Hey, Strangers!!

I know, I know. It's been awhile. You all know my line of work and as of a week ago...I am finally free from the chains of tax season. My eleventh. Ugh. This year was as daunting as usual and I thought we had made it all the way to the end without sickness and then I was reminded that nothing is ever as good as it seems.

A few big things happened during tax season, but the most important is that Ella turned TWO!!!!!!!

We had a little party for family at the house that I threw together in the midst of the chaos. It's not bad enough that poor Ella has to deal with the "third child syndrome" but then to have her birthday in the middle of tax season on top of it? The poor thing is going to develop a complex....or learn to plan her own parties. :-)

The Birthday Girl!!!!









It's CAKE TIME!!!!







And then it was time for the pinata. I really thought the kids would love it. Well, two of them did. Poor Ella and Reagan lost it when all the candy came flying out. Apparently the rush of candy falling on your heads is only appreciated by children older than 2.





And about two weeks later I got sick. Really sick. Sick enough to call into work during tax season. And then I passed it on to all the kids. Influenza A. That stuff is nasty. Unfortunately, my children passed it on to our daycare provider and her daughter. And to their Grandma Toni. It was awful.



And on top of it....they all got ear infections, too. What an absolute nightmare!!!

And somewhere in all that I hit my one year anniversary of my diet and I hit the 80 pounds lost mark!!!! And sadly the only picture I could get was in my office bathroom. :-)



So...as you can see, we have been busy. And as I look at the calendar...it looks like we're going to stay busy. I am taking the kids up to Minneapolis next week for a little R&R (and maybe some shopping, too). I need to get out of town and spend some alone time with the kids. And what better place to do that than with Papa Adam and Papa Thomas!!!