A Time For Reflection

As 2009 comes to a close, I can not believe that another year has ended!! And not just a year, but an entire decade!! When I think back over the last 10 years I am amazed at how our lives - and our world - is different. Ten years ago Dan and I had just started dating and were getting ready to graduate high school. We weren't married, we weren't parents, we weren't teachers, we didn't own a home, we didn't know any of our current friends...we weren't even Buckeyes yet!! Cell phones were just becoming popular...texting, Yahoo! and Facebook weren't invented yet (Darn it - why didn't I think of that?!?!?!?)! The old stadium and "C" building were still there...yellow water and all, not everyone had a home computer, 9/11 hadn't happened and Bill Clinton was still President!!! That only scratches the surface...

Just for PURE embarrassment, the picture above is from our High School graduation...our 10 year reunion will be this fall!!

SO much has changed in a relatively short time. This year should be pretty mellow for us - just a time to enjoy being a family without any major life changes...at least we hope!! But, in just a few short years both girls will be in school...heck, by the time we change decades again we will have a teenager and a 'tween in the house...and, God only knows what - or who - else!!!!! Hopefully we still have a country at that point... We are so incredibly blessed and I wouldn't change a single thing about our lives. I have said before that I don't like New Year's resolutions, but Dan and I do hope that as a new year begins we become more generous people, so that the generosity and blessings we have been given is reflected to the people around us!!

Girly Girl

Aly, in the last 2 weeks has become quite girly!! She has been asking non stop for hair bows - I know what you are thinking, but I don't have the heart to tell her she doesn't have enough hair!! So, my mom got her a few head bands...which look absolutely adorable!! Of course, I haven't gotten a picture yet because she won't leave it on for more than 5 minutes. She also has taken an interest in brushing her own hair. GG got her a princess mirror for Christmas that I hung in her closet and Dan put a little end table in there under it for her to use as a vanity. She is so sweet, but gets embarrassed so we are not allowed to watch her do it....I was peeking around the corner last night though and she was as serious as could be brushing her hair and smiling at herself in the mirror.

We also have painted our nails twice over break! We have had numerous tea parties, played with baby dolls and dressed up as 'Princesses' multiple times a day...I love it! Not to mention the kid is a craft-o-holic (just like me)...and Hannah wants to be JUST like her big sister! This is what I have been waiting for...having girls is the greatest!!!

Another Round of Steroids...

but this time for Alyssa!! Her eczema is so bad right now that the dermatologist prescribed a dose of steroids to stop the itching and get it cleared up! Poor thing has such sensitive skin!! Hope this helps!!

To Paint or To Blog....

This has been my struggle with what to do with my free time lately...and by 'free time' I mean the very small amounts of time after the girls go to bed and before my eyelids can't stay up anymore ;) As you can tell by my lack of blogging, painting has been winning out. But, I am trying to catch up the blog so there isn't a big empty gap when the girls look back 10 years from now!! And, I am about half done with the painting. I know people think I am nuts to try to do it so fast and I know you are supposed to wait until the house settles, but I don't care. I can patch the spots that need fixed, but I want our house to really feel like home!! And, it is in my blood...once I get something in my head, I have to do it. I don't have the patience to wait! I love to see the end result too much! It is starting to get there...

Merry Christmas!!

Even though Christmas goes by so fast and we have so many places to go, it is by far my favorite holiday. Not only is it fun to give (and receive ;) gifts and spend time with family and friends, but it is a Birthday celebration for Jesus - who ultimately gives the greatest gift of all!! This year was no exception...the girls got more presents than I could possibly list. Many were duplicates or multiples, but they liked it all anyway. Some of my favorite gifts included her Penguin (story to follow), an Easy Bake Oven, dress up clothes (TinkerBell and Cinderella) and doll beds with custom bedding (handmade by GG)!!

