More Vacation Fun...

I have the most wonderful time here in Indiana. The kids have played so well together, although it does help that the cousins are getting older, so now they see each other as friends, and not as "the person that took my toy!"

On Monday I drove here to Indiana from Minneapolis. the drive took 9 hours exactly, and that was with only one 20 minute stop to get gas and a drink for each kiddo. We got here, the kids ran wild with their cousins, I unloaded the car, fixed a cell phone issue, the kids opened their presents from Grandma & Grandpa Harrington, I talked on the phone with my guy (someday I will post more details about him), then headed to bed somewhat early. 

Me and the kids after church on Sunday...not the best pic!

Lily opening her present from Grandma Harrington

...a new church dress!

Ash opening her present

...a new church dress!

Noah got a new microfleece coat

Janel got this for my dad...I think it is hilarious!!

Tuesday we brought all the kids to the church to run around and play in the gym. It was actually really fun! We played freeze tag, line tag, did relay races, etc. It was good to get the kids energy out, and yet not have to go out in the cold to do it.

While we were at the church, I got an amazing phone call!! I GOT A JOB!! I got a full-time job offer with a brand new home hospice care center about 30 minutes from where I live. It is actually the place that I had interviewed at two weeks ago. I feel so blessed to have a job, and to have a full-time job, with benefits, paid time off, etc. What a blessing! I will be doing 3 12-hour shifts a week, including every other weekend. It will be crazy, because I applied for night shift, and that was what they offered me. It may sound crazy to some, but night shift actually works out better for me. If I did day shift, which they only do in 12-hour shifts, then I would never see my kids! I would have to have a babysitter by 6am, and then I wouldn't see them again until after they were in bed. Plus, if I did day shift, I would miss church ever other Sunday. That wasn't an option for me. So with night shift, I will leave as the kids are going to bed, and someone will have to sleep at my house while I am at work, BUT...I will be home on time to get the kids up in the morning, get them breakfast, get the big kids on the bus, and then I can bring Ash to the babysitter so I can sleep. Then I can wake up on time to get Ash, and get the big kids from the bus stop. I can do homework with them, still bring Lily to ballet, Noah to cub scouts, do dinner with them. and tuck them in bed. I will be able to still be a mom, and spend that quality time with them that I love so much! Hopefully, once we will get into a routine soon, and then things should go more smoothly. Can't wait!! MONEY!!!! :)

Tuesday night I got a haircut. I hadn't had a haircut in 7 months, so it was well needed! I asked for a trim, and once I got home I realized it was a little more than a trim, but it looks way healthier, so it's all good! The kids got to go to Grandma and Grandpa Tates that same evening and open their Christmas presents from them...that of course made them happy! I think it is important that they still spend time with all of their family on that side. That is still their family, and that still need to maintain those relationships! So every time that I come home to Indiana, I will get a nice little break as they spend time with that side of their family.


Wednesday we went sledding with the kids, and then came home and let them play outside in the snow for hours. After they all came in, they changed into clean/dry clothes, and snuggled up in the living room to watch a Redbox movie. Then later that evening we brought the kids to McDonald's to run in the 'Playplace' and get energy out.

The girl cousins during their Redbox movie

Thursday we did sugar cookies with the kids. Janel cut out hand print sugar cookies with their actual hand print on the dough. Then we let them "paint" the cookies with colored egg yolks. They of course thought it was cool that they could "paint" their hands, and then eat them! My best friend from high school, Jen, showed up for a few hours and hung out. She is 7 months pregnant, so I thoroughly enjoyed rubbing her belly and admiring her preggo body. So jealous! I love being pregnant! Oh, and after the kids were in bed us girls headed to the mall to get me a new bra! It was well needed!! With my weight loss, I was in desperate need for a bra that fit right! Let's just say that now that girls are perky again!! (I went down a cup size, and one size around!!)

Janel helping Lily with her cookie hand

Janel and Ashlyn

Janel pretending to stab Noah...nice.

