Snowed in and loving it!

As you all have heard, we got an early Christmas present here in Colorado! SNOW!! And lots of it! The whole town, including Denver and the surrounding airports, have been closed for 2 days. No mail, no UPS, no shopping...but I have loved it. Today things reopen, and we will begin to thaw out a little as the sun is out. It isn't supposed to be warm, but the sun will melt things a little. In our back yard we have over 36 inches!! It is amazing.

It was fascinating to watch, as the snow didn't quit for over 24 hours. Then you add in the wind speeds, which sustained 30+ mph, with gusts from 50-70 mph. I truly don't mind being snowed in for a day or two! We took advantage of being home and wrapped all of the presents, watched a Christmas movie with the boys, and just hung out. I realized this morning that I am pretty calm and relaxed going into the holidays, after having 2 days off to hang out and get things done around here. I will head out today to finish up a few small things, but nothing big. My shopping was done a while ago, with Matt and I finishing up on Monday.

I realize the snow has screwed up a lot of families' Christmas's. Some won't make it home in time, as United Airlines alone canceled over 2000 flights. I realize that some won't receive their packages in time, even the ones who paid extra to have it expedited. But for me, the snow was a gift for Christmas. Nothing puts me more in the mood for Christmas than snow. It pulls it all together.

If I don't make it back to my blog before Christmas, Merry Christmas everyone. Have a blessed holiday season. My Christmas letters are on their way, but who knows when you will get them, in light of the mess here with USPS. Enjoy your family and friends as you celebrate. We are so looking forward to being with family and having a nice relaxing day. And as over used as the saying is, it still is true: always remember the reason for the season! Jesus Christ!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

My Favorite Time of Year

Have I mentioned I love Christmas?

Today I went to Tyler's Christmas program at preschool. He was so cute! (I will post pics later)
Yesterday I baked all day. I will bake more tomorrow.
Tonight is Matt's work party.
Tomorrow night is my brother and SIL's party.
Sunday night we head to the zoo to see their million+ light display with some friends.
Monday Matt and I head out to finish up the odds and ends I saved for us to do.
Tuesday-Friday I am home. I will wrap presents, watch Christmas movies, and listen to Christmas cd's.
Christmas weekend we have 2 different Christmas's. I bought a chocolate fountain for Christmas Eve. We will do that and have sparkling cider with the boys. The boys get to open up one gift on Christmas Eve. I always wrap up a book as well, which we then read before bed.

I have been busy, but I love it! Christmas just makes me feel warm and fuzzy. I love being with family. I love giving gifts to those I love! (guess what my love languauge is?)

Christmas day will be spent opening presents, having a nice breakfast, watching movies, playing games and cards, attempting a 3D puzzle...what are you doing?

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

Thanksgiving is now over, company has gone home, and it's starting to look a lot like Christmas around here. We had a great holiday. Enjoyed the company of Matt's parents, saw "Happy Feet" and "Deck the Halls", ate too much food, went out shopping at a ridiculous hour the day after and am now getting ready to get the tree up. Matt was out on the roof Saturday getting Christmas lights up. I am now, more than ever, ready for Christmas.

For whatever reason, maybe from inspiration from my mom who started playing Christmas music in September when I was a kid, Christmas is my favorite holiday. It makes me smile. It gives me warm fuzzies. I just like it. Gifts is one of my love languages, so maybe that is involved. Not so much the getting (although that is good) but the giving. I love the process of figuring out the best gift for each person. I love the decorating. I love sitting by the fire and the tree all lit up and relaxing. I love the baking.

Last year we were packing up a house and moving, so Christmas was not what I liked or wanted. This year is so much different, and we are all thrilled. I think Matt might even be getting in the Christmas spirit. So my goal for today is to get the tree up with lights so tonight the boys and I can decorate it. I am sure I will have stories to report.

I hope you all had a great Thaksgiving. We did. And now on to Christmas!!!!!