Ok, here is the story with the penguin. If you remember back to last summer, when we went to visit Teri in Cincinnati, we went to the Newport Aquarium and Aly got a stuffed penguin. Not long after we got home she lost it. We tried to replace it with another penguin, but it was not the same for her. Every night when we prayed before bed she wanted to pray for her penguin to be safe and come home...so I arranged for that to happen. Some how I got her to come up with the idea to ask Santa to find him and bring him home to her for Christmas. Then, I asked Teri to go and buy us a new one (the exact same penguin) for me to wrap up for her. I wrote a letter from Santa explaining that he 'found him and took him back to his workshop to give him a bath'. She knew Santa was going to come through because on Christmas morning that is all she talked about! I was planning on making her wait to open that one last, but every present she opened, that was not him, she said "I wonder were my penguin is!?!?" She was sooooooooo excited to see it that she just kept looking and hugging the penguin for like 10 minutes. She has not separated from it since! Here are some pictures of her with the penguin and the rest of our Christmas festivities!!

Hannah wasn't really to interested in opening presents...she just wanted to play!!

Her shoes are hard to see in this picture, but she LOVED them...she only time she took them off for 3 days was to sleep!!

Tinkerbell and Cinderella

Here are some from Christmas Eve also (Hannah would NOT cooperate for pictures...I was NOT trying leaving her out on purpose):
Sprinkling the reindeer food we made on the lawn...

It was definitely a great holiday!!

Hannah's Room

I finally finished Hannah's room! I think it turned out pretty cool! The walls are a very light purple and the squares were painted on to match her 'me'...which also happens to match the comforter I bought for her when she moves to her full size bed. Here is the finished product:

Santa is Coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christmas Eve morning was so sweet, when Aly realized what day it was, she got up and yelled, "It's Christmas!!!" Then she started jumping on her bed saying, "Santa is coming! Santa is coming tonight!!" When she was done, she ran in to get Dan to tell him it was time for us to make cookies and a birthday cake for Jesus. Dan watched it all on the monitor...to bad the video monitor doesn't record!!

Zoo Lights and Snow

The zoo lights were awesome this year!! Even though we were just getting over the flu, the weather was too nice not to go and check it out. We walked around for a little while to look at the animals, which were actually really active for being night time. The baby elephant was out and about and the tiger was pacing back and forth right against the glass less than a foot from us!!

After seeing the animals we went to find Santa. They had a whole 'North Pole' set up in Jungle Jack's Landing....waaaaaaaaaay better than our train ride to the North Pole!! We saw Santa - from a safe distance and went to Mrs. Claus' kitchen were Alyssa and Hannah both decorated a cookie. They were really good cookies and I had some hot chocolate to go with it to end the night. What a great Christmas activity!!

Alyssa was sharing her cookie with Daddy...you can see in the next picture she dropped it - look at Dan's face. Oh well, 5-second rule! The cookie was so good he ate it anyway!

We left the zoo just in time because on the way home it started snowing...a lot! The next morning Aly had to play in it. Of course they built a snowman, but there really wasn't very much so it was a mini-snowman - with raisin eyes and a stick mouth! Hannah was NOT diggin' the snow at all! Maybe next time...

Daddy Cam

I found this picture on the camera Dan took last week. I thought I would post it because it is too cute of Hannah. She is brushing her teeth in the loft while she watches Dora...she won't take her eyes off for a minute! As long as she cleans those pearly whites...

We had the sickness...

Tuesday after school my mom sent me a text saying Aly was throwing up and needed us to get home from school as quick as we could. Poor thing had a stomach bug ;( And it was really the first time she had ever thrown up...thankfully (I HATE puke and puking)! It was a fierce bug too...it came on quick and didn't last long. I had picked Aly up from pre-school that morning and she was fine. She only got sick one other time on Tuesday and was fine on Wednesday morning! She was so sweet...she kept saying, "My belly hurts! I've got the sickness!".

Wednesday night Aly and I made goodie bags for her school Christmas party on Thursday. We had some little coloring books, stickers and even made little bags of reindeer food (oats with colored sugar and glitter) for her friends with the following poem attached:

Make a wish with eyes closed tight

and sprinkle this on your lawn tonight.

As Santa's reindeer fly and roam,

this food will guide them to your home!

