X-Mas Time has Ended

*** Added Dec 31st-- I was reading this post and wanted to clarify something. On X-Mas morning when we woke up Daddy was already on MSN IM waiting for us, so we turned on the video webcam and even with the crappy connection he was able to hear/watch us open gifts. This made his absence EVEN MORE strongly felt as we could sometimes (again crappy connection) hear him, but he just wasn't "here" you know. We were thankful for the little bit that we got though! While I am here again, I would like to wish you a happy new year, but I REALLY hope your new year does not involve driving on the 1st. We will be staying up watching movies, though I doubt it if anyone makes it to midnight! DADDY-- We are so glad the new year brings you home!***
Well Silent readers, X-mas has come to an end. We had a good one, but we definitely felt Daddy's absence. The tree DID in fact make it!!! YEA!!!! However, as some of you may know, while I LOVE LOVE LOVE X-Mas decorations, once the 26th comes, I am sick of 'em. So, all my stuff is already packed away. The kids loved all their gifts. I updated the picture page. I didn't get as many as I usually do on X-Mas, but it was hard "running the show" and "being the photographer." So, if you go to the picture page at:
http://groups.msn.com/PilchFamilyPhotos
You will see a few of the old ones I wanted to leave up a little longer, and some new ones. The first few pic's are of the big kids playing Halo2 online with my brother Michael. Even though it is butt early in the morning (about 0730) they are dressed nice because later we went to Ramstein for yummy brunch! The pic's where AJ is wearing a pink "Daddy loves me" shirt is her 11 month b-day. Then there are some pics of the kids with their gifts for Hanukkah from Michael. Then there is a pic of them on X-Mas eve and finally some X-Mas day pics.

Daddy is coming home soon and we are getting very excited around here. I feel like I have so much to do before he gets here and I'll never get it all done! Then, in less than FOUR MONTHS we are moving away from here. We will miss our friends that is certain! Prayers for our patience during this time and for my husbands safety would be greatly appreciated.

Hope your holiday season is going well, and I hope you don't have any driving to do on Jan 1st!

P.S. I decided to add the picture of the kids on X-Mas eve to the top of this post!

Jingle Bell Jog and More

Well, I had every intention of making this post LAST Saturday, but I was having technical errors at the picture page. I finally have it all sorted out so now I can tell you about last Saturday and more. As you can see I was in another race. It was the Jingle Bell Jog and I did MUCH better this time!!! I am soooo proud. It is a 5K and I did it in 27 min. and 42 seconds!!! In the above picture you see me running MY full-out (that is why I look way less than pretty) and I did pass her just before the finish line. I love running these races and again I have to thank my friend Dara and her kids for watching my kids and watching me and cheering me on! This was a pay race, so I actually have a number, and I was not fast enough to win a trophy. Oh and we ran with a jingle bell tied to our shoes. I did not think it would bother me (noise wise) because this race I listened to music while I ran. Well, the noise of it did not bug me, but the spot where the little bell hit my foot went numb by the end of the race.

Anyway, in other "news" we got a live X-Mas tree!!! All by ourselves!! The kids picked out a good one and they decorated it with me. However, I think I have already killed it. We got it on Wednesday and I watered it that day. I forgot to water it on Thursday. On Friday morning, it seemed dry (I can't feel the bottom of the tree stand). So, I am afraid it dried out and died. I did water it Friday morning and it "seems" like it has drank some of the water but I'll let you know if it makes it to X-Mas. I don't really have high hopes that it will.

Okay about the pictures on picture page (NOTE: same place, NEW link)

http://groups.msn.com/PilchFamilyPhotos

The first picture is Avery opening her very first present ever and loving it. In our family an elf comes about 2 weeks early and gives presents to good little boys and girls. His name is Twinkle. Anyway, that is her Twinkle gift. My brother told me that his Hanukkah gifts are on the way, so the kids will get to open those as soon as they get here. Which reminds me HAPPY HANUKKAH!!! Last night was night two. Anyway, back to pictures.... the next few pictures are before/during and after photo's with the tree. In the picture with the 2 girls, if you look closely, Avery has her first ponytail, sticking straight up! Then there are the pictures of me in the race. The race was before the tree and other pictures, but that is the order in which they loaded. The pictures were taken with two different Camera's and I think the quality difference is HUGE. Unfortunately, MY camera is the suckier one. Tristan was sweet enough to take a picture of my backside after I crossed the finish line and was slowing down. Nice boy...lol.

Well, guys that is it for the update, but let me tell you what I am doing today 'cause I am so dang excited!!! We are going to Ramstein (sp?) this morning, which is about an hour away, and we are eating the BEST brunch!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE that place. In the same area there are two PX/BX's and they are already having big sales on X-mas deco and I LOVE shopping for x-mas decorations! So, we will be eating and shopping the day away!

Goodbye all, and I hope there are some super fun sales in your near future!

Messy Girl, Messy Life

Hello, hello! I do not have much to share so this will likely be short. Unbelievably, things are slowing down around here. I got so much holiday stuff done early that I don't have a lot to do right now. We put up our X-Mas and Hanukkah decorations FINALLY on Dec. 1st. Usually we do it the day after thanksgiving, but I wanted to do a detailed cleaning first (although house is a mess again). I LOVE LOVE LOVE X-Mas decorations! For those of you that haven't heard it, one of my many corny jokes is this: I was looking for the first red-headed Christian that would marry me. Why? So I could have red-headed babies and be able to put up X-Mas decorations. I SOOOOOO do NOT love love love X-Mas songs however... YUCK. Sorry to sound all bah-humbug, but they annoy me. I do enjoy the kid songs though, and I DO LOVE LOVE LOVE Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song! Anyway, all I have left to do for x-mas is finish wrapping the kids gifts... yeah for me! Oh and in a few more days I will be getting a live tree (not too soon, 'cause then I'll kill it before x-mas).

Update on kids: Tristan is a little bored I think without soccer in his life, but he'll manage. He (in conjunction with Brian and I) decided not to do boy scouts anymore. His troop assigns a lot of homework and he already gets a lot of school assigned homework. So scouts had just become stressful for him, not a fun extracurricular activity. He is much more relaxed now. Samantha is still enjoying Girl Scouts. Her troop does A LOT of fun stuff, educational, sensible and fun, and they get little to no work they have to do at home. Most to all of their work is done during the meeting. Keagan is my little helper. While the big kids do homework (his teacher doesn't believe in assigning homework), he helps me do stuff around the house or "babysits" Avery so I can clean or whatever. Avery is a walker with four teeth. The top two came in almost at same time. To me her whole face has changed from these new teeth.

Ah and bedtimes have changed around here. After some tweeking and adjustments based on a suggestion from my friend Julie: Tristan and Sam go to bed at 2030, Keagan at 2000, and Avery between 1900-1930. This has all but eliminated evening stress and yelling AND since we now have more time to prepare for the morning (make school lunches, layout clothes) the morning goes much better too! I am always looking for ways to make life/parenting better, so any suggestions any of you may have, I am all ears!

Hmph, well now this was longer than I though. Turns out Meghan CAN talk a lot about nothing (and she loves Seinfeld too)!

I hope someone tweeks your day with a brilliant idea!