The "After-Holiday Blues"

Aren't the holidays so crazy!? Too much to do and never enough time to do them in spite of the fact that Christmas falls on the same day every year.

The thing I truly love the most about the holidays is being with family. Both mine and Casey's siblings live in far-away cities and when they are here, it's always so much fun. This year, they were both in for Christmas and boy did we have fun hanging out. Lots of games were played, movies watched and just plain sitting around talking. We never feel like we have enough time with them but cherish every second.

New Backyard Adventures

Santa brought the kids (in his sleigh's trailer, I'm assuming) a swing set for the back yard. They were so surprised Christmas morning to open the back door and see what used to just be a barren, grassy yard but instead found a big play set. They have been out everyday in spite of cool weather and drippy noses. I love watching them as they go from swing to slide and playing together and making up their own things to do. I know this excitement won't last forever and there will come a time when the thrill is gone to play out in the 'ol backyard but for now it's awesome!

Thanks, Santa!

Disclaimer: I got a new iPhone for Christmas and have come to learn that it does not take the greatest pictures of moving objects (i.e. kids). I'll have to remember to get out the actual camera for future blog posts :o)

Merry Christmas

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for allthe people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth
peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
Luke 2:9-14

Happy Birthday, Maggie

My baby turned 6 yesterday and today we had her party. I keep asking her if it would be alright if we skipped her 6th birthday and just put it off until next year. She just giggles and says that she's ready. Well I'm not. Something about "6" sounds like the next chapter in a kids life.

We redid her room as part of her birthday surprise. She went off to school and we revamped the bedding and decor. She was so surprised.





Thank you so much to Grandpa & Mimi, Pop & Hunny, Aunt Robin and Aunt Lindsay for contributing to her new room. She feels like such a princess in it!

100 Things

RULES: There are 100 statements and you bold the ones you have done. Grab it and play for yourself!!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Had stitches
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten cavier
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

Any tips for a regressor?

We have had an issue for the past 5 days with little Rory and some regressing in the potty department. Has anyone else had experience with this? He has been potty trained for a year and if it had something to do with Sully, I would have thought that it would have happened a long time ago.

Any tips?

New Look

Thank you so much to all of you for the nice comments on the new look of our blog. The funny thing is...this is the antithesis of an O'Quinn family dinner. We multi-task everywhere but there. I just didn't want anyone to think that I eat dinner on the phone or that Casey brings his bow to the table! :o)

Music Monday

Hiatus

Where have I been?

The best answer that I can come up with is...everywhere, but here.

Blogging was having a time-suckage effect on me and as anyone who blogs or even reads blogs knows, they can be addicting. So I was forced to "unplug" when my computer bit the dust for a week, reluctant to "unplug" when it would resurrect for an hour here and there, glad to "unplug" over the Thanksgiving holiday and now am recharged and ready to plug back in after some much-needed BLOG R&R.

Isn't it funny how people you don't speak to on a regular basis want to get in touch with you if you don't post in a while? I got several "Are you ok?" emails. What a strange society we live in that this is how we keep up with each other's lives. I'm totally guilty of it too. I'll see a person I've never met in the mall, yet know all about how her kid's piano recital went last weekend. Or start to tell a story and stop short saying, "Just go to my blog because I go into details and there are pictures and music to go with it!" I embrace this medium, just don't want it to control me, you know?

So anyway...hello, again.

On my hiatus, Casey and I got a little creative and my next post will be a "back with a vengeance" blog overhaul with more goodies to look at and some pretty spectacular web work by my hubby, if I do say so myself. Check back soon and I promise you won't have to see that Beatles video anymore.