emerging from the grave!

That would be a great Easter title...I might retitle this one later. But as of right now-that is how it feels!

So let me get you caught up! My last post I talked about our "Souper"fun Christmas Party we have on Christmas Eve! This year it was amazing here are a few pictures

Ill show you more in my year review-but notice how peaked I looked? My grandma asked me if I felt okay. I did! After we opened all the gifts, my cousin started feeling sick. Thinking it was something he ate-we thought nothing of it! Everyone left around 9:30 and we got the girls in the bed! At 10:15 Madyson yells "DADDY!!! I THREW UP ALL IN MY BED" (notice she calls daddy because I usually throw up on her...its a reflex) So off Todd ran-I followed-sure enough-everywhere! he got her sheets cleaned I got her cleaned-we tried bed again-30 minutes later-she erupted. This continued until 7am. 

we took her mattress of the bunk bed-she had puked on all her sheets. Notice the garbage can? This was around 4am!

Sweet Aubrie was confined to sleeping in mommy and daddy's bed. But at 5:30 she woke up and came into the girls room (where Todd and I were with Madyson) and wanted to snuggle. As I wrapped us both up-there she blew. after an hour and a half of being tag teamed by the puke princesses we decided to head to the hospital. 

We were at the ER for 4 hours. The girls got Zoferan and Popsicles and some Dolls! (i mean it was Christmas morning after all =)

We got home around 11 and we all slept. Finally-at 2:30 the girls woke up and said "OH we forgot Santa came!!" we played and tried to go to Todd's mom's house for Christmas there-but sure enough the bug hit again. Aubrie got sick, I was sick, Todd was sick! All Sunday-Monday-Tuesday we were recovering. In pj's,  bland diet, tons of ginger ale and sprite!

So now that we are emerging from the grave! I can't wait to show you all the presents we all got! But for now-I have to clean up!! A bomb has exploded

Merry Christmas Eve!

Merry Christmas Eve from the Broadus Bunch!

Tonight we are hosting our annual family Christmas party. Each year we pick a theme-last year it was "tacky jingle mingle" this year its "with momma in her kerchief and I in my cap" (or pajama party) whichever you prefer!

We are having a buffet of fun foods like taco soup, loaded potato soup, bunco buns, dips and chips, TONS of desserts, cornbread...all sorts of yummy goodies. Then we open presents and tell "The Christmas Story". It is probably my favorite night of the year!

Tomorrow we will go to Todd's parents for Christmas day with them!

Oh! and guess what?!? We received an email today saying that our Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes went to Chad and to Honduras! How awesome is that!?!? Last year we didn't get an email until February-but to receive one on Christmas Eve! I love how God reminds us-in the simplest of ways-the true meaning of Christmas.

May your day be merry-and your night be silent and peaceful! May tomorrow bring Joy and laughter!
Merry Christmas-We love you all!

Thank you on Demand!

I never get a chance to watch TV-I have to DVR or watch "On Demand". This week I really wanted to get caught up on one of my FAVORITE shows-The Sing Off

Here are a few of my favorite performances First: My choice for Most Entertaining

Next-My choice for Most Disturbing(but in a good way)

Next-My Choice for Best Medley

 

Next-My Choice for Most Classic and Best Dressed

 

And Finally-My choice for Best Vocals, 2010 Positive Role Models

 

*All of these videos are from YOUTUBE searches.*

....a not so merry day

So the other day I received 2 emails. 1-a friend from college giving me positive encouragement about our blog. 2-a reader from somewhere asking if we ever have bad days.

I got to thinking about it and realized most of the stuff I have posted lately has been positive. Cheery moods-Christmas spirit...all makes life seem wonderful.

Well today was a not so merry day and I thought I would share with you-so that way the perception of "happy all the time" gets a little real life thrown in.

Madyson was diagnosed with Pink Eye-Thursday. It is in her eye that has a weak muscle. She never got runny eye or itchy eye or red eye...it was just swollen-early stages.

So they gave us drops-but I have kept her home to watch it and because she has been on a 4 year old tantrum this weekend.

Today, she came to work with me as a final precaution. (still no "signs" of pink eye so I am calling it cleared up)

She was great all day-until we got home. Then she took a nap and woke up a bear. She didn't want to wear what I had picked out for her...she tantrumed-we resolved.

