um....here I am!

Sorry to all my faithful blog readers...I will try very hard to get back to updating my blog at least a few times a week. Getting back into "real" life after Disney has been hard to do. The term "Disney Hangover" really applies. This week was very crazy, on top of normal vacation make-up work...my husband was out of town. My co-teacher has had the stomach flu. I've been able to get a sub to help me out in the mornings, but the afternoon classes I've been on my own. After school, I've been on my own with my kids. It has been crazy...I think I cornered one of the dads at preschool drop-off just to talk to another adult!! But, Hubby is now home...my co-teacher came back to school yesterday afternoon. I am not the only grown-up anymore!!
I have a mountain of laundry, and a kitchen full of dirty dishes to catch up on. We don't use our dish washer very often because it just doesn't do a very good job. But yesterday, I decided I was going to use it to help with all the dishes...I opened it up and GROSS!! There was MOLD in the dish washer!! ICK! I put some detergent and bleach in the dishwasher to run it empty and see if it could clean it out. Well...the dishwasher ran for a bout 10 minutes and quit. Water sitting in the tub, won't start...nothing. We've been talking about getting a new dishwasher, but I guess this makes it a bit more urgent...no, I don't use the dishwasher very often, but I don't want a completely broken appliance sitting in my kitchen taking up room!

With the new year (after vacation!) come new resolves. I want to get back to the treadmill...back to eating better...back to cooking! Along with those resolves, I have walked over 4 miles on my treadmill this week. I'm back to doing the slim-fast more often. I think I've lost around 5 pounds since we've been back from WDW...so that's a little step in the right direction.

Hubby and I are getting ready for this Pastoral Leadership Institute. We have both written our letters of recommendation for each-other and are only waiting for one more letter from a colleague. We are planning for a trip in April to Texas. But, Andrew is not very excited about this prospect. He has started having dreams that I (his mom) is flying in an airplane, and jump out...but I forget my parachute! I have tried to assure him that I will not be leaving ANY airplanes until they have come to a full and complete stop, ON THE GROUND!!!! But he has dreamed it 3 times and wakes me up and he is just SHAKING like a leaf. He dreamed that the "yeti" was getting me one night. One thing that makes him happy about the trip is that my parents will be coming here to stay with the kiddos during the week we are away. He has 3 months to get used to the idea of us being gone for a week....which means I have 3 months as well. I've never been away from my kids except the once-yearly pastor's wives retreat I try to go to. But I didn't even get to go to that last year because the kids were sick. My brother and his wife go on trips (usually business related) quite often and our parents and my sis-in-law's mom play grandparent tag team to take care of the girls. Sometimes (ok, quite often) I envy that they have baby-sitters at the ready. They can go out to dinner, shopping, or just have some time alone nearly any time they want/need to. I am SO thankful that my parents are able and willing to come spend the week at our home with our kids so our children don't have to miss any more school...

Ok....Marilyn, you asked me to come back...I'm back, but I don't think I am making any sense! My mind is kind-of all over the place today. I guess I just emptied a bunch of my mind here...enjoy! :o)

And, since I can't go without remembering WDW...here are a few pictures!
These were some beautiful little flowers growing on a bush right outside our resort room.

Trying to pull the sword from the stone (or anvil) to become the new rulers of England!

And, our day at Animal Kingdom...

Funny story...there is a ride called "Test Track" where you are in an 'experimental' vehicle and they are taking you through road tests (breaking, cornering, bumps, acceleration, etc.). This was one of our FAVORITE rides. We rode it many times! Now, I can't accelerate in my MINIVAN without the kids yelling "TEST TRACK!!!" It is so funny! Sure to bring a smile to my face!