Polar Vortex

It's cold here in Ohio. That's really all people talk about.  "Hey, how are you today". "Oh, fine...it sure is cold out there." Every conversation.  The Polar Vortex and all of the Weather Channel-suspensefully-named winter storms of 2014 are about the only thing going on in Northeast Ohio.  In true Ohio fashion...seriously, the weather has sucked.  I can't remember when I've experienced a winter like this one. It's horrible. Why do I live here?

The kids are doing well.  We had a rough first week of February as Aida battled a serious eye infection in the hospital for three days.  As a parent, the resilience of your children and the ability of you to cope is amazing. I didn't realize the seriousness of the infection until she was out of the hospital. God works in great ways. It was a good thing. It kept me sane during the three-day hospital stay. I was a zombie but it saved me and I was able to care for Aida. Thank God.

JHRW is doing well. Baseball these days is serious biz. I mean seriously, he's 8. He practices indoors once a week. When I was eight we practiced when and if the weather was nice in April.

Ivie is Ivie. She is an enormous ball of energy and laughter in our house. Her and Scott are best friends and she has started calling him her "friendy friend". She addresses him as friend, not daddy.

This winter has been hard; not just weather wise but emotionally. I'm looking forward to spring and the blossoming of new opportunities, fresh air and sunshine.

Happy 2014!

We've had a fun few months: Parties, birthdays, anniversaries, traveling, and holidays.  The kids are finally back home after ten days in St. Louis and I'm back to work tomorrow.

We had a fantastic holiday.  The kids had an even better one. Yes, we sent our kids to STL to spend Christmas with their grandparents, yes I missed them and yes, we will do this again next year (if Mimi and Grandpa offer :-).

We ended our string of partying and the holidays with one last night of debauchery with Scott's good friends from high school and college in Peoria, IL.  Some of the best people I know, all in our 30s and 40s partying and having a grand ole time.  We had a blast!

I'm hoping, praying and working for good things in 2014. I working on putting myself in a position to have two successful business, three happy kids, one loving marriage, and one rewarding/successful professional career as a Sustainability/CSR leader.

May 2014 be blessed, crazy, chaotic, loving, happy, rewarding, safe and healthy!

The kids rang in the New Year at 9:20 with Papa Phil and Grandma Phil!

 Best buddies for about 25 years!!!

Some really, REALLY great ladies!

Holiday in Ohio

So we've been without kids for eight days.  Eight days.  We didn't work six of those eight days.  We've had a lot of fun. We've argued. We've slept in, stayed up late, and drank way too much. We've spent time with friends and family and most importantly each other.  It's been a great few days. 

I miss my kids.

The house is quiet. It's clean. I haven't heard "mama" in excess of fifty times a day.  Little people have such a big presence.  It's really quite amazing. 

In two weeks when we're back to kids, jobs, businesses, sports, dance, and preschool, I will repeat...I missed my kids.

Mural my neighbor's 18-year old daughter painted! My girls don't know about it yet!

 The cousins.

A few things

A few things about me: I love my family, my kids, and my husband! I value education and hard work. I like working and making a positive impact on my company and my community.  I like to volunteer. I'm a tree-hugging, avocado-to-the-hair hippie, a naturalist and an environmentalist.  A new thing to my list: I'm an entrepreneur.  My two new businesses allow to me combine the things I love.

After following this blog for the last couple of years, I invite you to check out business number 2: Arbonne!

It. Is. Amazing!!!! Arbonne is a fantastic line of all-natural, vegan-certified, botanically-based, and paraben-free hair care, skincare, cosmetics and nutrition products. It's where the professional me meets the hippie me.  Because I love this product so much, I decided to start selling Arbonne.  I think you will too. Check out my site:  www.weidnerarbonne.myarbonne.com.  Email me with any questions! I have some amazing deals too!

Now back to college football.  I also love college football.  MIZZOU! BUCKEYES!

Best College Football Saturday EVER

Oh my goodness!  What a day!  Friends. Family. Football.  And the craziest games. Friends and family gathered at the W house to watch the OSU/Michigan game. Pizza, chicken wings, face painting, Bloody Marys, mimosas, and laughter filled our house from 10:30 until about 4 p.m. Then we geared up again to watch the Missouri game.  Somewhere in there we watched the ultra-exciting Auburn/Alabama game.  What. A. Day!

