2011 . . .

Happy New Year's Eve to you all! Here at our house we are having a flukey warm day and all of our snow has melted. This morning when the kids woke up they were devastated that all the snow was gone. They have had so much fun sledding all winter - everyone here promises us that we will have tons by the end of winter, but we have three years of Southern winters to make up for. We need copious amounts of snow!

People love to share information about this area and today the person who cuts my hair (Katrina was getting her hair cut - we gave up on growing out the bangs as we couldn't see her face anymore) was telling me that on windy days we have to go down to the lake by the lighthouse as she said there will be "Hawaii sized waves" that will actually go over the top of the lighthouse. She said the lighthouse will be covered in ice from top to bottom. We will have to check that out and get pictures if possible. An interesting piece of trivia!

Happy 2011 to all!

Merry Christmas

What a great Christmas! We had so much fun spending the day together (as well as opening presents - I love presents!). Greg surprised us all with a Wii so we have been playing that a lot, but really I think the kids like board games more right now. The house is full of new toys and lots of laughter. Here are some pictures of the kids with Santa (we waited outside in the freezing cold for about 40 minutes before getting in to see him - next year we will dress more warmly) and some pictures of one of my very, very favorite presents still in the box.

Familiar Faces

We have started to see people we "know" (and that is in quotes as we don't know them very well) around town which always makes me feel settled. At Greg's work party this weekend, a woman came over to say hi to me and I realized it was a mom of one of Katrina's friends from school. Yesterday we went to see Yogi Bear (which was only a so-so movie in my opinion) and Katrina and I heard someone yelling her name. Another surprise! It was a friend from her class and as we headed back to our seats, Anna walked right behind Katrina and sat in between her and Ethan. How cute! Even nicer was that her mom sent me a facebook message today saying how great it was to see us and how the girls will remember things like that forever.

We have been here four months already and things are feeling familiar now. Hard to think about staying here long term as we have been so busy moving for so long (the longest I have lived in one residence since I graduated from high school has been five years which was our home in Rochester). This is a nice place - beautiful area with lots of family oriented activities. Just a small working class town I'm learning. But people are friendly. And for those of us who put in time in Arkansas, that counts for a whole lot!!

"Around the home" news - Ethan now wants Mater to sleep with him every night. And Mater does. Heads right in at bedtime, jumps on the bed, goes to sleep, and doesn't make a peep until morning (granted early morning, but not sure if that is Mater or Ethan waking up). Right now Ethan has him locked in his room while he plays. Katrina has 18 more days until she gets her ears pierced. She has been doing a great job with it, even at night. Her four front permanent teeth are over half-way in now (thus the push for her to stop sucking her thumb). All the moms here highly suggest finding a place that will use two people so that both ears can be pierced at the same moment in time. Off to the post office to mail Pappaw Nick and Grandma Sandy's present, then to the library (loving the library system here - can get almost any book I have ever dreamed of), and then I'm going to attempt the playground with the kids all bundled up. And the store. We need to go to the store. Happy five days before Christmas!

A banner day and weather

So yesterday I got a lot of things done. Ethan and I shopped during the morning while Katrina was at school (he also suckered me into buying him two goldfish that now reside in his room) and got a lot of presents bought. After coming home with Katrina, I made about 40 sugar cookie gingerbread men from a real recipe (my first time doing this - normally I count on my mom to show up with her sugar cookies already made at holiday times) and they turned out great after the first batch. I learned when it says to roll the dough to a quarter inch to half an inch thin, you should go for the quarter inch or else your gingerbread men look like they are seriously pumped up. Feeling pretty confident now about making sugar cookies for Santa.

I then transformed Katrina's old recital costume into a Snow Queen costume as it was Nutcracker week at ballet. I will post some pictures of this costume when I get chance. We then left for ballet, came home and whipped out supper (leftover lasagna), and wahlah, the day was almost done!

Today's is Ethan's special person day at preschool so that will take up the whole morning. He really wanted Greg to be his special person and flat out told me this, but he is stuck with me! Tomorrow is speech and then K's school party, and then Friday I'm working at the school store. And then vacation for two weeks! The kids are currently removing the ornaments from the tree to decorate their rooms. Again. They did this yesterday. But they are so excited about decorating their rooms what can I really say? Happy Wednesday to you all!

"The Deal" - 28 days and counting

So Katrina wants her ears pierced REALLY badly. She has lots of friends with their ears pierced and even some of their little sisters have their ears pierced. We have discussed that this hurts and it is likely getting a shot in your earlobe, but she doesn't care. She just wants them pierced. So we made a deal - no thumbsucking for 30 days. She is an avid thumbsucker and we have been trying to break her of this for over a year. Sometimes she'll do really well, and then we relapse. She is very motivated right now. She has made it for two days. I am very proud of her. She can be very determined, especially when she really wants something. I can't believe she really wants them pierced this badly. While I'm not a big fan of a six year old having pierced ears, the pain/money this could save down the road from orthodontic worth should hopefully make this worth it. Twenty eight more days to go!

Princess Diana

On Saturday, I went with some of the wives of Greg's coworkers to the Princess Diana exhibit. It was such a great day and the exhibit was so nicely done. They had a part designated for her childhood/teenage years, her Spencer family history, her marriage, her death, and her dresses (did you know that all of the dresses for her entire wedding party - including her dress - only cost $1900? The wedding dress was there, too). What really struck me about it though was how beautiful she was. In today's world of touched up noses, injected lips, cheek implants, etc, she was just a truly unique beauty. My favorite part was some family videos they showed where she was probably about ten years old and was just silly dancing - reminded me of Katrina and just showed how much Princess Diana's life truly changed down the road.

After we went there, they took me to the historic Amway Hotel and we went and had dessert and coffee at a restaurant there overlooking the Grand River. All I could think of was how much some of my friends in Arkansas would have LOVED this day full of culture and fun. I hadn't been away from Ethan in about two weeks with Thanksgiving break and then he was sick for a full week. When I saw him again after being away for four hours or so I couldn't believe how much is speech is improving. His speech path had made that comment this past week, but wow, he has really worked on it! Hard sometimes to see the improvement until you can come in with a fresh perspective.

Next culture filled event - Greg's work party at the museum where the Body Exhibit is currently on display. Not necessarily the most appetizing of locations, but I'm looking forward to seeing it!

Pictures that go with previous post

Well, I made it to the basement and have uploaded the photos I promised below! Enjoy! And Ethan has eaten a fourth pancake and is still doing well.