Happy 2010!

As I sit here waiting for the delivery of our new furniture, I decided to be constructive and update our blog. Matt has almost completed his basement project. It's been years in the making, but the end is finally in sight. He did the entire basement himself: constructing, insulating, wiring, and drywalling.  He did it without me having to call an ambulance, the fire department, or a marriage counselor.  The carpet was laid last week and Keaton and his friends christened it with a late night of playing video games...each kid with his own TV and Xbox. They had them all lined up and were happy to "feast on the Christmas newbs". (Translation: they enjoyed beating all the new kids who got Call of Duty for Christmas and don't know how to play yet.) We have one room left to complete: the utility room. We have tubs and bins and boxes (oh my) to go through and purge. Matt has to mud, sand, and paint that room, lay the tiles, build some shelves, and then I'll be able to reorganize all our stuff...complete with labels. Then, we'll OFFICIALLY be organized and everything will be in its place...finally. I get tingly just thinking about it.

Christmas was a little different this year. We stayed home for Christmas and it was absolutely wonderful to wake up on Christmas morning in our own beds! Matt and I were the ones who were up early and we finally had to wake Keaton up at 11 a.m. to open presents. It sure doesn't seem that long ago when he used to wake up before dawn to open presents. We all got new cell phones this year for our gifts (oh and new carpet and furniture for the basement), so there weren't many presents under the tree. Matt and Keaton got smart phones, so they're able to be connected to the internet and have the answer to any question in the world at the tips of their fingers. I got a texting phone since McKenna is now texting me. (I'm not nearly as texting-challenged as I used to be! However, I refuse to text without proper grammar and punctuation. Texting shortcuts will be the downfall of the English language!) We actually spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day painting the basement. Fun times. Not. Seriously, it wasn't too bad and the time passed by very quickly...so quickly that it made for some late, late nights (or mornings). We ordered Chinese food on Christmas Eve and enjoyed watching 'A Christmas Story' while eating. We worked so hard on Christmas Day, we just had leftover Chinese for dinner that night too. (I had planned to have crab legs, but we just saved those for New Year's Day.)

                                            

                                            

                                            

Speaking of New Year's, this year was a little different too. We went to our friends' house to eat, drink, and play cards like we do every year. But, this year we also went to downtown Kalamazoo to watch the first-ever ball drop. They had events scattered around the area (music, magicians, hypnotist, bubble-guy) to fit every age group. We adults went to the KISS tribute concert and it was fun. The kids braved the cold, cold, cold weather while we warmed up indoors at the concert. We watched the ball drop at midnight, gave each other quick pecks on the cheek (it was so cold, lips would freeze with one another if you lingered) and then headed back to our friends' house for more food, drinks, and cards.

                                           



Keaton went back to school yesterday and is already looking forward to spring break. He's planning to go to Florida with Elizabeth and her family. He's been checking out discount airline tickets with his new phone. We braved a blizzard before Christmas and enjoyed two snow days. The seniors are hoping for more snow days because they won't have to make them up...only the underclassmen. Keaton anxiously watches the weather for any forecast of snow. He's been to some more college games and was invited to attend games at Kalamazoo College and Hope College. He likes both schools and both coaches. I kind of like Hope because Aaron lives there so he can play the babysitting game like he used to when Keaton was little!

With the basement looking fabulous now, I'm thinking it's time to re-do the upper part of the house. Judging by the dirty looks Matt gives me for even mentioning it, I think I'll have to wait a month or two to start another project. Soon, spring will be here and we'll be out and about in the motor home. He can rest then. But first we have landscaping to complete, the garage to paint, and all the odds and ends to finish for Keaton's open house. Matt can rest in the summer...maybe next summer.