Thunderstorm in January??

I wanted to post about this yesterday, but didn't get a chance.

Friday night we had the most bizarre thunderstorm I have ever heard!! The thunder was so loud, and so close to the ground that our house was literally shaking. And you could actually feel the thunder start at one end of our house and move through the house as it was rattling above us. The lightening was also soo close. When we woke up Saturday morning it was soo foggy, it was like we were living in the clouds.

The kids slept right through the storm. I woke up a couple times and ended up having to move to the boys room with Buck, because he was freaking out.

Yesterday we didn't do much, Troy had to work at the farm so the kids & I stayed home. It was damp and icky with threat of rain all day. The kids went outside to play later in the afternoon and got full of mud. They loved it.

Im reading "A Million Little Pieces". Im almost 1/2 way through. I will finish this book, it is really good. I've been speed reading the stuff that I know is false (what Frey has already admitted is false) and reading the rest of the book as it's a fiction.

Today the kids & I might go to K, maybe go to BK for lunch and go play at the library or something. Maybe head up to GW, see what they have there. I don't know..I need to get groceries today, but I'll do that after they go to bed tonight so I don't have to do it tomorrow while they are at school.

Booooring day!!

The kids & I didn't do much of anything today. It was a really good day for me, PMS must be letting up! The kids & I played lots of games and played.

Really isn't much else to update on. I haven't heard yet from the other review places, but I have my fingers crossed. If they don't accept me..oh well..it's not like I don't have craploads of other books to read. :)

Im starting "A Million Little Pieces" tonight. Im going to read it as a fiction book. Im hoping I can get through it though, there is no paragraph margins and no puncuation marks and the typing is super small. Im kinda an orgainzied freak and catch misspellings in books and it drives me crazy. I hope I can get through it, I've heard it's a great book, regardless of the fact that it's a bunch of lies.

Hoping to do some more book reviews!

I've been reviewing books for Harper Collins, first look program for almost a year and to an extent I have enjoyed it. I enjoy it when I actually get choosen to review for them. But it frustrates me to no end when I spend over 20 minutes every month going through the 10-15 books they have to offer to review, decide which ones I really want to review, submit my request to review those books and then I wait..and wait..and low and behold I don't get choosen, and I hear people in reading groups Im in say "I got 3 books from first look this month to review"! That only makes me say "WTF??". Like I said I've been reviewing for them for almost a year and I've been choosen for 3 books..one of them I KNOW I didn't sign up for. What I dislike about Harper Collins is they've taken reviewing books and turned it into a lottery. Like it should be an *honor* to review a book for them, when *THEY* should be honored to have people offering to do just that..and not pay them mind you. So I've decided to try a couple new review companies. I hope I get choosen for one (or both) of them. bookloons.com and curledup.com. I know there are so many more review companies out there and if you know of any good ones, let me know. :) It's not like I want a free book..I review books because I think my opinion matters, and I think I do a darn good job reviewing. I don't like/not like a book because the majority of the population likes/doesn't like it. I form my own opinions and don't really give a crap what the majority says. Just ask me about "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold. Lord knows Im probably 1 out of 100 that didn't like that book..no I take that back..it was HORRIBLE and I honestly can't even think about that book w/o my heart rate going up and that horrible taste of stomach bile creeping up my throat. So on to another subject. In closing this subject I'll say..I hope I get picked. These 2 review companies (from what I understand) don't run like first look, you can pick which books you want to review, or they pick for you. Which Im ok with. As long as every once inawhile I get picked and I feel like they WANT my opinion. Ok on to something else.

Today it was sooo windy outside, but the temps were in the 50's so the kids & I attempted to be outside as much as we could. We would go out for 30 minutes, come in and get the feeling back in our hands for 15 minutes, then head back outside. They had so much fun, even considering at any moment their little feet might leave the ground! lol Me on the other hand..man was I a B*tch today. I don't know what my problem is. Maybe it's PMS. I was literally hanging by a thread all day today and was sooo jumpy and unreasonable. I really think 99% of my problem is my body is all out of wack regarding sleeping. I called the YMCA (we sent our check and paperwork in earlier this week) today and asked when our membership takes affect, they said Feb. 1st, I hope working out will get me back on track. I have started taking vitamins in hopes that that helps. It's just not right that a very, very busy SAHM stays up until 1-2am, and then tries to function all day with 3 active 4 year olds. It's not that I don't try to sleep, it really isn't. Almost every night I lay in bed and toss, and turn, read, then toss, and turn, read some more and finally just say "Screw it..I'll get up then."

Ok this is a long enough post. Wish me luck on my potential review thingies..

WOW it's been awhile again!

I didn't realize how long it had been since I posted. Doesn't seem like it's been almost a month, but the blog doesn't lie!!

Today Abby came home from school, promptly pulled out 2 pieces of artwork she made at school. She said "Look mom..this is for dad." Black piece of construction paper, with white tissue paper glued to it and not 1, not 2, but 10 stickers on it! And "Daddy" (not written by her) on top. Then she said "Look mom..this one is yours." Black construction paper with purple tissue paper glued to it. With "Jennifer" written on it and not a single sticker. Now why is T "Daddy" and Im "Jennifer"? ROFL! Can you tell she's a "daddy's girl"??

Yesterday the kids rode their bikes to the library, while I literally ran behind. They had so much fun, the weather was great, even though it was a bit breezy.

