anna's in kindergarten, and they LOVE it. Luke misses them.

-Building a home and all the ups and downs that go with it.

-No water, but getting through it.

-Ben hitting a deer.

-Bridget hitting a deer.

-The wrong cabinets.

-Kittens for Halloween.

-Moving in with no kitchen.

-Visitors from Connecticut for Thanksgiving with no kitchen...thanks for coming Memere, Pappa Lloyd, Aunt Kara, and Scott.

-The cabinets arrive, the kitchen is almost finished, we'll get the counters done next year. :)

-Boxes still everywhere and Aunt Sarah comes for Christmas. Bama and PopPop are here for Christmas too. We survived and got organized.

Missing everyone terribly but getting settled into this life God is leading. Wishing everyone a blessed new year and hopes to see everyone in 2009.

Crashed After Christmas Candy

This is innocent little Luke on Christmas Eve in his new pajamas all ready for bed. I should mention this fabulous pair of pajamas I found for under 50 cents, brand new at the BX (PX for the Army) a few days before. Doesn't he look so cute.




This is Luke the next afternoon. He really enjoyed the orange tic-tacs from Daddy's stocking and the chocolate in his stocking and I thought I'd gone light on candy this year. I did, but Daddy had a few extras and was generous enough to share so skittles and Twizzlers were added to the mix. Luke finally came and sat down next to on the couch and within minutes was asleep. When I stood up and tried to lay him down he fought me and stood up turned into the couch and stayed asleep. I left him like that long enough to snap a couple pictuers and then I laid him down on the pillow. It was pretty hilarious, he took a good nap and we didn't have any more orange tic-tacs or skittles that day or the next because well they had already eaten them all. Aren't daddy's spectacular. Geesh and to think I thought I was filling his stocking with stuff to take to work the next week. But it was stuff to share with his boys (I think Anna got a little but she was too busy playing with Barbies.)Poor boy he was just exhausted.

Bionicles

Those of you that know Beau know that his favorite toys are bionicles. Really he doesn't play with much else most of the time unless it is legos, exoforce (also legos related) or k'nex. He is playing with Moon Sand at the moment and does enjoy play-doh. He likes board games and reading, but hands down if Beau is not around he is building or taking apart a bionicle.
He got his first one when he was three. The age on the can says 5 or 7 or something like that, I never pay attention to the age on the can. He couldn't put them together by himself at first. There were countless times I would try to help but he has always been better than me. I kind of miss him asking for help, but then again I also enjoy his independence.
If anyone has a little boy who needs focusing, I would suggest bionicles. They aren't only Beau's favorite but they are mine, they have helped him grow from a ferocious three year old to a determined intelligent 7-year-old. I won't tell you how much we have spent on these great toys but I will tell you it is worth it, and I have gotten a lot of clearance and his current favorites are from 2002 via e-bay. I didn't know what year they were from I just knew they were a good price and there was a whole set of them so I got them and they were birthday and Christmas gifts this year. Now his favorite thing is to take pictures of his creatures, because he has his own camera it happens more and more. These are just a few of his creative captures.

-Can you see the clean bathroom floor/closet area in the background don't worry if you can't that will be a post for someday soon.

A Rarity

This doesn't happen very often but once in a blue moon it has occurred. Here is a picture of me with all of my children, it was a spur of the moment thing. My sister was taking a picture of Anna and I and the boys joined. I cuoldn't be happier although I wish Luke was looking at the camera in the first one and Beau wasn't choking me in the second one, but hey at least I have them. We were lucky to get them all there for two shots I wasn't risking any meltdowns for a third. They are all happily playing with Moon Sand in the kitchen while I do a little blogging before getting bogged down in my bedroom. It is so close to finished.


Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Having a Sister

My sister left today, I thought ten days had been plenty, but I was wrong.
I miss her so much tonight.
When you share a room for 15 years you either become best friends or worst enemies and we have been and are both, but I wouldn't want it any other way because in the end we are always best friends.
I wouldn't say this was the best visit ever. We are in completely different places in life, we couldn't live further apart. She lives in the city, downtown, inner-city kind of world. I live in the country, Wal-Mart is the only shopping in town and a traffic jam is because you are following a snow plow. In her world she can go out for coffee in five different locations all within walking distance, here there are only two decent places for coffee and they are 15 minutes drive and only open certain hours of the day. In the city when you want to watch a football game you go to the bar and watch it, here you go to the only descent place in town and hope they get the channel and when they don't you still enjoy a meal and time away from the kids, there you would go find a bar that has the game by texting friends that are at other bars.
But it isn't just location that makes our worlds different, it is just the way our lives have gone. I've been married almost ten years and I have three kids, my work is maintaining our home, raising our kids and keeping my husband on track. She is just beginning a serious relationship, she is a special education teacher, whose life revolves around volunteering in multiple ways and socializing all over town. Sometimes we just don't get each other, we listen and we respond but we don't really understand. It doesn't matter though we still talk on the phone five times a day, we still look to eachother first when we have big news (or little news) and we still forgive each other when we just don't get the other person.
The common threads that keep us connected are our faith and our commitment to family. We hold eachother accountable, reminding each other of holy days of obligation or making sure our decisions are based on our beliefs and not our temptations. We don't judge one another and we accept eachother for who we are. It isn't always easy, sometimes she really ticks me off, sometimes she makes me cry by using her words to hurt me even if unintentional more than any other person could. Those times stink, my best friend becomes my worst enemy, but with time forgiveness comes and we are best friends again. Even when we are angry we still talk, we still communicate and we always come through the other side.
I'll always be thankful to have a sister no matter how different our lives are.
I love you sis, I miss you already.

A New Look

A rare post with pictures of me. I don't usually post pictures of myself because well I'm the only one with a camera and I'm lucky if I've had time to shower some mornings.
But yesterday with the urging of my sister I got a new look, I should post a before picture but don't think I have one. The eyebrows were waxed, the hair was colored and cut. I really like the new look and it gives me a new wave of confidence to start the new year. Thanks to my sister for watching the kids while I got a little me time. She even made banana muffins with Beau from scratch...bonus points for that one. The pictures are from Anna's handiwork, so the coloring is a little off with the light but they are still pretty good. I'll get the ones from Beau's camera later.



Ben liked the new look even though the hair was a little too short for him. He thought I had make-up on when he got home, and thought maybe we were going out. We didn't go out because it was snowing a lot and it was Sarah's last night. I didn't have make-up on I guess just the eyebrow way and color change made a big difference in the appearance of my skin. At least he noticed and was positive about it.

Monday, December 29, 2008

Not Me Monday...#9

Please pray for Baby Stella, he is a sick baby of MckMama's and they need some prayers today as they endure the hospital and pokes and prods and an uncomfortable baby boy.


Thanks to MckMama for this fun event, I'm going to play again today.

I did not stay up until midnight Christmas Eve to finish wrapping presents, I always plan ahead and I never have to stay up late to get the tree ready for Santa to arrive, I would have been up later if I hadn't recruited my sister to wrap some the night before.

I cooked lots of Christmas goodies, I made sugar cookies and cinnamon rolls, I did not just think about making things and never get around to it so my children did get to frost cookies and add sprinkles, I did not just say here is some Moon Sand play with it. I would never deprive my children of the Christmas cookie fun, even if we still only have plywood as a countertop. I don't think my kids even noticed.

I did not work my husband to the bone over his Christmas vacation, he did not build three closets and an extra shelf for the hall closet and I didn't make my sister paint for hours to finish our closets while she is visiting from Chicago. Now that all that work isn't done I am not sitting here on the couch typing on the computer when there are still a whole lot of boxes to be unpacked. I am also not a tad bit obsessive about the kids keeping their rooms clean now that their closet isn't done and they don't have more than adequate space for their stuff.

My parents did not freeze to death at night because they slept in our basement and the temperature was below zero, my dad didn't wear a hooded sweatshirt to bed, just so Ben could not caulk and insulate the gaps around the rim after they left. It is not now 20 degrees warmed down there from all the work Ben didn't do and my sister is not now sleeping down there comfortable until she leaves tomorrow.

Beau did not get clearance lego's, exo-force, and bionicles for Christmas, and he has not spent 90% of his time in his room building and rebuilding them, and he hasn't used his new camera to take countless photos of his creations. He isn't the happiest child on the planet. He also didn't ask every friend at church yesterday if they got legos from Santa, and he wasn't at all confused as to why every boy on the planet wouldn't get legos and why some children might enjoy a Wii more than they wouldn't want legos. I wouldn't have been crazy enough to consider not getting him legos this Christmas and it wasn't a last minute purchase to get the lego set because I keep thinking maybe I should broaden his interests. Someday when he is an engineer I will not worry about his one tracked mind and worry about something else.

