Nov 11, 06

How's the house coming? It is. Some days it feels like it's moving along faster than others - and then there are also days that it seems we'll never really live in this house! LOL Brandon came home last night and said he has all but the great-room windows installed! That's amazing! I can't wait to see it. I didn't dare drive my toboggan, err, I mean van out there Thurs or Fri b/c it had snowed and needless to say, we don't do snow so well. Not sure what we'll do when we LIVE there...I'm all for hunkering down until the spring thaw, but I'm betting other family members will opt to socialize! The nerve!

Anyhoo - here's a pic from a couple of weeks ago. Now you have to imagine white windows in those holes! LOL For a size reference, that's Brandon on the bay window roof...squint, he's there, I promise!

Besides the house stuff, we're doing well. Joseph managed to stay off anything worse than a cold! Thank goodness! The kids are still loving school in DP. The drive is...well, it's an 1.5hr drive every morning at 7:30 - not something I would recommend! LOL But it's not the worst thing that could happen to us. The news the other night said that a kid had been expelled from the school Jason WOULD have been attending if we'd stayed in this district because he had created a hit list/death list - NICE! So I'll stop complaining about my morning commute!

Tis the season...

Joseph has come down with another cold. I'm not overly worried about it becoming anything more than a cold just yet. I called the doc's office yesterday and asked the nurse how much of an OTC cough/runny nose medicine I should give him (I hate that they all say "Under 2 years, consult your doctor). Anyhoo, she wouldn't tell me!! She said I had to bring Joseph in to be seen. I was LIVID. When I got to the office I had a different nurse sign us in and when she asked what Joseph needed to be seen for, I said, "Nothing, he just needs cough medicine." LOL

When the doctor came in I said the same thing - I think it went something like, "Before you look at him and tell me it's 'just a cold', I want you to know I didn't call to make an appointment, I just needed to know how much medicine to give him!" We both laughed and then she said, "Really? You didn't want to come in?" Then that sparked a conversation about how their office needs to correct that procedure asap! It costs money to drive in, some ppl pay a co-pay for every visit, you expose your child to other germs in the office when you come in, etc. If a mom doesn't think her child needs anything more than cough medicine, she should be given the option to come in - but regardless of what she decides to do, she should get the information she specifically called for! Ahhhhh! Validation is so nice once in a while! LOL

So, now we're home w/ Dimatapp and a conversion chart so I know how much to give the kids who are 2 and under in our house! LOL I so love my ped's office. Dr. Olson is amazing and luckily for us, we like his partner Suzy too!! It's not very often that I can stomach anyone but my own doctor!!

Amelia

Madilyn gave a little oral report on Amelia Erhart at school yesterday. She was so excited to do this assignment. She must get her public speaking courage from her dad - heaven knows I would have thrown up, wet myself and possibly broken my own leg to keep from having to do this assignment when I was her age!!
She did a fabulous job. Her costume was GREAT! Grandma Janet made the flight hat, the jacket is mom's, the glasses belonged to Grandpa Gary's GREAT uncle...it was very impressive.

October 28

I am so glad this day is over. I love that our church has an annual Halloween party for the kids/families. Our kids enjoy it. We don't have to go door to door on the actual Halloween day. That's great - but I HATE the huge crowd! This was, however, the most enjoyable year for me. We did trunk or treating and the weather was surprisingly warm. Not shorts and t-shirt warm, but it wasn't snowing/raining like it has in years past! LOL

Here are my kiddos in age order. My sister has some very very cute pictures of Joseph in an Old Navy chicken costume that I'll post when she sends to me. We took him in Blue's Clues tonight because the chicken costume was too hot for my chub-a-luba!!

October 27

Took a few snapshots of some of the kids last night. They are such cheeseballs! I hate it when they see the camera come out and get all goofy! LOL

Here's Megan, being a pirate I guess! ha!

Jaynie with a nice boog-spaghetti combo going on! Ewww!

Malorie, who really does smile like this!
When she looked at the picture on the camera she wanted to take another one with her eyes "a little bit opener"...and this is what we got - MUCH better! ha

And just for fun - here Megan's handy work with the camera. Mom and the girlies!

Keeping in touch -

What are the odds that I'll really keep this up? LOL I've realized though, that we have several good friends and dear family members who don't live close enough to us to really keep up with our goings on. Since I'm so sure they are all dying to know what we're up to, I thought I'd create, and attempt to upkeep, a "famiLee" blog for them.

Of course I don't have anything of interest to share at the moment. I'll try to get a few pictures of the kids and the house in the next day or so to post.

Rest assured that we are all doing well. The kids are happy and healthy (knock on wood). School is going great. The house is coming along. Life is very good!


Just for fun, here is a picture we took a couple of weeks ago while we were roofing the house. Gives some idea of how mammoth this thing is!! I think there are a couple of Brandon's brothers, Justin & James, and their uncle Bruce...my nephew Shane, and our friend Mike Wilhelm. It was just nauseating watching them walk around up there, but it's done!! We've been so lucky and blessed to have such wonderful weather...this is very much NOT the norm for this time of year!