Signs of Spring

It has been a very long time since my last post, and I've been feeling bad about that. So, I thought I would share some recent pictures. Things that are a sure sign that spring is here (at least according to the calendar!). Someone might want to alert Mother Nature that we would never know by the weather!! We have had a few nice days, but they don't last, and the cold always returns. But these pictures warm my heart, and I hope they do yours too! Jacob recently lost his first tooth!! Well, at least the way you are supposed to! He had to have one pulled when he was 2 after a major tantrum, and a meeting between his mouth and the corner of a cedar chest. He's SO excited about his latest "Big Kid" experience! Katie lost her first tooth around the same time last year. She also had one loose when Jacob's came out, so we've had a couple visits from the Tooth Fairy this month. Katie is showing off her face painting. We spent an afternoon at the Putnam Museum over spring break. They were holding their annual "Eggstravaganza" event, and thanks to my old friend we were snuck in at the end for some leftover freebies, and fun. It pays to know people!! The week was cold and dreary, and spent mostly indoors, but we tried to make the most of it. Easter came and went, and was sort of a blur. Since Patrick works so much this time of year, he's not around much, so the holiday sort of gets lost in the madness. I don't think the kids noticed though. Grandma & Grandpa Kay came over to help decorate eggs. We had a quiet morning at home, then met with the entire Parker clan for a big afternoon dinner. As of midnight tonight, there is officially one week left of tax season! YAY!! The days are dragging on and on. The kids and I miss Patrick like you wouldn't believe. His new job is keeping him very busy, and the added commute doesn't help. He has been great about calling to chat with them, and tries to call around bedtime every night. This seems to help. All in all, I think they all handle it quite well, and try to make the most of the time they do see him. Despite the cold, the flowers are blooming. And the darn squirrels are eating them almost as quickly as they bloom!! If anyone can offer some tips to keep them away, I'll take them!! My tulips and daffodils are popping out of the ground, and I would like to enjoy their blooms for the last year we live in this house. Plans for the new house are progressing. We hope to have a final decision about a builder by the end of the week. We both feel very good about one in particular. If all goes according to his plans, we will break ground before the end of the month, and will be done in approx. 120 days! This should get us in the house right around the time school starts in the fall, which would be perfect!! I know I have not been very good about keeping in touch with anyone lately! I want to apologize to anyone I may have upset by that. Being a "single mom" during tax season is hard enough, and with three kids, plans for moving and a new house, and all the other stresses of life, I've kind of let some things go. This picture of Emily kind of sums up how I feel most days!! She loves to sit in these big buckets where we keep their stuffed animals. She plays, reads books to her "friends", sings songs, and just passes the mornings away. Whenever I come to the door I get a sassy grin and a "get-outta-here" followed by a silly little giggle. Well, I hope I didn't leave out anything too important!! I'm signing off for now. Time to head to bed so I can start this all again tomorrow. Take care, everyone!! HAPPY SPRING!!!!

Wacky Weather!!

What's up with this CRAZY weather? Seems to be the norm this year! Yesterday afternoon we got over 6 inches of snow in just a few hours. Currently, it is 34 degrees and we are experiencing rain, thunder, and lightning! huh?!?! And the forecast is calling for more snow tonight! I am SO ready for spring!!! Late start for Katie today, and Jacob's preschool was cancelled. Time to get them all dressed and ready to go. You do have to love sleeping in on a Monday!!

Arctic Cold!!!

BRRRRRRRRR!!! It is almost 10am, and the current temp in Eldridge is -12! We are under a wind chill warning, as the wind chills will be 30-35 below today!! Good day to stay indoors, that's for sure!! A dear friend of mine was so kind to call me and tell me she was going to pick up Katie to take her to school. She saw no reason for me to drag Jacob & Emily out. God Bless Her!!!! Wonder who I can talk into bringing her home?? LOL Plans for the house and moving are kind of crawling along. We have met with one builder so far, and have plans to meet with at least 2 or 3 more. We are about to make an offer on a lot we found. It's 1.3 acres, and in a small subdivision on the north end of Clinton. There are several families with young children in the neighborhood, which would be wonderful!! It's all a bit overwhelming. I stumbled across a cool website last week. I have a really hard time finding jeans that fit well, so this site was a dream come true! After answering a few simple questions, it searches tons of brands and styles to find what would be the best fit for you. The site is www.zafu.com. They claim to have a 94% success rate. One of the styles that was on "My" list is a pair I already own, that honestly fits quite well. I plan to try to find some of the others to see how accurate it really is. On a sad note, I will not be able to go to my local Eddie Bauer to try on the reccommended style from their store. :( Both Quad City locations closed this week, leaving me to shop only thru catalog and internet with them. Boo,hoo for the Parker's who love that store!! Anyway, even just for fun, you've got to check this site out. I thought it was very interesting! That's all for today. Stay warm, friends!!!

Happy New Year!

