Three phrases that sum up Christmas are: Peace on Earth, Goodwill to Men, and Batteries not Included. ~Author Unknown

December is always total craziness (in my head anyway). Christmas cards ordered and mailed out. Zoey's party planned and party items shipped to the correct address. Ice skating lessons finished up. One strawberry shortcake birthday cake prepared with only a couple of phone calls to the sis in law. We had Zoey's party at the bowling ally on Saturday. I forgot nothing this time. There were about 6 kindergartners there and as many siblings. Zoey had a blast. After that we went to a friend's house and stayed a little late. I was up for fellowship at church the next day (cooking and cleaning) so up at 6ish to start baking. Kids had Christmas program practice until noon. We took Zoey out for supper at a restaurant of her choice last night since we had a program to attend tonight and then I baked some pink cupcakes for Zoey's class birthday treat.

This morning she comes in my room and is excited that it is her birthday. She wants to know where the cake, presents and her friends are. She was extremely disappointed when I told her we already celebrated her birthday. "But today is my birthday and you have to have cake and presents and friends on your birthday." Well it wasn't so bad. I showed her, her pink cupcakes. She had a great day at school and got a hat that was signed by all her classmates and of course we saved a couple of presents for her to open after she got home from school. She is happy to be 6 and already telling us she wants to be 7.

Isaac had his school Christmas program tonight. He was an elf with a speaking part. Two whole lines and he did great. I did video the program ---so fam you know what we are doing when we get to MN. It was called the "The Littlest Christmas Tree" We have one more program to attend this week at church. Both of the kids will be sheep.

I can't believe that it is almost Christmas already and we will be traveling in about a week!! But actually I think we are almost ready. A few last minute gifts, but really we are about done. I have been spending my time studying. I will probably jinx myself for posting this, but I am applying for an online job position as a health coach for a company called sharecare.com. Please google it, its a cool website. It was designed by the Web MD guy and Dr.Oz. However, I have to do quite a bit of training and certifying. The health coach position will not be available on line to the public until after the new year. But once it is I will have a website up and going for any of your health and fitness needs. I will be able to work from home, plus it will drive business to me at the rec center and my massage. It is a very cool opportunity so I hope for smooth sailing. On top of that my performance enhancement advanced specialization has been updated and they would like me to take another test for that so that I would have an actual certification instead of just a specialization. So I am considering studying for that too.

With any luck pictures will be up soon and I will see you all next week:)

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, "thank you," that would suffice. ~Meister Eckhart

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. A couple of days late. Wednesday Isaac woke up with his croupy cough, a sore throat and a horse voice. Breathing was great tho! So I took the day off work, called the doc who had surgeries all day. She did call me back and we got him on his advair and steroids again. I wanted somebody to listen to him anyway. It was a very good sign that I couldn't hear him breathing from two rooms away, but I wanted to double check. I dropped Zoey off at Kindergarten and Ike to the school nurse. She was in a meeting so we waited. She didn't come so we went to Walmart to pick up his meds came back to see if she could have a listen and she still wasn't back yet. So I called one of the nurses I worked with when I was working with the school district and she was totally awesome. She listened to his lungs, throat, looked in his ears and throat, took his temp, his O2 stats and swabbed him for strep. We started him on his meds right away and gave him a nap so that I could send him out hunting in the brutal cold (and no docs for like 100 miles). and he totally sounded better in the morning!!! He had a great time visiting with family in Ekalaka Montana. Its a high light for him every year. Zoey and I just hung out. She helped me get ready for the open house at my office and she always loves being in charge. Friday we stayed in and baked. I really just didn't want to go anywhere. I did attempt some online shopping, but they were out of stock on everything I tried to buy:( oh well. Saturday Chris and Isaac came home with a deer. We had Eric and Justin over for supper and Justin's kids came too. I made apple cider that made my whole house smell just amazing! I also made cherry salad, green bean hot dish, sweet potatoes with apples, stuffing, gravey, cresent rolls and a blueberry sourcream pie. Chris fried the turkey and it was great. But I couldn't get the guys to finish off all the food. I tried, but still ended up with left overs. And now we are on to Zoey's birthday and then christmas. I will attempt to swich my new moon music out for some christmas music. New Moon is out anyway as Eclipse comes out friday at midnight. I wasn't really worried about getting it at midnight, but my neighbor's husband is going and picking up a few copies. Party at my house! and probably with some of that apple cider.

