Just playing...

With just a few pillows and blankets and all of the Snuggies....
the kids are entertained for an hour....
between the coffee table and the couch.....

hiding in the pillows....

and snuggling with each other.....(and one of daddy's DVDs)

they love each other......

Bad News

Crack in main sewer line found today.......not good....very expensive repair.....need prayers.....thanks!

Our Get-Away

The day after Christmas we packed up and headed out west to Blackwater Falls, West Virginia. We usually go there about every two years during the winter break. This is J's fourth trip, but Miss M has never been. There isn't whole lot to do there if you aren't a skier (Is that how you spell ski-er???) but there is hiking, sledding and an indoor pool and game room. Did I mention the beautiful landscape? The Lodge is sitting on the side of a huge canyon. Right from our balcony, you could look out and see the ravine! and the snow...it snowed every day there. They don't freak out about snow like they do where we live....as the kind man at the front desk said to me when I mentioned the 4 inches that fell over night....."This ain't nothin'!"

So I will take you on a picture walk of the week we spent there.

This is the side view from our room. There were always deer out there looking for food.

This picture is looking down form our balcony. J thought it was so cool to see the deer so close!

You know, when in a hotel, you need to find things to do! The kids had a ball playing slide on the air mattress. Luckily, it was a nice one that could handle the abuse. Sometimes, you just gotta let the kids play right?

Another favorite restaurant of our is the Sawmill. They made Mickey pancakes for J.

The kids played so well together especially for being in a hotel for so many days. Sibling Love.

If you look closely, you can see people on a bridge down by the falls. It was officially closed so these people were braving the slippery conditions. It was too far to walk with the kids on the icy steps (almost 200 of them) down to the falls but Paul and I really wanted to go. Our first vacation together was here and our first picture together was taken right on the end of that bridge.....

Miss M and her daddy..She looks so serious, doesn't she??

My boy- loving the falls. Can you see them in the background??

Here are the four of us at the falls overlook. I was freaking freezing and Paul has his coat unzipped!

The falls- aren't they gorgeous?

We traveled into Maryland to do some shopping and Miss M fell asleep with her hat sideways....

This was the planter outside one of our favorite restaurants, "Big John's Family Fixins" Perty huh? You know you are in West Virgina when...

The indoor pool was a God send.....It tired out both kids and gave them something to do.

The boys decided to go out and play one day while Miss M napped. I watched from the window.

Snow Angel!

The back of the lodge, and our room's balcony.

We didn't make this snowman. We watched two adults make it in the evening when the snow was crazy falling and the wind blowing. J insisted on a picture with it!

On your way to the main road is a little bridge. Gorgeous view in the snow isn't it?

December/Christmas in review

December 12-14- Miss M's party, and visitors from out of town
December 19-20- !8 inches of snow
December 22- Paul's truck needs 4 new tires
December 25- Mother-in-law is too sick to have Christmas
December 26- We leave for a "relaxing" vacation in the mountains and Mother in law goes into the hospital with pneumonia
December 28- Find out the Mother-in-law will need to be on O2 for a few weeks while recovering and need to find Miss M a sitter for a few weeks. Remember that we are in the mountains and Far far a way from home.
December 29- My BEST friend calls her sitter/sister who agrees to watch Miss M for the few hours a day we need her.....PRAYER answered.
January 1- Arrive home. My car won't start. Requires 2 jump starts and Paul huffing it home a mile from the gas station to call AAA (it was about 20 degrees and he left his cell at home)
January 2- Take Miss M over to meet Mel, he sitter for a few weeks and they hit it off! YAY!
January 3- Me and kids to go have a "Christmas" with my besties and kids and Miss M has a pink eye. Diagnosis----Pink eye and ear infection....... Miserable, screaming little girl...

Did I mention I go back to work tomorrow????

Merry Christmas!

I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We had an exciting morning of new toys and games.
Our plans have changed a bit because my wonderful mother-in-law is sick. We were supposed to go to her house for brunch but we instead are headed to the nursing home where my father-in-law lives to have our brunch there. IT will be weird without her there but she is sick. I pray she gets well soon....
Then we will head over to my sister's house for dinner . My mom, Nanny, my brother and family will all be there.
I hope you all enjoy the day. Count the many blessings God has given us. I know I am.

Wordless Wednesday

Back by popular demand!

Ok- It seems my "tree tour" was a hit and as I sat looking at it, I found that I left out some of my favorites....So here are a few more....

When Paul and I started dating, he bought me this ornament, well, an ornament just like this one. In my moves from here to there and back again, I lost it. I felt awful, so I went on Ebay and found it. Phew.....

The church gave me this one. On the back it has J's baptism date on it.

Ever hear the story of the Christmas pickle? It is some German tradition where the pickle is hidden in the tree and whoever finds it on Christmas morning gets a special prize. Well, we must have 5 pickles becasue my mom always forgets that she has already gotten us one and gives us new ones.

How 'bout them O's???

Here is another one from my aunt.

My mom's ex boyfriend gave us this ornament from the White House. It is so ornate and pretty!

Another one of my favorites! I bought this in Texas, maybe in 1994 0r 95. My sister, dad and I went to Texas to have Christmas with my grandmother Trudy. A Santa chili peper really says Christmas in Texas!

I try to buy an ornament from any vacation we take. This is from Disney in 2007. (Now that I put that one up, I forgot to take a pic of another one from a favorite vacation spot! Darn it!)

More angels....

This one is from my dad...Love the angels face, don't you?

My best friend made this angel for me and it makes me giggle. I alwys call it my "Dolly Parton" angel!

Another "B".....

A "bee" tree. My sister in law found it.....it goes with the whole "Bee" thing....

My tree......