I have to clarify a statement in my last post. Brad read it and said, "thanks, hon, you made me sound like a pansy." I said, "what do you mean?" Then, I reread it, and saw what he meant. The comment about his "allergic attack" , does seem to make him sound like he could be faking or that he's wimpy or something, so I clarify: he really does have allergy attacks when he spends time in the basement, and he is a manly man who wants to help me as much as he can. I just choose to do a lot on my own, so that he doesn't have to get sick. Does that sound better? I hope so. I hope that you all are having a great day.....we're enjoying the beautiful snow here. I even opened all of the blinds today, which I never remember to do, so that I can see the snowfall. It lifts my spirits when I see that kind of beauty.

1950's Apartment -- Hooray!

Did I tell you all that we recently moved into our own apartment here after 6 months of crashing with the inlaws? Well, the day after Christmas we moved everything from our storage unit, our gigantic storage unit, into this apartment that is right next door to our nephew and his family. The biggest bonus feature of this apartment is the basement....why? Because we fit everything we still own (many items got left behind because they wouldn't fit in the UHaul) in the basement, eliminating the storage unit. Oh, how I missed basements while in NC! Needless to say, we spent most of our energy for a couple of weeks getting the rooms we live in organized and properly cleaned, and the basement has been neglected. Actually, we've spent many hours since those first weeks down there downsizing and combining, but it looks like we haven't done anything. Everytime Brad tries, he ends up in a state of "allergic attack", so I've been trying to take care of what I can manage without him. The piles multiply, it seems.....donate, trash, boxes to keep, boxes to trash, grown-out-of, can't-fit-in, don't-need-while-in-apartment, possible yardsale items, Christmas stuff, etc. And don't forget about the containers of teaching supplies I'm still holding onto -- children's books that my kids are too young for, flashcards, posters, borders for bulletin boards, organizers, and the list could go on. What brought on this rant? Well, I spent the kids' naptime in the basement today.....oh, how I needed a nap, too, since I couldn't fall asleep until around 1:30am or so, but then the baby woke up because of teething (those darned molars!), and I finally got to sleep just before 3:00 am. But "Supermoms" can't rest when there is work to be done, can we? (I exaggerate when referring to myself with that term.) There are days when I nap instead, but they are few and far between. I'm sure many of you can relate....

(oh, by the way, the picture above only shows SOME of the mess.)

Being back in WV has been wonderful for many reasons....family, mountains, seasons, etc. Recently we've been enjoying the winter snow. I guess we're expecting more for the rest of the week, which I'm sure will be beautiful. However, I never considered what kind of time and energy it would take to get a 4 year old and 1 year old ready to go outside -- when it's below 30 degrees, snow boots are required, (along with a pair of shoes to change into once we get to our destination), hats, gloves, diaper bag essentials, whatever toy Bethany wants to tote around for the day and her choice of purse, a blanket to cover the baby's legs because inevitably her pants legs will ride up when I carry her to the car, etc. Oh, and don't forget that before this, and sometimes during or after (because I forgot to do it in advance), I have to clean the snow and ice from all windows - as well as the top of the van because huge waves of snow will fall to the windshield while I drive if I neglect to do so, pry open the frozen sliding doors of the minivan, and start the car to get it heated. One day a week or two ago, the back doors froze, so I had to put Bethany between the front seats, hand Mallory to her and let big sister put baby sister into her carseat. I then proceeded to climb into the 12 inch space between the front seats, stand up inside the van ( bent over, of course) and try to buckle both of them. What a sight for anyone looking into any of the front windows! (Boy, do I miss having a garage!) But, I do have a sweet husband who tries to clean the van off for me before he goes to work if it snows during the night. But, I still love being here for every inch of the snow.....so far. (It's only January....2 more months of this, at least.)

The Beginning of Blogging.. for me, anyway!

So, I'm finally joining this decade and starting a blog. I promised somebody in North Carolina I'd do this when I moved so that they could keep up with me and my growing babies. So, here goes.....