She was such a big helper and she was so excited because Dan was taking the morning off to go in and help out with her class!! But, guess what? The bug hit Dan...while he was helping in Aly's class! He was feeling horrible and got sick at the school!! Then, I started feeling sick and left school and left early after throwing up at school. Dan was feeling better, but I was in bed all night!! We were so miserable, but the next morning we were both fine!!! Thankfully, Hannah hasn't gotten it and hopefully won't either! I sure am glad it was out of the way before break started!!

North Pole Express

Last Sunday we took a train ride all the way to the North Pole to see Santa at his workshop! We were all really excited about it and the anticipation was fun, but Santa's workshop was a big disappointment! For starters the train was almost an hour late...the train itself was ok, but hardly 'Christmassy' and probably where we picked up the sickness we got later in the week!! The only thing to look at on the way to Santa was warehouses and 'empty oil tankers'. So we spent 30 minutes on this train - with nothing to do - and we finally arrive at Santa's only to find that the North Pole is really just a shed on the side of the train tracks behind a driving range!!! And did I mention it had RAINED all morning...so you can imagine the mud!!!

The train conductor told us we could get off to wait in line to see Santa - and that was literally all there was to do. There were no decorations or activities...you just waited in line until it was your turn in Santa's shed. The Santa was the worst I had ever seen - Easton's is waaaaay better. Of course Aly and Hannah wouldn't sit on his lap so it was a complete waste for us. I guess we just thought the North Pole would have a little more to offer. I was imagining different stations set up with coloring, and cookie decoration and elves...

So anyway, we get back on the train and ride another 30 minutes back to the station. Hannah is in a horrible mood because she has been sitting all day and guess what?!?!?! We have a 1.5 hour drive home from London, Ohio!! Definitely was NOT worth the money or the entire day it ate up, but I did get a couple of cute pictures. I didn't take any at the North Pole because I was so pissed, but I really wish I had so you would know I am not exaggerating!!

The worst part is that I feel like Alyssa and Hannah were let down. They truly thinks we went to the North Pole and has that muddy shed as their experience. Aly had to be imagining this magical village like in all the Christmas shows and movies! At least she is only 3 and we could make up some stuff that she believed. For example, we weren't allowed in the workshop because we would have saw all of our toys...so Santa met us by the train. I also showed her the reindeers' stables (the driving range) and told her they must be a sleigh practice. She seem satisfied, but I know I was let down so she had to have been :(

It is a memory we will have forever at the least...maybe next year we will try the Polar Express in Hocking Hills...I hear that one is really good!!

This was when the girls were being silly splashing in puddles while waiting in the rain for the (late) train...ended up being the most fun...

Here is Aly's face when we finally see the train...

Alyssa's Room

I finished Aly's bedroom yesterday!! It turned out really cute and Aly loves it. The walls are a pale pink, the brown stripe is painted and the dots are wall stickers. The paintings on either side the window were made by Jess for my shower before Aly was even born. Here's what it looks like:

Poor Little Lily...

Lily is not doing so great and I don't think it is going to have a happy ending. Even though she is only 5, she has been struggling with hip/back problems for a little over a year. It is hard for her to get around and it doesn't help that she is over weight. The past few days have been the worst I have seen it. She doesn't get up to walk around, she just drags her back half. She barely even goes outside because she doesn't want to do the steps. And she sleeps on the main floor every night. Dan took her to the vet yesterday and he said there isn't much we can do. We are giving her an anti-inflammatory to see if that helps, the next step is steroids and beyond that is surgery. We know that we think it would be foolish and can not afford to have surgery done (especially since there is no guarantee it will fix the problem and she has a long back and is prone to these types of problem).

We have both been wrestling with the fact that we are, eventually, going to have to put her to sleep. She is such a happy dog, but her quality of life is not there any more. We have seen a definite change in her over the past year. We really don't have any other options...the medicine may only pro-long this reality. As much as we joke about them being sent to a farm, it is sad because she is a part of the family and we love her very much! Plus, we are going to have to explain to Aly why Lily isn't coming home. Not to mention it may very well kill Sammy not to have her around. I will keep you posted, but our Little Lily Goat may not be with us too much longer...

