In which I catch up

Now that I've remodeled the blog (noun) I feel I am obligated to blog (verb). The truth is there have been many times over the past few weeks that I've planned on blogging (gerund) but I have just been way, way too busy! (excuse)

But now, I've turned over a new leaf (cliche)... OK, I'll stop all the parentheticals and just catch everyone up with what's been going on since I last blogged.

First, I haven't been completely absent. I've been blogging about my mom and her battle with cancer and she is doing really well right now... so it's back here for a bit.

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving was very different this year. My mom usually cooks Thanksgiving Dinner and my grandmother makes her famous rolls. Not this year. Mamo was in California and mom simply wasn't up to cooking or having a houseful of guests.

So I cooked. Those of you who know me well are probably rolling with laughter right now. For those that don't know me well, I need to tell you that I have a bit of a fear of cooking. And it certainly doesn't help when I have to cook a dish that actually has a 1-800 number available for tips on doing it right. But I'm always up for a challenge... and to make it even more challenging, I decided to fall down the stairs and sprain my ankle the day before Thanksgiving.. BEFORE I did my grocery shopping.

You would be proud of me. Even as I was falling, I was calm, thinking I need to be sure and not scare the boys. But that's while I was falling. When I landed I rolled on the floor for quite some time screaming, "It's broken! It's broken!" Yeah.. I'm cool. Dillon called Jim who rushed home in time to see it swell into a really strange shape. Jim carried me to bed, put ice on it, and prayed for it. The whole family went grocery shopping that evening with Dillon pushing me in a wheel chair through an unbelievably crowded grocery store. I was wishing for Dramamine.

The next day, despite a limp, I make a delicious Thankgiving Dinner and nothing was burned and nobody got sick. We did go see Mom and Dad for dessert and although my dinner was a success, I'm looking forward to Mom feeling well enough to cook next year.


THE ICE STORM OF 2007

I think I might have an inkling of what it feels like to try to sleep in a war torn country. In the middle of the night, bombs, otherwise known as ice heavy tree branches, were falling all around the house. You would hear a creak, then more creaking, then a snap, and then you held your breath waiting for the boom. Sometimes it would land on the ground, other times it would land on the roof.. and you never knew. Would the next one come through the roof? Or the window? It was a night of little sleep. And then when the sun rose and we could see the damage, we were absolutely shocked. I have never seen anything like it. We were very blessed that we only lost electricity for a day. This picture probably best shows how we faired in the ice storm...

Notice all the branches that have fallen all around our Suburban, and yet no branch hit it, scratched it, or dented it. God is so cool!

CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR'S

We had a lovely Christmas this year, spending Christmas Eve with Mom and Dad, despite her having Chemotherapy that day. The boys had a great Christmas, each getting one of those FLIP cameras. Dillon proved he was just like his mom, by making an absolutely hysterical documentary of "the elusive big brother". He filmed Cody's desk with it's collection of empty Mountain Dew cans and remarked on the big brother's diet. He filmed Cody's unmade bed and remarked on the messy habitat of the big brother. He more or less stalked Cody all afternoon and I couldn't be more proud. When he gets it as perfect as he wants it, I will post for all to see.

There is nothing much to write about New Years, unless you want to hear how i fell asleep while watching the Last Legion with my Honey and my boys. I can't even tell you how it ended, although I'm fairly certain it had something to do with King Arthur.

And that probably brings us pretty much current.

I promise, I resolve even, to keep this blog up to date. Come back and check in often.. invite your friends.. I will make it worth it!