Chapter 22

I am a little stir crazy today! Today was the first day I have left the house nearly the entire week, and for those of you who know me know that is not like me!! My house has been a house of sickness for a whole week now, and I am tired of it! Finally I could go out and enjoy the cold, rainy wintry day, and I did, well, I ran to 2 places, whoo hoo! Seriously, with Celeste being sick, and having to give her breathing treatments three times a day, she is so clingy, even overnight, so I have not been able to venture out- so that means, I didn't get any after Christmas shopping done! Isn't that terrible?! Well, I did go to Target the day after, but it was only to pay $38 for Celeste's prescriptions- so whatever money I would've spent on Christmas stuff was now gone to getting my baby better -(antibiotics are well worth the cost, though, and I am NOT complaining either!). The only shopping I managed to accomplish was last night on Kohls.com. I had to shop online, in the comfort of my germ infested house in order to take advantage of some clearance, and I got some really good deals! I love Kohls.com- I always can find a code for a percentage off and free shipping! Double bonus- click on my link for Coupon Codes to the right to find some for yourself!
Anyway, my friend Julie's fiance was baptized today, and I did make it to that, which was the highlight of the day- I love baptisms, and it was really nice to be there with them today, and Celeste wasn't half bad -(depends on who you ask), but we made it through. I may be able to miss class tomorrow too, if she isn't feeling too much better- (a small bonus when you have a sicky- I am kidding, I LOVE church!!)
Today Dana's sister turned 30, and she just had her 3rd baby a month ago- this was my life 2 years ago- I tried to reassure her that it gets better as the days go by- now that you have hit 30, things that were easy 5 years ago, just aren't now- it is so true! I love being in my 30's, since I am still in my EARLY 30's...don't ask me in a few more years! But I am smarter now, and have worked out some of the kinks of when I was a mom at 25- you go more with the flow, and you decide that you are the mom, and you know best for your kids- that much I am grateful for learning in my 30's, and it is knowledge that just keeps growing...thank goodness!
So much more to look forward to, but for now, I am happy to be where I am, where I want to be, and where I want to stay...for now!

Chapter 21

Okay, so now I am sad...it was a good day till I sat down and read Katie's blog...bad choice, I see now, because I read that it is only a little over a week away until they move! I can't believe it is that quick! I hate when people move-moreover, I hate when good friends move! I hate it even more when they have such cute kids- ones my children could date! I bet she didn't think about that before she decided to up and move to Texas- Leah and Celeste need good stock in future husbands- and so what that Leah is a little older than Parker, he is still far cuter than any other choice she may have right now! Thanks a lot, Spencer!

I will NOT thank you for taking your wonderful wife away from us! I WILL NOT! I realize that family comes first and all, but Ohio is great too! I know, I know...Ohio is really only great because of the Buckeyes, that's what you're thinking, right?! Well, that is true, but we are here and we are great too!! I won't hold it against you because we may not live in Ohio forever, either. We have big plans to move someday, and I stress SOMEDAY, because I am not sure when that will come, but I so hope that our paths cross on one of those somedays, because some friendships are worth the wait! I hold dear that gospel friendships are eternal, and will keep that in mind while you live far away.

I will miss you, Katie, and your wonderful boys, you have been a huge inspiration to me in more ways than you know, and I treasure our service together in YW, and will never forget so many of those times. I love your boys and will continue to watch them grow as you post pics, and perhaps you will be lonely enough in Texas that you will invite us to visit sometime! Please know that you will be dearly missed at Church in my RS, and at playgroup for sure! Take care and always keep in touch...
With love,-Kelly

Christmas 2007 Part II

7am!! That's right...7am! I was so hoping for 7:30 at the earliest, but to no avail! Leah woke first around 6:15- but I quickly ushered her back to bed before going downstairs to see what awaited her- she complied...then Celeste woke up around 6:45, and came into our room, and would normally go back to sleep, but NO, not today! Even she knew what today was! Alex finally got up at 7, and I watched him creep down the stairs, gasp, and then run up to our bed, and tell Dana, "Santa came and there are lots of presents!" To which I amusingly replied, "GO BACK TO BED!!" I was kidding, of course, and he knew that!
We all rushed down to see what the big deal was, and this is what we saw:
Then as we ventured near the steps, we saw the stockings...