Anna hasn't spent every waking moment in her room playing Barbies, I did not buy her the Barbie with the dog that poops, that would be gross. Who cares if it was way on clearance because no other mom in her right mind would buy a Barbie with a pooping dog. Who even thought of such a strange thing. Luke doesn't love the pooping dog and spend a lot of his time playing with it.

Luke hasn't played with Moon sand for hours every day since Christmas. And i love cleaning up the mess that Moon Sand doesn't create. Could somebody please tell me why I didn't just stick with play-doh.

We did not have a great Christmas. And my dear husband did not get the greatest gift he could have ever thought of for me. He did not sign us up for a marriage retreat after almost 10 years of marriage, he did not swear off retreats after our engagement encounter 10 years ago, so I would never even dream of asking him to go on a retreat (really I wouldn't) so I was not completely shocked and awed when he signed us up for one. I am not completely thankful and I won't be asking for lots of prayers when we go to the retreat in February to let God use the weekend to help us prepare for the next 10 years of our life together.
Thank you Ben I love you.

What didn't you do this Christmas week?

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Anna and her new Camera

Anna has been having lots of fun with her new camera. She really likes to take pictures of unsuspecting subjects with bad hair or in their pajamas still, but I won't post those here. These are some of her better shots, the ones where the subjects were ready or they were inanimate objects, even better.



She's had fun with borders too, that her camera has in it for fun.

Luke is always willing to pose for her when he'll put his camera down long enough to get a picture of him not behind his camera. I'm very interested in what Luke's pictures look like. Those I will post later.
Daddy is another favorite for Anna there were lots of him on her camera. This is one of the better ones.
Beau and Luke's masterpieces will be posted later today, after I get some work done.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas morning has come and gone, so quickly. Good thing Jesus lasts forever because wrapping paper sure goes fast. The bean bags were quickly sat upon and enjoyed, then we moved the bean bags to the living room and trips were made back and forth to pick a present and then take turns unwrapping them.

Beau's favorite are his Lego's and Bionicles and Exo_Force. We got about one hour of complete silence from him while he worked on building them, ah the peace of that was worth a lot more then I paid since I only bought clearance ones. The lego is still to be built so that means more quiet, although I think daddy will be involved with that one, and that is also such a blessing to watch the two of them work together.
Luke's favorite was his moon sand and his magnet alphabet letters. He also really likes the candy and it is going to have to disappear soon. I did convince to eat a bowl of cereal before any junk food. Beau and Anna have yet to stop playing to eat breakfast. They will eat when their stomachs really start growling.
Anna's favorite was the Barbie with the dog that eats and poops (what was Santa thinking), Barbie even has a pooper scooper, gross. Anna loves it though. She also enjoyed the moon sand that got wrapped just for her.
This picture is to show how nicely the stockings hung on the stocking holders mom got us for Christmas last year. In years past once they were stuffed they had to sit on the floor. Not this year although I also didn't put any fruit in them to keep the weight down.
All in all it was a great morning. Mom and Dad left around 9 to get to the airport to fly back to Arizona to spend the afternoon/evening with my brother's family. We already miss them but are so thankful they could share a few days with us. And thankful Ryan gets to enjoy them for Christmas too.
Merry Christmas to all and may you be richly blessed by the graces of the Baby Jesus this Christmas season.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Christmas Eve Morning

We don't really have any traditions, whatever happens each year just happens. It's the life of our family and moving every two years.
So this year on Christmas Eve morning the kids got to open presents from Bama and PopPop. The big deal ones were the digital cameras, their pictures will get posted later. They are enjoying. They also each got a board game. Beau got cranium, the funniest comments came when they had to find something you could push across the floor with your nose, Luke said, "ooh, that will hurt!"
Then Beau and Aunt Sarah were on a team and it was a gestures kind of question Aunt Sarah had to act out, the answer was supermodel (she did a great job by the way) and one of Beau's guesses was "a woman walking on a red rug" so hilarious we told him it was called carpet and then he got to super model with the help of Daddy and PopPop in the background.
The kids and Bama are now playing The LadyBug Game, Ben is still working on closets (good man), and PopPop, Aunt Sarah, and me are making one more trip to Wal-Mart and IGA and maybe K-Mart, for those last minute things. We might have dinner tonight. Mass is at four.
Merry Christmas Eve.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

The Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree is now decorated. Thanks mostly to Beau and Anna, they did all the work other than the lights. Luke opted to cuddle with Bama and wrestle with PopPop. Aunt Sarah was on the internet, Ben was watching and encouraging, and I was taking pictures. They did a good job and really enjoyed it.
Beau really liked to unwrap the ornaments from the packaging they were in from the move. He said it was like opening a present and every time there was something new, but old. He had so much fun and had so many comments, oh this is my favorite one, oooo this one is pretty. Anna had to take several over for PopPop or Bama to see up close, she had a lot of fun too.
Luke got a new shake and go car from Nana and Papa Randy and they opened them yesterday because presents under the tree don't stay in our house. He loved it and it took presedence over hanging the ornaments.
We are almost ready for Christmas morning. The stockings are hung by the chimney with care, but not too close because well it gets hot over there. The children are staying up late nightly to spend time with their grandparents, they are tired and grumpy and are looking forward to coal. But what to my wondering eyes do I see but presents to wrap and put under the tree, cookies to make for Santa to eat, and turkeys to roast it will be quite a treat. Enough of the rhyming we got the closets in the kids area built and now we just need to paint them, and then put the clothes in them and it will be SOOO much better.
We've closed on the house, so we are done with all the bank issues and can just focus on finishing the house and enjoying being home.
Merry Christmas.

Monday, December 22, 2008

The Tree is Up

After being hounded for days and hours the Christmas Tree is standing tall. The lights are on and a couple ornaments, and well that is as far as we got. The kids were into it but we made them wait until Luke woke up and then they each got a present in the mail and well that was that. They had more interesting things to do. So we will try again in a little while to get the ornaments on the tree.
At least it is up, now I need to go find the stockings.
Merry Christmas!!!

Saturday, December 20, 2008

Anna's Christmas Program

Anna was completely different than Beau as you will see in the videos, she was enjoying the front row and gave off some huge smiles. I thought she might panic with all the people there but she was just fine. Her teacher was the narrator in the video, he prefers the behind the scenes rolls. It was fun to watch and the kids did a great job, the teachers worked hard preparing them and it showed.

Friday, December 19, 2008

A Conversation with Beau

Yesterday Beau had a terrible day at school, today was a good one, but back to yesterday. He said he and several other kids argued all day, a classmate threw something away Beau had made for him, and he had told a kid that he could see his underwear because he was mad at the kid and apparently the kid does it to him.
I am really working with him on being kind in all situations, he failed big time.
He was really upset and after some serious meltdown crying, we got back around to kindness.
Me: Beau you know Jesus wants us to be kind to everyone even if they aren't our friend.
Beau: But I could see his underwear.
Me: I understand but there are much kinder ways to tell him that right.
Beau:Yeah probably.
Me: God wants us to always do our best and do good so that someday we can go to heaven and be with Him.
Beau: Well if you do bad will you go to the devil.
Me:Yeah that is kind of how it works.
Beau: Are there bad people with the devil, like crooks and badguys.
Me: Yep there are and that isn't where we want to go, that is why I want you to be kind to everyone.
Do you know what it is called when you say mean things to your classmates or hurt someone on purpose.
Beau: Well, I know it isn't good.
Me: It is called sin, and sin is what causes us to go to the devil if we continue to choose to sin and don't apologize to God and don't try to do better next time. The devil likes it when we sin he sometimes tries to trick us into sinning and God doesn't like. If we say we are sorry though God forgives us that is why He sent Jesus, what did Jesus do for us.
Beau: He died.
Me: Do you know when we celebrate that?
Beau: Yeah, (a little exasperated with all the questions) Easter.
Me: That's right try to do better next time okay.
Beau:Okay
A few minutes later all was finally quiet in the car and then Beau had some more to say.
He said, "mom today I did what the devil wanted, and I am sorry for that I don't want to do that anymore." I encouraged him to say a prayer before he went to bed, but I wasn't home so I don't know if he remembered.
I hadn't planned on the conversation nor the outcome of how much he would get it, but it felt good to see how much reasoning he could do. He did have a very positive day today and we are going to work on doing 10 acts of kindness everyday over Christmas break. Maybe ten is a lot but we'll see.
He and Ben are off to hockey practice, I feel terrible but I still have Luke and Anna here so I can't go to bed.
My sister comes tomorrow, and my parents the day after, yeah!
Maybe we will finally decorate.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Pet Peeve

