Ahhh! Eeeek! Yikes!

My first surgery!  In TWO days.

I have a bump on my hand that's been my special friend for these last 8 years.
It is harmless, but it's gotten bigger and now it is time to say good bye.
 
The Dr. said it will be like trading a headache for a stomach ache.  WHAT?  A bump for a scar.  But if I don't get it gone it could grow, be harder to remove and leave a bigger scar.

I am not showing you a picture because then you wont understand why I am a little sad to see it go.  It's not pretty, in fact it is quite weird and disturbs those of weak constitution but still...
Parting is such sweet sorrow...

AND I've never had surgery before so I'm a little nervous.
I'm not being put to sleep so that's good, I guess...

It's really not a big deal.
Well, it is to me because I do get nervous before I embark on something of which I don't know what to expect.

Peace.  Peeeeace.

Farewell Lumpy.  You were a dear companion.  It was fun grossing out the kids, eh?
Ahhh, yes the fond memories.

whimper.




Also:  Devil's Cub, Armstong floor cleaner - the blue stuff, Cadbury Creme Eggs.
I don't know why the pictures didn't show up in the last post.  I'm not an expert in that area.

Okay, Okay. I'm up!

I'm going to sweep and mop my floor in a minute.  Spilled milk was "wiped up" by six year old hands and I didn't even know about it until the sun (YES!  Finally the SUN!) shone across the floor when I happened to be on that side of the counter.  So, now I will mop.
We chose the best floor for the kitchen.  You can hardly ever tell it's dirty.  Until the sun hit's it just so.
I always think it is SOO clean.  um...

Carter's endoscopy results came back with no trace of anything.  Weird.

My washing maching started making a crazy spooky noise during the spin cycle of my 4th and last load of laundry yesterday.  Like a rabid dog growling at me.  Like Old Yeller locked in the shed.  So sad.  Brian says it's supposed to last us 20 years.  That washer and dryer was our first major purchase when we finished school and started our first after college job.  It hasn't been 20 years.

I was blog hopping and clicked on a link to an Etsy shop:
This print is great.  And this one.  And this one!




I picked this off my shelf to read agian.  It's been quite awhile since I've read any Georgette Heyer books.  They are cute.
Mostly it's "Oh yea!  He loves her!"  And then they get married.



This is my favorite floor cleaner.  It smells great and works smashingly.

And I'm going to use it today!  In a few minutes.

I love these things.  I refrained from picking some up today while I was out because I'm trying to NOT give myself a sugar headache.  But now looking at that picture...I want one.


Okay.  I have to be done now.  I am giving myself time limits on 'screens' just like my kids have so my brain wont rot and I can get stuff done.  Like mopping the floor.
Which I am going to do right now.

Riiiight now.

Now.

Hmmm.  

Which I am hoping to do in the near future.  (The sun has moved on and it looks REALLY clean.  So no rush, right?)


 

golden boy

tomorrow carter and i are off to b'ham for an endoscopy.  poor guy has been plagued with horrid reflux since the summer and we can't seem to get it under control.
it's a simple procedure, but i'm still a bit nervous.  i'm sure it will be fine and we'll figure out what to do for him.

i've been reading this book.
boy are my kids in for a surprise!

i'm watching this movie this weekend because it's been a few years and it's time again.

i just learned that 'control p' will post your unfinished post and not paste your just copied link into the appropriate box.  oops.  

wish us luck tomorrow.  i'm not going to like letting them take him from me.  but it'll be good to get him back.

i sure love this kid.

we went to the zoo

Kacie wanted to be carried so badly.  She was completely content with this if that's all she could get.  Just calmly hanging there.  It really was one of the funniest things I've seen.

And below is my poser.  

I had to take a picture of her on every bronze statue and wooden cutout we came across.

She LOVES to pose for pictures.

Gotta love the zoo.

