High Hopes for 2007

New Year's Resolutions seem somewhat cheesy as well as necessary to me. A holiday time tradition that can jump-start many excellent new behaviors or just a bunch of pipe dreams?? So many TV commercials are already out there pushing weight loss and quitting smoking (both admirable things, mind you). For some actual research on New Year Resolvers and their success rates, click here

Every year I hop on the resolution band wagon. Last year was the classic "I'm going to get in shape and tone up the saggyness that has become me!" The goal made even more attainable with the purchase of a treadmill. Yes, I was on a roll until February when Dan & I went to Mexico and the endless supply of salsa and tortilla chips got the very best of me. Danny-boy ran on the treadmill ONE time for TWO miles and since then will not even look at the thing.

So with our personally high rate of failure, is it worth it? The research says yes.

"While a lot of people who make new years resolutions do break them, research shows that making resolutions is useful. People who explicitly make resolutions are 10 times more likely to attain their goals than people who don't explicitly make resolutions"

There you have it--resolve away. You know I will. But my list is far too long and revealing for the Blogosphere.

Merry Christmas, belated.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year all you bloggers!

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow.

We welcome with love Lilly Marie, born to Ross and Bethany! What a precious gift during the celebration of the most important gift.

Thanks be to God for His Indescribable Gift --2 Corinthians 9:15

"Back in my day..."

Remember that Grumpy Old Man from Saturday Night Live? Here are a couple of his more famous ramblings.

Grumpy Old Man: I'm old and I'm not happy. Everything today is improved and I don't like it.
Grumpy Old Man: In my day, we didn't have video-games! We just sat around and watched a potata' bake, and that's the way we liked it!

I mean no disrespect here but sometimes we tease my mother about things she says similiar to Grumpy Old Man. Back in her day, they laid babies on their stomach, there was no such thing as acid reflux--that was just a colicky baby. And another famous one--we just didn't go out as much as you girls do nowadays with your kids, we just stayed home. I love you Mom!! :)

The sad thing is I have caught myself saying the following:

• What's the deal with teenagers? Back when I was in high-school NO ONE had a cell phone. I knew of two dudes that had pagers, and even that seemed fishy. We were just fine, if we needed to call someone, we'd find a pay phone.
  
• In my day, we were modest--we wore big, baggy clothes and we liked it!
• I didn't even use the internet until 1999! I brag about how I used an actual word processor and not a computer for my college papers. (papers might be a bit of a stretch. let's call them writings that were exactly the length required not a word more.)
• When I got my driver's license a gallon of gas was only .89 cents!!!!
  

So as you can see I have turned into Grumpy Old Woman. Having said that here are a few good things about today's day and age.

• Most of the fathers of my generation are VERY helpful. Changing diapers, putting kiddos to bed, loading the DISHWASHER (another perk), things that dads from previous generations just did not always do. Thanks, Dan!
• Today we have opportunities to be involved in a church community in which people aren't just there to show their face but to really worship and praise God, really care for each other, and really fellowship. I don't claim expertise on how Christians of the past few decades perceived church, I just know that some things have changed--for the better.
  
• And last but not least...can I get a shout out for MINI-VANS!!!???
  

How lame are we?--wait don't answer that.

Last Friday night Dan and I had the kids to bed early and stood in our kitchen catching each other up on the week's events. All week I had been eyeing a certain break-n-bake cookie block in my frig. It was time to bust it open! You should have seen the expression of joy on Dan's face at the thought of those cookies--now only minutes away! I made him pose for this photo. The simple pleasures in life.

I'm glad to be at a point in our marriage and our lives where it is just as fun to stay home and eat factory made cookies and talk as it is to go out for dinner just to get away from home.
And for those cookies-they didn't last the weekend.

just say no.

It seems I have had many an issue with my blog since switching over to the Beta-version. I should have known better, but I wanted to see if the changes were in fact fancy fun improvements to regular 'ol Blogger. They ain't. So, if you blog and are considering the switch, maybe you should just wait until they force you kicking and screaming to switch to the new version (that's the rumor I hear anyway).




I'm sorry about all the issues, they promise to fix the bugs soon. happy blogging!

This dude is going to be a Daddy!

As we anxiously await the celebration of the birth of Christ, our family also eagerly anticipates the birth of Ross and Bethany's firstborn somewhere around Christmas.

