We decided to head up to Sioux Falls on Sunday. We didn’t have much for plans, so it was nice to take our time in the mall with the boys. Kahle and Bodee loved the train by Maurices! They also wouldn’t get off the ride-on cars/trucks/etc. We were the mean parents and didn’t even put change into the machines. The boys don’t really realize that it would be more fun if the horse/car/train moved, so we’re milking this precious time now! We visited our friends Brad & Ashley afterward. Kahle kept talking about them, so we thought we’d bug them for a little bit. Brad is a good sport and plays Kahle’s “games.” He’ll be such a good dad in a few months! Ashley is looking so good. She only has three months left! We might have a prearranged marriage—Bodee and their little girl.

We find ourselves calling Bodee “The Bodster” all the time. I wonder how he’ll like it when he’s 18. I’m sure he’ll like it better than the other name I’ve been calling him since he was born….Punkin’ Head. Poor kid…:) Well, Micah took him in to see Dr. Greg Friday afternoon. Bodee has strep throat. After reading about strep on-line, it definitely explains a lot. He’s been doing much better today. Last night was once again a rough one, but we can tell he’s feeling better. We never know whether to take the boys in when they aren’t feeling the best. I’m glad we got this all figured out before the weekend.

I picked up the treadmill Tuesday night. Micah, with the help of our amazing neighbor, had it up and running in no time! I walked/ran on it last night. I think it’ll be a good addition to our family. The boys think it’s funny to watch me run. Funny is not the word I feel, though. I need to get into shape…that’s evident. I worked up a sweat during my twenty minutes. We put it in Bodee’s bedroom. He was moved to Kahle’s room…which is much warmer. The boys like each other’s company, and I can have the treadmill reminding me to exercise every time I head past Bodee’s room.

Today was our second snow day of the school year. I’m just like the students….I get excited when I hear the news. We spent the day doing odd jobs, but we mostly played with the boys! We ventured out to the library. That is a favorite place for the boys. We don’t have much news for now. I’ll leave you with a pic…

Here is a quick story from last night…
Kahle and I were actually having a conversation. Of all places, it was in the bathroom…weird. We were once again talking about G’pa Rod in Heaven. I told Kahle he was a funny man. We also talked about how he “got hurt” on his head. Later on (as tears were steadily running down my face–Kahle not even noticing), he summed up our talk when he said, “My G’pa was funny in the head.” Oh, dear! Hopefully he doesn’t tell too many people that. I guess we’ll have to have a sequel to our bathroom chat. Kahle loves hearing about G’pa Rod, and I love talking about what a wonderful man he was!

That’s about all I can say. We even tried heading down to KC to visit my sister and her family for a few days, but it was still cold there! I feel horrible for my brothers and their cattle for having to be out in the arctic temps! This is ridiculous. Kahle and Bodee love to play in the snow, but they can’t even be outside when it’s this cold. I’ll stop complaining now and get on with the recap of our week.
We got to spend Christmas with family, so we’re thankful for that. Micah and I headed to SF last week…..and I finally broke down and bought a treadmill. It comes in next week. Until then…I’m going to continue feasting on chocolate. Like I said earlier, we took off for KC on New Year’s Eve. It was great seeing my sister’s growing tummy. I can’t wait to meet little Baby Girl Nielsen in a few short months. Noah is growing up quickly…he’s so well-behaved. I hope this baby girl gives Rachel more trouble. We are back in the swing of things at school. I can’t believe we’re half done with the school year. I love my junior high students. They make the days go fast. However, it was so nice to be with my boys during break. I could get used to that!