'Twas the night before Christmas...

And all through the Love house we're finishing up wrapping, packing up cookies to be delivered and hoping to hit the mall for a photo with Santa. It is very easy to get caught up in the demands of the season and forget the reason we celebrate Christmas.
Tonight, we'll eat our traditional junk food dinner, sing Christmas songs on the karaoke and read the Christmas story from the New Testament. I am so grateful for the birth of the Savior and his atoning presence in my life. I am grateful that the celebration of his birth turns most people into happier, friendlier people at this time of year. I'm glad Christmas Eve is finally here so things will settle down, and I can take time to reflect with my family on the birth of the Savior and the importance of this birthday in our lives.
To all my friends and family near and far - Merry Christmas! You are in my heart and thoughts not just today, but always.

Snow day #2...

Already this season we are on our second snow day from school. Perhaps the fact that it is the last day before Christmas break may have prompted the decision to close schools, but we did get a lot of snow too. I can only remember a handful of snow days in my entire school career here in Wisconsin - one in 1977; the year of the infamous ice storms. (I'm dating myself here, aren't I?)

But, yes, that is the top of our mailbox barely sticking out of the snow, so maybe closing schools was a good idea.

My sweetheart Jim shoveled all that snow all by himself. I really need to get him a snowblower - and soon!

I spent the snowy day dipping chocolates. It all started with cookies and over the years I've added chocolate covered cherries and truffles - this year I made toffee, lemon, cherry & coconut truffles. Now I just need to pack them up and deliver them to friends and family so I don't eat them!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

So, in the last 72 hours we've had rain, 20 below and now a beautiful snow is falling. I'm a total indoor girl, but there is nothing prettier than watching big snowflakes fall outside. (of course, I'm inside with hot chocolate and a blanket)

This time of year always gets me thinking about what I've accomplished this past year and what I want to change for the year coming up. My career is a new thing in my life. Since 2005 I've gone from being a student, to be a certified physician coder, to getting fired and being unemployed for 10 months to being hired and trained as a facility coder. All that means little if anything to most of you, but it has been a journey where I have learned a lot about my strengths, even more about my weaknesses and learned about just how hard it is to be a really good working mom. I'm so blessed to have a boss who saw more in me than my skill set, who took a chance on me, hired me, trained me in a new type of coding and, as a devoted mom herself, has offered one of the first home coding jobs in Madison. I am blessed to have the ability to walk from my bedroom to my office to go to work. I have the flexibility to be here in the morning for my kids and make them breakfast and be here for them after school - and still work a full time job. My self esteem took a beating last year when I got fired and was unemployed for so long, but I'm now in a place where I can do a good job for my employer and still be a good mom. Right now, my career is one thing I don't want to change at all.

In the picture above, I'm working - ignore the back fat; I'm working on that one.

If you don't like the weather in Wisconsin, just wait...

So, yesterday I mentioned that it was 42 degrees and rainy. The snow was melting and it was a generally yucky day. Me and my big mouth! Today we were blessed with minus 20 degree temperatures with the windchill. Too cold to snow, too cold for recess and too cold to go out.

Jim and I recently joined a gym. I lead an almost completely sedentary lifestyle and since I'm on the downward slope to 40 those pounds just keep packing on. Jim claims his weight gain is all my fault since I'm such a good cook, but those of you who know Jim and are familiar with his eating habits know that Jim can pack away several hamburgers, brats, sandwiches - whatever's on the table with very little encouragement from me. So, Jim still looks good, I look old and fat. I met with the personal trainer and as she was having me try out the machines she checked my heart rate and it was so high she restricted me to 30 minutes a day of "light" cardio. I like walking on the treadmill and riding the bike for now; she'll get me on a weight program when I attain some semblence of physical fitness. Getting older is tough. In my head I'm still that 23 year old, 125 pound bride that Jim could carry. I have like reverse anorexia. I look in the mirror and don't see the pounds - until recently. We'll see if I can get a routine going and get some of this off and try to be healthier.

No Excuses

I'm horrible at this. Apparently raising two very different kids, taking care of and loving my sweet hubby and cooking, cleaning, shopping and yes, working leave me very little time for keeping in touch.

I recently spoke to two friends of mine who moved away, far away, thousands of miles away. When they lived here I spoke with these women every day, cuddled their babies, laughed and cried with them and I hadn't spoken to them in over a year. The babies are in second grade and kindergarten and one friend has a baby I've never even met. How does this happen? How do we drift away from people who were once so very important? I still love these women, I miss them every day and I think of them all the time. But, I rarely pick up the phone, email or write - I wonder why? I hope to do better in the future letting the people who are important to me know it.

On another note, after 5 years of pretty consistent inactivity, Jim and I are back at church. It is a bit uncomfortable at times but familiar - like visiting your parents home as an adult. It is amazing to me how much, yet how little changes in the church. I'm glad to be back and I love the gospel, it will just take some time to get back in the groove.

I bring this up only because last night was our Ward Christmas dinner and Nativity. It was a good time with lots of people in attendance. The kids in the Nativity were darling; the food was good and of course the songs were beautiful. A nice evening.

Jim is sick. He has a horrible cold and he is trying hard not to complain but I can tell he is miserable... its rainy and wet here - (is it December or March?) and it was a great day to wrap presents and bake cookies.

Since I haven't posted all year, I'm putting up a slideshow with some pictures of the kids... another thing I'm hoping to get better at.