My husbands company held their 'Holiday Party' on December 29th. It was in a restaurant in Old Town here in Fort Collins. Even though he's been with them for over a year, he doesn't know very many people and these functions always start off slightly uncomfortable for us. Since I'm really shy around people I don't know and my husband is generally quiet in large groups, we nearly always keep to ourselves at these things. This year we talked with a few people then got a drink and sat down at a table by ourselves. Just before dinner was served, a couple that the hubby knows asked if they could sit with us. The evening was a lot of fun thanks to them. We chatted about school since the woman we were sitting with is working on her Masters degree and the hubby and I are working on our Bachelors. We talked about kids and travel and work. It was a great night.
The company buys several moderately priced gifts to give away by drawing names during the party. There were things like a portable DVD player, a digital photo frame, and a 19" plasma screen television. The hubby's name was drawn for a digital camera and printer dock. The funny thing is that I'd asked him before Christmas what he wanted and he said he wanted a new camera! How nice is that?
I just love it when a party ends up being satisfying rather than stressful. When you walk away from that type of event it's nice to think that it was time well spent. Both our company parties were like that this year. Both were spent talking to nice people, laughing and enjoying the atmosphere.
I hope tonight's party is the same. There are supposed to be 20 or 30 people there, most of whom we know; we'll have the opportunity to get to know them all a little better.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Christmas at the Cabin
Well, we survived.
On Saturday the 22nd we left Fort Collins and headed for my in-laws cabin in the mountains west of Walden, Colorado. I think the trip is about 150 miles. Since my kids had gone up earlier in the day with my in-laws, my husband and I had a nice leisurely drive. We park the cars about a mile from the cabin because if it snows a lot, we can still drive out. The parking area is above a reservoir called Slack-Weiss. We got up there just before dark and had time to load almost everything into the two sleds and snowmobile down to the cabin. The boys were more than happy to help their dad get the last couple of things from the Jimmy (the vehicle we drove up) and leave a couple of snowmobiles up there for my sister-in-law, who was about an hour behind us.
On Christmas Eve my father-in-law pointed out a snowmobile to Lindsay that she would be allowed to use – all by herself! She was so happy. He gave her a rundown on the rules and off she went. She was allowed to go in circles – loops that would bring her right back to the cabin but not take her out of sight or hearing distance of those of us outside. She had so much fun. My boys were constantly out on their own snowmobiles, much better ones than they’d used the previous years. When we go up there they stay in their own ‘bunk house’ so between sleeping apart from us and being allowed to come and go as they please, they have a lot of freedom.
Christmas morning was fun. My mother and father-in-law, my boys, daughter, husband and I were all up by 7AM. We drank coffee, snacked on breakfast treats and waited for my sister-in-law’s family to come over from the other cabin. We finally sent Lindsay and Matt over to get them up and steal my 3-year-old nephew so we could start opening presents. I was really excited about the kids opening presents this Christmas because I thought we’d done an exceptional job at choosing them. I’ll only list what my husband and I got them because that’s all I can really remember… A got an MP3 player loaded with her own albums – Hannah Montana, High School Musical, etc. (thanks to her oldest brother), a pair of Heely’s, and the game Operation. Matt got a Phillips Go, it’s an MP3 player that also plays video. I had Jake load music that Matt would like and the movie Christmas Vacation because I thought it would be fun. Jake got the best present of all. It took weeks and the help of many people to make it possible. As I said before, Jake is a double Letterman and was chosen to the All Conference team. For Christmas we bought him a Letter Jacket and were sneaky enough to borrow a letter from someone else to put in his dresser so when he looked (and he looks every day) it wouldn’t be missing and he wouldn’t be suspicious. My parents helped with the cost of the jacket, my mother-in-law sewed on the letter, and my sister-in-law is going to buy him the other patches he wants like his name, graduation year, or his football jersey number. When he opened the box and pulled back the tissue paper he threw back his head and cried, “Yes!” I think we did a good job. I had so much fun watching my kids open their presents that my father-in-law finally told me to quit being a control freak and open my own. I got a little stuffed dog that sings “Melikalikimaka” (which I love) and a gift bag that had a bag of coffee, a heart shaped lotion bar, and in the bottom there was something wrapped in tissue paper. I started pulling the paper out of the bag and finally lifted it out to unwrap it. I was so tickled to find that it was a pair of Crocs Mammoths – the right color and the right size! I’ve been wanting a pair of them for the past month and haven’t been able to find the right ones. It was the perfect gift – and in case you’re wondering, they are really warm even in the snow.
