7 Quick Takes (Volume 217)

1) I just love the week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Activities wind down. The church office is closed and Kevin is home most of the time. (He tells me the service won't plan itself. Imagine!) I don't worry about doing as much. We watch a lot of movies, take some cat naps in the chair, do some reading . . . glorious.

It reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend recently about capturing the peacefulness of vacation time. I see pictures from our 25th anniversary cruise and think I look very rested, very happy, joyous even. Why? Because for one week I gave myself permission to forget about the cares of the world. Is it possible to do that in real life every day? Can we teach ourselves to put aside our worries for a while and capture the same peace and contentedness in little moments?

I guess I'll see. I'm making it my mission this year.

2) Kevin got a different vehicle a few weeks back and I'm still getting used to it. The other day I heard the familiar sputtering of a bad muffler and got excited thinking he came home early . . . til I remembered he now drives a quiet car.

And my oh MY is this guy happy about his purchase. He's like a little boy. I bet I've heard him say a hundred times, "I just love my car." And it's not like it's some fancy sports model or anything. The car's ten years old, for crying out loud.

Proof we are simple people. (I'm happy for you, babe!)

3) Ladies Man attended the local highlight of the year for high schoolers last Sunday, what is known in our little town as Snowball.




He cleans up pretty good, huh?

4) Always the social butterfly (or is it constantly being ditched by her siblings?), Princess Dawdle enjoyed having friends over. We had three different girls here this week.




This explains why her bedroom never did get clean over break. Grrr.

5) While Ladies Man was dancing the night away and Princess Dawdle entertained guests, Drummer Boy and Drama Queen were in sunny Florida with the Cornhusker marching band, participating in festivities for the Capital One Bowl.

There was a parade in the rain.


Another parade and New Year's Eve fun with friends at Universal Studios.




And a game that was pretty good until 4th quarter. Boo.



Tan lines in January?!


And the last time these two will play on a drum line together. I think they were kinda sad. I know I am. Don't you love how she wants to be grouchy but just can't?


6) And now for what I hope will become a new feature on the Friday Quick Takes, an idea Ladies Man thought up. Welcome to Kevin's Korner (A phrase also coined by Ladies Man. For the record, cutesy misspelled words are a pet peeve of mine--think Kwik Shop and Kum & Go--ACK! But I digress.), a place for my darling husband to share his latest rant. Here's Kevin!

Since all the kids have been home I have complained about being mocked by the very children I spawned. I like to make it seem I am the victim of course, to the protests of my kids. Tami even joins in on the fun. Drama Queen started a picture in the shower and left a message for us all to finish. The developing picture turned into an elf holding a bag with a caption saying, “I want to be a dentist.” On the surface it seems like a reference to the elf on Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer but it has been a standing joke between Tami and I. Whenever I get a little whiny and start to complain she says in a very nasal tone... “I want to be a dentist.” It took me a few days to respond but I think what I came up with was very fitting. Check out the label on the elf’s sack in the picture below.


I promise to come up with better fodder next week. This was just what my mind could come up with for now and as I look over my first rant for Kevin’s Korner, I realize I have just given the blogging world reason to join my wife and kids in mocking me.

Keep Kicking It!

7) And there you go, the week in review at the Boesiger house. Alas, our down time is quickly dwindling and our older kids will be leaving us this weekend, but I'm very thankful for the time we had. I've heard myself say a lot lately that I didn't realize how MUCH I loved my kids until they left the house. Never doubt how important you are to me, my wonderful kids! Tonight is date night with my ever charming and entertaining hubby. I am a blessed woman.

Hope you're feeling blessed as well. If you want to extend the fun, visit Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes.