This week, with my server going down officially and forever and the effort of switching it over to a new one (which was mostly up to my webmaster/friend, but still) I have been thrown into an amazingly tight knot. I don’t have high blood pressure, but I was thinking it might be wise to monitor it on Monday afternoon. And also on Tuesday. And then again on Wednesday.

By Thursday, my brain was so fried that I put lunch on a pizza stone to warm in the oven…turned on the oven…went into the other room to play a game with Asa…asked Elias about 20 minutes later to turn off the oven because surely lunch was hot enough by now…finished the game…went to put lunch on the table…

AND REALIZED THAT LUNCH WAS STILL ON THE COUNTERTOP ON THE PIZZA STONE.

I hadn’t even put it into the oven.

So, so fried. My brain, not lunch. Lunch was cold.

And you can just guess who didn’t win the game I was playing with Asa. Several times he kindly reminded me that I could still move my game pieces if I wanted to get my pieces to the other end of the game board as was the goal of the game (we were playing Traverse). He must think his mother is a complete Ding Bat. Poor kid.

Anyway, I really like asking these questions over the weekend because they are SUCH a fun way to get to know you better. But my fried brain can not think of one question to ask.

So, I’m copping out and going back to the very first question I ever asked which was the beginning of these wonderful get to know my reader questions.

Many of you are new to my site since then (it was about a year and a half ago when I started these), and even if you already answered it then, you can just humor me and answer it again.

It’s a fun question, and may be relevant to an upcoming post next week. The question was is in all its simplistic glory:

Chocolate…or vanilla?

While it may sound like I’m already bored with this conversation and have nothing better to say or ask…that’s really not true.

I just really want to know how the weather is where you live.

Why? Because the weather where I live is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.

It’s freezing cold here with highs in the negatives. Wind chills are making our temps WAY below zero. The snow keeps coming. I’ve never seen so much snow. I don’t see how it could possibly go away by May. Looking out my kitchen window, you can’t tell that our picnic table has legs. Or a table top. There’s just this little piece of wood “floating” among a lot of whiteness. I’d go out and take a picture for you, but my boots just aren’t that tall.

Here in Nebraska, we’re used to crazy cold weather…but I’ve NEVER seen it be this constantly snowy and blowy and crazy for days and days and days and days.

And days.

Matt told me that there’s a day next week that it might actually get up to 18°! I’m so excited!! That, my friends, will actually feel like a really nice day. We may be able to get away with only wearing three layers that day instead of six. 

Anyway, I’m not really trying to complain…I’m just exclaiming over the craziness of this winter. It is really, really weird. 

The reason I am asking about the weather where you live is twofold. First, if it’s crazy cold where you are too…we can commiserate together about it. Second, if it’s really warm and nice (like anything above 25°), I would like to rejoice with you and live vicariously through you for a moment.

Huh…I believe that’s the first time I’ve ever used the word twofold in my life. It was kind of fun.

I told you that I didn’t make any New Year’s Resolutions or set any specific goals for the year. However, I really do want to try to exercise more often.

I wish I enjoyed exercising more than I do. I often use my asthma as an excuse not to exercise…but ultimately I know that consistent exercise would be good for my lungs.

My other really good excuse for not exercising is that I live in Nebraska and being outside for any activity other than scraping ice off of the windshield is not really possible for about six months out of the year.

If I had to pick a favorite form of exercise, it would be my mini trampoline. I can use it inside, any day of the year (as opposed to this one, but boy that sure was fun). It’s easy on my knees and shins…it’s good for the immune system. It actually feels pretty good. WHY do I not used it regularly? I don’t know.

Have any exercise advice for me? Are you good at exercising? What is your favorite form of indoor exercise? What time of day do you exercise? How in the world do you motivate yourself to exercise regularly?

Hey, actually….does typing count as exercise? I am pretty fast at it and do it quite regularly. How about switching out laundry? Running up and down the stairs a million times a day to get what I need? Aha! I’ve got it!  Nertz! I can totally work up a sweat playing Nertz!

And here I thought I didn’t get enough exercise.

Okay, but really…any advice on the above questions would be great.

Happy January 1, 2010!

The big talk everywhere is about New Year’s Resolutions. Even though I’ve been hearing the talk about it, I never gave it much thought until today. I think I was too busy scrubbing the crud off the top of my refrigerator.

Resolutions? Goals for the year? I still haven’t made any.