PS- For a great story about what the boys want to get me, head to Matt's blog!! You will get a good laugh! www.mbbarrett.blogspot.com

Thanksgiving

I have my turkey in my fridge thawing. My in-laws arrive late this afternoon. I've made my 2 hour grocery trip to Walmart. I cleaned like a mad-woman yesterday and will finish up today, probably as my in-laws are walking in. My hubby is done working at noon tomorrow, for the week. My pies are ordered and can be picked up tomorrow. The dog is groomed. Laundry is going.

The question is: why do we allow one Thursday where people are off of work and where we eat a ton of food to make us crazy with projects to do? Christmas is a process, but Thanksgiving? It is one day.

What are you doing for the big day? What are your traditions? Favorite foods?

We really don't have any traditions we do every year. We will be spending it with Matt's parents and my mom and her friend Tom. We will be watching the Broncos that evening, eating leftover turkey sandwiches on yummy buns (my favorite part of Thanksgiving food, along with pie). We will have a table set up with a puzzle for people to work on. We have the standards for food, and that is great with me. Green bean casserole, mashed taters, corn...but I am trying a new fruit salad this year. It is a jello with lemon, orange, apple and cranberries. We will see. So, considering the day ahead of me, I should get to it.

So Happy Turkey day everyone!! Enjoy your day!!

PS- the best part of Thanksgiving is that my hubby will let me put up the Christmas tree and he gets to put up the lights!!

I'm Back and I'm Now 32!

Okay, okay, okay...I have taken a break from blogging. And while a lot has gone since I last blogged, I have been too busy to tell you about it. I am now done with my temporary job at the church, which helps out a ton in the time area, so I am ready to get back to filling you all in on my odd thoughts and the events of the Barrett's lives.

So I will start with "now" and then take the next week or two to fill you in on the last month and a half.

I turned 32 yesterday. I had a great day. It started with our Saturday being spent with my brother and SIL, Mark and Teri. We watched the great college football game of the year - Ohio State v. Michigan. FUN!! (Have I mentioned I love college football?) Later that night we got UFC on payperview and watched Matt Hughes lose his title. I love sports and I love hanging out with Mark and Teri, so it was a good day.

Yesterday, my actual bday, we went to church and then went to my dad and stepmom's for tacos and ice cream pie. Yummy food, fun conversation. Then came home, took a little nap in front of the NFL on my tv, to only wake up to my mom and Tom coming over for homemade pizza, presents, and Dairy Queen ice cream cake. WOW! My mom told me she hasn't spent a bday with me in 15 years!! All told, I got a massage from my boys, a giftcard to a spa, flowers, cool pampered chef pieces, a Precious Moments...I am blessed. But I don't consider myself simply blessed b/c of the gifts. I consider myself blessed b/c I was finally able to with my family on my bday. It meant a lot to me. Most touching- it meant a lot to everyone else.

I love living here in Colorado!

I Am Not Pregnant and We're Going to Disney World!

I know, it has been over a week since I last posted. I am truly sorry! Life has been so busy. I have started working part time at our church, so that takes up time. Then when I am home I am trying to keep up with the clothes, meals, cleaning the house....I honestly don't know how people work full time jobs and keep up with everything else!!

We leave a week from today for our much anticipated trip to Disney World! It all began with Jake when he was small. Papa (Matt's dad) told him that once he filled his piggy bank that he would take him to Mickey Mouse. So back in 2001, while I was 5 months pregnant we all went to Disney with Jake. The same deal was made with Tyler. That kid has been beyond dilligent in saving any money he can find. In fact, I have had to hide my money for fear it will end up in his piggy bank. The bank is filled and we are headed to sunny Florida next Thursday for 5 days! The excitement is building in our home.

I have yet to go to Disney World when I wasn't pregnant. I am looking forward to this trip! The first time we went, we planned the trip very far in advance, going with Matt's parents, sister and the two of us. OOPS!! Baby is on the way and tickets are bought. The second time was when we took Jake and I was prego with Tyler. This time I am good to go! I am so excited. And it is so fun to see how thrilling and new this whole experience is for Tyler. The challenge was convincing him that we were not taking his piggy bank with us. He made the comment that it was very heavy and who would carry it. Going to the bank is on my list of things to do in the next week!

What are your favorite things to do at Disney? How many times have you been? Who would have thought that a mouse would become so popular??