We came back on Wednesday because I was supposed to work Thursday. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw that it was snowing pretty heavily and was not looking forward to going to work. When I got up with the alarm I could hear my phone beeping – someone had sent me a text message. I got out of bed, peeked out the window and was very depressed that I was going to have to drive in the new snow, then I went to check my cell phone. My boss had sent me a text message telling me to go back to bed, there was no point in coming to work. The snow had shut down operations on Thursday. My husband had to go in to work, though he only works a mile drive from home. I decided that I should drive him to work and then go to the grocery store because we didn’t have any food left in the house and needed things like milk, eggs and cereal. The roads were nasty and my husband showed me how to put the Jimmy in 4 wheel drive. I made it to the grocery store and back home without killing myself.
On Friday I went to work, stayed for only a half day and called it quits for the year. I’ll go back in on Wednesday the 2nd of January. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with my husband just sitting on the couch watching movies and enjoying each others company. Too bad we don’t get to do it more often.
Today is Sunday and we’re all headed over to my parents house. They live in Loveland and we haven’t seen them this holiday season. They’re vegetarians so I’ve spent a couple of hours making meat-free pasta salads to take over there tonight and we’ll make a Wal-Mart stop for a veggie tray and last minute supplies for our New Years party tomorrow night. We’ve got to leave in about half an hour and nobody’s ready yet! This is typical for us – we’re always late.
On Saturday the 22nd we left Fort Collins and headed for my in-laws cabin in the mountains west of Walden, Colorado. I think the trip is about 150 miles. Since my kids had gone up earlier in the day with my in-laws, my husband and I had a nice leisurely drive. We park the cars about a mile from the cabin because if it snows a lot, we can still drive out. The parking area is above a reservoir called Slack-Weiss. We got up there just before dark and had time to load almost everything into the two sleds and snowmobile down to the cabin. The boys were more than happy to help their dad get the last couple of things from the Jimmy (the vehicle we drove up) and leave a couple of snowmobiles up there for my sister-in-law, who was about an hour behind us.
On Christmas Eve my father-in-law pointed out a snowmobile to Lindsay that she would be allowed to use – all by herself! She was so happy. He gave her a rundown on the rules and off she went. She was allowed to go in circles – loops that would bring her right back to the cabin but not take her out of sight or hearing distance of those of us outside. She had so much fun. My boys were constantly out on their own snowmobiles, much better ones than they’d used the previous years. When we go up there they stay in their own ‘bunk house’ so between sleeping apart from us and being allowed to come and go as they please, they have a lot of freedom.
Christmas morning was fun. My mother and father-in-law, my boys, daughter, husband and I were all up by 7AM. We drank coffee, snacked on breakfast treats and waited for my sister-in-law’s family to come over from the other cabin. We finally sent Lindsay and Matt over to get them up and steal my 3-year-old nephew so we could start opening presents. I was really excited about the kids opening presents this Christmas because I thought we’d done an exceptional job at choosing them. I’ll only list what my husband and I got them because that’s all I can really remember… A got an MP3 player loaded with her own albums – Hannah Montana, High School Musical, etc. (thanks to her oldest brother), a pair of Heely’s, and the game Operation. Matt got a Phillips Go, it’s an MP3 player that also plays video. I had Jake load music that Matt would like and the movie Christmas Vacation because I thought it would be fun. Jake got the best present of all. It took weeks and the help of many people to make it possible. As I said before, Jake is a double Letterman and was chosen to the All Conference team. For Christmas we bought him a Letter Jacket and were sneaky enough to borrow a letter from someone else to put in his dresser so when he looked (and he looks every day) it wouldn’t be missing and he wouldn’t be suspicious. My parents helped with the cost of the jacket, my mother-in-law sewed on the letter, and my sister-in-law is going to buy him the other patches he wants like his name, graduation year, or his football jersey number. When he opened the box and pulled back the tissue paper he threw back his head and cried, “Yes!” I think we did a good job. I had so much fun watching my kids open their presents that my father-in-law finally told me to quit being a control freak and open my own. I got a little stuffed dog that sings “Melikalikimaka” (which I love) and a gift bag that had a bag of coffee, a heart shaped lotion bar, and in the bottom there was something wrapped in tissue paper. I started pulling the paper out of the bag and finally lifted it out to unwrap it. I was so tickled to find that it was a pair of Crocs Mammoths – the right color and the right size! I’ve been wanting a pair of them for the past month and haven’t been able to find the right ones. It was the perfect gift – and in case you’re wondering, they are really warm even in the snow.
