long blog tonight!

It's not that I haven't had anything to blog about, I just haven't had the time! We had 3 Thanksgiving dinners to go to - my moms family on Thanksgiving day, my dads family in Iowa on Saturday and Johns family on Sunday. I am really starting to get in the Christmas spirit now, and it is all thanks to some wonderful people that I have in my life! On Thanksgiving day, my family members secretly rounded up some money, then handed me an envelope with the money in it. Now, my family members aren't rich by any means, and they probably could hardly afford to do what they did. That just means the world to me. I'm not the type of person that cries at happy stuff but that had me on the verge of tears. The traffic ticket that John got in North Carolina is coming due soon and we weren't sure how we were going to pay for it. Also - the McDonalds here in town always takes $200 every year and adopts a family. This year it is us! My aunt is a manager there and I am so excited that she suggested my family. Our Christmas tree looks pretty sad with no gifts to put underneath it - so I am so happy my children will have something! Not only that, but my sister-in-law Amie gave John and I a $25 gift certificate to Walmart that she had won. And my online friend Kara - whom has never even met me by the way - loaned us $100. We have never even asked for anything - but people are coming together to help us out. I know that I am not always good with words - especially in person. But I want you all to know how much this truly means to us. Words can't even begin to describe it....

We are still not sure when the court date will be on our rental house. John went by the house today and she is still there. He stopped and knocked on the front and back doors but she wouldn't answer. He knew she was home. When he finally got back in his car she called him and said that she would be out by Friday. Who knows if she will or not. Either way, we are adding this months rent to the total of what she owes us. We may never see the money. And this court thing is such a hassle. But we have to try... With any luck, we can get someone new in there in January. If not, we will probably just let the house go back to the bank. We just cannot afford to pay 2 house payments a month without a renter paying us rent....

Onto a lighter subject - I have to show you these pictures of Mikayla. I was getting ready to change her diaper. I took her diaper off and noticed it was still dry. She got up and Dakota said that he could see Mikayla's butt. So Mikayla started running around the house naked - yelling "butt, butt, butt...". I asked her if she wanted to try to go pee in the potty. She went to the bathroom and sat on her potty chair. She sat there for awhile but never did anything. Then she ran to the kitchen and peed on the floor. But, she sat on her potty and tried and that's the point! She is only 1 year old and is showing an interest!! While she was sitting there she even said "pee in potty". I think that is the first time she has put three words together (besides Go Diego Go). She is incredibly smart for her age. We have a Diego book that shows a bunch of different animals on it. You ask her where a certain animal is and she can point to it. How many people know what a pygmy marmoset is? She does!!! Ok - there I go getting off subject. Anyway - here are some pictures of her trying to go potty:

and a random picture: