Hi! It is me, Andrea. Remember me? Wow, it has been a while. It seems like we have been busy - doing nothing in particular - so when it is time for bed, I don't have the desire to type. Also, I KNOW that I have some photos that I was going to post here. But, because I am playing "musical cameras" lately in trying to have a camera around that works, I cannot find which SD card they are on. I may have to wait a day to post them.

Anyway, here I am! Things as a whole are good. I feel great, Jay has been traveling a lot and that isn't so great, on the other hand the weather has been pretty tolerable!

Last week Monday,I met my "MS friend" Jennifer (I hate having to define her as that, but it is easier to keep her straight like that) and a man named Jeff who works for the MS Society of MN for dinner. Jennifer and I had an idea of starting a "support group" - not really in the traditional sense, more of a social get together - for women with young kids. Jeff really loved the idea because there are not any other gatherings like that and he has been packed with questions lately from women who fit that criteria. So Jennifer and I are putting a group toghether that will meet once per month and develope a community of people who have so much more on their mind then the MS.

The big highlight of the week was on Wednesday. A huge day for Emma. Grandpa Al picked her up and drove her to school, then participated in class as the "Mystery Reader". He sat with the kids ad read a book to them and spent time with Emma in class. She thought that was the coolest and she was so excited that her friends were just as thrilled as she was to have her grandpa there. So much fun!

After school, the girls and I packed up and drove to Eau Claire to visit Jay where he was working all week long (and the week before and most of this week). Emma was amazed to drive to a new state, "It looks like MN!" and "I can't beleive that they have grocery stores here". I suppose an 1hr 45 min drive seems like a lifetime away for little kids. We hung out in the hotel, which in and of itself was a thrill, we went to dinner as a family and went swimming. Madeline, the little fish, was hard to keep out of the pool.

The next morning, Jay had to get up to work. The girls and I indulged in a wonderful continential breakfast, then spent more time in the pool and went back to the room and took a hot shower. The girls took full advantage of the ability to take a shower as long as they wanted. I suspect that Emma was in there for a little more then 45 minutes - that's my girl! We met Jay for lunch then headed back home.

Jay came home Friday afternoon and we spent a nice weekend together. Nothing exciting, just time together. Thankfully, evening though work still calls in Eau Claire, Jay vowed to us (and just as much to himself) that he was driving to and from Eau Claire every evening.

Oh yeah, my friend Jennifer forwarded this link to an intriguing story that was done about an upcoming investigational procedure for MS. Who knows where it will lead, but at least someone is working on it! Hopefully this link works! http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091120/W5_liberation_091121/20091121?s_name=W5

Count down to turkey day!!

Yeah! We got two full days of Jay to ourselves! These weekends prove to be nice when he has been gone all or a good part of the week.

Friday was a pretty lazy night. Jay must have worked hard during the week because he was dozing off on the couch around 7:30 and it was still hard for him to get out of bed the next morning when th kids woke him up around 8. Glad he was able to get rest in his own bed.

We ran some errands, found Grandpa Don a nice shirt as a birthday gift and had a nice lunch out. The girls turned into spunky little things and made the shirt buying process much longer then it needed to be. But, it was nice spending time together.

That evening we went to grandma Kim and Grandpa Don's house for a birthday party for Don. Had some yummy tacos and hung out. Toward the end of the evening, after a brownie and cake and ice cream (far more sweets then the girls ever, ever get) Madeline started acting a little sick. S we packed up and headed home. Half way home I head the tell tale signs of poor Madz puking in the back of the car. Jay jumped back there and had to strip out of his sweatshirt and then T shirt to catch the flying debris. We had it home, popped her in the bath and cleaned up a bit. After that puking Madz seemed to feel just fine and slept though the night.

Even through they did't end up going to bed until 11:30, they still managed to be up at 7. Amazing how that happens when you are a kid. Threw them in bed to watch some cartoons. Madeline lasts but only a few minutes doing that so then we were up playing and trying to catch a mouse that was running around - thankfully our cat is pretty good at doing that. I generally just catch them and go put them outside.

We got to church early to meet with the membershi coordinater. Amazingly I have been going to this church for about 20+ years and Jay for the last 15 years, we have never been officially "members". They consider me one since I was confirmed there and the girls are because they were baptised there. So we made it official this morning. Jay was moved when Pastor Dave put his hand on him during a special prayer.

Lunch, play, naps. While the girls were napping I ran to Target to get a gift for a baby shower, then off to the shower while the brood was still resting. Had a nice time at the baby shower and I think that Jay was happy I was home. I think that because I do not leave them very often they freak out when I am not around, even if it is Jay there with them.

We hung out as lazy people the rest of the night. The girls were still in their spunky moods and Emma was finding everything under the sun to complain about and it is wearing on my nerves. Glad it is bedtime for them and me. Jay leaves again for WI tomorrow. But, the girls and I will be leavning on Wed for a short roadtrip to meet him! They are so excited!