It snowed on Christmas Day

It was perfect!  We left Michigan when Erin was just 2.  She doesn't remember all the snow we had there so she was out first and came in last.  She LOVED the snow.
They built three snowmen who, when melted, left behind a pile of pinestraw.  Their bones.

It's snowing again today!  No school.  No Orthodontist appointment.  No nothin'.  Crazy Alabama.  The kids have all grown out of our Snowy Polar World snow gear so we have to make due with layers and creativity.
The girls are in now, after an hour of play, drinking hot chocolate.  The boys are still out and about somewhere.  Brian is with them so I'm not too worried.

Good times.

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If at first you don't succeed...there are two options.

I shared my lament for lack of great family photo to share for Christmas, with my dear friend Norma and asked if she would brave a half hour with us and try to get a decent shot.

She happily acquiesced and the fun began.

She always wanted to try this next shot but the sun was so bright that we struggled to get our eyes open.  

We got some good shots I think.

We're using a different one in the cards but this is one of my favorites because it is in the woods.  

I love our woods.

I really like this one of the boys.  

They were being goofy...which NEVER happens.

sha.

So, Thank you my friend for putting up with us.

And thank you weather for not being in the 20's so we could go outside for a spell.

Also, I am feeling a bit of relief.  I finally gave up on a project that was taking a lot of time and kicking my trash.  Ugh.  I was making scripture totes for the girls and for whatever reason they resisted their creation.  I stopped the sewing machine mid stitch and logged onto deseretbook.com and picked out two that I didn't have to make.  It was also the last day for free shipping so I think it was an inspired throwing in of the towel.  

The fiends of tote sit in the corner of my room awaiting my very talented 

sisters gentle hand to save them or denounce them as the heap of malice I feel them to be.

Maybe we will use my dear friend Seam Ripper and create...

SCRAP.

Adieu.  

I am at peace.

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before I have to dash...

I did survive the half marathon.
I knew you were worried 'cause I hadn't checked in since I ran it.
But I'm alive and well and haven't run an inch since I finished the run last Saturday.

I don't have a picture.  I forgot to take a camera, but Brian wouldn't have been able to jet to the car.  I mean maybe he could have, but he came back to find us and then tried to run with us the rest of the way in but found his legs just didn't want to run again.  So we kept on trucking and he sauntered in a bit afterward.

Even though I didn't get pictures I am thinking this is pretty much how we looked the whole time:

You know...just happy and smiling.  It was pretty cold, but no biggie.  And we didn't even frown a little when it started raining at mile 7.  Or when my legs didn't want to go another step at mile 12 1/2 and good old Norma pulled ahead of me 6 seconds worth and kept yelling back encouraging words to which I finally responded for her to "hush up" and just go.  With a smile of course.

We finished in 2 hours 11 minutes and 51 seconds.

I am really pleased with our hard work and that we actually ran pretty much the whole thing.  We went into it initially thinking we'd maybe run half and walk on and off.  Nope!  We just kept on going.  Well, we did stop for water because I can't move when I drink water or I will choke.  And we walked for 1 minute at mile ten which was a wrong move.  It's really hard to get your legs going again once they've stopped.  Ask Brian.

So, that's my 1/2 marathon.  Done.  Check.  Accomplished.


In further news:
I am listening to books on cd while I sew some projects for Christmas.  I'm enjoying it.  The one I am listening to now is read by a woman with a Scottish or Irish accent.  Love it.
I find that when I think to myself I do so with an Isabelle Delhousey accent.  I can't replicate it very well when I try to talk to the children, but I think it VERY well.  Sometimes, occasionally, I think I might be a little Irish.  In my thoughts.  a little.

SO!  Merry Christmas!
Hope all is going just smoothly and no stress about getting blankets crocheted in time or getting a decent family picture taken for cards, has graced your days.

All the pictures taken with our whole family in them have not turned out very flattering on my side this year.  Well.  There is one where I actually sucked in my pooch and smiled all cute, but everyone else's eyes are closed.  I may just use that one because really, who needs to be cute?  Momma does.


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