Addison's First Communion

At the 5 PM Mass this last Saturday, April 26, Addison celebrated her First Communion in front of my parents, Chris' parents and her Great Grandma Pat (and our family, of course). She was the first of 6 total kids during this Mass and she did great. She took the body and blood of Christ like a pro. She is already looking forward to being able to go to Church and participate in Holy Communion instead of crossing her arms.

Addison's comment afterwards, "Daddy, I liked the Blood of Christ."

She is one funny girl.

We celebrated with a grill out and cake and ice cream. We gave Addison a little bracelet from Stands of Grace with her favorite colors, purple. Grandma Bet and Grandpa Bill gave her a cross necklace, something she will cherish forever. The only problem is, Addison doesn't want to ruin the Borsheims box and bow it came in! And Chris' parents gave her a giftcard to Parables, bracelets and a book. She was thankful for all the nice things family gave her. My question is, what do you give boys on their First Communion. (Jill, help me out on this one as you will go first! :) ).

It was a beautiful day and moment for Addison, something she can cherish forever. Congratulations Addison!

The kids with Grandma Bet and Grandpa Bill (my parents) and Asher, the ham!

The kids with Great Grandma Pat, Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Bob

Addison and her free cake (it was free because they lost my order and made this one up in 10 minutes! Tasted the same though!).

Happy Birthday Daddy

Daddy celebrated a birthday April 6. Seriously, I am so behind.

Anyway, we didn't let Daddy's day pass without a celebration. The night before, my amazing parents came down and watched the kids so Chris and I could enjoy a quiet dinner, with an emphasis on quiet. We just went to Panera, but it was so nice to sit, talk and chew uninterrupted. We stopped by Gerta's to pick up some birthday donuts per Daddy's request, too.

What did Daddy want for his birthday this year? Well, for starters, he got 2 45 pound dumb bells. Exciting, huh? Asher bought Chris a Spider Man T-shirt as the 2 of them share their love of Superheros. The girls and I bought him Ultimate Ears Boom Wireless Bluetooth speaker. Chris was excited to get the speaker as it was an unexpected surprise.

Chris and I got free iphones (Verizon gave us free iphones since we were one of a dozen people without smart phones and they felt bad for us. And, they wanted to gauge us with the data plans!). Anyway, Chris wanted the speaker for his phone. He uses it when he works out with, you guessed it, his new weights! :) See, the gifts all go together.

We had a good, simple day, just as Daddy likes it.

Happy Birthday Daddy! Many more...

Last Training Long Run

Today was my last training long run for my first (and perhaps only) marathon. It is hard to believe I have trained now 17 weeks for this marathon with only one week to go.

Next Sunday I take on the 26.2 miles. Chris is coming to support me, and the kids and my parents may come as well.

Honestly, I'm just looking forward to crossing the finish line and being done.

One week plus...and I'm counting.

Sleepless in Papillion

I am now 6 days into the 9 days I am scheduled to work in April. Craziness! I now question how moms do it? Im Definitely not made to nearly work full time (I work 12.5 hour shifts) and be a mommy and wife.

The work itself is challenging. I call an hour before my shift to find out where I am going to work from 7pm-11pm. One night, I had left the house and got called to be switched assignments! I'm hoping that does not happen too often. Every night, I have a new group of patients, co workers, places where things are kept, and differences on how some units do things. It is difficult to keep up with. I'm typically not one to go with the flow, but it am working on it. I kinda have to.  Luckily, I learn quickly.

Some nights, come 11pm, I am reassigned to another hospital. They pay me for drive time and mileage, but that is another huge adjustment. I have stayed on the same unit twice now and in the same building a couple times, just switching units within the same building. One night I was in a new unit every 4 hours. Needless to say, my head was spinning.

All in all, the job itself is okay so far. I still want to get into pediatrics at some point, but this will work for now.

As for home life, the family has gotten used to Chris cooking, doing bedtime stories and getting the kids off to school in the mornings. Alivia is the only one that is outspoken to say she doesn't like my working. I keep reminding her, I'm just working this month until the summer, then I will cut back. And yes, I will and I must.

The money is nice, but peace, tranquility and a clean home are better. Just saying. I can do without the extra money. And, we will come June! In June my requirements are cut to 24 hours a month, but I plan to work every other weekend, 4 12 hour shifts. At least that is what I am thinking right now. Only time will tell.

Off to bed. Gotta prepare for another night shift tomorrow, followed by a 5 hour nap before repeating. Fun stuff!

My 20 Mile Run

I am almost there...almost to the 26.2 marker I set out to run. Almost, but about 50 minutes more running away.

On Saturday, I set out for the weekly long run. I normally try to run during the week, but with hospital orientation during the day last week, the 20 miler was just not possible. So, Saturday became my long run day.

I got up, ate my eggs, bacon and a banana and set off. I mapped my run through the neighborhood, to Walnut Creek Rec Area, to papio trail and back via mapmyrun.com (love it!). I was able to get a pretty good idea of where I was going before I set out. So nice. I landed at home at 20 miles almost on the nose! Perfect. I would not want to go a step farther than my goal of 20!

What I have learned.

Pack a water bottle. I have the carrying case water bottle with a pouch in the side. In the pouch, I tucked away a clementine ready to eat, cut up cliff chews and a cut up larabar. This was the first week for the larabar.It didnt work so good...or maybe it was the orange. I just know I need sugar mid run and oranges are often seen during the marathon. I wanted to be sure to practice eating them before the big day.

I was really tired. I am not going to lie. My time slowed and slowed and slowed after mile 17. Mile 20 was a 10 minute mile (with some walking involved). I was plain spent.

The sad part is...I would have 6.2 miles left to go. Really? Really?!?!? It doesn't seem like that far until you compute it would take my an hour or hopefully less to get to that 6.2 miles. I would finish the full marathon in just under 4 hours if I finished at a 10 minute mile pace to finish it out.That is my goal...to finish in under 4 hours.The Boston goal went out the window with my knee injury. And now, my right foot is swollen (after the 20 miles). So, who knows. The 800 mg of Motrin before my runs helps a lot.

One month to go. And yes, I am counting. :)

Working Life

I have not worked 12 hours as a nurse in over a year and I have not worked 36 hours a week as a nurse since before I had kids (and that was for a very brief time before I became a pharmaceutical rep).

That has all changed.

I have started the 96 hours a month requirement through my first job and I am 12 hours in. It was not too bad for the first night. With that said, I was following another nurse. Tonight will be the true test when I go at it alone. There will be another nurse there and possibly a tech as well...so that always helps. But, I will be left to figure out the charting, patient care, and everything...alone. Yah.

