My Jonathan on New Year's Eve morning

New Year's Eve Thought

Odds and Ends

- Christmas was wonderful.  Loved having my brother and SIL and their two little boys here.
- I am getting really pregnant.  Like the "get this baby outta me" stage.  Doesn't that sound sweet and maternal?
- I have all kinds of internal nesting motivation left, but my body and energy levels won't cooperate.  This must be like how a 90-year formerly high-energy and do-it-yourself person feel like.  It's hard.
- I am absolutely giddy to meet my Baby Jonathan.  I can't even explain it.  Perhaps more excited than I've ever been before.  I didn't think we were going to get another baby.
- I am equally torn between feeling sad about having to take down this Christmas tree that I love and wanting to get the house back to normal decor.
- Being heavy is hard...even if it's 35-40 lbs of baby weight, primarily in your abdomen.  It's still hard.  Hard as in vanity-wise (although I'd cut off my limbs for another baby)... and hard practically speaking.  Hard to roll over in bed, hard to get up from the couch, hard to eat b/c the abdominal area is so full of baby.
- Abby got Strawberry Shortcake figurines today from the Bishop family Christmas gathering.  She calls them Strawberry Cake.
- Adrian got me a deluxe velvet heating blanket for one of my Christmas presents.  I haven't had a heating blanket in 20 years since I lived in Michigan.  I am in heaven.  Also, it is a queen-size one, with 2 temperature gages for each side so each individual can select their own heat level (1-20).
- I am dreaming about getting back in shape after this baby is born.  Even if it takes me 6 months to a year.  It will be so nice to see the scale going downward instead of upward.  Although, see 3 bullet points above about my cutting off my limbs comment.  That still stands.
- I hope to sleep well tonight and get a lot done tomorrow.
- Peace to you, my very limited readership (primarily mom and siblings).

Another Andrew vs. Jonathan comparison

Andrew on left - Jonathan on right:

Daisy and Juju

Sibling Selfies

I found these sibling selfies on Andrew's iPod Touch.

She needs to refine her persuasive skills

She was in the middle of telling me that she was not tired - when she fell asleep mid-sentence.

HOW TO MAKE A MAN HAPPY

1. Feed him

2. Sleep with him

3. Leave him with peace
4. Don't check his phone (Msgs)
5. Don't bother him with his movements
So whats so hard about that?

HOW TO MAKE A WOMAN HAPPY

It's really not too difficult but.... To make a woman happy, a man only needs to be:

1. a friend
2. a companion
3. a lover
4. a brother
5. a father
6. a master
7. a chef
8. an electrician
9. a plumber
10. a mechanic
11. a carpenter
12. a decorator
13. a stylist
14. a sexologist
15. a gynecologist
16. a psychologist
17. a pest exterminator
18. a psychiatrist
19. a healer
20. a good listener
21. an organizer
22. a good father
23. very clean
24. sympathetic
25. athletic
26. warm
27. attentive
28. gallant
29. intelligent
30. funny
31. creative
32. tender
33. strong
34. understanding
35. tolerant
36. prudent
37. ambitious
38. capable
39. courageous
40. determined
41. true
42. dependable
43. passionate

WITHOUT FORGETTING TO:

44. give her compliments regularly
45. Go shopping with her
46. be honest
47. be very rich
48. not stress her out
49. not look at other girls

AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU MUST ALSO:

50. give her lots of attention
51. give her lots of time, especially time for herself
52. give her lots of space, never worrying about where she goes.

BUT MOST OF ALL IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO

53. never forget
*birthdays
*anniversaries
*valentine
*arrangements she makes. 

Baby Churchill, 31 weeks 1 day

Don't the brothers look alike?

New 60" (big) Tree Skirt for New (big) Tree & Groh family stockings

I can't stop crafting.

Alpine Village 2013 (Nice job again, Trinity Baptist Church)

Snowball fight, Memphis style.

Right after she introduced herself to Santa, she whipped around and gave me this look.  She instantly loved him.  
(What a difference a year makes).

Christmas back porch

Annual Family Christmas Ornaments & My Current Happy Place

My 14 yr old is the best

Peyton redecorated her corkboard at her mom's house and took a pic and sent it to me.  What a great girl she is - not only pics of her with her friends, but pics with family, too.

Straight up.

Adrian is so excited that Andrew is getting Lincoln Logs for Christmas. 

("and the children had every toy the parents ever wanted")

Some Thanksgiving snapshots from Aunt Elizabeth

3 of our little Indians:

Attacking Uncle Paul, who undoubtedly deserved every bit of this: