A Very Vertigo Christmas

Christmas 2010 will go down as the Christmas filled with vertigo for me. I first got vertigo when I was pregnant. It has come and gone ever since and can be devastating for me. I also know that people have it much worse than me and I am thankful I am not one of those people.

 

 

This time it started the Thursday before Christmas, which was our last day of school before break. It came at about 9:00 in the morning. I know by now that if I don’t take medication immediately when I feel it come on, I won’t be able to catch it in time and then I start getting sick and I would be on my way home. The downside to taking the medication is that it makes me very tired. The medication helps with the spinning, not with the nausea. However, once the spinning stops, the nausea usually goes away after that.

 

 

I made it through the day and went to bed early that night!

 

 

Christmas Eve was spent at my mom and dad’s. Mike mom, Dave, sister, brother-in-law, and nephew join my family each Christmas Eve. It’s nice to be able to have both families together. We are spoiled that everyone gets along so well.

 

 

Christmas day was spent together, just the four of us! I love this. Not only can Santa come, but there is no rushing to get out of the house. The kids are able to play with their things, and no one gets out of their pajamas all day. It’s heavenly. We watched Harry Potter 4 because Noah finished the book and lounged around.

 

 

The kids opened their gifts from each other Christmas morning. Usually it’s the one present they get to open Christmas Eve, but we came home so late from my parent’s and we all went to bed, kind –of forgetting our tradition!

 

 

Connor got Noah a remote control helicopter and Noah got Connor walkie talkies and spy glasses. I love how Connor is more interested in watching Noah open the gift he got him than he is in his own gift! They enjoy buying for one another.

 

 

 

 

Limited edition DSI’s!

 

 

 

Noah and his new phiten necklace. Notice the hair horns.

Santa even came!

 Santa doesn’t wrap presents in out house. I bet that makes things easier for Santa.

 

  

Both boys got hats in their stockings. Santa knows that Noah likes Under Armour  and Connor was THRILLED when he saw so many Vikings wearing this very same hat on Tuesday night! He ran to get it and wore it the rest of the game while watching the screen for another siting of a player on the sideline wearing it.

 

 

 

We had a lot of fun playing with Noah’s new remote control toy. It’s always a crap-shoot buying this stuff. Most of the time it doesn’t work, or it’s way too hard for a kid maneuver, but not this one. It was easy to fly.

 

 

The plan was to have a steak dinner that night, but vertigo reared it’s ugly head in the afternoon and I spent a couple of hours in bed. We postponed the steak dinner until the following night.

 

 

Mike surprised me with a Nook under the tree! We don’t exchange Christmas gifts and I discovered this gift for me under the tree four days before Christmas. Needless to say my poor husband didn’t get a gift from me. He doesn’t care, but I wished I had noticed the gift sooner. I am excited to download some books once I have read the two I got as gifts from my mother-in-law. I am almost done with The Help and it’s such a great book. Vertigo slows me way down because I can’t read while I have it, otherwise it would be done. It’s a really good book.

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New Years Eve will be spent at our new neighbors with others from the hood! Should be a fun time. We usually see so little of each other in the winter so we are looking forward to seeing everyone. Plus, the kids can go back and forth from the party to home which will be nice.

 

 

We have been enjoying our lazy days of winter break. Kids have played a lot of video games, created and played numerous flag football games in the street, lunch with daddy, and mama has had a few play dates with her favorite friends. The boys have a sleep-over planned with Granny and Papa for Saturday so we will visit Mike’s friends this weekend and catch-up. Always good to see them.

 

The tree is down, decorations put away…..I guess 2011 can come any time! I made a promise to spend one day on work and I haven’t done it. With only three days left, it’s not looking good that I will keep that promise. I admit I am feeling a little guilty about this, but I am ready for the week back to work. I was just hoping to get a jump start on some upcoming things I am tackling for the first time this year.

Enjoy the weekend!

