4 days of Family and Friends!

My job observes federal holidays and I am off on Fridays so I got a 4 day weekend! I have to pay for the kids daycare whether they go or not on Fridays so we always just get up and go like we do all week on Fridays. So, that gave me the opportunity to go to Arkadelphia with Nathan to drop off his motor to have some work done - and I got to go to Shorty Smalls for lunch (a favorite of mine) and spend some quality time driving with Nathan.

Saturday I got to surprise one of my best friends for her birthday! Her husband called and asked me to surprise her at a restaurant and then go out for a Girls Day. Her face when she saw me sitting at the table was priceless - I have never had my name screamed at a restaurant but I have now :) We shopped and shopped and shopped! Since it was a holiday weekend we found some great deals! Lots of girl talk - we saved a lot of time not having to text all our conversations out! We ended the day with dinner at one of our favorites Pasta Grill back in Clarksville. My husband was awesome to watch the kids (or "have them on lock down" as he put it) so I could go out with my friend. I rarely ever go out without him so it was nice for him to take care of things for me to be able to go.

Sunday after church we spent lots of time in the yard playing. We were having some unusually warm weather for January. Noah informed me that it was "great weather for being a man" and that he was going to be "doing man work so you may want to stand back". He kills me! I took all the Christmas lights down off the house - I was waiting for a warm day, I knew we would have one soon, it is Arkansas after all. Then we all went to the movies to see Paddington - it was very cute! Listening to Noah belly laugh and slap his forehead is awesome. He really gets into movies and Ryan wants to do whatever Noah does so she was laughing at all the same stuff just as loud.

Monday was our bonus day at home thanks to Martin Luther King Day! We stayed home all day playing outside - Noah helped Daddy fix up the yard with the dozer and burn leaves and Ryan helped me detail my car. We went through all of last years summer clothes - they both tried on a big stack of clothes for me - that takes bribing :) But, we got it all done so now I just have to sort it to sell so we can buy them new clothes next summer. It is more difficult to do this with Noah being older - every shirt was his "most favorite shirt ever" and he was not happy when I would throw them in the sell pile. I promised him some new dinosaur shirts so that made him happy. Plus he decided to give Ryan some of his old clothes - she was so excited with her new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle shirt and Spiderman house shoes :)

These two were on hug overload! I kept catching them hugging while they were playing :)

4 days off with my most favorite people was exactly what I needed and didn't even know it. I needed to sit in the truck with my husband and talk about important things and non-important things, I needed to play outside with my kids, I needed to stay up late watching movies with my husband (I recommend "This is Where I Leave You" {LOVE Jason Bateman} but I do not recommend "Gone Girl" - I hated the ending, crazy just has to live with crazy?!), I needed to see my kids holding hands while "discovering" the yard, I needed a day of shopping and girl talk with my BFF :) , I needed to give my house and car some extra attention without missing out on time with my family.

Fun with our racing friends :)

It was finally the weekend Nathan and I had been waiting on for months - the banquet for the racing association he is part of. The banquet was in Kansas City, Missouri so we got to have a little adult vacation - we don't have too many of those so we were excited. We got there late Friday night and met everyone for dinner and then went to a really cool bar. It was an old warehouse so it was huge and had pool tables, a mechanical bull, photographer, and a huge dance floor. I am not a drinker, but we had a driver so I decided to drink a few of the shots that the husbands kept bringing over to the table. Then I remembered why I am not a drinker - I like to be in control too much and shots do not help you be in control. That will most likely be the last time I drink - it is just not my thing. I prefer being the designated driver much more! But, I did still manage to have a great time! I just love our racing friends - they are all such good people that are so much fun to hang out with.

