happy 2014!!!!

One of my resolutions was to post something new before the end of the first month of 2014. So...the pressure was on these last couple days of this month...and here I am! And where do I begin? So much to tell....

I left off on Anna Clara's birthday so I will begin with the boys' 3rd birthday since, frankly, their being 3 was a fairly big part of my year's struggles. I am, still, not a fan of 3 year olds. They are, still, destructive, whiny, disrespectful, have tantrums at a drop of a hat, have a love of potty talk to a degree that sometimes I think those are the only words they know, and they are CONSTANT, and I mean CONSTANTLY needy...to a degree that just about drives me to insanity. So, no, not much has changed since this post.

But that's quite enough about my Tasmanian Devils. The good news is they are darn cute and make me laugh (almost) every day.

My boys had their first day of pre-school ON their 3rd birthday -- because they qualified for free, public pre-school since they are so behind in their speech. It was the very best part of moving to Chicago -- discovering that pre-school is five mornings a week!!!! Seriously. Not kidding.

 

I made two cakes...one for ON their birthday and one for a celebration with daddy home.

I love how Niels "blows" the candles (yes, that is what he is doing with his mouth - blowing into his nose and not the candles). On the other hand, Anders is doing his darndest to get them blown out.

First day of pre-school!!!!

Adorable backpacks from their Aunt Katie.

Believe it or not, my brother wore the shirt Niels is wearing when he was little. I love it so much and am so sad it doesn't grow bigger with him!!

And then....there was the move.... The most concise summary is what I wrote for our Christmas card this year, so I will cut and paste it here:

The following is very loosely adapted from “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. There is no rhyme or rhythm to it because they are actual quotes from my true love (that would be Jim).

On the fifth month of May [2012], my true love said to me:
“I have some news....I was laid off.”

On the eighth month of August [2012], my true love said to me:
“I found a job. It’s in Chicago.”

On the ninth month of September [2012] my true love said to me:
“We need to sell the house. I accepted the job. I start in two weeks.”

On the sixth month of June [9 months later], my true love said to me:
“We have an offer on our house!”
“No we don’t.”
“Yes we do!”

On the seventh month of July [2013], my true love said to me:
“Our house is finally sold!!!!!”
“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is!”
 
After the first 18-wheeler truckload full of boxes (on the last week of August), my true love said to me:
“What am I going to do with all this stuff?”

This doesn't even come close to showing how many boxes there were....

After the second 18-wheeler truckload full of boxes, my true love said to me:
“What the h*** am I going to do with all this crap?????!!!!!!!”
 
On the third week in our new home, my true love said to me:
“Does anything work in this house?”
 
On the fourth week in our new home, my farm boy said to me:
“I’m renting as much heavy equipment as possible and fixin’ the yard up good.”

This could very well be the Picture of the Year for the Kappelmans. Yes, that is my True Love haulin' our kidlets in the bobcat he rented. Just another day with my Farm Boy.

After 12 months of living apart and 2 months of hard work on our new home
[it was a foreclosure house], my true love said to me:
“I need to pinch myself sometimes, I can’t believe we live here!”
 
And to that I responded to my true love:
“Hallelujah!! Good things come to those who wait.”
 
On this 11th month of 2013, the Kappelmans say to you:
“Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!”
******************************************************************************

This was the first year I have every been able to send out my card before Thanksgiving. I had to since it was both my change-of-address card and holiday card. It was quite a relief to get it done and out before the holidays even began!!

Here are some more of my fave pics from the rest of the year up to now:

Soren's 9th birthday, and our last party at our New Hampshire home. Water guns for everyone! (boys don't need no gift bags with cutesy knick knacks...!)

One of my favorite pictures from the summer.
I spent my summer at my parents' home in Hilton Head, SC while we were in between houses. It was one of my favorite summers ever because my children and I were able to spend it with my extremely positive, fun and generous parents. My dad, "Big Pa", loves handing out candy to the grandkiddos (usually right before bed time) and they LOVE getting that candy from him -- as noted in this picture...could those faces (and hands) possibly express more joy?

Our new home, after a fresh paint job with new colors.
One of many, many, many, many changes we made to the house.

 

Jim even decorated the island in the middle of the pond in our back yard.
I love having a husband who gets into Christmas as much as I do!

My four kidlets on Christmas morn -- right before opening gifts. They are seriously cute.

The view of the sunrise from my bedroom window. The pond is completely frozen over...not a surprise considering we live at the vortex of the Polar Vortex of 2014.

There. I did it. My last post of 2013 and first post of 2014...and even with two more days left in January! Woo hoo! Check that off the list!! AND I actually fulfilled a New Year's Resolution!! I am breathing such a huge sigh of relief to have this done. It's been hanging over my head for a while. I'm hoping I will be updating more often in the coming months...although with such a long break I have probably lost all of my readers. Feel free to leave a comment to let me know who's out there...maybe you can help motivate me to post more often so I can keep my journal going. One of these days I will print this blog to have as a keepsake/album since I don't seem to print any of my pictures anymore....

Ta ta for now...and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!