The boys coloring their hands

The girls (Lily in front) coloring their hands

Today is New years Eve, and I made a pumpkin dessert & no bake cookies. Mom and Janel made taco soup in the crock pot, and then we have just been here all day hanging out with my brother and his family that are here from Indy. They have a new baby, Vaughn, that is 6 weeks old, so I have enjoyed getting my baby fill! :)


The kiddos are out with the Tates again, and so i have had a relaxing night. I balanced my check book, did  a load of laundry, and now I am able to catch up on my blogging. It' so nice to have a night off!! :)


In 6 more hours I will ring in the new year...2011!!!! I am beyond excited for what 2011 holds in store for me and the kids! I already feel immensely blessed, but I know that this year will only bring more blessings!

All the kids dancing to 'I like to Move It, Move It'

Schuyler, Noah, and Emma playing Uno

Me and baby Vaughn...LOVE this boy!

Gingerbread houses

Okay, sorry this is the second post for today, but there is lots going on, so I need to stay on top of it, or else I will forget things to journal.

Katie and Ryan took the kids sledding this afternoon with a few other families from their ward, I stayed back with two of the kids, and while they napped, I tried to nap. I didn't get to sleep, but I did get to rest a bit (and talk on the phone for hours with "my boy"), and by the time I got out of bed, I was feeling a lot better!

Noah all bundled up & sledding!

Lily and Noah sledding

Downstairs Katie and Ryan had the same sledding families over to eat dinner and to make homemade gingerbread houses. How cute is that? All the families ate a big Christmas dinner and then started on their gingerbread houses. They all turned out so cute, and it is always an added bonus when you are a kid, and you get to play with candy as an activity!

After the clean up was done, all the kids got to open one present. It's a tradition...they always get to open one present on Christmas Eve, and it is always new pj's. It worked out really good that this is Katie's tradition also. Although, she has been amazing about keeping up with our traditions and trying to accommodate us. Isn't she the best!? After they changed into their pj's, the kids listened to 'The Christmas Story' and then went downstairs to watch 'Home Alone.' Now all 7 of them are tucked safely in bed!

I am so excited to see all their faces in the morning!!

Lastly, I know that I am always saying on here and on Facebook how blessed I am. But I really, truly believe it! Life has been financially hard for me, but I feel so overwhelmingly blessed to have so many great people in my life! Katie knew I couldn't afford to buy presents for the kids, and so she offered to pay my gas, and have me come up here and spend Christmas with her family. AND also get them Christmas presents and fill their stockings!! AMAZING friend huh? To top it off, a friend of hers in her ward said that she wanted to "adopt" my family for Christmas. Apparently they adopt a family every Christmas, and when Katie told her about my situation, they wanted to adopt mine! This friend of hers, that doesn't even know me, offered to get my kids their new pj's that we always open on Christmas Eve, and also offered to get each one of my kids a Christmas present!! Me and the kids are SOOO blessed this holiday season! Luckily, this holiday season my kids won't feel any financial heartache, and feel any financial burden! That's the joy of being a kid anyways right? They should never have to feel those burdens!!

Well, I am headed downstairs to help Katie fill stockings & wrap presents, then it's off to bed...SANTA comes tonight! :)

Love you all,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Katie getting the gingerbread houses ready

Making the house...

Lily is really proud of her creation!

Me and the kids! Excuse Lily's face...she crazy!

Our gingerbread house one hour later

All the kids before we started reading stories

Ash opening her pj's

Ash and her funny face...and her new pj's

Lily opening hers

TWINS!

Noah opening his pj's

I LOVE his smile!

Caden and Noah...TWINS

All the kids and their new pj's

Me and Katie...I couldn't resist!

My beautiful kids!!

The Christmas Tree before we went to bed...

Vacation

It's Christmas Eve, and right now, all 7 kids are in the basement watching 'The Grinch,' Ryan is at the gym, and Katie is in the shower, so I thought I would take a quick minute to blog. Although, I will still have to go back and add pictures later.

I took my state boards on Tuesday...and PASSED!!! YAY me!! What a relief! My Anatomy and Physiology class is done, my CNA class is done...and I am certified!! Everything is working out so good! Now to get a job!!

