Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! We arrived home today, and are cleaning and putting all our new toys away. It looks like Santa's sleigh crashed into our living room. I am not complaining - I love watching the kids play with their new toys. You should have seen Jacob chasing Lizzie and me with his remote control dinosaur!

Anyway, I have lots of fun pictures to post. I got an awesome new digital camera for Christmas and as I am learning to use it, have been fortunate enough to snap some good ones! However, I am going to wait to post them until after we hook up our new computer which should take a few days. Yep, Brian took all his gift cards and money and went today and bought his new computer. He is very excited. And the promise of being able to upload photos without crashing our computer sounds good to me as well!

Mission Accomplished

I actually kept the secret, and so did my kids. Brian was genuinely surprised. After his co-worker gave him a book that I wrote (it was a Seussical type of book with pictures of us) , he called on my cell to see where I was. I then told him to check out his wallet for a gift card and that he was to go to the restaurant and pick up our dinner using that card. He was amazed that I had thought of all that and had kept it quiet! He was even more surprised when he found out the kids knew all along.

Then, yesterday brought an even BIGGER surprise. While we were all at Sunday School and Church, Santa came to visit. He usually comes to our house a little early since we leave for Indiana, but during the day? That crafty old magical soul. . .how did he ever pull that one off?

Zach was sure his daddy left Sunday School to do it, but he was teaching! And, I told him I had people who could vouch for me as well. So, we are not sure how he did that, but enjoyed it nonetheless.

Now, the kids and I are getting all packed up to head to southern Indiana. Brian will follow in a few days. He has a lot to do at work with there being such a short time between students selling their books back and then needing to buy new ones! But he will keep his eye on the radar, and try to beat any nasty weather that might be heading this way.

Christmas brings such a crazy time of the year with visiting family and making sure we get everywhere! However, this Christmas, I am going to try very hard to keep it in perspective. It is about the birth of Jesus Christ and my attitude towards this chaos should reflect that of Jesus.

Big Mouth!

I HATE keeping secrets that I am excited about. And I am excited to surprise Brian tonight. Thus far, I have kept my secret though! Even more miraculous? The kids have kept the secret as well.

We woke this morning to ice and therefore an extra day added to our Christmas break. We had a mixture of emotions at our house ranging from "yea, an extra day!" to "Oh man, today was our party!" The good news? The roads are already clearing and Zach gets to go to his buddies house early. They have been emailing each other about it all morning. Funny stuff!

Brian surprised me yesterday at work with yellow roses. They are beautiful. Then he brought home some Coldstone ice cream last night. Yum!!! Zach tried it and was amazed too.

Gotta run. One of the bonuses of "ice days" off of school? Fighting children!! Ughhh!!!!!!

Let It Snow!

Well, Zach was granted a reprieve from his chorus concert. The snow and freezing drizzle we got today led to the concert being cancelled. I have to admit that I was ok with that as well. We came home, built a fire, and wrapped some presents.

I think I have found an idea for Brian's anniversary gift. I am going to meet him in town after work on Friday evening. I plan on getting a hotel room. I haven't decided how to get him there, though. Either go out to eat, and when it is time for the bill, have the waitress give him a note with the info on it? Or, have someone deliver a card to him at work at closing which will give him clues as to where I can be found? Whatcha think? I am just looking forward to a quiet evening where we don't have to watch Hannah Montana or answer the question "why?"

I have arranged for a friend to bring her kids over for a slumber party with my kids on Friday. She will stay here and watch them all. I am excited and hope I can pull it off! And no, he never reads my blog! :) Good thing huh?

Oh Christmas Tree and more

The Christmas tree is up and decorated. I love our tree! We collect ornaments, and our tree is a hodgepodge of ornaments that represent who we are and what we like. You can find everything from Payton Manning, sock monkeys, and Darth Vader to "Our First Christmas Together" and nativity ornaments. It is fun! This year, the ornaments seem to be clumped. Hmmm. . .could be because the kids had a more instrumental role in decorating this year.

