A tale of the incredible shrinking family....

It seems to me that every year our family gets smaller and smaller at Christmas time. Either some one passes, or some one gets a divorce, or goes somewhere else for dinner. I am thinking back to the good ol' days when Mom started the tradition of everyone gathering at our house at Christmas Eve for a BIG dinner. After dinner, we would all help clean up, then exchange gifts, then mingle and listen to Christmas songs. By the time everyone finally went home, it was midnight. Mom, Dad and I spent weeks preparing for this event. Mom did all the cooking and baking, and dad and I decorated in and out! Granted, there was always fighting and bickering, but it was priceless. My sister would always come over and help Mom bake. I remember the year my dad was laid off work, and we didn't have a whole lot of money, she baked one thousand nut-rolls for some lady in Florida and had them shipped there. She was amazing. Still is! There are so many memories of Christmas's that I could sit here for hours reminicing,(and probably bore you to death). But now, since my Grandparents, and sister and brother-in-law passed, and my brother and one niece will not be here this year, they are both in jail and will be together!!??? My other niece is married and has her new family to tend to. My sister-in-law (who has always been like a sister to me) divorced my brother after way too many years of abuse and alcohol and drug use, will not be here either. It's so sad to think that just four years ago, my family was all together sitting around my dining room table on Christmas Eve saying "Grace" before a wonderful meal. This year, it's just me, my mom, dad and my little brood. I guess that's what they mean by when they say, "You start your own traditions". Because it's a something I never want to forget and something I want to carry over to my son and daughter. So Mom, I promise: Every Christmas Eve, no matter what, I will put dinner on my table for my family, in dedication of you and all those years you gave to us... Thank you for thise wonder ful memories... I love you! Shannon

Not already!!!!!!!!

Are you kidding me???? The flu???? I have been hit with the influenza flu bug on Friday the 13th!!! I am probably the biggest germophobe ever! There are signs in my house that say please wash your hands to help keep the H1N1 out of our home and away from our kids! I wash the buggy down when I go to Wal Mart and myself! When I walk throught the door, I scrub my hands. Where the HELL did I get the flu??? Hey, just so my kids don't get it, I will take it ten times. Wel, I feel much, much better today and I have my house that fell down around me. So, I need to get caught up on that. So, my fellow readers...talk at ya later!

Never forget how lucky we are...

It's funny, the other night, my parents came over so my husband and I could go out for awhile. I needed to get out and away from the kids. I was going crazy. I felt like the walls were closing in on me. We went to dinner at a local Chinese restaraunt. As we were sitting there eating, a family of four came in and sat down beside us. They had two small boys. One was severely handicapped and in a wheelchair. He was so pitiful looking in broke my heart. I could barely take another bite of food. I felt so horrible for wanting to get away from my perfect, healthy, beautiful,smart kids! What's wrong with me? Dae assures me that it's perfectly normal for parent's to feel like that from time to time. Mind you, I go from two kids Mon- Thurs to four kids Fri-Sat-Sun. I NEVER-EVER get a break! Not that I want one. But sometimes I get envious of the neighbor's when I see them all decked out going for a night out on the town. But I would much rather spend the evening with the kids screaming and running around the house, messing everything up begging me to make them something to eat...ANYDAY! Thank you God for my children! Please continue to keep them happy and healthy. Which is and always has been my nuber one priority!

Housewives of OC !!!!

Tomorrow is the Premiere for my favorite show... Housewives of Orange County!!!! Yes!!!! Oh, I am as shallow as the show. I LOVE that show, don't quite know why, just love it! It's fake, stupid, bitchy, you name it, but I love it! I started watching it in the first season when my son was napping one day on a Saturday. They had a marathon. I watched it ALL DAY! I got hooked! I always said I am going to start a series called the Housewives of PA or C'Ville! Anyone who wants to sign up... call me!

Call me stupid

I finally did it! I finally figured out how to put a picture on my profile after about a year and a half of blogging. Am I a dumb-a$$ or what? And the only picture I could find is an old one that we look like a bunch of hill-rats that haven't took a bath in a week. Good Lord, we really do need to start taking more pictures of ourselves, or I need to start taking better care of myself. Both? Hey, when you have a houseful of kids, who the hell cares if your hair is in place? My husband says I look beautiful no matter what...God help him! I love that man!!!

The End of the Cursing

Well another milestone down. This time...MOM! I have to stop swearing...for good this time. Yeah, here and there Dave and I use our little cuss words in everyday sentences. "I'm gonna kick yer ass!" ,"What the hell?", "OH Sh#&!",and a few other little flubber's here and there that are sometime's "cute" when the kiddo's repeat. Well, today I was getting Abbie out of bed this morning and realized that my dear husband was messing around with the monitor (which really makes me mad), and she was screaming for a long period of time before I heard her. I must have used the F-word (not realizing it at the time), in a screaming brawl to my husband who wasn't even in the house, and when I came downstairs, My 4 1/2 year old repeated me WORD FOR WORD! YIKES! No more of that word! It really doesn't sound good coming out of a 4 year old's mouth, so I can imagine what it must sound like coming out of a 40 year old's! BLEH!

In Honor of my Husband

I know I don't often give my husband enough credit for anything he does...but he really is the greatest thing, EVER! He has to be the smartest person I have ever met. He recently went back to school to try to better our lives. If he isn't stressed out enough at home with four kids, and at work doing 15 peoples jobs everyday, he takes on school too. Granted it will take a few years, but it will be well worth it. He works so hard to do well, and does such a good job. He excels at everything he does, wether it's plumbing or nursing. I just wanted him to know how much I love and respect him and appreciate everything he is doing for our family. If I could only show him...