Christmas Flashback...

I figure I need to post some Christmas pictures for memories sake :)

I'm gonna go ahead and call these "got them for the memories" pictures because, well... quite frankly, they're not the best.

They capture the moment and that's what really counts right?!?

I was lazy and didn't fiddle with the settings properly, thus they are dark and not the best quality.

But these cute kiddos make up for it don't they?!?

Our friends from Canada came to spend Christmas with us and Aubrey was in her glory having kids around to play with every day!

How precious is she?!?!

Our Christmas Eve family shot.

(hello dark room, bright flash!)

Here Zach is trying to read the Christmas story from a children's bible for them... key word: trying! 

The kids each opened one present on Christmas Eve...

We were planning on going to church this night, but we were all under the weather (except Zach, go figure) and decided to spare the church from hearing 6 people hacking in the back row.

Playing with their etch-a-sketch's

The deader-than-dead tree on Christmas morning :)

The kids all got these fabulous sleeping bags from James and Anna!

We got Aubrey her very first sewing machine!

The one present Aubrey actually asked for, a Dora Pillow Pet... 

Thanks Grammie!

Zach getting in on the sleeping bag action

Opening stockings!

Apparently Zach needed some of Aubrey's new lip gloss....

We had a fabulous Christmas, it was super relaxed and we just let the kids play with each present after they opened it and let things go with the flow. We had fondue on Christmas Eve (just the adults, after the kiddos were put to bed....because it's no fun dealing with 3 kids under 4 and a bunch of boiling oil!) and we made a good ol' turkey dinner on Christmas Day (which turned out wonderful, if I do say so myself!).

Great memories with great friends!

Perfect :)

How's This For Random?!

*It's cold here people! Like really cold, get out the sweaters and scarves cold! Who knew this could happen in Georgia?!? Certainly not me.

*I'm wearing a zip-up hoodie....I'm in my happy place:)

*I have a big family, see...

*That's right, immediate family.

*It. Gets. Loud. at a family gathering.

*Might be the fact that the kids out-number the adults....yup, I bet that's it...although, we are not the quietest bunch of adults out there....

*When we get together there is a lot of this going on....

Mass chaos.

*and we eat a lot of this....

*I would like to add that I took this picture after a bunch of people had already taken some steak...and we actually, if memory serves, ran out of meat on this occasion. 

*we Kliewer's love us some meat. 

*One of my sister-in-law's doesn't eat meat. Seriously. I bet she goes home at night and cries over our crazy consumption of meat....probably not. She's used to us by now.

*Moving on from all things meat, I'm about 20-ish weeks along now

*I have yet to find a doctor here in Augusta, probably should get on that one.

*The baby is kicking up a freaking storm! LOVE this part(no, that was not sarcasm, I really do love it. Figured I'd clarify because I tend to err on the side of sarcasm)

*Aubrey is going through cousin withdrawal. Who can blame her?! She had someone to play with at ALL times in Canada and now, just me. Poor thing.

*Did I mention that I was cold and wearing a hoodie?!? Because I am :)

Mason Jar Love and Flea Markets

When Blogger had it's mini melt down, I lost this post that I had written and it was so wonderfully restored to me in draft format a few days later....missing all I had written. Nice. Thanks. But I keep looking back at these jars and today I finally thought; hey, I'm gonna post these. So here they are. The End.

No, I'm kidding, you're going to have to listen to more of my rambling today--you're welcome.

{side note--how gorgeous are these peonies?!?}

Zach had this weekend off and by some random miracle decided not to write one of his 129,458 pending papers he has on deck. YAY!! Aubrey and I got him all to ourselves....mainly because we don't know a soul here in Augusta, but hey, I'm not letting that get me down!! Ok, maybe a little, but I didn't dwell on that this weekend *Insert pat on own back*

I somehow conned Zach into checking out a local flea market that Amy found for me (yes, friend from NJ found my flea market here for me...that's because she's a great friend!). And let me tell you, it was local (read hick). BUT to be honest it was better than I thought it was going to be and we found a really cool vintage wooden Coke bottle crate and that made it all worth while! I'll post pictures tomorrow.

I guess I thought it was going to be one of those cute flea markets that I always see on people's blogs, but to be fair, those people live in California so it's gonna be classier. There is another flea market that we're going to check out when Amy gets here (IN A WEEK!!!) and maybe that'll be better....maybe...

At one point Zach burst out laughing and I tore my eyes away from the giant bin of sewing notions, to see him holding up a bag full of random hotel soaps that were for sale. Seriously. He said that made it officially worth the trip out for him. He seriously brings that up every few hours now, "hey, remember that bag full of hotel soap for sale?!? That was awesome."

The rest of the weekend was filled with frozen yogurt, our backyard pool and LOTS of playing and it was wonderful! Too bad he doesn't have a day off in sight for the next three weeks.....

And Now, More Deep Thoughts.....

My thoughts have been really muddled these days, hence the lack of blogging, but I figured that today I'd throw a Random Thoughts post your way because that's just where I'm at.

*we only have one car.

*Zach leaves anywhere between 4 and 5 AM every day and doesn't come home until (the earliest) 7:30 PM....most days it's more like 8:30 or 9.

*ergo, he wins and gets the car each day.

*ergo, Aubrey and I are stuck at home EVERY DAY.

*I don't know anyone in this State, let alone Augusta

*Zach works 12 days in a row, then has 2 days off.....leaving no time for us to have found a church yet.

*did I mention that I'm home all day, every day and know no one?!?

*I've got a bad case of cabin fever.

*there is no bus system in our town....not even a cab company! Seriously, I checked.

*I live relatively close to a bunch of things, with in about 2 miles, but it's in the 100's every day and I about pass out just walking to the mailbox 100 feet away.

*yes, I'm complaining, so?!?

*we NEED a second car, but in no way can afford one.

*I'm stuck.

*I've thought about pulling Aubrey out of bed at 4 am to drive Zach, but that just feels plain old stupid. Seriously, how selfish would that be?!?

*we're still potty training and I think we will be for the next year. It's just not clicking.

*Ok, enough whining. On to nicer thoughts.....

*Aubrey asks to blow bubbles EVERY day.

*even if it means sweating up a storm in the sun while doing it! please note the first picture and her sweaty brow.

*If I had to be stuck in a house, this is the one I want to be stuck in! I still love it! *insert contented sigh* central air!

*This place is so open, airy and doesn't feel like a cave(as our last place did).

*I've been spot cleaning the carpets like a mad woman these days. I love having carpet in the house, but other peoples stains are a bit disturbing.

*I'm using the Target brand carpet cleaner spray(Up and Up brand) and it is working like a charm!

*I've even been getting some sewing done! Not my quilt yet, oops, but a little something for a certain English niece who's turning 2 soon:)

*I think I'm going to have to whip up the same thing for all my nieces....or at least something....ahhh another project to fill the time! Yes!

*and in closing, I miss my husband....but not as much as Aubrey misses her daddy :( poor poor us. (yes, I did let this post take a turn for the sad again. What are you going to do about it?!?)

Fun Times....

We've been getting random daily rain in these parts--but let me tell you, if you are not scared of it leaking through your roof(on the middle floor of an apartment building, grrrr still makes me mad!)....and all over your daughters furniture, then it's not so bad. And let's face it, it cools down this oven they call Augusta. And by "cools down" I mean it goes from disgustingly hot, to really hot.

There have been so many times that I've heard the rain start(accompanied by the usual thunder and lightning) and my heart starts to pound and I almost stop what I'm doing to run to see if it's leaking. Seriously, I've been traumatized. But hey, it's all good, cuz our old landlords told us that they were good landlords to us....no joke. Straight up looked in my face, right after doing the walk through and seeing that it was still leaking, and said, "we were good landlords, right?! We tried."

Stunned silence from moi.

Can I just say that it is SO good to be rid of those people?!? Well, not quite...they withheld some of our damage deposit for no reason and now poor Zach has the task of getting it back!

Ok, rant over.

Back to the rain.... Aubrey was lucky to have the much-cooler-than-mommy Anna here during one particular downpour (that had no lightening and thunder) and they went out for some fun!

Not sure who loved it more(not even kidding, Anna was in her happy place) and Aubrey has not stopped talking about it since!

Things I Love About My New House.....

*the backyard--not so big, but there IS a backyard!!

*garage....which is currently in need of being cleared out, lots of empty boxes in there...not to mention all the random things we have not found a place for yet:)

*the stairs. Sounds crazy, but Aubrey goes up them just for the sake of! We didn't have any stairs in the house in our last place(just outside) and it's so weird to think we have another level to this place!

*speaking of another level....my sewing room!! oh, and I guess technically Zach's office too;) To have my own space for once, weird.

*all the outlets!! To not have to use an extension cord every time I want to plug something in....not to mention all the times I'm wondering if this is the time I'm going to blow the fuse!

*eat. in. kitchen.

*washer and dryer...IN the house!!

*did I mention the backyard?!?

*that all the cabinets are white... and the countertops neutral, who'da thunk?!?

*our property manager....not some crazy landlord to deal with! He actually got something fixed within about 2 hours of us calling him about it and he texted us after and apologized for the long wait?!? Seriously?? Does he know where we came from???

*my walk in closet!

*TWO bathrooms!! and one's in the master suite....

*my master suite!! (so big we don't have remotely enough furniture to fill it...lookin' kinda sparse...gonna have to go garage saling, darn!)

*the rent...so cheap!!

*my new Dyson vacuum....I know it's not a part of the house, but we got it because of all the carpet in the house and our $49 Kmart special was just not gonna cut it!

*and best of all?!? N0 people living above OR below us! SO amazing!!

A Little Jaunt...

While Dennis and Anna were still here, we went for a nice little stroll along the Riverwalk here in Augusta....and when I say nice little stroll, I mean sweaty, disgustingly hot, yet picturesque stroll.

Some days I'm totally ok with the weather here, and others I curse this humid cesspool.

But when you are looking at scenery like this, it's almost as if the cesspool isn't so bad....almost.

There was a gorgeous outdoor bandstand type thingy....

And the Savannah...I mean come on! I live 20 minutes away from the Savannah River!

Not to mention 20 minutes away from this wonderful Hubba Bubba pink house, alllll the way in South Carolina;)

There were some AMAZING houses along the river, so gorgeous!

"Hey Aubrey, stop sticking your head between those bars!!"

"Why Mamum?!?"

Annnnnd that's why. Head was officially stuck. Good thing I have some good unwedging skills, that sucker was IN there!

Please note, in this following picture, what finger she points with....slightly embarrassing.

always finding random holes in trees and announcing who she thinks lives there. This one housed baby birds...allegedly.

Then came my moment to get my photography on....it had been a while you know. Amazing what you can capture even when you are sweating like a maniac and it's so bright that you can't even see your shot on the camera screen after, ya, that hot/bright.

There was some really cool looking plants/weeds/flowers along the river!

Seriously, how cute are these little flowers?!? I wanted to take them home and put them in a little mini vase...random, I know.

And the bees, they were MASSIVE....and everywhere! Aubrey was not pleased.

Although she did tell me all about how they gather nectar from flowers and make it into honey and how they pollinate....where does this kid get this stuff?!?