An Edited Update

So, I've been dreading this blog. Why, you ask? Because to sufficiently update you all on the last 3 weeks would take too much of my time and likely bore you. But the longer I wait, the more there is. Where to start...? The plane ride home was long, but thankfully the kids slept lots more this time around. So glad to get home, but not to the cold. We walk into our house after traveling for 24 hours and it is 42 degrees. No heat. Ugh. Out to the cottage we go...thankfully, no renter right now. I was so tired I did not care where I slept. Granted my pregnant body started caring at about 2 am after I fell asleep on my grandmother's 1970's gold velor couch. The next night we pulled the mattress in from the bedroom so we could be close to the heater. That first week was a whirlwind, I'm not exactly sure what I did as I was suffering from sleep deprivation. Bliss did not adjust well to the time change. It is hard, so I can't blame him. It's a total night and day reversal. Thankfully Zade just slept alot while Bliss was up a lot, as in wake up at 2 or 3 am to start the day. He would wake me up, which didn't help with my body changing times. At least it allowed me to get a lot of cleaning and unpacking done. Finally, by Thursday, somewhere in my sleep deprived brain I realized I just need to give this child some Benedryl. That worked and we got back on schedule.
Sunday we went to Mama Ford and Grandfather's in Ragland with the Hatchers. It was nice to get to spend time with family. Everyone was there for Christmas Eve and that was nice. Christmas Eve night we drove home to Decatur and waited for Santa to come. Christmas day was spent in PJs and laying on the couch or our new rocker/recliner (yeah me) enjoying cable all in English (except for the one Spanish channel). The day after Christmas we headed to Tuscaloosa to visit with the Archibald's...or as Bliss refers to them as Pa and Ma. Lots of fun visiting with everyone and the boys loved the endless play. That Sunday Stirling spoke in church for his farewell of sorts. He reports to the Mission Training Center on the 7th to serve in the Barcelona Spain Mission for the next two years.
Last week I spent nursing two sick little boys. They played way hard over the holidays and can never escape a Christmas without getting sick. So, thankfully they were sick together. I put Christmas away before the new year...amazing...and got somewhat caught up on life. I have my to-do list of things to be done before the baby gets here. I think it's a possibility to get it all done. I'm quite optimistic. And I got to visit with some of my "yellow house" girls on New Year's day. I hate that everyone couldn't be there, but life just gets crazier and crazier as the years go on and more people are thrown in to the mix, i.e. husbands and children.
Sunday Blasen was asked to serve as the first counselor in the Elder's quorum presidency at church. They watch over all the families in our area making sure they have all they need, etc. So, with that, work, rugby, and house projects Blasen's time is now booked full.
Tonight, we met the Archibald's in Birmingham for dinner and then to see Stirling off. He leaves tomorrow. We are so excited and happy for Stirling. He is going to have such wonderful experiences and we can't wait to hear them all.
Okay...so, I think that covers everything in a nutshell. Pictures are to come, because for some reason I can't get the computer to open my card that is full of pictures. Here is one. The box the chair came in was humongous and the boys loved it more than any other gift.