We Survived

Hope everyone had a great Christmas! We did.

Well, we did after Monte got on meds for bronchitis and a sinus infection.

He was waking up twice a night to do breathing treatments

 at my parents house in Indiana.

Once he woke me up with the nebulizer tube thing in his mouth to tell me to “Shut my eyes” because he was turning on the light to do the treatment in the bedroom because “something something” about the bathroom outlet.

That was jarring.

Then all the Hartranft girls got the stomach flu.

As Monte was spooning Pepto into my mouth and bringing me toast, he let me know that it was "very normal" and "not to worry" about any Florence Nightingale Effect-like feelings I might be having towards him.

I just looked that up and the Florence Nightingale Effect refers to the caregiver 

falling in love with the patient, not the other way around.

But it still made me laugh during the stomach flu, 

so who cares?

My brother and niece got the stomach flu next.

 Ho, ho, ho.

Merry, merry, merry.

Never a dull moment.

We got the girls a karaoke machine for Christmas.

We'd been looking for one for a few years, not happy with the choices.

I read on Melanie Shankle’s blog that she’d been looking too and finally found one that met all the criteria we were looking for as well.

We ordered the Memorex Home System that day and had it shipped to my parent’s house.

It was soooo much fun!

Monte singing Taylor Swift was priceless.

As was hearing my niece and Mom sing Creed’s, “With Arms Wide Open”.

I do believe it was my mom who pointed out 

(after our Aerosmith duet of “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing”) 

that it would be more fun with two microphones.

So she popped on her iPad and ordered us another one right then and there.

Lots of Frozen songs were sung.

Some things are not fun to share apparently.

Like the spotlight and/or the microphone.

The girls and I wrote this for Monte for Christmas and the karaoke machine really helped us sound “professional" when we presented it to him.

If “professional" means mostly singing the same beat and in the same key with the same words.

The 12 Days of Christmas…Renovations

On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

a two-burner hot plate,

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the third day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate,

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

six layers of construction dust,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

seven workers singing AC/DC,

six layers of construction dust,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

eight trips to pick out cabinets,

seven workers singing AC/DC,

six layers of construction dust,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

nine trucks in the driveway,

eight trips to pick out cabinets,

seven workers singing AC/DC,

six layers of construction dust,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

ten days of siding,

nine trucks in the driveway,

eight trips to pick out cabinets,

seven workers singing AC/DC,

six layers of construction dust,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

eleven meals in the crock pot,

ten days of siding,

nine trucks in the driveway,

eight trips to pick out cabinets,

seven workers singing AC/DC,

six layers of construction dust,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that doesn’t open all the way.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me,

twelve times the paper products,

eleven meals in the crock pot,

ten days of siding,

nine trucks in the driveway,

eight trips to pick out cabinets,

seven workers singing AC/DC,

six layers of construction dust,

a 55-inch TV,

a four-foot fake Christmas tree,

three appliances in the living room,

a two-burner hot plate

and a new refrigerator that finally opens all the way.