Been thinking…

Well, it’s been a long time.  I don’t know why I have been gone so long.  I seem to just not be in the mood to write.  It’s not just here either.  I rarely update anywhere online these days.  I spend a lot of time thinking..

oh I should blog that. 

Oh those pics would go great on the blog! 

But I don’t actually do it.  I think part of the problem is I compare my blog to some of the others I read.  They have fancy blogs with awesome contents.  They are terrific writers.  They get so many comments.  My blog can never be like that.. I am so boring!  My Grammar is awful!  Writing was my worse subject in school. 

One day I thought back to why I started a blog.   I blogged because Anna was growing so fast.  I wanted to share all the things she was doing and saying.  I shared things that I wanted to remember, things she could read as she got older.  That was what my blog was for.  The family.

It’s time to get back to that.  Now I have Ethan here a lot and he can say the cutest things (although don’t tell him that.  He hates being called cute.) and I am not writing about it!   It’s time to stop worrying about what others think of my blog and just blog for me (and my family of course).

Back from some much needed rest..

I kinda took a vacation from my Christmas Vacation.  Every Vacation I love to take my nieces for the week.  It is a wonderful time of girls and chaos but I love it.  This year I ended up sick just before New Year’s but I just couldn’t stop moving.  I continued to stay up past midnight playing games with them.  We taught the girls how to play Risk.  The following day my niece, Jade, exclaimed she was ready to try it again.  This time she conquered the world.  We will be ready for a re-match in February! 

So many things has happened that I would love to blog about, however, today is about getting back on track.  Dance starts up tonight, full on school today, and so much more.  I spent all day yesterday cleaning.  Just getting everything back in order.  I had been lazy all week.  I am ready for a structured day and glad to say the house is still clean. 

My daughter received an Ipod for Christmas.  She has been thrilled.  She is not going to be happy to put it down for school work today.. she has been attached to it for the past two weeks.  Last night she even made up a song for her Ipod. 

A look back at 2011

This has been a really hard year.  I am not gonna lie.  We have been faced with many challenges from Angel’s liver transplant to watching our home appliances fall apart.  The latest was just last week.  We already did not have a working oven but this week, while the girls are here, the stove top shorted out when Angel tried to see what he could do about the oven.  With the nieces here we needed to cook with something so he ran out to purchase a double burner and a griddle.  Cooking since has been interesting.  I quickly learned that I can not just pour 8 scrambled eggs onto the griddle.. there is a drainage and those eggs go down it really fast.  What a mess!!  However, it is great for making large batches of pancakes or sausages! 

We ended 2011 with a huge party pizza and cookies that I made in a little toaster oven.  The cookies took a lot of time since I could only fit 6 at a time.  I made myself some spicy chicken, wrapped in rice wrap and baked.. then dipped in a mix of mayo and hot sauce.  It was yummy.  Top that of with some flourless pb cookies and all was good.  However, I am sick.  That isn’t a fun way to start the New Year.  I am not sure if it is just a cold that feels like allergies or if I got some dairy in my food accidently.  The evening before the symptoms started we had tacos.. I gave the girls tips on how to keep the contaminated stuff away from the clean items I could eat but who knows. 

Although the year has been hard.. we have had many blessings throughout. Angel is alive!  That is a huge one for me.  I was able to spend the week with my beautiful nieces.  That is something I always cherish no matter how chaotic it gets.  Even though we were not able to buy Christmas gifts, a friend from another state basically adopted my daughter and grandson for Christmas.  Anna has been getting little things in the mail and a huge box came in the other day full of things.  This same person has also ordered us a stove.  I am just stunned. 

I remember ending 2010 so ready to move on.  November 2010 was a horrible month with my grams death then almost losing Angel the next day.  I was so ready to put all that behind me.  Didn’t think I could handle any more than what we had that month.  I was so wrong.  2011 proved to be a huge challenge but the Lord never left our side.  Anna was forced to be separate from us for two months and just handled it so well.  It has been an amazing year.  I am so thankful for my family and friends but most importantly for the Lord who carries us through. 