"Oh my goodness, there are so many presents!" That is what I heard from them! They were amazed, and Celeste came running with the little Dora figure you see here, wondering where Diego was- she was not happy that he wasn't up there too- I had to distract her till later when Diego finally arrived in another package! It didn't take them long to open everything, and when it was over, it was not as pretty of a sight! They had fun, and got things that they were very grateful for, as was, I, since watching their faces was worth all the months of planning and surprising! I love Christmas!

To sum up the presents, I made up these collages- needless to say, they got more gifts than they could ever need or want- but hey, it's Christmas, right?! We weren't the only ones spoiling them- they have Aunts and Grandma's for that!

After all the opening madness, we sat down together, had breakfast, (cinnamon rolls- a must have on holiday mornings, and others too!), and talked about why we get gifts and why we celebrate Christmas after all- they knew all the "perfect answers", but this year we emphasized some gifts we could give Jesus for his birthday- the answers were simple and profound- BE KIND TO EACH OTHER, PRAY, BE HONEST, and LOVE ONE ANOTHER- how perfect, and how wonderful- they each said they would do these this year, as did Dana and I. We watched, "Joy to the World" with reverence and then we knelt as a family in prayer before bed, thanking Heavenly Father for all the blessings we have received this day, and everyday and hope that He accepts our gifts we are offering Him. It truly was a fun, but tiring day, so with that said, I am off to bed, because something tells me that tomorrow will be an early day, too!

Christmas 2007 Part I

Today is Christmas Eve, and we had a great day as a family! It started early this morning, when the kids awoke, dying to open the presents they had for eachother- a tradition at our house. Then they open the gifts from mom and dad, which are always clothes, since Santa is the one who brings the toys and fun stuff! They were still very anxious to get going with the presents! (did I mention it was 7:30am?!)

Well, they did exchange gifts, including the ones they purchased with their own money for eachother and for Dana and I- so thoughtful and sweet- Leah got gum for Dana (that is the perfect gift for him!) and Alex got him white chocolate pretzels. They all got me a new picture of them- which is a tradition for me! I love it! Always a perfect gift!

After lunch, everyone took a well needed rest, since we were going to visit Dana's grandparents at 3pm and then to my parents at 5pm. We made it- all with very excited children in tow! It was crazy! This is by far the craziest day of the year at my parents house! The gifts under the tree looked like a display at a huge department store- there were probably close to 100 gifts under the tree- and I am not kidding! My mom goes all out and picks the perfect gifts for everyone-she is fabulous. I love seeing how the presents have taken over the living room as the years go by and the families get bigger. It was that way when I was a kid, though too. I remember tons of presents under the tree, each one wrapped beautifully with my mother's gorgeous handwriting on each tag. It was no different this year.

Imagine buying for 11 people- that is including my dad, my brother, his wife and 3 girls and our 5! She is amazing! Well, I posted some pics of each kid with their coveted gifts from Grandma and Grandpa- they loved everything! Sean and Stephanie always know the best gifts for us, too- they got us wonderful, useful things- thank you!!

Tomorrow morning will be Christmas 2007 part II. I am going to bed so that Santa can come and I can have energy, because I know that the kids will be up early!!

9 Christmases ago...

Since Katie was brave enough to post pics of their first Christmas together, I thought I'd stroll down Memory Lane and invite you to join me...It was 1998 and we were, 23 years old!! Wow- time really does fly by! We had been married since April, and we were so happy! Can you see it in our faces- still newlyweds, just back from a 10 day trip to Chile, no children, we had money, and could do nothing else but enjoy the holiday with little stress! Wow- things do change as the time flies by!

