Blizzard

This is the view from our front window (2 days ago). The result of the Blizzard that hit a few days ago and snowed us in. We went from zero snow and about 75 degrees just a few days before to sub-zero temperatures an about a foot of snow (drifts from 3-5 ft.). Needless to say school has been cancelled all week. When I opened the garage to try to begin shoveling the drive way (by myself as husband is TDY again) the snow reached well above my knees. It took several goes to get it done because I don't own any snow boots (my feet grow every time I have a baby and my old ones were a full size too small) so I wore rain boots that protect against the wet - but not so much the cold. The job got done though. I can't take all the credit, my neighbor (Bless him!) came over and helped with the last 1/4 of the drive and the walkway to the front door. Today we ventured out to the grocery store, the main roads were mostly ok, but the neighborhood streets were treacherous. No issues though, and we are now more or less set for the next wave of snow that is suppose to hit.

In other news :

A very late Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We had a lovely holiday and hope you all did too.
Bennett has been toying with the idea of walking for months, and has been pushing things around for nearly as long. About a week and a half ago he struck out and started walking about without any support. Not just a few steps either - he took off and is going everywhere. Watch out sisters, brother is on the go!

The girls both brought home excellent report cards :O)

I am nearly finished with my last term and will soon have my degree (Yay! It only took about 10 years).

I am sure there are dozens of things that I have forgotten to post, but I guess that is what I get for being such an inconsistent blogger. I would make a New Years resolution about it, but that is the quickest way to ensure that I never blog again. (Okay maybe not, but I am not famous for keeping resolutions).

Yes, I know I posted a picture of snow and none of the kids. I haven't been very good about taking pictures lately and took none of Christmas (hint hint, if you were at Christmas and have pictures I would dearly love copies :O)

A late Thanksgiving post:

Thanksgiving this year was a tiny bit strange. Rob had to be out of town (again), so the children and I thought we would have to go it alone this year. Fortunately, Shar was able to make it! Yay! On Thanksgiving we ate "dinner" at about 1:00. Pretty early, but the food was ready and the kids were starving, so we just went with it. Normally we would all sit around and watch football and chit-chat. But this year, with no men in the house (except Bennett, who is too young to put up much of an argument about it) we opted out of the football and instead took the troops to see Tangled in the theatre. It was Bennett's first trip to the movies, and I gotta say he did great. Not a peep! We all enjoyed the movie and when we came home it was time to get the kiddos into bed. Then Shar and I got to enjoy some grown up time, good conversation and a bottle of wine. The next day we braved the mall and shopped around a bit (our first ever foray into Black Friday shopping). It wasn't as bad as expected, mostly because we waited until late afternoon when all of the mega-super-shoppers had come and gone. The girls were super excited to visit the Disney Store and were treated to some cute Rapunzel jammies for their great behavior through the "boring grown up stores." All in all it was a rather unusual holiday for us, but a really great time was had by all. Wish Rob could have been here, but we are looking forward to having him back for Christmas!

Catch Up

Wow, long time, no post. So here is a very brief run down of what has been happening in my neck of the woods:

September: Rob came back from Afghanistan and we all attempt to readjust. I seriously have very little recollection of any actual events during the entire month. There was a visit from Shar for her birthday and a couple of other birthdays during the month (Mom, Grandma B, Lindsey).

October: Trip to Texas to visit Auntie Shar and pick up Nanny (who flew in to Texas to be able to visit both Shar and us). Six Flags over Texas, Zoe's first real roller coaster (which she loved) and then a couple more roller coasters (the loop-to-loop was her favorite), outlet mall before driving home. Pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, trick or treating (Zoe = Super Girl, Sydney = Belle, Bennett = Lion, Mommy = covered in barf thanks to Bennett).

November (so far): Rob to training. Parent teacher conferences (my kids rock). My first group art show (guess I rock too). Refridgerator breaks : ( and gets fixed : ). Bennett's first steps (about an hour ago) and yes I know that 16 months is a little late to start walking, but what can I say he has his own agenda.

And that is the news in brief.

I must say...