I have to say, working 12 hours and sleeping 5 is not very much. By the time I pick up the kids from school, prepare dinner, lunches and snacks for the next day...it is time to go again. There is not much time there. For the 3 days in a row I am on, I am checked out of the Austin reality. I don't like that, and I don't think Chris does either. He is having to be Mr. Mom at night and in the mornings (where before I was able to stay home until 10, well after the kids were in bed).

We will adjust I am sure.

For now, this is the new reality. Working life. Let's see what I think after this month.

Summarizes Spring Break 2014

To end the official spring break week, the kids and I went to Iowa to visit my parents last Thursday for what was to be a day visit. The weather was nice, in the 60s. The kids and I checked out the latest updates to my parents house, ate lunch, then went into town to play at the park. While the kids played, I ran the trail with their dog, Kota.

Kota was out of shape! I was tugging at the dog to finish our 5 mile run. It is a pretty trail to run on though (although I could see it getting really hot in the summer). After the run (and giving Kota much of my water), my Dad and I played a few games of horse while the kids played. My Dad rarely missed and I rarely made it. Pretty typical, but it was fun.

After getting back to the farm, Addison and Asher went on farm adventures looking for treasure at my parents' old pig pen. So funny. I never went there as a kid (but there were pigs there!  Yuck!). Alivia chilled inside. I also checked out my parents new shower with 5 shower heads! It was insane!

When it came time to go home, nobody wanted to leave. So, the kids stayed the night while I went home, arriving home to an empty house (Chris went out with his Dad and brother). Pretty quiet.

Friday while the kids stayed in Iowa, I went on my 18 mile run. It was really windy, but my knee held up. I forgot my water bottle. Let's just say, you don't want to ever do that. Luckily, Walnut Creek had turned on their water and I drank from their water fountain at about mile 15. I was so thirsty!

The kids came home Friday afternoon after a day of shopping and eating out with Grandma and Grandpa. They had a blast. It is always nice for them to spend that special time with their Grandparents. They (and we) are lucky they have them.

They had Monday off, too, so we hit the zoo. It was colder than expected and insanely busy, so we didn't stay long. It was sad to send them back to school Tuesday morning. We had a fun break. But, reality had to return sooner or later.

They get a couple a days off around Easter. That will be here before we know it.

Lent 2014

So this post is late. Better late than never.

What did everyone give up for Lent? I have a friend who gave up sweets. Um, crazy! I gave up chocolate one year and thought even Jesus would think that was nuts. :)

Seriously, I stuck to my tradition and gave up facebook. Funny. I like it. I mean, I like not being on facebook. I don't miss it. I find it a relief. Yes, I'm out of touch, yes, I miss coupons, deals and school activities. But I don't miss gloating, bragging, endless baby pictures and selfies. Really, your kids are adorable but they are filling up my news feed. And, your mug is handsome and all but it would be better if I did not see it with a caption of, "am I the hottest man alive or what?!" I mean really, gag me.

So, I didn't delete you as a friend (although it may look that way if you noticed I was gone. And, how sweet or you to notice. :)). I am getting more real life things done, like play Uno with my kids, annoy my husband, or work on redoing Alivia's room for her upcoming 10th birthday.

If I'm lucky, I won't log back into facebook. I don't think I would miss it.

Skating Day!

Last night Addison had a sleepover at our home with her friend Kaitlyn. What better way to keep the fun going than to go skating in the afternoon with them! Alivia met up with her friend Katy and our neighbor Lizzy came along.

We arrived at open skate at 12:15. It was not too busy, thankfully. I even skated, too, holding hands with Addison and then going and tugging Alivia and her friends. Asher wouldn't dare hold my hand in public. :( It was fun. Chris ordered me my own roller blades, and I was so hoping they would arrive in time. Guess I'll wear them next time.

After a couple hours of skating, the kids came home and rushed off to play dates, Addi and Asher went to Kaitlyn and Will's house while Alivia crossed the street to Lizzy's. I looked around, free for an hour and a half, and ran to get groceries! Yah, what fun!

Another day gone. Spring break has been so fun. I hate to see it winding down. I feel so lucky to be home with my kids. So very lucky.

The Lego Movie Review

Spring Break Day 2 brought cloudy, windy skies (followed by some rain currently) and cooler temperatures. What a great day to catch a movie! So, we went to the local movies where they were having $5 Tuesdays with Free POPCORN! What a deal!

We checked in and selected our sticky seat. :) Just FYI, our theater at least, does not allow for sling sports bags. The guy totally checked my bag (luckily missing my water bottle inside). Seriously, he gave me the 5th degree. It was not as big as some handbags! Good to know for my next visit in a year to the movies. Just saying.

Anyway, back to the movie. The previews came on...without sound. It was actually kinda nice, peaceful in fact. They remembered to turn on the sound just before the feature presentation luckily.

The Lego Movie was okay. It kept the kids' attention. It did not keep my attention as well as lets say Frozen did, but that goes without saying. The kids loved it, and I guess that is what is important. My opinion does not matter too much.

After the movies, the kids all went to neighbors' homes to play. It was pretty weird having them all out of the house! I took Addison to piano, we ate dinner, and then Addison's sleepover guest arrived. It seems as if we have a sleepover every other night (Alivia just had one Sunday night at our home). I guess it is good the kids like to stay home with friends, at least for now we are fun.

What will tomorrow bring? The question is, will I have any energy to entertain tomorrow? We shall see.

Springing into the Forest

Monday we kicked off spring break 2014. We pondered going to the Lake (aka Lake of the Ozarks) with my parents, but I did not have a plan as to what we would do there. So the kids opted to stay here.

Day one: The forest. It was a beautiful, dare I say, SPRING, day in the mid 70s! The first NICE day of the year! What a perfect way to kick off spring break. We went to the forest, played on the indoor playset, had an outdoor picnic, walked the boardwalk seeing cardinals and deer on our walk, and then played at the acorn acres.

After all the nice fresh air, we met up with friends at the Ralston park. Alivia played with her friend Katy while Addi and Asher played with their friends Kaitlyn and Will. It was so nice we stayed for at least 2 hours!

Back at home, we ate dinner before taking Pippa on her first walk of the year. It was beautiful! Wish it could have continued, but we live in Nebraska.

Day one down...and what a fun day it was!

