i've finally updated our schooling blog if you're interested. :)

i know i should change the "summery" masthead to a lovely winter-wonderland picture. but honestly, that would tip the scales to "too much snow" for me. we have over a foot of snow out there, and the weather forecast shows more snow to fall. and more. and even more. it's just not going to give up this winter. our country roads are covered, even our highways are white. i would not call this "wonderland" when it feels more like "entrapment."

today we watched some home video from our trip to cedar point this summer. we were all in shorts and t-shirts and looking sweaty and uncomfortable. and man did it look fun...sweaty foreheads and everything! i'll take the sweat over the icy toes, and digging the car out from under heavy snow any day of the year.

my latest copy of Wondertime came this week. and you know what was inside? a cd-rom from disney cruises. now, i'm not a fan of the disney logo. i dn't like disney movies or disney merchandise. i don't even like cruises (thank you, Titanic). but because they included a cd chock full of family fun including bathing suits and bright sunshine and cocktails with your mate on a deck in a january issue of a magazine, i'm hooked. i'm ready to fork over several thousands of dollars to go on a CRUISE (which will probably sink) with mickey mouse (who annoys me). now that's good marketing.

all because we're trapped under way too much snow.

so i'll keep the summertime beach photo on the blog for a while. maybe until Lent, which always starts out in the cold, dark days of winter, and ends when there is promise of warmth and new Life.

our post-christmas family "vacation" week was full of canceled plans. i keep refering to new year's as "last week" and am confused when i see that it was actually two weeks ago.

we had big plans for the new year's week: building projects (kenny), in-the-kitchen projects (both of us), sewing projects (me), trips to museums and libraries as a family, but mostly fun new year's eve AND new year's day plans with friends, and a dinner with more friends over the weekend.

instead, there was a lot of snuggling and soothing, sips of pedialyte and water, free dinners from my mom, trips to two different doctors and drug stores and no sleeping. i think we need to bomb the house clear of the germs. after all is said and done (i'm pretty sure we're all healthy now!), the stomach virus visited all but one of us, but two of us are on antibiotics for an ear infection (sawyer) and bronchitis (me).

at least this week, we're back to our normal life.

i could have handled said illnesses with more grace. i tend to get a little emotional when i get sick, but it was a rough week. for several nights over a two-week period, we've been awakened by a different illness in a different kid. we were overly exhausted, so to cancel all of our fun holiday-vacation plans was a little overwhelming to me. i struggle with feelings of isolation out here. i've been successful filling in the void by running errands with the boys and schooling them is certainly keeping me busy. but i live for social interaction now more than ever. and adult social interaction just doesn't happen as much for me since we've moved.

i've been putting the first week of the new year into perspective a lot, thankful that the illnesses didn't happen all last week when my side of the family joined us for 5 days over christmas; thankful that the illnesses didn't happen the week that we were staining our floors and we were staying at my parents' house across the street; thankful that these are merely minor and temporary illnesses; thankful that i've been well enough to soothe adam, who seems to prefer me when he's sick and makes some very loud protestations when i'm not there to cuddle him; thankful for my parents who continued to offer help (and i wouldn't let them come over to help because last time that happened, we made them sick!) and sent two dinners over, and ran to the grocery store for us a few times; thankful that we're not really isolated when we enjoy hanging out together as a family any way; thankful that adam successfully learned how to be sick in a bucket and not all over towels or clothes or the floor. for the most part, any way.

we've been back to normal since sunday...back to church, back to cooking, back to grocery shopping, back to normal laundry and cleaning. back to playing. it feels good to be normal again.

happy new year!