The last month has been a blur. Kids going back to school, trying to get ourselves into a new routine, and the return of my husband from an 8 month deployment has been enough to make my head spin. So this post is primarily to say, "Welcome Home" to my love and to issue a great big "Thank You" to all of those who fight for the freedoms that we enjoy as well as to those who support them at home. I would also like to say "Thank You" to those who supported me personnally, my family and friends, and possibly the worlds best neighbors who took great pains to ensure that the kids and I were well looked after during this long journey.

First Day of School

Zoe's first day of first grade and Sydney's first day of Pre-K. They were so excited, had a great day, and were so tired when they both finally got home that they were super cranky. Yep. And, I, being an idiot, thought Zoe got out of school earlier than she actually does so I subjected the little kids to an hour of sitting in the car. So...day one is done. Now to see what the rest of the school year has in store.

Shoe/Chocolate Addicts Anonymous

They say that the first step to change is to admit that you have a problem. So here goes:

Hello, my name is Lacey. I am a stress eater/shopper.
Now, this is a problem that I have known about for quite some time and it may be evident to those around me, but saying it out loud (in print for that matter) is a big step. You see when Iam feeling stressed out, insecure, upset, or recieve bad news (even just a little bit bad), I am overcome with the urge to consume LARGE amounts of sugar and caffiene and spend a lot of money on "things that make me feel good" in laymans terms that means SHOES and occasionally other clothing and accessories. Ok, more than occasionally. Get off my back about it. ;)
I noticed the problem recently as the cashier at the grocery store put 8 candy bars and a bag of skittles in their own little bag and handed them right to me winking and saying, "The most important thing..." Not missing a beat, I replied, "Ah, my little bag of sanity." Sure, it seems funny, but only cause you know it's true!
The plot thickened when I got a bit of disappointing news earlier today (don't worry everything is fine), and instantly went to my Amazon Universal Wishlist and perused my favorite items trying to decide which boots would be best for fall. I don't probably need new boots, even though my feet did grow half a size with Bennett. But I want new boots. I have it narrowed down to 3 pair. I know I shouldn't spend the money. And the only thing that is keeping me from getting onto DSW.com and ordering a pair is this blog and the overwhelming sense of guilt that I know I will feel if I do make the order. Plus I don't know which ones I really want yet. Maybe I should go into the store and try them on. Oh crap- you hear that....that was my addiction talking, right out there for everyone to hear (read).
So far I haven't broken down and bought anything. Nothing is on sale so it makes it a bit easier to resist. (Sales and bad news, well, thats just too much) I did just eat two mini Butterfingers though, and have the urge to raid the cupboards for more delicious chocolatey goodness. Well, I guess admitting the problem is not really helping since now I just feel like eating and buying MORE! What a dreadful cycle. Guess it is time to distract myself by changing a dirty diaper. Hoo-ray.

Last days of summer vacation...

Wow, big gap in the blogging! To be honest, I kinda forgot about it. After that whirlwind birthday situation, it was good to have a break. And a break we had - kinda. We went to Texas for a weekend visit to see Auntie Shar and her new appartment. As well as to "assist" with getting her settled. Hahahaa. Not sure how much assistance we were considering the three kids basically bounced off her walls (and likely angered a few neighbors). After that we came home and have been getting school supplies and school clothes/ shoes (Thank you, Nanny). I started a new term at school. Now the countdown begins to the kids school year actually starting. We have "Information Day" on Tuesday and the official start is Thursday. I can hardly imagine what I will do! Sydney will be in Pre-K from 9-11:30 daily and Zoe will be entering FIRST GRADE!!!! Oh my, my baby is growing so fast. Of course this realization has sent me into somewhat of a tail-spin. I have been ultra nostaligic the last few days. Looking at old photos and remembering all kinds of silly old things from days gone by. This on top of the back to school mania and the Dog Days of Summer with 107 Degree temperatures (keeping us indoors) has been nearly too much for my poor mind to handle. I have been walking around in a bit of a daze. The kids think I am losing my mind, because of my utter inability to focus from one minute to the next (i.e. I walk to one room from another then say "what did I come in here for?") I'm a pretty sad sight. Auntie came up for a get together this weekend and we saw her for a couple of hours including a customary trip to Target. That was nice and hopefully we can get together again soon. And now I have completely run out of things to say - or maybe not, I just lost track of my thoughts. So we will leave it at that for now.