The Absent Jersey Girl

OK...Julie left a message that I am real behind on this thing.

UPDATE:

Thanksgiving...everyone got the stomach bug! It was a horrible thing, but we all survived. Since then things have been sooooooooooooo busy! My photography stuff is booming! I have been working non-stop for 3 weeks.

The kids are great! My oldest son, Alex, has moved in with us as of last Wednesday. He started school today at South Hunterdon (our HS) where he will finish up his senior year! I never thought in a million years I'd be with him for his prom, graduation, etc. But, he's HERE!!! :)

...THAT was the BEST birthday present EVER! OK...so my birthday was Sunday...39. So, it's official...the last year I can say "I'm in my 30's" Grrrrrrrrrrrrr...I'm NOT liking that!But, time marches on so guess this is it. I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

We are finally starting to get ready for Christmas. It's been hard this year financially, emotionally, physically...aaaaaaaak...but we'll manage. I got a few things for Elliott last night while out buying Emma shoes. Today is the Holiday concert at school and Emma needed black shoes and stockings. So, it was off to Marshall's. We started at Famous Footwear...but they were famously EMPTY! There were NO shoes for her there. But Marshall's had a TON. She found a pair of black boots with a 1 inch heel she LOVES. Then Bo, who went with us, suckered me into buying him a new pair of shoes. (he did desperately need them) The shoes were on clearance for $12.00. He's so funny...he's so thrifty. Most boys his age would be in the expensive shoe section begging for the most expensive pair...but not my Bo-Man. He went right to the clearance aisle. He found the coolest sneakers. The kid cracks me up. He is a LEADER! He wears goofy hats to school...the other day he wore Elliott's Pokemon hat to school and the kids LOVE it. He is so independent and most definitely a trend setter! Class clown indeed. Anyway...I say that because the sneakers he got are white, black and PURPLE! Extremely flashy! Sooooooooooo BO!!! I love that kid!

Anyway...got off track there briefly. Emma looked beautiful going to school today. She has on a black, velvet dress, black stockings and black boots! VERY classy! She looked so grown up. I'll take pictures of the kids tonight at the concert to show off.

Well, that's it, for now. I promise NOT to be gone so long. It really has been CRAZY! Oh, and it's been snowing off and on this week. Tonight we get more snow, then again on Sunday AND they are already calling for snow Christmas Eve. :)

One Week to Turkey Day

I'm excited! One more week!!! We are decorating this weekend...tree is going up and the decorations. Yay! Well, let's see. Ryan is away at Camp Fairview this week. His class went...they are hiking, boating, learning science stuff...in the mountains and cold. Brrrr. They are even expected to get snow today! Funny enough, the night before, Ryan was a little worried about going. He tried to be tough, but he was a bit worried about being away from home for so long. I wanted to wrap him in a mommy cocoon, but instead, I shoved him out the door!! He needed this trip...but boy do I miss him. I went to pick up the bathroom and his jeans were on the floor and I felt myself tearing up! DUH! Eric keeps telling me I will have the worst case of empty nest when they are all gone...and I KNOW that's true! Anyhoo...I'm sure he's having a blast! They come home tomorrow! What else? Eric went back to work today after being out a week! He has been sooooooooooo sick. I don't think I've ever seen him this bad.

The transmission went on our van Saturday. We have a rental car (Impala...it's nice) until next Tuesday. The van is getting fixed and MIGHT be done as early as tomorrow. (fingers crossed)We decided to just fix the van. It's paid for and it's been a GREAT van...with a new tranny...it should be good to go for a few more years! We think after the Holidays, we'll get a second car. But for now, we'll just continue using the van.

Well, I guess that's about it. Tomorrow night is our soccer team's pizza party, losing ceremonies and I give out the trophies! Then soccer is DONE! Well, until March! :) Then Spring soccer kicks in. (no pun intended) Hahahaha.

OK...off to change a stinky butt! Oh...Gideon is going to be ONE YEAR OLD on Monday!!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!!

Family Portrait Fundraiser

Hey...if you're in the area and want a Holiday Portrait taken...check this out! (click on the picture to see it LARGE)

So it Begins

http://special.cjonline.com/stories/110908/loc_353922770.shtml

Can this man get any more, ummmmm, unbelievable?

Planning under way for Obama holiday
The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, November 09, 2008

Plans are being made to promote a national holiday for Barack Obama, who will become the nation's 44th president when he takes the oath of office Jan. 20.

"Yes We Can" planning rallies will be at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the downtown McDonald's restaurant, 1100 Kansas Ave., until Jan. 13. The goals are to secure a national holiday in Obama's honor, to organize celebrations around his inauguration and to celebrate the 200th birthday of President Abraham Lincoln, who was born on Feb. 12 1809.

At 7:30 a.m. on Inauguration Day, Obama Cake will be served at the downtown McDonald's, and a celebration is scheduled for 8 p.m. to midnight Jan. 20 at the Ramada Hotel and Convention Center, 420 S.E. 6th.

For more information, contact Sonny Scroggins, (785) 232-3761, 845-6148 or at biasbustersofkansas@yahoo.com; Lamont Lassiter, McDonald's general manager, 608-2739; Ava Chander-Beard, (785) 234-9138, ava.beard@sbcglobal.net

I have Pneumonia :(

Yup. Had to go back to the doctor last night because I was really having trouble breathing and just soooo weak again. Turns out my right lung is not doing too well. So, I'm starting ANOTHER series of antibiotics today and going for a chest x-ray. They want to see how bad it really is. I am SOOOOOO sick of being sick!!! They gave me an inhaler, as well. Unbelievable! When it rains, it pours!

On a positive note...my kitchen and living room are spotless! :) Art least I feel like I accomplished something today.

The 4 Day Weekend Countdown begins

*sigh*...the hoodlums are off for 4 days. God help me! And to top it off, it's a rainy mess. So, they are inside and bored. Big Alex has been here all week, so that's good...but without him, it would be super boring. Right now Big Alex, Lil' Alex and Ryan are on the xbox. Kevin just got up and is attacking candy corn for breakfast. (nutrition at its' finest) Emma and Bo are playing Monopoly (but I think they've made their own rules...lol) And Elliott and Gideon are playing with toys and being rotten to each other.

The kids are driving me nuts. No one wants to do their chores, the house is a mess...aaaaaaaaaaaak. Oh well...I promised myself a no stress day. And Kevin is already sitting here arguing with me about taking his meds AFTER his shower and I said before!!! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

OK...off to feed some hungry kids and get some work done.

Before I go...I found one more great use for duct tape...

I feel a lot of sadness today, because I think last night's election is a sign of the times.

The fact that America just elected a man who refuses to respect the flag and sing the anthem, a man who never served our country (sorry- "community service" in the name of advancing the damaging liberal agenda doesn't count in my book), a man who has the most liberal record (as weak as his record is), a man who does not value innocent life, a man who has chosen to surround himself with people such as Wright, Ayers, Fleger... (Need I go on?) All of these things and countless more worry me immensely that America's decline is gaining momentum.

It frightens me to think that the traditions, morals, values, and promise that used to define America and made it the greatest country on Earth are in jeopardy.

Americans are quickly taking God out of everything and before long, He'll be gone. BUT, I think this is all part of God's plan. Christians need to stay strong, pray and stay faithful to Him. This is God's test...he has given American's what they have wanted for quite some time. Freedom...liberalism, lack of morals so people are free to do what they want without any fear from God...forget about God and maybe he's really not there!

Our country may be punished as a whole for its disobedience to him......but his true children will not be forsaken.