Well, for our 1st Christmas together, Dana's mom bought us our tree- because when I grew up, we always had a real tree- even though Dana's house had an artificial, his mom thought it would be fun for us to have our own real tree- so nice! Well, we lived in a great little apartment, that had a perfect spot for this newly cut tree, from Meijer, no less. We brought it home, though I don't remember how we got it home, and put it up in the corner by the sliding glass doors. We got an old rusty tree stand from my parents, (more about the effects of that, later), and we began to decorate. From the get go, Dana did not want a real tree! He insisted that they "weren't worth the hassle"! I said it was worth it and I won! So much for that win, because he was right- it turned out to not be worth the hassle. For several reasons, though someday we will have a real tree again. Not to mention that it was a bent tree, so it is competely leaning against the wall! Hey, I said this was our 1st Christmas, and I was young!!

1. We were going to Chile from 10 December to the 20th, and we had his little brother coming over to stay and water the tree- but that unfortunately didn't happen! What happens to a tree that isn't watered regularly? It dies!!
2. When we returned home to our DEAD tree, with needles falling all over the newly cleaned carpet, I realized it wasn't going to be a good thing anymore!
3. We had to take it down right away, to salvage what was left of it...so we did, and once the tree had left our apartment, we found not only needless ALL OVER the floor, but a HUGE rust stain from that rusty tree holder! Lovely.
4. So, how do you pick up 1000 or more tree needles off your carpet- you vacuum, right? Well, I got out our NEW vacuum we had gotten from my Grandparents for our wedding, and began to sweep. BAD IDEA! The vacuum broke! That's right, it broke! It cost me 30 bucks to get it fixed...so the tree was NOT worth the hassle- Dana was right! (He isn't always right!)

I hated to admit that, but we have had a small artificial tree ever since! I am not sure that will change anytime soon, either. I keep thinking that someday he will change his mind, because memories can fade, but seriously, this memory is still fresh, and I think it was because it was our 1st Christmas together!

It ended up being a great Christmas- I remember Dana got me The Steve Miller Band Greatest Hits CD- I love that CD! I loved it in college the most, and it brings back the few memories I have of that time- it was a nice present. I honestly have no idea what I bought him, but I guess it was a good once, since he is smiling in the picture. We did get our little kitty that first year and she has been with us ever since. We named her Belen, since that translated is Bethlehem in Spanish. It is a perfect name for her!

We have lots of memories of our Christmases together, but this one is a great one to hold on to- here's to 100 more! I was tan, though, and check out my long hair- you'll never see it that way again!

Oh, and please don't laugh at the scrapbook page, I am much better now!!! And that was a long time ago!!

2nd Grade Holiday Party

Today was the Holiday parties at school- whoo hooo! Just kidding, I love school parties, and I love all the help from parents, it's just the food that drives me crazy! So so so much of it!! It is obnoxious how much food (sweets, I am referring to) is brought in for this ONE party! Leah got two plates FULL of crap, as I call it, since she went to her own party and then Alex's class party. Crazy! Celeste had 3 candy canes in Leah's party alone, and then screamed and had a fit when I took the 4th one away! It seems that candy has become a meal for her in our house- several meals, actually! She is one little candy girl! Surprise, surprise!!

I was the "mom in charge" of the class activities in Alex's room today! It wasn't as much work as I anticipated, and it turned out pretty fun! I had them make an ornament out of wrapping paper, and then make a tree or ornament on paper with glue and glitter- not messy at all- right?! It wasn't that bad, thankfully I had 3 other moms and his teacher to help! Then for the finale, the class decorated their teacher, Mr. Cracraft as a Christmas tree- here is the fun they had... He is such a good sport, and the kids so loved doing something to him! I had a good time helping, and honestly, I kept thinking about how much I missed actual teaching in elementary school, and how much I look forward to teaching again...but then, I thought of how short my time is with my kids at home, and I thought that before long they will all be in school, and grown up. I treasure my time at home, I don't want to be anywhere else in the world right now in my life. I am so grateful for these years that I am at home and able to help so much for fun things like this- I love it!

