Thanksgiving in Branson

And here we have some shots of the kids at Grammi and Granddaddy's house this week. I wasn't there, but I'm sure they had a great time.

Thanksgiving in Stendal

So I'm finally here at the same time as my pics. Lol. Anyway, here are some lovely shots from our weekend in Stendal. Good food, good games, good times.

A Bit Behind

I'm sooo sorry for not updating in a while. Things have been a bit busy, and then I forget to bring pics to work to put them here. We had a fabulous time at my Nana's house for Thanksgiving. It was definitely weird not having the Berea clan there. But nevertheless, at least we could almost all fit at one table. There was lots of food and card playing. We got home really late on Sunday, then I went to work Monday and after work hosted Alex's birthday party. Talk about not having time to prepare! But it all came off just fine. He is really stoic and shy, so it doesn't look like he's having a good time, but he was. And I enjoyed having the fam and friends over, thank you all for coming. Then the next morning, mom and dad took off with the kids to the other grandparent's house in Branson. So last night Frank and I had the house to ourselves and took the opportunity to get the Christmas stuff down from the attic and got almost everything set up. You really need an engineering degree to get the pre-lit tree lit, so it will be a few days till that one is done. I don't understand, but half the lights on the dang thing don't work! I think next year I will cut off all the strands that came on it, and string it myself. Anyway, hopefully this evening I'll remember to post pics from the weekend and from the birthday party. Oh, and Happy Birthday also to Ireland. We tried to call Saturday, but couldn't get through for some reason. Too bad you all couldn't come this year, but hopefully next year things will settle down a bit. Love to all!

Ahh..Sunny Florida

We had a good time in Florida. Spent the first few days at Grandpa's place in Venice for a few birthday parties - one in the afternoon for his friends at the resort, then one in the evening at a nice beachside restaurant with the family. It was really great to see him again. Then we headed to Panama City Beach to relax for awhile. The first full day we were there was really the only time we could spend in the water though - it turned chilly after that. The kids had a really great time in the sand, but Alex decided afterwards (when he was wet, freezing, and covered in sticky sand) that he
doesn't like the beach. Avril on the other hand is all over it. We found two really nice miniature golf courses and the kids did really well there too. Avril subscribes to the method of hit the ball once, then carry the ball and toss it into the hole. It works for her, and whoever else's ball is close to her at the time. ;) There really wasn't a whole bunch else to do once it got cold because the town had packed up for the winter. So we ended up coming home a couple of days early, but spent a leisurely day in Nashville on the way home. So now we are home and settled again, but life is taking it's time getting back to normal.

I thought I was gonna have Alex's slide done this weekend, but it turns out it is indeed too steep. Suck. The poor kids about killed themselves on it. So I've come up with a plan, but it will take some time to implement it. I'm gonna have to
shorten the length of the slide and make it not so steep, and to do this it is gonna have to land on a platform, not the floor. Then I've got the closet door to deal with - it may end up being a curtain door in the end. But alas, I can say with certainty and with proof, that this whole playhouse bed thing has been an adventure. I didn't know what I was doing when I started, and each step of the way has had to be thought up on the fly. But it has been fun at least - even if it is going to take me until next summer to get it right.


Our house remodel is so close to being done it is painful. The foundation under the addition has been the truly stressing point, and maybe in the next week or so it will be worked on. The problem is that my carpenter doesn't know how he is gonna fix it - sorta like me building this bed, he's gonna have to fly by the seat of his pants. So that will be interesting.

Mom's house is coming along; I'm going this afternoon to check it out and get some new pics. I haven't seen it in over two weeks, and I hear it looks like a house now, all painted and whatnot. So in a few days I'll get those pics up for your viewing pleasure.

I say it will be a few days, because tomorrow I'm going to a Chevelle concert and I'm totally excited! My cousin's roommate is going with me, and I'm looking forward to meeting her too. So anyway, I'll be back sometime Wednesday suffering from post-concert depression. I hate the day after.

This weekend is going to be fun though, getting together with my fam for Thanksgiving! Can't wait, but too bad not everyone is going to come. I don't understand people sometimes, but what can I do? Nothing. So I'll make the best of it, and be thankful for time spent with the rest of them. Then next week, my parents are taking my children to Branson to the other grandparent's house, for actual Thanksgiving, and I get a chance to go to the movies! I can't make it out there with them because of work, but that leaves me with coveted time by myself while they are gone and Frank is at work. Like I said, I'm gonna go to the movies. I love doing that by myself.

Well that is about it, I've enjoyed spending this time here alone; with Alex at school again there is this wonderful break from the fighting - the two of them really need time apart sometimes to be their normal adorable selves. Any other mother of two out there knows what I'm talking about.

There are a whole lot more pics from the trip in my myspace picture albums.