We came back on Wednesday because I was supposed to work Thursday. I woke up in the middle of the night and saw that it was snowing pretty heavily and was not looking forward to going to work. When I got up with the alarm I could hear my phone beeping – someone had sent me a text message. I got out of bed, peeked out the window and was very depressed that I was going to have to drive in the new snow, then I went to check my cell phone. My boss had sent me a text message telling me to go back to bed, there was no point in coming to work. The snow had shut down operations on Thursday. My husband had to go in to work, though he only works a mile drive from home. I decided that I should drive him to work and then go to the grocery store because we didn’t have any food left in the house and needed things like milk, eggs and cereal. The roads were nasty and my husband showed me how to put the Jimmy in 4 wheel drive. I made it to the grocery store and back home without killing myself.
On Friday I went to work, stayed for only a half day and called it quits for the year. I’ll go back in on Wednesday the 2nd of January. I’ve really enjoyed spending time with my husband just sitting on the couch watching movies and enjoying each others company. Too bad we don’t get to do it more often.
Today is Sunday and we’re all headed over to my parents house. They live in Loveland and we haven’t seen them this holiday season. They’re vegetarians so I’ve spent a couple of hours making meat-free pasta salads to take over there tonight and we’ll make a Wal-Mart stop for a veggie tray and last minute supplies for our New Years party tomorrow night. We’ve got to leave in about half an hour and nobody’s ready yet! This is typical for us – we’re always late.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Drama
If you have girls, chances are good that you experience a lot of drama in your life. This morning Lindsay, my daughter, didn’t want to get out of bed and go to school. She started by whining and moaning, then she whimpered, claimed to be sick, and when her dad got stern with her, she all out cried. That’s when her voice started to sound weak and scratchy – not before. I told her that if she felt bad at school and the nurse let her call to be picked up, her dad could get her and stay home with her. She didn’t like that idea since he’s the one who made her get out of bed. Sometimes it’s hard to be a little girl.
My boys, on the other hand, rarely claim to be ill. Jake, my oldest son, will beg to go to school even when I find him sick on the bathroom floor in the morning. He can be sick as a dog and still claim to be well enough to go. I have had to insist that he stay home and sleep. Jake is very dedicated to football and his girlfriend.
Unlike other school districts around the country, ours does not require a doctor's note to excuse their absence. I like this arrangement since I really don't have the money to take my kids to the doctor every time one of them gets a stomach bug or the 100.1 fever that can send them home from school. I take them for broken bones, separated shoulders, broken tendons in their fingers, faces bloodied by Frisbees that shatter on contact... these are only a few of the visits we've had in the past six months - they were football, PE and recess injuries. Our family doctor has made enough off of us this year to build an addition on his house. We're accident prone. I won't even scare you with what I pay every month for health insurance. But I could buy a new car outright with what I pay every year.
My boys, on the other hand, rarely claim to be ill. Jake, my oldest son, will beg to go to school even when I find him sick on the bathroom floor in the morning. He can be sick as a dog and still claim to be well enough to go. I have had to insist that he stay home and sleep. Jake is very dedicated to football and his girlfriend.
Unlike other school districts around the country, ours does not require a doctor's note to excuse their absence. I like this arrangement since I really don't have the money to take my kids to the doctor every time one of them gets a stomach bug or the 100.1 fever that can send them home from school. I take them for broken bones, separated shoulders, broken tendons in their fingers, faces bloodied by Frisbees that shatter on contact... these are only a few of the visits we've had in the past six months - they were football, PE and recess injuries. Our family doctor has made enough off of us this year to build an addition on his house. We're accident prone. I won't even scare you with what I pay every month for health insurance. But I could buy a new car outright with what I pay every year.
