Another Picture

Todd came to me this morning with camera in hand and said, "I have a picture for your blog!"

When you are in a hurry to get playing, there are some things that just don't matter, like getting you shirt on straight.

Just a Picture

Todd was cleaning out the hot tub filters and Heavenly watched on. I just couldn't resist taking a picture.

Back to Bargain Shopping

I finally got a chance to get out and do some bargain shopping again after the holidays. Everything in this picture was free, almost. After I get all the rebates back, I will actually have made $2.50!

Christmas Day

Before

After

Christmas Eve

W have had Christmas Eve dinner with our friends, the Aiellos, for as long as I can remember. We began many years ago with their little family and our little family. Each year it grew as we each had more children and family moved closer. This year we had to each have our separate celebrations.

My preparations were put at ease as my mother in-law and my sister in-law, Christy, are workaholics. I would barely finish preparing a dish and all would be cleaned up and put way.

We enjoyed a yummy dinner . . .

The Nativity . . . And a visit from Santa.

It was a wonderful evening. I can hardly wait for next year to carry on the tradition.

Too Cute

There are just those moments that you want to always remember . . .

This morning at breakfast, Heavenly grabs my chin, kisses me on the cheek, and says, "Love you."

After her nap today, Heavenly was crying in her crib. I went in and picked her up. She immediately stopped crying, looked at me, and said, "All better."

Goodbye Kim

We took Kim to college last weekend. Such a happy and sad thing. I want her to be there and know it will be such a great experience but I will miss her.

I think cell phones and Skype were invented for mothers who children leave home. It's not as hard as I thought when I can talk to her anytime and see her beautiful face live on my computer screen.

I love you, Kim. You'll be missed.

And Last Week

Last week the pump for our well went out, the one that costs $750 and is 200 feet down in the ground.

Thank goodness for warranties.

A Warm Summer Day

Titles can be deceiving and still be true.

Let's start with a definition from Wikipedia.

Sump Pump: A sump pump is a pump used to remove water that has accumulated in a sump pit. A sump pit, commonly found in the home basement, is simply a hole to collect water. The water may enter via the perimeter drains of a basement waterproofing system, funneling into the pit, or may arrive because of rain or because of natural ground water, if the basement is below the water table level. In some cases, a sump pump is used when a lower floor is below the municipal sewer lines, to pump greywater or blackwater waste from that floor to the sewer lines.

Our sump pump is used for the latter case, to pump greywater and blackwater waste from the basement up to our septic lines.

What might our home smell like if the sump pump stopped working . . . an outhouse, on a warm summer day.

How might I know that answer? Experience.

Magic Words from Niko

Niko: Thanks, mom. You're awesome and strong.