Happy Friends

This weekend I went to Atkinson to witness the most beautiful winter wedding I have ever attended.  Kim has chosen a fantastic husband and he seems to love her so much.  He is a quite hard working hunter :)  It was fun to see her dad all fixed up.  I have never seen him as he was saturday.  I hope he realizes what a great bunch of kids he has.  Eric was pretty nervous all morning about missing the Husker game.. Ugh.. should've missed it. (don't want to get started on that as this is not a novel just a blog)  So anyways... we watched the game during the reception and took part in the dancing.  Our kids love dances!  It makes me motivated to get through the winter and get on with the summer of weddings.  Sunday I put Eric to work in the house.  I nagged a little and suggested that he get my ice maker hooked up (on the list for over 2 years now) and that he finish up his lighting job in the basement that has been a ongoing project from last fall.  YIPPIE he got them both done.. there is still stuff laying all over from the jobs, but that can be cleaned up!  Good Boy.  I spent most of Sunday working on school stuff.  I just dread the board meeting work.  I feel like I am ready to throw in the towel and find another occupation.  Then when it is all done I don't feel so bad and have a great sense of relief.  Now if I would just get back to work on next month NOW I wouldn't have the same problem next month.  I think I will never learn.  Next up we go to Be Bendy in Norfolk.  more on that to come.

Taking Time to Breathe

MARKERS MARKERS EVERYWHERE..  I spent Thanksgiving with my dad's side of the family.  The term "Quantity over Quality" comes in mind, but that is not actually completely accurate.  There is plenty of "Quality" people there, but you just can't spend much "Quality" time with them as the "Quantity" is a little overbearing.  So YES Quantity is plenty and Quality time is a little scant.  Amazing things are going on in the Marker family.  I have two cousins from Wyoming that are going through the roller coaster cycle of surrogacy.  How amazing to give your sister the ultimate gift.. No I am not talking about your life I am talking about life.. I would say by far my children's lives are much more precious than mine.. So for this I am saying she is giving the "ultimate gift".  Amazing... During Thanksgiving they were in the middle of the waiting period to find out if they had indeed succeeded only to find out a few short days later that the news was again NO.  They are very strong women to go through such a journey.  I would like to think that I would do the same for someone that I loved.  I wish them the best of luck on their journey.  Also, another cousin has now adopted two foster children.  Pretty lucky little kids to end up with such of loving family.  I hope they are forever grateful and have a beautiful new life!  Congrats Crystal & Craig.  We gathered in the new home of my Uncle Ernie & his wife Marcy which was perfect for all of us to fit in.  It is estimated that there was nearly 100 people in attendance and since it was freezing it was a good thing to have room INSIDE!  My aunt Karen is recovering from cancer and heart trouble.  It has been a long road for her and I just hope there is light at the end of the tunnel and she can enjoy life again.. someday.. So it looks like everyone has a clean bill of health and that is simply amazing for such a large group of folks.  I sometimes worry about how healthy we all are.  Seems like at some point things will go downhill, but until then I will be thankful for all of the Marker blessings we are a part of.  After a day with the Markers we headed in to Lincoln to check out the stadium & UNL campus without 90,000 people around us.  Eric is always awestruck by anything like that.  He becomes this 9 year old kid again that is just so happy and impressed.  Me, I tend to be to grounded for that and just don't find much exciting about things.  I am blessed to have Eric in my life to remind me that it is OK to get excited about something.  No one cares if you get all giddy about things and no one cares if you don't get all giddy about things.  I need to be more exciting and not so passive with things.  Maybe that will be a new years resolution.. Maybe :) 