Is it the most beautiful tree in the world? Of course not! But, these guys love it and are proud of their hard work. Who could ask for anything more?

Lizzie was "reading" the newspaper the other day when all of the sudden she decided she absolutely HAD to have my reading glasses. What a hoot!

Zach basketball team continues to improve. On Saturday, they won! Zach scored 8 points and had his game of the season thus far!

Zach has a chorus concert tomorrow night. He is SOOO not looking forward to it. But, he will be there. I think the thing he is disgruntled about the most is the directive that they must wear dress pants - no jeans! Maybe I will even be able to snap a pic or two when he is not looking!

Speaking of jeans, I bought Zach some tonight. You know the type, the ones that look like they have been washed, beat against the brick on the front of the house and then ran over by the car a few times!! Perhaps I exaggerate, but suffice it to say that I am sure some family members will comment on them at Christmas.

It has been fun watching Jacob lately. He is just growing and growing. His reading is improving by leaps and bounds daily, and he is getting so stinking smart. This week, he learned a new expression. On Saturday morning, he crawled in our bed and was bemoaning the fact that his daddy had not let them eat "dough" while I was gone the previous evening. I said he could have a little after lunch. He loves little bites of sugar cookie dough. Hearing this conversation, Brian piped in and said that he didn't know I let them do this, and thought Jake was pulling his leg. Jake looked up, raised his eyebrows, and opened his eyes wide. He exclaimed loudly, "I did NOT pull on your leg!"

Gotta go. . .big Wii bowling tournament awaits! I feel a win coming on! By the way, still don't know what to do for our anniversary!

Clark Griswold Moment

I love this time of the year. The kids are so excited. The lights and trees are beautiful! Fun, fun stuff. I even like the shopping. Friday night, I left Brian with the kiddos and headed out for dinner and shopping with friends. We met for dinner at 5:30 and did not return home until 1:30 a.m.! I got a LOT done and had a good time while doing so!

Brian had a Clark Griswold moment today. Last year, he kept saying that he KNEW he bought me a Christmas card but just couldn't find it. Today, he went to hide the card he bought me for this year. Lo and behold, there was the card he couldn't find last year. What's even better? It was the SAME card. He bought the same card two years in a row!! Can't wait to get it and find out what was so special about it that it grabbed his attention twice!

Another reason I love this time of the year is because our anniversary is December 19th! We have been married for 16 years. Now, the big question. . .what do I get Brian for our anniversary? Help! If you can think of something, let me know. I am truly at a loss!

I have some fun pictures of the Christmas tree, but my computer is not letting me upload them. We really need a new computer. Santa, are you listening? Until then, I will keep trying and hope I can get some posted soon!

How Can It Be?

How can it be that our sweet happy little Lizzie can turn into a demon child within a matter of seconds? We have found that we have to keep our sense of humor in dealing with her or we will go crazy! So, a funny Lizzie story: The other night I asked her to do something and she refused. I counted her and then she got one quick swat on the bottom. She is the one child who believes that a kiss will take away any and all pain. So, she looks up at me with her big eyes and says "Kiss my butt mommy, kiss my butt!" I told her no so she went over and told her daddy, " Daddy my butt hurts. Kiss my butt! Please kiss my butt." When he declined, she tried each brother who in turn told her no. It was pretty funny to watch and listen to!

What's With The House?

Several people have asked about our house recently. We decided to go ahead and take it off the market. The number of people who were coming through it had slowed down significantly, and the house we were really interested in sold. So, we will stay here and hopefully start to make some updates and do some remodeling soon. The boys are excited about this turn of events. Zach likes living right across the road from the golf course, and Jacob likes all his buddies in the neighborhood. Me? Well, I am not as excited, but there is not a lot I can do about the market, now is there?

Thanksgiving Weekend

We had a nice Thanksgiving weekend full of family, fun and food. We visited with Brian's family in northern Indiana and Ohio. Above is Brian's sister, Molly, her husband Chad, and their son Ben.

