Flashback Friday

Just going through old pics and photo projects today, making a quick-n-easy photo book for my dad, and I found some great pics that I couldn't resist sharing.
Wow, I should do more digital scrapbooking!

Sue, I take it back. I guess you have taken a family photo of us in the past five years. Good job!!!!

What's the Secret in Our Holiday Pic?

Guess the two clues in our pic. You may want to click on it, so you can see the larger version. Okay, not too big of a mystery, if you've been paying attention to my blog for the past few months. Hint: it's something we're wearing/holding. As many picky things as I found in this photo, the amazing thing is this is only one of four, and this is the only one where we're all in it. It was done in five minutes, in the freezing, blowing cold, with the camera propped on a ladder (tri-pod is missing). I'm just grateful we got it done at all. And believe it or not, this is possibly the best family photo we've had in years, pretty much due to my overall cheapness for professional photos. I don't know if Sue finds this annoying, or just a relief. Hmmm... an opinion Sue? But, I guess I could have done it cheap at Wal-Mart, or the like, too, and I never did. But I take tons of candid pictures, so what is my problem? I just don't know. Sorry, the babbling took over again. Moving on -

Kids are kind of fun, you know? Once I got all the presents wrapped the other night (due to much nagging from Dani, bless her heart), Dani and Gil were so excited, it kind of got me in the holiday mood. I've been baking and make two goodies:
1. Creamy Mint Cookies - Make a sugar cookie recipe, then add a bag of creamy peppermint chips (I found this in the baking section). Very yummy, a big hit at our house!
2. Peanut Brittle
Maybe I'll even get my visiting teaching gifts delivered tonight.

My Christmas Wish

This is my Christmas wish, in two parts:
1. No more sick kids for at least a month. And to really wish big, no more barfing Connor for at least a year. Yes, he threw up again this morning. That makes 12 days of nasty illness. Is there some kind of song about that? Merry, merry, merry.
2. To get my mental energy back, so I can spend some quality time in my craftroom. I'd like to remember the joy I used to get from making cards for everyone.

Say a prayer, or a lot, for me. And the good thing is, it doesn't cost anything.

Holiday Cheer

WARNING: not a pick-me-up blog post

Boy, we are going to get an "F" on our Christmas Spirit report card. I set up a tree, put out the nativity scenes, bought all the holiday loot, and seriously, that's about it. It's driving Dani crazy. I really feel sorry for her. I am in a perpetual fog, and I just can't seem to get motivated to do anything. Oh, and I ordered a lifetime supply of various versions of "'Twas the Night Before Christmas" online. Some of the themes were Redneck, Nurse, Grandma, Mom, Dog, Texas, and a few others I don't remember off the top of my head. If they come by UPS on time, I'll bring them to the party Saturday. Should be fun. We always got a kick out of those on Christmas Eve. Doesn't have much to do with the Savior, I know, but it's a kind of Christmas tradition. Creates fun memories, that sort of thing.

After Sue's holiday post, I spent a few moments strolling down memory lane, remembering how my mother made Christmas special. Some of my favorite things were the Nativity she set out, in a special place. I always loved it. Decorating the tree was special, and it was always a real pine tree, so the house smelled wonderful. I miss that. We eventually went with the fake Christmas tree here at our house, but we sacrificed the flavor of Christmas, I think. Many of the Christmas tree ornaments were special wooden German ornaments my parents bought when we lived in Germany while my dad was in the army. I especially loved the German wooden music box my mother has, and the wooden Christmas pyramid, which has various horizontal "windmills" (don't know how else to describe it) that when you light candles, are turned around by the heated air, and make bells ding. I went shopping online for these Kathe Wohlfahrt things a few days ago, and they were about $300 to $500 a piece, and I thought, "Oh, well, maybe when I win the lottery." Of course, I'll have that much extra dough for decorations after the kids grow up, and they won't be at home any more to appreciate them. Sigh... I'd love to take a Christmas vacation to Rothenburg, Germany some year. It's very festive there, in a traditional sort of way. And of course, my mother baked. Maybe I could do some more of that. I thought about it for a few minutes this morning, but then the urge left me. Maybe it will come back later today. If I can just get my visiting teaching done this week, I'll feel a bit more of a sense of accomplishment, like I'm not totally a loser.

Man, I am just a little ray of sunshine, aren't I? Good grief. Sorry about that. Had another episode last night with Connor. He was doing pretty good Friday and Saturday, then last night, he started throwing up again, over and over. My theory is that it's not a reoccurence of his week-long bout with a stomach virus, but a new 24-hour stomach flu he picked up in nursery yesterday at church. I'm beginning to consider keeping him away from nursery for a few months, although that's probably pointless, considering the fact that I have several little kids in my home every day, who bring their own cooties from home. Man, I hope everyone will stay healthy so we can come Saturday. Otherwise, we'll have to stay here. I just started bawling last night, as I waited for Zen to find someone to give Connor a blessing. I didn't have the faith of a grain of mustard seed last night, more like faith of a small microscopic molecule, if that. I was feeling all sad that Connor's sick all the time, despite blessings, and I just felt low and sorry for myself, like my lack of faith and goodness were the source of the problem. Not a noble sentiment, I know, but I just couldn't seem to stop the bawling. Poor Zen, I know he wanted to help me feel better, but I couldn't let my crummy feelings out of my mouth, they seemed so selfish.