Basketball Boy

From January through last weekend, Asher has been playing basketball through our local YMCA. His Coach, Coach Matt, was amazing. He had amazing energy and knew the game. Asher learned the basics of the game, since he had never played. Asher remains timid and was the shortest on nearly every team they played against (as well as his own team), but he loved it and did okay. He is already talking about playing next year and wants a big basketball hoop for the driveway.

Here's to keeping active!

Up to 17 miles!

I was not sure what I was going to do for a long run yesterday with my knee the way it was. I was down for 17 miles according to my training. When I saw the weather, I decided to go for it. Saturday night I got onto MapMyRun and found a good 17 mile run from my house. Gees, that seems so far! Anyway, if you are on MapMyRun, let me know. It was a great find through our neighborhood nextdoor. I took some ibuprofen before I went running, loaded up my water bottle and my cliff chews and set out.

I ran from our home to walnut creek, running around the far side of the lake around to turn off behind Jenson tire. There is a tunnel, a long creepy tunnel, that takes the trail under highway 370, connecting up along 96th street on the other side. I ran down the hill, under 96th and headed East towards Halleck park in papillion. I ran past the park until my watch said 8.5 miles, then turned around and ran the same trail back.  Total 17.1 miles.

I liked the trail. Seemed peaceful. I don't like running around zorinsky so many times, so this offered a good balance. The papio trail was busy with bikers. I only saw one runner. The winds were a major challenge, up to 25 mph (although they seemed higher), mostly at my sides and face and a little at my back (not complaining about my back though).

My knee was okay until mile 11 when it started going out a bit. I walked a bit and continued on. I ran out of water (I didn't fill my bottle) and my blood sugar dropped about mile 12. I got home and immediately ate an apple and a larabar and drank a bottle of water. Last week after running 9 miles one day, my blood sugar dropped and I didn't eat quick enough after running, selecting to shower and prepare dinner first. By the time I ate dinner,my body refused it. It was not pretty. And, I had to go to work afterwards! Ugh.

Yesterday, I felt nauseous most of the rest of the day. I spent the evening trying to do as little as possible so I would not get sick, drinking as much as possible after dinner. It worked, but barely. I think I need to eat more chews due on my run. I'll try that next week.

So, next week is 18 miles. I hope to select a nice weather day and run the same run, just running a half mile farther before turning back. And, I'll stick to premedicating. As for this week, I think I'll cross train every day but maybe get one longer run in during the mid week. We will see. My knee is so stiff today.

Moving forward...

My Decision

After a few job interviews and two offers, I accepted a job with a local float pool as a nurse. I will be traveling between hospitals in the Omaha area. I still don't get benefits but the pay is better and I can pick the hours I work (so I don't have to work holidays!). For the next two months, I will be working a lot of hours while I orient. In June, if not sooner, I will only be required to work 24 hours a month. I will work more than that during the year and about that during the summer months. I'm hoping this job will provide a good balance without the stress of my previous position. With that said, I have stayed on as a on call nurse at my old job as back up. I picked up one more shift there before I start orientation at my new job.

Getting a new job is scary. I can not see why Chris dragged his feet for so long. Ready or not, here I come!

Asher & Me Day

Today Asher had school off due to kindergarten round up for next year's kiddos. So, we had a Mommy and Asher Date day all day!

I forgot how much energy Asher has. He can go and go and go and go. He is like a little energizer bunny. We went out to the Nebraska Crossing outlet malls. I was impressed. Very nice stores but the set up is weird. It is nice to have so many options close to home. I was wishing I would have checked it out alone though. I wanted Asher to select a gift for Chris for his birthday next month. He ran all over, asking if it was lunch starting at 10. :) Typical boy in that he does not like to shop, but he does like to buy stuff for himself.

After shopping, we used a Groupon I had to Orange Leaf Yogurt. Asher and I used to go there all the time when he was at home with me. Yummy.

We did a little more shopping at Dick's Sporting Goods where Asher insisted on working out on the elliptical, boxing with the bags, and running on the treadmills. Where does this boy get all of his energy?!?!

Back at home, his friend Henry came over to play. They jumped on the bouncer, played air hockey and now have cars spread out all over the entry way. Boys...I tell you. I can never keep up with them. :)

It was fun to have him at home for the day. Next week I get all the kids at home for their spring break. I wonder if I will think that is fun, too. :) Let's hope so...

Down on my Knee

So, I took a few days off of running due to cold and injury.

It didn't help. My knee is still a mess. UGH.

So, I googled runner's knee. That's what I have. Great. Now what? It says to do strengthening exercises. I ALREADY DO THEM!

I am thinking of cross training with maybe a couple light running days during the week and try to pull of my long runs on weekends. I just don't know. At this point, I probably really need to rest it and back off the running. If the weather permits, I plan on running 17 miles on Sunday after having Saturday completely off ( and today I cross trained). I can only hope I can pull this off. If I can't, I will take a complete week off and try to pull off another long run next weeekend and see if rest helped at all. ??? I am not a doctor (not even close) and I am not one for rest. But, I am crying through my runs, and a swear work may come out uncontrollably with the last few miles. Just saying...it is brutal.

What was I thinking? My Dad always said make lofty goals, but this marathon goal is killing me.

Happy Birthday to ME!

Not a big fan of my birthday. In spite of that, another one happened to me yesterday.

After last year, Chris believed he had some making up to do (okay, he did. A napkin holder for my birthday is something he will not live down for a while. :) ).

I worked my last official night at UNMC the night before and arrived home to this...

Decorated Kitchen (Alivia's Idea), with a little cake and balloons!

What a way to come home. I thought it was very sweet. I walked right through it and went to bed.

I woke up in three hours to pull off 8 brutal miles (my knee is a mess). I quickly showered and went to get the kiddos at school. They were super excited to see me and to see what I thought of my morning surprise. I loved it!

We met Chris for dinner at Zios Pizza in Omaha at 5. Traffic was a mess getting there, but Chris had a nice spot and a pizza ordered and waiting by the time we got there. It was really good as usual, too. Dessert of birthday cake and a little wish followed at home. My presents...a running skort and sports bra that will be arriving in a couple days. I can't wait for the weather to be nice enough to wear them!

After 3 hours of sleep, I could not wait to end my birthday and just go to sleep. :) Chris worked and I slept. A perfect way to end my birthday. :) Until next year...God willing.

February 2014 in Review

February 2014 and its cold temperatures are behind us! For a short month, we fit a lot into it. The kids had sleepovers at our home (and away), met friends at Mahoney, celebrated Valentine's Day and Addison had her school concert (and was really shy!). Again, I was lucky to get lunch dates with the kids and another day with Chris! I ended the month by accepting a new job in a float pool...so bring on a lot of hours of orientation through May. Yikes! I hope I am ready! Now...let's wait right here for spring. :)

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Running Injured (& Scared)

I have reached my half way point of my full marathon training. I typically feel like I can run and run and run and not feel overly winded and rarely sore.