Brian posed with his mom, Aunt Kathy, and Uncle Lynn. He said they could pretend he was the fun brother they never had!

Lizzie and Ben are pretty fun together. They are both three and therefore sometimes they play together and sometimes they don't. They were hugging each other here.

Friday brought shopping for me, Molly and Karen. Then Ed, Brian and I hit Hyde Brothers, an incredible used bookstore in Fort Wayne. Ahhh, I have new books to read!

On Saturday, we headed to Science Central for the afternoon. It is a hands on science center. Zach rode the bike and watched the skeleton to see how his bones were moving.

Brian pulled hard to raise himself to the top using the pulley system. He DID make it!

Lizzie and Ben played in the play area. They were hamming it up through the "bubble."


Jacob loves the "tilted room." It is built on an incline. He likes to go in there and try to walk to the top and then slide down the floor.

What did the kids do at Grandma and Grandpa's house? Wrestle on the air mattress!

On Sunday morning we woke up to SNOW!!! We all love snow! The flakes were giant, fluffy and beautiful! The kids played, posed for pictures,

caught snow on their tongues,

and had snow ball fights!

Our kids were afraid we would come home to find no snow. But they were lucky, we came home to a "winter weather advisory." We had about 3 and 1/2 inches already with the chance of more and some blowing tomorrow! They had fun shoveling our driveway and making awesome snowballs - check out the one in Zach's hand!

After playing in the snow and putting up our Christmas village. We are ready to settle down for the night. What a great weekend! We are thankful for the family, friends, and fun God has blessed us with!

Giving Thanks

We are giving thanks here at the Paragi house. Zach seems to be responding very well to his meds and his temp is down. So, we are going to pack up and head to Grandma and Grandpa Paragi's house for Thanksgiving. We have a busy weekend planned - yummy turkey, Science Central, visiting with friends, shopping - and we are praying that Zach remains healthy enough to participate with us. If not, I am sure he will love lying around on the couch, watching football and letting his grandma spoil him!

Zachary's Turn

We just returned from the doctor's office where Zach got a shot of rocephin and a prescription for a z-pack. The doctor said his lungs didn't sound too bad, but with his fever (103) and his coughing until he almost vomits, he didn't want to mess around with it. So, my poor big guy got a shot and it hurt! I felt so bad for him. First of all, there is not an ounce of fat on the kid so he definitely felt the entire effects of the shot. Second of all, it is terrible to watch you child try to hold back the tears. He finally let them roll and it was all I could do not to join him. He is recovering nicely here at home, by reclining on the couch and watching college basketball.

We are hoping the antibiotics take effect quickly and he is able to make the trip to Fort Wayne for Thanksgiving!

Celebrations Everywhere!

On Friday, I joined Jacob's class for his Thanksgiving celebration. We did all kinds of fun things like playing games, weaving placemats and making butter. Then they all gathered together to eat their feast. Above is a picture of Jacob singing the Thanksgiving song.

Lately, we have been seeing a new side of Jacob. His calm laid back reading side! This is a sight that I am still not used to seeing. . .


After school on Friday, we headed to Indiana to visit family. We went to my niece's first birthday party. Here she is posing with the birthday cake my mom made her!

Lizzie spent a lot of the time talking to my grandma. Lizzie "got her nose," tried on her rings, and even gave Mamaw some lip gloss! They both spent a lot of time smiling.

Then, she went and hung out with her daddy and my grandpa. I am pretty sure they were talking IU basketball and how badly they stink!

I tried and tried to get a picture of the four kids, but they just wouldn't cooperate. The pictures were terrible. This is what most of the pics looked like:

We had fun visiting with everyone. Zach and Papaw Burton went to visit the "knife guy" and Zach came home with several new pocket knives for his collection. And Mamaw spoiled us all with Krispy Kreme Donuts! Wii at Aunt Kelly's house was a lot of fun too!

