Well, I have fallen off the blogging horse, and I'm just hanging onto the stirrups by my fingernails (er, toenails?), 
debating whether to just let go, or inch my way up the saddle and in true Lone Ranger style, throw myself back in the saddle. The mere thought of trying to play catch-up on the craziness of my life is daunting, to say the least. Not to mention the fact that I already tried this post twice and blogger kept losing my stuff . . . AAAGGGHH!! But, what the heck, I say, "Heigh Ho Silver! Away!" 
(Please insert the tune to "Back in the Saddle Again" for full analogy effect)
December was truly a whirlwind!! I'm still reeling and dizzy. It started out with a wonderful visit from my parents! 
To understand just how wonderful this was, you have to keep in mind that the last three visits my parents tried to do were thwarted due to my amazing Grandmother Glo's (my Dad's Mom) failing health and consequently, the moving of her and my Grandpa into my parents home. Worthy reasons for not coming, to be sure, but still a big bummer when their trips were canceled (especially considering it meant Grandma wasn't well). This time they made fail-safe arrangements for my Grandparents and came out for Chris's graduation from Chiropractic school. (Did I happen to mention that he graduated??!!) We spent almost a week with them and the kiddos were spoiled crazy with the extra attention (Zoe especially took a special liking to Grandpa and still continues to ask for him). And Chris and I were spoiled with the ability to go out sans-kids and have some adult time. Too fun!
After all of the graduation excitement, we sent my parents home (much to the dismay of Miss Zoe). It turned out to be a really crappy day. My parents went straight from the airport to a doctor's appointment for my dad. This is where he found out that his kidneys are in really bad shape, possibly failing, and that there is a distinct chance he will eventually need a transplant. As Chris and I were Christmas shopping that night (Thanks again Ogdens for watching the monkeys for us! You guys rock!), I get a call from my mom. She fills me in on the kidney news as they're finally traveling to their home from the dr's appointment. I hang up with her and 15 minutes later I get another call from her. While my parents were 10 minutes from home (keep in mind that they went straight from the airport to the dr's appointment and haven't been home for a week now) . . . they get a call from my aunt Penny (who also lives with them) and find out that my amazing, beautiful, sweet, wonderful Grandmother Glo had just passed away. Grandma had had some complications while my parents were visiting us, so it wasn't entirely a surprise, but they were 10-15 minutes away from seeing her and saying goodbye . . . Talk about crappy!
Unfortunately my Grandma's funeral was on the day we were moving to Oklahoma (I know, "Crazy lady say what?!) and I was unable to attend. I was told it was a wonderful program celebrating her amazing life. Though I lament the fact that I was not able to be there to mourn with those that mourn, in a Pollyanna way, I'm also grateful that all of my memories of her are of her being younger, beautiful, vivacious, whole, able, and with a functioning brain (much the way I imagine she is now on the other side of the veil).
You did hear me right back there . . . We moved to Oklahoma just before Christmas. I have been accused of being stealthy and stealing away in the night, we took off so suddenly and quietly. It truly wasn't intentional. We'd been preparing for this move for a while now (as evidenced by our full storage unit and our staged-for-selling home), but we just hadn't figured out the date of the actual move yet. We decided, packed up, and two days later were on the move to our new home. Unfortunately we have not sold our home in Texas yet. Apparently the housing market has gotten even worse and we'd be so upside down if we sold now, we'd actually owe tons of money. Yuck! So, now we're looking into renting it out (know anyone who needs to rent a nice home in Keller?). We are currently living with Chris's parents in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (a suburb of Tulsa, a.k.a, the place where Chris was born and raised). Believe it or not, it has been a wonderful situation and an HUGE blessing to us (although I can't vouch for what his parents think after a couple months of our insanity, but nobody's dead yet, so that should tell you something). I must say however, they must be saints!
Christmas was wonderful! The monkies were spoiled mercilessly. My favorite present came in the form of a letter stating that my Father-in-law had a reservation for a week stay in a condo in Bella Vista, Arkansas. Turns out, the reservation was actually for Chris and me. Mimi and Pop were offering to watch the mini-monkies for up to a week so we could have some free/adult/fun time! (Did you hear my "Woo! Hoo!" from where you are?) It was actually really hard to leave the little ones behind. I fretted like crazy, even though I knew they couldn't be in better hands. It was a strange mixture of missing them and thrilled to be away from them at the same time as we drove the two and a half hours to Bella Vista. I'd never been to Arkansas and had no idea what to expect, so I wasn't prepared for this . . . 
It was BE-u-ti-FUL!! Granted, it was winter so the main color was brown, but I could just imagine how incredible it would be in the Spring, Summer, or Fall. We got to stay in a cute little condo, equipped with mini kitchen and washer/dryer, etc. It was so nice people! No little people to remind that furniture is not for jumping on . . . and that there are people upstairs and next door so stop screaming and wrestling before they call the Arkansas police on us for abuse . . . oh, and no little bodies trapped in a small condo ready to explode from boredom . . .Just me and the Hubs, for 4 whole days . . .by ourselves! ** Sigh!!** We had a blast . . . we played mini golf, worked out at the on site gym together, went hot-tubbing, hiked some beautiful nature trails, watched and ate whatever we wanted, stayed up 'til all hours (ok, midnight, this girl's no spring chicken anymore), and best of all ~slept in!!!~. Too cool. Sometimes I was tempted to feel bad and miss the kids, then I would call them and was reminded that they were having a blast and were behaving like complete angels for Mimi and Pop. They went to the zoo, flew model airplanes with Pop, played and had a ball as evidenced by these pictures.
By the time the four days were over, Chris and I couldn't wait to get back and hug those kiddos. Absence makes the heart grow fonder right?
As far as the whole reason we're here ~ To start up Chris's Chiropractic Practice~ things are moving along steadily. There's so much to think about and do, but we've been blessed with so many huge blessings along the way (so many that it would require another post to tell about them) it's hard not to know we're on the right path. Panacea Wellness and Chiropractic should be opened by April. Woo Hoo!!! Now if Chris can just survive all of the stress until then! :)
So . . . here we are . . . the kids are established in school, Chris and I were just called to teach the CTR 7 class in our new ward, the practice is getting underway, we're all still alive and ticking . . . Life is pretty good (hectic, crazy, chaotic, exciting, a jungle, a madhouse, nutsy, zoolike, and riotous, but good nevertheless.) Feel caught up? Well, the fat lady is singing and I'm ready to be done with this post. Back in the saddle again? We shall see . . . Tune in next week to see if the injuns let the intrepid hero live to post another day. . .
