Birthday Bliss

Jocelyn will turn 8 tomorrow and we’ve been listening to her talk about it ALLLLL week! It’s wonderful to see her so excited about turning another year older, particularly since us older folk (okay, ME!) begin to dread our birthdays, or at least not look forward to it as much as a child! She opted for a Pump-It Up! party tomorrow night and between baking and frosting cupcakes (2 different kinds for those attending that may want a choice between chocolate and vanilla), baking chocolate chip muffins for her class, and fixing goodie bags for the oodles of kids she’s invited, I’ll be glad when it’s over. Maybe next year she won’t mind if I buy the pre-made cupcakes and muffins from the store and that would make it soooo much easier for me. At least Pump-It Up will do the set up and clean up! I’ll post pics soon!

Happy birthday, Sweetie! I still remember the mad dash to the hospital to get you delivered all those years ago!

Thanksgiving 2007

We had a wonderful time in Oklahoma City with Ken’s family.  We headed out Wednesday and arrived by lunch time.  By dinner time, Julie, Doug, Delainey, Lauren, Jerry, Shirley, Clay, Erin, Weston, and our family (total 14 people) were chowing down  on Cici’s pizza and salad with brownies for dessert.  We played Whoonu? by Cranium, a fabulous family game then headed to bed.  On Thanksgiving Day, the total number grew to 22 including Keith’s family and Steve and Tia drove in all the way from Hampton, AR!  We dined on turkey, ham, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, creamed potatoes, salad, cranberry sauces, gravy, with oodles of pies!  There was a coconut cream, a chocolate cream, a sweet potato pie, a pecan pie, and about 5 pumpkin pies!  It was bitterly cold so our trip to Deniston Park was cut short, that and Wesley needed to use the bathroom and a tree just wouldn’t do!  We had a wonderful time and it was fabulous seeing everyone again.  This was the first time all of Ken’s siblings had been together for Thanksgiving in who-knows who long!

Black Friday

I love a bargain, always have, but when the ads for the day after Thanksgiving sales hit, I was disgusted.  Kohl’s and JCPenney were opening at 4am!  Who, in their right mind, would be going shopping at 4am?!  Perhaps I’m biased; Ken and I have worked retail for many, many years and my heart went out for those poor associates who would have that way too early report time hanging over their heads as they tried to enjoy their turkey and/or ham.  Was it truly worth the early morning get up?!

Hittin’ the Road — again!

In a previous blog entry, I said that Ken and I were starting the Y routine up again.  We haven’t done too badly this week and have started easily enough and without too much pain.  A long, long time ago, Darren and I used to run road races.  We ran year-round, including winter, in anything from a 1-mile fun run to a 10-miler.  (Well, Darren got to the 10-miler Turkey Trot but I stayed with the 2-miler!)  The Turkey Trot is this weekend and I remember the glorious running high you can get.  Ken and I are going to give it a shot, although not this year.  We’re going to train together and plan on running the 10 mile Turkey Trot for 2008.  We’ll do some others in-between after the New Year.  Anybody want to join us?

A Van-Hunting We Will Go

The time has come that my 2002 Dodge Durango XLT just isn’t meeting our families needs anymore. We bought it about two years ago when my 15-year old Ford Aerostar started leaking fluid from who-knows-where. It was no longer reliable and that is something we desperately need. I love my Durango. I STILL love my Durango, but it’s just not a good relationship anymore. Here are a few reasons why:

1) Taylor claims the 3rd row seat. He frequently gets stuck trying to get into it and has had his foot slammed in the door more than once. He’s nearly as big as I am! This doesn’t help with starting out the mornings right!

2) Little trunk space. When I do the grocery shopping for a family of 5, a dog, and 3 fish, I shop for A LOT of groceries and, well, you know, STUFF. I have to put down the rear seat in order to fit in all of the bags. Then Taylor is forced to sit on the bench seat in the middle, scrunched between Wesley in his booster and Jocelyn. Not a healthy environment.

3) Gas mileage. Need I say more?

Why I don’t want to get rid of my Durango:

1) Leather seats. And heated, too! Great for those cold mornings when you’re tushie is cold!

2) Some fancy gadget that gives me which direction I’m going, how much gas I have in the tank (very important for when your gas light comes on!), what my gas mileage is (ouch), and my fave-the outdoor temperature!

3) It can still seat 7 people–8 if you have one on the 3rd row in the middle without a seat belt, just don’t tell anyone!

Over the past couple of days I have been researching vans. My parents have a Toyota Sienna that they love and will probably replace with another one, they love it so much. Other people, including Consumer Reports, go for the Honda Odyssey. Chrysler Town and Country Touring is looking food with its stow-a-way seating and tv/dvd. Got any suggestions for me?

Back to the Y

When school started in August, we made every attempt to get to the Y to work out.  It got harder and harder with all 3 of the children having homework.  Then Brownies started, then Ken worked nights, then I had parent/teacher conferences — yes, we came up with the excuses.  Tonight we’re easing back into the routine again.  Even after picking Jocelyn up from Brownies, we headed straight out to the Y.  Ken and I got a reasonable run in, despite being “off” for two months.  The only drawback?  We were eating dinner at 7:15pm and Wesley and Jocelyn go to bed at 8!

It’s gone

I have oodles of different entries I can’t wait to blog about but unfortunately the USB cord for my camera with the pics that I want to use has gone missing!  Ken says he can find one out for me in the interim but as of yet, it hasn’t shown up.