Not anymore.

I bought new shoes in the fall, but I did not start really wearing them until I started training. I don't know if it is my shoes or what, but my body is a mess!

First, my right knee started giving me troubles. It would just give out, ache when going down hill (or downstairs in the house). It is now to wear it aches and bothers me just to walk.

Today, due to it being maybe 10 degrees out, I cross trained inside. Cross training is hardly easier than running. If I had a treadmill, that would be easier. I did a 30 minute high intensity interval training Hasfit workout followed by a 25 minute T25 gamma extreme circuit.(you can watch the whole thing on this link!). My knee did not like some of the moves in the Hasfit, something I have done numerous times, so I did not do those exercises. By the time I was ready for the T25, I was stiff and sore all over. I did the T25 as best as I could, but my back was not happy now.

After getting showered up and running a quick errand (and making a real quick batch of cookies to take to the kids), I went up to school to eat lunch with the kids. Asher needed a napkin or something at one point, so I went to stand up and could hardly move. What happened?! This happened a few more times during lunch. By the time I went to walk to the car, I was limping on my knee and my back was killing me.

Back at home, I have swallowed my share of Motrin and am going to chill for a while. I had plans to go to the running store and buy another set of shoes. I'm thinking it is my brooks that are causing my knee pain. By babying my knee, the compensation is leading to back pain. I am just a mess.

So, my marathon training is on hold. Boo. So much for big lofty goals.

Long Runs Getting Longer

I am now finishing up week 8 of my full marathon training schedule. Wow, it is brutal! I think I would be fine if the weather would just cooperate with me.

Last weekend, I actually ran my long run on Sunday. The kids were home on Friday and I worked most of the week, so I did not get my long run in during the week. I somehow convinced Chris to ride his bike behind me for what was to be a 14 mile run. I decided to run Zorinsky, running around the lakes twice. I had a feeling it may be more like 15 miles when I was finished, but whatever, right?!

Chris' Mom came by at 8:30 and we were off. We arrived at Zorinsky to overcast skies, cold air and a nice cold breeze. It was freezing.  I started running, soon finding out that there were many patches of ice and even more patches of black ice, the kind you don't know is there until you nearly fall on your ass. Fun stuff I tell you.

It was so nice to have Chris there to take my clothes as I stripped down (only taking off one layer but wearing my clothes, hat and scarf the entire time). Chris froze on his bike. We ran by the car at 7.5 miles and Chris stopped to get his winter coat and a second pair of gloves. He was froze. My face was but the rest of me was okay for the most part. My right knee had been bothering me, and this run was no exception. by mile 14, I stopped briefly to celebrate. When I started back up, my knee gave out. I nearly bit it...but limped until I finished at 15.1 miles. Gees! I had never been so glad to finish!

Today, I was to officially run 15 miles. I went back out to Zorinsky. When I charged my ipod, it erased my music libary (for the second time!! I may add). So, I had to run 15 miles without music! I was not happy! I hope I can fix this and fast because I need my music! Anyone, round one went well, but it was little icy. By round 2 the ice was melting, birds were chirping and my knee was holding up. I finished my run without limping. Success! Next week I am down to a half marathon. Funny, the half sounds so easy! It was be so nice to only do 13.1 miles. :) But I know the long runs after that are 17 miles, 18 miles working up to 20 miles. OMG! That is so far! Funny, I think that before I start but I somehow get my body to finish. It is only painful while I run...but then I am done!

I have learned a few things. I need to practice drinking while I run. Today I only drank at the halfway point as I passed the car. Also, when I am done, I need to take it easy at home. I went and ran errands today and my body did not like that. I felt sick. Not good. I could not wait to get home!

Gotta move forward. I have a big, lofty goal to achieve. At this point, I am not sure what I was thinking. I am also not sure how people do this more than once! :)

Playing at Mahoney

On Sunday afternoon, the kids and I met up with Courtney, McCartney and Ana at Mahoney so the kids could play and Courtney and I could catch up. It was good to see them all (and Alivia had been begging me for ages as she has some little bond with McCartney :) ).  The kids played and played and played (after some begging on my part to get Alivia to play). We decided that we needed to catch up more often as it was been far too long!

Happy Valentine's Day 2014

Happy Valentine's Day from our 3 Valentines. :)

The kids were lucky to have Valentine's Day Friday and the following Monday off of school. It was wonderful! Thursday night into Friday, all 3 kiddos had sleepovers. Alivia had Lizzie, Asher had Cameron and Addison had Halle. It was crazy, but fun (for them. :) ). Good thing we stopped at 3 kids! Gees!

They had opened their Valentines on Thursday so they could wear their new clothes to school for the Valentine's party. But, they each got chocolates on Valentine's Day. The day was kinda busy with friends in the morning, we ran to a far away Target so I could buy my Valentine's Day present (a pleather chair and ottoman for the bedroom...Love it!), and then lunch with Jill and Asher's little girlfriends twins Maggie and Mackenzie. Asher bought the girls (and his friend Lydia at school) a rose filled with Hershey kisses. It was super cute. He wanted to do it, and we can't stop him because I want him to always be sweet.

In the afternoon, I had my 2 friends from work come to our house with their little girls. I have worked with Siobhan for almost 5 years, and I worked with Lauren for a good 2 years before she left (she is so smart!). It was fun to get together with our kids, and all the kids had fun together, too.

For dinner, we had pizza, what else?! :) Chris liked the gift I gave me and I gave him a Spider Stocking hat (one I found too cool to not buy him). Gotta love Valentine's Day! :)

New Job or Stay Put

I have become more and more frustrated with my on call position at the med center. I increased my hours last summer, but my boss told me she could not officially increase my hours because the unit was fully staffed. When fall came, I started working 4-5 shifts every 2 weeks. I again asked to increase my status in November, and I was told again the hours were not available. In the meantime, my manager hired 2 new nurses for nights (when the hours were not available). Right after I asked to increase my status in November, my manager increased the status to the 2 new hires (giving one part time and one full time!!). I was beyond mad. Then, about 3 weeks ago, my manager emailed me and said she was cutting my hours because she gave them away to the 2 new hires. WHAT??!! I have been there almost 5 years and they have been there 4 months! I am/was beyond mad. So, I threw out my resume.

