Here *raises hand*

I feel like its been forever since I've posted anything remember-worthy, although it was just a few days ago I posted (albeit... nothing I care to document for the long run). Whatever.

Bess in his big seat
Po's new hair style

I'm dropping in to recap the past few weeks events for memory-sake and to jot down some random thoughts. Not sure what is up with my blogging mood lately- I think I'm just too busy to sit down and actually blog. I feel like I am on a hamster wheel and it never stops. So... if you're bored to tears with "life recaps" and a bazillion pictures, just skip this post altogether.

Ok, so let's see... two weekends ago we had my family Christmas... yes, I know.... Christmas closer to Valentine's Day rather than the actual Christmas Day. Hey... we all made it together and we had a great time. My aunt from Georgia was even able to make a surprise appearance. We, as usual, went to my Aunt and Uncle's near Ohio- they have a spectacular more-than-triple-my-house-sized log cabin house and it is perfect for hosting a huge family gathering.


We spend hours together, catching up and just enjoying each others company.
We eat lasagna.
Drool over deserts.
The kids run wild playing the piano, trashing the basement, sliding down the stairs and fighting over toys.
Otto, the adorable Marley look-alike, joins in and is let in and out of the house multiple times by Po, who thinks he is big man on campus.
Open presents in whirlwind time.
We always slip in a fun game or two... this year it was "Would You Rather..." which was pretty hilarious.
Note to self and others... discussing religion and politics in a house full of leftists and rightist, atheists, Christians and agnostics.... its best to keep your opinions to yourself LOL!

What a good big cousin Josh... entertaining the littles.

My handsome hubs ;)

Aunt Dawnie and her girls

Ry and Brian

Porter is anxious to open HIS presents LOL!

Josh and Addi

Three of the Four boys... the rowdy ones

Otto and his capture- what was minutes before the kids' play ball

Paige and Aubri

Lindsey and Chasity

Grandma "Oma" and Aunt Linda

Aunt Dar and Uncle Steve

Aunt Dawn and Uncle Finn

Heather, Aubri and Addi

Me and the boys. Dude, doesn't Hudson's head look huge?

My mom and her siblings

Some of my favorite pictures of the day... game time!

Paige, fulfilling her dare...

The following weekend we had another family Christmas... this time with Ryan's extended family. Even CLOSER to Valentine's Day LOL! Another great get together... lots of little ones involved. I think between the 5 cousins there are 11 kids... most under the age of 5.

Heather entertaining the little ones with Ring Around the Rosie

Tom, Jen and Emma

Ariel just loved Hudson to pieces

Porter playing Duck Duck Goose

Three of us.... man... where did my little baby go? Hudson looks so old!

Heather and Chris

Aunt Suzie and Uncle Denny

Uncle Tom and Uncle David

Shelley and Doug

Jen and Lori

Dave and Tom

Drew

Uncle Dave and Cordell

Ariel and Mikayla

Don teaching Shae and Mikayla the piano?? :)

In other randomness....

• Hudson is now riding cool in his "big boy" car seat. He still had 5lbs and 2 inches until he outgrew the "infant" carseat but I hated lugging it around and its just a more difficult seat to put him in.
  
• Have you heard of Automoblox? Call me crazy but I just spent a flipping $60 on Porter's birthday presents... on MORE CARS. I had a session last weekend and they had one of these little wooden take apart cars and I thought they were cute. I got home and looked them up online and thought... This is right up Porter's alley... a set of cars that can be disassembled and reassembled and it doesn't BREAK them. He loves taking the tires off his trucks and cars... even if it renders them unusable. Dork. I've been at a loss as to what to buy him for his upcoming THIRD birthday so when I saw these cars I snatched up two sets of the minis. So, he'll have 6 different cars to mix and match. Pray, for my sake, that he loves them.
• In this blog 'hiatus' I've been evaluating my blogging ways. My reasons for blogging. The way I blog. There may be some changes around here.
  
• I'm feeling very proud of myself for some personal "goal" changes I've made over the past few months. Some changes I've made in some faults I realized I had. I'm finding I'm stronger than I thought and am more capable of change than I anticipated.
  
• Ryan's really worried about his job right now... his company in general and more relatively, his position. Things are slow, well you say- whose ISN'T worried about their job. Yeah, I know. We're praying things pick up around there and if they don't, that the company sees him as a valuable resource rather than disposable. Please let all his schooling and "career building" prove to be worthwhile.