I said "I never get sick" one too many times. But for years and years, it was true. Everyone else would get sick (husband, kids, friends) and it never got to me. I can't remember the last time I had the flu or cold. The last time I threw up was when I was pregnant. Allergies hit for the first time when I was pregnant with Ash, but other than itchy eyes, ears, and nose, I am never sick. I just said that phrase the other day when Scott and Shannon were here. And then it hit. It started as the worst sore throat of my life. Then gradually turned into a bad cold. No fever. Just a bad cold. At least, that's what it is so far. The worst part is this "tickle" in my throat that makes me unable to stop coughing. And that's why I finally have time to blog. Because I'm awake at 3 a.m. and somehow the tickle doesn't bother me as much if I'm sitting up, not trying to sleep. So, here goes on some random pictures from our last couple weeks.
My only comment here: Dave, that is disgusting. And, NO, snakes this size is where I draw the line. I'm sorry that you really want one. I'll have to use your mom's line "It's either me or the snake."
Scott and Dave took the boys to the reptile museum while the girls stayed home and made truffles. The boys both took their cameras to the museum, and that is why we have pictures of gross snakes and alligators instead of girls making decadent truffles. This year the truffle flavors included caramel, toffee, coconut, peppermint, and orange buttercream. We also dipped some mint oreos and marshmallows! Lindsay was an especially careful truffle dipper. Having girls around to help with the dipping made the process a lot faster than last year when I was dipping solo.
"Go to bed kids. The adults need to have a light snack." Hee hee. Too bad Shannon's kids were still on CA time and popped their heads up and found us in the midst of this scene. It was hard to hide what we were up to.
I found a few more pictures from our visit from Chad and Becky on my camera. We were so lucky to have two families visit within 2 weeks!!! Sadie is showing Cora some important stickers.
This little hand makes me melt. Nate will often times do this when we snuggle up to read stories. I asked Dave to take a picture so I would never forget this precious moment.
Ashyln and baby Mary. We're all ready for a baby around here. Foster Parenting classes are done on Tuesday. Our case worker thinks that around December 1st, all the paperwork should be finalized and we'll be on the list to get a call for a baby. It can be anywhere from a day to several months before you get a call for a baby that needs a home.
Meal time is so much more fun with cousins around.
I loved reading this story with kids all around me, squeezing and squirming to get just the right spot to see the pictures. We read
The Ant and the Elephant, one of my favorite stories.
A perfect place to dump out a bag of pretzels...our bathtub.
Nate graduated from being baby Jesus to Joseph this year. Joseph with some dinner left on his mouth. He's saving some for later.
Sweet Sadie - the angel
Mary and Joseph admiring the baby Jesus (girl doll dressed like a boy). Ash took the part very seriously.
Christmas morning. Yes, it's not Christmas today. But at our house it was because we're leaving for CA tomorrow. Lining up, youngest to oldest. Ash and Sadie were up at 5 a.m. waiting for Nate to wake up (at 7). It was a long wait.
This is out of order. Christmas Eve tradition from the Fishbein's. This is how the kids sat during the "letter reading". Nate was really interested, so we skipped his. He can read it when he's married. He might care then.
Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. It started when Ash was 2 and I wanted to make a meal that she would like. So quesadillas it was. We've made them more fun over the years. This year we had a quesadilla with chevre, fiscalini cheddar, rotisserie chicken and sauteed onions. It was delicious! And we topped them with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.
It was so much fun making this 10 layer jell-o.
This is Dave now: The girls really wanted Harry Potter wands for Christmas. I looked on Amazon and there were the real cheap ones ($4) that fall apart or the pricey ones ($35 before shipping) that still were made out of plastic. I figured I could make something stronger for cheaper. The only problem is that I don't have a lathe. They are a little expensive to just go out and buy. So I spent some time in deep thought, tried a few things, failed once or twice, and with some encouragement from Meliss, made an improvised lathe. I won't take the time to explain it all, but it is basically drill powered and I used a dental lab handpiece for cutting. Below are the finished products. The goal was to make Ginny's wand. They're close and just a little different so they can tell the difference. Now I have to find some Pheonix feathers or something.
