Grab a snack and drink this one's a doozy...

Well there you have it. A new family picture with Taylor in it and everything. I have to start with a "good job" to everyone on their posts. I have enjoyed catching up it seems I haven't read anyones blog since Halloween. No really, you all posted half a dozen times since I read them last. And Paula and Jenn there is no way I get to keep up with you guys, you must be able to type REALLY fast, cause I know how busy you are and you guys write a lot. I am amazed at how everyones kids have grown, and how great you all look!! I have some good looking friends and family. What a handsome bunch you all are.

Kirk, Andy, Justin and Jill rockin' in the new year.

Taylor Jane sportin' the "sprouts" (we named them sprouts when Jacey started wearing them- cause doesn't it look like you could pull on them and find carrots on the other end?
NEW YEARS--Here is my acknowledgement of the New Year. I have noticed a new trend, it is that no one is making new years resolutions...Is that odd to anyone? Does that mean we are resolving to do nothing this year? Or are we just becoming realistic in our thinking that it isn't realistic to make huge resolutions of change for the better only to let ourselves down by mid February?! Well I am constantly somewhere in the middle. I can understand not wanting to make myself a whole list of promises I have no intention on keeping. However I do believe there is an inescapable feeling of newness and betterment (is that a word?)that comes with the New Year. I would encourage those of you who are part of this new trend to sit down with yourself and take an account of your life. Then don't be affraid to make some small goals. Don't overwhelm yourself mountains you don't have time to climb, but maybe start on a walk to those mountains and just get moving in the right direction. I am going to do it too, and once I have decided who I am now and who I would like to be at the end of this new year I am going to make a few adjustments and set a few 'SIMPLE' goals and begin again at bettering myself. (Next step- write them down)

A few of my simple goals: read at least one book, reduce the amount of tv I watch and be more selective in my watching, read my scriptures before I allow myself to watch T.V., give my kids a half hour of my undivided attention every morning, and to finally get to the root of my picking. (yeah i actually wrote that on my blog, you all know me, it's no surprise to most of you.) I would put excercise on that list, but I'm not in the mood yet. When it gets warmer I will get serious about that one- hey don't judge me I don't do cold weather well.:) The thought is in my head it just hasn't turned serious.

WORK--now for the update. Despite all Justin's best effort he couldn't find anyone hiring close to home. So when he woke up the other morning and started making phone calls he was surprised that the first call he made wound up being an open call for linemen in Wisconsin. After some discussion we decided we better take it. So Justin left friday morning to the Milwaukee area for work. (In my car...grrr...it has the 4 wheel drive, it was necessary but I am still not real thrilled about it.) We don't know how long he'll be there, or if we will be joining him at some point but we do know it's not permanent and we won't be moving there. If I were to guess I would say 6-8 weeks but it could be 3 weeks who knows. we should know more tomorrow.

CHRISTMAS was interesting in a humbling, unexpected sort of way. Justin's mom came up from Idaho for about a week and we really enjoyed having her, she is always good company. We were keeping Christmas small this year, not so much due to our work situation but due to the fact that we have a large family and Christmas can get out of control really fast. We want to have a nice Christmas' for the kids without them growing up expecting a mountain of gifts under the tree. So we did a nice little Christmas. I got Justin a box of bullets for his 45 that he got after Thanksgiving and he got me some very toasty boot socks from Cabelas -he knows I am not a fan of the cold.(I'm also not forgetting the Ballet experience.)We didn't go crazy on the kids or the extended family and we were really happy with how everything went. THEN Christmas Eve we got a knock on our door at 11:30pm. I was in feeding Taylor (whose room has a view of the front door)and I peeked out to see a box- a large box- of presents sitting at our front door. I went to the door only to be followed by Justin who came out like a mole in the sunlight with his 45 locked and loaded ready to defend us all to his death, bless his heart. I had to giggle a little because since we've had that gun (I hope he doesn't think I'm teasing, he's just so funny I have to tell it this way) he's slept with it by the nightstand like everyone is out to get us. It makes me wonder if for the last 2 years he has worried how he would defend us if he ever needed to and now he finally has the control over his house he has always wanted. It does make me feel better knowing we have some protection in the house if we ever need it. However, this night I told him to put the gun away it was someone leaving presents, which had us both perplexed. Who could it be? Why us? What is it? We didn't try too hard to see who it was because it was obvious they were trying to be sneaky. They had backed into our driveway for a quick escape only they couldn't leave quickly due to all the snow and ice. We caught a glimpse of their vehicle but it wasn't a familiar one so it is all still a mystery. I was a fun sursprise which still makes me feel bad that we told everyone of our "out of work" situation and someone was generous enough to take care of us through the Holidays. I was told to enjoy it and stop feeling guilty, someone wanted to help us so just accept their very generous gifts and know we are loved and looked after. My only hope is that I didn't make it sound like we were hurting for the holidays. If our secret santa knows us through this blog, thank you so much for your love, thoughtfulness, generosity and support. May we return the blessing to someone else next year. What a great example of Christ this Christmas.





EAR PIERCING--And Lastly we pierced the girls ears on Saturday. I wanted to pierce Jacey's ears when she was Taylors age but Justin was firmly opposed so I respected his wishes and never did. This time I told him he got his way with Jacey I get my way with Taylor, he agreed hesitantly and we got them done. Aunty Manda has experience with this from working at Claires so she did most of the piercing. She bought the gun from Walmart and pierce our bitty cousin (her daughter) Harley's ears then came over and did Taylors. Jacey then wanted hers done so we plotted a little plan to get both her ears done. So has anyone pierced a 4 years old ears before? Once you get the one ear done, how do you get her to let you do the other one? Well let me tell you. You have Mom do the first ear, and then tell her maybe the other one won't hurt if Aunty Manda does it. By the time she realizes that, "nope they both hurt" they are already done. Hahahahaa. I know it's sounds mean but she loves them now that they are in. Here is proof. She actually didn't cry for the first one but the second she was pretty sure she new what was coming, and she was right.