My husband is crazy. He's a little kid in an overgrown body. I remember the first Christmas we spent together when we were dating. He insisted we sleep in the living of his parents' home in stead of in beds like normal people. Tradition means a lot to him.
Now we have children of our own. (Little kids. . .aged 1 and 2. . .who don't yet understand the magic and excitement of Christmas.) They don't know about Santa, they have a nativity set and have been carrying around baby Jesus and "the Mommy Mary," but it will be a while before they start to process everything.
"Its our last year of freedom," I've told people frequently this week. Our children don't know what to expect, so luckily, we can't let them down. We asked Santa Claus to come a night early due to our family Christmas schedule. Basically, I saw it as a chance to not have to wrap all of their presents, even though they are few in number. I figured we didn't need to go overboard, since they don't "get it." Earlier this week I rolled over to find my husband wide awake. He then informed me that he was stressed, trying to figure out how to do Santa gifts, what our travel schedule would be like, and how to get the house "extra" clean for his family who would be getting together here. I rolled my eyes, rolled over, and certainly uttered something under my breath about how nice it was to not have to worry about anything significant.
Last night I couldn't sleep. We had a family gathering, I had a quick work task, and then we were up really late, cleaning up, and making sure that Santa made it to the right address on his express route. I was up super early (even though I was counting on sleeping in; I never get to sleep in.) I found myself creeping downstairs, the rest of my family dead asleep in their respective beds. I looked over everything Santa left, realigning the stockings and making sure everything was just right. I made sure the Christmas lights were on, made breakfast and put timers on everything so that it would all be ready at the same time. I changed up the menu to include Becki's baked oatmeal because Logan loves oatmeal. I mixed up the eggs for French toast because Dale loves French toast. I checked the baby monitor continuously so I wouldn't miss it when the kids so much as stirred, made sure the camera was primed and ready at the bottom of the stairs, and brewed a special pot of flavored coffee.
Today will be anything but ordinary. We'll hang out in our pajamas. We'll eat special breakfast. The kids will unwrap a few gifts that we very carefully selected for them. We'll read the same books dozens of times, assuredly. Seems like a lot of work for our last year of "freedom" since our kids have no idea what to expect. We'll dress the kids in new shoes and new clothes (that they might not wear more than once) and we'll go to church to celebrate the miracle of our Savior's birth. I'll probably cry when the hymns are sung and turn white-knuckled as I hold my wriggling toddler a little closer, and if nothing else the kids will know that they are loved.
As I sit here with my hot cup of coffee and listen to my children run toy cars across the floor and cook breakfast in their new "kitchen" I guess it all goes to show two things:
-The magic of Christmas can consume this task-oriented, practical, sarcastic lady, even catching her off guard, and
-My husband married a crazy woman.

We wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas. May you be richly blessed, as we have been, in the new year.

sneak peek

I've been having trouble posting--typed this days ago and couldn't get it to upload!

Kate's decided she's not quite ready to befriend Santa.
It appears as though she has one tooth on the top. She does. Yep, right front is pearly and white. Its neighbor is still absent.

Logan, during "rock-a-bye" time, certainly after singing his version of "Twinkle Twinkle" or "Jingle Bells" or "Hi Abby, How are you ? Dear dear Abby, How are you?"

December 17th. Really?

Christmas is rapidly approaching, and admittedly I think my brain is hanging out in mid-October. I could really get geared up for a football season about now. . . except that it's come and gone. Usually I'm pretty organized for Christmas, but this year it seems a bit forced. I have enjoyed making some treats in the kitchen on occasion (or two or three or four). I was lucky to stay home the first week of the month with the kids. We had some day trips planned, but the weather got kind of nasty and we hunkered down at home for most of the week. It was wonderful. We sang and danced and played. We even threw in an occasional rock-a-bye in lieu of a nap. I thought I'd post a few pictures of our week. (The sneak peek was to tide you over until you receive our amazing, well planned, well crafted Christmas card in the mail. . . except that didn't happen. I will try to put something together. . . we shall see if I accomplish that task)

Vic

Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary day, I have a grab-me-by-the-ears, shake-me-to-the-core encounter. This happened a while back, and I am better because of it. A better mom, a better wife, a better physician and hopefully, a better Christian. Special thank to the patient and his family for granting me permission to share the story. (Name has been changed to protect privacy)."

