Today I Enter A New Decade....

Man that stinks just to read that. I think subconsciously I'm trying to look younger today on purpose. In my life, I've always wanted to look more mature thinking that I would be taken more seriously if I at least looked older. Yeah, well, today - I don't care to be taken seriously. I just want to not look THIRTY!! Gosh, I gag just thinking that!

On the brighter side of it, this year, I really am going to make a difference in my life. I'm going to be more focused on my family, my friends, my work, and my health. I hope that by the time the next birthday rolls around that I can say this was a great year. It's kind of interesting that my birthday comes right around the time of New Year's resolutions. I think this year, I'm going to make some big ones and do my best to stick with them. I commented on another friend's blog and said that one resolution I will make that I'm SURE I can keep is that I won't stab anyone. That is, I won't stab anyone until someone calls me Grandma again (APRIL). As long as everyone else keeps away from the nastiness that is name-calling, I should be able to keep my resolution.

p.s.
You know what I think is funny? The fact that the word "blog" comes up as a misspelled word on this thing. That's sort of ironic, don't you think?

Christmas Updates

In lieu of lots of story time from the past weekend, I'll just post some pics in hope you get a glimpse into my world.


One of the first bouts of gift opening frenzy at our casa. Rachel loves the hat! Thanks Grandma & Grandpa! Doesn't Daddy look spectacular in the Santa hat?! I sure think so.


Rachel decided it was WAY more fun to open the presents than to actually see what they were or play with them. She got really excited when we would say "you wanna open some presents?!" because she just loved tearing the paper and throwing the tissue paper around.


My step sister gave Rachel a Dora backpack and I said "You can take that with you to school" - which is what we call it when she goes to Kids Day Out at church one day a week......


.....she thought I meant we were going to school right then. :) Too cute!


Christmas morning started early this year. Rules were Big Sister was NOT allowed to go into the living room without coming to get us first. If she did, there would be serious consequences. Well, she was up at 3:30AM - yes, I said 3:30AM - and came into our room and said, "I went in to check and see if Santa ate his cookies and HE DID!!" Mike and I both I think just had the air deflated out of us at that moment. I heard him whisper to her that he was VERY disappointed in her and that she should not have done that. "Did you see what he brought you?" he asked. No, she apparently said she just saw a big box and that he'd eaten his cookies. Yeah, right. Whatever. She felt really bad later that morning when we had the discussion about how kids got their presents from Santa and the gifts that parents get are to see the reactions their children have when they discover what Santa has left for them. Bless her heart, she's so honest and I really don't think that will be a problem in years to come. I think she kinda understood that by her sneaking in early, it took some of the blessing away from Daddy and me. That hurt her more than any punishment we could have given her. But we had fun with Santa's presents anyway.

Each year I usually get that one gift that makes me cry. Until yesterday, I thought I had this year licked! I hadn't cried over a gift once! Well, that all went down the toilet when our dear friends came over and I opened this....

.....yeah. Exactly. I had no idea she'd taken this picture and yes, I cried. It's a precious purse that I will carry with me proudly! Thanks, Michelle!! What a special gift!!


And this is our family at church Sunday morning. It was a real blessing to be in church celebrating the real reason for this season. We had such a blessed Christmas holiday this year and it will be one that will be remembered for many years to come. I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday and enjoyed time with family and friends. Now it's on to 2006 and lots of new memories to be made. Make the best of every day because each day is a gift. We're not promised tomorrow, so enjoy all your blessings to the fullest and from our house to yours, Happy New Year!!

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Today, we're heading over to my mom's to spend the night and then will head over to Dad's in the morning for breakfast and presents and then back to mom's for lunch and more presents. It will be a fun time with Mamaw & Poppy and Grandma & Grandpa. We'll also get to see my step siblings who I never get to visit with, so that will be nice. Of course, I'm anxious to show off my little charmer and let her do all her tricks for everyone!

You know, when I was a kid, I wanted to show off anything I could do and say "look at me!" and now I'm totally showing off my kid like a little trained monkey and saying "look what Rachel can do!!". This is much more fun now, though.

Saturday, we'll head back home to prepare for Santa's arrival and church on Sunday. We still don't have a particular plan on how we're gonna work in breakfast, presents, church, lunch, etc, but we'll figure it out and it'll be great! I'm so excited to see my kids' reactions to all their presents! I swear, if I didn't get a darn thing this year, that would be totally ok as long as I get to watch the girls open their gifts and get excited about what they have. I have had an absolute blast shopping for them and could REALLY go overboard on spending where they are concerned. I wish I could give them everything, but alas, we're not the Trumps.

One last sad note, I'll turn 30 next week. I have mixed emotions about this birthday. On one hand, it's pretty cool and I think maybe I'll finally think I've arrived at adulthood. On the other hand, I'm not this old! REALLY!! I mean thirty?!?!?!?! I just remember that show thirtysomething and remember thinking those people were so "old" and that I would never get to that age and now, here I am. Gosh.

OH! I found out last night that my husband has some hidden obsessive compulsive tendancies that I really didn't know about. Very interesting. I'll write more on that after Christmas, as I'm sure I will have discovered even more by then.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

Christmas Memories

I think she's a smidge excited about getting to open more presents. We've already had present opening fun with a couple sets of grandparents and there's still more to be done. I'm looking forward to being at home this year also. Last year was the first year that we were at our house on Christmas morning. All the other years we've traveled to visit family, but last year, hubby put his foot down and said "We're staying here!" I was glad to start that tradition with Rachel because that's what I had known all my years until I got married.

I loved being at home and getting up before the sun to see what Santa had left for me! I specifically remember one Christmas when I was about 10 years old or so and I had started to have my doubts about the big man in red. I don't know if the kids at school were talking about it or if I'd heard something on TV that was persuading me to believe that anyone other than Santa left the wonderful gifts under my tree each Christmas Eve, but I was starting to wonder. That year, I wanted a Barbie Dream House. My cousin had one and I was so envious. This particular cousin had so many fun toys. She was an only child and was a tad bit spoiled according to my standards at the time. But I so wanted that dream house like she had! So I thought I'd give it one last shot to see if Santa really was real and I asked for a Barbie Dream House. Those were expensive back in the day to a family with meager means, so I thought if I was gonna have one, it would have to come from Santa because I just didn't think my parents could have afforded it. Christmas Eve came and I was nestled all snug in my bed wondering what I would find under the tree when I woke the next morning. Christmas morning finally came and I crawled out of bed, almost unexcited about my upcoming discovery. My parents always wanted us to make sure they were up and tree-side and camera ready before we came in to see Santa's gifts and this year was no exception. I walked lazily into the living room once my parents were in place and lo and behold, there beside the Christmas Tree sat a dazzling Barbie Dream house!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!! In fact, my mom has pictures of me rubbing my eyes, then one with my hands over my mouth, and one just totally amazed! I think my first words that morning were "THERE REALLY IS A SANTA CLAUS!!!" I was sure there was no one other than Santa that could have left that dream house under my tree! That was one of the most memorable Christmas mornings ever.

Of course, when I went to my cousin's house the next time, she had lots of fun furniture and accessories and when I asked where she got them, she said they came in the box with the house. Hmmmmm...... her dream house came in a box and had accessories? That's odd. As the year went on, I realized that it probably was my parents that purchased the house from me and on into my adult years after I lost the innocence and wonder of my childhood, my mom sadly broke the news to me that yes, the blessed Barbie Dream House had been purchased at a garage sale and didn't have all the original parts.

No matter how the dream house was acquired, it was just that - a DREAM house. For at least that one day, I had no doubts whatsoever in the reality and magic of Santa. And as I grew older and realized exactly what my parents did for me in doing everything they could to get just what I wanted, I have no doubt whatsoever the reality and magic of the love my parents had for me. Especially now that I have my own daughter and it's now my desire to want to give her everything she ever wants, I know exactly what my parents were thinking and feeling that special Christmas morning. So Mom and Dad, if you're reading this - Thanks. And I love you.

What the.....????

The Apprentice. Randall. Selfish scum.

I'm still stunned and very disappointed in Randall. I thought he really did do a good job and if there was one person to choose over the other, I probably would have chosen Randall. However, the fact that he supposedly has thought so highly of Rebecca up to this point and that she wasn't a threat on his getting picked or what job he would have really makes me wonder about his honesty the whole time. PLUS, I'm a little bit miffed at Trump. He's the dadgum leader of this whole deal and supposedly can do whatever he wants to do. Why in the world did he let RANDALL decide if Rebecca was also hired?! Hello??? Why would he have offered something like that to Rebecca and dangle it in her face only to let it be yanked right away from her. That is SO uncool!!!

It's not even 8am.....