Within a week, I had interviewed with 2 pharma companies and 3-4 RN positions. In the end, it has come down to these two options/offers.

1. Stay with the med center working 3 nights every other week. Work on call at Boystown Peds in Omaha to fill in on my week off.
Pros: Flexible, predictable hours, one foot out of psych.
Cons: Still at the med center, complicated with 2 jobs to keep up with.

2. Part time, 2 nights a week with a local float pool.
Pros: Great pay!!
Cons: In psych, unpredictable work hours (limited flexibility but I am self scheduled), in order to take a vacation I have to make up the hours missed, unpredictable work environment.

I have until Monday to decide. Ugh. I used to be good at decisions. What happened to me? I like the flexibility I have now where I can take a month off if I want, but it would be nice to be paid more since I do not have any benefits (neither job offers paid vacation or anything).

We will see what Monday brings I guess.

January 2014 in Review

Brrr! Is it spring yet? January was so cold, and February has not been much better. The kids had their first "snow" day, aka, it was too cold to go to school day, with wind chills in the negative 20-30's. Brrr! Asher started basketball at the YMCA and he lost his 2 front teeth, Addison continued with piano and now Alivia wants to play (we will see about 6pm piano lessons though). Asher had her first sick days of school, getting sick after lunch on his shoe while I was at my first colonoscopy. That was fun stuff for both of us, I'm tell you. Asher was awarded Student of the Month (yeah!), Addison celebrated her Half Birthday (now 7 1/2 years old!), and I was lucky enough to eat lunch with the kids at school.Since it was too cold to do anything, I worked a lot of hours to keep my busy (and warm). Chris and I finished out the cold month staying warm at date night for our 10th Catholic Wedding Anniversary. We kept it simple going to Zios Pizza and doing a little shopping while the kids hung back at home with my parents. Oh, and I kept up with my training for the Lincoln Marathon through all of these crazy cold temperatures. How many days until spring?

Happy February and Valentine's Day!

Click here for January 2014 Pictures

My Getting Faster!!

I am still training for my first marathon, although it is a total head game. I have to fight my head every time I am out. "keep going, don't stop, your feet don't hurt (even though they do!).

Last Friday I ran 12 1/2 miles. I ran around Lake Zorinky once, then around the big lake again. I thought it would come out to just 11, which was what I was to run last week. It turned out to be 12 1/2 miles. My time was 7:38 or less minute miles until mile 11, then went to 8:15-8:20 because I was mad I was still running! I need a new hoodie to keep me warm and need to go to the running shoe store to see what is wrong with my Brooks. They are killing my feet (are they too big or just the wrong shoe for me?!).

I am happy my time is picking up now that I am off that medication. I am feeling a little better while I am running, too. Now, I just need to get mother nature to get on my side. It is too cold for 13 mile runs!

Wanna join me? Please?! :)

My First Colonoscopy

And I hope it is my last (at least until I'm 50!).

Yesterday I had my first colonoscopy. I'm not going to lie, it was not fun.

Saturday I rushed through my last meal before my day of clear liquids on Sunday. All day Sunday, I ate one package of yellow, a entire bottle of diet 7 up and about 7 werthers. I was starving! I organized Addison's room a bit in the morning and then watched TV in bed all afternoon to conserve energy. I was so hungry. You see, I had ran 12 1/2 miles on Friday and 6 on Saturday, so I was still revved up from all of that. I needed FOOD!

Little did I know that starving was the easy part. Come 5:30 Sunday night, I had to start drinking the 4 liters of crap to clear me out and send me running to the bathroom. The drink was salty, slimy and made me gag. It was like drinking a tongue depressor. I could hardly choke down the 8 oz every 10 minutes. Within an hour, I was in the bathroom every ten minutes, too. I was dizzy, light headed and quite nauseous. It was no treat! I had told the kids to leave me alone in my room. When I was at my sickest, all three kids and Chris were in the room. Gees! I went to bed Sunday night dreading drinking more in the morning.

Monday morning I dragged myself out of bed. I had gotten up once in the night to go to the bathroom and went twice in the morning.  I had no energy to get the kids going. I sat down to do Addison's hair. Alivia was concerned about me driving them to school. I was a wreck.

After dropping them off at school, it was time to drink the next half of the 4 liters of liquid Go Lightly. I tried real hard to not have it touch my tongue. I would drink one and run to bed nauseated. By the third or fourth one, I was dry heaving, shaking and could not stand. It was a nightmare. According to the directions, I did not have to drink all of the stuff if I was clear before hand. Well, I was, thank goodness, thanks to my light Saturday night meal and no meals on Sunday (the directions are for clear liquids the day before the procedure). I dragged myself out of bed and sat in the shower. Yes, I sat in the shower. I sat to comb my hair and to brush my teeth. The longer I was from finishing the drink the less nauseous I was, but I was still quite weak.

My mom arrived about 11. She was my required driver. I can tell you, there is a reason why they require a driver. I was in no shape to drive there and definitely in no shape to drive home!

We arrived an hour before hand as directed. I went to the bathroom another time (gees, never ending!) and they called my name. They took me back into a very small space with a chair, sink, toilet and a locker to get changed into a gown. The door on the other side of the room opened up into the area with my bed. I climbed and and the nurse put a very warm blanket on me that felt amazing. She put in my IV and moved me to the procedure room. She then put the warm sleeper medicine into my IV, followed by a cold saline flush. The next thing I remember was waking up in recovering hearing the nurse tell me to try to expel the air (probably a man's dream...waking to a woman telling them to fart!). I was too sleepy to comprehend what she was saying. I somehow managed to put my clothes on, but I don't remember dressing.

The nurse, I think, walked me into a room where Chris and my mom were waiting. The Dr talked, saying that I probably have Irritable bowel syndrome, nothing serious and what to do for it. (yeah for being cancer free!). Chris said he was freaking out before the doctor started talking, thinking it was either good news or news that would change everything. It was scary, especially since I have a family history of this sort of thing (my aunt died of colon cancer). Fortunately, it is treatable and not serious. Chris says he walked me to my mom's car, but I don't remember that. I do remember telling my mom to take me to Panera. I ate soup, break and a cookie, but I don't remember much of it.

My mom drove me home, I dropped my bags on the floor and ran up to bed without saying anything to her. Chris woke me up at 5. I was so confused. I felt like I just laid down. I felt bad that I just walked off and didn't say anything to my mom. I was so out of it. Wow, I like that drug! :) I spent the remainder of the night hanging out in bed, drinking 7-up.

