time?

So I saw some old friends of ours today and was catching up with them when I couldn't stop thinking about where the time went. Not only long term, but just the past six months. They asked how my Christmas was. WHAT!? That felt like it was about a week ago. That was a month ago! So I know you are probably thinking I am crazy. Of course time flies and everybody knows it. It just hit me today like it hasn't before.

That was totally random.

I went and dropped the kids off at the babysitters today and ran some errands. I finally went to go get a new driver's license because that is really a place you should not bring your kids. As a matter of fact, they should have a sign on the door that anyone under 14 should not be allowed in that place. It cost me a whopping $8 to get my license which lasts for 5 years. Maybe it was ten. Now I can't remember. Do you know that it cost me $50 to get my license in OK? And that did not include the copy of my marriage license that I had to order for $25. Crazy.

I know my blog is pretty boring. I don't have many things to talk about I guess. I think I'd rather have it that way though. Rather than powdered sugar all over the living room, cereal in the bed, etc (SOrry De).

A HOUSE! A HOUSE! A HOUSE!

So our little family has been through quite the rollercoaster over the past 9 months, but I think it is finally coming to an end. We finally found a house and got a signed contract today. Yeah! When we set out looking for a house we had decided on a few things. 1-We were going to stay wherever we landed for at least five years. 2- The house we chose needed to be a fixer upper. 3- Micah wanted a place to put his stuff. 4- I wanted a roomy place for a kitchen table that we could all sit around for supper. 5- It had to be in a good school district. I can honestly say that this house has all of those things. Praise God! It is not the nicest house with the cutest landscaping and the best of everything, but we are so happy that we can make it ours.

I know that anything can go wrong from the time you sign the contract until closing, so I am reserving my total excitement for when the dotted line is signed. I just want to not have anything go wrong with it if it is truly the house that God has in mind for us. We'll see....

My snow angels

I think Gabe saw snow angels on a tv show or something because that was the first thing he wanted to do. And he made a perfect one too. I guess he is just a natural angel.
We finally had our first real snow of the winter and teh kids were SO thrilled. Gabe especially. They got all of their gear on at 7:30 at night so they could go out to play. And there really wasn't any stopping them. Papa and LoLo had given them new shovels and they just had to use them. They actually played out there for a long time too. I was pretty suprised because I thought that Ella would just freak out as soon as the first little bit of snow got in her mittens. She did good though.
Here they are shoveling the deck out back. They love to feel like they have a job to do.

What kind of sticks?

This is the funniest story of the week about one of the kids' "adult" conversations.

On Friday, Gabe got a birthday party invitation in the mail that is at the gymnastics place here in town. They go and play on the trampolines and inflatables and things. It also said that they were going to have pizza. Anyway, Ella was very upset because she was not invited to the birthday party for boys. I put the invitation on the refrigerator and went on with our day. Last night Ella noticed the invitation and it suddenly triggered her memory that she was not invited.

Out of such sorrow she said, "Gabe you cannot go to cheese sticks for Connor's party."

Gabe said, "Ella it is not at Chucky Cheese."

She said, "I know Gabe. But you cannot go to chicken sticks for the party."

Gabe said, "We are having pizza at the party, not chicken sticks."

Ella said, "I KNOW GABE, BUT YOU CANNOT GO TO CHEESE STICKS WITHOUT ME!"

Finally Gabe figured out what she was talking about and said, "Ella, it is at the gymnaSTICKS place, not cheese sticks or chicken sticks!" It was so funny. My mom and I could not stop laughing at their very intense converstaion.

Makeover time

I had purchased an ugly clock from Hobby Lobby for my mom for Christmas that I wanted to decorate for her. Of course I didn't get it done in time, but I finished it last night. Here are some pics. She is obsessed with Basic Grey so I used the Urban Couture on it. Every time that woman comes home from the scrapbook store she has more Basic Grey. She has like every line with the stickers, tags, and monograms. Anyway... here are the pics. I forgot to rotate this one before I posted it. Oops.