Changing of the blog...

Okay, so after a little while having this blog, I decided it was time for a change in the layout, so I found this template that I just love! I think it is simple, and elegant, and fun all at the same time! I think it captures my "Simplify" in a better way, and I am always looking for ways to simplify my life. This is now one of them! I am excited to be able to add different features with this style and update it more often! Let me know what you think...

Chapter 20

Today my thoughts were turned to my friend, Ashley who is such a great girl. She is so sweet, and has recently been through a lot. My heart aches for her because her pregnancy isn't going as smoothly as one would hope. She has tons more doctors appointments, tons more testing, and more of everything that is not so fun about being pregnant! I feel for her, since my three pregnancies were all great, and I didn't have any complications. We conceived easily, I carried all of them to term, even gaining over 40 pounds with each of them, labored fine, and delivered without any problems. It is not fun to see your friend not have a good experience, through no fault of her own. She has a really fun toddler that I got to watch today. Emma is so sweet, and adorable and busy, and just down right wonderful. She played perfectly well with Celeste (they are about 2 weeks apart in age), and she loved being in dress-up clothes the most! I wanted to take her picture, but I forgot throughout the day, but I will the next time I get her. She was so cute and she is really talking- her and Celeste had their own conversations all day. I am pretty sure she is Celeste's first girl friend, and I love that! My prayers are with Ashley and for the upcoming months of pregnancy with her twins to be. I pray for the best and know that some things are a "means to an end", and that "this too shall pass". For now, I hope she knows she has so many people that care about her.

Just for fun,
here is a picture of me with each of my pregnancies...
Laugh out loud, go ahead- I am huge, I know!! Alex was born in March, and was my first, so I was more swollen with him than with the girls. (I weighed 192 the day I delivered him!!) Leah was a July baby, and I was ready for her to arrive! (I like my hair best in that one), and though my face doesn't look that big, I did gain 40 pounds! Oh, and she was only 6 1/2 pounds! Celeste is a November girl, and I had just had my hair highlighted, by myself, actually, (not a great idea, just ask Katie!), and I was ready to be done! With her, I gained the most - 44 pounds and she was barely 6 pounds- I so want to know why and where did the rest go? Let me rephrase that, I do know where it went, but how?! I have never lined these up this way before, but I can really tell the difference in my belly with Alex versus the girls! Too funny, and before you comment on my immodesty, I wanted these taken so that I can look at them later and think, "I can't believe my stomach stretched that much!" Seriously, it is amazing and by far one of Heavenly Father's greatest miracles!

Chapter 19

The countdown is on....7 days to go...my kids are ecstatic that Christmas is only single digit days away! That's right, Christmas is a week from tomorrow and they can hardly wait! Can you?
I wrapped and wrapped and wrapped presents last night for the kids, only to realize that the girls have way more to unwrap than Alex. Truth be told, I spent more on his things, but it's the ammount of gifts to unwrap that matters to them- fair is fair, right?! Well, I still have one more thing to pick up for him, but he still will have less, but he is 7 1/2 now, and will take it well. Besides, Grandma makes sure he has more than enough. He wrote his Christmas list to Santa this weekend. Leah keeps telling Santa that she wants a Build-a-Bear kit to do at home and a Belle costume...neither did she tell me when I began shopping, so Santa will not be bringing her those. The great part about shopping for Leah is that she loves whatever you get her! She is easy to buy for, with the exception of clothes. I have decided that shopping for clothes for her is a lost cause unless she is with me. For now, she loves dressing up her dolls and girly things the most! Celeste just loves whatever! I got her the singing Elmo pizza for her big gift! Am I crazy you ask? Yes, yes I am! Just to see the look on her face when she opens it will be worth the craziness in me! I love when she dances to this doll, and she is so cute! I will for sure post pics of that after she opens it! It will be priceless!

It's almost Christmas...