We got to LifeGroup and we were eating and enjoying our party. Usually, we have a sitter, but tonight all the girls were doing Christmas stuff so we were left without one. Well-Aubrie Kate was mad bc she was ready to go home. I told her " just a few more minutes and we will go, here have a snack" So I sat her down at the table and went back to join the group. A few minutes later, Madyson comes running in "Aubrie took her PANTIES OFF" EWWWWWW..Thinking since my child is a want-to-be-nudist she was about to start streaking. No, no. My child had peed all over our friends (atleast I hope we are still friends after this) dining room chair and floor. Yes, peed.

Now-I have noticed a trend, when Aubrie gets mad she pees on things. I have witnessed this about 3 times.
So-as my heart is beating out of my chest, and my eyes are filling up with tears from embarrassment I try to think fast, "what is the best way to handle this" because my first instinct is to jump up and scream. My second is the firm "we are going home-get your things" and then leave. We went with choice two. Once we got it cleaned up the best we could and got the girls in the car we drove home.

We walked in, I put the girls in the pjs and in the bed. Madyson likes to sleep with sound on and have a glass of milk. Aubrie does too. Tonight, the went to bed without tv and without milk. I told them, "Tonight you did not behave the way you know you need to behave. Having tantrums, peeing on furniture, running around yelling-all that, is inappropriate" and then told them I loved them and good night.
Defiantly not my proudest moment as a mom. I love bed time and even though it is usually Todd who does the routine (since I do mornings he does nights) I still like to be involved with reading books and story telling. But tonight I just handled it.

So reader that wonders if we ever have bad days. Yes, Yes we do. We are human and the bad days do come. But when we are faced with bad days, we do our best to find the good in them. Because even when we feel like we are having a horrible day-there is somebody else having a day that is 10 times worse.

The hated elves are back

UPDATE: I THREATENED THE ELVES WITH A WEAPON AND NO LIE----THEY WERE FOUND IN MY MIXING BOWL CABINET...ON A SHELF THAT I AM TOO SHORT TO REACH. GRRRRR


Last year---this was me

Tonight-I sit here with TEARS in my eyes. The hated elves are back and this time they have 2 VERY valuable things...my wedding ring & engagement ring. I am seriously destroying my house trying to find them--and they are NO WHERE to be found. I normally don't ask for prayers like this-but I am sure you all understand. PLEASE pray for me to remember where I had them (or for the hated elves to return them asap!)

JOY

To my girls,

Merry Christmas sweet girls! I want to sit down and write out how proud I am of you two. Last night you helped me make tons of sweets for our community helpers. We talked about how much they do for us and how it is important to remember them during the year.

Daddy and I always want you to practice having a giving heart. It is so important to remember to give back to others. We really want for you girls to see others in this world-not by color or by size, social status, or religion but as people.God loves us all. And as followers of Christ, we are suppose to do the same. This is not always an easy thing, but girls-it will be the greatest blessing you will receive.

We talk a lot about JOY in our house. It is a word that is found on our dish towels, in our tree, on ornaments. It is our "motto". Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last. That is our Joy. Each year we make our treats, we honor our Lord by serving the ones that serve us. We do this because of the Joy that it brings to see these men and women smile.

Madyson-I don't know if in a few years you will remember today-but you were so excited to stand on our driveway and wait for our sanitation workers. When the driver jumped out of the truck-you, my shy one, walked right up to him! You gave him your treats, told him Merry Christmas...Even smiled for a photo for me!  As we were walking back, you said, "wow mommy, I am so glad I got to give him a Christmas Love." Yes baby, me too! I am so glad you got to give him  Christmas Love! I was so proud of you walking into the police station to deliver your treats, and when we got to the fire station, you told Mr. Barry how you worked hard on his treats. He even gave you a treat....a tour of the fire truck!

It is my desire for you girls, that if you only learn one thing from me, you will learn that we love everyone. I always want your hearts to be open to loving and helping others and you to do whatever it takes to make sure you practice JOY.

Merry Christmas my babies! You both, make my heart swell.

Love,
Mommy

I am like a kid!!!

For months now-Madyson has been playing with my American Girl Doll. She LOVES molly and she has taken great care of her. She put molly's bed-in her bed (she sleeps on the top bunk) so Aubrie wouldn't mess her up. She changes her clothes and feeds her dinner.

Well-when Todd and I were in Chicago we made a trip to a certain store.....(do you remember this?)

Well-the "thing" that is inside that bag is now under my tree. And I CAN NOT wait to give it to her!!!!! I have almost told her so many times but I know how excited she is going to be when she opens it!!

10 more days til Christmas Eve...I can do this!