Dream, Pray, Love Anyway

Merry Christmas...

 We had a great two days celebrating Christmas and enjoying Family.  Our Christmas started Christmas Eve with a Lasagna lunch at my Moms with my sister Melissa and her family.  We then came home in time to watch A Christmas Story (it's not Christmas eve without leg lamp or a flag pole).  Haley tracked Santa online and as soon as he hit Mexico she made a bee line for the bed.  Easiest Christmas Eve we've ever had...Santa's helper even had the presents wrapped and under the tree by 10pm.  Completely threw off my system...was WIDE AWAKE at 4am.

Mom went with us to Janet's house Christmas Day.  It was good for her to be around a big family and not sitting around at home by herself.  It was wonderful having her with us all day.  We made it back to Nicole's for our own Christmas with Mom.  It was relaxed, the guys played with the boys toys, and we even got to spend a little time with our red-headed step sister Kelly.  (I totally say that with love:) )

All in all it was a great Christmas.  Lots of family, just how I like it.  And Jason held off on the hunting...till today:)

 

Haley called her Grandma as soon as her presents were opened, while Jason and I cut toys out of boxes...She told her that at Target it's okay Mom said no to the $20 toys she wanted, and she could only get $5, $4, or $3 toys because Santa brought her all the $20 toys.  Glad all is well, who knew she worried about the toys at Target:)

Aunt Nicole is a very mean Elf...she made the kids wait both days to open presents:

Christmas Eve at Moms...

 
The mean elf gave the kids theirs last

At Nicole's Christmas night...

 
waiting, waiting, waiting...

and after the madness:

 
Justin

 
Tyler

 
Haley Jo

Brian & Kristi's little Paige was pretty happy out at Janets too:

 
Not sure how much her dog Bo will after today.

 

Halloween Fun

What a handsome guy my dad is.  Look at all that hair.  He looks really good and this was taken on Friday just 4 days after his chemo treatment.  He wasn't as tired this week as he expected and with Richie's car out of his garage Dad is pretty bored.  So bored he's been seen driving up and down highway 100 'checking on the progress'.  He just grinned when we all called him out for checking on Jason.  Jason told him he sees him drive by everyday (EVERYDAY!) and where to pull off and watch a shot or just talk to Jason. 

Such a nice picture - much better than the first one he gave me:


Haley looked incredibly cute.  She wanted to be a Unicorn.  Then she found a skirt that lights up and wanted to where that as well.  So we decided she would be a princess riding a unicorn and in our search for a princess cone hat she chose the crown below instead.  Still such a cutie-pie.

That face!  So Haley Jo!

While waiting for Jason to get home from work Haley and I went to Union High School where they had a Trick or Treat Street in one of the halls will trick or treating and Halloween games where you win, what else, candy.  The hall was dark with the only light from the class rooms you go to and then there was the haunted classroom Haley and I both walked about 10 feet around with Haley saying 'I DON'T want to do THAT!'  I'm right there with ya girl! 

She did enjoy knocking the frog in the box, making a spider with her hand prints, and making a ghost out of a sucker. All free - Thank you Union High School.  It was a nice safe environment and all the kids seemed to really be having a good time.

 

We went back home and met Jason who was sitting on the couch, talking on the phone as usual, cooler waiting by the door.  I grabbed a few things and out the door we went, Labadie bound.  We did our usual, mom and dads, then Bobs house.  If you ever get to Labadie for dinner or whatever, step inside the Labadie store.  There are pictures of  the Labadie 'celebrities' (the group of older men who sit there every morning for coffee together) and Bob is one of them and he also has tons of pictures of himself and his big fish or big deer on the bulletin board near the door.  And if you are lucky enough one of those guys will be in there and you can hear some of their wonderful stories.  I could listen to Bob and his fish stories for hours.