"Maybe you just want to come take a look at him," the nurse said after I answered the page. She was referring to Vic*, an 88 year old man who was being treated for pneumonia. He had been doing great that morning, and during rounds I'd made plans for discharge the next day. I arrived to find him in the bed, moaning a bit, and not seeming to mind the several liters of oxygen that were blowing into his face through a mask. He didn't respond to my voice, and a painful rub to his chest produced only another groan. The day prior, when I'd assumed his care from my partner, I'd verified his code status: the orders were for the patient to be a full code (meaning in the event of an emergency we would resuscitate him with chest compressions, a shock to his heart of necessary, and medications to restore a normal heart rhythm, if indicated). He mentioned at the time that he did not wish to be intubated, or placed on a machine to breath for him, for any reason.

I ordered several blood tests, and EKG, and a CT scan to try to determine what had caused his sudden decline in status. As I began to get results back, the patient became more responsive. He denied any pain or shortness of breath. He slowly became aware of his surroundings and began to converse, despite his low blood pressure. "He was a Lutheran minister, I believe," he said.

"Who's that?" I asked.

"I heard him on television, and I believe he was a Lutheran Minister. He said 'bury me a Christian,' and I believe that's the best eulogy I've ever heard. Just bury me a Christian."

I smiled and replied, "yes, that is a nice summary, isn't it?" and went on to further assess his vital signs, his level of pain and comfort, and whether he'd experienced any new symptoms that may offer more explanation.

His lovely wife had come to eat lunch with him that day, and I was informed by the nursing staff that she hada been waiting in the lounge. She knew nothing of the recent events. I headed down the hall to update her on his now guarded condition. Upon his arrival, I spoke with the patient's son outside the rooom. "He got pretty sick on us. He's talking about eulogies in there. He seems to know what's happening. He looked great yesterday, and sometimes people who are dying will rally and look great and then before we know it, they pass away." I encouraged him to have a conversation with his parents again about their wishes if the patient were to decline again.

"I'll let you know if anything changes," said his son. "Thanks for all your help." I left the room to attend to other patients.

That evening I stopped in to check on the patient. "Vic, if you get sick again like that, what would you like me to do?"

"Bury me." He said simply. "I'm 88 years old. I'm ready to die and we've all got to die sometime."

I'd heard that statement before from people in various stages of life and various levels of health. I took note of it and reminded myself to address it again in the morning. I noted his marginal blood pressure, invited him to call if he needed anything, and left for the evening.

The next morning I arrived to find the patient sitting up in bed, alert, and smiling. His blood pressure was somewhat better, and clinically he was much improved. Again, he denied any pain, stated he was breathing without any difficulty (although he was still requiring some oxygen to maintain his saturations) and was without any complaints. I mentioned the events of the day before and he smiled at me. "You're doing a good job," he said. "I know you're doing everything you can, and I know its your job to do everything, but I'm ready to die. I've lived a long life and I'm ready to go. My family knows I'm ready."

"My job, Vic is not to do everything. My job is to do whatever it is you want for me to do, and to take good care of you while you're here. I'm not God and I don't make those decisions, but I can tell you that I respect your decisions. I won't do anything heroic, and when the time comes, I promise not to stand in your way." Tears started to run down my cheek, and I let them, and my voice began to crack. I solidified my promise and rewrote the orders so the patient would not be resuscitated or transferred to another facility for any further intervention.

"I appreciate that," he said. "Thank you."

"It's been a pleasure meeting you," I said. "I'm going to be a better physician and a better person because of you and I want to thank you."

"You're a good doctor. It's been a pleasure knowing you as well." He then refused his breakfast tray, smiled, thanked me in advance for calling his family, and closed his eyes to take a nap.

I walked down the hall, tears spilling somewhat freely. I was so humbled and admittedly, a little bit overwhelmed. There I had been, sitting next to a hospital bed, holding the hand of a gentleman I'd met a mere 72 hours prior. There I had been, having a conversation with someone who was tiptoeing on the edge of this earthly life, so ready to exit, so clear of his intention and his destination. His next assignment was to spend eternity with Jesus. In the middle of my ordinary and hectic day, I got to hold one man's hand and take a peek as he stared death (and salvation and eternity, amen!) square in the eyes. Silently I prayed for him, in thanksgiving for his 88 years and for the opportunity to meet a man who would be such a witness to me. I thanked God for the courage to have the conversations we'd had, and I asked for forgiveness for the times I've let earthly demands distract me of ultimate goal.