Okay so today I have a serious pet peeve. I am hoping that if I blog about it I will stop obsessing about it and get some more done, although I have gotten a fair amount done today and stuck with my only one hour of down time after I get the kids out the door to school.
Well anyway, on to my pet peeve.
We have a new phone number, we didn't want a house phone but to get internet (which I NEED) we had to get a house phone, I like it now that we have it. Except, I get phone calls and the conversation goes like this,
"Hello"
"Who is this"
"um, well who is this"
"I said, who is this"
"Um, you called me so thanks and bye."
Why do these people keep calling me and then demanding I explain who I am for answering my phone. Okay so maybe I'm not who you expected to answer, but you called me, common courtesy is to ask for who you are looking for not to rudely want to know who I am.
Am I right? Today after she asked me twice I said well I'm sorry but you called me and bye. And then I've just been stewing about it all morning.
Okay I'll get over it now.
Anyone want to share their pet peeve with me, I know you have one or two and maybe I'll stop obsessing about mine and obsess about yours, that's be great.
Thanks.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Wordless Wednesday


The Kitchen is Almost Done

We are oh so close to having a complete kitchen. The microwave range thingy is the last thing to go in. Yeah, I am so happy that we have gotten this far. Now if I could just leave the house and get to Anna's class Christmas party. The van won't start I don't know why. Someone is going to come try to jump it for me here soon. I am trying not to cry just one more thing I am unprepared for.
I think I need to go pray.
God Bless.

Monday, December 15, 2008

Not Me Monday...#8

It's that time again, so here it goes, it has been a long week but I have not forgotten anything.

I did not spend hours figuring out how to decorate my blog without spending a dime, that would be a waste of time and I have plenty of boxes to unpack to keep me busy not to mention the lack of decorations in the rest of the house, I would never decorate a computer screen before my living room.

I have enjoyed the -30 degree temperatures around here and I am not upset at all that we can't go out and play in the snow, that the van sounds like it might crack in half, or that I can't park in garage. I love mind numbing cold and 12 inches of snow with 5 foot drifts. I didn't let Anna who is 5 go out and play in it on Saturday and Sunday because what parent would let a child begging to play outside go out when the thermometer says 4 and you know it is in the sun so it is way wrong. NOT ME!And this is not her snow angel. She didn't make about twelve of these out there because it was too cold to lay in the snow.

I did not walk around Wal-Mart the other day wondering what that horrendous stench was to still smell the stench in the van when we left and realize I had cat poop on my pants. I did not take Luke's boots and clean them in the snow right then and I didn't find the thawed wipes under a seat and scrub my pants til the crusty part was off. That would be gross. I did not forget then after picking up the kids from school and going home that my pants didn't smell like cat poop so when Ben came home from work and kissed me hello he didn't say "what is that smell", I did not almost die and go change my pants right away and I had not sat and talked with a friend at my kitchen table before Ben got home and she did not have to endure that stench because like I said I never got cat poop on my pants from Luke's boot. That would be way too disgusting.

I did not dress Luke in a sweater for Beau's Christmas program so that he was more dressed up than Beau, that would just be a silly mom thing to do. I also did not let him pose hanging off chairs or cabinets yet to be in because he did not just look so darn cute all dressed nice.

We also did not do PPV on Dish Network to enjoy Journey to the Center of the Earth, that is kind of expensive, and we wouldn't want to spend money on a great family evening of television, it wasn't a great movie either. Beau didn't enjoy it at all and Luke and Anna did not go to the other room and watch Cat in the Hat because they liked it so much.

I did not get all my cabinets in and my make-shift counters on so that I have an almost working kitchen now, the only things that aren't left are the sinks and dishwasher and the plumbers are not coming today. (they had better get here soon)

I do not have cupboards to organize and dishes to wash so I have all day to continue to add to my not-mes but I'd better find something else to do.
God Bless.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The Blog Frog

The Blog Frog is a cool website that allows you to connect with people from the past that might also have blogs. I think it would be fun to find high school or college classmates that have a blog. Plus I can enter for a $2oo Target GC by blogging about it.

Extra Video of Beau

Here are the other two I promised. Sorry about the videographer's skills. She was holding Luke in one arm because he was very tired and by the end he finally fell asleep but through the other ones he wiggled and jiggled and bumped and played with the lens cap, and well it is obvious in the videos because it goes everywhere. I hope no one gets motion sick watching these. I will try to do better at Anna's and make Luke sit in his own chair. We'll also get there early to get a front row seat.