My memory doesn't go back any farther then the last 2 days. But Im sure we've been busy playing and doing as much as we can while the weather holds out. I do remember one day it was 65+° and we went to the park, about 20 other kids there. The kids had a blast. We rode our bikes that day too.

I have hopes that Wyatt will catch on to potty-training before I die. One can dream right?? We got a progress report from school for him last week, and Im happy to say that he's accomplished all the goals we had for him this year! YEA WYATT!!!

Yesterday the family signed up to join the YMCA. Im sooo excited about this! I plan on working out while the kids are at school, getting them enrolled in some activites and taking advantage of the child care there..giving me time to work out again. God help me..Im either going to loose weight this year, or die trying. No more excuses!!!

While I've been away from my little blog I have been reading up a storm. I have 9 books done so far this year! WOO HOO! Im crossing everything that I'll actually hit my 52 goal for b-a-w. Here's what I finished:

"Three Weeks with My Brother" by Nicholas & Micah Sparks (non-fiction)
"Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas" by James Patterson (fiction)
"The Father Factor" by Lilian Darcy (romance)
"The Bachelor" by Carly Philips (romance..book 1 of series)
"The Perfect Husband" by Lisa Gardner (thriller/suspense)
"Mom to Mom" by Elisa Morgan (self-help/parenting)
"Patty Jane's House of Curl" by Lorna Landvik (fiction)
"The Woman Next Door" by Barbara Delinsky (fiction)
"Goodnight Nobody" by Jennifer Weiner (Mystery)

Great reading month so far!!

Low-down on our trip

I don't know how much time I have before the kids notice Im sitting here so I'll try to get down as much of our trip as I can. I guess it would be easiest (so I can go back and re-read it later) if I just break out trip down day by day.

12/22-We left our house around 10:30am. We stopped in Omaha at Chuck E. Cheese at 1:30 and stayed until 4pm. We ended up spending the night in LeMars, IA ending our drive around 6pm.

12/23-We arrived at my in-laws around noon. Unloaded our crap and went to my moms house around 5pm for her b-day. Mike & the kids were there. I have no clue what time we left my moms house, must of been around 9pm. The kids fell asleep on the way to the in-laws.

12/24-We had nothing planned for this day. Next year we're going to celebrate OUR (dh, me & kids) christmas this day. In-laws bought some toys for the kids to open on Christmas eve day. Dh's brother & his girlfriend came out for awhile. The kids & I played in the snow and made a snowman. MIL & I were up wayyyyyyy to late preparing for the Christmas feast.

12/25-Christmas at the in-laws. Everyone was there but one BIL and his wife and 1 nephew. Had a GREAT time! I laughed soooo hard while doing dishes with 2 of my SILs. Bobbi & Becky..I love ya!! Again up wayy to late cleaning up from Christmas feast.

12/26-Christmas at my moms. Mike & Brandi came w/o the kids (they had something going on with Julie). My aunt Lynette, aunt Sharon and Jodi (Sharon's friend) were there. My grandmother didn't come because she said "we just have to much to do tomorrow, we have to go to the bank and post office." I got a nice bag of apples from my grandmother (how inconsiderate!!!!). My brother said everyone else got nice gifts (they celebrated with my grandmother on the 24th, and Troy & I were not invited because my grandmother does not like kids).

12/27-Went to my moms in the afternoon. Dh stayed w/ his parents for the afternoon. Mom & I went to McD with Breezy & Devin and met Julie there. It was great to see her. Bobbi Jo came out later with Steph & Jessie to the in-laws. Kids had a blast.

12/28-Went to playworks with my mom, Brianna & Devin (and my kids of course). Stayed there from 11:00-7pm. Kids & I were bushed!!! Dh went to Cabelas with one of his brothers and his dad.

12/29-Went to McD again to meet my dad and my grandparents. Devin, Mike & Brandi came also. Brianna had something else going on. It was great to see my dad & grandparents.

12/30-Snowed all night. Kids & I went outside to play in the snow. Didn't go anywhere.

12/31-Spent the day running around like crazy. Went to Rick & Joy's to drop off their x-mas card. They were both sick so we didn't bring the kids in. Went to Shawn & Becky's. Stayed for a few hours, the kids had BLAST together. Becky & I laughed together. Went to my moms house, but she wasn't home. Bobbi & the girls came out to in-laws and stayed to watch the ball drop.

01/01-Started coming home. We left my moms at 10:30am and called it at day in Lincoln at 5pm. We went to Chuck E. Cheese in Lincoln (won't go there again..the pizza was horrible). Stayed at the "Settle Inn" (won't go there again either, they wouldn't let us have a suite because apparently they don't allow kids in the suite rooms..bastards!!).

01/02-Got home at noon.

Today Troy went to the dr. for his sinus cold, got a shot in the butt and some penecillion (sp?). He went to get our mail (OMG..needed a dump truck!!) and went to pick up the dogs. Buck got a scratch on his eye somehow and is now on eye drops..oh yea. Troy is out hunting now, he goes back to work tomorrow am.

Today the kids & I didn't do anything. It's back to our boring ol' life. :(

Back from vacation!

We got home at noon today. We had a wonderful time!! I have lots of laundry to do and I want to sit and relax before going to bed so I'll post more about our trip later.

Bottom line is..we had a great time! Kids got spoiled rotton and didn't want to leave, neither did I.. :(