Christmas Pictures

We're not done Christmas-ing yet, but I put together a photo story of our Christmas-ing so far. :)
It is loaded and the link is to the left. Once we are doing Christmas-ing I will update the video later. :)

Abby's Christmas Concert

The videos of Abby's Concert are uploaded. I have a link to each song to the left in the links section.

I could describe how cute she was, but you can see for yourself. :) It's a little shaky in the beginging, I learned my lesson and next time I take a tripod. But it's not that bad.

Enjoy!

A big sigh of relief

Most of you know that I had a pretty rough semester this fall. Dealing with sick kids made me miss about 5 classes. In past courses that was fine, but now that I'm in the higher classes, you miss a class and it really is not a good thing. The course material was a lot harder and at one point, I felt as though I wasn't going to come out alive.

But, I'm still posting here, so you can be sure that I came out of it alive. It's been a week since I took the last final. I'm a tense bundle of nerves waiting anxiously for my grades.

In the accounting program, the college has strict rules regarding grades. Your test avereage much come out to be a 70% to pass the class, no matter what your scores on projects and homework assignments are. At the time of the final, my average was 70.5. I was never so scared in all my life. If I didn't get at least a 71 on my final, I would have had to retake the class. Since it was only offered in the fall, I would have to put off graduating until next year. So, that is the pressure that I was facing going into my final.

In the mean time, I've been trying to keep busy while I await to hear my fate. It's easy to do that around Christmas, there is so much to do. Unfortunately, my back went out in the process. I'm taking meds, but they don't give me my normal full range of movement. Thankfully, I'm not in school and don't have to lug around my 20 lb back pack with me, but doing normal everyday things, like laundry and cooking are enough to bring me to tears.

Since sitting in a straight chair at the desk is about the only way my back does not scream out in pain, I have been scrapping. I pulled out our wedding pictures, and after 7 years I finally started the wedding scrapbook. If you are interested in seeing the process, I have a link to the left which you can click and it will show you the layouts I have done so far. I'm very happy to start, and although I know I will not be able to finish before schoool starts again, scrapping is an easy way to pass the time while Jim is at work.

Anyway, the point of this whole blog is that I got my grades back yesterday. I got an 84 on my final, and with all my other work that I've done really well on, I received a B for the class. Indeed, my butt has been saved and I can move on and hopefully graduate in the spring as I had oringinally planned.

Now, if my back would just heal. We are making the 4 hour drive to Grandma and Grandpa's this weekend, and 8 hours in a car does not sound like it's going to be fun at all if this doesn't get any better.

XOXO

Jen

Oh Christmas Tree...

Some changes needed to be made to our Christmas tree this year. It's Finn's first Christmas with us. Out of all the cats I have ever owned, he is the one that would climb his way to the top and knocking it over.


So this year, we are putting the tree in the family room. The main reason is that we can close the family room doors off when we are not home, but we also spend the majority of our time in the family room.

Yesterday, I sent Jim out with specific instructions to get a small tree. Another Finn-proofing idea. When the kids were little we would put the tree up on crates, so the tree was up higher. We figured if it worked for the kids, maybe it will work for the cat. Time will tell though, he's already had a had a gnaw on the bottom branches.



So, here's our tree this year, isn't it pretty?

Finn, the tent and his new home

This HUGE purple tent that is in our family room right now was a gift to LIlly on her birthday. It's huge. We had my sister, me and about 5 kids all standing in it yesterday, so using the word small to describe this tent is like calling the empire state building a ranch house. She LOVES it.

Since the baby sitter was coming tonight, and they usually end up making a tent out of all my blankets, I figured I'd save some clean up for her and pop out the new tent. The kids were playing in it while I was cooking, they were not under my feet so I was pretty happy.

Anyway, the kids come to the dining table to eat. I keep hearing this noise and I'm not sure what it is? Kind of cross between a groan and a crow caaaw-ing. Finally get up to see what it was. So I head out to the family room, and I see Finn sitting inside the tent. When He sees me he lifts up his head and lowers it again as if he were disappointed it was me. Now, you can be sure that I am not fluent in Cat, but after I left and he startedthat strange meowing again it appears that he enjoyed playing in his new tent so much he didn't want to leave. but he didn't want to play alone and wanted the kids to come back and play with him. Which they did, and the meowing stopped. I came home tonight and guess where Finn was? Yup, still in the tent. He didn't even get up when heard the door. Our cats always greet us at the door. It's one of the best things about coming home, I have two "kids" who love to see me walk through that door. :) So, it appears that Miss Lil is going to have to share her tent with Finn! She doesn't mind though. I'm sure he'll help keep the mice away. Just as long as he doesn't eat Cinderella's mouse friends they'll get along fine.

4 year old Bean

The bean turned 4! She was so excited! At this age, the concept of time is not really clear. She knew that her birthday was next after Abby's, so in her mind as soon as Abby's cake was cut, it was her turn. So, we tell her that she has to wait till after Thanksgiving, Then it's her birthday time.


Well, we didn't realize that the second the turkey was carved and in her belly, that her first thoughts were

"ok, turkey is gone, now it's time for Lilly's birthday!" So we have spent the last week and a half assuring her that she did not miss her birthday.



Her party went really well. She celebrated with pink princess cake, was showered with presents, we had a house full of cousins come over to help her celebrate.


Happy birthday Lil. We love you