Finally back to blogging....Arriving in Seattle

I am finally back to blogging and have a lot to cram in, in the 3 days that are left of 2010....So, here goes the first of MANY posts: (Aaron just asked me why I had to get them all done when I still haven't finished the book for last year yet...I will and soon too!!! I am a little nervous to see how much it costs to print a year full of my ramblings and pictures....It is going to be a thick book...)
After 12 hours of traveling by car and plane we made it to SEATTLE!!! When we got off the plane and went down the escalator we thought we would see them immediately (like at the Charlotte airport), but we had to get on a subway...And when the doors opened we thought we would see them...but we had to go back up another escalator! The suspense was killing us!!!! When we got to the escalator I said look Jake their they are (up at the top waving). I got on the escalator before I realized Jake had made a last second decision to just run up the stairs next to it he was so excited. It was like in a movie...All the people on the escalator were pointing and "ahhhhing" and I watched the hugs that hadn't been able to happen for 10 months. It was awesome...

Jake enjoying Cinnabon...special occasions, call for special treats. :)
After hugs, kisses, and giggles we set up for our first shot...and Papa's phone rang. I had to snap the picture anyway to mark the memory. Dad always has to answer his phone. He is the guy in charge of all the mission cars and sometimes those calls are "we just got in an accident", or "the car broke down"...I thought it was a perfect picture to capture the moment. :)
Best friends reunited. :)
We got our bags and are ready to go and enjoy our 10 days in Washington with Nee and Papa on their mission!!!!

Surprised...No shocked is a better word...

...To describe Jake when he found out we were going to Seattle to see Nee and Papa. Mom sent a photo album that was empty except for the first few pages that said: Merry Christmas Jake (flip page), Here is an early Christmas present. You can use this album for the pictures you take (flip page), when you come out to Seattle to visit us. How about coming out really soon... (flip page), Like...Today! He read it out loud (Aaron took a video while I took pictures...Jake didn't seem to notice that he should have been dressed and out the door for school when Daddy gets home from work. He was to busy reading a book while eating breakfast), and when he was done reading he looked up and waited for an explanation. He thought it was a joke and when we told him it wasn't he had to take his glasses off and wipe the sweet tears from his eyes. I tried to get a picture of that but it was all blurry...But I got all the others.

The package:
Opening the package:
Excitement:
...And then back to "did I just read that right?":
And the shock is setting in...
It's starting to sink in...The page he is looking at is the print out of our ticket confirmation.
He was saying something when I snapped this picture, but it is so cute.
This one is after the tears...
This is after he realized it was really true.

Even on the way to the airport he was still asking us if we were really going because he thought it might be a joke. We joke a lot, but we would never joke about that!!!!

we are home...

our trip was AWESOME!...and we are tired...we are on seattle time, which means getting up @ 6:30 this morning felt like 3:30...lots of pic's to post, a tree to decorate, groceries to buy (jake ate tostito's and a granola bar in the car, on the way to school this morning), and sleep to catch up on...i will update after we are back on east coast time, i have everything ready for jake's holiday party @ school, and i have some more time....

The Countdown Is On!...And Thanksgiving....

It is time for me to finish packing, but what do I do? Blog...It all started when I went to clear the pictures off my camera so it would be ready to fill up in Seattle...And then I realized I never even mentioned our Thanksgiving! That could be because it was relatively uneventful. Tina and crew ended up sick and not able to come. We were bummed and they were bummed but they felt sick and we didn't want to too! We will see you guys soon!!! I had to work 9-2 on Thanksgiving. Aaron had to work 3rd the night before and the night of. It didn't really feel like Thanksgiving (weather wise, work wise, other people-less-ness...) except for the food...It was good food and my 2 favorite guys so it works for me! We took a couple of out of focus pictures to show that there actually was a Thanksgiving this year (where has this year gone????) and called it good.



