Catch Up Time

I have lots of perfectly good reasons for not blogging lately....and here they are:

1. I had major surgery.


2. Basketball


3. We went on a little trip


4. Christmas tasks

I'll start with the little....well, not so little...surgery. I think I mentioned in my last post that I was planning on undergoing a hysterectomy and appendectomy. Well, I did. The hysterectomy hasn't been such a big deal, but the appendectomy has been a little painful. I won't mortify you with the details of my follow-up ER visit....suffice it to say that it was one of the most embarassing and horrifying occurrances of my life. I'm happy to report that I'm back to work for a week and am doing really well now.

Megan and Kellan are still enjoying basketball. This is the last week! They have both improved their skills and made some new friends. I'll be glad for a little break in sports....I don't think Winter basketball begins until sometime in January!

This past weekend Marc and I left the kids with our families and travelled to Estes Park, Colorado to attend the wedding of some great friends. We stayed at The Stanley Hotel, which was the location of the filming of The Shining and parts of Dumb and Dumber!

Matt and Jami's wedding was absolutely beautiful...there was hardly a dry eye in the church! Speaking of the church....what a beautiful church! They were married at St. Catherine of Siena Chapel outside of Allenspark, CO....otherwise known as "Church on the Rock"....it was amazing! We had a great time visiting with our friends...our fantastic weekend went way too fast!

I have to go to Billings tomorrow for a meeting and I'm hoping to accomplish a little Christmas shopping while I'm there. I can't believe it's already December 6th....we still have to get a Christmas tree and finish lots of shopping. Plus we have a little boy who is turning 4 next week so there's a birthday party to plan and a present to buy! And I can't forget my Christmas baking day!

On that note, I'd better get off this computer so I can finish laundry and pack for my trip!

Last Weekend

So, I seem to be running about a week behind updating my blog lately! Last weekend, we enjoyed what appears to have been the last warm day of the year here in Helena by roasting hotdogs and making s'mores at my parents' house.

It was a perfect Montana Fall day and we had a great time! Here are some beautiful images my favorite twin sister captured in my parents' back yard:

Megan and Kellan are still really enjoying basketball and school....we have parent-teacher conferences this week and are looking forward to a couple excellent report cards!

This week will be interesting....I am going in for a little surgery on Tuesday morning....just a hysterectomy and appendectomy....nothing major! So, if you think of it, would you please say a prayer that I recover quickly...I really want to be able to go shopping on Black Friday! A girl's gotta have priorities, right?!

Catch Up!

I can hardly believe it's been two weeks since I last posted anything....I guess that says how busy life has been lately!

I guess I'll start with Halloween....Megan was a ninja, Kellan was an army guy, and Jacksen was Captain Rex from Star Wars. Because the Steelers were playing that night, we had to be creative about trick-or-treating - it worked out just fine, though! All three kids definitely got their fill of trick-or-treating...and they got a PILE of candy. The night before Halloween, we had a little dinner/pumpkin-carving party at our house:

We've also been really busy with basketball lately. This is Kellan's first basketball experience, and he is lovin' it! Both Kellan and Megan have been playing really well and they are definitely improving from week to week! I've taken a few pictures with my blackberry, but they aren't very good so I'll have to wait to post some when I remember to bring my camera to a game!

This last week, Jacksen had the stomach flu for a couple days and Kellan came down with it this weekend. They're both back to normal, but I'm just waiting for Megan to start throwing up in the middle of the night....why does it always seem to hit around midnight?!

And speaking of sickness, Megan's poor little bunny seems to be under the weather as well. She isn't eating and is very thin. We finally got her to drink some water this afternoon and she seems a little more perky...we are praying she comes around soon.

So....

....it turns out that not having a washing machine for 5 whole days isn't the worst thing ever. I was visiting with a co-worker yesterday and she told me that she and her husband and two boys have been living in an RV since JUNE because they are currently building a house. While listening to her describe the many challenges associated with her living arrangements, I felt really lame for whining about my microwave and washing machine. I live a great life and I should quit taking everything for granted. Isn't it funny how God teaches us lessons in such subtle ways?!

