Sick Sick Sick

Our family has been fighting some form of sickness for about a month and a half now. Colds, ear infections, the flu- you name it, we've had it. It seems each time we get our hopes up that all of us might finally be better, someone sneezes and our hopes are dashed again. We are planning to go to the Kentucky temple and make a weekend of it, so we are really hoping that we are all feeling up to it by then.

The amazing thing is, even though you may be sick, your life still moves forward. Here are some of the things we have been doing:
Building Snowmen and throwing snowballs at the window and then watching it all melt the next day. Lydia kept wondering where her snowman went.
We took the kids sledding and though I reminded myself several times, I still forgot the camera. This was Colton afterwards. He staying in his car seat the whole time. We hauled him (rather- Mike hefted him) up the hill where he stayed cozy while the parents took turns riding down with Lydia and then carrying her back up. No workout video needed that day! We even let Colton ride down with us once- still in his carseat- oblivious to the danger we were putting him in.
Mike introduced Colton to Oreos. Needless to say, he liked them.
Lydia somehow managed to spill her milk- all over her face!

We haven't managed to snap pictures yet, but Colton has become good at blowing snot bubbles. Lydia is all about Elmo right now, but not potty training. And while all this was happening, I turned 24. Not my best of birthdays- Lydia was throwing up, however it seems birthdays are less exciting the older you get. This was exciting, but not in the way I had hoped.
One thing we are all excited about around here is Lydia's speech. She is finally trying to say words! We have had a breakthrough with words like clock, gospel(don't know why she decided to say this one) and of course, Mcdonalds (her favorite) Today she even said Colton for the first time! Up until now when you tell her to say Colton, she will respond, "Baby."

Colton's eating

Colton is now eating real food and he loves it and I love that he loves it!
I changed my background because I needed something livlier. I am starting to grow weary of winter and am ready for some color. I can't wait to go outside in shorts and no shoes. I love summer.
I got the flu this last week. No fun at all. Gratefully Mike was here to nurse me back to health- just in time for my kids to get it. Still not fun, but the end is in sight.

Random thoughts of a housewife

There is no way there could be dirty dishes in Heaven.

I used an apple slicer for the first time last week and now I want one!

Why doesn't the money in my wallet replenish like the clothes in my dirty hamper?

I don't think I will ever be satisfied that my bathtub is clean.

By the time I am 40, how many times do you think I will have cleaned up spilled juice/milk?

I never thought that everything I did would be emulated- right down to how I put my contacts in.

How Big is HUGE?

My next door neighbor is due with a baby within the month. She is very ready to be done with this pregnancy, but she said it always makes her feel better when she thinks of how big I was because she hasn't reached that HUGEness yet. It seems that all women look back on their pregnancies and exclaim, "I was huge!" Yet I always think to myself- "They could not have been as huge as me!" And then I am led to think that all women must think they were the largest woman ever to bear a child. So upon looking at photo's from my last week of pregnancy with Colton, was I the HUGEST pregnant woman you have seen? Because I sure think so.

I had so much fun!

Thanks for a great time in Idaho Grandma and Grandpa!

I love these guys!

It's great to be back to Indiana even though it feels like -30 today! I competed in my speech and am moving on to the next division and will compete again in February. I ended up speaking on my mom's run in with cancer as a motivational speech. Mike is back to school and greatly enjoying not having to go to any classes, only having to do research.

Today has been an interesting day as our water line to the kitchen sink froze. I pulled all the cleaning supplies out and put them on the counter. Unbeknownst to me, the hand soap leaked on the counter. Later, as I was cooking lunch, I ended up with some on my fingers. I thought it was food, so I licked it off! It didn't take me long to realize that something harmful was in my mouth. My throat started burning, but it has improved! For the first time in my life I thought I was going to have to call poison control!

Holidays

It was a great and long Christmas! We went to the Hansen's before Christmas and to Idaho to see the Reed's after. We had our first Christmas at home just our family and we really enjoyed it. Lydia keeps pointing at the toys Santa brought her and saying, "ho ho ho"
Riding the tractor with Papa. It was about 5 degree's, but she was so excited. She loved it when Grandpa would push up really big piles of snow and the mice would go running. She loves tractors. A girl after my own heart.
Finger painting with aunt Teesha.
Escaping from bed at the Hansen's. Whenever she gets out of bed and she knows she isn't supposed to be out, she waves and say's hello.
The kids hanging out together.
Playing with the cousins in Idaho. They rode in these tubs behind the snowmobile.
Reading stories with Grandpa and Kate.
The pictures seem to tell the story of events. We were able to go to the Rexburg temple which was really nice. We went to Amish country while we were in Ohio and got to see all but one of Mike's seven siblings. Flight's went well and I was so grateful- although I did get thrown up on, spit up on and I spilled some pop all over my lap all on our return flight! I was grateful to come home to my shower and my own bed- and just in time for all of us to catch colds. Thanks for the great time Mom and Dad!