On Sunday, we went to visit Grandma and Grandpa Ellis. Brian and Jacob helped Grandpa put up the Christmas lights.
We are home for a few days before we head out to Fort Wayne for Thanksgiving and a visit with Brian's family. I am feeling better aside from this nagging cough and cold. I just pray that we are all healthy for our Thanksgiving!

On the Mend?

Well, late yesterday afternoon, I caved in and went to the doctor. Actually, I sobbingly (is that even a word?) called a friend and asked her to drive me because there was no way I could either drive or wait till Brian got home. The doc prescribed me antibiotics for walking pneumonia. I am actually feeling a lot better today, but not even close to 100%. The fact that I am upright at the moment speaks volumes. My fever still hasn't completely broken, though. It is running about 100, but compared to the 103 all day yesterday, it feels very good!

The only upside to this? Chick flicks - lots and lots of chick flicks between naps.

Thank Goodness

Thank goodness for friends. I am still fighting this Paragi Plague, and am still generally miserable. This is also Brian's weekend to work. Since we don't live near family, we don't have the luxury of sending everyone to Grandma or Grandpa's house. So, I am very thankful for our friends who have volunteered or agreed to help me today. Zach caught a ride to his ball game with a great family, and my friend Tami is coming to get the younger ones so they can have a play date at her house and I can sleep. Yea!!!! I am having massive mommy guilt about not going to the game, and letting my kids eat chips, Dr. Pepper and candy as breakfast (that is all they could reach) while I was still asleep. But, in the long run, I guess it doesn't really matter, huh?

Mommy's Down For The Count

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I seem to have caught the Paragi plague - achey, fever, generally miserable!

Healthy and Busy

The boys are finally healthy! They did miss school on Wednesday and Thursday, though. We did not have school Friday, so that gave them a free day to rest. I am very hopeful that we are done with this junk for a while. And, no, Lizzie did not end up sick.

On Friday, the kids and I headed to town for some shopping and lunch. We went shopping for gifts to put in our Operation Christmas Child boxes. The kids loved picking out things to send to their "friends." It does my heart good to see the kids getting so excited about giving. We also browsed the toy section and made their Christmas lists. After the massive 1 and 1/2 hour trip to Target, we decided to get some lunch. Zach wanted Fazoli's but the little ones were not excited. We went there and now we have three Paragi children who are in love with those breadsticks.

Lizzie was eating double-fisted - a breadstick in each!

On Saturday, Zach had a basketball game. His team won 25 to 15. It was their first win. Zach was disappinted that he only got to play for 10 minutes. I tell you what, that was a wise choice on his coach's part. At the end of the second 5 minutes, he was really gasping for air. He had basically been lying around sleeping all week so his stamina is shot! He did well during those 10 minutes though. According to him, the stats were as follows: forced 2 jump balls, 2 outright steals, and 3 assists.

Warming up before the game.

Jacob and Lizzie enertained themselves very well during the game. When they weren't cheering or eating pretzels, they read books.

Today brought Sunday School and church. This afternoon, we had a swimming party for the kids who have been attending Sunday School this quarter. Of course, our three fish had a wonderful time.

A picture of Lizzie taken through a foggy lens. Gotta love that smile!

Taking a quick break for a picture!

This picture is so Jacob! He runs on a level 10 100% of the time!

Everybody is tucked into bed, and even though it isn't quite 9:00, I think Brian and I may be headed that way too! We are tired after a busy, yet very fun, weekend.

Elections, Conferences and Fevers

The day started off with Brian taking Lizzie to vote early this morning. He said she talked non-stop. She was excited because she got an "I Voted" sticker. Then at lunch I hit the polls. The boys were excited because they each got to vote in their respective schools. So, all members of the Paragi family have done their part in this election.

After school, we had parent/teacher conferences for each boy. They both went very well and we are very proud of them.