Sick Day

I am taking a sick day today, even though I really do not have a job to call in sick to. For the past 5 days I have had a horrible cough that has not let up. I woke up this morning with my throat burning from the coughing, my ear hurts and my head hurts. NOT FUN! Oh ya, the best part? I lost my voice too!

So instead of going to the church to finish my training there, Matt took Tyler to preschool and I am home. Once I finish this post I will be in bed. Even though there are lots of things to do around here, I am trying to do what is best for me and not what I really want or need to be doing. This also brings to mind my latest venture in life. I am feeling grown up as of late b/c I have decided to try to learn to drink hot tea. It feels wonderful on my throat and has no calories in comparison to hot chocolate (which I love). I have become fond of the triple berry zinger tea. I am really enjoying it. I don't like coffee but enjoy the experience, especially this time of year, of having a warm drink in hand with good conversations with friends.

Not having a voice will prove challenging. Matt had to talk to Tyler and tell him mommy couldn't talk and if he needed me today he would need to come and find me since I won't be able to answer him. I went downstairs to get some tea and he had this funny look on his face. He hugged my legs and said he felt bad for me. Then asked Matt if I would have to go to the hospital! Kids!

How To Eat Fried Worms

There is no school today for the boys. In order to keep the sanity and also have some fun for the day off, I took the boys to the movie "How To Eat Fried Worms". For those of you moms who have boys, it is a must see and such a reality. For those of you who have girls, you should go see it to appreciate girls!! :)

It was a cute movie. Tyler even watched the whole thing without asking when it was going to be over. I think the whole thought of having to eat 10 worms in one day and the bet was worth the watching for both of my boys. We then had a talk on the way home about bets and the meaning of the movie. Comical, to say the least. I just wanted to make sure they knew that eating worms is not allowed!

So it has got me thinking...what is something outrageous you have done or what crazy bets have you made? The only one I can think of for me, because I am not adventurous, is in college I ate a baked cricket for extra credit in zoology. Oddly enough it did not have much flavor at all. But I have seen the food channel shows where bugs are considered a very fancy meal in some countries. I don't think I could do it. My stomach is a little quesy now from watching the movie.

Colorado Happiness

I do not know where all of you live....I know where some of my readers live...which means I do not know the forecast for your area over the next few days. Here in Colorado it is amazing. The temps at night have been dipping low enough for jackets and closed windows. It really feels like fall. Yesterday the forecast for the mountains was SNOW!! In fact, they recommend being cautious should you choose to drive into the mountains this weekend. So this morning we wake up to find the most amazing view from the front of our house. SNOW! It did not snow in the Springs, which means we could see the amazing sight but we didn't have to feel it nor scoop the drive way, but the mountains were covered in snow and it was breath taking.

I am finding myself so happy in my life. This does not mean everything goes perfect every day, but it does mean I love my life. And while I believe being happy about life is a choice, I do believe in things, places and people making it easier to be happy. I love it here in Colorado. I love the weather, the casualness (is that a word- Noelle or Betsy?), the people, the things to do, the overall lifestyle...I feel like this for the first time in a long time. Sure, I miss seeing some friends from the various places we have lived, but I would not trade this for the world. And while I am so glad I am closer to family, that is not the only thing I love about being here. I feel thrilled to live in this beautiful state. I am thrilled my husband has a good job that gives him plenty of vacation and has more "normal" hours, which in turn means we have more family time. I am beyond thrilled that we have found an amazing church and are meeting wonderful people!!! I am thrilled that in the winter we can drive for just about 2 hours or so and go skiing with our boys for just a day or two and it is not a major vacation. I am so glad that our whole family loves to go hiking and enjoys being outdoors. The list goes on...

So what is stopping you? Why don't you come for a visit?

Dreams Come True

I know, I know...I have left you all high and dry for quite some time. I do have a good reason, which I will share with you in my list of life's events as of late:

1) Dream # 1 came true for me when I had Lasek surgery done last week. I have wanted to do this for so long, and finally found a good doctor at a reasonable price and my hubby said to go for it. I had to have the more intense surgery b/c my corneas were too thin for the simple lasik, but this is the better surgery in the long run. After a few days of discomfort, and a few more days of discomfort I am now feeling much better. Not 100% vision yet, but that could take another week or so before I am at 20/20. That is precisely why I have not blogged. I am still seeing the computer screen a little blurry now, imagine last week!

2) As I type this my second dream is coming true. There are delivery guys here delivering our new KING SIZE sleep comfort bed!!! I am so excited!! After 12+ years of not sleeping very well, with a husband who tosses and turns A LOT, in a queen size bed, we have taken the plunge into the bigger bed! We both think we might sleep until noon tomorrow!! Oh wait- we have kids!!

3) Jake started karate. After night one he wanted to quit. After night two he decided he loved it. He is also learning self control. He is learning, by watching other kids, that he cannot talk whenever he wants to (which is a lot!).

4) My hubby is headed to Texas on Tuesday for a business trip. He then heads to Iowa to have a weekend of golf and football with his dad. I am excited for him to have this time. He hasn't had time to do anything like this in a long time. Not to mention I am jealous he gets to go to a college football game! (that's another post for another day)

5) While Matt is gone his mom, Margie, is coming to stay with me and the boys. I am so excited for her to come here. She hasn't seen the new house yet, and my house always looks much better after she leaves, b/c she has always helped me get my house decorated. So I am looking forward to a week of fabric, decrations and guaranteed laughs!

6) We had our first non-family party here on Labor Day. It was a good time. We learned when you have 16 adults not to include children! ( Have I mentioned we are DONE having kids?)

7) We start our life group for church this Sunday. We are going to start with s study called "Speak Wisely". It should be good. I am not nervous, but anxious a little...will anyone come, will it go as we want it to, will we have a good group of people...I'll let you know Monday!

That's my life as of late. Have a great weekend everyone!!

Looks Can Be Deceiving

I love this picture of my boys! And I would love to be able to tell you that this is how they are most of the time. in fact, I would love to be able to tell you that this is how they are 50% of the time, no- make that 25%. The reality is that they fight A LOT. I have an older child who is controlling and bossy. I have a younger child who will not be bossed around, thinks he can do whatever his older brother can do, and hits and screams instead of uses his words.

I had a younger brother. We get along well now, but boy did I dislike him growing up. He always tattled. He was treated better and got to do more than I did. He was the favorite child. :) Any of you feel this way? I am trying to determine if it is the age difference between them (4 years) that causes such problems, the fact that they are both boys, or just their personalities in general. Let's face it, we all wouldn't choose our siblings to be our best friends, if we had the choice. And others truly have a great reltionship and friendship with theirs. And how can you help them grow up so they are close as they become older? Any ideas?

Happy 2 Year Blog Anniversary Matt

Today marks the 2 year anniversary of my hubby Matt's blog. He has put in tons of hours recreating the look of his blog. If you normally don't go there, check it out today: www.mbbarrett.blogspot.com

I normally write about my kids and what they are doing. But today I thought I would switch gears and tell you about my best friend and partner for life- Matt.

For those of you who don't know Matt, I think it is safe to say that you are truly missing out. Shortly into our relationship my mom nicknamed him "Mr. Wonderful". Little did I know 12 years of marriage later how much he would live up to that name. I am continually amazed at his love for life, sense of humor, kindness, patience, gentleness, wisdom, intelligence, loyalty, ability to have fun, sense of adventure, hard working nature and his ability to love unconditionally. He is an amazing dad to our boys. He is beyond wonderful to me as a husband and best friend. I look forward to growing old with him. I treasure going to bed together at night and waking up next to him in the morning. I feel blessed beyond measure that God allowed him to share his life and love with me. Congrats on your blog anviersary honey. Keep entertaining us and making us think. I love you!

I am going to cry!

Okay, I had a great post ready to go. I thought I would try to add an image from the web to it. My hubby very quickly talks me through it. I try it, but I cannot get the image to open up on my blog. I try to delete it and now the whole post is gone. So instead of a funny post to end the week, you might get to read it on Monday morning. Can I just say how frustrating that it????

Have a good weekend!

Nothing to Say

I know, I know....I have not blogged for a few days. The truth is I have been busy, but also have not had a lot to blog about.