The kiddos and me!  Go Buckeyes! (And Mizzou!)

Pic from the balcony!

 The great group of people who were a part of our exciting college football Saturday!

Pretty good kids here!

Michigan scores with just seconds left in the game!

My Michigan sign...Didn't want our three Wolverine fans to feel left out!

 

Thanksgiving was pretty good too.  We traveled to Pittsburgh to spend the day with my cousin and his family and in-laws.  Four courses, homemade Italian wedding soup and pasta, and the traditional Thanksgiving fixins', and a very welcoming set of in-laws once removed, made for a fun Thanksgiving.  God bless anyone not directly related and that accepts the five Ws into their home! However, the host did keep my family of five and my cousin's family of five in our own corner of the kitchen, divided by a hallway and wall, away from the rest of the group...coincidence?!?!  Ha...j/k.

 

Scott teaching Jackson to be Scott.

The next generation!

Six of the ten of us who invaded Thansgiving!

Our own little room!

 

 

Party Time in the W Household

There's something about Scott and me that screams "We like to act like we're 22, stay up all night, play drinking games, and act foolish even though we're in our 30s, so be our friends."  Just something.  It's a fun something.  Scott and I are blessed with great friends! And those great friends like to P.A.R.T.Y.  We've lived in Columbia, Missouri, Lexington, South Carolina, Columbus, Ohio and now Green, Ohio and we seem to befriend great people.  We are both still connected to childhood friends and friends from each city in which we've lived.  Last night, we had the opportunity to hang out with some new Green, Ohio friends.  These friends were just like our STL, Columbia, MO, Lexington, and Columbus, Ohio friends:  Fun, wild, oblivious of their age, and welcoming.  Good times.

Oh and there is this gem:  Me dancing with the Stay Puft Marshmellow Man: 

We have been in party mode in the W household the past few weeks.  Birthdays, anniversaries, new businesses, and Halloween are great causes for parties and all fall in October/November.  The parties continue into November for Scott's 40th bday and the OSU v. Michigan game.  We LOVE entertaining and having a great time with friends and family.  My kids are going to think life is one big party!

Love Construction finally finished the upstairs flooring project.  OMGoodness!  Never. Never. Ever. EVER refinish wood floors by yourself.  The floors look great, but sheesh!  It took us three weeks, two different sanders, hundreds of dollars in sand paper, two botched polyurethane jobs, and there are still noticeable errors.  We learned that yes it is possible to save thousands of dollars to refinish your own wood floors, but we also learned there is a big, huge, fat reason why people hire someone else to do it!  We are on to next flooring project:  Basement = bamboo!  I'm so excited!  We had yucky carpet down there, so now I'm really looking forward to a lovely, cozy, comfortable rec room.

The kids are doing wonderfully and keep us SO busy!  Today Aida received two birthday gifts:  A build-a-bear and ear piercing.  She is so happy!  It melts my heart to see her so happy.  JH is doing well and enjoying his down time since football is over.  Ivie is so full of life (definition of Vivien) and certainly brings a smile to my face.

So that is it.  Busy times in the W household.  I seriously try to not to sound like one of those my-life-is-perfect-on-the-Internet people.  It's not, but I'm happy and I really do love my family.

Red Carpet Dance Party - Aida's 6th birthday party!!!

 Ivie changed from her gown to her bathing suit...after party?

On our way to our anniversary dinner!  7 years!

 Scott's Halloween costume - sommelier.  I went as a wine bottle...cork hat included.

Sports Saturday

Great day!  Here are a few pictures and videos from today's soccer and futbol americano games! I certainly don't expect you to watch all of them (unless you're one of the grandparents, then yes and several times each)...Jackson is #1.

Now, the videos are very shaky, but hey...I'm a proud mama and it's hard for me to watch the game and take video :-)

Enjoy!!!!


JHRW Tackle in the Backfield

JHRW Tackle in the Backfield (Funny celebration bump!)

JHRW Nice Run!

JHRW Tackle

Interception!!!

JHRW Breaks a Few Tackles

Aida 1

Aida 2