I called his son. "I had a good chat with your dad today. He's dying. He's ready. I wrote the orders not to resucitate him, and when the time comes I promised him I wouldn't stand in his way. He's thinking pretty clearly today, so if you want to come back and spend time, I think that would be a good idea."

"He's ready. We're ready. Just keep him comfortable. Thanks, Doc. You're doing a great job."

It felt so good to know everyone was at peace with Vic's decision. And ready. I began to ponder my own mortality. It's really that simple. In the end, bury me a Christian.

The next morning I walked in and reciprocated his sparkling smile. We talked about plans for his dismissal, and he had a few simple requests so he could be more comfortable during the day. We agreed on a plan to continue his current cares, but not to start anything new. He assured me that he was comfortable and that he wasn't having any pain. I informed him that his primary physician would be back the next day. I thanked him for the chats. I told him that I would be taking a few days off to spend with my family, but that I would check in on him when I got back.

"So I'll see you Monday," I said with a wink.

"Maybe I'll just see you another day," he said with a wink.

"And I will very much look forward to that day," I said as I walked out.

The next day, after checking out to my partner and handing over my hospital responsibilities, and after ignoring my "To Do" list and playing in the grass with my children, I received a text message from my partner:

Vic will see you another day.

Thank you, Vic. May you rest in peace. I'll see you soon.

Letter to my Two Year Old

Sorry for the long hiatus. Work has been b-u-s-y. There have been several times when I've wanted to sit down and post, but have been derailed for one reason or another (i.e. the pager goes off, a size 7 foot lands in the middle of the keyboard, children decide they need to be fed, husbands decide they need to be fed. . . you get the idea.) I've been thinking and praying a lot lately on parenting, and decided to start taking pen to paper, as you know that helps me sort things out. Logan, age 2, is just starting to put thoughts and words together into sentences, and I finally feel like we're engaging once in a while. Of course with that comes all of the excitement of "engaging" with a two year old. This morning we're coming off of our first successful bout of a flu bug gone through the house, I spent 2 hours rocking a feverish 15month old yesterday, and this morning the world came crashing down because after Logan asked for a banana, I picked out the wrong one to serve to him. So here's a small glimpse into our lives lately.

Letter to my Two Year Old

Dear child,

First of all, I’m new at this. Up until this point, I think I’ve been delusional, thinking that your behavior and mannerisms were a reflection of my parenting skills. What I didn’t realize was that you were on auto-pilot, and that parenting hasn’t really required much skill. Now however, you are a toddler. You are impressionable. You seem to have developed several opinions, and we frequently seem to disagree.
This parenting thing is stressful. We want to teach you so many things, and we want to help mold you into a healthy, respectful, faithful, smart, successful, compassionate human being. That’s a tall order! We want to do things right. We want to you to be somewhere between spoiled and deprived. We want to set boundaries while letting you test the limits once in a while. Often I feel like we are on completely separate pages, and some days I think I could leave you in “time out” more than “time in.”
I do appreciate the person you’re becoming. I love your demeanor, and you’re such a loveable kid. You adore your sister, and I love watching your relationship develop. You’re smarter than I give you credit for, and your little brain is a sponge, picking up new words and ideas and skills every day.
While I’ll never admit it when you’re older, I have no idea what I’m doing. So here we go, on this journey of parenthood.

I love you with my whole heart and I always will,

Mom


And I imagine, if he could reply, he'd come up with something like this. . .

Dear Mom,

First of all, I’m new at this. Every single day I’m learning more about you and about me and about this crazy world that we live in. Up until this point, I’ve been eating and sleeping and learning to get around. Those things are boring now (which is why I occasionally decide not to eat) and there’s so much to see and do! I get so excited about things and about figuring out how they work, and I just can’t understand why that’s not okay sometimes.
Quit trying so hard. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to teach me everything. Trust me when I tell you that I’m watching everything you do and listening to everything you say. There’s lots I can learn, just by watching you! Remember how sometimes you used to get in trouble with Grandma when you were little? I have to learn some of those things the hard way, too.
Don’t worry Mom, we’ll figure this thing out. While I often try to make the rules (I’ll warn you. . . this is gonna get much worse before it gets better) I need your guidance, and I need you to set limits for me. Sometimes though, I just need you to be completely silly and giggle and tickle me and pretend that there are no rules.

