out with the old...

i've been to lazy too procrastinate on updating the blog...

kind of true, kind of not. we've been out and about, doing the holiday-hustle-and-bustle thing. plus, i've been working on hat/miscellaneous orders, so that takes up a little time!

AND... i keep getting interrupted with this:

more accurately, i WAS getting interrupted for potty runs. not so much now, though. cole spent all of christmas day gloriously dry... and we weren't even home! ever since then he's been reluctant, but we go at least once a day on the toilet. long process... but he knows what to do and where to do it, so that's the big step.

cole got to "help" plow snow last week! he was SO proud of himself... it was another story when the plowing was done, though. i've never seen this little man so frustrated! i'm sure he'd have gladly plowed the entire town, if he'd have been able to. he was incredibly disappointed when the snow was moved and it was time to come in. i think the world ended for a few minutes... :)

we spent christmas day in green bay at kandace and duey's... duey made a fabulous dinner! for anyone who doesn't already know, he's an awesome cook. anyway, we joined them, kelvin's parents, uncle randy and aunt karen and cousin sarah and her boyfriend, dave, for the day. we had a b-l-a-s-t!

cole took to sarah...

... logged in some play-with-auntie-kandace time...

(madison snuggled with her grandma and grandpa)

... learned the finer points of making a mess with wrapping paper from uncle duey...

(he got to open his birthday presents from them)

... and ended with a huge hug for uncle duey!!

maybe i'd get more hugs if i let him make more messes... ?

madison got her own little present too.

miss squish bonded with her great-auntie karen...

... while watching a loud, lively, fun game of "redneck life".

funniest thing ever! WAY cooler than monopoly.

how do you get a toddler to sit still for several consecutive minutes? put him in front of an animated display.

he was intent on discovering the secret of the little ski people: where do they come from and where do they go?

and in more recent days: the return of madi's nemesis, the sippy cup!

nah... she's made (tentative) peace with it.

can't you tell by the look on her face?

yup, we're all exhausted. but happy.

don't you wish you could sleep like that, soundly in just about any place possible?

forget sleep- i wish i had eyelashes like that!!

~

as the year concludes, i can't help but look back on all that's happened; we started out by welcoming madison to our family, moved on to surviving a month without daddy while he was working in tulsa (which is how we'll be starting '10), learned that it IS possible to feed a family of four on $50 a week or less (provided you already have the basics and shop the sales like a fiend), made it through a few small curveballs (thank you, fate), watched the kids grow in amazing ways, said goodbye to a wonderful, kind man (we miss you, steve), said hello to a new nephew (bentley, we LOVE your cheeks!!) and learned that even in the midst of hard times, blessings abound in various ways.

yes, everyone is feeling the bad economy and financial difficulties, but i've discovered that even when things seem at their worst, there's always a reminder that things could be worse. making do with what you have and having faith about the rest is the best way to go... there's nothing to make you remember to live life one day at a time like a recession!

~

as we say "ciao" to this year, i have to say that i'm so thankful for faith, family and friends...
here's to a new year, a new decade, and new beginnings.

*happy new year!*