Wow, has it really been an entire month since I have posted an update!! A LOT has happened in the last 31 days. Katie turned 7! Happy Birthday, my sweet girl! On the big day we went to dinner at her favorite restaurant, Texas Roadhouse (a.k.a. The Peanut Restaurant). Then went bowling the following afternoon. The next weekend we took 9 children ice skating at the QC Sports Center. Everyone had a great time, and we look forward to more ice time!! Katie's birthday, December 14th, also happened to be Patrick's final day at Doyle & Keenan. He wasted no time in starting his postition with Clifton Gunderson on Monday 12/17. While the commute is not much fun (especially with the Iowa winter weather we've been having), so far the job is treating him well. We had a chance to start meeting everyone that Friday at the office Christmas party. Of course the next week brought a visit from the famous man in the big red suit! He disappointed no one! Katie got the Littlest Pet Shop set she asked for, and the Operation game. Jacob got the Hotwheels playsets he wanted. And Emily's one wish, a "purple baby Georgia", was granted! All she wanted was a new baby doll, dressed in purple, that she named Georgia (after my friend Betsy's dog!). Oodles of other presents were piled under the tree from us, and they have been having a ball with everything. Our plans to move to Clinton are speeding along! Once the holidays were over, we started getting more serious in our search for a house, and a place to build. We visited several open houses last weekend to get some ideas, and found a house that we fell in love with. We are 99% sure this is the house we want, with a few minor modifications. Now the search for a lot continues. We have a few options on the table, and are researching schools, etc. to help us finalize our decision. We have high hopes of trying to get this project completed before the next school year begins. Last week our baby boy turned 5!! Happy Birthday to you, my sweet Bubby!! He chose The Machine Shed for his dinner, and next weekend we'll be taking several of his friends to Jungle Bungle for pizza and playing. I hope the new year is kind to all of you! It is certainly going to be an adventurous year for our family! We hope to know more about the house in the next couple weeks. I will try to keep updating as much as possible!

Long, but worth reading!!

My, how time does fly! We have had a CRAZY month here at the Parker house. I'm not even sure where to start!! I guess I'll just pick up where I left off. The second weekend in November was all about me! :) I was able to attend an all day scrapbooking event with my good friend, Jen. We had a fabulous day! 14 hours of non-stop scrapbooking!! Ok, we did take a few meal & snack breaks. But that's all part of the fun. I got a great start on a book I'm doing about our cruise this past summer. Most of all, it was a wonderful day spent with friends I adore, doing something we all love! The next weekend was a busy one! I drove Katie to North Liberty for the birthday party of a dear friend. They took the kids to a pizza place where they each got to make their own pizza. A great time was had by all. Then we rushed home so that Patrick and I could attend the annual QC Symphony Holiday Pops Concert! If you live in the area, and you have never been, please make a note of trying to go!! It is always the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and it was amazing! I'm hoping that next year we can take the kids. The symphony plays, the choirs sing, and the ice skaters delight everyone! A great way to get into the spirit of the season. The next week, of course, was Turkey Day! We spent the afternoon with my parents and Patrick's family. We all ate way too much, but thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We typically attend the Festival of Trees that night, but the kids had been fighting colds, and Emily was exhausted. So we postponed that until Sunday. They were all enthralled by the beautiful lights, and the holiday spirit. Each one took a turn on Santa's lap. Emily delighted everyone by jumping right up on his lap, snuggling in and requesting a new baby doll that she intends to name "Georgia". On Friday 11/30, one of Patrick's lifelong dreams came true. We are now the owners of 13+ acres north of Grand Mound, Iowa. The property is mostly timber, and there is much evidence of deer and other animals residing on there. He and his dad spent much of the blustery, cold weekend hunting. Sadly, they came home empty handed, but they have not given up hope! They will keep trying!! This past Sunday, Patrick and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary. I'm not sure where the time has gone, but we are blessed that they have been a happy & healthy dozen years! We spent a quiet day at home with the kids until it was time to head out in an ice storm to take them to the Disney on Ice performance of Finding Nemo! The expressions on their little faces were priceless! Emily is still glowing about it, and asks every day if we are going to visit Nemo again. Jacob is spending his days counting down to Christmas. He cannot wait for Santa to come! And, while Katie is also excited about the holiday, she is even more anxious about her upcoming birthday. My baby girl will be SEVEN this Friday! We're taking the kids out to try bowling for the first time. The following weekend she will be having an ice skating party with her friends. And finally, our BIG announcement. NO, we are NOT having another baby! LOL Patrick was recently approached by another firm to join them as a tax partner. The offer was too good to refuse, and he has accepted. Sometime in the coming months he will be leaving his current position, and going on to his new job at Clifton Gunderson in Clinton, IA. Because of the distance to his new office, we have decided that we will be moving. We do not know when, exactly, but it will most likely be next summer. I want Katie and Jacob to finish out the school year in their current schools. This will also give us time to find a lot and choose a house plan, as we intend to build a home there. We are certainly nervous, but definitely excited about this new opportunity!! I will keep you posted as we know more. In closing, I wish you all a VERY merry holiday season!! Be safe, and enjoy all the season has to offer!