I Love Fall

WOW what a beautiful day it is today!  I know it won't last, but I feel like I cannot complain as it is November 8th and we have only seen a trace of snow and only a couple frigid days.  I went to Kim Genereux's bridal shower yesterday all by myself since Jeslynn wanted to go trucking with dad.. I wish she would have went with me, but oh well.  I think they needed some dad time anyway.  Saturday I got the yard all ready for winter.  The thought crossed my mind to possibly work on Christmas lights, but that soon passed and I ran out of time as the football game was starting and then I wanted to get to the Premier Jewelery party hosted by Heidi.  Turned out to be a great evening.. Huskers WON!!! and the party was a good time.  This week is going to be a little busy, but I am looking forward to taking Friday off to go to Mannheim Steamroller with my mom and Sarah is possibly going to have Hudson this week.. I am so happy for her and hope all goes well.  ( I know it will )  Feeling like I definitely have the cart before the horse lately... Ugh.. wish I could catch up with myself and my commitments!

Trick-or-Treaters

We had an amazing weekend.. (mostly)  Friday night we went to Columbus to get a swing set/playhouse for the kids that my sister was looking for a good home for... boy did she find it!  I think that Jeslynn & Taylor will spend most of their time on there.  Eric still has some finishing touches and then it will be perfect for them.  Saturday afternoon the Huskers WON!!!  Saturday night we went out and about and the kids stayed with Paul & Connie.  The theme at Boomerang's was "The Zoo".  Eric decided I should be a skunk.  I dressed in all black and cut out of some sheets the white stripes.. didn't get any pictures...  Eric was a donkey.  He had a lot of fun with that!  Sunday... not so fun... We both came back to life just in time to go trick-or-treating with the kids.  Fortunately they were a little tired from their exciting night as well so we weren't out to terribly long.    We celebrated Connie's birthday at the Knotty Pine Monday night.  That ended up really nice.  Anita and her family were there.  Sandi stopped by and ate with us and Bernard & Bernice were there as well.  It is a busy board meeting week and I am hoping to get lots done tomorrow as we don't have school so it is a good uninterrupted day to get a lot done...  as long as I am in the right frame of mind to get things done!

Baby It's Cold Outside

Just seen the first flurries of the season fly by my office window today.  It sure has the kids stirred up.  There is definitely excitement in the air at EPS.  The kids are crazy.  I think it is a combination of Football Playoffs tomorrow NVC Volleyball championships Friday and Halloween and Snow.  Eric is headed off to Montana today and I hear that they have Blizzard warnings up there... BE SAFE ... Jeslynn has started CCD so she has that tonight.  I hope it goes well for her.  She seems really interested in the learning aspect of it, but wishes that there were more kids in her group and of course that I would give her more time to play on the playground before and after class with her friends.  Never enough time is there.  I guess that starts as little kids.  You never have enough time to play in the park, haven't been to the swimming pool enough times and so on.  Now it is never a long enough weekend, never enough money, and certainly Never enough time with the kids!  I think I will enjoy the evening with the heater working hard and some warm comfort food perhaps I will bake up those apples on the counter and enjoy some pumpkin spice coffee.  Cuddle Up..

Taylor's 4th Birthday

Sunday we celebrated Taylor's 4th birthday.  I was really nervous at 2am Saturday night that it may be a bust as he was up with the stomach flu and I was up with him and dreading the morning of cooking and cleaning.  He decided to watch cartoons at 4:30am and was up from then on.  After a few tense moments Sunday morning everything settled down and all of the guests started to arrive.  Taylor is such a caring little guy.  He said, "Mommy I wish it was your birthday today too".  I just love him to pieces.  His one request was to have a green cake and the only thing me and Jeslynn could find was Frankenstein.. I was a little nervous about whether he would like it or not, but when I showed it to him he was so excited he just couldn't wait to eat it.  Pass!!  Eric did some Traegering and I did the inside cooking and the meal was pretty good if I may say so myself.  Taylor got just what he wanted for his big day.  He got a new working chute for his farm, some baby calves, a JD shirt, puzzle, pickup and horse trailer (Chris took him to Bomgaars to pick out) some play dough and some real dough $.  He was so excited and appreciative of everything he got.  It was really nice to have everyone together during a busy fall.  I hope he realizes just how special he is to all of us.  Happy 4th Birthday Buddy!