Tyler started preschool Monday. I took pictures which I will add later, but keep forgetting to get the camera out of the truck, which Matt seems to have more than me. He woke up Monday morning crying about not wanting to go to school. Once I used some positive reinforcement (bribery, for those of you kidless people) with McDonalds for lunch, he was good to go. He seems to really be liking it.

Matt and I are deciding whether or not to host a "life group" for our church twice a month. We are finally ready to start getting involved again. It has been nice taking the time off at church and just sitting in services and being fed. But, having worked in churches, we also know how important it is for the church members to get involved. Churches could not exist without good people willing to do some work. So, that is one thing we are looking at doing. I am also planning on working at the church, for 4-8 weeks, while the current secretary is on maternity leave. It is so funny how just when I think I am going to have some time to myself, my time seems to fill up with other things.

Jake starts a 5 weeks science class today after school. He is so excited. He was telling me this morning how he might get to dissect a small shark with his teacher. He is also gearing up for karate. I am a firm believer in not filling my kids' time with too many activities. Even though he may want to do a ton of things, I limit him. I feel it is just as important to be a kid, to come home from school and have a snack and then rush out to play with friends as it is to be involved in extracurricular activites. Who knows, maybe I am an old fuddy duddy....

The house is almost 100% unpacked. This weekend we will conquer the garage, and I have 2 rooms left and we are done. It has been nice to have "normal" weekends here. It feels good. And after today we will be done with all of our houses in Iowa. YEA! Sorry this is not more inspirational! You will survive!

Have a great weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

I have tried to add a picture to my profile, without the help of Matt. We will see if I was successful. I have to admit I really enjoying blogging, and I love hearing from all of you.

Phoenix in January???

Old People and Popsicles

Popsicles. Do you remember making them with popsicle makers, or are your memories of popsicles going to the store and buying a box?

Two days ago Tyler found the one set of popsicle makers I have in a drawer. When I explained what they were he was absolutely fascinated and wanted to make some "right now mom". So yesterday morning we took grape juice and made our own popsicles. Every 20 minutes for about 2 hours I was asked "are they done baking yet?".

FINALLY last night after dinner we all took part in the tasting of our own, homemade popsicles. Matt and I reminisced about popsicles, pudding pops...and then Jake was kind enough to throw in his comment, "so these are the kind of popsicles old people ate in the olden days?"

Enough said!

A Mix of Nothing

1) Happy birthday today to my baby brother, who is now 27 and many inches taller than me!!! Even though he and I never got along growing up, I am so happy that we are living in the same area now and can get together and enjoy each other, since we never did when we were kids!

2) Jake's first day of school I get a call from his teacher at 3:45pm wondering if I was coming to get Jake. He was convinced that we had agreed to meet at the flagpole after school. First of all, refer to previous blog about our walk to school. Secondly, I didn't even know there was a flag pole or where it was!!!

3) Vacation was wonderful! Although it was 100 degrees and 100% humidity, boating, swimming, etc. were great. It was much needed, as the last 7 months of life have been stressful. Thanks Nana and Papa for a wonderful 4 days! We're looking forward to next year. Funny story: Tyler decided he wasn't ready to go home, so he put 2 and 2 together and realized just b/c Jake was starting school didn't mean he was, so he offered to stay longer and he would just come home by himself later. :)

4) Monday night I called my 94 year old grandpa. He is not in good health and most don't think he will live to see his 95th birthday, which is in November. While I called initially out of respect for my dad and to make grandpa smile, I got off the phone in tears and never happier that I took the time to call, for me. It is weird saying goodbye, without really saying goodbye, knowing I may never talk to my grandpa again.

That is my very eclectic post for the day. That is kind of how I feel my life has been lately. Enjoy the day!

Third Grade Here He Comes!!!

Today starts a new chapter in our lives as parents. Jake started 3rd grade this morning. It seems so weird to me that we have a 3rd grader. He was so excited!! (so was I!) We all walked him to school, since this is a new school and it was his first day. He then proceeded to let me know he DID NOT want me coming to walk home with him. He was just fine and wanted to walk home with the neighborhood kids.

