proud of my skier!

Maria went downhill skiing for the first time today!!! I was so proud of her. Of course I can't ski because of my belly but Todd could :) Since class didn't start until noon, she went down the intermediate hill with Todd. She skied between his legs while holding onto the pole. She even did the lift without too much trouble. Then she did awesome in school, going down the hill many many times, all alone!! She even learned how to stop!! I am sooo proud that she tried soemthing new, perhaps something even scary for a little kid, but she tried it and loved it!!!

Lucky Momma

Todd and I were talking yesterday about the kids. Yes they have their moments and have things to improve on, but they really are great kids. Todd had to put them on their buses yesterday morning because I had to take the three hr glucose test and make sure I got home in time in the afternoon. He enjoyed it, commenting on the fact they are good kids :) I'm such a proud momma!!! What a releif to know that he sincerely enjoyed the morning rush with them. :)
Christmas day was a healthy one!! Best gift I got this year (though I did get some great material things too). Of course all of Santa Todd's gifts were a hit! Mine were liked but soon forgotten about when they saw Santa Todd's. I swear, next year he's doing the shopping. Despite the "big gifts" Maria's favs were her littlest Pet shop houses and animals and her "recycled" thoughtful gift from her cousin Tienna that is an Ariel doll that goes in the bath tub. When we visited NY in the summer, Maria loved it but Tienna just couldn't part with it just yet. So for Christmas she wrapped it up all her self and wrote the tag, To Mrea, and Miss Maria was so thrilled, that dollie goes everywhere!! Matthew's favs were his ThinkFun Rushhour Train game! It's really meant for 8 yr olds and it's a mind puzzle of sorts, he had the car version already but now he has the bigger harder train version. Of course he had to share with Todd and Uncle Chris for a few days so they could master the hardest puzzle :) He also liked his new additions to his Geotrax trains, can you believe how big it has grown?? He thoroughly enjoyed the time he spnt with Todd building two different tracks with all his new train gadgets. They were both grinning and happily working on a nice continuous track, they even had enough stuff to build three levels!!! The kids are still too young to celebrate the new year, but I was happy and content knowing that they were safe in their beds dreaming new dreams and waiting for their dreams to come true! May the new year make your dreams become reality, I know much of mine have :)

2008

I was thinking today, what will the new year bring....REALLY? How badly I wish I knew :) The things I want this year are things I really really want :) I rub my belly every morning day and night praying for a healthy baby for our family. And how much better can I show Todd I love him than giving him a healthy baby boy? Two families I pray for right now are both losing their little boys, one is four years old and the other just a young 12 months. http://www.ethanpowell.com and the other website you need to be a member of, but I promise you he's the sweetest boy alive! I often wonder why? I of course also want Maria and Matthew's good health to continue. What do you have in life if you don't have good health? I also want my house to sell. The financial ramifications of divorce are mounting. I've had one offer but it was a real lousy one, one that even I couldn't take. Very discouraging.
My belly grows very large. Kinda worrisome, I don't want anything to happen to the baby during delivery, or ever. I failed my one hour glucose test which means I could have gestational diabetes. I don't know much about it except that most GD babies are born large, that I would be living like a diabetic for 10 weeks with needle pricks and diet and that this baby would have increased chances of being a type I diabetic. I have my three hour glucose test on Wednesday morning to see if I have in fact developed diabetes.
Of course I haev pics to share but Iw anted to wish you all a healthy new 2008 year!!!

Cookies!

Despite my tiredness and size I am keeping up with the holiday traditions including making our cookie press cookies. This year was actually pretty easy. The kids are getting older and I am knowing what to do and not to do. They both were able to operate the press alone and knew how to count so they didn't come out too small or too big.
To all of you who read Merry Christmas and may your new year be filled with good health and happiness!!!

First Snow Day!

I think the kids are already on vacation because they did not have school for the past three Mondays and then they missed Thursday and Friday of last week, all from weather. Today Matthew missed from being sick :( But he seems better already :)
Thursday the kids were so excited about snow they actually sat on Maria's bed together and waited for the first flake. I think Matthew found one :) As soon as the first one fell Maria wanted to get bundled up to go out. Once Todd came home early they were off and ready. Matthew doesn't love the cold but he likes the sled so he tolerates the cold for the sled. Something usually happens that makes him want to come in. Today it was he tripped and got snow on his face, a tiny bit but still enough to send him in for a good cry :( But I got a few shots of him riding the sled and crawling in the snow like acat. Maria is the total opposite. She will stay out forever!!! Todd stayed outside and played with them for a good 45 minutes until he was finally done. Maria stayed out for another 15 minutes before she came in for her hot chocolate. As for me, I can't stay out too long :( I don't fit into my nice comfy winter coat and my snow pants don't fit either :( Luckily I have a view of the whole backyard from the sliding doors. Even though with snow days they don't go to school. the bright side is they give no fuss for going to bed :) they're pooped!

Tree Hunt

We got our tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. Maria just loves the holiday prep and we couldn't wait to get a tree. We went to the same farm as last year, Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Farm. Matthew loves Charlie Brown so he thought it was neat. In past years Maria took getting the tree a very serious business, Matthew more of a trouble because of the cold and people and fuss about nothing. This year Maria was her traditional self, but Matthew wasn't. He got out of the car with feet running! Maria loved every tree we saw, even the not so pretty ones. Matthew still didn't care about the tree but he LOVED hiding in the trees. he would run and run, ducking in between, squeezing through and laughing quietly as he heard the panic in Mommy's voice. Did he answer when I called him, of course not! It was a real distraction for me, but at least it was better than the previous years' crying. We all finally settled on this tree, after about 10 minutes. If we didn't settle soon I could tell Maria would want more than one. As I kept an eye on Matthew, Maria took to business cutting the tree down. She just loves to be involved and help :) This year it was too hard for her to get underneath so she helped prune the branches after it was cut down. And of course with pride she helped drag the tree home. Todd put an end to my stress by carrying Matthew on his shoulders, after a final chase of course. I followed with camera in hand admiring my little family and grinning of the thought of with God's blessing another child next year. It was fun, carefree and memorable, just as it should be. WE decorated soon after, which both took as an important job.

"baby brother" is doing great! I feel him kicking all the time :) Sometimes he gets me real good! CAn you believe how big my belly is?? he's growing! WE're getting so excited for him to join us. Maria tells me all the time what she will do with baby brother, what she will teach him, how she will rock him and what he'll look like and do as he grows. It's real sweet. Matthew still calls him Chicken Nugget, crazy child! But of course he says it with such affection. I relly think he gets it, is it possible though? He kisses and hugs my belly and says baby brother, yells into my tummy and calls it chicken nugget to get a reaction out of us :) YEs, life is good.

Busy but Good

I know I am behind on pictures. If I could explain to my grad professors that I need to post pics and to give me an extention on my projects I would :) WE are busy here, but it is a good busy. We just got back our family pictures and I just look at it amazed. Amazed that I found someone so right to share life with, so amazed that those two children once were in my tummy just as this baby is now. Amazed that I have had the opportunity to feel such gratefulness and gratitude for my life. OF course my belly is getting bigger than it should now, I am starting to get the big kind of tired, the kids want everything they see on TV and are impateint for every holiday tradtiion to come so they can do it. The shopping is tiring, the financial worry of it all grates at my nerves but you know what? I am healthy, my kids are healthy my loved ones are healthy and that is SO much to be celebrating. I look at that picture above and for the first time I can say those smiles and hugs are really there. The love you see, the happiness there is REAL. How blessed I feel among all the rush and studying and worries and fears...I am so blessed.