HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

We hope everyone has a safe, happy, healthy, and wealthy 2008!  I cannot believe how time flies.....2008, wow!

Anyways...Not too much new here.  I have been picking up a couple of shifts because we have been so flippin busy at work.  It is unbelievable!  I thought Derek would be the one who was going crazy with work but I feel like I am about to lose my mind.  It seems like every night I work it is wild....they have been teasing me that I am a Sh*t Magnet.  I beg to differ, I defer the blame to others.

For awhile there I lost my camera battery charger so I got just a few Christmas photos.  Christmas was great.  We had celebrated with my family in MN on the 15th and 16th.  It was great to hang out with everyone.  Then we had a quaint Christmas Eve dinner with the kids and opened our gifts to eachother.  I worked Christmas Eve night, so Santa left gifts in the basement "so the cat and dog couldn't get them" (or the chitlins).  When I got home we did Santa gifts and then off to East Moline to Derek's grandma's house.  We got there right at noon.  It was awesome to see Darren, who we haven't visited in awhile and everyone else.  Grandma Ruth is cute as a button and makes the best food.  Every time we leave we end up bringing home a couple of recipes.

The kids loved all their gifts.  Skyler got Butterscotch, the Fur Real Friends horse from Santa, Brett got a Smart Cycle and games, they both got Leapsters and games, Ayden got a rocking Zebra (that he absolutely loves...it is the bouncy fisher price one).  Derek got another autographed photo for his Packer apartment (as he calls it).  I got some Willow Tree angels....started the Nativity scene. 

All in all it wasn't about the gifts but about the fantastic company and all of our lovely family and friends.  We posted a new album, using the JAlbum software.  I am still not sure if I like the software.  It seems like you cannot see the entire album in order, that it skips around etc.  I have experimented with it for hours this time and cannot seem to get it down.  Also this last December 2007 album uploaded a couple of photos and made them blurry.  Maybe Colleen will have to call me and tell me what I am doing wrong.  I might try looking for some other software.  But of course that all takes time...So I hope you all enjoy the new album.

Not much to report on the kids....they are dying to go back to school.  Boppy is a big copy cat.  Brett says Skyler is "noyin him".  So he thinks it is all right to either punch her in the gut or face.  I tend to believe that no matter how "noyin" you are, punches are not a deserved punishment.  So Brett, or Derry as he wants to be called, and p.s. You can't call daddy Derry, Derry is only Bwett Bwett's name.....has been spending time in his room.  Skyler continues to be a great big help and she is my pretty, pretty princess.

We had our friends, the Hoyes over for New Years Eve and it was a blast, we fondued (as always) and spent many hours on the toys in the basement.

We love you and miss you all.....D, N, S, B, and A