Then, after conferences, we decided to hit a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. As we were sitting there, Zach starts chilling and saying he doesn't feel well. Brian touches his back and says he is burning up. Then, not to be out done, Jacob says he doesn't feel well either. Another touch to the back, and yep, you guessed it, another warm kid. So, we gather our food up to leave and I go ahead and take the kids to the van while Brian takes care of the check. As I strap Lizzie in, Zach starts yelling something about puking. I look up and ask if he is going to get sick and he says "No, Jacob is!!!" So, without sharing nasty details, let's just say that Jacob's tummy "rearranged" itself right there in my van. And Lizzie, who is feeling just fine, was very loudly giving me all the play by play details of what was happening in the back seat.

Woo hoo. . . fun times at the Paragi house! Excuse me while I go Lysol down my house. . .

A Day at Conseco

As a prize for being one of the top collectors for Jump for Heart at his school last year, Zach got to attend the American Heart Association's Jump Rope for Heart night at the Pacers/Celtics game. Brian and Zach headed over to Indy for a day of fun. Grandpa and Uncle Jimmy met them for the game. Luckily, the camera worked for Brian this time.

Zach compares his wingspan to Hibbert and Ford.

Highlights? Shooting around on the court for a few hours.


Getting autographs,

And dreaming of playing in an arena like this.

The Pacers win made the home crowd happy. But Brian, a Celtics fan since childhood, wasn't as excited.

Jacobisms

Jacob is always saying things that just make us laugh. Tonight, I was reading to him about mummies. It was pretty freaky - how they took the brains out, etc. and he was hanging on every word. All of the sudden, Jacob's eyes get big and he says "WEIRD!" I asked what part he thought was weird, and he says, "Your top teeth don't move when you read. Only your bottom teeth do." Ok, so maybe he wasn't so attentive to the story as we was to my mouth!

Then, after prayers, I was cuddling with him. He was almost asleep when he rolls over and whispers, "When will I be able to climb on the walls?" Huh? I whispered back, "What are you talking about?" He said, "You know! You told the doctor that I would probably be climbing the walls. When do I get to learn how to do that?" I explained that was an expression for being energetic and I said that because I thought his neb treatments might make him energetic. He was sorely disappointed to realize that he wasn't going to get to learn how to wall climb. I am pretty sure his exact words were, "Man, that stinks!"

Gotta love and appreciate the way his mind works!

Candy Galore!

We have enough candy in our house this morning, to keep the dentist busy filling cavities for months! Halloween was a very busy, but fun, day.

The boys and I all had Halloween parades and parties at our schools. Lizzie joined us for the fun as well. Here are the boys during their parades.

Jacob was something from the Star Wars Clone Wars. I am not good on that stuff.


Zach couldn't decide what to be, so he was a sports addict - complete with his popcorn bowl and remote!


Lizzie joined me at my school for the parade and parties. She was Cinderella during that time. However, she threw a fit and said she was NOT going to wear that at night. It was itchy and hurt. So, after school we came home, gobbled down some McDonald's and she transformed into - Simba!

Here they are - all ready to go get some candy!

We trick or treated at friends' houses and then hit a local church for their Trunk or Treat. Jacob and Lizzie got bunches of candy and played games with friends while Zach hung out with his friends and helped man the football toss game!

Lizzie needed her Daddy's help with the golf game.

Today is sure to be a day of rest and recovery for myself and the two youngest. Brian and Zach are headed to Indianapolis for the Pacers game. Hope he can get my camera to work this time!!

Productive Daddy

I tell you what, Brian will make somebody a nice wife one of these days! Hee! Hee!! Hee!!! Seriously, we ended up keeping Jacob home and Brian took him in for his follow-up visit. He is all set to go to school tomorrow.

In between entertaining Jacob and running him to the doctor, Brian cleaned off his work-bench, fixed a wagon, did laundry, baked a cake, de-junked the junk drawer (I will NEVER find anything NOW), ran the dishwasher, ran to the grocery store and logged on and worked from home - well, you get the point. Can you say overachiever?!?!?

I am NOT complaining though. I appreciate all he did. What a guy!!

He's Baaacccckkkkk!

