Wow, if blogs are good for one thing, they sure are good for knowing what you have been up to!  I can go back and check up on myself without having to try to muster up some working brain cell recall.  It's all right there in the archives! 

And then there is the infamous Christmas Newsletter!  Those are a good summation of our year.  I love reading those from the past, and I love getting them from friends so I can see all the cool things they did.  Did anyone out there do one?  I love to hate those things. 

I almost always write one, but usually only a few actually get mailed.  This years attempt was fraught with problems.  I tried to add too many photos which made too many MB's, trying to put a PDF of one together for my dear friends to download.  Gee, I should have just sent them my BLOG link! (Hitting self on forehead) Why didn't I think of that before!!???

I have a basket full of old holiday magazines and books, and I read this lovely old Erma Bombeck column about newsletters.  It was riotous!  I might have to dig it out and post it. I know I couldn't do justice in trying to do my own humorous letter....but I might just have to try.  After all, it's 1:28 AM, and me spelling and me grammar are bad enough as it is :)

 Here goes noth'in!

Greetings from the Baetz Family!

It has been a fruitful year here at our home.  At least one of our children has passed us up in height and is scaring us to death.  Hopefully none of them will pass us up in weight, although our dog is gaining on us. 

Speaking of our dog, she got to spend the night in a very expensive hotel recently, complete with catered meals.  She escaped from our compound and got a limo-ride to the place.....and although we did get her back, she brought home a nasty virus that she picked up from the other revelers.  Thankfully, now she is on the mend and so is our pocketbook.

We had a wonderful holiday and bought all our kids power tools.  Hopefully, there won't be any serious injuries while they work on remodeling our home while I write blogs about it.  We have decided to give them one last chance to redeem themselves and if they can't get it done this week, we will be putting them in the local school.  Ahhh, to be free from the hustle and bustle of kids and all their selfish demanding ways!  No more of this "Mom can you read to me?" or "Mom, what is for dinner?" stuff!  I will enjoy my time here with a clean, quiet home that is NOT overrun with science experiments (not the ones in the refrigerator) and paper mache' and scraps of fabric, paper, and glitter on every horizontal surface.

Thanksgiving was a blessing....we went to someone elses house so we only had to cook a few pies and opened a can of green beans.  Our 17th Anniversary was memorable, and my husband thanked me for 16 good years!  He's a keeper!

Halloween was a no-brainer this year, we didn't even bother to turn out the lights.  One group of kids showed up and I just told them sorry, we don't have any candy to share.  Columbus day came and went and we taught the kids the song we learned when we were kids. (It is the only thing we can remember about it!)

Several of our kids got another year older and we endulged them on their birthdays.  Some of them got more gifts than the other ones did, but we just told them we liked the other kids better.  Get over it! 

Summer came and went and was hotter than the dickens!  We are SO mean that we didn't even get a kiddie pool this year.  No matter that the kids are all too big for those things.  We did however, enjoy a sprinkler and one water balloon each.

Fourth of July was a blast.  :)  We must have had a really good time, but we can't remember it---it was six months ago!  (Note to self:  Check blog archives for July 4, 2006) 

Spring.  Kids spent a lot of time playing in the dirt.  Oh yes, now I remember.  Planting! 

Let's see....we did have a few months before that.  They must have been good or ....hmmmmm, I do remember the whole family getting sick......

Gee, why is it we seem to remember the worst things..........gotta make a change this year!

New years resolution:  Forget those things that lie behind, put your hand to the plow and don't look back!  

That sounds familiar....wonder where I read it??

(click on those resolutions and find out!)

Blessings to you all in 2007! 

Happy Homeschooling!!!!

Nancy

Homeschooling Is Life!

(c) Nancy K. Baetz,  2007