Last Sunday evening we witnessed the Baptism of the triplets and soon we will welcome a new little one. I want to give God the glory for the tremendous blessings he has rained down on our family this year. I am so proud of my siblings, watching Stacey stand up in front of church with her three girls brought over me a sense of gratitude I don't think I have felt since the birth of my own children. I can hardly wait to see my little brother holding his baby in his arms. Ross was talking the other night about how he is ready for the pregnancy to be over, that it has been long, and not without surprises. I teased him saying, "poor you" as if he was the one carrying the extra 20 some odd pounds around and having contractions. But really, he is one of the mose supportive husbands I have ever known, being there for his wife every single step of the way. He didn't gain any sympathy weight, but he has truly experienced this pregnancy.

So while we wait let's offer up Ross and Bethany's some parenting/birth/newborn advice.
Keep it clean folks :)

Take the Challenge

Due to a lack of interesting things for me to blog about, I am just answering a question to a blog reader. I've been curious about this. Remember the Pepsi Challenge? I always wanted to go to some mall and sip two cups of cola and choose the tastier one.

So, which one do your prefer? If you know me, my favorite is easy to figure out.

Coke?





or

Pepsi?

Jingle Bells...

Batman smells, Robin laid an egg. The batmobile lost a wheel....you know the rest.

This is the most un-Christmas song ever, so why was Chase singing it as we strolled through Target?

It is so silly what kids learn from each other at school.


Speaking of Christmas tunes. You should be listening to a medley of favorites---Yes, it is so 1980s, but it reminds me of being a kid at Christmas time and my Mom listening to Sandi Patti. Stacey and I would belt out the tunes and dance around along with the cassette tape that Mom had. What nerds say you? Yes we are.

What's your favorite Christmas song? And you can't pick Jingle Bells, Batman Smells.

Praise HIM in this Storm?

Spaced out, absent minded, brain farts, whatever you want to call it---that's me this week.

My mind has been elsewhere. Thinking about matters of great gravity has caused me to do some really silly things. Today alone, I have drove past the driveway where I needed to drop off the car-pool kids, left a diaper on my child all afternoon---(she's potty trained), and worst of all, this morning I sent my older son to school sportin' his younger brother's jeans---(they are not at all the same size) only to discover the discrepency when Chase was stepped off the bus. Oh, and I've been wearing my scarf all day, indoors. Why so distracted?

Segue to seriousness...

Our church and school community is hurting this week following the death of a little boy. His own mother spoke at his funeral and I have not been able to think about much else. Where do we find the strength when something like this happens in our lives? How is a devastated mother able to give God the glory when her son is gone? I am scared at the thought of my weakness, that my faith would not be as strong, my attitude bitter, and my will to go on extinguished. When I think about Theresa I truly want what she has--a real faith, a genuine dependence on God, and the ability to praise Him during the biggest storm one could face. How do I get from where I am to where I want to be, where God wants all of us to be? Does it have to take a tragedy or a life changing moment? Can it be just a daily journey? Jamie and I were chatting about this very thing today. I want to be a Christian that can truly say God is Good, All The Time.

do you hear what I hear?

I think I discovered how to add audio to my blog. It may take a moment to load---forever to load if you don't have a high speed connection, sorry.

Enjoy today's tune--Boston "More Than a Feeling" circa 1976

More hits to come...

Do Not Try This At Home.

Our little one learned about electricity this week---the hard way What's worse is that it happened right under my nose. Dewey has a great imagination and he was racing around little hot wheel cars on the kitchen floor. What was plugged into this outlet was the plug and cord from a baby monitor.

You do the math, or in this case the science. He was playing with a metal car and the cord and somehow thought it would be a good idea to touch the car to the prong? thingys that go into the outlet.

The result was blood curdling scream, a huge spark, and drywall dust all over the place.
I think he may have got a little shock, because he told me later that he "couldn't move when he was playing with that thing"



A lesson learned you might ask?
Not so much. Ten minutes later Dan caught him playing with the plug from the vacuum and a nearby outlet!

There is a T-shirt for sale with this printed on it.
It is probably how non-bloggers feel about us Blog-fiends.

if you can't read it, it says :

Inane, Rambling, Rarely Updated
THE BLOG
She wanted to stop reading it-But she had nothing better to do!

Produced by AVERAGE PEOPLE who SEEM to think THEIR LIVES are INTERESTING
filmed in THRILLING HTML-O-Scope with EXCITING new FONTS!!

What?? not all people think Blogging and Bloggers are witty, fascinating, and inspirational?
A waste of time??

I'm being sarcastic. sort of.

My celebrity look-alikes????

I found this website that scans your face and comes up with a personalized list of famous persons that look like you, in this case folks that look like me.

Ricki Lake? come ON!