After Bob's we headed to the winner of the Six Flags Trick or Treat.  She happens to be the sister of one of Jason's good friends.  It wasn't what I was thinking it was.  It was just decorations and some ghouls there which Haley walked right by like they weren't even there.   I was envisioning an experience similar to my own when I worked at Six Flags and got to be one of the ghouls (yes,  all made up by the make up artist - they did not use my natural features although on some days could scare anyone)  made up with my hair teased out to there and a wonderful vintage gown all distressed - we went to the Governor's mansion in Jeff City for their annual Halloween party for the neighborhood kids.  It was amazing.  I got to each lunch in the mansion, the Governor and his wife had costumes made for them by Six Flags as well and we all done up along beside us ghouls.  Stage props were brought along as decoration from the Palace spooky show - something along the lines of Rocky Horror Picture Show.  It was a really fun night.  I guy I was partnered with was actually someone I had gone to school with and didn't know very well but we had a good time anyway - his name was Craig and I think his girlfriend in high school was Regina but I can't remember last names for the life of me. 

I had all this in my mind when we stopped at her house and was  slightly disappointed but we got our candy and went on our way.  There were huge lights on the house that drowned out being able to actually see the ghouls so I wasn't able to get a picture - I couldn't SEE who was a ghoul and who wasn't.  There was a big bunch of people standing at the end of the driveway and I knew there were ghouls in there I just couldn't see them.  That was a bigger disappointment. 

We did, however, scoot over next door to the guy that always has the huge Christmas lights along hwy 100 - he was getting a bit overshadowed by the Six Flags house - he was trying to give Haley as much candy as she could handle and she just picked a few pieces and he kept saying take more and she would pick just one more.  It was so funny. 

We ended our night at our good friends house Bonnie and Ralph sitting at their basement bar talking shop and catching up on gossip.  I walked in with Haley's Girl Scout order behind my back (Shannon, their daughter, was our go to girl for Girl Scouts for up till Haley's membership this year) and the first words out of my mouth was 'Are you still Girl Scouts?' and when she said No the order form came from behind my back and the excitement was just too much to handle.  If you know Bonnie and Shannon you'd understand.  They are such fun and very expressive and really make the important things to you really important to them as well.  Very supportive family - we love them very much.  Ralph's parents hug us each new years eve as if we are one of their own.  His mom has actually started chemo again as well, same schedule as Dad and Bob's grandson (who is just a little guy) - lots of prayers for both of them.   I love visited with them so we purposefully made them our last stop.

It was a nice Halloween - much nicer than last year when I had to take Haley up and down the big hill in Labadie and her bowl broke in front of a house I just wanted to get away from.  Because things like that follow me where ever I go. 
I'm done rambling on and on for today - Have a great Tuesday!  VOTE VOTE VOTE. 

Happy Easter Everyone!

Yes, I know it's the day after Easter - but Happy Easter anyway!  Hope everyone's was as relaxing as mine! 

Haley and I got back in the house Saturday afternoon.  I didn't realize how exhausting it can be to not be able to get into your home.  Even though I was staying with Mom and Dad which was like staying at a resort anyway, completely comfortable and I didn't feel I was intruding one bit.  But by Saturday afternoon, I just wanted to be home.  Man was I crabby!  Whew!  Most of the guys were at Mom and Dads trimming trees and cleaning out the gutters.  We did Easter with the kids.  Bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles floated down the hill and into Labadie.  The kids LOVED it!  So much fun!  Jessica and I 'hid' the eggs in the yard - there were so many eggs the yard was plastered in pastel.  Guess where my camera was?  In my desk at my house without a battery.  I know!  Should have been the 2nd thing I grabbed out of my house when vacating Tuesday.  The only pictures I have of Easter was with a disposable camera I found in my desk Sunday afternoon when it was....SNOWING!  Just could not get over it.  30 minutes later the sun was shining.  Midwest weather - Got to love it!

