Dear blog, sorry.................

..............for neglecting you.

I really don't have an excuse. I thought so many times about writing, but just didn't.  I've had so much to say, and yet nothing to say. 

I got pretty freaked out a couple of months ago, when I found a mass in my stomach.  And even when a doctor says, "small chance of cancer", it's still a bit daunting.  In the end, I had surgery, had it removed, and it turned out to be nothing.  Case closed.  SHEW!  To put it lightly.

And don't know if it's just me, but there is something really depressing about having surgery and recovering.  My recovery wasn't hard, except that I figured out that Vicodin gives me a migraine.  I guess my aspirations of being a prescription drug addict are dashed.  But surprisingly, laying in bed all day and having people take of everything for me is kind of a downer.  I'm getting back to myself now, so that's nice. 

Hello, self.  Nice to see you again. 



Moving on.

Other than that, we entertained guests over Thanksgiving:


Our 4 kids (Madison, Austin, Kamdyn, and Justus) with their cousins (James and Ellie).

They love being together.  Madison loved it so much that she waited until the day after they left to throw up all day and have a fever and shakes.  Yea, fun times. 

We all took a trip to Chocolate World in Hershey, PA.



In other news, Kamdyn is making steady progress toward being a full-time walker.  She's been taking steps for a while now, but just this week, she has started to walk across a room or try to sweep.



Sweeping is actually good motivation for walking.

We decorated the house for Christmas.


We realized as we were getting stuff down that we threw away our tree after Christmas last year, because all the lights were dying, and it was crooked.  All we had was this little Charlie Brown tree, so there it is. 

The kids get so excited about decorating.  They are giddy, and I cringe.  I wish I wasn't that way.  I try not to let it show, because I know how much the kids love it.  But as we're getting down box after box that has to be sifted through, the mess I know that will ensue, the clean-up, and (I'm sorry) the clutter......  Am I crazy, or is anyone else like this?

I'm the same way with Christmas cookies.  Making Christmas cookies does not even sound the least bit appealing to me.  Eating Christmas cookie.  Awesome.  Making.  Not cool.  All I can think is raw egg, salmonella, all over my kitchen, clean up, clean up, and more clean up.  I know, I have a problem.

I'm not a total Grinch, though.  I got the Little People Nativity set for the kids this year:

They love it.

Today, we went to the mall, and Madison and Austin talked to Santa.  Madison said she wanted a puppy.  Not gonna happen.  Austin said he wanted a space station with a space ship.  So guess who's going back to the store and returning stuff that I already got, so they can get him a space station.  That's right, this happy Santa right here. 

They wrote letters to Santa too.  Here's Austin's:


That's all.  Tata for now.