I love you with my whole heart and I always will,
Child

Katiebug's Birthday Extravaganza

Our sweet little Kate turned 1 on August 18th. So much has happened this last year, and I feel like it just flew. She has been a surprise from the very start! What a spunky, spirited, sweet daughter we've been blessed with. She is determined, curious, vocal, and adventuresome. I LOVE the dimension she's brought to our family. She is such a happy little thing, toddling around and smiling most of the day. She is brave, and more often than not sports a big ole' forehead bruise to show for it. She still has no teeth, they're sitting there begging to come through, but her smile is adorable because of it. She wants to talk and tries out new words daily. She's certainly not short on personality. . . her facial expressions crack me up multiple times a day.

catching up

It was brought to my attention by a dedicated reader that I was behind with my posts. . . again. I have several excuses, really. I'm not going to go on telling you how busy we are. Everyone. Is. Busy. Part of me really wishes I had (made) more time to be introspective and that I could craft really thoughtful, meaningful posts, similar to the posts you all post every day. I'm working on this. I feel a little calloused lately (more on that another day). I'm also a little bit embarrassed of my boring blog. I admire those of you with your fancy little blogs, full of links and graphics and awesome pictures. I often think about posting, but by the time I get around to it I'm sitting in the overstuffed chair, laptop on my lap, chin on my chest, snoozing. Finally, after thinking a while I decided this is what it is. It's a place for me to give a shout out now and then to let you know that we're still kicking. It's a place for me to sort out my thoughts when I need it. Perhaps of more interest to you, its a place for me to throw up a snapshot of the kiddos, since we don't see everyone nearly as often as we'd like, and since they grow up way too fast and change every single day. I'll continue to do my best to highlight the big stuff (and sometimes the small stuff) that we encounter in our little corner of the world.

Birthday Boy!

I started this blog two years ago as a way for family and friends to accompany us on an incredible journey. Another year has flown by, and Logan's birthday gives us a day to celebrate the huge blessing he's been to us. So its that time again. . . time for me to scroll back to the very early posts, reading words of hope and uncertainty while tears roll down my face. I'd like to start out by thanking each of you for taking interest in our little family. We have been so richly blessed.

Logan turned two on Sunday! He loves to sing, sometimes he'll resemble a familiar tune, but often crafting his own words and custom jingles. He loves the heck out of his little sister, and he loves to make us laugh. We've also reached a HUGE milestone. Although he started off small, the expectation from the beginning was that he would be caught up (in both growth and development) by age 2. So here we are. He hasn't had his 2 week check, but he's got to land himself a solid spot on the growth chart. We have a checkup pending with ophthalmology, and after that I think it will be official that we have a healthy, normal kid!

Happy Birthday Logan. You bring true joy to each of my days, I've learned so so much from you about you and about me and about life in general. I can't wait to see what life has in store for you this coming year.

Staycation

A few photos borrowed from my awesome sister-in-law:

My staycation is over, and I have returned to work. I know you're supposed to feel refreshed and ready to go, but does anyone reeeeally feel rested and refreshed? I did everything I could last week to prove to myself not to quit my day job. For instance:

-I tried my hand at carpentry and built Logan a sandbox for his birthday. While this started out to be a seemingly simple task, as with most things, it turned into a comedy of errors. Long story short--we have a 6x6 square-(ish) structure in the backyard that surrounds a small quantity of sand, we have an assortment of 1/4 inch drill bits, and are proud owners of a new right angle!

-I made a run at the next Cake Wars competiton and with the help of my niece and sister, created a cake for Logan's birthday. We decided it was probably worthy of a blue ribbon. . . (in the beginning cake decorator's class)

-I pretended I was a landscaper and added a(nother) row of pavers to the patio. While I can't promise we won't have to balance the patio table with a matchbook, I'm pretty sure the patio will serve its purpose of holding my chair, which will hold me, which will hold my cold beverage of choice.

-We stayed fairly busy but it was such fun! I loved loved spending awesome time with Dale and the kids. It helps to put everything into perspective, and I loved being able to pour myself into my family for a few days. Ordinarily, I would probably hate every minute of the aforementioned activities, but I'll do anything for my kids and it feels good to look out and see things, knowing we did it ourselves. (I don't care to make a habit of it, however. . . so hi ho hi ho, its off to work I go again tomorrow)

This week

I took a few vacation days. I guess you could say we're taking a staycation. We're loving sleeping in, (the kids are even on board!) eating lunch late, and playing in the yard. We're trying to be productive; we're still working on the yard and patio and hoping that some day soon the fence around the back yard will be completed.