Wow, it has been a long time. And this is going to be pretty short and sweet. Jay is out of town for the most of this week and all of next. So it is all girls all the time at the Viera household.

Jay did have last Monday off because he worked last weekend. It was a beautiful day! Jay hung lights in the trees and Madeline strutted around in her cowgirl boots and hockey helmet. After Emma was done with school we met with her teacher for conferences. Emma is doing terrific in school! Her teacher said that she is one of the best readers in class. She is so studious and very smart. She hasn't seen a child so into books and comprehending in a long time. Thankfully she also has a lot of friends and people gravitate toward her. She has one little boy friend and one little girl friend who she really pals around with. I am so happy to hear that she is doing so well. It is a good start to a school career and it shows that I am not really just being a mom when I tell someone that she is really smart. No, really my kid is!!

The girls finished up their last gymnastics classes this week and I am hoping to get them signed up again. But, with Christmas approaching and 20+ people on the list to buy for, the kiddos may have to wait until after the holidays.

I feel like we have been running around like crazy ladies lately. Last night we took care of my friends 3 boys while she worked. Let me tell you, if you think you know little boys, you know NOTHING until you have seen these three boys. I love them dearly and I love my friend to death and will do anything for her, but holy cow, it is exhausting!!! But, we got through it and she was very thankful.

We had some other friends over today and another playdate with a little friend here tomorrow. I am ready for the weekend, but we have much to do. At least Jay will be home!

Yesterday Emma had school. Madeline and I got quite a bit of running around done during that time since I had forgotten (i.e. don't know how) to change the time on my watch I was an hour off. Got a workout done and all sorts of other things. We a day of introspect and thought.

I had a meeting for an early childhood advisory board that I was on. Thankfully they provided very well trusted care for the girls since Jay was out of town. The meeting was an eye opener as to how tings change when there is a change in administration and vision. It will be interesting to see how things pan out in the future. By the time we got home it was bed time. We tried to call Jay to say good night, but he didn't answer his phone.

Today the girls were less then cooperative in getting things done so that we could get out the door. We were able to talk to Jay this morning. And finally made it to the gym for a whole 15 minutes of a treadmill workout. Then on to Madeline's class for some fun and songs.

We had to hurry home to make sure that we took naps on time since Emma had gymnastics tonight. Finding sometimes deep thoughts are most destructive and eye opening.

So happy to say that Emma was well behaved and a good listener for class tonight. The teacher even gave the kids their paperwork as far as which class they could go into next. Emma was given the go ahead into the next class up!

We hustled home to meet my friend for a little pizza dinner and chatting about an upcoming meeting on Friday. We got some things done, but as it goes when the girls are around, there was much more attention paid to them then on the task at hand. That is ok, we got through it and got a little bit done. I need to finish u on some things before Friday.

Jay made it home part way through dinner. That was nice that he was only gone for 1+ days. He did run in the door then out again to help our friend look at her sump pump that was flooding her basement. I know that she was more then thankful for his help.

God the girls to bed, Jay is already in bed, now I need to get there. Oh yeah, I had another digital death in the family. My digital camera crapped out on me. This was a great camera that my dad gave to me. It was working so, so well. Suddenly it didn't want to work. Ugh, I do not have the magic touch with cameras. So I apologize for the lack of photos.

We made it through the week with Jay in WI. It actually went pretty quickly. Between gymnastics, Emma's field trip with Grandma Kim, and school we were never bored. I tried, and succeeded to change the girls schedule earlier in the week to the new time change so that we wouldn't be stuck with crazy kids for the week. It seems to have worked out today!

It was grea to have Jay home this weekend. On Friday we went to Grandma Kim's and Grandpa Don's to carve pumpkins. The first year the girls, in particular Emma, was able to really do the drawing and carving themselves. Amazingly Emma actually did the guts too!

Saturday we had a fun little Halloween party to go to, then rested up for a nice night of trick or treating. The weather was cool, but the wind was gone so not too bad. It is so cute because all of the neighbors when they answer the door always tell the girls "we have been waiting for you". There are not many kids in the neighborhood so they make out pretty well. A couple of houses even said that they were waiting for the girls to come then they could go out for the evening. Then spent a little time at the neighbors and made it home when the girls started to lose control due to a sugar high.

This morning was church then we went to lunch with some friends. It was a great time! We laughted and laughed. The girls were even midly well behaved and ate and entertained themselves so we could kind of enjoy our own time.

This evening was a relaxing one. Trying to spend time with Jay before he heads off to WI again for a part of the week (we are not sure how long he will be gone for). I need to give all of my Dr's a call to check on the pain I have in my back. I think I did something to a muscle, but just need to make sure that it isn't some sort of MS thing.