Meanwhile, the school called while I was in the procedure saying Asher had vomited at school. So, Chris' mom when and picked him up. When I woke, Asher looked as bad as I felt and went to bed. He slept all night!

Today, Asher and I are just hanging out, recuperating. We are both much better! We are both eating, drinking, and are beginning to feel normal. Yeah!

I can't say I will be signing up to be the poster girl for a colonoscopy. I am hoping that by the time I am 50 (when most people get their first colonoscopy) they have that drink replaced because it is awful! Glad it is all over with and I will be okay. Whew!

Asher the Basketball Player!

Asher had his first basketball practice/game at the local YMCA this morning (bright and early at 8:30!).  He was so excited to play. We were happy that he knew one friend on his team and most (except his friend) her about his height! Asher was very timid, had not a clue what was going on, and kept his hands in his pockets most of the time. A boy bombed the ball at Asher and it hit him in the chest because he had his hands in his pockets! In the end, Asher thought it was fun, and he scored a point (which thrilled him). He can only improve from here, I guess. :)

Marathon Training Take 1

I started training for the Lincoln Full Marathon on Monday, December 29, Following Hal Higdon's Intermediate I Training.
http://www.halhigdon.com/training/51139/Marathon-Intermediate-1-Training-Program

Under the recommendation of my friend Jill (who has run her fair share of Half and Full Marathons), I ordered myself the Garmin 10 in pink and I LOVE IT!! It uses a GPS to track my running, pace, miles. LOVE! I found out that I am a lot slower than I was 5 years ago when I ran my half in Lincoln. I ran my half marathon in 1 hr and 40 minutes for an average of 7:38. I am running now about 8:15-8:20 minute miles. With that said, I come to a complete stop a lot to take off my hoodie, redo my head wrap, fix my scarf, etc, as I run in this crazy wind, cold stuff they call Nebraska winter. But still, I AM MUCH SLOWER. That does not thrill me much considering I was hoping to qualify for the Boston Marathon. My goal now is to finish the full marathon in under 4 hours, 3 hr 40 minutes would be great, but I just don't know that I can make that happen.

In December, I was diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. I was put on a medication for it and it helped wonderfully. HOWEVER, it caused muscle weakness/rigidity, lethargy and I was tired all the time. Let's just say, I was a total mess. Today I got them to change the medication. HOWEVER, this medication is less effective at treating my IBS. Great. All of this is not helping with my strength and energy while running. Sometimes it seems like my legs are moving faster than my mind, so I stop to get them back together. My legs are so stiff. I am not sure if it was from the medication or the cold or a combination. I have never had that happen before. I felt like I was a running board. I lost a few pounds on it, too, which did not help with the lack of strength I was feeling, either. I have been off the medication 2 days and am to start the new one tonight. THANK GOODNESS because my IBS is back FULL FORCE. Seriously, I am a total mess. I am hoping the medication works so I do not have to have a colonoscopy (I was supposed to have one earlier this month but I cancelled it because 1. They scare the hell out of me and 2. I felt better on the medication.). And, I need to get running like my normal crazy self! So anyway...

I found this blog...
http://www.mile-posts.com/
It is a wonderful blog for any runner, but especially marathon runner types. She gives great advise about what to eat from Picky bars to Cliff Bloks during the run, to what water bottle to carry, to if you should or should not carry a water bottle. I have a whole shopping list full of things to buy. I have started using the Cliff Bloks (strawberry flavored which were a whopping $1.97 each at Target!). They taste pretty good but I have to take with water as they made me really thirsy (so thirsty in fact that I started to question if the near by snow was okay to eat!). Obviously, I have not bought my water bottle yet! You can check out my Pins on my Pinterest board titled 26.2 or my running style on pinterest.

So far, my training has been a little rough obviously. I have stuck with it for the most part. I usually run 6 days in a row, though, taking Sunday off. I do that because I have more time to run on Fridays because the kids are in school. So why would I take that day off? And, I usually work Sunday nights. I don't really want to run for over an hour and then stay up all night. COME ON. That is just insane. ;) With that said, my body is probably more tired for those long runs because I did not take that break. One of these weeks, I will try to follow the plan correctly. It is just SO HARD.

Also, I found this great place to get updated music on mile posts called runhundred.com. It has great workout music emailed to you that have great beats per minute to work out too. It has songs that I have not heard of or would not have thought to run to.

The marathon is May 4 in Lincoln. I have my hotel already booked (booked it the first of December just in case!). Now, I just got to get my mind and body ready to go! Anyone care to join me?

"Marathon Training Schedule: Intermediate 1

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	5 m pace	8
2	Cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	5 m run	9
3	Cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	5 m pace	6
4	Cross	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	6 m pace	11
5	Cross	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	6 m run	12
6	Cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	6 m pace	9
7	Cross	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	7 m pace	14
8	Cross	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	7 m run	15
9	Cross	4 m run	5 m run	4 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon
10	Cross	4 m run	8 m run	4 m run	Rest	8 m pace	17
11	Cross	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	8 m run	18
12	Cross	5 m run	5 m run	5 m run	Rest	8 m pace	13
13	Cross	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	5 m pace	20
14	Cross	5 m run	5 m run	5 m run	Rest	8 m run	12
15	Cross	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	5 m pace	20
16	Cross	5 m run	6 m run	5 m run	Rest	4 m pace	12
17	Cross	4 m run	5 m run	4 m run	Rest	3 m run	8
18	Cross	3 m run	4 m run	Rest	Rest	2 m run	Marathon"

2013 Austin Family Album

Its' January and I have the 2013 album done! Crazy, considering I just ordered the 2012 one last one! I know, I am on time for once.
With the kids in school and not doing the 365 photo project, I took fewer pictures. Thus, there are fewer pages in this year's addition. We had a challenging yet fun year. Enjoy our year of captured moments, if you desire.

The 2013 Austin Family Photo Book

December 2013 In Review

We kept busy in December with Saint Nicholas Day, School Winter Party, Alivia got student of the month, Alivia's class concert, winter break, roller skating, going to the Durham Museum & Children's Museum, Tube system & more. And, we can not leave out the celebration of Christmas & New Years!

Happy New Year! 2014 is off to a great start!

DECEMBER 2013 PICTURES

Holiday Break 2013

Hard to believe the kids' Holiday break is over and they are back into the second half of the school year. The started break on December 20, going back on January 2. And, I took a little vacation from work, too. It was so nice to be able to be with the kids without juggling my night nursing schedule.