I enter 2012 not as naïve as 2011.  I know we will still be faced with challenges.  However, I have more faith that we will get through those challenges with the Lord by our side.  I believe we are stronger because of those challenges.  I think I am ready to see what 2012 holds for us. 

Simon Flash

Our family loves board games.  Every school vacation my nieces come and spend a week with us.  We play lots of games together.  We love all kinds of games from board games to card games.  Lately, my grandson has also been really into learning new games.  Just last week we taught him how to play Monopoly Junior.  This game used to be his daddy’s game when he was just a little boy. 

Robyn over at robynsonlineworld has just reviewed Simon Flash and has a giveaway on her blog.  Go check it out!  I know this is a game that we would love to play. 

Anna’s First Dance Performances of the year

It has been a really crazy weekend.  On Friday night Anna had dance rehearsal to start off the busy year.  My plan was to go shopping but honestly I was having way too much fun watching the girls.  Ethan was having fun snapping pics on his Nintendo DS before he got completely bored.  When Anna finally got up to dance, Ethan shouted loudly, “Hi Anna!” Of course everyone laughed. 

Saturday was performance day.  I am always a mess before these things. 

“Do you have your shoes?”

“Put the tights on with tan first, then pink, then trouser socks.”

“We need to do your bun.”

“What’s taking so long?”

“You only have 1 tights on!”

“Come on!  I need to do your bun!”

“We are running out of time, Anna”

“Are the tights on correctly?  Tan, pink then socks?”

Finally get in the van

“You have all your shoes right?”

“Tights are on in the right order right?”

Yes, I am a maniac.  At the second nursing home I was starting up again as she was changing.  I asked her if she wanted me to leave.. she nodded yes.  Oh the poor girl!  She did an awesome job, though.  I don’t think I ruined her….yet.  She was totally embarrassed in one of the dances.  Her top came down exposing her camisole but we told her.. That is what the camisoles are for.  One of the ladies made her feel better with a few dancer stories to share. 

This is my favorite dance.  It was called Frames.

After the dances, the girls go around and meet the residents of the nursing homes. 

The lady in this picture was asking Anna about school.  Anna’s response, “I don’t go to school.”  Long pause “I am homeschooled”  I can just imagine what the lady must have been thinking during that pause.

I was reading her lips as she was talking to another lady.  She said “I have been dancing for 5 years, I don’t need to practice”

I loved it when she told me that one lady said she was dancer for 11 years.  She told Anna that she should never quit, even if it kills her.  LOL!

Hanging out after the final Saturday performance.

On Sunday, Anna got to do it all over again.  After the nursing home, the girls headed off to another place to sing Carols and give gifts.  I just loved watching the faces of the residents as the girls danced.  One lady was all into it, just singing and dancing along.  At the place where they sang carols, there was one guy in the back they just sang along with them.. every single song.  Never missed a beat.  I am so glad these girls can just brighten up someone’s day like that. 

Finally we dropped Anna off at the teachers home with a big crock of sloppy joes for a holiday party.  Only dancers allowed.  Angel and I headed over to Burger King and just sat there reading and talking til it was time to pick her up.  We would have preferred going someplace else for steak but finances just don’t allow it these days.  We are just glad Anna had a great time! 

Black Friday Mingle

1. Did you do Black Friday or Cyber Monday shopping? Tell us about it!
2. Have you finished most of your holiday shopping?
3. Does your family have any holiday traditions?

Military Spouse?

If you just came over here from Trooppetrie's Blog, you may be a bit confused.  No I am not currently a military spouse but I was for a short while.  My husband served his 20 years in the military.  He was active for 4 years, then continued in the Army Reserves.  When I met Angel in 1994, he was coming into RI, once a month to stay with his brother on the weekends he had drill.  We were married in 1999 and he retired in 2005.  I do remember just before he retired, there was a concerned that his unit could be deployed.  I remember being really nervous and now knowing how I could manage without him.  I have a lot of admiration and respect for military families.  I have often wondered what would have happened if Angel had continued in the service.  He has often wished he was still active.  For those military families who have come through the link on the blog above, I want to say Thank you!  Thank you for all you do, and the sacrifices you make for the rest of us.