I know, I know

I gave up blogging...but am suddenly inspired to do it again thanks to Paula and Bethany's blogs, and seeing the cute designs, fonts, and background they have now.  So here is your one blog for the next 6 months...and it's gonna be fast!!!

July...Back to work...new Superintendent, great guy, great family, great boss so far!

August...Roder familly vacation at Village West; annual administrator conference in Des Moines; school starts, craziness begins again for year 3!  Eric's starts 4th grade and Alic in Kindergarten...no more daycare!  Jack's in 1st grade and Preston will stay home one more year.

September...football, volleyball and cross country in full swing; Eric playing flag football, and Alic playing soccer for the first time!
Ohhhh...and we got MARRIED!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOO we are very STINKIN' happy!!!  We decided late August to take the plunge and became Mr & Mrs on September 24.  Small, fun, full of friends affair at the golf course & country club in Rock Valley.  AWESOME/BEAUTIFUL day...couldn't ask for more.

October...fall sports winding up; PT conferences come and gone; time is flying by.

November...football boys made it one game before state...what a fun/great season; off to Branson, MO for Roder vacation for Thanksgiving.  Fun Fun with all the boys!  Kelly turned a whopping 29 :).

December...here we are.  Christmas.  LOVE LOVE LOVE this time of year.  I am anxiously awaiting snow..Kelly got a new sled and they are now both sitting patiently in the garage ready to roll.  We will get out   for break on the 22nd and leave the 27th for our 'honeymoon' snowmobile vacation in the Black Hills.  Can't wait.

So, I blogged.  You are caught up...see you in another 6 months!

Rewind and Fast Forward.....

I have been a lazy terrible blogger!!! I am going to update you quickly on our spring/summer:
We all ended school on a great note!...Boys got super reviews/grades from their teachers.  Alic has a lot to work on yet for preschool review, and getting ready for kindergarten!  Eric is officially ready for 4th grade.  I graduated off the class of 2011 gracefully (another group of great kids I will miss!), and ended the year fairly stress free.  We are currently on summer "vacation."  Eric is in summer
rec in the mornings, where he participates in mixed activities, golf, and flag football.  He is also still doing piano lessons every other week, and just started swimming lessons. He is in baseball also,
playing first base, and has logged 3 homerus this season so far.  He is a busy bee!!!!!!
Alic began the summer at the daycare, and is now excited to be home with mom.  He is anxious for next summer so he can finally do stuff too!  He just started swimming lessons, and he learned
how to ride his bike without training wheels on Monday.  He really thinks he is a big shot now!!!!!!!

I started the summer going to my first Nascar race with Kelly..super fun!  AND HOT!!!!  We picked up his boys on the way home and I had them for 3 weeks...bible school, movies, boating, and fun!!
I miss them already, but they will be back the end of July to head to Okoboji for a week.  I worked through the middle of June.  Finally nice to not feel so stressed and like I am finally caught up
a little.  I've been hanging out with the boys, running Eric around, going to bb games, and golfing league on Thursday nights.  I am enjoying my summer immensely.  The boys and I have done a lot
and are glad it's finally warm.  No vacations this summer..but that's ok!
Kelly finally sold his house and is busy truckin' like a fool, as always.   When he can, he gets in some golf and just enjoys relaxing and hanging out on the weekends with me! :)
Hope you are all great...I'll try and be better about updating!!!!!!

Finally...new post!!!

Well this weekend took us to sunny (YEA RIGHT!!) San Francisco!!  I had a national principal's conference there from Friday to Sunday, so Kelly and I jet-setted out there Thurs to take it all in.  It was a fun trip and fun to really get away...even though since the start of the new year, we have been going, going, gone! 

When we got there Thursday afternoon, we found ourselves at on of the oldest, grandest hotels in the city, in the center of Union Square, a swanky, spendy shopping district in  downtown...a mile from the coast.  We went across the street to the Cheesecake Factory for supper...yummy!!! (& filling! ugghhh)

Friday morning found us up and at 'em early to head to the conference just a few blocks from our hotel.  We went to a few sessions (yes, Kelly too hehe) and headed out after noon.  We had reservations to head to Alcatraz at 2pm.  We changed, caught a cab to Pier 33 and were off.  HOW AWESOME!  I'm not a huge history fan...but LOVED this tour. The ride over on the boat was nothing less than freezing, but worth it. We did the walking audio tour which took us about 2 hours.  Very interesting and just crazy what took place in there.  We headed back across to the Pier and check the rest of the sites out.  We walked down to an old submarine you could tour..again, crazy cool.  We stopped by Joe's Crab Shack for happy hour, then went back to Pier 39 and ate at a fun little place there.  Back to the hotel by 8:30 and out at 9...Iowa time did not equal California time so much!