And now back to packing and cleaning up the house...I did cross off a few things on my to do list...Crafts for class check. Teacher reaction-no surprise less than enthusiastic, I have come to expect nothing less! Oh well!! Check any way. (I won't even go into the details...) Christmas tree?...Nope. Picture-nope. Christmas card? Nope-and there isn't going to be one. We decided to do the pitiful(free) Christmas email and picture...That hasn't happened yet but will! Dad...The place with your hearing aid batteries changed their office hours...They are now closed on Thursday. Perfect!...because today is Thursday and we leave tomorrow!...I will get you some more when we get back and mail them to you...House clean? Check...in about 30 minutes...I need to do a quick (kind of...) run through. What happened since Tuesday night?

One More Thing!!! Jake wanted me to take a picture to document that he did the dishs on Tuesday. He did a lot to help me-mostly because I bribed him. I paid him $1 per room he helped clean. He made a grand total of $4! Usually I don't pay him-he just has to do it because I am the cleaning boss. He thought it was because I couldn't get it done with out him...shhhh! Don't tell him I could have, I just wanted him to have a little spending money is Seattle. I am a nice mom on occasion...But I won't be if I don't finish all I have to finish and get in bed soon!
Yiiiipppppeee! We leave tomorrow!!!!

WHAT?!?!

IT'S DECEMBER 1st???That means I have 2 days to:
1. Figure out how to pack 10 days worth of stuff into carry on bags (I am not paying $50 for a suitcase to travel with us to Seattle!)...all with out Jake knowing. And of course worry and wonder if we will one of the lucky (sarcasm) people at the airport that could be groped or looked at in the buff by the TSA at the airport. Yes, I remember 9/11. Yes, I believe in security checks, but this is RIDICULOUS!
2. Grocery shop for food Aaron can eat while we are gone that doesn't take long to prepare since he will be studying for exams, while trying to get some actual sleep in a quiet house. Also with out Jake knowing it....Which brand is your favorite for frozen pizza Aaron? I usually try to cook meals and freeze them but it is not happening this time...Sorry...
3. Make sure I have everything ready for the class Christmas party (I am the classroom mom for Jake's class), which includes figuring out and getting all the materials for 3 crafts for 28 kiddos (I am having parents chip in-that is a lot of kids and we are poor college students). Which means after I go to work and Jake goes to school we will be taking a trip to the closest craft store (close to 30 minutes) to figure out what those crafts are going to be...If you look up procrastination in the dictionary there will be a picture of me with a long To Do list in my hand.
4. Type up a letter to send all the parents in Jake's class to solicit money for a group gift for his teacher...and a couple of bucks to cover the crafts!
5. Work today and tomorrow...Which seriously cuts into the hours I have to do everything else...
6. Keep the house clean. We had a Primary presidency meeting at my house yesterday which worked perfectly for me! It forced me to make sure the house was clean while we were gone. And I bribed Jake with $1 per room to help me. We dusted, vacuumed and organized every room in the house. I don't usually pay him to help me, but I wanted to get it done in record time and I wanted him to have a little spending money for the trip....Which he still has no clue about!!! We will be taking lots of pictures of his reaction to finding out!
7. Add in a trip to the post office, bank, and....I am sure some where else? Oh yeah-I remember! To Target to print the pictures (we still have to take) for our Christmas letters. And of course typing and copying the letter that will be going with the picture...Then addressing and mailing the letters....
8. And last but not least decorate for Christmas! We haven't even put the tree up yet!!!...I think Jake maybe missing Cub Scouts tonight...He needs to go to bed early anyway to get ready for the 3 hour time change he doesn't even know it coming....
9. Nana I will be calling you today! Can you come up for a visit and go to Jake's Christmas feast on Wednesday 12/15? I will have to work I am sure and Aaron will be finishing his last exam!...I told Jake we wouldn't be able to go and he said "Let's call Nana!!!" I will call you! :)
Are there enough hours in the days to accomplish all this? There has to be... :) I can't wait!!!!!

Sometimes I rock. It's just who I am.

