New Beginnings

So, back in November, I lost my job. I decided to wait until now to disclose this information, because I really didn't need anyone taking pity on me. The truth is they did me a favor. No details are really necessary, I'm pretty sure they just needed to make some cuts considering I wasn't the only one let go that day and they had recently been slashing at everyone's hours. Their loss. The only thing I regret is that my children equally were tossed out and are now missing out the socialization I believe is crucial, even at a young age. Alayna especially loved going to school and thrived on learning during circle times and playing with her friends. Regardless, being home with them has been the best job ever and I think a great chance for them to bond with one another. Hence, they did me a favor.





Thus far, I find myself much less stressed and more motivated to take care of my own things. To think we actually live in a clean house now. Imagine that. I've been working hard at getting the girls out to the library's weekly toddler time and story time. We've met up with her old friends for play dates. Not to mention attending church more frequently. Alayna's need for socialization seems to be good for my soul. I still try to give her some daily "school-type" lessons. We go over letters and numbers and she's doing well. And we try to keep up on the art projects. But, it still doesn't satisfy me.


Now that the holidays are over, we've decided to put Alayna back into school part time. It's really all we can afford and I think full time is a bit much with me being home. Not to mention, it would be incredibly boring for Abby to be home alone that much. So, for 2 days a week, 4 hours at time, Alayna now goes to Star Child Academy (Primrose's enemy). Yes, this is the place that, as of late, has taken all our old stomping ground's enrollment. I love it!

As I knew she would, Alayna took to it like she'd been going there her whole life. She's such a social butterfly. And I can even watch her online, as well as, allow the grandparents onto the school's system. Quite the perk!

So, there you have it. A great start to a new year. A new job for me, a new school for Alayna, and Abby is growing and moving like crazy.

-Kris

Fondewds and Dollar Store Gifts

Happy Pre-Christmas, everybody!


Well, its that time of year again. Time for the annual Hough/Voigt/Gowen bizarro Christmas Gift Exchange and Fondue Extravaganza. Always a good time. More or less a practice run for the up and coming 'real' Christmas, but with less family drama and more beer. Basically, everyone brings two dollar store gifts (gender appropriate, of course) to exchange, and everyone walks away with two random, usually tear-inducing, Christmas presents (though the Cannonball usually does pretty well for herself).


Here's some pictures from this year's blowout. Enjoy:

- Brian

Merry Christmas from the Houghs, Vol. V

Dearest friends, family members, and random people who come across this blog from the far corners of cyber space,

We, the Houghs, wish you all the merriest of Christmases (unless, of course, you don't celebrate Christmas, in which case we'd wish you 'Happy Holidays' in order to remain PC). Here is this year's installment in the ongoing Hough family Christmas card saga.

Enjoy.

Too Yule for School,

- The Houghs

Eight Point 2009

hi gang...

so we recently came back from this year's week-long, tour-de-force hough family vacation. always flying home for a week on a lake. boating, boozery, and bonfires without internet, phone reception, or cable television. the annual, week-long unplugging from the inter-grid is a much-needed recharging of the ol' batteries before heading into yet another school year, and our family vacation is definitely something we look forward to throughout the entire year.

the three of us flew up this year, and it was the second time we've flown with the kid. she did pretty good on the normal jet-liner from orlando to cleveland (thank you very much, children's benadryl). on the connection flight from cleveland to good ol' flint, michigan, however, we had one of those crappy prop-job planes... and those 45 minutes of turbulent, pure hell was enough to drive each one of us to suicide. the kid woke up halfway through the flight, and i think it can go without saying that toddlers do not particularly care for turbulence.

besides that, though, the cannonball traveled fairly well. the airlines are brutal these days with those stupid additional bag fees, so kris and i, not wanting to pay additional the $50 in additional fees for checking a second bag, were loaded like pack mules with carry-on luggage... which, consequently, meant the traveling throughout airport terminals with a wobbling child in tow all the more fun.

flying home at christmas should be loads of fun...

anyway, the majority of our week at the cottage was spent hanging out on the lake - boating, fishing, going on beer runs, etc. we managed to see a few old friends from high school and college while we were up - zack, the seloskes, grit, lee, trevor, the hilgers, kim, sara, etc. - as well as our extended families (kris' side, my mom's side), sporadically throughout the week. on sunday we took alayna to the church's campgrounds in sanford, and there had john and jann wolf administer her blessing. once the majority of the spectators left after the service, the core of my dad's family stuck around and we had a short memorial service for my grandpa, and got to scatter his ashes at the campground's point. we also were able to have some professional pictures of the kid taken while we were home, which turned out really good (if not a bit on the pricey side).

now, i was going to throw up a bunch of pictures from our trip home (collectively, our family took over 1200), but i'm a lazy, lazy man... and i think its way easier to just post a link to my dad's website, where there are already a ton of pictures already up.

enjoy: http://web.me.com/jhough/JHH_iWeb/8_Point_Lake_2009.html

- brian