Sunday, December 20, 2009

A blogging I will go...

It seems that PERHAPS I've slacked on my blogging, and several people have gotten onto me for it. So much has happened since I blogged last.
My hubby graduated from paramedic school, AWESOME JOB HONEY! My glorious children have been their normal wonderfully challenging selves, my pupper is still a Jack Russel, but amazingly wonderful. I had gastric bypass surgery. I officially stopped doing cakes for hire (I will still be doing friends and family, but no more hectic weekends doing cakes). I started subbing at the school where my children attend. We traveled to Tennessee for a week (it was awesome). Sarah rode in a show and won several ribbons.....the list goes on and on. SO I'll give a short update and some photos. We'll try to follow an orderly fashion here.

Jamie's school:
He CONSTANTLY amazes me with all he does. He finished his Paramedic this fall with his usual stellar grades. I believe in all the years I've known him and the many classes he's taken in that time he's made one B. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of him.


My glorious children:
They are continuing to do great in school. They fight, but all siblings fight, it makes them no less wonderful to me! Gabe is doing great in scouts, he's about to earn his Webelos badge. Abi is starting to read, and Ms Sarah rode in a dressage show and won three ribbons this month.

Sarah and Maggie


Me:
Well, I had gastric bypass. Those who know me know I am NOT a small girl, but I'm striving to be. Not just for me, but for my family. I need to be healthy to be around for these kiddos. So far I've lost 90 lbs. I've got more to go, but 90 sure seems like a good number to me. (some was lost by doing a protein drink based diet pre surgically) I've decided to start loving cake decorating again I must stop doing them for hire. I am going to just do cakes from here on out for my family and friends, so that it can become fun again. As such, my girls and I made cheesecakes the other night and it was a blast, so I'm thinking I have made the right decision. I love subbing at the school, and at some point may return to college to get my degree in education.

Good Golly Ms Molly (the aforementioned pupper)
Poor Molly, she's the queen of the allergy. SO..after much food trying, medication, deliberation we've gone to the RAW diet. Basically it means she eats raw meats, with the bone. As animals in nature would. I know there are people who think this is weird, odd, strange, wrong etc, but...I've researched it, and it's a GOOD THING as Martha would say. She's ALREADY doing better.

On to the fun things:

For Thanksgiving we went to Tennessee, where I had never been. What a gloriously beautiful place. God must have been in an awesome mood when he created the mountains, b/c they are inspired! We did go to Dollywood, we weren't all that impressed (we're Disney spoiled). The time we spent in the mountains was my favorite time. We hiked to Laural Falls and Cataract Falls and Klingman's Dome as well as doing some driving tours. All the pictures from the mountains are on Jamie's laptop, so I'll share some later. We also visited the Ripley's Aquarium, very nice place!
Amazing bird show at Dollywood, that was the big highlight there for me:




Tuesday we leave to spend Christmas at Disney. I know it seems like a lot of traveling, but those who remember or know me know that last year this time I lost my Dad(s). You can read those entries if you like here and here. I decided at that time that we would be going away for the holidays this year. We were very lucky and a friend gifted us a condo for a week to go to Tennessee, so we are able to go away for Christmas also. We broke down and told the kids, after keeping it a secret for a year. Someone leaked it to them at school b/c I had told their teachers when questioned on what we were doing for Christmas and didn't do a good job of telling them it was a secret. They are excited. We're cleaning and packing today.

SO...a few photos, and I'll feel caught up. I hope you enjoy! I promise to blog Christmas when I get back! Love you all and hope you have the happiest of Holy Days. Christmas has lost a lot of it's meaning in this world we live in, and I pray daily that people remember it's reason of celebration. Merry Christmas to all of you.

Putting up the Gingerbread house.