Enjoying The Season

In previous years the holidays have been very stressful for me. It was all about me being behind. Gifts, Cards, Decorations, Scheduling Family Trips.... AHHHH! I expressed my distress about the approaching holidays last month to my husband. So together we made a goal. Finish all the "prep work" before December 1st so we could enjoy the holidays together and I could be less stressed. He went Christmas shopping with me, he helped me pick the cards, he put up decorations all weekend and we got the calendar out to schedule our family trips. He even switched his schedule with a coworker so he could be off on Christmas day. So now we are one and a half days away from December 1.
Gifts ~ bought and most wrapped
Cards~ printed and handing them out
Decorations~ put up and empty boxes ready to go back to storage
Family Trips~ scheduled
We are now ready to sit back and enjoy the fruits of our labor. It just makes me realize how amazing my hubby is.
Merry Christmas!!!

I Married Clark Griswold

Today was a very nice day. We didn't set alarms, we didn't have goals. Wayne put up Christmas lights on the front of the house and Millie and I put up garland and bows. Wayne putting up the lights was as funny as ever (this is why I call him Clark Griswold).
Millie took a long nap and I may have had a few zzz's on the couch myself. When she woke up we made our way to Bowling Green to eat at Cracker Barrell and buy light bulbs. (Yes we needed a ton of bulbs). When we came home we enjoyed the fruits of Wayne's labor... the lights twinkling... magical. So yay for us, we are done decorating and we haven't even hit December 1st yet! I think that is a first for us.
Merry Christmas!!

Our Trees

Welcome Christmas

A Few Pics From Christmas Past........

Thanksgiving Continued

~ My Personal Comedian


~ Enough money to pay the bills


~ A supportive Hubby


~ DVR (the only way for parents to watch real TV)


~ Electric washer and dryer


~ Dishwashers


~ Deli Turkey


~ Christmas Music


~ Fall weather (even if we don't have much of it)


~ The Office


~ Modern Family


~ My bestie


~ My stupid old cell phone ( I keep trying to get new 0nes but always go back to it)





to be continued....

My Thanksgiving List

On this beautiful November day I am grateful for so many things....



~ My daughters laugh



~ My husbands hugs



~ My job



~ The warmth of my little dog



~ Wonderful parents * both sets*



~ The smell of cinnamon



~ Peace of Mind



My list will continue this week....

Tomorrow will be a good day, I just know it!!!!

Warning: Venting About To Occur

I am tired. Our little family has had a rough week. It all started last Wednesday night. Poor Millie fell into our TV cabinet and had to go to the ER for stitches (4). When we got home that night we all slept on the floor on a mattress (think emergency Cardwell campout). Then the following day she had to be taken to the eye doctor to rule out any eye trauma that could lead to vision issues. She had to have her little eyes dilated. Thanks to the good Lord there was no major damage. Friday was a mild day. I went back to work and she and Wayne stayed home to catch up on some rest. When I got home that night Wayne said a sore spot in his mouth that he had been watching was really starting to bother him. We filed it away in the watch and see section. (Wayne is not fond of going to the dentist, because he has had so many teeth issues, so we wait until he can't stand it) Saturday my little brother and little sister in law took Millie to a birthday party for their other nephew (on my sister in laws side). Wayne and I stayed home and tried to recover from the long couple of days. When Millie returned home she had obviously had a wonderful time but she complained of being really tired and was warm to me. We wrote it off as not having a regular nap. She went bed around 9 and began to cry around 11:30. I knew the moment I heard her that something just wasn't right. I flipped the light on in her room to find her soaked in vomit. She was beside herself and was broken out with hives on her legs. After calming her and attempting to clean her up (not an easy task when you can't get stitches on her head wet), she finally dosed off on my chest around 1. I crawled in the bed with her only to be woken up around 3 sick myself. From then on it was constant with she and I. Poor Wayne really had to be tired of us but he was wonderful. I don't' know what I would have done without him. Millie was so needy and he stepped in and took over. I was able to rest. On Monday we were still very weak and not feeling like eating but it was the day to get Millie's stitches out so we rode to BG to have them removed. On the way I asked Mil which doc she wanted to remove them, she said, " I want Mommy and Daddy to take them out", and that is what we did. On this day Wayne had to reveal that he probably has an abscess tooth that has caused significant swelling. He has an appointment in the morning to have it examined. Up until a few hours ago Millie and myself still suffered from a fever and "not feeling well". This evening we both perked up.


I will have to say the one bright spot in all of this was how proud I was of my daughter. She handled all of this with very little drama and with the courage of a little lion. She was polite and still hasn't had a potty accident. I put a pullup on her during the stitches expecting and accident. Instead immediately after she said Mommy I have to go pee real bad. I am proud that when the eye doctor walked in she shook his hand and put her chin in the spot he requested. She answered all the correct shapes during the exam and looked directly at the light. She held perfectly still during the removal of her stitches and proclaimed afterwards, "it tickled but I didn't laugh". She is tough as nails, smart as a whip and she does it all while looking like a little angle. I am so proud to be her mother and that was made even more clear this week.

Millie's New Haircut

Cardwell Family Campout

So my wonderful husband started a tradition not too long ago. When we are both off work the next day and the schedule looks light we have a Cardwell Family Campout. Our first was last month, we slept in the living room. Tonight (our second) we are sleeping in our movie room. We have started the evening with Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Let us just say that a room with mattresses on the floor is quite interesting.... Millie is wild, but oh so excited!! Wish us luck!

Happy Halloween 2010

I just wanted to post a few pics from our Halloween this year! We had a blast as usual....