Snowstorm 2010

We're on day two of being confined to the neighborhood. Not so bad. Actually Ara and I got out yesterday and hiked our way to 7-11 for pepsi, beer and 2 cans of skoal. I didn't know that was the deal-I thought we were just picking up pepsi to take the the neighbors for game night. Tomorrow we may need to hike out for toilet paper. Haha. Yesterday when I stuck a ruler in the snow we were at 8 inches. It snowed a little after that but not much.
I think the secret to this peaceful snow-in is planned sleepovers for the boys. It's just been Andi and us. We even roasted marshmallows in the fireplace. Ara has the drive and walk shoveled out, but it's iced over. Our neighborhood hasn't been plowed so we both called in for Monday. Hopefully we'll have some melting action and warmer air before the rain hits on Wednesday.
Ara started his bass lessons on Friday. He was so excited when he got home that night. I may have a rockstar on my hands when he hits his midlife crisis. Maybe he'll add on to the house so he can have a studio. giggle.
I am on sweater two. It's a pullover hoodie. I wish it was already done..it would have come in handy this weekend. Pics to come soon. I also ordered some books on locker hooking. Hope to use up some of the scrap fabric I have.

Resolutions

I hadn't and wasn't going to get around to making new year's resolutions. But after unexpectedly having the day to myself puttering around the house...I lost my keys this morning and didn't find them until 11:43. Spike was laying on them. Lazy dog didn't sense my panic. By then the house was ransacked and it took me the rest of the day to put it back together. So having all this time to think....My resolutions this year are as follows:
1. Be more diligent about recycling.
2. Cook more often, Eat out less.
3. Eat more fiber.
4. Make do and Save more money. So someday I can go to the Biggest Loser Resort in Utah. ;)
5. Think and start gift buying throughout the year...Make a gift closet or something.
6. Be nicer to Ara. just because he's a sweetie deep down beneath the growling
7. Simplify and sort out all this junk I am storing and taking care of.
8. Drink more water
9. Take more naps. :p Just because....
10. Ummmm Rinse and Repeat 1-9

Christmas 09 New Year 10

Christmas 09 has come and gone. Cole stayed up all night just so he could get up early. That meant we were all up at 5:30 A.M.! Gifts were done by 6:30. Sorry no pictures this year. 1. Ara keeps hiding the camera from crazy teen girl and 2. I really didn't want photographed before sunup. The second wake up was a 9:00 and then by the time I got the Christmas dinner put together in the various machines (crock pot, bread machine, etc) I fell back asleep off and on until 4. We had a roaring fire all day, wish I would have got jumbo marshmallows--those tiny ones for the hot cocoa are so hard to toast.

New Years was also quiet. Not as much napping, but another roaring fire and movies all day. We re-watched the Transformers, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Harry Potter series. As soon as the ball dropped I was in bed and snoozing.

I started a new crochet project, a cardigan sweater. I have one and a half sleeves to go. I hope (fingers crossed) that is fits.

We also got stupid and bought a new scale...a body fat calculating scale. So I'm 32% and Ara is 24% and we've been working hard on our Total Gym...Eat your heart out Chuck Norris.

first miracle of this Christmas season

We got our tree up over the weekend. As the kids have gotten older we have morphed this into a family event...and this year was the most peaceful ordeal ever. I told them to keep Sat from 1-3 free AND they did! that is this seasons first miracle of Christmas! Ara and I stopped at the grocery that morning and stocked up on party food--chocolates, cookies, salami & cheeses, chips and dip, popcorn chicken and soda--we spared no expense. So as soon as Jake got back from his SAT testing we dug in. He orchestrated by telling us we were incorporating a 5 minute break every 25 minutes. This turned in to Ara and Andi and Jake watching Elf (Ara napping-creating the peaceful part of the day). The kids ended up hanging out until 6 which totally surprised us. A few years ago we could hardly keep them in long enough to hang a bulb.

wrestling

Oh and I forgot to mention that Cole is now wrestling on the high school team. I'll try to take some pics over the season. I have no pics of his football season, so I won't make any promises.

so much fun

I have to admit that Christmas shopping this year is a lot less stressful with Ara on board and my new paycheck. I'm having so much fun Internet shopping with him that I don't want to get the tree and stuff out...I want to keep on shopping. One of the gifts I got him ~a hollow violin body electric bass guitar ~ came today AND he was home. I think he suspects, but he tried to google the return address and came up with nothing. But the size of the box is kind of a giveaway. He also picked out a leather jacket at JCP on our short black Friday trip. So he knows two of his gifts. He wasn't quite recovered enough to hit the stores and wore out within one hour. We got a lot done in the one hour. I am so excited about the gift I got for my Mom. Quite a bargain and so elegant. Wish I could be there to give it to her in person.

My de Quervains flared up over the last two weeks so I haven't been able to crochet like I wanted. I faithfully wore my brace for 6 days straight except to shower and now I'm hooking again! I finished a sock and started its mate (fingers are crossed that I can make them match).
And I spent the weekend cutting plastic shopping bags into strips and have a hefty ball of plarn (plastic yarn). But I can't tell what I created with it, I am so proud of it though. It's for someone special that I think will appreciate the labor of love that went into crafting and designing it. I can't wait to make more so save your plastic bags and drop them my way.

Ara recovered from his flu and I safely avoided it. I knew breathing in all those Lysol fumes would pay off. I have disinfected the doorknobs, keyboards, and handrails so many times that I can't believe the finish hasn't worn off. I even Lysoled the toothbrushes (don't worry, I rinsed them 10 minuets later). I didn't want any germs jumping from his toothbrush to mine, since they live in the same polka dot flower pot on the sink counter.

Since Ara was down, we kept Thanksgiving super simple. I did a turkey, mashed potatoes (instant) gravy (jar) and green beans (frozen) and chocolate chip cookies (nestle frigde pack). I felt like I was cheating! The leftover green bean and turkey got mixed in with tortellini (premade) and alfredo sauce (jar). The only thing I missed was homemade rolls and homemade gravy (jar just isn't the same) and the pumpkin pie. Cole already announced he wants roast beef for Christmas.

Shopping Starts...

Yesterday I hit JCPenny and Dicks Sporting Goods and got some clothes for Cole's Christmas. And today I hit JCP.com and got Jake and Andi some more good online deals. The stuff I was going to buy Jake in the store for 30 was online for 19 and I got a 15% off online coupon while shopping yesterday. I got Andi ring that was originally 100 something for 20 something...sapphires and real diamonds. So far I have only spent $198 all together. I love JCPenny. I need to write my ideas down for the rest so I don't go overboard and start getting things for other people besides the kids. I have no idea what to get the husband. I thought about a massage gift certificate but I don't' know if he would ever use it.