On another note, Kellan is in Bozeman spending some quality time with his Auntie Ann and Uncle John tonight....and I'm really missing him! I have to say, it's amazingly easier to only have two children to bathe and put to bed....even so, I can't wait to see my middlest kiddo tomorrow evening!

I've been meaning to post the Megan and Kellan's school pictures, but I'm a little technologically challenged and I can't figure out how to use my scanner.....I'll have to try again this weekend....

Oh heck!

Remember when I was whining about my microwave not working a couple months ago? Well, that's nothing compared to not having a washing machine for an entire weekend! Yep, my washing machine is out of commission at the moment....thank goodness my sister only lives 5 minutes away and is gracious enough to let me do some laundry at her house! I have learned an important lesson....the next time a wire is protruding from one of my...ahem....undergarments, I will fix it BEFORE I put it in the laundry!

On another note, today is the last day of fall soccer for 2010! Megan and Kellan have both had a great soccer season, but I think they're ready to move on....to basketball, which starts TOMORROW! We've been really lucky to have been blessed with beautiful weather every Sunday afternoon this season, but I know that can't last forever and it's time for indoor sports.

This weekend as really nice...my favorite twin sister and I redecorated our little den (I'll post some pics later) and we finally planted a tree in our yard! Yes, we've lived here three years and finally managed to plant a tree! It's a beautiful red crabapple tree that will be gorgeous every fall...my kids have been sure to advise me there is NO WAY they will eat any of the apples....but they will be happy to feed them to our horses. They are so generous....at least the horses think so....

Some of My Favorite Blogs

Besides really enjoying my goofy kiddos lately, I have also been enjoying reading some really great blogs....

KellysKorner...http://www.kellyskornerblog.com/...is a blog I look forward to reading almost everyday. She's a southern mother of one (soon to be a mother of two!) who really inspires me to be a good Christian mom to my kids. PLUS, she posts some GREAT recipes!

Another favorite of mine is MckMama...http://mycharmingkids.net/....a blog written by a mother of FIVE who resides in Minnesota. She is a mom who has gone through a lot in her marriage as well as a very scary medical condition with her second youngest kiddo....and she is a fantastic photographer!

One of the first blogs I started reading a couple years ago is about Owen, a little boy who was born with half a heart...http://simmonsfamilyupdate.com/. This blog never fails to remind me of how lucky I am to have three healthy, happy children. Owen has been through a lot in his 2 1/2 years...he is so brave and very charming! Megan and I love reading this blog together and we often pray together for Owen.

Anyway, you've probably noticed all of the blog links on my sidebar....most of them are about parenting, which is my most important and fulfilling job! Sometimes, when I'm in the thick of the daily work associated with raising three seemingly high-maintenance kids, my world can feel kinda small. When I read these blogs, it reminds me of how much I wanted to be a mom....and that I shouldn't take a single second for granted!

Lately....

....I've been pretty entertained by my children. Kellan and Jacksen are currently OBSESSED with Star Wars. I've never been interested in the Star Wars thing so I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, but they seem to know a lot about it. They have light sabers and they play with them all evening everyday.

Megan has been really into arranging playdates with all of her friends...mostly boys. She keeps mentioning these "crushes" in her class....and I keep telling her that there are no boyfriends and girlfriends in second grade! Actually, now that I think about it, we had this same conversation in Kindergarten and First Grade!

Yesterday I volunteered in Kellan's classroom. As I was leaving, a little girl asked me my name. When I answered, she said "My dad's name is Russ. He leaves piles of clothes all over the place! He never picks up his messes!" I had absolutely no idea how to reply....so funny!

Megan and Kellan have two weeks left of soccer. They have both really improved their skills this season....I have really enjoyed watching their games! Next on our agenda: Y Basketball!