Haley and I finally packed up and left Moms at around 3:30, went to the house, dropped off the dogs, turned back on the heater, and headed over the Dalton's to deliver the ultimate birthday gift.  Nerf Long Shot.  I had no idea what this thing was when he asked for it till I found it at the store and I don't think I've ever bought a box that big for anyone other than Haley.  Holy crap.  It's a gun that is two guns in one that shoots these Nerf bullets.  It's so big it has a scope AND when you stand it on end it's just about as tall as Dane.  Crazy.  We had actually just missed the last of the Birthday party guests so I just sat and talked with Patti for awhile and headed home.  FINALLY at 7pm we were HOME.  Just in time for Jason to get home and want to back to Keith and Patti's to play cards.

Sunday, Easter Sunday, we stayed home.  Probably made a few people upset but I personally was exhausted - exhausted from not being at home, from dealing with everything and everyone all week, and we had to put back together everything from the flood.  The relief when Jason said we were staying home was just bliss.  I had his full week of laundry to do and Haley had had a really emotional week, we needed the day to chill.  Haley dyed eggs and played with her Princess ball and Bunny slinky the Easter Bunny left for her.  Jason retrieved the Chevelle, put the guns/bows back in their places, and put his garage back in order.  Tim and Sheri came out to survey the minimal damage there was.  There was about 2 or 3 inches that actually got into the garage that is not attached to the house.  NO water got in the house or the front yard.  There was water in the front yard from standing water, you can see the brown grass, but in the field you can see a brown line near our road of debree where the water had rose to. 

AND we watched Enchanted about 6 times over the coarse of the weekend.  Why 6 times?  Because everytime I put it in I never saw the whole thing.  I saw bits and pieces.  And finally last night I saw the one section I had missed all 6 times.  By the time the week is over I do plan on sitting down and watching from start to finish.  Patrick Demsey sure knows how to pick his movies.  I did get to go thru the special features and watch where they pulled Disney scenes to create the scenes in the movie.  Once I saw that, then went back and watched I could catch different things from Cinderella, Snow White, Ladie and the Tramp, and The Little Mermaid.  If you buy the movie on BlueRay they show more.

Thank you to everyone who sent Easter gifts to Haley Jo.  Unfortunately since Keith delivered the goods, she has it in her mind it's all from Keith.  She enjoyed them all and jumped out of bed this morning to put the new barrettes in her hair.  Thank You. 

Here's to a flood free week and just 28 days till our Magical Dream Disney Vacation!!!  A friend at work (and it just kills me to say friend of a former 'enemy' - dang Gordon fans) was in Florida last week and brought back Haley a gift to start out her vacation - a set of Disney Princess rings.  She is going to just freak out tonight after school!   

MAN I wish I had not forgotten my camera!

Random Nothingness....Again

**Updated thanks to Sara P** (picture rolling eyes here...with love) :)

**Updated AGAIN with accurate info on Dad.

Well, it's not all 'nothingness'. 

Kindergarten Registration:

Oh boy, Kindergarten Registration.  At least it's over!  We get there about 6:15pm.  Haley surprised me, in more than one way.  No coaxing on my part, I was very proud!  We sat at a table and while I filled out the paperwork, Haley colored.  There were clearly about 4 kids left at this point.  A nurse asked Haley if she was ready for her eye exam.  She said no.  Then hid behind me and whispered her name into my butt.  Once I spelled our name to the nurse, who looked at me like, what did she say?  What did you say?  (we have a long complicated last name)  So, Haley decides to remove her face from my neither region and participate in the eye exam.  She names the picture from the book at the table with ease.  Then we stand to look at the pictures on the wall.  She does great with the first question, then looks at me and says very loudly 'I have to go potty'.  Okay, we leave the exam and go find the potty.  I'm in one stall and she's next to me when I hear - again very loudly - 'Mom, I pooped my underwear'  - OMG!  So, I'm thinking it's nothing, I walk around the stall door and it's not nothing.  It's on her leg, it's on the toilet, it's embedded in her underwear.  Her pretty Tinkerbell underwear.  SO, I take a deep breath, calm her down - she was a bit upset it happened - and started clean up.  The underwear stayed at Kindergarten Registration, nestled deep in the trash can.  We go back, finish the eye exam where she did everything the nurse asked.  Haley, cover one eye - Haley covers one eye - Haley cover the other eye - Haley promptly puts up her other hand and now has BOTH eyes covered.  Hey - the nurse did not say take down your first hand.  I had told Haley about the ear exam ahead of time knowing what they are and wanting her to follow directions.  So I told her she would hear a beep and would have to raise her hand to the beep.  Well, the tests have changed.  The nurse put some pictures in front of Haley and as she told Haley the instructions to point to each picture and what each picture was.  This whole time, from the moment they put the earphones on her head, Haley has her hands up.  The nurse has no idea why and doesn't comment, I on the other hand was holding back laughter with all my might.  I now my child CAN hear me she just has selective hearing:) 