I'm in trouble. My morning is going down hill at a rapid pace! I woke up LATE this morning to a barking dog and a ringing doorbell. The little guy I babysit was already here and I'd overslept! SUCK! OH, and I had just been pulled out of a dream that was a bit on the inappropriate side considering I'm not still in the dating world. I hate those!!!!!! Then after I made myself some coffee, I burned my mouth on that because I wasn't paying attention to the weirdness of the cup I decided to drink from. It's shaped a bit differently and the contents seem to come out quite fast and unexpectedly if you're not being careful. Then, Rachel was asking for juice..... yeah, still don't have milk but I don't get any cereal either....... and as I was pouring her juice into her cup, I knocked it over with my arm right down onto my cabinets and a rug on which I was just wondering yesterday how in the world I'm supposed to get it clean. Now, this is no ordinary juice. This is RED juice that spilled on my WHITE cabinets. This is not a good thing. And here it is before 8am. This is not a good sign. Although, I think this gives me an excuse to repaint my cabinets. I already have hair dye in one little spot from about 2 months ago and now this. I should just redo my whole kitchen. That would make me feel better. Oh and at least I didn't break my coffee pot - knock on wood - or that might have sent me over the edge. I would have been dragging these kids out to the nearest convenient store for my caffiene fix. And Lord help me on what will happen between now and noon if this is how things are going so far.


OH!! Addition!! 8:30am - my child now has yellow highligher marks on her face and neck because Negligent & Unattentive Mommy left out her highlighter last night and baby girl decided it would be oh so fun to mark all over herself!!! Jesus, help me.

Does it make me a bad mom....

....because I gave my daughter juice this morning instead of milk because I didn't know if I gave her a sippy full of milk if there would be enough for my cereal? So I didn't give her milk. I gave her apple juice. I ate my cereal. And now I feel bad..... because I still have enough milk to put cream in my coffee, too. I'll probably get sick this morning and vomit up my cereal because I was so selfish.

You may now refer to me as Your Majesty!

I'm a QUEEN!!!!!

Yes, I know most of you knew this already (ha) but Ellen over at The Reign of Ellen has crowned me one of her queens! YIPPEE!!! She has serious artisitc abilities and has done a fabulous job with the queens that have previously been crowned and with writing her blog. She's so entertaining to read each day and definitely always gives me a chuckle. You all should go over and say howdy to her.


Up next, my upcoming birthday.........

I've been tagged by SlushTurtle! You know, I was really rather excited to see my name on her tag list! It made me feel important, included. So, thanks, Slush! You've given me warm fuzzies! :)

7 things I want to do before I die:
1. Have a baby boy
2. Become a National Sales Director with Mary Kay
3. Live in the house of my dreams
4. See my kids marry wonderful people
5. Fit into a single digit size clothing again (for the first time since I was about 12)
6. Be financially secure enough to not worry about money, or rather the lack of money
7. Travel to some places I’ve always wanted to see – Paris, London, Rome, Kenya, Germany, somewhere in the orient, the Carribean, Washington DC, New York City, Chicago to see Oprah – and visit a couple other places I have been like Disney World and Hawaii

7 things I cannot do:
1. Juggle
2. Hit a golf ball
3. Hurt my kids intentionally
4. Loose weight, apparently
5. Watch something sad without crying
6. Sing like I want to
7. Buy clothes that aren’t on sale… I just can’t do it!

7 things that attract me to the opposite sex:
1. Wit
2. Relationship with God
3. Intelligence
4. Sports abilities (not that I have any, but….)
5. Lips/Kissing (let it be known that my hubby is the best kisser E-V-E-R!!)
6. The way he relates to other people
7. Singing abilities (my husband has NONE, but it’s still an attractive feature about a guy)

7 things I say most often:
1. Oh my gosh!
2. Dadgummit!
3. Rachel Faith!!
4. Give Mommy BIG hugs!!
5. Give Mommy kisses!
6. I love you so much!!
7. “You wanna watch…” (Dora, The Wiggles, C-lella, etc.) yeah, so my kids watch a lot of TV. But my kid can count to 10 in Spanish and she’s not even two yet, thanks to Dora! It can’t be all bad, right?

7 celebrity crushes:
1. Matthew McConnaughey - I’m sorry, but if I hadn’t married Mike, I would have found this man and married him! Either that, or just stalked him like a crazy woman!
2. Brad Pitt - even though he totally dissed my girl Jen, I still can't help the fact that he's so hot.
3. Tom Hanks - all around great guy
4. George Clooney - there's just something about him... a little bit of bad boy, but oh so GQ
5. Nick Lachey - Gotta love the smile and dimples
6. Will Smith - He makes me laugh. Plus, he looks like the black version of this guy I used to date!
7. Tim McGraw - Just hot.... smokin' hot!

7 people I want to do this:
Anyone who reads my blog that hasn’t already been tagged…… I think that leaves about two of you.