The Sound Bucket

At school, instead of 'show and tell', Aly's teachers have a 'Sound Bucket' that the kids take turns bringing home and filling with a few items that start -or have the sound of - the letter they are assigned. Aly kept asking when she was going to get it so every time she didn't we would always say, "What the heck?? When are you going to get that thing??" and she would just giggle.

Last week, she got it! She was so cute with it and wanted to fill it with everything!! I really wish I had taken a picture...she would pick something up and say, "Does this start with it?" Then she would say, "I can't wait to show it to my friends!" She had a hard letter though: I. We ended up filling it with ice cream (play), an ice cream truck toy, ice (real, but in a zip lock bag), an insect and a stuffed iguana. It was fun to help her find things for it...I think she will get to do it again too. I love pre-school!!

HoHo is Humming Soon!!

I seriously love this time of year...and it is even more fun when you have kids!! There is just so much to do together and everything is so festive. We put up our tree (which they have de-ornamented several times already...that part is not so much fun), hung lights outside, stocking are in place...we just need the big man to make a visit!! Hannah has been talking up a storm about Santa coming!! She can't quite get it out right yet though, so it comes out "HoHo is humming soon!" My dad has been telling them about Santa all the time, so she usually follows that with "Pawpa says!!". It is very sweet! Aly keeps saying she wants a dinosaur from Santa (she saw the boy in a show she watches get one), but she also says she wants everything else she sees! Santa has already bought most of the gifts though so she might have to wait until her birthday for the rest...

We went to visit Santa last weekend at Easton...it didn't go so well. Hannah was ok until Dan tried to sit her on his lap. Then she threw a fit and started clinging to Dan's arms. Aly would not even walk close enough to touch him and wanted me to tell him what she wanted. She also instructed me not to forget to get her a chocolate coin ;) You can see why I don't have a picture to post!! Maybe next year...

Life. Moving. Chaos.

So, it has been almost a month since my last 'real' post, but we have been really busy (in a good way)!! Hopefully I remember all I wanted to post!! I got A LOT of emails after I posted last time about how busy we have been and 'keeping you in suspense'...I was just being sarcastic, but the answer is "NO!!"...there is not going to be another little Bender...

That being said, we finally got to close on our new house!! We both took personal days and closed bright and early at 9 am on Friday, November 20th. After signing away the next 30 years of our financial lives ;) we jumped right in. Dan had already reserved a truck and I started to paint (white walls really kill me...it is in my blood). My mom kept the girls all day so we had some time before it got really crazy. Although, of course, I didn't get as much done as I thought I would during that time. I started painting in the kitchen so I didn't have to go around the fridge and then painted the accent wall in the family room. By that time, they delivered the fridge, the cable guys came and people were stopping by to see the place. I stopped at that point and started to unpack our kitchen and put the girls' beds together so we could go to sleep. Dan got most of our stuff moved that day so we were able to actually sleep here the first night!!

The rest was moved throughout the weekend and we handed over the keys to the sweet women who bought our house just before Thanksgiving!! It is a little weird to drive by our old house now, but we really don't miss it. There were a lot of memories there, but we will have even more here...and the girls love it!! I was worried they might have a hard time with the change, but the first morning we were here Dan found Aly playing in the playroom first thing in the morning!! She told us, "I love our new house...I don't want to go to our other one anymore!" We haven't been here long, but it most definitely feel like home!! Good thing, because we are going to be here for a loooooooooooong time!!

P.S. I will post pictures soon...working full time and enjoying this holiday season with the girls has slowed down my decorating and picture taking!! ;) If you want to see it before...stop by!

Thanksgiving Feast

Aly's school had a Thanksgiving Feast before the holiday and I went in to help out her class. It was ADORABLE!! Her class was one of the Indian groups and and her teachers were Pilgrims. They feasted on raisins, popcorn, goldfish, corn bread and pumpkin bread...Aly, of course, only ate the popcorn! I forgot my good camera, but I got these with my phone!!

Our Indian Princess :)

We have sooooooo much to be thankful for this year! Hope everyone had a great holiday with their family and friends!!