Biggest Loser

Whew - I think I am done cleaning the house. I haven't done such an intense cleaning job in a long time. I even cleaned the laundry room in the basement. I feel so much better!!!! All of the bedding is clean and I cleaned the refrigerators. I steam cleaned the floors, vacuumed and scrubbed toilets. I guess the only thing I didn't do was wash down walls. Now I am tired. It has been too cold out at 5:00 in the morning to go work out so this was good exercise for me. Next week I start the Biggest Loser so I needed a little jump start. I am actually excited to start the Biggest Loser. It gives me responsibility and reportability to my weight loss. It should be fun as well. If I could get a few more people on my team it would be even more fun.

Travis is on his way here right now. He has a pickup load of stuff to leave with us. Then tomorrow he is going to be heading to Omaha so he can start his new job first thing Monday morning. I am very excited for him. I hope it all works out.

A New Year

Well, we are more than a week into the new year. I am doing pretty well with my "resolutions". I have done well with my meals and eating. I am also coming right along with my faith walk and becoming a better person. It is just baby steps, but at least I am gettting some where. Work is going better. Things are changing - for the better I hope. The lack of sunlight is definately affecting me though. I tend to get down very easily this time of year when the daylight is so limited.

Randi and the kids are preparing to move in with us. They will be here around the 5th of February. Travis will stay back and try to get the house sold quickly. With his new job, he can work at home. He does have to go to Omaha around the 24th of January for training. On his way to Omaha he is going to be bringing us a pickup load of things that Randi and the kids will need when they are living with us. He may spend a couple of days with us as well. Randi has already gotten a job back at the hospital in Marshall where she worked before they moved. She can start working as soon as she gets here.

All is well with the world - I think.

More Winter

Right now I am sitting here alone. Leon is at the basketball game and I am waiting for the Texas family to get here. It seems their was a problem with their luggage. they are waiting for the next flight to see if the luggage was on that flight. Then they will be here. The roads are getting slick so I am worried about their drive from Sioux Falls. The thing is, the weather is suppose to be even worse tomorrow. We are under a blizzard warning for tomorrow. I guess I will just feel better when they get here.

The time alone has given me time to do a lot of thinking though. Thinking about my New Year's resolutions. There are a lot of things out there again . . . . 1. I want to lose 50 pounds 2. I want to be a better person - better wife, mother, friend, co-worker 3. I want to be more content with where I am in life. These are all resolutions I make nearly every year. But this year I want there to be more to it than just a resolution. I want to succeed at all of them. The only way to succeed, I think, is be more faithful. I guess I am a person of "dinky faith" as they say. If I had more faith I wouldn't have to worry about my success in these areas. I would just know it would be fine because of my faith. I am wondering where god wants me to be though. What does he have in mind for me? I am having trouble see the vision.

Christmas Joy

What a wonderful Christmas!!!! We had all of the kids here for Christmas Eve. We went to the early service at church and then came home to a delicious supper. After everything was cleaned up we let the little ones open their presents. It was so fun to see them react to each present. After they went to bed, the adults fixed a few drinks and opened their presents. I hope everyone liked the gifts we gave them. I know I loved the gifts I got. But the best gifts we got were not the ones we unwrapped. It was having everyone together. . . . . . and their news. Danielle told us she got a different job. The job is still with Daktronics, but it doesn't involve traveling. At least not much. I am so happy for her and Denver. Then Travis and Randi told us they are moving back to Minnesota. We were thrilled to know that by next summer they would probably living within 30 minutes of us again. It was the best Christmas ever!

Ready for Christmas

Well, we finally got out of town Christmas shopping yesterday. We headed for Sioux Falls. We went to as many stores on the east side of town as we could. Traffic was tolerable and there were very short lines at the check out. Then we headed to Empire Mall area. Our original plan was to go to the food court for lunch. As we got closer to that area we changed our minds. It took 2 or 3 green lights to get through intersections. It could have been a nightmare, but we found ways to laugh about it. Leon didn't even get crabby about it!!!!!! We got to the stores on the west side that we needed to get to and decided to eat on the way home. After we got home I found out on the news that there had been a flash mob at the food court that sang the Halleluiah Chorus!. I am so mad that I missed that. But I guess who know if we would have been there at the exact time they broke out in song or not. Anyway. . . . we got the things we went for and made it home by 5:30. Today I got the last of the gifts wrapped and everything cleaned up. The bedrooms upstairs are cleaned and ready to go. All I have left to do some last minute cleaning and cooking. All is well and Kruse family is ready - Merry Christmas!!!!

Winter

It has been a few interesting days weather wise. I was so excited last week thinking we were going to finish our Christmas shopping last Saturday. Well, Friday night it started raining before I left work. Thru the night the weather got worse - the rain turned to snow. We got at least 10 inches of snow and 40 - 50 mile an hour winds. I was scheduled to work on Saturday morning and it didn't look too bad so I took off for the bank. I got stuck on main street. . . . . on main street! I got myself out and continued on to the bank. The tellers got there too, but it wasn't pretty. By 10:00 we closed and went home. I followed one of the other girls home - she had a 4 wheel drive Suburban. If I hadn't been following in her tracks, I wouldn't have made it. Needless to say we did not make to Sioux Falls shopping (I didn't even leave the house). I was very depressed. The past 2 days the weather has improved, but we are supposed to get more snow tonight. Yipes! I really need to get out of town shopping. I only have 5 things left to get, but I can't get them here in town.

Christmas is Coming

Well, I am starting to relax tonight. The last week has been a blurrrrrrr of events. My big meeting is done. Got that out of the way last week. My VIP Club Christmas trip is done and it was a big success. The Fireman's Christmas party is over. Normally I would not be stressed by that, but Leon was on the committee and the other 3 committee people were no help. So by default I helped him get things together. The Community Band Christmas Concert is over. Last year at the concert I fell and broke my arm. I didn't fall this year, so all is well. I had the day off yesterday and got a lot of stuff done. Got my Christmas cards made, got the tree and decorations out and did a little Christmas shopping. It was just a nice relaxing day. Today was the last event - our office Christmas OPen House. I am exhausted, but it was a total success. Now I can enjoy the rest of the Holiday season. Sunday Leon and I are going to Sioux Falls to finish our Christmas shopping. It will be busy there, but we can do it together and we really don't have that much to get. Then all that will be left is to wrap the gifts. YIPEEEEE