Happy New Year

Happy New Year!!! I am so excited for 2008! So many changes to come...Eli will turn 1, Isaac 8, Esther 6, Gayle 4, and Cory and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage...not to mention turn 32 (yikes!) I love "fresh new starts"...its just like Spring to me. I do not have any "resolutions" exactly, but I always try to strive to do everything just a little bit better.

Christmas was delightful! We decorated, baked cookies, ate cookies, went to parties, ate more cookies...then Christmas Eve we went to Corys Dads Church for their Christmas Eve service. I love going to that...The last song they sing is Silent Night, and they light candles and turn out the lights...of course the kids are in awe that they can hold fire...Ha! Esther had a sore throat..and in the middle of the service she was coughing, and then made a gagging chucking sound...that was pretty embarrassing as we were in the very front. After the service we came home and made our traditional hoagies, and then we put cookies out for Santa (Yes, the kids know he is a Fake...but they and I love to pretend). Cory read the Night before Christmas, and then we stayed up until 4 am wrapping the presents I never wrapped...and making everything easier for the next day...like setting the table...making the cookies I wanted to make but didn't...somehow I got lost in the hubub of the festivities....I guess I am just a kid at heart :) We had Corys family for Christmas at our house and had a really great time. The kids shopped at the dollar store for their gift giving...they are getting better...Cory got styrafoam that you put fake flowers in (from Gayle) The first year we did this...Isaac got him paper plates with poinsettias on them , and Esther got him a glow in the dark "I (heart) love richard " keychain...you can imagine the mechanics at the garage where we get our car fixed had a field day with that one :) As for gifts for Cory and I ...well last year, I think I got some pjs...and he got little hand squeezers for his desk...we had a five dollar limit. This year our limit was a little bigger $30 ...this is big stuff for us as we dont buy "things " for ourselves . So I went to my redneck husbands favorite store...Gander Mountain. I bought him a red light that attaches to his scope for coyote hunting. It was more than thirty, but I figured that he would truly use it, rather than get him another pair of dress slacks...he was extremely pleased. My gift was a puzzle to me...he made it sound as if I was getting a jewelry box...instead it was a digital camera!!!! I said I think this is a little more than $30, and he asked if I wanted him to take it back...I said No. He had been saving up for it...thank you dear husband. Pictures will come when I get them made into a cd! I hope your Christmas was awesome!

Presently we are at Corys Mom and Dads for New Years. We had the traditional Pork and Sauerkraut, Mashed Potatoes, and Applesauce....I look forward to that :) This morning I woke up and went sled riding with the kiddos. Yes I admit it...I have never grown up, and love to sled ride!! I did not get to last year as i was Prego with Eli. I think I went down once, and Cory told me to go inside. This year we got tubes for the kiddos to use. I was riding with Esther, and some how managed to ride over Isaacs head...it was quite funny. That brings to mind a few other sled riding stories to tell.

One of my favorite memories is about JJ. We were riding on the big tractor tire intertube...the neighbors were over, and Paul had hooked it up to the gravely somehow...well he was pulling us all around the yard...and everyone was shouting and laughing, and i realized that JJ was missing...and happened to look down to find that she had fallen in the middle, and the tube had run her over, but the weight of us all would not let her head out...so she was literally snowplowing with her face...it was so funny.

Amanda and I had gone sled riding where our Dads farm used to be. We found a hill and decided to try it. The problem was the hill was steep and it had about a 3 foot drop. In our minds we would have flown through the air and kept going...of course that did not happen. We flew off of the hill and landed with a thud...knocking the wind out of both of us...I truly thought I was going to die...I even told Amanda to tell Mom and Dad that I died. When we finally could breathe we cried all the way home . Also Amanda got to stay home from school the next day because she "crushed " her toes. She wanted me to ride in the front of the sled...I said no way, I will break my leg...so she had to ride in front...she crushed her toes because I ran into her...ha.

I am really enjoying these trips down memory lane. Another time we were at a sled riding party and the family had a GIANT toboggan. I said I would ride down with Mr McBurney...they said ok get in the front, I said no way I will break my leg...so he had to ride in front...we crashed at the bottom of the hill, and he broke his leg.

Last one I promise...Ok Corys and my friends from College Lisa, Sparky, and Sarah...we all spent New Years together one year...we decided to go sled riding. Lisa took us to this "GREAT" hill. On the trek to get there...Lisa fell in a ground hog hole...HA. Anyways, the hill was positively frightening to me...it was like Straight up and down...I would not sled ride because I did not enjoy sledding accidents. So Sparky was first...let me just add that the snow had a crust of ice on the top which added to the sledders enjoyment. Okay Sparky went down...no no ...he FLEW down. He was really humming...but when he came back his face was all bloody, with lots and lots of scratches...apparently Lisas really great hill had briar bushes all over it...it was really comical. Sparky tried again to avoid the briars...and ended up going so fast that he was doing cartwheels all the way down the mountain...only he wasnt using his hands ...he was using his FACE!...once again...lots of scratches and blood. Thanks Lisa...those were the days!!

Next time I ll tell you about my skiing experience :) Happy New Year All!