A few pics

Okay--so here are a few pics from the last month. I would upload more, but we all know how moody Blogger is. Takes forever just to do a few.

Here we are all ready for Christmas Eve. We didn't realize how bad Gabe's eye was with pink eye until we were ready to go. So I had dad shoot a pic before Daddy and Ella went to church and Gabe and I got back in our comfy clothes. Gabe looks like Popeye because his eye was so swollen. A little Christmas memory I guess.
And here are the girls. A very proud cousin holding a baby cousin.
Here are the three bigger cousins just hanging out. Gabe and Hayden played SO good together. He just entertained Hayden and taught him all sorts of fun things that I'm sure his momma appreciated. Ella and Hayden are only about 8 months apart, so they were a little too close in age to get along so great right now. I'm sure in a few years it will change, but at ages 2and3 they were more like competitors. Ella loved helping with Delaney the most.
Christmas day with the Aasen's. My little brother was there too. Pretty fun morning. Garth went back to bed as soon as we were done opening gifts. Lucky.
Here is little Delaney. Isn't she so cute? These last three pics were taken with the new Canon. She was my little test model as I was trying out all the functions.
Ella was such a big helper giving Laney a bath.
We went to a Skyforce game. The Skyforce is an NBA D league team we have here in town. The halftime show was a guy named "rubber boy" and they brought him out in a box to do all sorts of bendy stuff. He was a contortionist and it was really gross. Gabe thought it was pretty neat though so he tried it out for himself. This is what I saw when he said "Look mom!"

Yes, I'm alive.

Holy cow you guys. You are nuts. Is this what you stay at homes do all day? I didn't know this blog would be such a sounding board about how my skills are lacking. CHeck out all the comments from my last post. If this was E-bay they would call it negative feedback.

Since I haven't blogged much--here is a rundown of my last month.

Mid Dec.--I was at the Bells for a week

the next week--I was trying to get ready for Christmas. Baking (yest Corrie's Christmas cookies are still in the bucket in the garage--also known as the walk-in fridge during the winter), wrapping all the presents for the kids that they didn't need, tried to finish all my shopping, found a house that was great. Amazing that it took a week for those few things.

Christmas week-- Celebrated Jesus' birthday at my Aunt's house on Eve (Gabe had pink eye and stayed home with Micah because I had stayed home from church with him that morning), had Christmas at mom and dad's on Monday. Got ready to go to Arkansas on Tuesday. Packing, doing a few little last minute returns before leaving, and trying to get the mountains of laundry done. Wednesday, Micah worked in the morning, we signed an offer on a house at noon, and we left for Arkansas at 1:00. We arrived in Springdale at Scott and De's at about 11:00 that night. Thursday, had Christmas with the Grimm's and stayed through New Years. Didn't get the house.

Back home on Tuesday. Got pink eye on Wednesday. Went to the doctor on Thursday for pink eye and a sinus infection (that's right Amos, I went to the doc). Didn't go anywhere again until Sunday. The kids and Micah got sick on Saturday. We went through another house on Sunday. Fell in love with it. Went back to look at it on Monday. Made an offer today. We'll see.

So there it is. In a nutshell.

Here's a few details:
I got a great camera for Christmas and both Deanna and I read the manuals for our cameras. I got to see my new little niece Delaney who was born in July. SHe is so cute and the best baby ever. We took some family pics in Arkansas with all the cousins. The kids travelled great and didn't fight in the car. Miracle. Seriously. Micah got his iPod for Christmas. He put all of his pics on it from our desktop and was showing some people at workwhen up popped the pics from my TLC hottie post from awhile back. He had a few questions about why those hot guys were on his iPod. His co-workers were wondering too.

Okay, so I just wanted to catch you up a bit. My next post may be a little more interesting.

And for all you Poppy Ink fans out there--------do NOT whine to me when you don't purchase a kit. I already know you want them and you know too. Don't whine. Seriously.

And another thing---who is totally stoked for March 1? I tried to get Corriekate to come too. She couldn't. Something about her husband, a family, and job or something. Bad excuse.