Well here we are at the close of another year. Hopefully you are all healthy and happy and ready for 2012!
We have had a busy year as usual. Last Christmas Santa Claus brought us a new addition to our family! A little tiny puppy! Her name is Bayja (sounds like Asia) and she is a Yorkie and she is lots of fun and the kids love her! She is also a spoiled princess that thinks she is a person that should be able to sit on the couch and eat at the table and never be left alone. Mommy loves her but until she can pee in the potty and wipe her own bum she can sit on the floor and eat her dog food and hang out at home by herself while everyone is out during the day.
We were also fortunate to be able to take a family vacation to Cancun this year where we spent a day in the Yucatan jungle snorkeling in the Cenote's. These are underground cave's filled with fresh water...and a great big boa constrictor...trust me, after seeing that snake I did not leave the water in that particular cave as fresh as I found it! We zip lined through the tops of the trees (well most of us, Holland climbed the tower and then cried at the top and had to climb down with the guide). Then we repelled back down to the jungle floor. It was an "Extreme Adventure" and extremely fun and reminded me that I am extremely out of shape and I went back to the resort extremely sweaty and dirty. I love it when you get back and you have had a dirt mustache for hours that no one bothered to tell you about. Those pictures are keepers.
Speaking of Holland, she is 12 and in the 7th grade at Union Middle School. She loves Middle School. Her favorite subjects are Art and Lunch. She is a social butterfly and an academic butterfly as well, a little flighty. But I have done very well on her assignments. Yeah, you read that right. Holland tells me all the time what a great job I do. Holland has several crushes and is a little flirt...I just had a dry heave...pardon me.
Zach is 18 and a senior at Hillcrest. He has been making near straight A's this year and is on the Honor Roll. Yep, not a moment too soon there bud. Don't get me wrong, we will take it, everyday, all day long. He decided to join the wrestling team at Hillcrest this year. So we are learning a lot about wrestling! He seems to like it, except for that little outfit they have to wear. I have to say I'm not a fan of the little outfit...yeah...not a fan.
Keith and I are still married. I know! 23 years! We celebrated by going to Las Vegas to see Bon Jovi in concert and Keith screamed like a little girl. Okay...that was me. But it was fun. We both still have jobs and are heavily medicated and in too much debt...but it seems to work for us and everything balances out at the end of the day.
Don't get me wrong, the 23 years are hard fought and hard won and we have our moments for sure. In fact just recently we had one regarding the Christmas lights on the outside of our house. So one Saturday a week or so ago Keith set out to put up lights on the house. We usually put up white icicle lights, I love those. They are twinkly and bright. He came inside all huffy and said that we had several strands out and couldn't we get new lights this year so he wouldn't have to sort through the strand to find the bad light etc. He was really quite worked up. Being flexible and able to adapt, I said of course, go get new lights, no worries. So off him and Zach went to the Home Depot. So after about 2 hours they are back and Keith is back up on the roof putting up lights. This takes some time but he finishes and comes in to watch the football game. After a while it is dark and out of the corner of my eye I see blinking lights outside my front window and my heart stops. NO! It can't be! After 23 years he knows better than to do that...he did not put blinking lights on my house. Oh Mother of all that is Holy, please tell me he did not do this. I call for Holland and say "please go out and look at Dad's lights and tell me if they are blinking." I am desperate to know but can't bear to look for myself. She runs out to the front walk and I watch her from the front window. "Yes!" she calls, "They are blinking! They look nice!" Oh my heavens! I run out to the walk to see for myself and I am horrified at the scene. My entire house is outlined in LED computer lights. They do not twinkle brightly; they glow with the eerie blue of a touch screen. And they are not just blinking, they are randomly flashing on and off to some techno beat no one can hear. I feel like I am about to have a freaking seizure. How could he have done this to me? This is not merry and bright, this is an ADD disco nightmare! I fly back into the house in a panic. What will the neighbors think? We will never be invited to a progressive dinner now. "Keith!" I call, "come up! I have big issues with the lights!" He calls back "I don't want to talk about it now!" I pause for a moment. He knows! Holy crap, he knows! Now I am about to have an out of body experience. I sit on the couch with the princess dog and fume. My heart is beating erratically just like the ADD lights on my house. Finally he makes his appearance and all I can say is "I hate them!" And he is brave enough to say to me, "But why??" It is all I can do not to attack him like a feral cat but I don't. "Blinking lights? After 23 years?" I say. "I didn't know they were blinking, they said light show." He says. I shoot him the look and let the expletives fly! Long story short, within 48 hours I had twinkly bright lights on my house...and to all a good night.
So my friends, compromise when you can and stand your ground when you think you might have a frigging seizure if you don't. Words to live by. Have a Fabulous Holiday and a great 2012!! Love, The Beltz's. Keith, DeeAnn Zach & Holland...and Bayja.
