Max

We took our cats to the vet this weekend for their annual check-up. Since Max is almost 18 years old and on arthritis medicine, we opted to have blood work done again this year to check his kidney function. For those of you who have seen Max lately, I'm sure you would agree that he is moving a bit slowly and has become quite skinny in the butt/hip area. Anyway, the results of the blood work indicated that he is in the early stages of kidney failuare. I guess we're not too surprised by the news, however it is still hard to hear. We don't know how much time he has left, but we are enjoying him as much as possible. He is the best cat ever! Kyle and Clara are extremely attached to him and love him very, very much. Considering most cats show signs of early kidney failure around 10-14 years of age, I suppose we should be counting our blessings at this point. We will continue to keep you posted on his health if anything new develops.

Max - Christmas, 2009

Awesome Dinner

This past week Craig made an awesome dinner for us! It even required that he follow a recipe. I promise you won't be disappointed if you decide to make it. It also makes a great 'date night' meal for home. Enjoy!

P.S. - Thank you Mom for passing your Southern Living magazines on to me, which is where I found this recipe. :)

Sausage-and-Ravioli Lasagna
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage
1 (24-oz.) jar tomato-and-basil pasta sauce
1 (6-oz.) package fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed
1/2 cup refrigerated pesto sauce (we used non-regrigerated pesto)
1 (25-oz.) package frozen cheese-filled ravioli (do not thaw)
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Italian six-cheese blend

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook Italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 10 minutes or until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Stir pasta sauce into sausage.

2. Chop spinach, and toss with pesto in a bowl. (Craig used our mini food processor to do this.)

3. Spoon one-third of sausage mixture (about 1/2 cup) into a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Top with half of spinach mixture. Arrange half of ravioli in a single layer over spinach mixture. Repeat layers once. Top with remaining sausage mixture.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake 5 to 8 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Note: Feel free to omit the sausage and/or shredded cheese for a healthier (or vegetarian) option.

More Sledding

On New Years Eve we headed back to the new sledding hill . . . . . . all of us this time. It was so much fun! Kyle got a new tube sled because his other one got a hole in it. It came in a box, so little did we know that it would be big enough for our entire family to ride on at once (not recommended). :) We had a blast! It's a good thing the kids got helmets and goggles for Christmas. They have come in super handy this winter. Plus, it's always good to be safe.

Sledding

Of course our winter break would not be complete without at least one of us getting sick, right? Unfortunately, I (Tracey) came down with laryngitis for 2-3 days following Christmas day. I think I was exposed to some allergens and irritants that bothered me.

In an attempt to get the kids outside and allow me to rest, Craig took the kids sledding to a new sledding spot after calling their hotline to check the conditions of the hill. Who knew sledding hills had their own hotline?!?! Anyway, they had a great time as you can see from the photos below. This new sledding hill even has a lodge where you can buy hot chocolate! Now that is my kind of sledding spot. Ha, ha! Please stay tuned for more sledding pictures. :)

Christmas 2009

We are grateful for the recent Christmas celebrations with family, friends and loved ones. Christmas Eve was at our house with the Heer Family . . . . . . . . . all 35 of them! Christmas morning was spent at home opening presents with Kyle and Clara, followed by a day of fun at Aunt Jenni and Uncle Scott's house. Finally, the day after Christmas we were back at our house with the James Family where we enjoyed lots of food and even some bowling. :) There were many wonderful memories made and we are thankful for all of them.

We took a lot of pictures at our various parties, but the one below is my favorite. It is Kyle and Clara on Christmas morning. I love it because it is simple, innocent, happy and pure. It sums up our Christmas this year beautifully. :)

Birthday Celebration

We celebrated Kyle's 7th birthday this year by having a small party at our house. Kyle was allowed to invite five of his friends over for pizza, a movie, cake and ice cream. He ended up inviting five of his friends from daycare, three of whom live in our neighboorhood. Anyway, the boys were wonderful and had a great time playing together. They especially enjoyed watching the movie, Night at the Museum 2 and eating a homemade football cake. Overall, a great time was had by all, including Clara, who enjoyed hanging out with the boys for the day. :) Happy Birthday, Kyle!

Kyle and his buddies Tanner, Joe, Jacob, Tyler and Luke.

Lego Club

A while back we signed Kyle up for a free Lego Club Magazine. Kyle LOVES Legos, plus it is free. If you sign up, you will receive a Lego Magazine once a month. Here is a sample of what might appear in the magazine:

• An up-close look at the LEGO® Star WarsTM Y-Wing Starfighter!

• An interview with LEGO® Indiana JonesTM set designer Hans Henrik Sidenius!

• A sneak preview of LEGO Atlantis!

• Action and adventure with the Power Miners!

Plus Cool Creations, Pirates, Castle, Space Police and more!

Kyle was super excited today when we arrived home and found his first Lego Magazine in the mail box. This month the magazine even came with some 3D glasses. Below is a picture of Kyle checking it out. I think I see a lot more Legos in our future! :)