You can feel it wherever you go...Christmas is everywhere! I love, love, love it! This weekend we had several Christmas encounters, starting with making Gingerbread houses with some of our favorite friends! It was really fun, and despite the messy icing problems we (I) had, our house turned out pretty decent...well, according to the children, it is "awesome"! I'll take that as a compliment! It was hard work, and our roof collapsed under the weight of the shingles several times!Apparently, we weren't the only ones who had difficulty...but the all-out winner for sure is the Wynn's family Gingerbread house! It was fabulous- no surprise there, have you met Delinda? She is amazingly creative, as are her girls, so it was decorated to a T, and even had outdoor decor to blow everyone else out of the water! The Frantz' house was snowy and beautiful, with the girls decorating with perfection, and for sure Ashley's house would be gorgeous, she usually bakes her own- showoff! The Boothe's were so gracious to host such a crazy party- so so fun, and we loved it! Let's hope they invite us again after the mess we left!
This morning, we had our annual Ward Christmas Breakfast, full of excitement as usual! It began with the nativity song, where Alex was a Wiseman and Leah was in the choir- it was so lovely, and I love that Primary Song the best! Then a magician came and the children were amazed at all the tricks! To top it off, Santa arrived and all three of my kids gathered around him for a picture. For Celeste, I had to tell her Santa would give her candy if she sat with him- she relented, but only if I held her- we'll take what we can get at this point! She'll figure out he is her friend next year we hope!To complete the Christmasy day, we got snow! It was very nice when it first fell this early afternoon, but then it turned to sleet and ice is now pouring from the sky! I don't mind, I am now snug in our home, and ready to play some Christmas music while I wrap presents...now, what did Leah ask Santa for again?!

The Sweetest Little Nativity

This is my newest present for Christmas! No, not for me, but for Celeste from Dana's parents! I had to open it early, since I wanted it under the tree and so that she could actually play with it before Christmas! It is the newest nativity from The Little People! I so love this- probably the same if not more than Celeste! It is so adorable! It comes with all the people you see in the picture, and my favorite feature is that the animals are all "touch and feel", which means they have yarn for the hair on their tail or main, or head! They are too cute! It even plays "Away in a Manger" when the angel is placed on top! I had a really hard time finding this set, and have been looking to buy one for a couple of years now, but they are virtually impossible to find in stores, and even on ebay, throughout the year are still expensive! But, thanks to Jennifer, and good ol' Walmart, we now have this coveted set! This will be a treasured set for many years to come, and even when the children grow older, it will stay with my other two, one that I collected pieces for years on, a Dreamsicles one, and one we brought home from Chile, that I love too. I think this will complete my set of nativities...it is just now my favorite!

Chapter 18

Though I didn't take any pictures of Gee Gee and Poppi with my children this visit another reason to win "Mother of the Year"), my kids loved every minute! They cried a lot when my in-laws left on Tuesday, so much that I couldn't write about it until today- 3 days later. They really love their grandparents! Leah loved that Poppi played hide and seek with her, Alex loved that Poppi played basketball with him, and Celeste loved that he watched her dance to "the Dancing Santa" 200 times! She really loved showing off for him, it was wonderful! The kids just couldn't seem to get enough of them, and I really loved just relaxing while they spent time together. I hope that happens more often.

Meanwhile, we attended a 85th Birthday party for Dana's Granny last Saturday. With months and months of planning, and nearly every member of the family planning on attending, it was going to be great! Plus, it was a surprise, and wow, was she surprised! I just love the pictures taken that night- it was really fun for the kids to hang out with their "second cousins", (whatever they are officially called), and a great time to re-connect with Dana's family members that are spread out across the U.S. I really loved that.
All the Grandkids with Granny, and Our family with Granny, missing, Esther, Annie and Chris. Colleen, Angela, Jill and I with our girls chatting at the party!














