OK, so this morning I am awakened in the wee hours of the morning by the very unfortuante and all-too-familiar sound of our cat hocking up his breakfast on the floor right by the bed.  I know.  Nice.  Jim and I dream of the day when poop and barf and all other related grossness are no longer part of our daily list of tasks to clean up.  Admittedly, when we decided to be parents yet again at the ages of 40 and 42 we were certainly asking for it, but we have also had the worst luck with our pets being naughty.  On Saturday we finally put the recliner out in the garage that is listing to one side and also smells permanently like a well-used fire hydrant because of our little pug that I finally gave to an older couple that could pamper him the way he required.  I think we would be wealthy if we could have all the money back we have spent on pets and the messes and havoc they have wreaked on our homes (and psyches).  Oh, well - we are on the downward slope.  Mason will be potty-trained soon (fingers crossed), the cat is house-trained, just has your occasional gastrointestinal upset, and the current dog is decent now that we have removed all traces of the stupid pug from the house.  After these animals have gone the way of all the earth we have vowed to never have pets again.  Ever. 

Also, the other day I talked about high heel shoes that I have been saving for the day when I can wear them because there is no snow on the ground.  I had to take pictures of two of them because they make me so happy:  Enjoy!!!  The colored ones I saw on the shelf at the thrift store and I couldn't resist - are they hot or what?!  The boot thingies I got for 75% off at DSW.  Love.That.Store.  Oh....and there is a cute pic of Mason on the day he wouldn't take a nap, this is after he fell asleep on Preston's lap, we just laid him on the chair after Preston got tired of heavy baby on his lap! 
AND....the big news that we've had for a week now is that our big boy is going on his mission to Villahermosa Mexico!!!  I can't believe he is old enough to be going on a mission!!!  This is a boy who spent three years in Puerto Rico and can't say Hola correctly.  Jim and I were both hoping fervently that he would be called to a Spanish-speaking mission, just so we could at last have the satisfaction of hearing him speak fluent Spanish!!!  I love that kid - that's all.  And I love that he gets this opportunity to serve - sigh.....did I mention that I loved that kid???  

Spring has sprung........maybe?????

Today it is supposed to reach 50 degrees.  Really.  This may not seem like a big deal to you all out there is mild weather land, but to me, here in the frozen hell (yes, I said it) of Minnesota, this is like Christmas, birthday, and Valentine's Day all wrapped up in one.  I can finally look forward to all the many things that I have been deprived of the last six months, and in honor of the string of 50 degree days that are forecast for this week, I have made a list of things that I am glad to say good-bye to, and things I can't wait to say hello to.  Here goes:
Hello to the ostentatious brick pillars at the end of the driveway that have been completely covered with 6 feet of snow all winter.  Jim is going to remove both of you as soon as you emerge completely from your wintery tomb.
Good-bye to having my constant companion, the space heater with me as I shiver in the computer room each day and work on my homework and assignments - I don't have to take it up to Mason's room each night so he doesn't freeze to death in the night, but is kept warm by our blessed little space heater that undoubtedly saved both our lives this winter. 
Hello to all my wonderful open-toed high heels that I get to wear to church now.  Every time I went to the thrift store I bought a more outrageous spiked pair than before, just in the anticipation of not having to wear a fur-lined monstrosity on my feet everywhere I go (actually I have some pretty cute boots, but I digress). 
Good-bye huge puffy slipper socks that haven't left my feet in six months.  I have worn holes in 4 pairs of them this winter, as I said, they don't leave my feet.
Hello to daylight after 4:30 pm.  What a miracle.  Eating dinner in the daylight!!!
Good-bye to my beloved BFF.......my electric blanket.  We have the one where there are controls for both sides, Jim didn't even turn his on this winter, he is part-Eskimo, part abominable snowman.  Also, the heat emanating from my side was enough to keep the entire room warm.  Oh blanky, I love you.
Hello to long walks on the path to the lake, my favorite pasttime in the summer - those three short months when there isn't snow on the ground.
Good-bye to dripping wet snow pants, gloves, mittens, hats and boots leaving trails and puddles to wipe up and slip on.  You are all going into storage where I won't have to acknowledge your existence for a while at least. 
Hello to taking the kids down to the lake, walking to down to Dairy Delite for an ice cream cone, and playing frisbee outside with the kids.
Hello to barbecuing, garage-saling, cute summer baby clothes for Mason, sandals, short sleeves, sprinklers on the trampoline, and mowing the lawn, oh how I love the smell of fresh-cut grass.
Hello to fresh produce and flowers from the farmers market (that I can walk to every Saturday morning with Jim), hanging out with the kids during the day, going to matinee movies, and fireworks on the 4th of July.
Hello to fireflies, crickets chirping, birds singing (not a lot of that when it is 20 below zero), and our cat being able to go outside instead of stare forlornly out at the snow piled outside the back door.
Good-bye a million times over to driving on icy roads, shivering in the van while I wait for the heater to warm up after driving for 20 minutes, and slipping and sliding and getting stuck in the snow.  (yeah, I drove us out of the snowbank after Jim failed, I have skills).
Hello to pedicures and red toenails- aaaahhhhh.....
Good-bye to frostbite after forgetting to take my gloves to school and nearly losing digits on the 15 minute walk to class from the parking lot in nosebleed territory.
Good-bye to having numb toes ALL DAY LONG.  They NEVER get warm.  What is that???
Good-bye to standing like two inches in front of the fireplace to get warm at several intervals throughout the day.
Good-bye to snuggling with Karly in the electric blanket while we watch a chick flick movie in my room.
Good-bye to warm soup or stew at least 5 times a week.
And finally.....hello to open windows, cool breezes, sandy toes and sandals, sunscreen, fishing poles and bathing suits, the smell of chlorine, sunglasses, the zoo, and a very warm car to get into . . . . aaaaaahh.  I can hardly wait.