Christmas time

Okay, I say Christmas is my least favorite season, but it's mostly because of the commercialism of Christmas and how impatient people get. If I can spend time with my family and stay away from the mall this time of year, I love it! So far, I have been able to do that. I have one more thing to get each of the girls and then I'm done.

I love the Christmas movies. I have DVR'd Charlie Brown Christmas, The Grinch (animated), and now Shrek the Halls. Did anybody else watch that? I thought it was hilarious and can't wait to watch it again. I will probably delete them after Christmas, but the girls and I enjoy watching them in the evening. I was talking to a friend of mine on the phone the other night about all the Christmas movies, including Ralphy, It's a Wonderful Life and so on, and Taylor comes out with, "Can we watch Polar Express? It's a Christmas movie." I was impressed she knew to associate it with Christmas and so now I think we may have a new tradition. I think the movie is cute and all, but we'll probably have to watch it every day from now until February because Taylor has a habit of becoming addicted to movies, especially that one.

It's funny how I really never got into Christmas too much and always thought the gift giving was such a hassle and now I've gotten into the holiday spirit this year! I guess kids have a funny way of changing you!

I have to tell you all that yesterday was my dad's birthday. I did call and wish him a happy birthday, but I meant to give him a shout out on here and never got around to it. Sorry Dad!

Today is my older sister's 30th birthday! I used to love teasing her when she was about 26, that she was getting close to 30 and I still had way more years than her to go. Not so funny anymore! Happy birthday Alissa!

Mike's birthday present

This is Mike's birthday present:

He has been asking for a big screen TV for a while now and I kept saying no. This one was brought to my attention a week prior to his birthday for a VERY good price so I couldn't pass it up. He seems to like it and since my sister and her kids have moved in, it gives them a TV upstairs also. I'm thinking this should make everyone happy.

Also, Mike got a card in the mail from his grandma and two checks inside. It was a mystery why the two checks were inside until he read the note. In case you can't see it, it says:

"Courtney - Oops!! Please forgive me - I realized when I was doing Mike's check that I missed your birthday - Better late than never! Sorry again - Nancie"

Mike was like, it's my birthday and I'm hardly mentioned by my own grandma, no she centers the card around you and even wrote you a note. All it says to him is Michael - Lots of Love! Grandma. He was cracking me up and I even got a check on his birthday! My birthday was 6 months ago so you see how worried I was about the check!

I just wanted to share that small, but funny story with you all and his gift. Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Happy Birthday Michael!

Mike's birthday is Saturday the 17th, but since I don't post on the weekends, I thought I'd post it a day early.

Mike, we've had our ups and downs, but I wouldn't trade them for anything. They have made our relationship stronger and made me look at you differently, good and bad at times, but none the less, it has made us different, better. Happy birthday and I hope you love your new TV! I love you.

I'll post pics of his present on Monday.

Go Bucks beat Michigan!

All about Michael

Here is Mike being "fatherly" with Taylor (Just kidding about the "fatherly," he is a great dad!). Yes, she is holding her butt and that is what they are talking about because she hurt it. And the monkey in the background looks like she is getting ready to tackle someone.

Okay so my post today is going to be all about my husband for 3 reasons. 1) I never really post anything about the wonderful man I married, 2) His birthday is coming up and I don't know what to get him (looking for suggestions based on what I tell you about him), and 3) I found a blog of someone who lost her husband way to early. We did have a scare a little over a year ago, but it didn't impact me as much as it did him. I wasn't the one going to be left behind to pick up the pieces, he would have been.

Okay, so I'll tell you the story of Mike and I. It's not the story I wish it was, but we all go in directions we would rather have back to do over. Mike and I met in March of 2003. We worked together. I had met his dad before him because he was my boss and apparently Mike had gone on military leave. After breaking his ankle pretty bad, he was discharged from the Marines and returned to work. In the meantime, I had been hired there and knew nothing of this "Michael" character except that he was super nice and helpful, according to the 40 something's women I worked with. I met him the day he came back to work and he worked along side of me. He was nice, had absolutely gorgeous eyes and was nicely built. He was very attractive. How come nobody had mentioned that part to me? Well, we started hanging out, mostly going to bars after work and stuff and then one day, we went to the movies just him and I. It was kinda weird, but I thought I was hot stuff cuz he chose to go to the movies with me not the other girls we worked with. In hindsight, he was really shy and he and I talked all the time because we worked side by side. It had nothing to do with me, it had to do with him not wanting to venture out of his comfort zone and anybody who knows me knows I am in no way shy.

March through June flew by and then July was here. Apparently, some time during that month we made a baby because toward the middle of August I started feeling really sick and thought I had the flu. I was talking to a friend of mine about my symptoms and she said, "you're pregnant, I knew it!" "Take a test, come over, I'll go get the test," all of this was said frantically and running together. It was 11:30 p.m. and I didn't feel good so I declined and told her I would take one tomorrow and let her know. I did and the second I peed on that stick it said I was pregnant, so naturally I thought it must have been wrong because nothing changes that quickly and Mike and I are still newly in this relationship thing. So I took 2 more, all pregnant. I had to tell Mike, my parents (who were going to kill me) and other people I didn't really want to tell. I told Mike first. He was scared and clueless and I would have loved to been able to hear what was going on in his head. Then I told my mom and asked her to tell my father because I was certain he really would kill me. My mom wasn't happy and she was definitely disappointed, but she tried to hide it well. I avoided my dad for days. If I knew he'd be home, I found somewhere else to be and if he wasn't, I went home then to shower and sleep. I don't know if I have been that afraid of him ever before in my life. I ran into him at my cousins house and he came outside. He hugged me and said I won't kill you if you promise me one thing, you won't marry him because you are pregnant. If you love him, marry him, if you don't, don't.