Rain, rain, go away, come again another day! I love rain, don't get me wrong, but I think we've had enough this week. With the melted snow, my yard looks like a marsh pit! I hate stepping out on my patio and getting my feet soaked from the puddles that have accumulated where I need to step down! I love rain, again, rain can be cleansing, when it is in the Spring, and refreshing in the summer, but in the winter it is just plain dreary. Although, I must say that when it rains early enough in the morning, and the sun doesn't even attempt to shine, my children sleep very, very well, and at least 1/2 hour later! But, if the temperature drops tonight, it could freeze, then the puddles that have formed will turn into miniature ice rinks- yuck! Okay, enough about the rain, I should be less grumpy about it and more grateful we have precipitation of any kind...I resolve to do that today, so no more discussion about the crappy rain!!

A New Niece!

I just got these adorable pics of our new niece in North Carolina. Dana's sister Esther and her family moved there about a year ago, and just welcomed their 3rd child, a daughter a few weeks ago. She is so sweet and I am looking forward to meeting her in the Spring. Congrats Es, Eve is beautiful!

Every picture tells a story...

Ahhhh, school pictures! Who loves their school pictures, seriously? With the exception of your Senior Pictures, which cost a mere fortune, the lousy ones taken at your school gym with the same boring background are probably not that great- at least mine never were! Well, this year, my kids' aren't that wonderful, either, but I had to buy them, I HAVE to have them for their books. Why? Because my mom bought them every year, even if they were terrible, and trust me, some were, and don't look for any of mine on this blog, I will NOT be posting any of them! But anyway, since every picture tells a story, I will tell you the story behind these pictures...

Well, Alex just lost his 2 front teeth this year, and I wanted him to smile with a "toothless grin", which for the first picture day, he didn't. When I got them back, I insisted that we do "retakes" so I can forever have a picture of this precious grin. He relented, and this is the product. Don't look too closely at his shirt, though, because I didn't know, but it is missing a button! Oh well, he is only 7- he won't totally appreciate this picture till he is much older!

And Leah...well, this was taken the day after her surgery. Yes, the day after surgery on her eye! Her eye looks no worse than the first picture taken of her, when the chalazion was huge and her eyes were shut! Great- gotta love retake day that couldn't be any other day than the day after she has the chalazion removed! Lovely. Well, we also coached her on how to sit up and smile and keep her eyes open. So, you will notice that she is really sitting funny and she is trying really hard to keep her adorable smile! I didn't know it that day, but her face was really swollen from the fluids the day before. When Dana saw the picture, he said, "who is the chubby faced little girl?!" So mean, but I had to admit that she does look a little chubby! I love it, though, because she felt good enough to go to school that day, and she was so happy with the picture outcome! Who am I to argue with that? She is one girl I try not to argue with! She with probably think differently about it later in life, and then she can be mad at me!

So, there you are...School pictures 2007! Every picture tells a story, what is yours?!

Merry Christmas from the Ortman Homestead!

I am posting our Christmas card on my blog so those of you who don't get one won't feel left out! (it's not personal) I only sent to our families this year, so we could save a little here and there! We had this picture taken in Myrtle Beach this summer, and to justify the cost, I said I would make Christmas cards out of them- more of a task than I thought, but they turned out really cute!

A Winter Wonderland Snow Day!

When we went to bed last night, Dana and I dreamed of a snow day! It would be perfect- we haven't had snow in December to call of school in years! Perfect, since Dana's parents are here visiting from California! His dad is loving the snow! I do love the snow, but I love it best when I am inside taking pictures of my crazies outside in it! I dressed all three of them in their snow pants and boots, adorned with hats, gloves and hoods! They were toasty, at least at first!

Celeste lasted about 2 minutes before she fell and couldn't get up, and her gloves, (which were way too big) fell off. Leah stayed out about 40 minutes, running and falling into the snow. Daddy pulled her in the sleigh which was going really fast! She loved it! Alex and Dana stayed out nearly 2 hours. They built this adorable 2 headed snowman (which unfortunately fell down minutes after they came inside :( ). So cute though!
I have to say that I truly appreciate a husband who will voluntarily go out in the freezing cold so that my children can enjoy the freezing cold snow! I am not "outdoorsey" anymore! My dad would call that "spoiled"- and he would be right!