Two evenings of this....
...This being neglecting all house work to cut out coupons. I was a coupon clipping machine getting ready for an awesome Saturday of grocery shopping. Sadly, I am not being sarcastic. I LOVE to shop but when you are poor college students (again) the only shopping you do is for food and other necessities. You see as a Bi-Lo employee I got 10% off today. Plus, we double coupons up to 99 cents every day. Plus, turkeys are on sale and we price match, so I got it for 35 cents a pound. Plus, we have awesome sales because it is the weekend before Thanksgiving. Plus, we have double fuel perks this weekend. Plus, you get 10 cents (per gallon of gas keep in mind) on every turkey you buy (and I bought 2). Plus, Tina (my sis) and her family of 6 are coming down (YIIPPPPEEE!) for Thanksgiving and that triples the mouths to feed (they are chipping in on the groceries since our budget for a week of groceries is 50$)! So, I had fun figuring out how to make the mighty dollar stretch the furthest. And STRETCH it did people.


And neglecting all house work lead up to this...
This being what was left of the dishes, all rinsed and ready to be put through the dishwasher after the load that was in there was done...In my defense I did clean out the fridge too...

And all this work lead to this....


I rock. The total for two trips (In order to get the good price on the turkey, you could only buy one with a $35 purchase. We needed 2-one to deep fry and one to cook the old fashion way. I am sorry I don't do turkey gravy from a packet...So, I broke it up) was $317.97. Of which, I only paid $115.27. That is right, I SAVED $206.50. This included a $10 coupon that a sweet lady (that I hugged twice as I held back tears) gave me because she said she wouldn't be able to use it before it expired. :)

Is it wrong for me to want to stop giving credit to Santa?

I'm being serious. Give me your honest opinion. PLEASE! I am so very tempted to stop perpetuating the lie that is Santa Claus. Jake is 9. That's big kid age kind of right?...I had a conversation...Okay a text chat-lets face it people that is all I really have time for lately (what's that you say?..this is my second post of the day? I probably have more time than I think...Yes, you caught me...but this is my sanity people. See the rambling I am doing here? You should be inside my head!!!). I can have a conversation, while making dinner, and helping Jake finish his homework (WHY does it take so long for him to finish his homework?!?!?! That is a whole other post..)! Any way I told Elizabeth, I am seriously worried my child is going to leave on his mission fully believing there is a Santa Claus. He tells me all the time that people tell him Santa isn't real. He thinks they are dead wrong and feels bad for them that they have lost the ability to believe (thanks a lot Polar Express...Really I love the book, but Jake takes it as gospel truth). Jake asks me if he is real and what do I do? I LIE AND SAY YES! Why? Can I please stop lying and tell him the truth? You see Jake is at every single moment of the day pretending one thing or another. His imagination is AMAZING! I have seriously felt bad for other children who come to our house because they don't know how to play anything but the Wii. Again, that is a whole other topic, but do you see where I am going with this? Jake relates to the first line of the John Mayer song "Half of my Heart". It goes like this: "I was born in the arms of imaginary friends...". He told me while we were listening to it in the car one day-"Hey! That's just like me!" Lately, he claims to be part dog...I am starting to think he may actually believe it...I am making him sound like some weirdo, but he really is a cool kid. He is like Dr. Seuss, but if Dr. Seuss didn't like to write...(See what I mean about being in my head...). The point is his imagination is such that it some how makes sense to him, that even though it is impossible to fit all those gifts in his sled, Santa really can do it. OR WAIT A MINUTE!!! Is Jake bringing up things that Santa does that are impossible hoping I will just go a head and tell him it really isn't true?! Is he giving me an out to tell him the truth? I know you are probably thinking he's 9, give him time. But, in this economy and being poor students (again) I would love to take credit for the 3 (maybe 4 gifts) he is going to get this year! I want to shout from the roof tops: THERE IS NO SANTA!!! Sad isn't it? I love Christmas really, but I am sick of Santa. How pitiful am I that I am seriously considering telling him there is no Santa the next time he asks me? We tell him to tell the truth and then flat out lie about a fat guy coming down the chimney with gifts...ugh. I really am not Scrooge, but Santa isn't what Christmas is about any way...I never thought I would be the mom that wanted to crush the dream of Santa, but I would like to crush it like a bug...I guess I wish I could just make Jake little again so Santa was exciting and magical, not...I am just going to say it: annoying...
I think it is time to turn the attention to where it really should be on Christmas. The birth of our Savior, not Santa...