Jacob has pretty much driven me batty most of the day. He has talked non-stop and asked the same questions over and over. Yep, you got it - back to the ol' Jacob we know and love. The plan for tomorrow is to send him to school since he has been fever free all day. He may tucker out half-way through the day, and if that happens, then Brian will come home and stay with him.

Yuck!

So, I am in the office working, when Lizzie barges in screaming, "Jacob puked! Jacob puked!!" I jumped up, and screamed back at her, "WHERE?" As soon as I stepped into the living room, there is Jacob on the floor holding his hand and saying, "Here, in my hand!" Oh no!!! And that was not all, more came! I do NOT do vomit but Brian is working late tonight so I had no choice. We got through it somehow, but even now as I think about it, I get nauseous.

Sunday Trip to Convenient Care

I am just not used to seeing Jacob like this in the middle of the day! It breaks my heart. He is supposed to be running around, asking questions over and over, and generally driving me batty!

When we woke up this morning, he just wasn't feeling any better. His fever was up around 104 and his breathing was starting to sound wheezy. So, Brian took the other two to Sunday School and church and Jacob and I headed to the doctor.

Sure enough, he has bronchitis, and possibly some pneumonia. They did not do an x-ray to verify the pneumonia but since his temp has been so high, they decided to treat with antibiotics anyway.

They also put him on three nebulizer treatments a day. I was a little worried - when Zach took neb treatments with albuterol, he was bouncing off the walls. It made him so very hyper. I wasn't sure I could handle Jacob any more energetic than he already is. Well, we are lucky, it doesn't same to have that same side effect on Jake. But, he does have one of the common side effects - immediate vomiting! Oh yippee! Man, now I am wishing he was hyper!

Here he is taking his neb treatment. Can't you see the excitement just oozing from him? I think not!

I'll spare you any pictures of the aftermath! No, I didn't really take any!

Jacbo and I are home tomorrow and every day until his fever finally breaks.
Sub plans - ughhhh!!

Mahomet Magic Update

Zach's team, the Mahomet Magic, lost their first game by three points. I guess it was a pretty good game. According to Brian, Zach played very well. Brian could not get my camera to work, and was going to call me to ask what might be wrong when he realized he couldn't get a signal in the gym. Wanna bet that did not make him happy? Anyway no pics from today's game.

A funny "out of the mouths of babes" story: Tonight at dinner, Zach, Brian and I were discussing how people meet their spouses. Zach is often curious as to how Brian and I met, if we dated other people before, etc. It is hard for him to consider his old parents as young and dating. I said a lot of people meet their spouses at college. Brian agreed and Zach chimed in, "It's either there or eHarmony!"

"Charwette's Leb"

Since Jacob was sick and Zach was resting for his game today, we decided to have a "movie and snack night" on Friday night. After some yummy snacks, Lizzie chose the movie for the night - Charlotte's Web. Usually, she runs around and plays while the movie is on, but last night, she cuddled right up next to her daddy and watched the pig movie, or "Charwette's Leb," as she calls it. It was pretty sweet. Brian was loving that his little girl was cuddling with him. Of course, Jacob was laying on the other end of the couch and occasionally his foot would wander over and give Lizzie a nudge! I swear, even with a temp of 102, that kid loves to start a little fight. He would just smirk, bury his head under the blanket and giggle.


Brian and Zach are off to Zach's first game. Hope to have some news and pics to post later. I sent my camera with Brian, but I am afraid he will be so caught up in cheering and coaching from the sidelines, that he will forget to take some shots.

Afternoon Off

Jacob came home early from school today. He has a fever and says his legs and head are hurting. When I got there to pick him up, I began to thank my lucky stars that those were Jacob's only complaints. One of his classmates was sitting in the office throwing up in a trash can. Keep that kid AWAY from mine, thank you! Jacob went back to school with me and hung out in my office until Brian could pick him up. Hopefully this will be a short lived bug and he will bounce back soon!

On a different note, Zach's first basketball game is tomorrow. If Jacob isn't better, one of us will have to miss it. That is a bummer, and believe me Zach has already informed how badly that stinks for him!

