I'm not making any new year's resolutions this year.  Really because I can't focus past one week at a time right now.
Popeye goes back to the academy tomorrow and I'll be flying solo for the next 2 weeks until he can come home for another 36 hours.
So.  That being said - I suppose my resolutions will be to survive each day and week without him.
No visible bruises.
No emotional scars.
No major melt downs.

yeah, those are my resolutions.

I guess that in order for those things to happen I should pray and read some scriptures each day to try and help me along.  Because, hey, going without those things right now aren't helping the sitch any, are they?
So maybe I'll do more of that, too.  But I'm not making it a goal, mind you.
And I definitely need to continue my work-out regime.  And healthy eating.
But since those goals were made a few weeks ago, they don't count.

Yep.  No resolutions for me.
And then I won't kick myself when I don't complete them. 
I like it.

Happy new year everyone!  If you have resolutions, I'd love to hear them!  Unless my logic just made you throw out your list.  And if so? Well, then we'll be rebels together!

Finally, some pictures!



Christmas this year has been wonderful!  We spoiled our kids rotten.  I think it's allowed every 5 years or so.  And since we were in the position to spoil ours (and 5+ angel-tree kids, too), I jumped at the chance.  I figure I can buy my kids' affection every so often.  Or maybe I'm reminding them that I really do love them and thanking them for not giving up on me while Popeye's been MIA.
They loved every minute of it, too.  As did I.
I loved watching their eyes light up and get all excited when they realized they got what they had been asking for for the past 3 years!  And the best part is that Santa did NOT deliver those gifts.  He gave chocolate coal in the stockings and a rinky-dink toy.  Hee hee hee.
Anyway.  Life has been an adventure this year.  I'm looking forward to next year.
Popeye got a new camera for work.  A really nice Nikon.  It's what took a majority of the below pics.  And the upper-ups at work told him to play with it as much as he wants.  So you can be expecting a lot more pictures this coming year!  Nice.
Anyway.  Here's wishing you a happy and safe new year! 
We've got "First Night" here in our little town.  The community goes all out to celebrate the upcoming new year.  They officially open the ice skating rink for the kids, have hot cocoa, polar bear plunge in the fishing pond (Popeye said he's gonna do it) and a few other fun activities.  We'll be participating in that, drinking some hot drinks, and then some sparkling cider and watching "The A Team" later that night after the munchkins go to bed.  I'm excited to take some pics of Popeye in the pond (and I'll be sure to have the van warm and running for when he gets out).
Enjoy my collage creations below!  I just downloaded Picasa onto my computer and am loving how to play with it!

Some of our snow fun includes sledding at the park, building snowmen and breaking the icicles off the roof.  The one Popeye is breaking down almost reached the ground!  I made a makeshift hill for the kids to slide down when I couldn't get to the park with the little ones.  Thor never went down it, he just liked to push his cars down on the sled.




These are some of the gifts I received for Christmas.  Reebok Shape Ups, Pride & Prejudice piano sheet music, a jewelry box, a plethora of chick flicks (and a couple non chick ones), some bubble bath, how to play the guitar cd rom and my coveted guitar with new D'Addario strings.  I'm digging ALL of them!!!



Here are some pics of Christmas.  Popeye got a bass guitar, Grand Duchess loves her new pony, Princess Monkey Eyes is in love with her new 'Do (Thanks be to Grand Duchess for the wig.).  Optimus Prime got himself a camera and Mr. Fantastic got a Nintendo DS that he's now married to.  The pic of Thor tearing into his gift is a Thomas the train set.

Merry Christmas to all my family and friends - even if you are a lurker!
Popeye made it home safe and sound last night and today we're cleaning, baking & wrapping!  The kids are chomping at the bit to open their jammies and gifts from grandma and grandpa.  I'm really excited, too!
I already got a gift in my inbox.  One that is going to make me work out a little harder and eat a little better. 

I hope you all enjoy this holiday season.  A seaon of joy, laughter & remembering the birth of our Savior. 
have a wonderful day, everyone!

Merry Christmas and if I don't blog for another week, happy new year, too!!!!