Well, here's a spiritual thought: we were given the assignment in Relief Society yesterday to write our testimony in the front of a copy of the Book of Mormon, which they passed out to us. I wrote mine, then threw a reference to my favorite scripture, which is 3 Nephi 17, the whole chapter. I'd give just about anything to have been there, you know? I'd give up Christmas loot for the rest of my life if I could just be a bump on the log at that event, and the principal events of the Savior's mortal life. Totally worth it, you know?

Summer Guest - Thanks for the Mood Swings

Not much interesting to talk about these days, but I'll write some random stuff. I think I just broke my rear end again. Like an idiot, I went down the back snowy steps this morning to the garage in my flip flops, to get a jug of milk out of our extra fridge in the garage. My feet slipped out from under me (how could that possibly happen in flip flops in the snow?), and I landed hard on my rear end. Ouch! I think I broke my butt again. And, yes, it was all very dumb, and it's because I have less mental faculties since Summer Guest moved in. I mean, I'm kind of a dork anyway, but now I'm especially stupid.

Summer Guest has sure given me some crazy mood swings. This weekend I had a headache almost constantly, although I am grateful it wasn't a migraine. Connor was sick with diarrhea & vomiting, and I spent just about the whole weekend on the couch with him. I felt totally nuts, deep in the dumps and was sure I was the lowest worm on earth. This morning I felt pretty enthusiastic and chipper. What could possibly be wrong in the world? Life is fantastic! After all, I haven't accidently maimed anybody in daycare yet, and I still exercise every morning, so it's all good. Yeah! Wait... I think I want to cry again for no good reason. Okay, I'm a total psycho.

Connor's still sick, but running around playing like he's not, so it could be worse. I think our water bill this month will look like a summer water bill. I bathe his rear end everytime I change his diaper, to keep the sore butt to a minimum. I am so thankful for running water. What a great blessing! We're so spoiled with indoor plumbing, you know that? No smelly outhouses, no literally frozen toilet seats, no hauling buckets of hot water to have that once-a-week bath, and fresh drinking water whenever you want it.

Zen took the kids sledding yesterday afternoon. Do I have any pictures to show for it? No!!!!!! Monkeys!!!!! Uuuughhhh! So, today I am pictureless, but I sure left lots of babbling for you to read!

Thoughts From Summer Guest

"FEED ME SUGAR!!!!!! Here are the kinds I like:"

1. Lucky Charms (original or generic, who cares?)
2. Mommy's sugar cookies (the soft chewy kind, no icing)
3. Honey Bunches of Oats
4. Fresca
5. Key Lime Pie
6. Donuts, basic sugar-glazed
7. Milkshakes
8. Apples, oranges, all berries & juices
9. Chocolate (almond-toffee Treasures when I can get it)
10. Sweet breads (cinnamon rolls, banana bread, Mommy's made-fom-scratch buttermilk pancakes)

"Other things I crave:"

1. V-8 (really yummy!)
2. Lasagne
3. Chicken & cheese taquitos
4. Mixed nuts (sometimes with dried fruit)
5. Homemade chicken noodle soup (yummy!)
6. Tortilla spirals (the kind with cream cheese and various fillings)

My Apologies

Okay, I really hit a wall this past weekend. I had a migraine Saturday, with the spotty vision, nausea, and blinding pain, the kind that lays you flat, literally, and makes it so you have to go away to a dark room, curl up in a ball, and just wait it out. I only get them about once a year, thank goodness, but man they are no fun. Sunday, it was better, but my head just felt bruised. Monday I was totally lethargic, yesterday was more productive, but today the lethargy is back. Sheeeshhh.

I think I'll have to issue a retraction on my guilt-trip last week. I'm so not good with the blogging these past few weeks, maybe month. I blame it on my summer guest for the time-being. Hopefully it gets better. Okay, a few random pictures for your pleasure:

This was Nov. 30th, and Connor and I had one of those random nights, where he woke up in the middle of the night, and decided he was fully-rested and rarin' to go. I, of course, was super-tired, and not in the mood to play, by any stretch of the imagination. I set him up with his Cars movie, two sippers of milk, a bowl of dry cereal, Cap'n Crunch Berries I think, and a bowl of popcorn (shush! it's not your kid!), and I tried to sleep on the couch. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

We're sooo slacking on the holiday celebrations, but I did get Dani to make Christmas cookies. I made the dough, and she went to town with the cookie cutters. Unfortunately, they were all gone by the next day, much to Dani's irritation. Hhhmmmm, holiday hazards.