Urgh...poor baby...

So I knew it was gonna happen...I just had a hunch.
We went swimming in the hotel pool this weekend and as I saw Sammy playing in the water, I thought "he's gonna get an ear infection. I hope he doesn't get an ear infection". Guess what? Sammy has an ear infection. A rip snorting one in both ears. His fever was 102.6 last night and he has been miserable. My only child to ever have an ear infection ever! Poor baby. So now he is being seriously drugged. Benadryl for the stuffy nose and cough, Robistussin for the chest congestion, Amoxo for the ears, and Tylenol and Motrin for the fever. This is what they told me to do so I am doing it. If it makes him feel better.....

Fun for me if no one else...(TN trip)

Matt and Connie. Those little ones sure love their Uncle Matt. Ike Ike spent yesterday afternoon singing ABCs tune with the words "Uncle Matt, uncle matt, uncle matt, uncle uncle matt...." and he cried when we had to leave.

Cute cousins posing for pictures!

Miss O

Loveys from Ike Ike.

Cute kids! They got a long so well! I was so pleased!

My beautiful niece!

My brother and his boy.

A group of us on the sofa chillin!

Me and my cutey pie Sammy!

Fun for me if no one else...(Christmas Day)

Ok...so I followed Tyler Florence's recipe to the letter...Prime Rib Roast...I cooked it just as long as he said to...when we cut into it I could swear the durn thing was still mooing. We tried to each take a bite of it but the puddle of blood on the plate was not very appealing. So we tied it back together with a string and let it cook for another hour and a half. It was super tasty...once it was done!!!!

Sammy having a good time Christmas Morning.

Isaac enjoying his art supplies...on his head...

The boys having fun with the blocks they got!

Fun at the indoor pool!

Sammy loved LOVED the pool and was so proud of himself!! We couldn't keep him out of the water!

Auld Lang Syngygygyg

Well, Christmas is officially put away. I am glad really. Get things back to normal. I have a few New Years Resolutions to work on...lose 20 lbs, organize my house, lose 20 lbs, work hard at my cake business, lose 20 lbs...

As soon as my hubby figures out how to burn my copy of the pics from Christmas I will post them.....twiddles fingers....

I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus...

I just always liked that song...

Anywho...We had a wonderful Christmas. Santa Claus was good to us. Christmas Eve we went over to some friends for a party and had lots of yummy food, read the Cmas story, and played Cranium. Then we came home and the boys put out goodies for Santa, spread reindeer food on the lawn, and actually went to bed fairly easily. The whole thing that Santa only comes when you are asleep really helps.
Then we all got up for the real party! Our boys are still small enough that we had to remind them that it was Christmas and that Santa had come. Once we did, David was up like a shot! Santa brought David Piranha Panic game that he had been asking for for ages. Ike Ike got a big Diego Mega Blocks set, and Sammy got Tickle Me Extreme Cookie Monster!! :) Nathan got his digital Camera and mommy got a 3 tier serving tray set that I have been wanting for a while (and some cash to go get myself a few things I needed!) Granni was able to come and spend the holiday with us which was nice also. The day after Cmas we went bargain hunting and found a few things but not much. I actually used up all the wrapping paper we owned this Cmas! I didn't think that ever happened! It was down to the wire there for a bit, I didn't know if we were gonna make it! Thursday we packed up the car and took Granni up to the airport and from there drove on to Nashville, where I grew up, to visit my brother and his family and my dad and his wife and my brother and his girlfriend drove down from St Louis. We spent Friday hanging out till Dad got there then it was like mass chaos as the kids were so excited not just by the arrival of Poppop and Uncle Frank but also the massive pile of Christmas presents that appeared with their arrival! We had a nice meal and then opened each others' presents. It was very nice. Saturday we went to Opry Mills (used to be a theme park Opryland but they tore it down and built a mall, gag) and walked around the Opryland Hotel Conservatory and then went swimming in PopPop's hotel pool. The kids had a blast! Nathan was really beat so I took him back to where we were staying and dropped him off with the kids and I went back to my brother's and we siblings (minus Nathan) stayed up till almost 3 am playing games and hanging out. It was so fun! It was nice to meet Matt's girlie friend Connie, as well. She was very sweet and we all liked her very much. Sunday we went to my old ward and I recognized like nobody! It's amazing how things change in 12 years! :P
Then PopPop and that group had to leave but Nathan and I decided to stay on one more night and crashed at Frank's. We played a few games after the kids had all gone to bed and all in all it was a very fun weekend. I was so pleased at how well our kids got along and it made me wish they could see their cousins more often. David really enjoyed playing with E and O and one morning sat at the kitchen table with O just "talking" for the longest time. They got on really well. And Ike Ike managed to play with B a little bit though they are both so young that they just kinda did their own thing. I was glad they didn't fight at least! Sadly, it was the first time that all the siblings and all their kids had gotten together...ever! We'll just have to not let that take so long till the next time! :) I'll post more pics soon!

Our weekend with the fam

So here's some pics of us...My older brother Frank and his wife, Jennifer and their 4 kids, My younger brother Matthew and his girlfriend Connie, My dad and Kaye (Dad was suffering from an unfortunate bout of Bells Palsey), and Nathan and me and our 3 boys. A very fun weekend.

Stolen from Leah, So Fun!

Here comes Santa Clause...

I suppose I ought to actually update! We've been so busy getting ready for Christmas! Granni got here this week and so we have been hanging out mostly since she is pretty beat. She starts week 3 of this round of chemo tomorrow so she is pretty tired and the boys have had stuffy noses and been crabby since the anticipation for Christmas is building up! I'll be glad when it's over!! Though I love Christmas of course...
We are going to Nashville the weekend after Cmas and are looking forward to that.
Ummm, lets see...what else....
Man, I just don't feel like there's much to post lately ... I dunno....We're just busy.

Happy Holidays!!

I wish...

I wish I could take it back.
There are just some things in my life that I wish I could take back.
I realize that at one time I yielded some influence and I let my insecurities and judgements get in the way. I wish I could take it back. Maybe things would be different. But I was stupid. Never again will I let my insecurities judge how I relate with people around me. I am sure I have missed out on opportunities to be close to or to help people.
I have become reacquainted with Rachelle but almost let that pass because of my own stupid insecurities. What a loss that would have been.
Never again. Life is too short.

My old friend...

Just wanted to post a few pics.

Just one of many youth activites...good times!

Obadiah's Mission Call to Romania

Obadiah's Senior Picture

It may sound silly...and it sure had been a long time...but it seems like something is missing knowing he's gone. You think about your loved ones and even if you haven't spoken in a long time, you assume they are ok. Then something like this happens and it's such a loss.