I had a HUGE meltdown yesterday.  I've never melted like that before. Ever. I'm talking butter on a frying pan turned on high type of melt.  It wasn't pretty.
After shoveling 8-10 inches of wet snow off my driveway, I got ready for church and called up a friend to pick me & the munchkins up since I knew the van would get stuck.  We headed out the door at a quarter to 11.  Popeye had his truck warming up and was leaving right behind us for another week. Sigh.
Thor was out of religious character that day, jumping on the pew and waving his nursery craft in everyone's personal space.  He, Grand Duchess and I spent sacrament meeting in the foyer. Again.
When we got home Mr Fantastic tried beating his siblings at least 4 times and by 6:30 I was done. After Thor ran in to tell me Optimus Prime hit him, I called for the two older boys to come to me.  And then Mr. Fantastic did it.  He set me over my edge.
He smirked.
And quicker than he could even think to wipe that smirk away, I had him by the collar pushed up against my doorway.  It was all I could do at that moment because every fiber of my being wanted to smack his handsome little smile. I gritted my teeth and through a clenched jaw, told them both to get on their jammies and go to their room.  And DON'T come out.
And then I commenced getting the other kids into jammies and into bed.  Yes, it was too early.  But they knew that Mom was about to kill someone and no one wanted to be that someone.
And then my dad called.  And I cried.  And cried.  And then he got my mom on the phone.  And I cried some more.  And she told me to quit my pity party (the nerve!) and began helping me make a plan of action.
I went to bed feeling a little better but still wanted Popeye home.
When I woke up this morning 5 more inches of fresh, wet snow had landed themselves across my porch, steps, long driveway and sidewalk.  So out I went to shovel it all off (my OCD is starting to show, isn't it?) and left the older kids to get the younger ones fed.
I got us all off to school and as I was leaving the school parking lot, I lost momentum going up the hill (because of that long line of cars in front of me) and I got stuck.  Luckily, I slid to the side a little so cars were able to go around me. (Our town refuses to plow - a HUGE drawback.)
I cried again.  This time to my Heavenly Father.  I can't do this.  I can't do this alone.  And within 30 seconds 3 people were there to help me, one of them being the same lady who took me to church yesterday.  They managed to maneuver my van to a point that I could go back down the hill and try again.  And it worked.  And I am so thankful.
so I came home, cleaned a bit and then rearranged that mold-free room to accomodate 2, possibly 3 boys.  Tomorrow I'll pick up a couple or box springs from the local furniture store and get the room finished so that personal space will totally be available to them!
And I just thought of this and thought I'd share with you all...  People have said to me, "Call me whenever you need ANYTHING".  Uh huh.  Yeah.  I should do that.  However, it has been my experience (today - twice) that when I do, they can't help.  I know people can't be waiting around for me to call for help.  I guess I just really hope they feel bad that they won't, I mean, can't follow through on their offer.  (And that's my pity party self coming through.)
Anyway.  I guess that's it.  Pizza's ready.  (Loveliness of Popeye being gone is that the kids can live off of chicken nuggets, cold cereal & pizza for dinner and I've redeemed myself as best mother in the world.

Today is a monumentous day for Popeye and I.  After being in debt for over 11 years, I am happy to say we are completely debt free.
No car payment.
No credit cards.
No collectors.
No mortgage.
No medical bills.
It's. All. Gone.
And I feel liberated!!!!
There's a reason why the prophet has told us to get out of debt.  I know the stresses of having these debts have caused me (at the expense of my children sometimes) to become depressed, anxious, and irritable.
No more.
Not only can those stresses be shed, but I assume that the emotional eating I did because of it, thus adding the extra pounds, can be shed, too!  (There were a lot of commas in that sentence.)
I am So. Happy!  And I live so far away from dear friends that I can't even celebrate properly with a "Burning of the Bills" Party!  So not fair!

Anyway.  Merry Christmas!  Because this, by far, will be my best Christmas EVER!!!!

Popeye isn't coming home this weekend.
I miss him.
(Insert huge frowny, pouty face here.)

So I did the craft fair the week before Thanksgiving.  Oh. My. Goodness.  The orders came swarming in and ever since then my fingers have been busy making little (and big) hats for the people of my town. 
And this afternoon I went to make phone calls to let people know their orders are ready & wouldn't you know it, I gave the wrong order to someone on Friday. And in the little bag that had the cute little owl hat was the order form.  And the cute little bag that has the cute little owl hat and the order form are now in the hands of the gift recipient.  In Utah.
I have no clue who ordered that hat originally.  But they already paid for it.  And I feel sick about it.  I hope that they call me and ask where the hat is so that I can give them the one I will make tonight after I finish writing this post.
I feel horrible about it.  Not just because it's already been paid for and it is needed by Christmas - but I feel bad because I got "the feeling" that I should check the bag before it left the city.  And I didn't.  Grrrr.

A low-down before my fingers get back to work....

Popeye is gone.  He'll be in the academy for the next 12 weeks - until the first week of March.  He's been gone one week and already my sanity is leaving.  I've been trying to do something fun with the kids each day to enjoy them (and the season).  Most days they're just interested in going sledding.  The huge city park hill is right behind our house - which makes it convenient for me to send the older kids sledding & then calling them in at night.  We've built snowmen and piled up snow against the back brick wall in the backyard.  Thor's been having fun pushing his toys on sleds down that one.  We've also read some Christmas books, had hot cocoa by tree-light & sang Christmas carols.  Tonight was supposed to be filled with cookie making but in my need to try and think of the name on that order form, time slipped away & the kids let Grand Duchess destroy my bedroom - thus causing everyone to go to bed early & me to have a headache.
So here I sit, wanting to blog and spend all night on the computer but knowing that I should get a decent night's sleep and head to my room.
Hmmm - the mold issue in the basement is taken care of and the contractor comes back tomorrow to finish hanging the paneling over the drywall.  I'm glad to be able to use that area now.
We've got our ward Christmas party this Friday and tomorrow and Wednesday are our days to surprise our 12 days of Christmas recipients!  We're doing it as a group so that the recipients won't know who it is getting them!  And it's easier on the baking and pocketbook!
I think that's about it.  I hear the kids aren't quite asleep yet.  In fact, I hear too much coming from that room.  I better go put the fear back into them.
'Night all!  I'll try to check in a little more regularly.