Beau's Christmas Program

Beau had his alphabet Christmas program yesterday. He didn't sing much, he scratched a lot (thanks to his eczema), I'm not sure what he says for J. But it is "J is for jingle bells ringing in the night on santa's sleigh what a beautiful sight." The other little boy didn't speak much so you really only hear Beau when he finally decides to go for it. There are two more videos I will put on later because I think that I am pushing the limits with four videos in one blog.
Notice all the dressed up children, I fought Beau out of a truck t-shirt and into something red that morning and I was glad I did after I saw how all out other parents went. Ah, one down and one to go, Anna's is next Friday morning, she will wear her Christmas outfit, but not a dress.
ENJOY!!!

My New Look

So what do you think about my Christmas festive blog. I worked hard on getting the new look last night. So I really probably could have spent my time a little more wisely but I had fun. I made the header myself and the background I found on a free site. I am pretty psyched about it, my blog feels like the best way to stay connected with everyone out there and I really like being able to change the look of it and designing it represent us as little bit more. I don't have a clue what html codes are but I can copy and paste, and I can cut and paste to make the headers in a free program I found on the internet. It was fun and I only feel slightly guilty for spending the time on it.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do, not I'll probably get 20 hits a day just because I go to it myself so many times.
Coming soon...Beau's Christmas program.

Friday, December 12, 2008

The Cabinets Are Almost In

So here is the beginning of a kitchen, I've already unpacked three boxes and there is only four more to go for the kitchen. Yeah. This is my attempt at decorating with my fancy pitcher. We like the staggered look but wish the cabinets above the microwave (it isn't there yet) and above the fridge matched a little better. We can work with it though. The jars you see are my attempt at positive reinforcement. You do good and don't complain you get a penny or dime or whatever I can find close by to drop in at that moment. Then if you don't do so good I'll take out something too. Beau gets it and has a very positive attitude more of the time. Anna and Luke aren't getting it as well but they weren't the ones that I did it for they just reap the benefits most of the time. Luke's is pretty empty because he is going through some growth in behavior.

Like my over the island (that isn't finished yet) light, I do. I really like the corner cabinet too.

This wall is my favorite and I can't wait until my sink is in below the window, it will feel so much more close to finished. The plumbers come Monday and I will have a dishwasher again, thank goodness. like the ledge that has been serving as the majority of our countertops for the last month. I know it is fabulous.
Just another look at this wall, just ignore the stove that has become another countertop. I allow myself a little quiet time in the mornings after the kids get on the bus. I'll clean soon, but I wanted to get these pictures posted.
So that is the half completed kitchen. Ben is going to take all the cardboard to the recycling plant today. Then it will even feel better in there because I'm not stepping on boxes all the time. Although I don't know what I'll use for makeshift counter tops after they are gone. Ben is supposed to put the plywood in tonight too so we'll see what he accomplishes. He only has a half day but then we have Beau's Christmas program at 2 and then getting home from that he'll get the wood. But we have hockey at 5:30 and I haven't even thought about dinner, it might be a Book-It Pizza Hut night. Those are convenient, kids like it and we save money.
Merry Christmas it is coming soon and well the kids think we need a tree, we'd like to skip the tree but know that isn't going to happen. Luke is the pushiest in the tree regards, it might go up Sunday then again, Aunt Sarah might be putting it up next week.
Lots of Love to all our friends and family we miss you.

Monday, December 8, 2008

Beau's First Hockey Game










Beau had his first hockey game on Sunday. I'm not sure I'm ready for all this sports mom stuff, but I sure am enjoying it and Beau is too. Hockey isn't a one child sport though it is a whole family affair, I have to carry the bag, Luke and Anna have to endure the cold arena and Ben and I have to get all that gear on a boy that doesn't stand still very well. Then we all smile while we watch him whiz or not so much whiz, you be the judge, around the ice.
Usually I find Beau from the #11 on the back of his jersey but on this day he wore black to show he was on the other team, this concerned him because he is an Ice Hawk and with the black on he wasn't sure if he was still an Ice Hawk. We cleared that up and he was fine. He was easy to tell from the others though because one of his socks fell down and his shin guard showed. He hates when that happens but on this day I was glad because otherwise I would have been lost trying to find him. The pictures are from far away and I couldn't get good lighting but you can see he was having fun.
He is in his blue jersey during practice with the #11 on the back and then in the black jersey for the game.