Me and my friends at state board

 

Wednesday me and the kids headed up to Minneapolis, Minnesota to spend Christmas with my BFF Katie. She offered to have us for Christmas and help get the kids presents, and so we decided to come for 5 days, and make a fun family vacation out of it! Noah had a fever when we left to come here, but we had to still leave. I couldn't delay it a day because of a big snowstorm that was supposed to go through the midwest. Luckily, he just had a fever, so he just slept most of the way up. The kids were pretty good, of course there was the occasional fight, but overall they did really good. I just kept passing them snacks, and putting new movies on. With food and a TV, the 7 hour drive seemed to go by fast! By the time we got here, we just did dinner, baths, and bed. And then Katie and I got to stay up late chatting.

Yesterday, we went to the gym...Katie works there, and so while she worked, I got to work out! All the kids were in the 'Kids Childcare Center' and played hard! It was the biggest childcare center I have ever seen!! I so need a membership at 'Lifetime!' It's a huge difference from the community center in Liberty!

Later that afternoon we went to 'Mall of America!' If you have never been there...Google it! It is HUGE and it has a giant indoor theme park in the middle of the mall! Katie had gotten free tickets to the theme park, so Ryan, Katie, and I took all 7 kids there to ride rides all afternoon. The kids had such a great time!! Lily went on her first roller coaster even!!! And then threw a fit because I told her she couldn't go again. Figures. But she had a great time!!!

Ashlyn tried everything too, and the only thing that she didn't like was the log ride. She didn't cry or anything, she just made me promise that I wouldn't make her go on it again! She's so funny! I love that she is so adventurous and loves to try new things!

Then there is Noah..I think he struggles with his self-esteem, and wanting to try new things, so he wouldn't try anything! He only did the bumper cars, and went in a bounce house. He really seemed to struggle. He was happy and having a good time, but every time we would get ready to get on a ride, he would grab me, bury his head into my chest, and start crying! He was REALLY scared about trying any of the rides! I would push him a little, hoping he would give in, but I can't force him, so I would just have to let it go. Hopefully someday he will be more willing to get out there and try new things.

By the time we were leaving MOA, I was feeling a little queezy...kind of upset stomach and such. But I kept thinking it was just because it of riding the roller coasters, and fast movements. But as the night wore on, things got worse. Katie and Ryan had got a babysitter for all 7 kids, so that we could go over to a friend of theirs for a Christmas party. I sat at the person's house snuggled up on a couch, reading a 'Pottery Barn' magazine, and my stomach was getting worse and worse. Then worse, and worse. And by 8-9p I was miserable!! On the way home from their friends house Ryan and Katie, needed to stop by Target to get some things, and I offered to stay in the car (plus then I could talk to "my boy" on the phone), and chillout. Then as soon as they got back into the car I braced myself and hoped we could make it back to their house...let's just say I barely made it!! I RAN from the car, into their house, and threw up all my dinner!! NASTY! I know, it's not fun to read about this huh? Sorry, guys, but I always say it's my journal, so I put pretty much everything on here! Well, by the time I went to bed I was miserable...fever, headache, and nauseous! What a way to spend vacation!

I woke up this morning feeling really yucky, but after 2 Advil, a glass of water, a piece of bread, and a nice hot bubble bath, I am starting to feel much better!!

Katie and Ryan are taking all the kids sledding here in a few minutes, and I will stay here with two of the girls and SLEEP!! Hallelujah! Then hopefully by the time I wake up, I will be back to normal!

I will post more later, and add pictures when I get the chance.

Love you all, Merry Christmas Eve!

Brandon and Ash in the middle of MOA, the theme park part of it

Ash getting ready to go on her swing ride

Doesn't she look happy?

Noah and Caden on the baby roller coaster

Ash on the baby roller coaster

Noah and his bumper car

Lily driving her bumper car

The kids at the top...

Ash driving her bumper car

Ashlyn, Caden, and Noah doing bumper cars

Me and Kylee on the roller coaster