Raising Cubs in a Campground

May love and laughter light your days, and warm your heart and home. May good and faithful friends be yours, wherever you may roam. May peace and plenty bless your world with joy that long endures. May all life's passing seasons bring the best to you and yours! (an old Irish blessing) Happy New Year from our family to yours

I feel like I'm running in circles trying to stay in the game. I've been busy assigning email addresses to blogs and blogs to email address - only to realize that I did it wrong and have a big mess to untangle. The New Year's ball will have dropped long before my new blog is ready to be unveiled. It is hard to keep anonymity in a family blog while getting your name out there in the form of a business blog. thepaulyspicsandprose.blogspot has served me well and it will be sad to say goodbye. But change is good and if you've read anything I've written in the past eleven months you already know our family has gone through many changes. A big thank you to everyone who gave me suggestions for a blog name. You'd be surprised how many people "take" a blog name and then never post anything or haven't posted since 2000. 4 now I'll wish you all a Happy and Blessed New Year! See ya in '08!

Following in the footsteps of fellow bloggers, I decided that this was as good a time as any to host my own contest. In fact, it's just in the nick of time. My blog is just about maxed out in the photo storage department (the downside of a 10.1 megapixel camera). I've decided that for the New Year I'd debut my new blog. I love my blog name that Brian gets all the credit for coming up with, but to be more internet-safe, we need to remove our last name from the title and address. So here's the deal: To participate simply leave me a comment with your suggestion for a new blog title and address. I will accept entries until noon on Sunday, December 30th. * Did a photograph (or two) inspire your suggestion? Don't forget to mention that too! * Multiple suggestions welcome. *I reserve the right to tweak the winning title, but will give credit where credit is due - and of course because it wouldn't be a contest without a prize, the winner will receive: "G...

Whenever I lose my phone I just use Brian's phone to call mine and as long as it's not on vibrate I can usually find it in a matter of seconds (unless it is in the grass where I dropped it at this year's Halloween party). Tonight I was on the phone with my sister when we went upstairs to put the kids to bed so I was pretty sure it was up there somewhere. This fact made my normal search and rescue technique impossible without risking waking the kids. I debated aborting my search and hoping that nobody called us tonight, but it was only 7:30. I looked everywhere - including the rooms the kids are asleep in. Sam's a sound sleeper so I turned his light on to search, but didn't find it. I had no choice then but to take Brian's phone upstairs with me, open both doors, and hang up the second I heard something. Da da da. I heard the beginning of my ringer starting to sing it's catchy tune and quickly hit end. I turned the light on in Sam's room again, ...

...there was a mom who had two children and a husband (who'd been leaving for work at midnight for two days straight). Both children had good sets of lungs that were often exercised while their daddy was trying to rest. The mom didn't want to fight that battle so she searched for something to do with her little ones for a few hours before nap-time. After carefully weighing her options (cost, distance, tiredness of the children, time until naps, etc...), the mom decided that the local community center would offer the best outlet for the kid's energy and allow them a quick trip home if one (or two) should happen to meltdown and need a nap earlier than expected. So off they went to do battle in the ball pit and conquer dragons lurking in the castle slide. The children were famished after their adventures so they dined on hunks of meat(balls) before embarking on a quest into the Northwoods forest filled with creatures like moose, wolves, raccoons, deer, and bears. Once the e...

That pretty much sums up our Christmas this year, but you know I can't leave it at that, so here's the rundown: Our holiday gatherings began on Sunday afternoon (23rd), but first we spent the morning at Church. Next year I'm bound and determined that we'll get our behinds to church for either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We continue the long-standing tradition in Brian's family of reading the Christmas story and singing carols before we open gifts on Christmas Eve, but it feels like something is missing when we aren't worshiping with our church family as well. The source of Sam and Julia's three day sugar high. (and mine too for that matter!) Sunday afternoon we visited with family, ate, played Taboo, ate, watched the kids being silly, ate, and then braved the blizzard like conditions to get to Grandma and Grandpa's house for gift opening. The wind rattled windows, swirled into drifts, and made the snow fall sideways. That blessed wind kept Bria...

Here's the final result of that gift we gave to Brian's cousin. Didn't Jennifer do a fabulous job on the lettering? Thank you Jennifer! Marla loved it!!!!!!!!!!

What a wonderful Christmas this has been! No pictures to share yet because Brian has has to plow at midnight and I can't be on the computer while he's trying to sleep. The kids are already sleeping soundly in their beds after a three day sugar high and as soon as Brian is done chatting with his brother who lives in Alaska, I'm off to bed myself. The idea of sleeping over at Grandma and Grandpa's house was a great one, but we didn't exactly sleep . Safe travels everyone! JMom shared this video and I couldn't help but do the same. Merry Christmas! I also wanted to extend a prayer request for little Maisie . Jennifer has all the details posted on her blog. Thanks!

who laid to rest, On Mary's lap is sleeping Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping? This, this is Christ the King, Whom shepherds guard and angels sing. Haste, haste to bring Him laud, The babe, the Son of Mary. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Now we just need Daddy to get home. Oh...and for Christmas Eve to get here. Can you tell we're just a little excited to sleep over at Grandma and Grandpa's house? They only live 20 minutes away, but there's just something about not having to pack up and drive home at the end of the night. Instead, we're going to snuggle by the fire, sing Christmas songs, read the Christmas story, and listen for the sound of reindeer on the roof. I've had these suitcases (swiped from one of my mom's garage sales) stored down in the basement for years - waiting for a chance to use them. How fitting that the first time is for Christmas, seeing that they're red and green. :)

Looks like we are in store for a white Christmas this year. Not that there was much doubt. Until a couple days ago we haven't been above freezing since before Thanksgiving. The slush created by yesterday's upper 30's is now covered with a fresh layer of pure white snow. Brian is off plowing again, but hopefully not for long. The kids and I are enjoying The Polar Express, breaking the "no eating in the living room" rule, and I'm about to make a pot of coffee just for me- something I never ever do unless we have company. It's not the same as having Daddy home, but it's fun to look at pictures of him from last night's skating adventure. (These were my sister's skates from ages ago.) This was Sammy's first time on skates and it felt like mine too. I haven't skated since college and it's been at least 5 years since Brian laced up his skates. I can guarantee that if it weren't for Sam on the ice to help me balance, I would be nur...

It's almost time to celebrate Jesus' birthday!!! I don't know about you, but at our house it can't get here soon enough!

Nobody was going to be left out in the cold on Sam's watch. Just think how toasty warm the stable will be when baby Jesus arrives Monday night!