Update on my dad:

This is the not so Nothingness part.  He went for a full body scan on Thursday and the biopsy on Friday.  The doctors are 99% sure the Tumor is cancer but will have confirmation from the biopsy this week and Dad will have to have Cemo - he sees that doctor on Wednesday - as well as radiation.  The scan showed that he also has some tumors in his lungs.  The doctor did not tell mom how many or how severe.  But if you ask my nephew who's best friend has a brain tumor - the tumor on his leg is the parent cell and the tumors in his lungs are cells of the parent tumor.  We spent a good part of Saturday at Mom and Dads - he was in pretty good spirits considering.  Mom was a bit more relaxed, able to kind of laugh at a few of the situations Dad was in Friday with the nurses seeing all he has, and I mean ALL he has.  Which makes me feel better about the situation as well, Laughter is good.  Because the opposite means he's not fighting.  And I know my dad is a fighter.  If all I can do is be there to do some random act of stupidness to make him laugh, then I know my purpose in life is for a good cause.  And those of you who know me personally and have witnessed my random acts of stupidness fully know the extent of my purpose in life:)

Updated pics from Christmas:

A couple pics from Christmas that I just love.  This one is of Haley and Dane in front of the tree:

I love the look on Haley's face - Dane's too - that's one BIG smile!

And this the really cool puzzle Reindeer my daddy made just for me!  (and one for Nicole too **And Melissa and Sara too) made to replica the original one my Grandma always had - Sheri's has that one.

Cutest Reindeer - EVER! 

The not-so-mysterious amazingly wonderful Christmas Gift for Amy?

All I wanted was 8 little words from Jason:  Make the Reservations, We're going to Disney World! And he said them!  Sober and at almost 10pm but I got them with no prying what so ever and have been planning ever since!  I've wanted to go for the better part of 12 years, and it just took Haley all of 2 minutes.  Watch out all you soon to be daddys - the girls will wrap you around their finger before their first cry - ask Jason.  So, at the suggestion of a co-worker, I picked up a TravelGuide - used the suggested website to plan our week, have been making lists, read the travel guide in almost one night, and will be picking up a second recommended book mostly for the pictures for Haley.  Haley is sooo excited she's going to see Cinderella's Castle, on her birthday!  Am I Mom of the Year of what!

Is it over already?

Christmas Morning:

I hear the little pitter patter of feet sleepily walk into my room, our tired baby crawls over her daddy and plants herself in between us and closed her eyes.  WHAT!  It's Christmas Morning!  Mom, I mean Santa, stayed up till 11:30 putting the gifts together and arranging under the tree with LOVE!  Jason gets up to go to the bathroom and I say to Haley 'Do you think Santa came last night?'

Her little head popped up and her eyes were just as big as big could be.  'I'll go check!'  I hear her walk into the living room and then just silence.  Then, very slowly, 'Wow'  and then very very fast pitter patters back to my bed.  'Mom!  Come look!' 