We had a wonderful holiday weekend (made even more wonderful by the fact that I didn't go to work today. . . did I already mention that?) We had several highlights, and got to spend time with a number of family members that we don't get to see often enough. I would like to share a few with you:

-I asked a 90+ year old aunt how she was getting along. She said, "I have a lot of aches and pains and am still waiting for the golden years." Then, with a wink and a smile, "but I suppose they're a-waitin for me in heaven." Amen sister. Thank you for renewing my hope in heaven, where there's no hurt, struggle, or disappointment.

-Logan (my timid child) shouted (yes, shouted) "Yay, yay" because he was having so much fun playing.

-I got to try out a few new eats on the grill, which means I didn't have to heat up the kitchen. We tried pizzas, roast and veggies, and biscuits. I think I'll keep tinkering with it because things cook so quickly.

-We watched an amazing fireworks show, put on by a relative. It was fun to be surrounded by family and so close to the action. Logan settled down and enjoyed them, and Kate fell fast asleep (she was so wiped out I checked her pulse)

-I got to go the library here in town for the first time today. We have a beautiful library, I just haven't had occasion to head over there. It was so much fun. Logan loved playing with the puppets and lounging in the chair. We also shopped a couple of businesses here in town that I don't get to frequent.

My little firecrackers

I thought I'd throw in a picture of the house and yard, since it consumes most of our free time (and will look much different post fence).

Thanks to everyone who was a part of our awesome weekend! We're looking forward to heading home for the county fair later this week (brings back such great memories!)

my new favorite

is the feeling of a (nearly) two year old hand on my back. My sweet baby boy is learning to be affectionate, and I can not tell you how fast this mama's heart melts when I ask for a hug and he wrinkles up his little nose, smiles, and lays his head on my shoulder. . . and I feel his hand on my back. Wondering if he'll bring me to tears forever. Probably.

no excuses!

I'd love to shower you with exciting reasons that we've been absent from this page. . . but I can't think of much beyond the day-to-day excitement that exists at our house. I've thought several times about posting, but either didn't take the time to do it ( likely), didn't have good photos to go along with them (also possible), or I got too consumed on facebook to log onto the site (most likely :) I'm sorry I robbed you of my very touching thoughts on mothers day, failed to share our travels to Oregon on our first trip away from the kids (we made it five whole days!), and didn't include you when we celebrated significant milestones like Kate's first steps and Logan learning to jump.

We've been enjoying some great family time this summer; the kids love their cousins and grandparents so much.

Logan splashing in the tub with his cousin. He loves to teach his sister all sorts of new tricks, like how to climb into the closet so he can barricade her with toys.

Kate's (finally!) sprouting a little bit of (red) hair. Still no sign of any teeth, but Logan was toothless until 11 mos also. She's taken a few steps and likes to climb to the top of the stairs and then cry for help. She jabbers all the time (all-the-time)

We have been working on some improvements in the yard. We are in the process of having a fence installed and are looking forward to enjoying barbecues on a new patio without all of Central City looking on. Logan's second birthday is right around the corner (already!), and Kate's first birthday will be just a month later, and no I'm not pregnant again (although after two summers in maternity clothes, and two moves, my wardrobe is currently being overhauled).

I'll do my best to post more often. Hope you're enjoying a wonderful summer!

Love from all of us!

Movin' and shakin'

I received a request to post a new blog update. . another month has elapsed already! I seriously think I'm living in fast forward. We've had another great month. Kate has proven once again the she doesn't feel the need to ask permission. She started crawling and pulling herself up to stand, despite my requests to stay "babylike" for a bit longer. I can't keep up with this girl! She babbles and giggles and spends hours conversing with her brother (about their crazy parents, no doubt). She's sprouted a few hairs atop her head and smiles constantly (except when we pack them up and traipse to Omaha for pictures. . . then she decides not to smile. I have yet to see the pictures, but dear Lindsay is awesome, so I'm sure she captured a few toothless grins when I wasn't looking).

I'm sure a responsible parent would have lowered the crib mattress by now.

Once in a while she winds down and gets tired, although Logan still outsleeps her by at least 2 hours a day.