Scrimmage

Since this is the last practice before their first game, Zach's team scrimmaged and all the families were invited to stay. It was fun to watch. The lighting in that gym is terrible so it was hard to get good pictures. But, here he is shooting a free throw.

They also got their "shooting shirts" tonight. They all decided they would wear them to school tomorrow. They are pretty sharp looking! Notice his rosy cheeks? He was still pretty warm after running hard for two hours.

The best part, according to Zach? His name on the back!


It is so much fun to watch our kids as they find things they enjoy doing. Zach is loving basketball, and Brian is living vicariously through him. Me? I thought I knew a lot about basketball. At least I should since we spend so much time watching it! But, I was lost tonight listening to them review the press and the 3 on 2 and 2 on 1 drills. I think I'll stick to the spectating and leave the coaching to the dads!

Pride Cometh Before The Fall

I was so proud of myself this morning! Brian left early for a business meeting in Bloomington, Indiana so it was just me and the kiddos. I was on a mission to prove that I could get everybody up, ready and out the door by 7:20. We met that goal, and we were all still talking to each other which is awesome. I was feeling pretty full of myself - yes, I can do it too. I might have actually done some kind of dance down the hallway. Then, we all walked out to the garage, and I realized, that I can't get in!!! My garage key is in the lockbox for the realtors and Brian has his with him on the way to Indiana! Are you kidding me?!?!? Oh well, then I did the "poor me pity shuffle" back down the hall to call Brian and admit my defeat! Now we are sitting around waiting for the realtor to come let us in our garage. Yea. . .there is the doorbell. I think he is here!!!!

Ouch!

Lizzie loves "doing" my hair. Just recently she started "doing" her own. I have tried, to no avail, to tell her that she should use a brush and not a comb. Why? Well, check this out. Can you say ouch? She was not happy when I was trying to get it all untangled.

Whirlwind Weekend

Shew. . . we had quite a busy weekend. Friday afternoon we packed up and headed to northern Indiana. It was not a terrible trip, but one can only listen to Veggie Tales, Bob & Larry Sing the 70's for so long before they are ready to go nuts!

We were excited to see Brian's Uncle Tom from Alaska. We have not seen him in over six years. The boys loved him. They thought he was a big kid. We also got to visit with Brian's grandpa who we also had not seen in over six years. Here is Brian and the kids with his uncle and grandpa. Don't ever tell me that Paragi genes are not dominant!!

Here are four generations of Paragis. As Zach said today, "Man, four generations of Paragis all in one house is scary!" Lizzie thought all the "boys" were ok, but she spent most of her time coloring with her "Dodo."

So, Saturday night, we left the kids with the family and attended Brian's 20th class reunion. He said he actually had a pretty good time. He was not too excited about wearing this name tag though! I giggled every time I looked at it! And you know that you are giggling now too!

Brian had a good time catching up with old friends. He also won a door prize for the boy with the biggest hair in high school. The above picture does NOT do him justice. He had some lion mane hair going on! Ok, I can't believe this but we did not take any pictures at the reunion itself. Yes, I know we are losers.

While we were gone, the kids raked and played in the leaves. They had a great time and they should sleep real well again tonight!

On the way home tonight, we stopped to eat at Steak 'n Shake. When you watch Jacob eat you realize that it is a full contact sport during which he "experiences" his food. Check out his grilled cheese sandwich with french fry "attachments!" This kid is such a nut!!

Then as we neared home, there was a gorgeous sunset. This picture does not do it justice. It is as though God just painted the sky this evening. It reminded me that He is in control of everything and all we have and enjoy are simply blessings from Him.


As we got home, Brian told everyone at what time they would be going to bed. Zach tried to barter, and asked to stay up later. The conversation went something like this. . .

Zach: Come on just a little longer?
Brian: Nope, you are going to bed so your mom and I can sit together, watch tv and smooch.
Zach: (with major disgust) You have a bedroom you know!

Again, little blessings!