I don’t know why.

I feel like a work in progress right now. In addition, I feel like my kids are a BIG work in progress right now…at PRIME ages (5-12) to really encourage godly attitudes and spiritual growth.

So I don’t have any specific goals. 

I have some ideas that I’m praying about involving this site and what I’d like to share with you and create this year. I also have some specific parenting issues on my heart regarding what my husband and I should be focusing on with the kids. 

Beyond that…I feel like I’m just taking life a day at a time right now. Not because anything bad or difficult is going on. Actually…life is fantastic and full and wonderful right now. But, I didn’t set any goals last year and found that God had plenty of amazing goals and ideas of His own for me and for our family. I kinda feel like just praying about the year and then listening to the direction God takes us.

What about you? Did you set goals for yourself this year? Do you feel God placing any specific plans and goals on your heart for you and your family during the upcoming months? Or are you just kinda winging it, like me?

Ever answered a question by asking a question?

Yeah, you get to do that today. Cool.

Last year during the week or two around Christmas time, I shared a little series called Learning About Laura. 

This year during Christmas time, I thought I’d do something similar and add to the series. But this time…I’m letting YOU pick the topic matter. 

Now, you already know about my horrid high school nick-name…you know about my favorite childhood memory…and you know about how my husband lost a coin toss and that’s how we started dating.

What else would you like to know? Have any burning questions you’ve been just dying to know about me? 

I’ll work on answering your questions during the next couple of weeks!

Silent Night…Away in a Manger….I’m always happy to hear these songs this time of year. They are sweet and full of the joy and excitement of Jesus.

But, Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree….Puh Rum Puh Pum Pum (puh pum pum pum…pum…….pum)? Hearing these songs about once a year is kind of plenty for me. 

That’s just my opinion of course.

I actually really love a few of the newer Christmas songs a LOT.

How Many Kings, by Downhere is my absolute favorite. Mmm, I love that song. I could listen to it over and over again. Even in July.

And have you heard The Night Before Christmas, by Brandon Heath? I just heard it for the first time this week, and I love it. You can get a free download of the song here.

So…do you like Christmas music? What are your favorite Christmas songs?

When I was growing up…we opened Christmas presents the way you are supposed to open Christmas presents. ;)

We waited until Christmas morning. That was all part of the magic of Christmas.

Any other way of opening gifts was CRAZY to me. I felt that it was practically against the law to open presents on Christmas Eve. Because the way my family did it was the right way…and the only way.

Or so I thought. Because I was a kid.

Then, when I was a little bit older than a kid, I got married.

My husband’s family opened presents on Christmas Eve! Can you believe it?

And then Christmas morning…EVERYONE SLEPT IN!!! On Christmas morning!!!

What’s a girl to do…but learn to deal with the fact that everyone’s family has different traditions? And be flexible. And enjoy Christmas no matter “how it’s done” because it’s not really about gifts anyway and being with family is awesome any time!

Now, we have an “every other year” thing going on. The year we are with Matt’s side of the family…we open gifts on Christmas Eve. The next year, when we are with my side of the family we open gifts on Christmas morning.

Turns out…opening gifts on Christmas Eve isn’t against the law after all. I have done it and lived to tell about it. I’ve even enjoyed myself very much.

So…what are your traditions? Are you a Christmas Eve family….or a Christmas Morning family? Or does it depend on who you’re with?

Last week I was reading a book to the boys in which the child was on a search for a treasure chest. When the child finally found the chest and opened it up to reveal the treasure…it was full of toys and doo-dads. The child was so excited!

Me? I’d have been a little disappointed. All that work to find a treasure chest full of doo-dads? 

Now, if I’d have worked hard and searched and found a treasure chest full of kitchen utensils…baking stones…stainless steel bowls…yummy ingredients? THAT would have felt I’d found a treasure. Or what about a chest full of chocolate fruit?! Or maybe books!!!

Everyone’s idea of a treasure is different.

My question for you today is:  What would your idea of a treasure be? If you searched and searched and found a treasure chest…what would you want to be inside?!

I don’t just sit down and play games very much. I tend to get into “work mode” and forget to ever stop and play. I should play more. I’ve got to realize that the kids are growing fast and sometimes the dishes can wait.

Yeah, well…it seems that lately I need to learn that we’ve got to have dishes to eat on and the games may eventually need to be put on hold.

