Some updates: Small Victories! :)

I have been really busy lately and not able to just slow myself down to write out what is going on...but here it is! Lately, I feel like the theme of our family has been "small victories!" So, here it goes....

**Hand/Foot/Mouth has come and GONE!!!!!**
I can't tell you how glad I am to say "GONE!" You might ask, what are you talking about? Well, let me just tell you about our last 2 weeks. On Thanksgiving day, Ethan seemed to be a little more fussy than normal, but I blamed it on his teeth, which he was getting more of. But, when he woke up from his afternoon nap and was radiating heat, I took his temp: 103.6! Yikes! My kids have never really struggled with high fevers for teeth, so I knew something was up. The next day or two consisted of a little boy who was NOT happy because he was coming down with "hand/foot/mouth." This is a HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS thing that is like a one-time thing like the chicken pox, and nothing can really stop you from getting it. So, Ethan got red spots all over his body, blisters on the bottom of his feet, blister on his hands, and blisters in his mouth! POOR BABY! He just cried and cried, didn't sleep, and didn't eat. It was ROUGH. Not the kind of Thanksgiving I had been looking forward to for so long. Then on Sunday, Payton showed up with a temp of 102.5! Oh dear, here we go again! Thankfully, she only got blisters in her mouth, but because she was older, I think it made it worse. MORE whining, crying, no sleeping, no eating, and not much drinking. This was just about the time that bubba started feeling better and my girl when down for the count. So, without recovering from the lack of sleep from Bubba, we went right into another round with Payton. But, by that following Thursday she was getting back to herself. To make sure that any other parent wouldn't have to experience what we did (because no one should have to!!) we stayed away from ANY other contact with kids for a good week after that. But, I can now say that my kids are through it, and back to their happy little ways!

**We are PASSY free for Payton!!**
For those of you that know my sweet girl, you KNOW this was no easy task! For some reason Payton has been REALLY attached to her passy. Yes, I KNOW, she is too old to have a passy! She is 2 1/2 and still was so attached. Now, let me say this...for quite a while she has only had it at night (not all day) but it was something that she would not go to bed without. And to be honest, I just didn't want to "fight that battle" for a long time and didn't mind if she only had it night. But recently I have been so annoyed with them because you never can find them in a hurry when you need one or are ready to walk out the door. So, I just decided we would be DONE. So, one day, after Payton had her ouchies in her mouth, I decided it was now or never! She hadn't wanted it as much through the blisters because it hurt her mouth, so I just started it from there. One more I praised her for not having her passy the night before. (it was in her bed but not in her mouth all night). I just kept saying "NO MORE PASSY" and dancing around like a crazy woman, and she would repeat and do the same. So, I thought, hmmm....could this be easier than I thought?!?! Well, then came naptime. Ha! It wasn't an easy task (through LOTS of tears) but I finally got her to fall asleep without it. We continued this routine for the next day or two, she would ask for it, tell us she missed it, but we would keep her mind on other things instead. We never gave in (except that she found one in her room one day and came down from her nap with it in her mouth...little stinker!) and I believe it is safe to say... We are FREE!! I am so proud of her and it actually wasn't AS terrible as I thought. And now we are going to work on Bubby before he gets to her age! He isn't as attached, so we are hoping it will be easier. He only has it in his crib right now, but soon and very soon, we will say ADIOS! :)

**Kyle's Bball team is 2-0**
I know, I know...small victories I said! well for any of you that are coaches' wives out there, you know how good of a thing it is for a coach to have a good season. It is good for him, good for the players, and especially good for mommy and the kids when daddy comes home happy each night!! Ha! But in all seriousness, it has been fun watching these kids grow up the last 4 years and if they pull it all together this year, it could really be a great year! I am looking forward to this season of cheering them on. (But it makes me tired thinking of chasing the kids at each game!)

**We have a NEW washer and we are GUARANTEED it will work for 5 YEARS!!!**
Ok, so this might seem really weird to anyone that doesn't know the story! We bought a brand new and NICE washer/dryer set a year ago. They were Whirlpool brand- and we thought to ourselves, good brand = they will last longer. Well, with 2 major repairs in that first year, and the last being 2 weeks out of warrenty, we were left hanging with a LEMON! So, we went to our good ol' store, SEARS, and got a cheaper washer and we are guaranteed through Sears at LEAST 5 years of service! Haha! Pathetic that sounds good, but anymore, things aren't made to last as long as they used to! So we learned our lesson- ALWAYS go back to the store that will take good care of you- SEARS. Duh, shouldn't WE (the SEARS family) know that by now?!?!?! LOL!

**We had a GREAT month in our business for the busy month of November!**
As the holidays approach, people always wonder how our business withstands through the busy 2 months! Well, I am happy to report that last month (November) we had a GREAT month and one of our top ones yet! We have some growing business partners that have stepped up into a leadership role and we are so excited to continue to celebrate their success and watch them grow even more as they help others! And, not to mention, party with them on the beaches of the Mayan Riviera this next year!! I can hear the music and feel the sand in my toes already!

**Biggest Victory- Another amazing year under our belt!**
This time of the year, I can't help but be thankful for another year that God has blessed me with. Sure, we have had our share of ups and downs, but come on, who hasn't? But at the end of the day, I have an amazing husband that works SO hard to provide for his family, 2 amazing kids that keep me laughing and full of wet slobbery kisses all day long, 2 sets of families that I wouldn't trade for the world, a house to keep us warm and cozy, a business that is growing and thriving, and most of all, a Loving God who watches out for me every step of the journey. I can't help but be grateful- Tis the season!