The time of pregnancy was long, much like this post, and we had our good and bad times. I changed my number in an effort for him to leave me alone. Girls, the hormones were going wild and people were telling him she wasn't his. And, he was believing them, what was I to do? Well, obviously we ended up getting back together because we are married today. Things came and went, we had a beautiful baby girl, we were engaged and in love. We got married April 2, 2005, Taylor was 11 1/2 months old. It was great, went by way too fast for all the planning we had done, but that's how it is.

In August of 2005, we bought a house and in November, he did the unthinkable. I kicked him out, I let him come back home and surprise, I'm pregnant with number two. We found out the day he came home. Welcome home? We went on to fix our relationship, I got into that horrible accident and now life is back to "normal" without being able to do too much because of my "piece of crap" knee, as it has come to be known as. We have had ups, downs, and in betweens, but I probably couldn't be any happier with anyone else right now. I love spending time as a family and as a couple. I hope we have many years together ahead of us. That is the story of Michael and myself in a very small nutshell.

Okay, now, my husband is into working out, the Cleveland Browns, Cavs, and Indians and he loves to watch Ohio State football. I have gotten him Cavs tickets two years that we have been together and his father got him tickets the year I was pregnant with Taylor so I think Cavs tickets would be predictable. I don't want to get him Browns tickets because then I'd have to go and not only am I not into NFL football, it's cold and I don't want to go and freeze to watch something that I didn't want to watch in the first place. Good luck getting Indians tickets and his b-day isn't until November anyways. I would love to get OSU - Michigan tickets, but they play in Michigan so more expenses and tickets start at $250. We are not made of money. We do not have that laying around to just get them. He wants a bowflex, but no for two reasons: 1) money and 2) we have nowhere to put it.

So, my question to you, What to get Mike for his birthday? Any suggestions would help a lot, so let me have it. Thanks!

It's Hannah's birthday!

This is the banner that hangs on her proud mama's blog:

Today is Hannah's 6th birthday. Hannah is the little girl from Life with Hannah and Lily who passed away in July. Her mom has asked that everyone dress in their most sparkly, fancy Hannah clothes today in her honor. I will post the pics of my kids' outfits on Monday, but in the meantime, I just wanted to say Happy Birthday Hannah! Although I have never met her or her family, you can tell through her mother's exquisite writing that she is truly a remarkable child!

Taylor started preschool

Taylor started preschool on Tuesday. She goes every Tuesday and Thursday and so far, she seems to like it. On Tuesday when we dropped her off, she broke my heart. There are about 14 kids in her class (3 teachers), but 10 of them go to the same church. Taylor doesn't happen to be in that group. She looked so sad and lonely standing there by herself. She is so shy that she won't introduce herself to anyone, but she said she did meet a little boy named Connor. Hopefully this will help her and she will become used to her new routine. She didn't cry at all though which really impressed me. On the first day she got to paint a big apple and she loves to paint so she was thrilled. She can also tell you apple starts with "a" and she knows how to spell her name. Before when you asked her to spell her name, she would say T-a-y and then a bunch of other letters that are not in her name. Now she can tell you T-a-y-l-o-r. I was pretty impressed. I'm not sure what she got to do today, one of the downfalls of working full time, but I'm sure I'll hear all about it if she'll talk to me on my lunch and if not at 5:30. I miss my girls so much when I'm at work, especially when I have really bad days like today, but I know I'm doing this for them to have a better life and we are doing the best we can. I just hope someday they understand that too.

We had a really busy weekend and like always every place we went I forgot my camera. I get so mad at myself about that. Saturday was my nephews birthday party. Nothing special just cake and ice cream and presents. It was nice because the kids all got to play together and then apparently Casia and Taylor didn't get enough of each other because Tay stayed at my sister's house. They had a really good time and she came home Sunday afternoon.

When Taylor got home, we went to Mike's grandma's for a picnic and some games. We played lasso golf and corn holes, which I suck at both but it was still fun. All the kids were running around and we ate way too much food. It was all so good you had to try a little of everything. Time went so fast while we were there and by the time I checked the time it was 8:30. That is Callee's normal bed time so no wonder why she was so fussy. We headed home to put two exhausted little girls to bed and an exhausted mommy followed not long after. It was overall a great day, but I was beat and I knew Monday was going to be just as bad.

Monday my sister and I took her two kids and Taylor to the Canfield fair. Mike had to help his sister move so he couldn't go and we knew Callee wouldn't get a nap if we took her so Mike's mom watched her for a couple hours. CJ, Casia, and Taylor rode every ride they could and ate a lot of food. They got to play this game and no matter what you won, so it was nice for them. They all had a really good time, but again after walking in the sun for hours I was completely exhausted and sun burned. It was a great end to a great summer and I can't wait until next time, except my baby will be 2 next summer...SCARY!!!

I hope everyone else had a great weekend and a wonderful week!

Taylor loves to pose, but at this point probably wished I would have put the camera down!

SEVEN!!!

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear CJ. Happy birthday to you.

Today is my nephew CJ's birthday and he is now 7 years old. I can remember when he was the cutest little chubby baby. Although he is still very cute, he is so far from chubby. I just wanted to say happy birthday CJ, B loves you!

I wanted to get a picture of Mr. Handsome this weekend but I of course forgot my camera at work. So here is one from this past halloween.