Timber!!!!!

And it's down! The tree, that is. Well, actually it is back up now, but it was down. Fully decorated and boom - on the floor. It started out much less auspiciously...

This year we decided to go to one of those cut-your-own Christmas tree lots. It was very fun. Jordan was sick, so she couldn't go, but the rest of us bundled up to search for the perfect tree. We were very cold, but that did not stop us from meticulously walking up and down every row of trees among the 86 acres to find the tree that was meant to be ours. We immediately set out for the biggies (since we have ceilings open to the second story) knowing that we wanted a tall tree. It's funny how they don't look all that big in the forest. Our first indication that we had selected a "really big one" was that Bryan and I together had a difficult time dragging the thing to the ailse where the wagon would pick us up. Actually, now that I am thinking about it, we should have known when the hand saw was taking forever to cut through the trunk. At any rate, once we climbed on the wagon, our tree precariously teetering on the edge, the customers around started making comments, specifically, "Wow, that's a big one!" The owners of the farm said they would not be able to "shake and wrap" the tree as it was so large. Nevertheless, it was our tree and it was perfect.

Once we got it home, we realized that our meager tree stand was no match for our glorious tree. Since we were in the middle of a major winter storm (that gave us six inches of snow that has not only not melted, but has now grown to about 10 due to more snow) we couldn't get the tree stand that night. We went to Home Depot (the only store in Sheboygan) and purchased the largest stand they had. Once home, we managed to get the tree in the stand (don't ask me how!) and filled it with water. We noticed that it was leaning a little, so we even weighted it down on one side. On to the decorating.

Wouldn't you know it, we had no ladder tall enough to decorate the darn thing! Off to Home Depot again. Largest reasonably priced ladder purchased. Still not tall enough, but we decided to make do. Morgan and I did all the decorating of the tree. We used 20 strands of lights, had to climb on the bookshelf, incorporated some incredible acrobatic team-work, but we did it. It took us 3 hours, and the tree was magnificent (if I do say so myself). Even Jordan who is usually negative about everything said how pretty it was. We enjoyed our beautiful creation for just 2 days before it all came crashing down. Literally.

The story from here on out is typical. I am sure that many of you have had this experience. The mess, the broken ornaments, and a party in 3 days...and of course it happened at 9:30 at night! Long story short, we ended up bungeeing the tree to the bookshelf! The good news is that you can't see the bungee, so the tree will look nice for the party. The bad news is that I still haven't "fixed" the tree (lights and ornaments) and the party is in 2 days! So maybe it won't be pretty for the party after all! I was going to take pictures of the tree per my mom and Sandy's request, but it just doesn't look the same, so forget that!

All I can say is that this Clark Griswold moment has been way too much work!! But anyone getting gifts from me, no worries, no presents were harmed in the incident!!

So I turned 31...

And nobody noticed!!

I always knew that getting older meant birthdays became, to quote my dad, "Just another day." But I have been spoiled. Living near my parents always meant some sort of "party". Mom would either make a meal that I requested and bake me a cake, or else we would go out to eat at the restaurant of my choice. Then, there would be the gathering with my friends. This usually involved heavy drinking, hence making me think I was still a young chick (until the hangover the next day when I knew I was no longer 21). I got presents - from the girls (who went shopping for me with their dad), from my parents, and from Mindy. Yeah, birthdays were good. (Even last year when I turned 30, my friends and I had a "Sex in the City" night out on the town. I wasn't even depressed!)

But it wasn't to be this year. Now, I know that I have voluntarily removed myself from my family and friends, but I never realized how true the statement "Out of sight, out of mind" really was. This year, I got nothin'. Not kidding. Ok, my best friend called me and sang happy birthday, but she was the one who was drunk. Something was unfair about that. Bryan and Morgan told me happy birthday. Jordan (aka space cadet) hadn't a clue and never caught on. Not one member of my family called. I had talked to Mindy over the weekend and she was the one who even reminded me that I had a birthday coming up, so she has no excuse for "forgetting." Mom sent an email that said, "We just talked yesterday, so I won't call you. Happy Birthday!" And that's it. I cooked dinner. Morgan cleaned up the dishes, at least. No fancy restaraunt. No cake (or candles) of any kind. And no presents. Let me repeat, no presents. I really am old!

To be fair, Bryan did buy me this beautiful jewelry armoir, but he was too excited to wait to give it to me, so he told me about it before it was ever even delivered. And my mom did do a beautiful job in my crop room (which I have used many times since it has been in order), but I still had nothing to open on my birthday. No friends to celebrate with. No family who remembered and called. How depressing!

So, dad, I realize now that birthdays are just another day! (I think next year I will take the day off work and drink cosmos.)

Can you still pray to the saints if you don't go to mass every Sunday?