A Mini-Van Moment of Truth

Yesterday was a typical Wednesday morning and the kids and I were driving to school. I usually have the radio on and switch back and forth from WJQ to the Fox. Amidst the Christian tunes of WJQ, my children had a rather heated discussion:

Drew "I just heard Jesus in that song!"

Joy "No, Dewey!

Drew "Don't say it, Girl!

Joy "It's MY Jesus!"

Drew "No, it's MY Jesus!"

Chase "Mom, I don't want them to say that."

Chase "Jesus is for Everyone."

Leave it to my children to actually fight over who Jesus belongs to. Leave it to a child to understand the simple truth--Jesus is for Everyone.

proud cousins

Last night Stacey was feeling the need to get out of the house. She loaded up her mini-van and came over to our place with the girls. I think it was Stacey's first outing with the girls on her own. My kids were extremely excited. Before the triplets' birth, before bedrest, long before, Stacey would often just come over and "hang" as she calls it, at my house. We figured that this was only the third time since June she has come over. Wow, how things have changed. We so enjoyed having the girls over and look forward to much "hanging" in the future.

1. Dewey talking to Olivia
2. Chase holding Sophie (who has a really bad cold)
3. Joy comforting Olivia as Drew poses for the picture.
4. Joy, the little mother and her baby.

self awareness.

I am one of those weird-0s that has to do all of my Christmas shopping before Thanksgiving. I also make a meal plan for what I am going to bring to each party and get-together and buy all the groceries at once. While I'm talking about unusual habits, I also have to balance my checkbook everyday. Sounds practical (crazy), right?

What seems odd to me is that I can be extremely organized and structured about certain things, but utterly disorganized and undisciplined about others. I observe that people are wired either one way or the other--clean or a slob, good with money or bad with money, healthy or unhealthy. I find myself to be a human oxymoron, so many contradicting behaviors. I fiend clean countertops but don't look inside my cupboards--ewwww! when was the last time I washed them out? I balance my checkbook daily, then why is it that I made a overdraft from the wrong account? I require that my son learn his Bible memory verse, but when was the last time I did the same? I'll will buy the cheapest and least comforting toilet paper on the market, but spend $80 bucks on pair of jeans (gasp!)

What's the deal? Does anyone else go to such extremes as I? I would like to hear about.

guess who?

name this (not so) famous blogger.

Glory Days.

Tonight Dan's parents took us out for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. Yes, our anniversary was in May and it's now November, I guess we are really busy people. It is a fun tradition that we have enjoyed for the last 9 years. I mentioned tonight that it is 11 years ago this month that Dan & I started dating. A blink of an eye, really. Dan always jokes about how he was "in his prime" back in 1993. I, too thought that I was pretty awesome back in the day.

You be the judge.

Dan--Seventh grade

Michelle 8th grade

Dan--in his prime

can I get a shout out for best curly hair of 1994???

Oh, the wedded bliss

past our prime??--Mexico '06

randomness

Somehow I lost all of my Halloween photos from my memory stick--WAAAHHHH! thus no pix of the kids in their costumes--I know, you'll get over it.

SO today I have this weird grievance to report. ( I smell a soapbox) About this time of year I start receiving mailers from various non-profits and charities. Most of them are simple letters with an envelope, others are not. Some organizations send you return address stickers, ok, that's handy, others send you a notepad or postcards. I have also received an actual packet of seasoning for chicken broth which I was supposed to sign and send back to the homeless shelter with my donation. But today I actually got an ink pen and Christmas cards from a particular organization. What is the point of this? Don't get me wrong, I believe in giving of our financial resources but doesn't it make more sense for them to save the extra $ spent on fancy packaging, pens, stickers, or whatever they choose to give out to thousands of people and instead use that money for their cause? I suppose I know nothing about marketing and PR, but getting a shiny new pen from some organization does not make me any more likely to donate to them, maybe even less likely.

Ok, any thoughts? Am I just a scrooge or what?

Punkeys

That is what my sister called halloween pumpkins back when she was about 1 and half years old. It is a fond family memory. My dad would undoubtedly come in from hunting on an October evening and the three of us were ready and waiting to carve our pumpkins. We could sketch the face and Dad or Mom would carve it out. last weekend, my Mom and Dad carved pumpkins with Dewey and Joy, weirdly enough those pumpkins looked exactly like the ones we had as kids. Some things never change. Enjoy sneaking a piece or two of your kids' halloween candy tonight, I'll bet that was another thing my parents did. :)

new triplet update with pix.

click here

How to Become an Early Riser??