The next day we all hang out at the mall, had lunch, looked at cars (imagine that :) ) and then it was time for the banquet. The banquet was held in a big shop - there was pizza, beer, wine, jello shots and a moonshine table! (The water and coke were good too) :) I got to see some of my favorite Missourians there - The Knowles family! They awarded all the awards for the 2014 season and gave away lots of door prizes - we got some food gift cards which are always good for us non-cooking people. Nathan presented the guy that runs the association with some gifts from all the racers (well, one gag gift that ended up coming home with us - sneaky people). Nathan didn't win anything this season - and honestly that would just have been a bonus. He has such a great time just going to the track and hanging out with all the people there that winning a race would just really top it all off. We have high hopes for 2015 season, but he has a lot to do to get ready. He broke on the last race last year, so that caused some adjusting to what all had to be done in the off season.

We stayed with a really nice couple (fellow racer and his wife) while we were there. They were awesome to open their beautiful home up to us and chauffeur us around everywhere while we were there.  We had lunch with them on Sunday before we headed back home to the kids. Luckily the ice held off and we made it home in time to spend some time with the kids before bed. It was a good adult weekend, but there is no place like home :)

My New Year really FLU by!

Well, my New Year Celebration didn't exactly go as planned. The kids were home with me extra because their daycare was closed due to the flu (the babysitter and her daughter both had it). So, I took the kids to work with me Monday and Tuesday half days so I could get some work done and didn't have to leave them with someone else. Tuesday I noticed my nose was running a little and my throat started hurting a little. So, once the kids and I got home I put Ryan to bed and attempted a nap (I am not a napper, so this is hard). Noah and I ended up watching a movie instead and I started feeling fine after that. That night I had what I call "fever dreams" - crazy dreams all night that keep me from getting any real rest. I got up the next morning and took my temperature - 102 degrees. I knew it. I told Nathan I thought I had the flu and thought I needed to go get tested. He suggested I shower and see how I feel. I made it through a shower but was SO tired and weak after that I knew something was wrong. So, I made the appointment and started quarantining myself. I snuck out the back of the house so the kids (who had already been crying for me) wouldn't see me leave for the doctor. I got the flu confirmation and some Tamiflu for the entire family (which is not cheap by the way - they really know how bad the flu makes you feel and put a hefty price on the medicine!) and headed back to bed.

With the exception of a daily shower (which would require a 2 hour nap afterwards due to exhaustion) I did not leave the bed for 3 days. Thank God for Lifetime movies, the Back to the Future trilogy, Roseanne and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air for entertaining me. The body aches made it hard to rest and get comfortable. I swear I laid in every position possible all over our king size bed trying to not hurt for a few minutes and rest. I finally was fever free and felt great. I had no appetite the entire time but made myself eat and I was glad I did - I really think it helped me not be too weak and recover faster. I have had the flu one other time 8 years ago and did not get the shot and that time was way worse and longer than this time - the two were barely even comparable. I seriously thought I was dying last time and this time I knew I was sick and didn't feel great, but it was a lot easier on me. So, I don't feel my flu shot was wasted and will be getting one again - I have personal experience both ways and much prefer having the shot!

The entire time I was sick Nathan took care of me and the kids and the house all by himself. He was constantly bringing me things to eat and even made sure I had my black eyed peas for the New Year - even though he hates them. The kids were not happy they could not see me or be with me but he was great to help distract them and took awesome care of them. Hearing them cry for me was almost harder than the flu was on me. Noah came to my door one night and said "momma, I prayed for God to heal you so maybe I can hug you tomorrow" - yeah, he is pretty much the best kid ever.

The house is now cleaned and disinfected. All of our Tamiflu has been taken. I still have a little cough, but feel fine other than that. The kids and Nathan (knock on wood) are symptom free and hopefully avoided it this time. The kids each showed a symptom here and there but it would then disappear as quick as it came.  I was able to be home with the kids for the last 12 days so leaving them this morning was a little tough, but I am happy for the extra time I had with them and Nathan.

5 days in and I think I am finally ready to face the new year. My wish for 2015 is more fun family time with the kids, learn to cook more things, run at least twice a week, run some 5ks, declutter and live more simply, be better with a budget, and take the kids to Disney World :) I foresee lots of amazing memories being made this year. Happy New Year Y'all!

(sorry there are no pictures - I haven't taken any since Christmas - you know I am sick when that happens) :)