And that started our Christmas day.  Had you been at my house Christmas Eve with a video camera you very well could have a few thousand extra dollars to spend.  We have 'A Christmas Story' playing on the TV because it is a rule in my house at 7pm when the marathon starts on TBS, we don't change the channel!  Unless the daddy wrestles the mommy to the ground and pries the remote out of her weak little hands.  Anyway, we have that playing in the background, and we're on round two of the movie because a little girl WOULD NOT STAY IN HER BED!  We had bought her the Disney Castle and Carriage and Cinderella.  Online. I had NO IDEA how big this thing was!

So, 'A Christmas Story' is playing in the background.  Jason is passed out in the recliner, camo blanket tucked under his chin, on the verge of snoring.  I, on the other hand, am creating the most magnificent Christmas memory of all time.  Alone.  A huge castle to wrestle out of a box.  The Castle comes pretty much already put together.  The trick, however, is getting the castle out of the box by yourself.  So, there I was, in my pajamas, with both hands gripping the castle and my FOOT up in the air gracefully pushing the box OFF the castle.  Holy crap!  It took my 20 minutes to get the castle out of the box!  Afterwords I actually had the thought, 'Huh, I could have pulled the box off the castle instead of the castle out of the box'.    I was soooo tired Christmas morning. 

All this totally worth it just to hear the little 'wow' I heard that morning!  It is sooooo scary how easily our little family could be in 'A Christmas Story'.

What did Santa bring Amy this year?  I told you I still Believe.  And even though my stocking was empty and my only present under the tree was not wrapped (a Clydesdale to add to my collection), the greatest gift I rec'd involves the Happiest Place on Earth, but thats all I'm saying about that....for now.

OH - my favorite gift was the coolest gift ever!  And my dad made it for me (I'll post a pic later).  My Grandma Parrish had this wooden Reindeer that was a 4 piece puzzle with a red ribbon around the neck and a red nose.  When she passed, my spoiled sister Sheri got Grandma's original Reindeer.  Tuesday evening my mom and dad pulled on my other sister Nicole and I what the used to do to us as kids - after all the gifts were open Mom ordered everyone to hold on a minute and here comes Dad out of the other room with a bag while Mom told us the story of the original Reindeer, Dad pulled out two he made just for Nicole and I.  Mom helped, and so did Blake (a little boy who spends some time at my parents).  Yes, I teared up, Yes, I totally gloated to Sheri that my daddy made mine, and Yes, that Reindeer may never leave my living room.  All the reminiscing I've done this season about Grandma, she's been on my mind so much this year, and out comes a little (15in tall) reindeer to take me back anytime I please.  Thank You Mom and Dad - that was so special!

I hope all you were as blessed as I feel this year! 

You have to see this....

It's Cooper - Tim Holtz's dog - cutest thing I've ever seen.  I've never owned a dog who would do what this dog is doing!   I was lucky enough to snap this years Holiday pic before the Wrinkles escaped form Haley's grasp! 

Just click here!  Scroll on down the page - his 12 Days of Christmas tags were amazing!

Winter Wonderland....and Santa!

Saturday morning was Breakfast with Santa as Haley's school.  Haley goes to daycare near my work which is about 45 min from home.  We woke up to about 2 inches of snow and it was sleeting and snowing and raining.  We made the trip anyway.  Haley has been very determined to talk to Santa this year.  It has been 3 years since she's sat on Santa's lap - yep, she was only one.  Three years ago, the weather just didn't go our way, 2 years ago financially I didn't want to pay for the Santa pictures, and last year we stood in line, and waited, almost 30 min, and she walked right by him.

But this year is Haley's year!  She has some very important business to discuss with Santa.  She wants a Pinkie Pie Pony - which I have heard that Santa already has wrapped and ready to go - and she needs to talk to Santa about it.  We got there a few minutes late - just before Santa arrived.  So, while everyone was waiting in line to see Santa, Haley showed her Daddy her room and we sat down for breakfast.  Haley had a danish, Jason and I had the pancakes, sausage, and eggs.  It was very yummy! 