Saturday found us at a yummy breakfast place a block from our hotel, then off to the conference again for a while...not before walking through a 5 story mall for a bit...WOW.  After the conference we walked back, hit some stores then headed out for fun again.  We went to the ultra sleek Clock Bar at our hotel for bit, then to a place called the Burger Bar for some appetizers.  We then went to the Gold Dust lounge...again, an old staple of San Fran, then off to Morton's Steakhouse for the best steak we've ever had! mmmmm!

Sunday found us packing up ready for home.  Easy flights and picking up the boys that night made for a good day and great trip.  Was so glad to spend the time with Kelly and get some new insight and good info for my job...which I love so much!!!

The new sled is here!

BEFORE...

AFTER!!!!!

THE SLED DIVA

Snowmobile pics...

My first official snowmobile Kelly got me!

The "wrap or skin" we will put on it to BLING it out!

1...2...3...Christmas's DONE!

Alic asked Grandma Lux for planes!

Picture number 1:  First Christmas started at mom and dad's on Christmas Eve.  We FINALLY had a Christmas Eve where no one had to rush away.  We got there Thursday night and stayed over Thur and Fri night.  We opened a few presents, ate, opened some more, ate again...such a nice time with my family!  The big gift dad made the boys this year was a shed.  All the kids got a shed...Luke and Em's is for their cat; Eric and Alic's is for their semi's; Owen and Ian for their tractors...and well, Neil had to have one too for his tractors.  LOL 



Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Christy were home from North Pole, Alaska!!!!

Chrismas number 2:  Salazar's at 8 am Christmas morn!!! Whew!  Christy and Jeremy were heading to church early with his fam, so we went early to open gifts.  Such a nice time with all of them there...we were missing Troy's wife and step son (dumb snow...she works for snow removal business)...but the boys got their fill of Broncos attire and we were lazy all day after a great breakfast.



Christmas at the Roders....Myrna & Allen.

Christmas number 3:  So about 2pm we headed out to the Roders.  This picture isn't from that day though...that would have been too much! :)  We went there for supper on Christmas night and this pic if from when Kelly's boys got here the following Tuesday.  By now, they were all COMPLETLY spoiled rotten!!!!!!! :)  Missing were Katie, Alex and Payton (Kelly's sis n fam) from Tuscon, AZ.  But enjoyed a fun filled day here Tuesday with lasagna for lunch and prime rib for supper. YUMMY!



All 4 boys getting ready to open Santa gifts at my house!

Well, Kelly and I went and got Jack and Pres on Sunday the 26th.  (Yes, nonstop since Christmas...I was wiped out by this time!)  So when we got home they were all chomping at the bit to open Santa gifts, and mom and dad gifts.  I really don't think there are enough here...do you?!?!?!  They LOVED their gifts and they have been spread around my house all week!!!!!!!!!  I NEED A CLEANING LADY!  Fun though, can't lie.  The big gifts this year:  Eric got new golf clubs for his bday....so that was a double, but also got a cool new bb hoop to hang on the door; Alic and Jack got Nintendo DSI's...all they've been doing!; and Pres got a Bumblebee helmet that makes sounds from the mouth.
FUN FUN FUN!

**Kel got jeans, golf club, book, dress pants, and tie clips...I got snowmobiling attire (shoot...forgot to take a pic of me dressed up! hahaha, new outfit from Buckle and perfume)

What a blast this year was, and now I sit here and it's all done.  That's ok...time to get back to reality and get back to my routine.  As happy I am to enter in 2011...it has been a teary start!  Last night we bid mom and dad safe travels as they head to Texas for 3 months...said goodbye to Jack and Pres tonight and not sure when we will see them again...and Wednesday night will say goodbye to Christy and fam for another 7 months or so! :(  I know it will only get better!

This year is already planned well in advance and not sure where I'm going to find the time to get everything done.  Kelly and I are heading to the Deadwood, SD end of Jan for a snowmobiling trip...OH  he bought me one too!!!!!!! (check pic in blog below!), we are heading to Rascal Flatts concert in mid Jan; we are going to San Francisco in Feb for a National Principal's conference, and mom and dad want us to come down in March!!!!!!  Again...WHEW!

So, I am ready and willing for 2011...I know this will be the year!  (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! ;)

LOVE, HUGS, BLESSING, and HOPE to you all in 2011!