Day one of break started off with meeting friends, Jill, Maggie and Mackenzie at the Children's Museum. Since all the other kids were still in school, it was so quiet there! We even saw other friends, Albanie and her kids. There were maybe 25 people there! The kids had a blast and it was nice for me to catch up with Jill and Albanie, too.

Next up, we visited the Durham Museum, seeing their HUGE tree, Santa, and their cool science display downstairs. It was fun.

On Sunday, we spend the afternoon roller blading at Skate City in Bellevue. Asher received roller blades for his birthday and wanted to try them out. I did not honestly think he would do very well. He proved me wrong, taking off and never wanting to hold my hand! It was crazy. We were all exhausted by the end of the 2 hour skating marathon. We got done just in time to get cleaned up and go to Chris' parents for Christmas. We all slept good that night.

Monday was the day we went to Iowa to bake cookies. We are still eating them (we froze most of them). :) Tuesday we cleaned in preparation for our Christmas Day Guests.

After Christmas, we spent the remaining break at home, hardly going anywhere. The kids played with their new toys, jumping on the new bouncer and playing with the neighbor kids. Our neighbor houses got all filled up just before Christmas. The house across the street is the home of 2 girls, one Alivia's age and one Addison's age. They have already made themselves at home in our house.

On the Monday before New Years, we met our friends Bonnie, Gabby, Xander and Ben at Skate Daze to play in the tube system. Addison invited her friend Halle, too. Addison had 2 sleepover with Halle during break, Alivia had 2 sleepovers with her friend Lizzy and Asher had his first sleepover with his friend Cameron. It was difficult to keep track of their schedules! Anyway, the tube system is always a good place to go to blow off energy. They had fun and I always like catching up with Bonnie.

The rest of the break we chilled at home, watching movies, baking, and enjoying each other without being busy for once. I loved every minute of it.

January 1 at night, I returned to work and the kids were in school the next morning. It went by way too fast. I don't know about the kids, but I am already counting the days until the next break! :)

Happy New Year 2014!

Happy New Year! Wow, does time go faster or is it just me?

Time to make more goals. This year, Chris and I have set the standard high for goals. One we will DEFINITELY achieve after 3 years of making it a goal (gees!). So, here it goes.

1. GO TO DISNEY!
Chris was at a new job in 2013 making Disney out of the question. 2014...Disney here we come!

2. CELEBRATE OUR 15th ANNIVERSARY IN STYLE!
After suffering through our 14th year, Chris and I are really going all out for our 15th...going back to Jamaica man to celebrate 15 years together. OMG...we are counting the days until we are sipping blended fruit punches on the beach!

3. CHRIS WILL SUMMIT LONGS PEAK!
This is Chris' lofty goal for 2014. He plans to make the summit with his brother (so the kids and I will have another long trip to the Lake again!). I think Chris is crazy and he thinks I am. I guess we are equal, or something.

4. I WILL RUN MY VERY FIRST FULL 26.2m MARATHON!!
Yep, sounds crazy, but that's me. All crazy. Really, who isn't running a marathon. I went to sign up at 12:01 New Years morning and the site was crashed...so I had to sign up at 2:30 AM. By New Years morning, the marathon was full. So, I won't be running it alone! The training has begun, even in this cold crap. Seriously, wth was I thinking training for a spring marathon in Nebraska?!

5. SAVE ONE PAYCHECK A MONTH
Although I did not get a new job as I said I would last year, I am working a ton of hours more than I was (for me anyway). So, I think it is about time I start stuffing one paycheck away per month. I still want to find a new job, though.

6. MAKE OUR HOME A 5 BEDROOM
This project was supposed to start, well, now. But, our contractor quit on us. Boo. We loved him as he did our wrought iron spindles and finished our closet/drop zone for us. Now, back to the drawing board of finding someone else to do this project for us. We will see.

That ought to keep Chris and I busy for a while. What are your 2014 Goals?!

Merry Christmas 2013

Merry Christmas!

On Christmas Eve, I told the kids that they needed to stay in bed until 7am just in case Santa was running late. After reading the Night before Christmas and "All God wants for Christmas," and prepping a plate of cookies for Santa, the kids opened their PJs that Santa brought early. We were hoping this trick would help them sleep! :) Then we let them keep their ipods over night so they could see check the time. Amazingly, this plan worked! I heard Asher stirring about 6:30 and got up and allowed them all to come downstairs. MUST do this again next year!

The kids all have their own wrapping paper from Santa. Alivia had Christmas Polka dots, Addison had Santa, and Asher had HO HO HO! That way, they all know their presents without opening the wrong ones. Works great every year.

Alivia got a bean bag chair, a lounger pillow, a karaoke machine, clothes and lego friends stuff. Addison got more lego friends stuff, a pet store shop thing, a chair from Justice, bean bag chair, and clothes. Asher got more nerf guns, clothes, samari castle and set, and light sabors. There big gift from us they opened later as we shared it with my parents. We gave Chris his energy drink he likes, jeans, north face fleece and I made him a calender and a photo book. The kids all gave him a present, too. Alivia gave him a subway gift card, Asher gave him a Spider Man t-shirt from Dicks and Addison gave him cross fit socks from Rogue Fitness. Oh, and Chris got an Ipad Air. Chris gave me jeans, north face fleece (we think alike), Victoria's Secret things things, and more. We were all happy with our things.

We went to 9am Mass this year. We arrived about 20 minutes til 9 and sat up front as normal. Father sang through Mass. At first it was pretty,t hen it made me anxious. I could not tell what he was saying so I found it frustrating. Boo.

Back at home the kids played and prepared for my parents and my Aunt Marsha to arrive. We had paleo chicken and shrimp for dinner. It was wonderful...but I am not sure what our guests thought. I did not hear anyone complain, but I know they think we are weird.

The kids let us chill a bit after dinner before begging for more presents. Marsha had them have a little scavenger hunt for presents, which was fun. She gave the girls cute things from Clairs and Asher some Superman darts and nerf guns. From my parents, Alivia and Addison got more Lego friends and Asher got more batman and samari toys to keep him busy. Then, it was time for the big gift. We walked them downstairs to an indoor big ol bouncer! It is made by blast zone, the same as Addison's bouncer pool slide she got for her birthday, and we are hoping it will last. I shopped for this for a while and was able to get it for $60 less than what it is listed for now with free shipping (and this thing is quite heavy!). The kids are jumping behind me as I type. It is a good investment for indoor activity for the winter. It sure beats watching movies under a blanket to keep warm.

As for Chris and I, Chris was stocked up on clothes and I was stocked up with running gear. My parents are more than generous as usual. And, my Aunt, she treated us to Netflix! We love that. It is a great family gift!