We squeezed in a couple of trips to visit the grandparents and are L-O-V-I-N-G the warmer weather. Logan would stay in the swing all day if we'd let him, and we've been getting some much-needed work done around the yard. I learned that I should't quit my day job and added new words like de-thatch to my vocabulary. Along with Dad of the Year, transportation specialist, loving and understanding physician spouse, and client support associate, Dale added Soccer Coach and TeamMate mentor to his list of responsibilities.

That's what's new in our world. The kiddos caught colds last week, so we've been doing the kleenex chase and they've been hacking all over each other, which is lovely. Logan earned his first antibiotics for ear infections. We're grateful for good health for our families, my dad is feeling much better after a(nother) procedure on his leg, we're excited for friends who welcomed a healthy baby boy into their lives, and our hearts go out to others who miscarried. This summer we'll be participating in the Merrick County Relay for Life, and we are humbled by this nasty disease. Day in and day out it affects the lives of those who are close to us. We remember those who are celebrating a heavenly reward for their earthly struggle, and we honor those who continue the fight.

Alright, Kate's awake. Mama duty calls. Hope you're well. Happy Spring!

How quickly we forget

Today as I was watching my toddler run down the sidewalk, babbling and giggling, I couldn't help but be grateful for how well he has done. Perhaps one of the most difficult things for me to do was let my child be "normal." I know God is laughing at me right now, as He knew there's no way I'd let go (so he sent me a little distraction named Katherine to help ease the transition :) Somehow in the midst of things Logan keeps growing, developing, and nailing his milestones. At his 18 month visit, his physician was paying particular attention to handedness, making sure he wasn't demonstrating any neglect. He watched meticulously as he climbed up and down and ran down the hallway. I knew exactly what he was doing, and in the corner of the room this mama teared up a bit, knowing there was a day when we wondered if he'd use both hands without coaxing, if he'd walk and jump and run without having to learn the hard way.
Perhaps the best part of it all was that it was a reminder. . . that the anxiety and fear of the unknown had subsided. . .and that I'd forgotten about it. Certainly there's engraved in my heart a special place for that 3 lb 12 oz peanut in a box, but the edges are healed over and finally, I'm just a mom of two ordinary kids. Thanks be to God!

February!!

I think Kate's working on a reversal

How in the world did we arrive at mid-February?!?! We're doing well. Its a crazy world here at 608 I St, but we love it. The kiddos are growing and changing daily and are so much fun. Logan's babbling more and has enjoyed some nice "adventures" outside. He had his 18 month checkup (already!) last month. Its been fun to watch him grow and change.

Kate will be a half year old on Friday. I can hardly believe it. She's about the smiliest thing I ever did see. She's found her tongue, her toes, and her thumb. She's cooing quite a bit and is more mobile.

I have a couple days off this week, which are much anticipated. I wish I could stop the clock for a bit, but time marches on. It took a few late-night return trips to my office this week, but my desk is clean! We're looking forward to some family time and some wrestling this weekend (My name is Michelle, and I'm an addict!) I can't help it; I'm so excited. Dale's close to catching the fever. I think we can convert him. He's still a basketball fan at heart.

I suppose that's about all we know for now. Thanks for checking in on us!

Some more pictures

Happy Kate doing her Christmas dance.

The men of my life. I think Logan's really enjoying himself, don't you?

Happy New Year

Oh goodness. I can't believe it's been nearly two months since I posted. Don't think I haven't thought of you. I have. There have been several occasions when I've tried to sit down and write, but my helpers are a little more active and a little more demanding right now. There have been several events which I've had to process through my little brain, and sitting down to type away would have been quite therapeutic, but the children thought otherwise.

We enjoyed the holidays (and from the looks of our house, we're still enjoying them as we don't quiiiiiiiiite have the decorations all taken down). Thanks to the help of my mom, I did get the tree down, but the wisemen are still adoring baby Jesus in the living room.

Sorry for the tiny picture above. Its my new year's resolution. I wanted to pick something that 1) meant something to me and 2) I'd actually stick to this year and 3) I might even enjoy. That said, my resolution this year is to make sure I take time each day to get down on the floor and play with these kids. Its so much fun! Logan is starting to talk more, and Kate is quite alert and interactive. I don't remember why Logan's cracking up in the picture, but I just had to show off all of those adorable tickle buttons :)

I apologize again for being so scarce. I'm looking forward to getting back in the groove. Have a great week!