LB

Heide Ho Ho Ho

We enjoyed an early Christmas with my side of the family this past weekend. We have been celebrating early for years and that generally means everyone can make it.  The only member missing was my nephew Michael who is living in San Francisco. We changed it up and instead of a traditional turkey/ham we had lasagna. It was a nice change, dishes were done much quicker, and my kids ate like piglets. There were tons left over and my kids ate like piglets for a second time the next day. We watched Grumpy Old Men and Christmas Vacation. My kids got a video game that kept them enthralled much longer than I care to admit. Come….meet my family.

Here is my gorgeous mother. It’s because of her we all get spoiled and fed so well while we are there. Isn’t this a great picture of her? I just love it.

This is my dad and my sister Lisa.

 

 

 

 

This is Lisa’s boy Matthew. With him is Sarah. I am not quite sure what to call her, exactly. But we sure hope she’s around a long time.

 

 

 

 

 

This is Lisa’s youngest Mitchell. He’s all grown up and drove down himself, stayed overnight with my parents, and went back to Lakeville the next day. Cripes, it’s like he’s an adult or something.

 

 

 

 

My brother Rick and his wife Tracy. We used to live next door (yes, directly next door) to them for years. I miss that. My brother and I are almost exactly ten years apart.

 

 

 

 

 

This is Rick’s oldest Cameron. I apologize for the blurry picture. I have no idea what happened. And of course, because he was next to me, I didn’t take any other pictures of him.

 

 

 

My brother’s youngest, Calvin, and my other sister Carrie.

 

 

 

 

 

Carrie’s only child, Devon, and her husband Bud. Could they be more gorgeous?

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, my two wee ones…..

 

 

Again, my speed light was my best friend. Why this little piece of equipment decided to start working is beyond me. I swear I have tried it before and it never got shots like these. No editing on color at all was needed. I am using one of my old lenses (not my new one) and my parents downstairs is dark…I have never been able to get shots this decently down there ever. Love it!!

Hope you have a great week. School was out at noon today. We are getting hit with a huge storm again. Off to watch the Vikes play the Bears on the U of M field. Crazy!!

Love,

LB

Lego Heaven

The Heide Christmas took place this past Saturday. We had a great time eating, watching movies, and opening presents.

Of Course both boys were spoiled by Granny and Papa as usual………

 

Kids got Legos from my parents. They love them and worked hours this morning on them. They set up camp in front of the TV, watching their favorite morning cartoons, and creating their masterpieces. Makes for hours of peace and quiet for this mama.

Can’t post all the pictures from that day as I have to get ready for a fun filled afternoon and evening with my BFF Tammy and Paul! They are in town from Indiana and I have about 6 hours of Tammy Time today so I need to get ready!

A little sneak peek into the Heide Christmas until I get more time to post………..

Martha Stewart, eat your heart out.

Peace Out,

LB

Christmas Begins

A huge snowstorm that pounds us with over 15 inches, so much so that it collapses our football stadium? No biggie. Let’s watch it storm and have our first Christmas of the year!

We celebrated early with Mike’s family this year. It’s always easy and relaxing getting together now that the kids are older and naps, sippy cups, diapers, and bottles are a thing of the past. It was so relaxing in fact that we got there at 10:30 in the morning and didn’t leave until almost 8 that night! It was a little tough getting home (Mike says we wouldn’t have made it if we had still had the minivan) but we barreled our way through the unplowed streets and made it safely home! We were the only ones on the road, and it was evident why! Good thing we don’t live far from each other.

Cindy and Dave

We enjoyed snacks throughout the day and I probably drank a whole pot of yummy egg nog coffee. YUM! We decided it was so much easier to just snack all day than to sit for a whole meal. Good thing we went that route since we were there for basically three meals! We watched Christmas Vacation, opened presents, snacked, and lounged. Perfect conditions if you ask me.

We let the kids open first and they take turns going by age opening and oooo-ing and awwwing. If we didn’t do it this way we would never see what everyone got and it would be a disaster! After they are done, the kids head for downstairs and it’s the adults turn! Again, we take turns and slowly enjoy everyone’s new gifts. I got a couple of great books to read over break (including The Help), and a gorgeous scarf and tote from my favorite store, Ann Taylor Loft (tried to link to these items but they are sold old! Trust me, totally adorable)

Jake……it’s so hard to wait your turn to open!

