We have gotten so much snow this year. Just like I said previously. But here are the caves and forts that the boys built They made the bricks with a tupperware bin mold.

I was ignoring Sheridan the other day as I tried to get something done and I heard, "MOM I'm running away". My reply; "ok hon, where are you going"? A few minutes later she said "this is my new house". So I went to find where she was now living. I helped her decorate with flowers and she ate her lunch there. She moved back in when I let her watch cartoons.

i think i'm back

 Well I'm trying to come back. One wrong button and my whole post was deleted, and of course before I could hit control z, it auto saved. argh. I usually like it but this has happened before, just not usually after I'm done typing and trying to add my craptastic photography. Lame. Well i'm not typing the whole thing over again. We are iced, sleeted, and snowed in right now. Yes, we've been having all of it. Sleet coming down sounds like rice krispies, in case you were wondering. We had very busy holidays just like everyone else and while I like the snow. I'm sick of snow days that my kid has to make up during the spring cycle break. They don't make them up for preschool, which I wouldn't mind, because I pay for that. whine, whine, whine. I know. But we have had a lot of fun in the snow. There have been snow balls, snow angels, snow men, snow caves, snow sledding, and even snow fortresses made of what else but snow bricks. We've enjoyed it.  I hope you all are have a wonderful new year so far and making the most of it. I'm trying to be more organized .Not really a resolution to say, just something I decided I need, to help fight off some of the chaos and crazy which is life. Well label maker here I come!

summer is over

Ok, well summer ended in the middle of July for us. So it's been over for a while. The boy is on year round school schedule. We have had quite the time since my last horribly depressing post. June ended and not to soon. that month was awful but in came July. Chris had a very easy schedule and we got to go to the perfect place. Yellowstone. We found the kids namesakes and after we got home found out more about their names. John Colter was the first mountain man and first white guy to find Yellowstone. For a while it was referred to as "Colter's Hell". Philip Sheridan was an army general that had shady war tactics, but was one of the leaders in preserving out favorite place but his wife Irene Rucker (my maiden name, I can't find the relation) loved him. Then there is the grand Canyon of Yellowstone. 
Since then we've tried to recuperate from our vacation.  We were canning tomatoes from our garden all July and August. Thankfully that has slowed down a bit. Our garden has been great though.  I mean 6 foot tomato trees people. We have an abundance. And we are grateful.
I've been trying to fight my depression more than ever it seems. Even with it being easier around here, I'm still down. I'm not exactly sure why. I've been back on chocolate again, maybe that's why.
Oh and we've had some birthdays. Colt turned one. He's so big and he got his first haircut. Canyon is 6 now and is loving first grade. I just hit the big 2-8. I got a cricut and I'm so excited to use it. Sher took the scissors into her own hands, but it worked out because now she has a cute a-line bob. I've been trying to get some craft on so you can check my other blog soon. Crafting pulls me out of my crap-tastic-ness.  I think the cricut will be great for me.
Well I don't really want to write a novel, I'll leave that to the professionals. I just thought y'all should know I haven't been committed and things are better than they were two months ago. mostly.

struggling

i feel like i've been struggling lately. it's been over a month since i've posted. we had some really good time with my parents who came for a week. It was wonderful. we had loads of fun and the kids and i all basked in the glory of their attention. once they left it kind of sucked.
the doctor has been working non-stop. it's taking it's toll on us all. including him. it's been rough. his transition month from lowly intern resident to a second year has been very taxing on us both. the hours are ridiculous. he's doing triple the work that he did in the same rotation a year ago. and working every weekend. I want you all to understand that chris gets paid salary for a 40 hour work week. this month has been full of 84+ hour work weeks. no overtime, so we get nothing extra for his work. a typical week is 60+. that i can live with. that means i have the same work week with three kids by myself. it's rough. i know, some people might judge and say i chose this lifestyle for myself. i know my kids are a blessing, not a hindrance. i'm doing much better at recognizing that. but i'm telling you, this sucks. i feel weighed down and like i am barely scraping by. i'm trying to stay busy outside the house so 1. i don't have to deal with the house and 2. i don't have to think about how lonely (and disastrous) it is here. I feel sorry for chris that he has to come home to either his zombie bride or the psycho mom most days. I know it will pass. i mean this month is almost over.
two birthday's are coming within days for my boys. i want so much to be happy and celebrate. but i'm having a hard time finding the gusto to even think of, let alone decorate, a cake. something i love to do.
this is depressing. i know. i'm depressed. i needed to vent. i feel an ounce better. maybe.

secret hideout

Colter has taken his first steps i just have to figure out how to put a video on here.
Sheridan is always in a "secret hiding place" that I set up for her. The dumb thing is that i forget and end up looking for her everywhere and get all nervous and think she ran away, but really she just under the coffee table that has blanket hung over it. She has also mastered rolling her eyes. Hard to stay in the stern tone when your 3 year old is rolling her eyes. (don't you roll your eyes at me young lady) teeheehee)
Canyon only has two weeks of kindergarten left. holy moly, time has flown.
My mom and dad are coming to visit after that. yeah!!!

Anyway I was thinking of hideouts (not just Sheridan's) because you know how easy it is to find people now-a-days. But then there are like the two people that you actually want to find forever, and you can find their siblings on facebook or a blog but you don't want to look like crazy stalker face and ask how they are. You know who I'm talking about, exes, old bff's you haven't seen since high school. I mean what if they died and that is why they still haven't joined the rest of us on the unholy Internet (thanks Brice). I've slowly found most of the people. But there have  been two or three that i wanted to find the most and will randomly google or search for on fb, and no luck.  They have managed to stay free from Internet searches. So today I found one. yeah! I lost touch about 9 years ago and found her today. Through a sibling on FB. Yeah! Anyway people, let me be a crazy stalker face (i just want to know if your ok) and come out of hiding.

Oh and it's been days since I've had any chocolate and a week since I've had a caffeinated soda. You didn't think I could do it? Did ya? Well I wasn't sure I could either.  I feel pretty good.

pink peonies

I love that my living room smells like fresh flowers from my yard. I've been putting these large beauties wherever I can. I'm even pulling out mason jars for vases. I have three of the light pink bushes and one fuchsia. I love them. They really are so big and heavy that they fall over. So much better in my house than dragging on the ground.

my oven is toasted

There may have been a small fire in my oven. Now it will only broil. A new oven was on the list, but it just got drastically bumped up. It's been really ugly, but it works and I wanted other things first. And, I just cleaned it last week, that cleaning is supposed to last much longer than a week. (There may be a small part of me that is just thrilled to get a new oven) My rolls were totally raw on the bottom today, annoying.
Well on to better things. Yard sales!! I have so many new project materials.  I actually gave up my parking spot until I can finish them and get them in to the house. Fun!