Last weekend Adam and BryAnna were over as well as Adam’s mom, Amy, from out of town. Sunday afternoon they said, “Hey, we should play Nertz.” 

Nertz!!  I used to play that all the time with my mom!!! I hadn’t played Nertz for years!!!!!

So we played Nertz. Until way past my bedtime.

Nertz is a very fast moving card game. You snooze you lose.

Yeah, I totally lost. Apparently the years that have gone by since I had played the game took their toll. I am not nearly as fast as I used to be.  

BUT, wow did I get into the game. Even though I was losing pitifully…I was determined to keep playing until none of us could stand up any longer.

I realized how insane I had been after the game was over when my darling husband of fifteen years folded his hands across his chest, raised his eyebrows, cocked his head and with a smirk on his face said, “Well.  I believe I learned a thing or two about my wife tonight.”

What? That I’m a little more competitive than either of us realized? Oh that. 

Maybe he was talking about the time I pointed my finger right in Adam’s face and yelled, “DUDE!  WHO do you think has been FEEDING you these good home cooked meals since you got to college, HUH?!?!”

Hey, he kept putting his cards right where I wanted to put MY cards just a half a second before I got to it. The nerve.  I still haven’t decided if I’m feeding him again or not. He totally played too well and too fast.

I may have also resorted to a little bit of name calling and in a very whiny voice told a person or two something like, “Aww, you STINK.” (Like, when they got 27 points in one round and I got negative 14.)

Anyhoo. 

I am now addicted to playing Nertz. We’ve been having family games of it in the evenings and the boys and I have been playing every afternoon as soon as we get our work done. These games with my boys are much more my speed, but I’m totally trying to improve my game. Because Adam and BryAnna will be back and we will be playing again and I will win eventually oh-yes-I-will-so-there-Mr. Adam. Bah!

Ehem. 

For the record, I have not been calling my children names during (or after) our Nertz games, nor have I been yelling in their faces. (I have, however, been gloating inwardly a little bit about how badly I’m beating all of them. Proves my insanity a bit doesn’t it? Really Laura…you’re proud of yourself for beating your seven year old in a difficult card game? Get a grip.)

My QUESTIONS for you today are:  Are you competitive? Do you like games? What are your favorite games? 

Wanna come over and play Nertz?

When I mentioned on this post about whether or not WE should get a WE…I told you that WE usually don’t spend $200 on our boys for Christmas. Some of you were curious about what that meant exactly. How much do we spend on each boy, etc?

I decided it would be a great discussion with all of you here.

After giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that every year has been different…we probably have spent $200 total on our four boys for Christmas. But definitely not on only one gift. I would say that we have probably averaged about $50 per child each year.

We usually get each boy one “bigger” thing each. By “bigger” I’m talking a $10-$25 gift. Especially when they’re little…the “big” gift is usually something as simple as a $10 sing-and-play-back microphone.

THEN…we spend the rest on things they need. Thankfully our boys don’t seem to mind getting socks and jammies for Christmas. It gives them more presents to open…and new jammies are FUN!

(Side note:  Our Christmas spending budget is quite low overall. By buying jammies and such for the kids for Christmas, those costs actually come out of our clothing budget.)

We fill their stockings with things I’ve found on clearance throughout the year, and fun food treats I splurge on through Azure Standard.

Between grandparents and aunts and uncles…our boys have so many presents to open they always feel like they’ve hit the jack-pot (because they have)!

We haven’t felt badly about spending $50 each on the boys at Christmas because seriously…we hardly buy them ANYTHING throughout the year. Anything. We don’t need to. We have more hand-me-down clothes and toys than we know what to do with. What a blessing. So the $50 we spend on each boy seems pretty reasonable. AND it’s SO much fun for Matt and I to decide on a “splurge” type gift for the kids at Christmas since we never buy them during the year!

Now, what we spend on our extended family varies…but we usually try to make our gifts for others if we can (last year’s ideas here and more on this year’s ideas soon).

As far as what Matt and I spend on each other…we are sorta boring that way (and I seem like such an unhappy wife as a result, huh?!). Last year he bought me software that I could use for this website, and I bought him a new tool. And then our gifts were tax write-offs.  Best Christmas presents ever. :)  This year we may not exchange gifts unless we think of something we need. (Maybe I’ll ask for new kitchen towels?)

SO…how about you? I realize that some of you may spend much more on your kids than we do…some of you less. That’s okay with me.  What have you found that works best for your family?