My mom would disagree, but I happen to be a very organized person. At work, my desk is clean and clear, everything is in it's place, and I never go home without putting everything away. The same rings true for my house - everything has a home, and for the most part, it stays there. On the other hand, Bryan is not an organized person. He will tell you that he is, and that he knows where everything is should he need it. His office looks like a tornado hit it. He has miscellaneous papers everywhere. His desk is littered with coke bottles and file folders. He has his office decorated, but that too is unorganized.

So it may come as no surprise that he has lost something major. The sad part is that he lost it at home. (You may remember that my house is very organized.) The sadder part is that he lost it because after 2 vodka and cranberry juices he was too drunk to even remember losing it!!

Here's the story: we had to return our grill to Home Depot because we were not able to convert it from propane to Natural Gas. Naturally, HD gave us an in-store credit. Not wanting to make a decision on which grill to replace the other with at the moment, we simply kept the card and went home. The girls had a math meet, so it was a rare opportunity that Bryan and i had some time alone. We decided to make dinner and enjoy a couple of drinks by our fire pit on the patio. We had a great time. The next day Bryan asked if I would come to Home Depot with him to look at grills. I said fine. (Actually I bitched and moaned about the fact that that is how wanted me to spend my Friday night.) And that leads us to the interesting part of the story. Bryan begins looking for the card. I don't realize that is what he is doing, I think he is just farting around and if I have to spend my Friday night looking for grills, than I at least want to get on with it. I ask what is taking so long and he says, "I can't find the card." I tell him that it is on my table next to my chair in the family room and he says, "No it isn't. Last night I put it in one of the kitchen drawers." I'm like, what?? Why would you do that?? So Bryan launches into this diatribe about how in his "drunken stupor" he thought it would be better to hide the cards rather than leave them sitting out on the table so no one would steal them. OK - there are so many things wrong with this statement, but I'll stick to the one that's the most obvious. WE LIVE IN HOWARDS GROVE, WI!!!!!! Let me assure you that in the town that you can completely drive from one end to the other in less than a minute, you are in no real danger of getting robbed. The most exciting thing that happens in our town is when Piggly Wiggly has a sale on ground beef. And did I mention that Bryan has secured our home with an alarm system that encompasses every door and every window?? So can you see why I was mystified?

And thus begins the search. And by search I mean the systematic removal of every item in my kitchen in the hopes that we would uncover the cards. Of course, the whole time I am asking Bryan, how can you not remember where you put them? All he can recall is that he put them in a drawer. So let's cut to the chase. I was perfect wife not giving him any grief. He was obsessed and seriously could not sleep because he was thinkning about the card (and his loss of a grill if it cannot be recovered). Bryan contacts Home Depot who tells him that they not only will not, but cannot replace a lost or stolen gift card. Round and round we go, more searching. Finally I tell him to pray to St. Anthony (the patron saint of lost things). Bryan, being Southern Baptist, has no belief in saints. So I pray for him. He goes to shower. Next thing I know, he is shouting ,"I found them!!" They were in a drawer, all right. His underwear drawer!! He has absolutely no recollection of putting them there.

Lessons learned: Bryan is a total light weight when it comes to drinking, I am the perfect wife, and yes, you can still pray to the saints if you don't go to mass every Sunday!

And more...

More Pics

Is moving ever truly done???

I have been waiting to send out photos of my new house until it was all finished. I realize now that is impossible! Although we have completely unpacked and put everything away, I still have some decorating to do. It includes buying some new things, so that could take a while! At any rate, everyone is begging for pictures, so here it is, all "finished"! (Also note that any area that the girls are responsible for is already trashed! The house is too big for me to freak out about every detail, so I will just have to stay on the main floor to avoid seeing their crap!)

And to think that once I refused to check emails!

It's true - when I was teaching, I flat out told my forward thinking principle that I would not be using email. And now I have entered the world of blogging! Seriously, I am doing this because I love to read my mom's, Mindy's, and Aunt Jeanne's blogs. It is a good way to at least feel like you know what's going on...And they can be so hilarious!

So, for my first blog, here's the rundown:
The house is finally finished and we are almost completely moved in! I am still putting on the finishing touches, but they are all decorating related, not unpacking related.

The girls are doing great. Jordan is miss social butterfly here in WI. True to form she has already used her one fake sick this year. She has taken a liking ot makeup and primping (I guess it's the age). She even gets decked out to go to the dollar store! (Dad would be so proud!)

Morgan is going for perfect attendance and straight A's. I think she will attain both! She is busy with basketball season and her friends. So far so good...

Brantley is loving Kindergarten. She has already managed to become the teacher's pet. She gets to be first in the lunch line EVERY DAY! (And you know that is big for a Kindergartener!)

Bryan and I have managed to go through most of life's major stressors and still come out alive (albeit a little bruised, but alive!): Getting Married, Moving to the North Pole, Starting New Jobs, Building a House, and did I mention Moving? We said if we could handle all this, we were set for good!

So that's us in a nutshell. I will try to update my blog regularly to keep you all up to date and to hopefully entertain a bit as well. Until the next time...