Christmas Moments

Random pictures of my family and celebrations in no particular order...

Wishing you and yours a wonderful New Year!

Sunday Night Tradition

I know that I am home when I here the happy sound of tiles clinking.

It's been a while since I laughed this hard... I shouldn't have eaten so much popcorn!

Snow Day

With the huge storm this weekend... that is still gently falling and the wind, keeping the roads plowed is a distant hope in Columbus, Indiana. All the schools and the library is closed today.

Things on my list today:
1. finish Christmas shopping online
2. label scrapbook pages that I have been avoiding
3. iron & cut fabric strips for my quilt
4. clean out files and organize my "get to later" pile
5. hot chocolate & good book

New Name

Dear Mom & Dad,
I know that it is family tradition that your daughters don't have middle names but the federal government cannot handle that. I have filled out the same form 3 times as they tell me exactly how the want me to write my full name, and my maiden name. Silly me for thinking that these were the same thing. To make things simpler for them, they gave me a middle name to use, NMN. We have now sorted out the confusion and corrected your mistake.
Your welcome. Love,
MNMNC

Big News

I have accepted a 3 year position on the Yongsan, South Korea base library. I will move after I pass a background check and fill out all the necessary paperwork.

Thanksgiving

Hanging out with family...

Newly named "Bob" and the 3 pies, he contributed. Pumpkin eggnog, pumpkin cheesecake & apple. Fabulous!

The coolest part of the train museum for the Friendly Hero was the model trains. We took turns, thrilling with him at the magic of the moving train.

I also learned this weekend, that if you are going to steal your neighbor's Blizzard it is necessary to be charming, darling and young.

Tender Mercies

I am a bread snob. And I was thrilled when Panera opened just two blocks from my gym. They have been in business for just two weeks and I have already stopped there 4 times. I love it!

Successful Failure

Richard and I drove to Florida to see the space ship launch.

I learned all sorts of neat things. Like NASA prefers to call the shuttles "orbiters" instead of space ships. And that a launch stirs up the alligators and snakes for 4,000 feet around because the vibrations make them aggressive.

We were reminded just how concerned NASA is with safety.

Like it was said in Apollo 13, our trip was a successful failure because while we didn't accomplish our main goal, we had a lot of fun, learned cool things, and made it home alive.

Grandma's Visit

Time to play catch up... When Grandma came Math Hero decided to walk out her baby. We came along for moral support.

Corn mazes are serious business in Indiana. The one that we went to combined 5 mazes into one giant maze.

It even had sponsors. There were different stations in the maze where you can punch your entry pass and earn coupons and free stuff from local businesses... like free Blizzards and such.

Grandma wins an award for rewarding patiently reading and rereading Friendly Hero's favorite book.
(It has a bus, which means it is the coolest ever.)

It was great to see you Grandma!

"But I don't want too!"

Some days the best thing you can do to change your attitude is to go to bed and sleep for eight hours. Because sadly temper tantrums aren't just for two year olds.

Not my news...

...but I couldn't resist sharing. More information to follow through proper channels.

Decisions... Decisions

When you place several audio books on hold on the same day...

they get delivered on the same day. Then you are left with the problem of deciding which one to listen to first.

Ode to Kleenex

You saved my life this week... I couldn't have breathed without you. And as gross as you are, I think you are 100 times better than a handkerchief.

You know you work in a library...

when you look up from your book during lunch and realize that all your co-workers are reading too.

Carnegie the Farting Cat

My library adopted a stray kitten. Carnegie is very active, so much that I couldn't get a good picture despite the 40+ photos, I took. (Thank goodness for digital cameras.)

It would be pure pleasure to play with Carnegie if not for one smelly problem.

She is on some medication for worms that makes her fart. Drive past a dairy farm and you will know what this small charming kitten smells like.

Sometimes the marvels of modern medicine are just too powerful.

Corn

Darling help and hinder.

Finished delicious product.

What we started with.

Some things are worth it!

Good Habits

I joined a gym last month and having been pushing myself to go before work each morning.

Yesterday, I decided that I would finish another project before work and then go to the gym after work. My day dragged and I realized that as hard as it is to jump out of bed, I have developed a health habit that is necessary for my mental and physical well being at work. I can't function without starting the day at the gym.
From now on all projects will be done after work... my mornings are full.

Family Vacations

Traveling with family can be scary. (Unfortunately my scared face looks more stoned. I will be practicing in the mirror and will be better prepared next time.)

I was lucky enough to spend two weeks with my family, traveling, playing and learning. We of course took loads of pictures. It's fun to see my siblings so grown up.

Of course, no matter how grown up you are playgrounds are still tempting. Not to mention they are great breaks from all the driving we did. We started our tour in Nauvoo, hit West Lafayette, Colombus, Indiana and Columbus, Ohio before heading to Kirtland. Yes, we needed lots of snacks, audio books and other toys to entertain everyone.

Good thing that the younger members of the family earned their drivers licenses this year.

Wait, "I was a joking" (you must read that with a bad Italian accent), wrong picture... these young members earned their license.

I learned that spending time with my family is like sharing a shake. It's delicious, refreshing and finished way too quickly.

Wild Life in Indiana Part 3

Okay, okay this is not part of Indiana's wild life that I have experienced but I thought that it was a fun video.

Wildlife of Indiana Part 2

Another prolific wildlife staple of Indiana is the jack rabbit. They are really cute, unless you have a yard that they have chosen as their home. Or a garden that they have picked as their grocery of choice. Or a car that they run in front of.

Go Libraries!

This was passed along by some of my library colleagues from Maryland.



The library should look familiar to a lot of you.

Wildlife of Indiana Part 1

This year I have spiders coming out of the Wazoo! For example, I had a spider set up shop behind my driver side mirror. Each morning I would come out to find that he had built a new web all across the mirror. We battled for about two weeks. I didn't win. One the other hand, I was the only one left standing when the temperatures climbed. I can only assume that he was baked alive.
In addition to my out door spider issues, I have indoor spider issues. I combat them with bug spray and my vacuum cleaner of death.
(I have a strict two leg policy for all potential roommates.)

Art Museum

Meet the Superheros at the Indy Art Museum. It's great to have a middle ground with lots of things to do.
We took pictures on these odd chairs. Partly because that was when I remembered to take my camera out.
And partly because this was the only time that Friendly Hero was stationary. He has learned to walk and is very confident in approaching complete strangers with his smile.
Ironically, family members, such as aunts take a little more to warm up to.

Good News!

I found my camera cord! It was safely packed away at the bottom of my pajama drawer. Under all my winter pjs. I will work through the month of pictures that I took in the coming weeks.
It's fun to live close enough to Richard to spend the weekend with him. We are such nerds that one of our favorite stops is the used bookstore right by his apartment. Other highlights include, talking, laughing, having a buddy to watch movies with, and Reese's Puff cereal.
I spend way too much money whenever I visit my brother!