It's Wednesday. A quiet time right now. I am sipping my coffee and thinking I should probably eat some lunch, but I'm just not hungry. The kids have been battling this runny nose/congestion/cough for almost 2 weeks now between them all, and I am hoping we can have everyone healthy soon. Grace is still runny nosed and her cough seems to be getting worse but she's been fever free for a day and a half now and I can tell she feels much better. Claire, who started it all, was fine for days and now seems like she's getting the cough. Ian started two days ago with the runny nose and coughing, and although his physical symptoms aren't as bad, he has been way out of touch emotionally and mentally. He did better today, though, than he did yestarday. And Mr. Germ Conscious George hasn't gotten any of it yet. Maybe there's a good reason for him not liking kisses. I felt pretty yucky last week, but am feeling fine now, just waiting for my impending period to come. Nate has the head congestion and stuffy nose, but of course won't admit to feeling anything less than fine unless he's actually incapable of being upright. So, that's where we snotty Buchans are now....waiting out the bugs. It's frustrating in a way, but in some ways, it's nice for an excuse to snuggle and just read books longer than usual, and have kids less full of frenetic energy and just wanting more hugs and "mama medicine." It's draining, but nice to know I'm needed, I suppose.

We have done so many puzzles and played so many games the last few days, it's been great. Claire is so cute "playing" Yahtzee....she shakes the dice cup very seriously, slooooowly pours out the dice and says "A did it...a self!" (I did it all by myself) Then counts her dice "one, twoooo, four, pibe, seben, twooooo" and puts them in a row and says "A won!" it's adorable. I should probably video her. George and I played Carcassonne yesterday and Nate and I played it last night. I much prefer playing with George, he's not nearly as cutthroat. :P Ross got the game for Christmas and left it here. I was going to send it in a package for him, but we just might hold onto it for him. :)

My mom emailed me and said that my father is sending FTD roses to all his granddaughters for Valentine's Day! My girls are going to be over the moon excited about this. He sent me roses one year on Valentine's Day when I was in college. The same year that two other guys sent me roses...neither of which I was dating. It was really bizarro, but my roommates loved it. We hung the roses and dried them. Our room smelled heavenly for weeks. Our church is having a Valentines' dinner and movie this year. My mil said she'd watch our kids for us and even put them to bed. That was really nice. Last year we drove up to Gainesville to go to the Valentine's banquet at Karen and Chad's church. That was fun, but a long drive.

I started my health blog to relegate my diet/exercise issues to there, but I am going to babble on about it here, too. I was so motivated a few weeks ago, and was walking on my treadmill again, and eating well. Now I haven't exercised at all in over a week and just feel completely unmotivated. I just feel stagnant. I do really, really want to fit into my wedding dress again by the end of August, and if I would just get off my butt, this will be an attainable goal. I don't know if I feel defeated already, like "I can't do it so why try", or just am being lazy and discouraged, but my mindset is far from where it needs to be for me to be making any strides in improving my health. I was really hoping by now that I would be able to get off the Advair for my asthma, but after slowly trying to lower my dosage, I realized that I do, in fact, really need it. I think that just makes me feel weak, which is not how I need to be thinking of myself when I am needing resolve and determination to stick to an exercise schedule. I think I felt like kind of a failure, like if I just worked hard enough, was careful enough with my diet, that I wouldn' t need to be on medication. I do realize that's not very logical, but I have to remind myself of that. I guess I should just be thankful that I was able to go so many years off of asthma meds. I think it must have been a hormonal thing, because before I was pregnant I was on a lot of meds, but once I got pregnant, then was nursing and both for all those years, I hardly even used my inhaler. I was so thankful- I remember worrying that my asthma would get worse while I was pregnant and harming a baby by the meds I was on, but I never needed them. Then a few months after I stopped nursing, back it all came. It must have been hormones that kept it at bay. Well, be content with such things as you have, right?? I think I need to just start acting like I do have all the motivation I need and not wait for my resolve to catch up with what I know I should be doing. Fake it til you make it!! If you read this, maybe you could remember to pray for me that I would make wise choices and do what I should in improving my health. I know we all need help here.