Tuesday Thirteen

1.  I have been enjoying some down time these days.  I have loved hanging out on the couch and watching movies with the kids... even when I know that I really should be doing other things, like cleaning ;)

2.  I've been a crafting fool!  I am happy to say that I am almost done with all of the homemade gift making.  I have some cute gifts to pass out this year :)

3. Apparently there are going to be some apartments going in by my house.  We are not happy about it.  May mean we are going to be putting our house on the market way before we had planned.... hmm.  Not sure I am ready for that.

4. I am so shocked at how little my kids are asking for this Christmas.  They both looked through the toy catalogs and said they don't really see anything they wanted.  Good and bad all at the same time.

5. This is the first year that Mykenzie is going into the holiday's as a non-believer.  She cornered me a couple of months ago and I had to tell her the truth.  She is doing pretty good at keeping it a secret and playing along for her sister though.  My little girl is growing up.

6.  I have to send my computer away to be fixed.  I have had the box to mail it for 2 months.  I hate to say goodbye even for a couple of weeks.  I am going to have to suck it up.

7.  I am debating on getting the girls pictures taken at portrait innovations.  It is hard to go to a place like that after having the fabulous Kate Crafton  take pics for 2 years.  I have waited to long to ask her do them now though.  I suck.

8.  I am thinking I need to start going back to church.  Kaylee asked me the other day when Jesus' birthday is....  crap.  That is not cool.

9.  The Thanksgiving leftovers are officially gone.  I'm glad I made the second dinner so we could enjoy them for a few more days.

10.  I'm in the mood for a good book.  I could use some suggestions.

11.  I am a total zumba slacker!  I haven't been to a class since the first week of October.  Yikes!  Now I am debating on if I should go ahead and go or just wait for Christmas to be done with.  I think I better go.

12.  Something I never thought I'd be excited about a couple of years ago...  I am so looking forward to a basketball game on Thursday!  Cavs vs the Heat.  Go Cavs!

13.  Most people only do a Tuesday Twelve, I decided to be a rebel and go with thirteen.
This week for my lucky #13 I am just going to say, I love my life. I love my family. I love my friends.  Thank you all so much for making me feel so blessed

Makin' it Monday

Crafting has been a big part of my days for the past month.  I would love to make it a priority in my life not just around the holidays but all year long.  I got my first set of these last year as a gift in an exchange I took part in.  I made my first set this year at our annual craft day.  I have recently made 5 more sets for gifts, most of which were already given out so I'm not spoiling anything. They are so cute (way cuter than the ones I got as a gift)  I love having them in my house and my kids love getting to change the numbers everyday.  

This set was my favorite!  I love how the snowman looks like he is peeking around the 3!  My sister got this set for Christmas :)

Week in Review

Whew!  What a week.  We left around 1 on Tuesday and drove to Ohio to have a family Thanksgiving with Travis' dad.  Luckily since Travis had to be back to work by Friday everyone agreed to celebrate a day early.  His brother and sister and their families came to his dad Anthony's house and we hung out and had a great dinner.  It was nice since we have never been home for Thanksgiving.  My sister and kiddos came over earlier in the day so I got to spend a couple of hours with them too.  Crazy how much the kids change in just a couple of months.

We ended up leaving to come home around noon on Thanksgiving day, and got a few funny looks at subway and mcdonalds when we stopped for food.  Luckily we weren't the only ones there.

Black Friday shopping overnight didn't work out this year so we went during the day instead.  I have to say we got everything we went out for!  I was shocked that we were able to find the things on the lists.  I love that I have someone who wants to brave the madness with me!  We have a great time.  Thanks to her hubby for watching my kiddos while we went since Travis had to work.  I think I owe you for that one :)

Today, I decided that because we had Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday, in Ohio... and I couldn't have leftovers, that I needed to have another Thanksgiving.  I made a turkey breast and all the fixin's again so we could have a bit more.  I really needed my leftovers! lol

Now that Thanksgiving is over the Christmas season is in full swing. Ready or not here it comes!

Tuesday Twelve

1.  31 days till Christmas!  I am no where near ready, as far as gift buying.  I'm getting there... slowly.

2.  Thanksgiving is in 2 days!  I so ready to eat all the yummy goodness that comes along with this holiday!  Our trip to Ohio this year also makes it so that said yummy goodness wont be cooked by me! Yay!

3.  The Ohio for Thanksgiving trip has both stressed me out and made me happy.  I am glad we are going for a couple of reasons.  Beyond seeing family... the fact that I can had deliver some Christmas gifts rather than having to ship so many this year!

4.  Very excited that I still get to black friday shop this year!  Not sure what time I will be getting home from Ohio but I know that I will be out all night Thursday shopping with my girl!

5.  Thankful that I have a wonderful friend to watch my dog while we are gone :)

6.  Found out yesterday that Mykenzie has her first dance coming up in a couple of weeks.  She is so excited.  Guess we better start dress shopping.

7.  Have I mentioned how much I love looking at all of my Christmas decorations?  Seriously. L O V E

8.  Mykenzie had her first basketball game this past Saturday.  Her team won, 28-10.  Wow!  I was impressed.  Especially since the coach doesn't seem to know what he is doing.  Mykenzie still has a lot to learn but she did good.  I am proud of her for stepping out of her comfort zone and trying something new.  I think she is going to love it once she gets better.

9.  The decision has been made that Kaylee will start playing basketball next year too.  This way if she decides to do it at Mykenzie's age she will know how to play like all the other kids seem too

10.  I am tired of school projects.  Seriously.  Mykenzie has yet another one due next week.  5th grade sucks.

11.  It has been in the 70's here the past few days.  It is both fantastic and strange all at the same time.  Weird to have a Christmas tree up with the windows open.

12.  Finally, this Thursday being Thanksgiving and all, I am feeling so thankful.  I have so many things to be thankful for.  I am such a lucky girl.  I have a fantastic life.  I have the best husband, great girls, fabulous friends, a house I couldn't have pictured living in 10 years ago, a running car, the fact that said best husband works so hard to take care of us allowing me to stay home for the past 10 years, and a supportive family.  I am seriously blessed.

Friends

My daughter had a book about how to make friends.  I got rid of it because I didn't think she really needed it.  She has a couple of really good friends and then many friends with some acquaintances along the way.  This is pretty much how I have been my whole life.  Now as I get older I find that my list of really good friends has grown as have my number of acquaintances, with a smaller number of friends in the middle.  I am so blessed to have so many really great friends in my life.  Sometimes I think I have more than I can handle.  I am lucky.  Recent events in my life have caused me to lose some people I used to hang out with.  I realize though that my friends will always be my friends, if I lost some they never really friends to begin with, just acquaintances. Just people I have met along the way, hung out with from time to time, had some good times with but never really clicked with and felt the desire to hang out with one on one.  Or, people who have burned me too many times to forgive and forget.

I have the great friends in Ohio, Columbia and Charleston South Carolina, as well as here in Tennessee.  How have I been blessed to have so many people I consider to be best friends?  These people I know would be there for me no matter what.

The funny thing about 3 of my good Tennessee friends is, I never thought I'd be friends with any of them.  By first impressions, I didn't think we had anything in common.  I thought basically that they were too good for me and wouldn't want to hang out.  Instead of making snap decisions that because they dressed well, or were cute and outgoing that they were automatically bitches and hated all people who weren't like them, I got to know them.  I found out that they were nothing like my own insecurities were telling me they were.  In fact they are really fantastic people.  How did I become friends with them?  Simple.  I was nice.  I hung out and had fun.  I didn't judge.  I didn't assume.  I never talked about them behind their backs.  I didn't search for that one flaw to hold over their head.  I didn't think they were out to get me every time they said something to tease me.  I didn't play the victim.  I wasn't two faced.  I didn't try to start trouble.  I didn't try to turn anyone against them.  I didn't cry myself to sleep because I wasn't invited to every thing they ever did with any of their friends.  I just accepted and loved them for who they are, the same way the do for me.

This folks is how you get friends.... and keep them.

I know it is crazy to think that if you are genuine, and if you aren't constantly looking for the flaws in people to make yourself feel better about who you are as a person.... you can actually have good friends.

I am so happy to have the people in my life that are here now.  And I am so happy the people that used to be in my life and constantly bring me down are gone.  These people who are so insecure with who they are as a person that every little thing that the people around them do is examined to figure out how it is a personal attack on them.

I am still bitter.  I am still angry.  I am still hurt.  I am still sad.

More for what these people have cost me.  Not that they are gone, but that they weren't gone without a price.

Luckily the people that really matter to me know that I care.  Know that I still want to be a part of their lives.

I think it is strange.  I am still so confused to see how some people's minds work.  I just think, wow, how sad is it that you spend your days like this?  How do you get out of bed in the morning?  Have you considered medication?  Do you not want to be happy?  Well, I guess that you can just be miserable on your own.  Glad it isn't going to effect me again.

 Change isn't really a change if you don't actually change the way you act, think, and treat people.

To my great friends: Thank you to all of the beautiful, wonderful women who are in my life and make it better everyday!  I love you all and feel so blessed to know each of you.

 To my friends:  I love you all and know as time goes on we will become even closer and will be great friends.

