7 Year Itch

As many of you know, several of our friends and family have been having some very serious relationship issues in the last two years. Apparently our female friends can't seem to be faithful. This has been a huge source of stress and concern for us. But in a way, it's helped us talk through some things in hopes of preventing our marriage from being another statistic. December 27 marked our 7th wedding anniversary. I can't even believe that it's been that long already. We were able to celebrate by having lunch together and hanging out a little in the afternoon. For dinner we took our first trip to Sullivan's Steakhouse, where we gorged ourselves on delicious steak. Since we are child free this week, it was actually nice to be able to go out to dinner without worrying about getting home quickly. I can honestly say that Brad and I are best friends. I love him more than I ever thought possible and can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. The only itch I have is to have more time together.

(Please note how skinny I was and how chubby Brad was.  Oh how things have changed!)

Letting Go

This week has been one of the longest ever. Why, you ask? Our babysitter is on vacation all week and we really didn't have a good option for childcare this week, so we decided to have Madeline stay with Brad's mom. This is huge, as I have only ever spent 1 night away from her. Donna and Maddie adore each other, so I'm sure they're having a blast. For Christmas we got both sets of parents a webcam and set them up on Skype so that we can video chat more often. This has been a huge blessing this week since I can at least see her for a little bit. I call every morning just to say hi. I hate it though. I miss hearing her laugh and snuggling at bed time. I actually miss her whirlwind antics through the house. I have even developed a very serious eye twitch this week.  However, I have gotten a lot done in the evenings and been really productive.....I want my baby back!

Polar Bear Express

Tonight we took Madeline on her first train ride on the Polar Bear Express. (It also happened to be my first train ride. What a sheltered life I lead...)  It started with a story about a train before we actually got on.  This did not go well.  Madeline was far more interested in making a spectacle of herself than listening to the story. 

Fortunately once we got on the train, she was content to watch the landscape roll by and eat all the goodies. 

There was a giant polar bear walking around, which she proceeded to ignore by covering her eyes. 

 Mrs. Claus was a big hit and she even talked to her and smiled. 

Santa actually caused her to unzip her coat and bury herslef in it like a turtle. I think she doesn't like strange men. Smart kid.

  Over all, we had a lot of fun!

Addiction?

I am a complete addict to chapstick.  It's seriously out of control. I've been this way for as long as I can remember.  I am not proud of it. I cannot stop.

Lately Madeline has found a peaceful activity while we cook dinner. She takes the cup of spare pens and other random stuff like drywall screws and sorts it and counts it.  Apparently there was some chapstick in there. I watched in utter amazement as she opened it, applied, and closed it back up. And then repeated about 15 times.  I've inadvertently created a monster! (But I'm impressed with the dexterity involved in this task!)

Colts Fan

Despite a season plagued with injuries (Bob Sanders, I still love you!), we're still cheering for the Colts this season.

Another interception Peyton? Really?

Go Colts!

Disclaimer: The better the Colts do, the more jeans and sneakers days I get at work!

BFFs

Clara and Maddie enjoying a leisurely dinner. How cute are they?