It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom.
- Aristotle



Do you ever start blogging and clicking and blogging and clicking some more and end up at something really interesting? I don't know how I got to this site, but it was a sort of self help article about becoming a so-called morning person. If you know me at all, a morning person I ain't. It's not that I'm ornery in the morning, I just cannot pop out of bed, no matter how much sleep I've just had. I would more accurately be labeled a night owl. No matter how late, if I am watching TV I will not fall asleep. I have been known to vacuum at 11pm, or get groceries at 9pm. I have quickly learned that being a mother of a school kid, I am forced to be in the morning person club. The problem is I have not left my night owl ways behind me, it pains me to goto bed before 11pm. My result has been migraines, cold sores, dark circles under my eyes and a fondness for caffeinated products. Something's gotta give.

Back to the article. Here are the main pointers in becoming an Early Riser.

There are two approaches to the task. One is go to bed and wake up at the same time every day and night. The other is to listen to your body, go to bed when you feel sleepy, but wake up at the same time 7 days a week. The author says that you won't waste time in bed awake if you wait to goto bed when you are truly sleepy therefore you will spend all of the time in bed getting quality sleep. Some nights bedtime will be sooner, some later. Your body will adjust daily to your sleep needs.

Sounds too easy, so I am fairly skeptical. I'm giving it a try this week. My plan: 6am sharp wake up time, and not keeping myself so busy with late night tasks that I don't realize my sleepiness.

We shall see.

Back to Life, Back to Reality.

What a fabulous trip to Washington D.C it was! Chase thoroughly enjoyed the various modes if transportation that we took. He didn't miss a beat on the plane or the Metro. Now I must go on a little tangent about Washington D.C.'s public transportation system called the Metro. I am in love with it so much! I do NOT like to drive, so just walking a tad and hopping on the train is just so darn handy, the map is so easy to figure out and in no time you are at your destination! I suppose I love it so much because I am not forced to use it on a daily basis, but still--it rules!


So that wasn't exactly to highlight of the trip, but I'll tell you what was. Spending time with our family, talking and getting to see what life is like outside of the midwest and in particular our too cozy corner of it. I can see why T & A live there, there is something different to see and do on almost every corner, so much culture and diversity to be experienced. We spent a good amount of time outside the Washington Mall area (where all the monuments and such are located) T & A took us through different areas of great wealth and prestige, and the even greater poor and disadvantaged locations. It is a part of the U.S that I could continue to visit yearly and hopefully will :)

Here is a collage of photos from the trip. (click to see)


I even found my favorite souvenier:

Whisked away to the magical land of Washington D.C.

or better yet, Maryland! Tomorrow night Dan, Chase, and I are leaving for a much anticipated trip to visit Tristan , Amy (Dan's sister), and Stella--our adorable and one-of-a-kind niece! For so long we have said we should go and visit, but finally we have made it work! It will be a time of many firsts for Chase--hotel, airplane, public transportation, musuems, etc. I can't wait to see his face as he takes it all in.

I ask for your prayers for a safe and meaningful trip. A rather large thanks to Dad & Mom H. who have willingly agreed to stay with Dewey and Joy. It will be a welcome break for me from listening to those two fight over who's mommy I am. GEEESH! I just want to tell them to get used to it! I am Mommy to both of you, now stick a sock in it!!!

I hope to find some sweet souveniers like this one:

Warm Fuzzies and Cold Pricklies

Remember those? Recently this was the discussion at Drew's pre-school. I assume the teacher was trying to explain in a way appropriate for 4 year olds how our actions and behaviors effect those around us. I've been bouncing the idea around in my head for a few days, and realized how I've been handing out some cold pricklies too much lately. I've been whining about the commencement of fall for weeks, unloading on my husband every grievance that comes to mind. He must be thinking, "Would you just get in a good mood?" I suppose we all get in these funks once in awhile, but it is time for more warm fuzzies in the world especially my little corner of it.

This Friday and Saturday I had a great opportunity to attend a short Women's Retreat with my mom and and old friend, Dawn, from Hopkins. The speaker taught on Colossians 3:12, taking off the old garb and clothing ourselves anew.

Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:12-24

I don't want my blog to be a soapbox for cold pricklies. Ok, just maybe an occasional complaint or two. What I was reminded of this weekend is that we are all to live as Christ's representative in person, behind other's backs, and even in the blogosphere.

I appreciate all that read my silly little blog. May I be to you a warm fuzzy.

One Word. Hideous.

This will be you someday soon.













This snow blows. Literally and figuratively.

the best of Mini-Van Mega-Fun

Not unlike TV and radio shows that have no new material, I am posting a re-run. Here are a few of my favorites from the last 8 months.