A Shopping we will go...

Well, I am back from my "girls get-a-way shopping trip"! It, as usual, was fantastic! More than fantastic, it was awesome! I had such a fun time! I absolutely love this trip- I look forward to it every year, it is my recharge weekend away- well, a day and a half, but close enough! We, meaning Julie and My Hien and I left on Friday around 3pm for the mall. We met Alicia, Cassandra, Carrie, and Melissa around 4 at Pottery Barn. I usually don't shop there, but this time I got some really good deals (hooded bunny and flower towels for my girls- normal price $40 (as if!), down to $20 (still not gonna sell), down to $10!) That is more like it! So so cute! That was my first purchase! Then we traveled to Old Navy, which is not an outlet store anymore, so they took my 20% coupon, and I bought Leah some really cute shoes and cream gloves for my new coat! We all used the coupon, (the people are so nice) so we all saved a little! We hit a few more stores, not too exciting, before we hit Harry and David. Now, getting chocolate at Harry and David's is a tradition! Everyone gets something there! It is like an unwritten rule! We all get some yummy treats, for me, it's Dark Chocolate Moose Munch (chocolate covered caramel popcorn with decadent nuts covered in chocolate too, and whatever else covered in more dark chocolate- can you say, dreamy?!) It is like Heaven in a bag! I think I ate the entire bag by myself in a day! I haven't eaten much else- good thing I only get it once a year! By the way, this is the bag I bought for my father-in-law, mine is empty, remember?! So by now it is 6:30, and we meet up with Tina and Karen to go to dinner at Bob Evans- our restaurant of choice each and every year. For some reason, the food tastes much better with girlfriends and without children- hmmm...interesting!

But beforehand, I head to check into our hotel- not good....Well, as I look at the hot tub (a must have, very important), I notice it is not running.

The front desk girl says, "it broke this morning."

I was like, "What?! No way! We come here specifically for the hot tub!"

She says, "sorry", in a very unsympathetic, "like I care" way! (She was probaby 18, she doesn't know how much time away from your crazy family is appreciated and how mothers need it!)

I was so disappointed, but didn't know what else to do, so I checked us in anyway. Well, as I went into Bob's to tell the girls the sad news, they are not happy to hear that either, so, Tina says she will take care of it- I love her- she so took care of it, alright! So, Tina and I march back to the hotel, and I stand meekley to the side of her as she nicely tells the girl, who I am sure could careless, that we will not be staying there, and we want our money back. We end up calling the hotel we normally stay at (about 2 miles away) and checking in there for the same price, but with the working hot tub!! Yeah, you go Tina! She is awesome! She will do what the rest of us are afraid to do- and we love her for it! We stayed at the hot tub until 11- it closed at 10, but we were the only people staying there, so they never said anything to us! It was so fun- we sat around and talked and told stories like sisters do! I love this part! It is so fun, and part of the get-a-way from it all. The funniest story was of Tina telling us of a nasty VT house and the "shake" in the bathroom- she will have to demonstrate for all those who missed it- it is just too funny for words! And as always, we love hearing stories from Lish of "Charles"- they are priceless! We all share funny things our kids and husbands do, or don't do, and laugh till it hurts! We ended up back in Lish's room until 1 ish then we went back to our room where we finally shut up around 2:30. I am pretty sure we went to bed laughing!

Up and at'em at 8 am for breakfast and to the mall by 10. We left around 3pm with lots and lots of deals. We usually go in November, but from now on, we will for sure go in December- the deals, despite the cold are better! So, all I have now are receipts and bags of gifts to wrap, including my own, my new dishes- Merry Christmas from my parents and Dana's parents! I am so happy!! I have great memories of the fun that will have to hold me off until next year- only 364 days to go!! Thanks for the memories, girls!! I love ya!

Oh, and the best ending is coming home to a clean house with kids fed and no tragedies while I was gone! I love my good husband-(even if I do tell stories about him-that's part of the fun story telling)- I promise he is a great catch!