We walked down the hall and Haley had decided she needed to go home.  Jason picked her up and took her to the window, showing her Santa in the classroom (there are windows in the hall into the classrooms), then slowly we entered and sat against the wall with another friend who just wasn't sure about Santa either.

Jason looks just as unsure and the girls, doesn't he?  Then after a potty break, she took my hand and we walked up to Santa.  He asked her what she wanted, she said 'Pinkie Pie Pony', took her candy cane, and were out of there.  She was ready to go home.  And home we went:)

This picture of Santa is so great for me - She was a whole foot from Santa!  We were both so proud and I think Haley was proud of herself too.

Then we came back home, Haley played with her cousin in the snow, came inside to warm up...twice.  It snowed all evening and we woke up to this:

This is the view from my front porch towards the creek and access to our neighbors who lives at least a quarter of a mile down the road.  That is my car covered in 5 - 8 inches of snow depending on where you stood in the yard.  And if you close enough you can see the path the dogs took to get under the car and off the cold snow.  And the tracks Jason's truck used as he left at 4am in awful weather to hunt.  Crazy hunter.  This is stay in the house, do the laundry, and watch Christmas movie weather - and do a bit a shopping on the internet...all in my PJs!

Advent Calendars

Do you recognize this house?

                                                          

This is a close replica of the advent calendar house used in the National Lampoons Christmas Vacation - one of my vacation Christmas movies and I have been looking for an advent calendar like this for a few years.

You can imagine my surprise and excitement when I saw this house, and the dismay when I saw the price.  Apparently this is the only one I'm going to find and I'm not going to have it anytime soon.  Maybe never. If I were to purchase this house (a year in advance is the requirement) I would surely loose my husband and child.  Not that important of an advent calendar to me:) 

The price you ask?  $449.  No, I didn't forget any decimal points, I said $449.00.  A small lonely tear may have dropped on the inside but the search will continue for a little wooden house with pretty doors that open to a traditional scene all about the joys of Christmas. 

The Magic of Christmas...the Lights!

Haley worked really hard all week so when Thursday came along we could go to Santa's Magical Kingdom and see all the lights.  Haley did her part but the weather did not.  Lots of rain - our little trip was delayed by a day.  Friday night we stopped for chicken and fries, and headed up the hill for the lights.  Haley was soooo excited.  I took some pictures - they are all blurry - but I was the one driving, and steering, and braking, and gassing, you get the picture.

                                                                             

The forth picture is the Arch with the fireworks going off.  That was new year and neat to see in Christmas lights.  They now have a little store that I got the greatest ornaments at - which I show or explain - they are gifts and they are hilarious!!

Haley and I had a really good time.  I hope next year her daddy will be home and able to go with us.  Hopefully this is a memory that will last years to come.

Do you try to send a family photo with your Christmas cards?

I do!  I try to make to send in our immediate family cards for sure.  One year we did the Wal-Mart picture card, but generally I set up a photo shoot - and by set up I mean throw a blanket or sheet over the back of the recliner and bribe my child to smile.  Last year Haley was very good at sitting in front of the tree and after, oh I don't know, 50 shots or so I got the just right one.  You know the one, not looking at the camera, barely smiling cause she's trying to say cheese, half playing with the stuff around her.  The perfect one:) 

Haley has no interest what so ever in dressing up in front of the tree.  Her daycare pictures turned out great, but I didn't buy near enough wallets for the cards.  I'll send what I have and once they are gone, they are gone:)  I might attempt one more time this weekend then the cards have got to get out the door.  I made all of them using kits and I was so proud of myself for getting them done the week after Thanksgiving that I have now procrastinated on the actually making out the envelopes.  Good plan for this weekend, it's supposed to be nothing but rain with a nice chance of ice.  Yummy.  Sounds like good weather to watch Hairspray at least, I don't know, 5 times:)