The Inspiration for my Blog
memory lane
The Story of a Brave Young Boy
Not Ready to Make Nice
A bunch of 30 year olds in Cadillac
Dad
I am fricking June Cleaver
Triplet Girls
A performance by Girl

oh, the humanity!

I had to spend 3 whole days without my trusty Mac! The big storm Monday sent a surge through my cable internet and fried something nerdy and technical like my logic board, well, not my personal logic board, my computer's logic board. Anywho, I will be bringing my computer back in because now I have a terrible screechy, static, squealing sound that will not stop while my computer is on. Imagine 10,000 fingernails on 10,ooo chalkboards---it is that bad.

Happy Blogging to those of you who can!

My mommy is a doofus.

That must be what Chase is thinking today after I may have officially embarassed him again in his relatively short school career.

Thursday morning I was busy ironing a nice shirt for Chase to wear for school pictures. He was looking quite dapper and off to school he went.

Upon returning home he had a huge stain front and center of his shirt. Concerned that his the stain might also show up in his school pic. I asked him when exactly he spilled on his shirt, before or after the photo? He politely told me that school pictures were tomorrow and he was the only kid with two shirts on and that nobody else looked like he did. He then rolled his eyes and chuckled at me.

Oops.

The first time I embarassed him at school? Last year on the first day when I drove through the car pool lane---backwards.

What is my problem?

the highlight of my week

I hate to offend my own children but Wednesdays are such a great day! After I lovingly send Chase on his merry way to school, I dump, :) I mean drop off Dewey and Joy at Grandma D.'s for a play day and I am off to the land of triplets. It's a magical place filled with tiny diapers, spreadsheets for charting, bottles galore, boob cream, and most importantly---Olivia, Evie, and Sophie (you too Stace) I absolutely enjoy every minute of my 4 hours at tripletville. You see, I have learned to embrace change instead of fear it. A part of me was worried that having triplets in the family would mean no more "hanging out" like Stacey and I once did, or even deeper thoughts---how much less time and attention would me and my kids get?? I cringe at my admission of that. I suppose that is a natural feeling, me being the eldest and all, getting married first, having the first grandkids, etc, etc, etc. But selfish nonetheless. I am happy to say that those feelings were short lived. The moment I laid eyes on those girls I knew that our family will only be enriched and blessed with these three little lives. They are truly the evidence of a good and loving God.
It is my joy to take a little care of them on Wednesdays.


Evie and Sophie hanging out with Auntie Chelle, and apparently Olivia found me boring.

And they said it couldn't be done...

I have acheived greatness today in the field of housewifery. I wanted to mark it on the calendar so I could remember this great feat. Today I have sorted, washed, folded, and (wait for it) PUT AWAY all of my 8 loads of laundry. This task has been my weekly Mt. Everest for 10 years now. In theory it is so simple, but in real life, I just couldn't seem to EVER complete laundry day in just that---one day.

I realize this may not seem like a big deal to you, but I'm sure everyone out there has something like this that they just can't seem to accomplish. Procrastinators, dilly-daliers, and those of you with ADD can now rejoice. If I can do do my laundry in one day you can tackle your mountain too--you just gotta believe!!! (and spend slightly less time blogging)

How's that for a motivational speech?

I don't like Fall.

There I said it, now everyone is hating me (especially you Jamie, sorry ). I am pretty sure I am the only person alive that does not like this time of year. Yeah, the colors are pretty for like 2 weeks but then what? Awaiting us is the doom and gloom of winter, cold and flu season, and of course 600 hours of darkness each day. Nothin' like going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. Am I right, Dan? I hate pulling out the old drab winter clothes, and putting away the fun summer sandals. The weather is so picky, I would rather it be 90 degrees than 55 degrees---bluck!

Like something my brother Ross said yesterday---Blogging is all about Soapboxes. I climbed up on mine today.

You Are My Sunshine-- a performance by Girl

Girl.

This is the nickname I have affectionately given my daughter. Aunt Katie took this great photo with her new camera and I thought it really captured her personality, and her chipped front teeth.

I forgot to mention on the "I am weird" post that my entire family basically has nicknames for everyone else. It has been this way for eons. Here is the short list:

• Fig
• UD
• Poin
• Scottie
• Cha
• Dewey
• Danno
• Hooter
• Bart
• Min
• Buns
• Ta-ray-racey baby
• Girlish
• Devo, man Devo, and girl Devo
  
• Carl
• the Ron
• Dutchie
• Katrina
  
• P-nut
• mooter
• Nute
• B.
• Cha-chi
  

I'm sure there are many more. Do we not like people's given names so we come up with something ludacris to call each other? Or are they just terms of endearment?
Does your family have any so-called weird habits? Or are we just crazy?