We could not have asked for a better Christmas. We have what we need and then some, health, family who love us and each ther. We can not take any of those things for granted on Christmas or anyday.

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Christmas Cookie Baking Time

On Monday, the kids and I made a very cold trip to Iowa to my parents' home to bake Christmas cookies. We wanted to help break in their newly redone kitchen.

The baking was fun. The kids helped for maybe 20 minutes until they were full of cookie dough. Then they were off to play the piano and check out Grandma and Grandpa's house. Grandpa brought back subway after his Dr. Apt. Grandma and I did not think they would eat a thing, but they all finished their sandwiches! Then, it was time to frost and decorate. Let's say they are full of frosting and sugars! Definitely must brush your teeth after eating these!

It was a fun day. The kids said they had fun on the way home. Gotta love Christmas break!

Christmas with the Austins

Christmas started for us early this year with Christmas at Chris' parents' home with his parents and his Grandma Pat, who lives with them. We had been busy shopping and going roller skating that day, but the kids were still beyond excited to get the festivities underway.

Chris treated all of us to Mamas Pizza La Vista (yes, they have a La Vista location now! Move and they will come, right?! :) ). Then, it was time for the much anticipated presents.

Addison and Alivia received the Barbie dream house, barbies, clothes and new backpacks, while Asher (sharing with the girls) got an air hockey table, Nike clothes and more nerf guns (that boy has an arsenal of nerf guns!). Chris received a nice start to his hiking items neede for his summer summit up Longs Peak and I received a gift card to Costco where I can continue to stock up for our family. It was a nice to see everyone.

The next morning, at 5:50 AM, the girls woke to the Barbie dream house being complete. Chris stayed up late putting that thing together, perhaps saying a few choice words along the way. The girls really appreciated it, though. As Alivia says, The Dream House keeps us occupied. " Yeah for that, right?!

 

 

 

The Austin Family in 2013

We are grateful to have survived 2013 with our family intact. Admittedly, we had a rough year. Again, Chris has been front and center for most of the stress. He resigned from the Tampa position in early spring and took another job within Northrop Grumman. That made the move and travels to Florida off but job security was not good.   He then set out to get a new job. He landed a job as a UX Designer at Solutionary in Omaha. He is now doing something he enjoys and has professional goals for the New Year. He ended the year in a great professional place. In the meantime, he started working out at Cross fit Omaha, and Chris and I started eating Paleo (no dairy, no grains – meat, vegetables and a little fruit with some nuts and good fat is key). Since September 1, Chris has lost 20 pounds and is quite lean! It is crazy. We both like eating Paleo and will continue to eat Paleo at least 90% of the time. He looks and feels great, and that is the important part. When Chris is not working or working it, he plays soccer or play station with the kids.

Alivia is now 9 ½ years old and is in the 4^th grade. She likes to play with her friend Lizzie, play Lego friends, or ride her bike around Shadow Lake. In 2012, Alivia ran 3 5K runs, one with Girls on the Run, one in my hometown of Shelby, Iowa, and one for Heart Heros. I ran all of them with her, which was quite fun yet challenging. Alivia is quite the little runner for her age! She plans to play soccer this spring and run with Girls on the Run.

Addison is now 7 and in the 2^nd Grade. Addison is still seen walking around with one of her many stuffed dogs. She started taking piano lessons in the fall and is quite good. She loves to play Bella’s Lullaby from Twilight and is now playing Jingle Bells. Addison just had her first Reconciliation and is preparing for First Communion this spring.

 

Asher just celebrated his 6^th birthday and is well into Kindergarten. He had no problem with the transition from home to school (that was just me!). He played spring and fall soccer and wants to play again. He is about to start basketball at the local YMCA. That should be interesting since Asher is about 5% in height! Asher likes to ride his bike (without training wheels he wants me to point out), play with his friends, and has an endless supply of boy energy to keep Chris and me quite active.

2013 has been a transitional year for me as I kissed all three kiddos good-bye as they all went to school. I have had a hard time just sitting still since. I have worked a lot of hours as a nurse at the Med Center where I still officially work “as needed” but am scheduled about 4 shifts every 2 weeks. I work at night and sleep all day until I pick up the kids. So, Chris and I rarely see each other awake while I’m working. I continue to run, work out to T25, cross fit and Turbo Fire and have a goal to run a full 26.2 mile marathon this spring. I can’t wait to get that checked off my to do list. J  

 

Pippa, our Papillon dog, continues to keep us on our toes. She just came back from being retrained and we are hoping it worked. Needless to say, I think we have 4 kids, one furry.

We did not do as much traveling as we wanted to this year with Chris’ job changes. He did take a hiking trip with his family in July while the kids and I went to my parents’ Lake home at the Lake of the Ozarks a couple times. Chris and I took our annual anniversary trip in August, this year to Estes Park. That is a very pretty place to hike and visit.

 

We have big plans for 2014! I want to run a marathon, Chris and his brother want to summit Longs Peak in Estes Park, Colorado, Chris and I will celebrate our 15^th wedding anniversary in August, and we may plan a fun winter trip to Florida before next Christmas. We hope to make our home a 5 bedroom home starting in January, too, so Chris can have his much needed office when he works from home. It is going to be an adventurous new year!

From our Family to yours, Merry Christmas and God bless you in 2014!

November 2013 in Review

In November, we celebrated Addison's First Reconciliation, Thanksgiving and Asher's 6th Birthday. It was a busy month! Now onto the slow month of December (sarcasm. :) ).

Bring on some PICTURES!!! (click to review!).

Saint Nicholas Day 2013

Friday was Saint Nicholas Day. To celebrate, Saint Nicholas, better known as Mommy, gives the kids an ornament and candy annually. I try to select an ornament based on their interests that year. They know it is from me and they have come to expect it. Not sure I like that. Okay, I don't like that.

This year, I have their packages all prepared for them when they got home from school Friday. Alivia saw them first and saw her candy, Dots, and said, "Can I switch? I don't like it." Really? I told her she could switch with me (aka, have nothing). Seriously, she was crying over the candy. Mayb she has outgrown the fun and spirit of it all, or maybe I have, I don't know.

Asher and Addison were excited by their treats. Asher got an airplane ornament and M&Ms, Addison a Lab puppy and Twizzlers and Alivia a peace sign ornament all from Pottery Barn (after Thanksgiving 25% off with free shipping!) along with the Dots that she was not happy about.

Most of the kids like this tradition, so we will try again next year. The ornaments are helping to fill our tree, and their trees someday, too!