Actually Jake might just be the most well-behaved 4 year old I know. He waited patiently each time, but doesn’t his face look like he’s in slight pain waiting?

Connor, very serious about his new paper guitar.

This little gem of a machine allows Connor to rock-out LOUDLY to numerous songs. Songs his father likes to listen to. Songs that make the mother cringe and cover her ears.

Noah and his new Twins sweatshirt. He hasn’t taken this thing off since receiving it.

Noah and Brock got the same sweatshirt and they both put them on. They looked like Twins…get it? Twins! Nevermind……

 

Mike and his new fish finder thingy.

Apparently this little number will just plop in the hole and point out all the big walleyes. Mike wanted to purchase this gift for himself about two weeks ago. I had to pretend to “forget” the coupon at home one night when we met him at Perkins for supper. Yeah, didn’t go over well. But, it was worth him being annoyed with me.

Peyton and Macy. So fun to buy girly things for them each year.

I had fun going to the GIRL section of various stores shopping for these two!

Cousins

We hardly see the boys when we get together. They are off playing and being boys. Zach, Noah, and Macy will all be at my school next year. I have been looking forward to that year for a long time! It can’t come quick enough.

Brock and his new shoes that came all the way from China. You should have seen the box.

Brock is at my school this year. It’s so nice to come around the corner and see him smiling and saying hello!

Connor

Corey and Shari

Shari turns the big 4-0 this year on New Year’s Eve so these two are headed to Mexico for a much deserved vacation without their 5 kids! This is the reason we celebrated early this year. Hope they have a blast!!

 

So sweet!

Always willing to pose for his mama.

It was such a great way to spend a stormy day/night.

Thank you Grandma Cindy and Dave for spoiling all of us once again this year! We love you both!

Peace,

LB

*** as a side note, this was the first time I have been happy with my indoor pictures. I did very little editing, which is amazing because I usually do tons of editing of my indoor pictures. I used my speed light and for some reason, it worked nicely. I am sure it was a combination of the amount of light in the room, the distance from my subjects, and the lens I used. Regardless, it made me quite happy I ordered THIS lens with the money my parents give me for Christmas. It’s supposed to help with indoor pictures and creating gorgeous bokeh. I thought it might come this weekend but not even the mailman can get through this amount of snow! Maybe Monday….

Christmas Tree….. Budd’s Style

Traditionally we go and chop down our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving, but not this year. Mike had to work on Friday (who made up that phrase banker’s hours anyway? They had to have been a heavy drinker) so we ventured out Saturday morning to Budd’s Tree Farm in Clarks Grove. We have been going there since Mike and I met, and Mike has been going there many years before that. It’s one tradition we have never let go of. We love it.

This year I decided to let Noah take the pictures. He wasn’t super keen on the idea at first but really warmed up to it as he got going.

Me, explaining this would be an example of a bbbaaadddd tree choice.

 

 

 

Mom and dad with attempted bunny ears.

 

 

 

We had about four trees we really liked. Then we would run into another one we liked. This continued until we decided we found the perfect one.

Connor asked to chop the tree down this year…..

 

Dad explaining to Connor how it’s done.

It’s a lot harder than it looks when you have short arms.

Success!

 

 

 

Off for a good shaking.

We put off decorating it until Sunday morning. I always have to do the lights (takes forever, lots of winding around each and every branch) and then the boys pretty much do all the rest, except the highest parts. I am not a collector (the thought of it makes me itch), so I don’t have interesting ornaments, ornaments with lots of meaning, or ornaments that came from 100 years ago. In fact, mine are hand-me-downs from my parents!  I have regular ornaments. And I like how it turns out every year. 

 

Happy first day of December tomorrow!

Love…

LB

 

Thankful

 

This could be a post about how much I love my family and friends and how thankful I am for all of them……..but you already know that. Right?

So, my top ten things I am thankful for lately:

1. Peppermint Mocha coffee creamer. Mike does the majority of the grocery shopping in our house. This is an example of what typically happens when I request a specific item, I asked him to get me some peppermint creamer and instead got me peppermint MOCHA creamer (very close to my request, but not quite). Well, his mistake is my fortune because I love it! If I roll over slightly and just start thinking about this yummy goodness, it makes me get out of bed. Even when it’s a sleep-in day.

2. Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro fingernail polish. I bought this for my nieces wedding that was Labor Day weekend. I just removed it and repainted my toes for the Black Dress event and there was not ONE chip in it. I know toenails last a lot longer than fingernails, but seriously? 3 months? Of course the paint needed to be redone due to regrowth, but there wasn’t a single chip. Pretty amazing. Burgundy Flirt is my color of choice.

3. Having four whole days off in a row. Going to shop, hang with family, possibly getting a movie night with my husband, and see some friends. Perfect.

4. Banana nut Cheerios. I know it’s artificial banana, but I love it.

5. Diet Coke from McDonalds. My co-workers and I make a trip for lunch once a week and I make that pop last all afternoon.

 

6. The TV show Parenthood. After Brothers and Sisters this show is my favorite. The fact that the Thanksgiving show ended with them dancing to the song, You Down with OPP had me smiling all week. (And texting it to my friend that loves the show too, only she didn’t get it……)

 

7. Pear Tree Greetings. I used them this year for my Christmas cards instead of Shutterfly and I saved over $30. They had just as many choices as Shutterfly and the process was just as easy. They came this week and they are every bit as nice. Awesome find.

8. Heated seats and automatic start. I forget about these two features all summer. I think I would give up automatic windows and locks to have these two features in my vehicle.

9. Online shopping. I have found amazing deals lately. It takes time to go from site to site looking for the best deal, but I saved over $100 on a certain gift for someone this year doing it. TOTALLY worth it. I like to go shopping, but we just have not had time to get out of town. I love knowing I am getting some gifts crossed off my list all from the comfort of my recliner.

10. Slippers. I wear them all the time. I even bring them to people’s houses when we go. I love them.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

LB

Little Black Dress 2010

 

This past Saturday I went with a bunch of friends to a charity event.  The Little Black Dress event was held at the County Club and the proceeds benefitted the Red Cross to help the victims of the flood.

Chely and Me

Nicole, Nancy, Gia

This was the first time this event had been held, and they already have plans in the works for next year. This year, with the event benefitting of the Red Cross, you had to accessorize with red. Next year it’s going to benefit breast cancer research so the accessories will all have to be pink.

The country club did an excellent job of making the event special from the martini bar to the beautifully decorated banquet room. The planners set up a “red carpet” entrance complete with paparazzi and a backdrop for more formal pictures. Its was actually quite hilarious! They handed out pictures all night and it was a cute touch.

Stolen from facebook

Stolen from facebook

We enjoyed dinner and signed up for some raffle prizes. You could buy as many tickets as you wanted and then stick them into whichever raffle you liked. There was everything from a day of pampering (nails, facials, house cleaning) to jewelry to wine. I put the most tickets in the 2 hour photo session for my family with a professional photographer from town. Then I also put one ticket in another box.

I won off that one ticket. What did I win, you ask?

24 margaritas from a local restaurant!

Ha! I don’t even really like margaritas. Once I found out how many calories were in one margarita……they have not been my drink of choice. Oh well, at least I won something. Plus, I might just be the most popular girl in the joint that night.

We danced to the DJ (he donated his time to the event. How cool is that?) and got all sweaty! Those 80s tunes just kept luring us onto that dance floor.

Stolen from Facebook! Marisa the party planner on the far left!  Love that girl.

Jen, Gia, Me

 

Stolen from Facebook

We took a taxi home (free because they also donated their time for the night) and slept in late this morning. We even missed church. Been working on lesson plans and laundry all day. Also bringing dinner to a friend tomorrow so I whipped up some yummy things for them as well. Nice boring Sunday!

Looking forward to a short week this week. I told Mike it will be last Sunday he will be able to see the TV from his favorite chair. Next weekend we cut down our tree! Woo Hoo! No matter how small of one we say we are going to get, it seems to grow in the truck on the way home and it block any view of the TV from our chair and ottoman.

Hope you had a great Sunday!

LB

And so it begins…..