Pointy

So apparently our Elf, "Pointy", is a blog reader. He got this idea from "Otto" over at Lotts of Scotts.




I was slightly disappointed that our elf was influenced by his peers. For you see our elf was not a mischievous elf, the kind that makes messes and plays tricks. We didn't read that in our Elf On The Shelf book. However, all the other kids, or elves rather, are doing it, so ours felt led to fit in. Peer pressure is a real thing I tell you.

I think that might be the one and only "trick" he will play this Christmas season. I can at least allow one ever season I guess, but I would much rather see him just find a cute spot to land after he returns home from the night before and my kids try to find him.

Let's Play A Little Catch Up

This year has been challenging on so many different levels.

First, my oldest daughter, M was diagnosed in February with a type of epilepsy. We are thankful that it is nothing more serious, but we still wish we could take it away.

Also affecting M, was the loss of her assistant principal, and best friend's mother, Jill, in the summer. That brought along a lot of changes for the school year. Her best friend no longer attends the same school and quite frankly within the past 2 years she has lost several really good friends because they moved away. This was a big blow, though, and it's been a hard first half of the school year because of it.

Earlier in the year I learned that I have some kidney problems. Actually, not really problems, but a type of kidney disease. Once again, we are thankful that it isn't anything more serious. The doctor said that usually people aren't ever even diagnosed with this because they never know they have it. She also said that usually nobody with it ever loses kidney function and they live a normal life. The doctor will monitor me every year making sure everything is still working properly.

Recently, we learned that my mother in law had breast cancer. Thankfully it was self detected very early. She has had a lumpectomy about a week ago and will begin radiation very soon. The doctors are very optimistic that she won't even need chemotherapy for treatment. We are all relieved with the good news, but still trying to settle down from the dreaded "C" word.

Again, we are so very thankful that all of these things have turned out to be ok and that we are all (relatively) healthy. It just seems as if worry has been a big part of my life this year waiting for news for all of these things. I know that God is in control and that I shouldn't worry, but that is very hard for me. God is good, and He has helped carry us through all of these things this year. I am being optimistic that 2010 will be a better year, with less worry and more good news.

The holidays are upon us, my shopping is just about done and my Christmas decorations are hung. I am sitting tonight feeling very overwhelmed with thankfulness and looking forward to this Christmas season with my family.

Halloween

I guess I need to try to better about staying caught up with my blog especially with the holidays approaching. It's sort of like the scrapbook I need to finish and the scrapbook that I haven't even started yet for my son and he's two! It's also like the closet I need to clean and the junk drawer that needs to be dumped. I often find myself wishing I had just one more day a week that I could devote only to these things. I guess I'll catch up....eventually.

Halloween has come and gone and we had a lot of fun. This year M wanted to be something scary instead of something cute. I remember getting to that age myself so I obliged, although I much rather see a clown or princess over a goth girl ANY day.




K was my Supergirl. I thought she looked adorable. I also wish I had her legs!



and J, he was my Superman. I couldn't get him to stand still long enough to get his face in the picture. He was too busy trying to get to the next house because this year he figured out what Halloween was all about...CANDY! He has been thrilled ever since and wanting candy for breakfast every morning.

Here is this picture, though, of J's face a day or so before Halloween. I think he was thinking about a costume change at the last minute. I love this picture:



We had over our friends for dinner on Halloween and their kids went Trick Or Treating with us, which has become an annual tradition for our families. It is really nice to share fun times with good friends.


I made the dinner for the kids. We had monster toes:


Witches Fingers:

And monster mouths:

The kids had fun eating it and I had fun making it all for them.

Now...on to the next holiday. I'm going to slow down and enjoy it!

Fall Break

I am a little behind posting this and I have no excuse except that it's really chilly here and I would prefer to stay on the sofa curled up in my Snuggie rather than doing my work or chores around the house. But the world keeps turning and apparently 4 people that live with me need my assistance with keeping their world turning as well so I oblige.

It was nice to have a Fall Break a couple of weeks ago with the kids out of school and my hubby off work. We took a little trip to the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee aka PCB of the high country. Literally, there was something on every corner and in every crevice of that place. Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are filled with places to spend plenty of money on all sorts of things from Daniel Boone caps to Indian headdresses, a magnet for just about anything you can think of to a Dolly sucker. I am not even teasing about the later. There was actually a sucker made out of white chocolate of Dolly Parton from the chest up. I'll leave that to your imagination, rather than explaining further.

Our friend M and her daughter HR went along on our adventure to the mountains. It was so nice to have a playmate for my girls and it was even nicer to have 2 Moms on vacation. I've always needed another Mom around to help. I lived my dream for 3 days.

There is so much there to do in Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg that it's hard to decide what to actually do. Do we go to the comedy barn, which looks like Hee-Haw made over, do we go see part monkey/part fish at Ripley's Believe It Or Not, or do we choose to eat giant turkey legs while watching a lot of horses run around at the Dixie Stampede? Decisions, decisions. We chose Dollywood for a day which proved to be very nice. We rode a lot of rides, some of them riding more than once. It wasn't crowded and the weather was nice. Some of the roller coasters were the best that I have ever ridden!












On our second day there we just strolled downtown Gatlinburg taking our time going in and out of stores and finally making our way to Ripley's Believe It Or Not. That place had me hook line and sinker when I saw the mannequin boy with the horn coming out of the back of his head going up and down on a rope. I just had to see more. And I could have spent all day looking in the funny mirror in that place. That was hysterical and in some angles very nice. By the way, I look pretty good at 6 foot and 90 pounds.





We also just had some good times at our cabin. The scenery was nice, the hot tub was relaxing and the game room was fun. Oh, and the beds there were so very comfortable and cozy.




It was a nice trip and a great opportunity to get away from it all.

Oh, and apparently my kids are much smaller in the mountains than they are here....BELIEVE IT.....OR NOT!

The Sweetest Six Year Old In The World!

Yesterday we celebrated K's 6th birthday! It was a great day and filled with fun. We celebrated with her at a local jumping establishment and many of her friends came for her party. We (well,..THEY) jumped, giggled, ate pizza and cake, and opened presents. Fun was had by all.









She still holds her claim to sweetest and prettiest six year old in the world. (I am her mom so I can say that). That and the fact that it's my blog....and the fact that it is true.

Happy Birthday sweet K. You are master snuggler, queen of kindness, entertainer of young brother, friend to older sister, and princess of the family. We love you so very much.