Thursday, December 25, 2008

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

A blue moment...

I Absolutely LOVE Minnesota.... 90% of the time.

Right now, I'm having a 10% moment.  

I'm having a wee bit of a struggle, and I can't quite put my finger on it.  Don't worry, in the next few hours (maybe when I get a little sleep under my belt...), I will get up, brush off my knees, put the smile on my face, and be as happy as can be for the arrival of the big Christmas Day.  For right now, in this little private (okay, so now that I'm posting it on the blog, it's a not-so-private-anymore) moment, I need to be able to just be sad.  If you aren't in a 'I can take a little downer post once in a while' mood, feel free to exit blog now... consider yourself warned...

Maybe it's the fact that I really really, REALLY love extended family visits, and came a hairsbreath away from doing a semi-spontaneous cross country drive to surprise some family members over the New Years Week, and have just come face to face with the reality that it's not going to happen.   I guess I kinda hoped that with all of the little obstacles that came up along the way, we would some how still find a way to head out for some MUCH needed cousin/brother/sister/aunt/uncle/gramma/grampa together time.  I kept telling myself not to hold my breath, that it probably wouldn't happen, but when we made reservations tonight for a hotel stay... in the opposite direction... for a little mini-trip with the kids, the reality kinda slapped me in the face.

Don't get me wrong - nothing means more to me in this whole world than these 5 souls I am blessed to share a roof/bed/blood with.  When we go on a trip, it's just not the same if all members are not present and accounted for (part of why, in my mind, our last visit out west doesn't really 'count' as a full visit, since the kiddos weren't along for the ride...).  It's not that at all.

Maybe part of it is that there are so many unknowns in our life right now, with working on our little invention (if you don't already know about this, consider yourself blessed that you haven't had to endure the endless talks about it from my end!!) which is sucking way more energy/money/time then I originally bargained for.

Maybe part of it is that the gift we (meaning all 50 bagillion people on the Petersen side) spent so much time and effort putting together for Gramma and Grampa did not arrive in Argentina in time, and I can't seem to find a way to email it intact so that they can know that their family is thinking (and missing them terribly) about them on this day (there's something about having the perfect gift, ON the perfect day... as opposed to getting it 4 days later).  I'm so sad that I didn't get it in the mail earlier.

Maybe part of it is that we are buried in 3 feet of snice.  This may be a term unfamiliar to those of you not in the 'arctic zone' of the US - it is actually quite a common occurrence  here in tundraland.  Picture constantly falling snow in temperatures that literally freeze your face into whatever expression you were making the nanosecond before you walked out the door.  I'm not kidding about this, people - you try to fall back to make a snow angel here, and you get a concussion!  (okay, maybe not a full blown concussion... more like a baseball-sized goose egg)

Maybe part of it is that Nebraska and WyOming (Yes, Brian and Michelle, you will hear me wine about WyOming every single time we drive through your new-home-town state... I'm afraid your going to have to get used to it... just like Stewart and Shannon 'ever-so-lovingly' endure my whines about Nebraska, Right??!) are just WAY too long, and stand in the way of being able to make weekend trips out west.

Maybe my heart is just two sizes too small.  

Whatever the reason... I just need a little 'downer' time.  I'll bounce back.  Life will go on.  There will be other visits out west.  There will be other great gifts (that I will send on time!).  There will be great memories made and laughs had.  I know that.  Going through the sad 10% will just make the 90% that much sweeter when I get back there :).

For now... well, I'm going to bed.  Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good/better/best night (wherever your happiness barometer happens to be at the moment :)  ).

Monday, December 22, 2008

... And Mom and Dad can hardly wait for school to start again...

I didn't get this song when I was little...



I get it now.... :)


Here's to a Very Merry (and hopefully not too many kids-bouncing-off-the-walls-because-they-can't-go-outside-in-sub-zero-weather moments in your household...) Christmas!!



P.S.  Yes, mom, you have once again risen to mommy-saint-hood status in my book - 7 kids?!  Wow - you are truly a miracle worker!!

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Yes, Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus

Thank you so much, Santa, you truly are Heaven Sent!!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Mommy, I have poopies....

Is NOT, I repeat, NOT a good sign when your son is no where near a bathroom... and no longer in a diaper... and standing with his legs wide (picture cowboy stance)... in the middle of a white carpet room... 

... I must say, there a a LOT of things I am going to miss terribly when our children get older (snuggles, kisses, general little kid-fun-times just to mention a few!!).   Cleaning up nasty, squishy, stinky poop piles:  NOT one of those things!

And on that note... Happy Holidays!!  Have a good last week before Christmas!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Public Service Announcement...

    If any of you know anyone contemplating marriage, and they say to you, "Hey, I think 7 days before Christmas would be a great time to get married!"  PLEASE, calmly walk up to them and sweetly say, "This is from Jen," then give them an ever-so-friendly slap upside the head.
    Please.
    Okay that's all.  I'm off to figure out what to stress over more, Christmas or Anniversary.  

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Let it go, Let it go, Let it go...

... is my mantra this season.  I am letting the kids have full reign of the decorations.  We will not be earning any Good Housekeeping awards but the memories have been priceless.  

   Here is a brief example...

Here is the 'example' picture on the box:



... and here is the kids interpretation...

This is actually a pretty good representation of what our actual tree looks like... :)
So here you have it:  Christmas  interpretations from the Brewer Babes :)
Eat your heart out, Martha Stewart :)

Monday, December 1, 2008

Our Christmas Candy Countdowns!

In an effort to stave off the inevitable struggle to get the daily countdown candy pulled off first, and deal with many-a-fight that I just don't have the patience for right now, each of the kids got to make their very own Christmas countdown...

They even got to start today and eat one of their countdowns...

and after tasting day 1, Sarah realized that she doesn't like the flavor...
... that she chose for the next TEN days...

May your holiday Season be merry and bright (and may the next 10 days sail by to get to the 'good candy' for Sarah's benefit ;)  ).