It won't be long before Tyler is also headed to school. I do not have much more time to be home with him either. Life just seems to go by so quickly. I think they were both ready for each other to head back to school.

And to think we have had him about 1/2 the time he will be with us, living with us (dorms at college are for a reason!). I am so proud of him. This is another new school for him, but he woke with such a great attitude and excitement. I am now a mom of a 3rd grader!

Picture Lessons

As I posted the other day, we are headed off for vacation tomorrow. The last week has been extremely busy for me, so sorry about the lack of posts. But before we headed out of town my faithful (and peer-pressuring) husband took time to teach me how to post pictures. So this post was an experiment.

These are not the most fun pics, but they were the most recent, from our 6Flags trip.



At the end of a very long day they stopped to take one more picture with their "superheroes". Remember me saying we got drenched at the end on the log ride????

Much to our relief there was an area for the smaller people who couldn't ride all of the "cool" rides big brother could.

Busy Times

Why does it always seem like the last week or two of summer becomes the busiest? In all honesty I do not mind, since the last few weeks of summer can sometimes be the most challenging.

So here is our life for the next 10 days:

Wednesday (2 days ago) we took the boys to 6Flags in Denver. We had a blast. They had a blast. I got sick to my stomach, Matt got sick to his stomach. The boys never got sick to their stomachs! (when do we lose the ability to spin around and around?) We ended the day/night with getting drenched on the log ride (note to self: do not wear a white shirt when going to an amusement park with water rides), and then at almost 10pm snacking on funnel cake and summed up by Tyler "this was a really great day!"

Today we are headed off to go camping with a group of people from church. It should be fun, even though camping is not my favorite thing in the world. Camping might be relaxing to some, but man does it take a lot of work to get ready for. I am sure I will have something to blog about after this weekend.

Monday we close on our rental house in Iowa. YEA!!! I am also watching a friend's 4 kids and cooking dinner for them while she is having both knees operated on.

Wednesday we close on our other house in Iowa!!! YEA!!!! We also leave to go on our one "fun" vacation for the summer, which is to the Lake of the Ozarks with Matt's parents. We will be there until Sunday. Can I express to you how much I am looking forward to this trip? The lake is always so much fun and relaxing. And after the last 7 months we are all ready for it!

And sometime before we leave for the lake I need to make sure Jake is ready for school, since we get back on Sunday the 6th and school starts Monday the 7th! Tyler starts preschool on the 14th!

So that is my life in a nutshell. Busy times, but sometimes it is okay. Especially when I have 2 boys who are so excited to get to the campsite today, or to go see Nana and Papa next week. Have a great weekend everyone.

Yes Ma'am, Yes Sir!!

Last night I took Jake to a Kempo Karate orientation to see what he thought of it, and what we (as parents) thought of it. He loved it. Matt and I really saw the benefits of it. He earned his white belt last night. He also had homework. He had to say "yes ma'am" to me 6 times before bed and "yes sir" 6 times to Matt before bed. This was very interesting to me.

I think as I get older, I am seeing the generations following me having less and less respect for people. So last night Jake started off doing a pretty good job remembering to say it, but by bedtime he had not completed it 6 times. So we talked about it and I shared with him different times he could have said it but didn't. It got me thinking of how odd it was to have to explain to my 8 year old when to say "yes ma'am". It also made me realize that Matt and I need to do a better job in teaching our children how to respect adults. While I do not feel they are rude or completely disrespectful to adults, not knowing when to say "yes sir" or "yes ma'am" shows me that we have work to do.

I think Karate will be a good choice for Jake. He will be able to learn discipline, self control, respect....and we will be old and broke!!! I had no idea how expensive Karate was. So now we are weighing out our options. And he is begging to go back.

The joys of parenting!

Giving in to Peer Pressure

Okay, my husband has convinced me to try the blogging thing. I don't know that I will be as consistent as he is. I also don't know how many of his readers will enjoy my blog. My posts will probably be about my life: my 2 boys, my hubby, my dog, my family and random thoughts of a stay at home mom! There won't be much business discussion. There won't be tons of links to click on ( I hate those!). It will just be me and the Barrett life.

So sit back and come along on the ride with me.