To my acquaintances:  I hope to get to know you all better!  I'd love to add you to my great friends list :)

To all the rest:  There were fun times.  I don't discount that.  Sadly there was too much drama, too much backstabbing, too much hatred being spewed behind my back.  It just went too far.  It is beyond repair.  Thanks for the good times.  I wish you happiness in your lives; however,  I don't regret my decision to remove you from mine.

Three Days

Three DAYS!

It took three days to put up all of my Christmas decorations.  Now I wasn't continuously putting them up for 3 days,  I had other things I had to do but geeze!  I didn't think I was ever going to get done.  Travis still has the outside to do but it inside is done and it is so pretty!  I LOVE my house at Christmas.  I love how cozy it feels.  I love the white lights everywhere.  I love looking at so many pretty things.  I love fires burning in the fireplace while we curl up on the couch in our cozy sweaters.  Christmas is the best time of the year!

Surrender with me

I have tried to ignore it.

I have tried to deny it.

I have tried to reject it.

I have tried to completely tune it out.

It hasn't worked.

I can no longer ignore, deny, reject or tune it out.

I am surrendering.

I am embracing the facts.

Christmas is coming!

That's right folks it will be here in just, drum roll please, 44 days!

Do you remember a couple of years ago?  Go back and look.  It is recorded in this blog.  I used to start counting down in August!  Now here we are weeks from Thanksgiving and my countdown has just begun.  I don't know why I resisted it so much this year.  I guess life has just been so crazy the past several months that I feel like time is moving too fast?  I am done now and I am seriously surrendering to the Christmas season.  After hosting a fabulous craft day this past weekend with some of the best ladies I know making Christmas gifts and crafts, I am officially in the mood.  So without further ado, I am putting up my Christmas decorations this weekend!  Yay me!  I am so excited suddenly to bust out my Christmas lights and have my entire house glowing with white lights.  I love fall, love it.  Here in Tennessee we don't seem to get much of one so may as well just jump head first into the Christmas season.  Bring on the Christmas TV specials, the 24 hour a day Christmas music on the radio, the lights, the decorations, the cookies, the smells, and most importantly the wonderful feeling that the Christmas season always puts in my heart.  I have surrendered to the Christmas season and am left wondering why I fought it so hard to begin with.  Won't you surrender with me?

Dusting off the old blog

Wow!  I can't believe I went from blogging daily to never blogging!

So much has happened.  I am not going to be a nurse... no idea what I am going to do with my life, and quite frankly it makes me sick to think about it so, yeah, moving on..

Mykenzie, despite having a rocky start to 5th grade has come back strong.  She got all A's except one on her report card.  She was the ONLY kid in her class that did not have a single check in her whole class for the first 9 weeks of school and got to attend a party for it.  She got good citizen for the first 9 weeks, and this is the first year it wasn't given by the luck of the draw.  Her teacher picks the students she wants to have it, not draw a name out of a hat, like her teachers of the past.  She gets to have pizza with her teacher at Cici's for her good behavior.  Her class voted for her to represent them in the student council (and she did not ask for it, they just picked her).  At the conference with her teacher, she told me that Mykenzie is liked a lot by everyone in the class.  That she is really smart but doesn't act like she is better than everyone else "like most kids like her seem to do"   Can we say proud mommy?

In other Mykenzie news, she is starting to play basketball.  She tried out for the school team.  We thought in the 5th grade they would teach them fundamentals... um no.  These girls already know how to play the game well.  Soooo, she didn't make the team, but we put her in a private league so she can learn the game.  Her first practice is this Thursday.  She seems to be excited.  I really hope she enjoys it.

Kaylee is doing really well in school too.   She just read Olivia Starts A Band pretty much all by herself. I had to help with maybe 5 words.  I am so excited!  She is reading much better than Mykenzie was at this age.  She is little miss popularity, and can't seem to walk down the hall without stopping to give several hugs along the way.  If we could get the whining under control I would be even more happy :)

While our kids seem to rule our (well my) schedule these days, Travis and I are making time to enjoy ourselves too.  We have been going out with friends often, both separately and together.  I think we are both enjoying some new freedoms. 

We got to take a walk through our past last month.  We took a vacation to Charleston, SC.  I love, love, love it there.  I forgot how much I loved it.  We started with a quick trip through our old neighborhood in Columbia to show Kaylee her first house.  While in Charleston we detoured to Summerville and showed Mykenzie her first home, my oh my we have come a long way in 10 years :)  We enjoyed the beach, the cobblestone streets, and good times with old friends while we were there.  We wont be waiting so long before visiting again.  

In my absence from blogging we have had some really hard times to get through, but we did.  We have had some wonderful things happen.  We have made some fantastic memories.  We have laughed and had fun with our fabulous friends.  We have tried new things, and pushed ourselves out of our comfort zones.  We have lived our lives and are thriving.  We are healthy.  We are happy.  Life. Is. Good.