Bah-hum-bug...

Here is a picture I managed to get with Avery and her new ball.  She loved these balls so much at swim class that we decided she could have one at home!

I see it has been a while since I last posted...it has been pretty boring around here.  It's been kind of a rough couple of weeks (more like months) around here.  I'll spare you the details, but I myself have been wondering, like so many others, why bad things happen to good people.  Not all is bad and there is still plenty to be thankful for, so no pity parties here.  However, because of the slightly dark cloud hanging out here, we have been pretty boring and haven't had the camera around much.  I feel maybe I have been a bit grumpier earlier this year than most.  As you may or may not know, I am not a big fan of the holidays.  I love Halloween and that's pretty much the last real holiday of the year for me.  I'm not really that dark and bitter, promise!  I like the holiday time to spend with my family and enjoy that spirit...but once the Christmas music goes on at stores the day after Halloween, I pretty much lose interest in shopping.  Seriously, I walked into Kohls yesterday and they had their Christmas music going and I was literally there for 2 minutes...please let me get used to the suddenly cold weather first!  It's cliche, but I just think that people have lost the meaning of the holidays.  Honestly, can I get through a Christmas without feeling like people are mad at me for not getting them a good enough gift??  Anyway, this year I've decided that the change is going to start with me and I'm not going to let what other people may think of my holiday spirit or gift giving get in the way of teaching my wonderfully innocent daughter what the holiday season should feel like-loving and caring!  The best Christmas I ever had was 3 years ago when Artie and I took my brother and sister to Disney World.  It was unseasonably cold in Florida that year, but I had the greatest time.  We went the week of Christmas, thinking it wouldn't be too crowded, wrong!  Apparently many go to Disney to celebrate Christmas-if you haven't been at that time-take your kids/family, they decorate amazingly!  I'm thinking of making it a family tradition of ours to go there with our kids every year for Christmas:)  I will still have those memories of Christmas 2005 when Cim, Jake, and I are grandparents many times over and that's what I think is meaningful...that year we didn't even do presents because of the trip and it was my most memorable ever!  That's what I want the holidays to be for my family, memories of time spent together because honestly you remember that more than what gifts you get each year!  Happy start to the holiday season:)