If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. ~Jim Rohn

I guess I haven't blogged in a while and at some point I will have to check to see if I missed anything. But for now, I can accurately say we are staying busy and mostly healthy. I think the kids have a very minor cold which they may be trying to share with me.

Zoey is still in ice skating lessons and loves the boys teaching her. She works very hard and loves it. We had our first christmas program practice last night. I thought it was a little early, but I suppose until I decide to buck up and help--that's not really my decision. Isaac and Zoey are having some friends over for sleepovers this weekend that we are all looking forward to.

This morning Isaac made himself and Zoey eggs for breakfast but was not happy with the outcome. I told him he should eat as much as he could cuz they were still good and we shouldn't waste. He tells me "Mom, we could just put the yolks in the garden and the deer can come eat it. That is called sharing MOM." Yes, how could I forget about the sharing, silly me.

Well we had early release last week with a couple days off for conferences and next week we will also have early release on Wednesday with a couple of days off for the holiday. The boys are going to Montana as is the norm and Zoey and I are going to have a girls weekend--well except that I have decided to work on Saturday. But she will have a blast being my helper!

Proof of our society's decline is that Halloween has become a broad daylight event for many. ~Robert Kirby

Its cold out. Chris is hunting. By himself. Phone rang at 6am to see if Chris wanted to work today. Just sorta hanging out, I guess. Hopefully getting ready for the holiday weekend. The kids have fall festival tomorrow. Isaac's teacher will let him dress up as a pirate as long as he doesn't bring a sword, gun, hook or blood. I think Zoey can wear her costume. Kinda liked it better when you could have Halloween parties and the kids could wear their outfits more than once. We used to parade around the gym for everyone to see and I think we even had a contest for best costume. Apparently that wasn't fun. I do, however, have to remember to pack ALL of Isaac's shorts away--where he can't find 'em. He was so mad at me again this morning for not letting him wear shorts. It might get to 55 today, but we have snow and frost. I start my car early so I don't have to scrape it and he thinks just because dish network puts a sun on for today that he doesn't have to wear pants. I am just a meanie!!!

Zoey is doing well at ice skating. They are just doing learn to skate this session instead of the traditional ice skating (figure skating)levels. The hockey team is teaching them and I think its great. She did take a super crazy fall the other day. Didn't see what happened when she went down, but saw her tumbling across the ice and everyone heard her head. Good thing for helmets!!! She also recently got her second professional haircut. Its just above her shoulders and she got her bangs back. Its been so long since she has had bangs and I am so used to just braiding it or pulling it into a pony. I didn't quite get her hair dry before putting her to bed and had to take the iron to her spiky bangs. OOps.

Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest. ~Larry Lorenzoni

So much Bakugan you can't tell where one thing starts and another ends.

Isaac requested chocolate cupcakes with Bakugan rings.

Happy 8th birthday Isaac!!!

Who likes broccoli? Who likes spinich? That was the question of the day.

When Isaac initially opened his golf clubs he kinda tossed the box aside and I thought we could be getting out of his box phase. No such luck. The box will always be better than whatever you put in it! (Well except of Isaac himself of course)

Until you know that life is interesting - and find it so - you haven't found your soul. ~Geoffrey Fisher

Kind of an odd day. The kids had a day off school today. I told them they could sleep in this morning, which obviously was a mistake, cuz they were both up at 6:30am. So we made pancakes and bacon for breakfast. Chris is so excited about not paying daycare anymore that I didn't fight him on it. But pretty much means I get extra days off too. It seems that in the past, if the kids had a day off I could just take them to the Rec Center with me on the days I was working there. But they gave the child care there the day off too. It was a great day to spend with the kids!! They had a jammy morning (Well we all did). But it was a very nice fall day out so I made them get dressed, packed a picnic lunch and we went to the Fishing Lake to eat and play at the park. The weather was fabulous and it smelled of fall. I took some pics of the kids playing. After we got back, the rain set in and it is pouring out!! Perfect timing.

The Viks play tonight and am super excited to watch them (as we only get a few of their games anyway).

Perhaps God gives us a physical body so that every time we change our mind, we won't be someone else. ~Robert Brault, www.robertbrault.com

These are from the Big Horns a few weeks ago.