Monday, December 17, 2007
Christmas Preparations
We've bought all the presents and stocking stuffers and wrapped nearly everything. All that's left to do is to pack. We're going up into the mountains to spend Christmas with my in-laws again this year. The kids love it and my husband can't wait to escape the city. As for me, it's kind of stressful. I've got to make sure everyone has everything they need, buy it if they don't, pack for myself and my daughter, remind everyone again that they need things like toothbrushes and deodorant, plan for the neighbor kids to take care of the cats and watch over the house.... the list is endless! Or it feels like it is. I just don't travel well, kind of like deviled eggs.
I have to work tomorrow through Friday. It will be busy since we'll be getting everything wrapped up for the year. I'll be in to work two days the week of Christmas and three days the week of New Years. That week will be awful - getting all of the tax reports done and getting all of the books ready for the accountant - not my favorite thing in the world. I am really busy all of January and most of February. I don't relax until sometime in March. I don't know why I stress so much, that's just who I am.
Speaking of New Years, we have a great party to go to this year. Family friends have invited us and the party is usually really fun. There will be five or six families there this year, everyone has kids.
I have to work tomorrow through Friday. It will be busy since we'll be getting everything wrapped up for the year. I'll be in to work two days the week of Christmas and three days the week of New Years. That week will be awful - getting all of the tax reports done and getting all of the books ready for the accountant - not my favorite thing in the world. I am really busy all of January and most of February. I don't relax until sometime in March. I don't know why I stress so much, that's just who I am.
Speaking of New Years, we have a great party to go to this year. Family friends have invited us and the party is usually really fun. There will be five or six families there this year, everyone has kids.
A little scary!
It had never occurred to me to start a blog. Other people have them, not me. I started reading a blog several weeks back and finally decided introduce myself via email - I was quick to point out that I didn't have a blog myself, I'm not talented enough or dedicated enough to maintain one. Anyway, she said I probably had plenty to write about and dedication shouldn't be a worry.
So here it is, my first blog entry.
I'm 35 years old. I have three children, two boys ages 17 and 15, and a 9 year old daughter. I've been married for 16 years to my high school sweetheart and we lead very busy lives. My husband works full time, I work part time, and we are both college students working on Bachelor's degrees. Hopefully we will graduate in the next couple, three, four years. We've already been at it for nearly five years now - we graduated with our Associates Degrees from a local junior college in December of last year and walked in commencement exercises in May.
Our kids are the source of most of our busyness. The boys play football for their high school. They've both played since they were in the 7th grade and are very dedicated. Our oldest, a junior, is now a double letterman and was chosen to the All Conference team this year. We are bursting with pride. :)
Our 15 year old son lettered in the sport this year too, he's a freshman attending junior high. He's actually our computer geek - well, so is his dad. He has a website that he's maintained for a year or so, he wrote the whole thing from code instead of using a template just because he could.
Our daughter is in third grade, loves to talk, aches to play soccer and the piano, and dreams of this coming summer when she will take horseback riding lessons. She seems to always have drama - she's a girl after all.
So here it is, my first blog entry.
I'm 35 years old. I have three children, two boys ages 17 and 15, and a 9 year old daughter. I've been married for 16 years to my high school sweetheart and we lead very busy lives. My husband works full time, I work part time, and we are both college students working on Bachelor's degrees. Hopefully we will graduate in the next couple, three, four years. We've already been at it for nearly five years now - we graduated with our Associates Degrees from a local junior college in December of last year and walked in commencement exercises in May.
Our kids are the source of most of our busyness. The boys play football for their high school. They've both played since they were in the 7th grade and are very dedicated. Our oldest, a junior, is now a double letterman and was chosen to the All Conference team this year. We are bursting with pride. :)
Our 15 year old son lettered in the sport this year too, he's a freshman attending junior high. He's actually our computer geek - well, so is his dad. He has a website that he's maintained for a year or so, he wrote the whole thing from code instead of using a template just because he could.
Our daughter is in third grade, loves to talk, aches to play soccer and the piano, and dreams of this coming summer when she will take horseback riding lessons. She seems to always have drama - she's a girl after all.
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