Me Time

So, I know it's been awhile. Sorry. I have been preoccupied with decorating for Christmas, Christmas, and "undecorating" for Christmas. Plus, there've been parties for hosting, marshmallows for toasting and caroling out in the....wait...well, I really haven't been THAT busy! ;-) Seriously though, I HAVE been totally enjoying the fact that my husband has been off for the past week and a half. We have been able to spend some much needed time together with our children. We even squeezed in a few after Christmas sales together! But, today, out of every other day has by far been THE BEST day!

First of all, it was my day to do whatever I chose. My husband took the children and went down to his Mom's for the day. I had a leisurely morning. I didn't really sleep in, but I didn't have to get up and feed the kids. After my 10:00 breakfast, I decided that I wanted to go to a couple of craft stores and check out their bargains. I called my Dad....yes, my Dad, and invited him to go. He has not been allowed to drive due to a heart condition and I figured he would be up for a road trip. Plus, he is pretty crafty himself. So, we headed to the next town over and hit one of my FAVORITE stores. All their scrapbook supplies were 50% off, so I stocked up! My Dad likes to paint so he took advantage of some sale prices too.

After that, we went to lunch at a VERY GOOD Mexican restaurant. Then we headed to ANOTHER craft store and I bought more scrapbook "stuff".

To round out the day, I went to a jewelry party and made $443.00!!!! I'll post more about that later. Too bad I didn't have the money BEFORE I went shopping.

So, needless to say, I had a pretty doggone good day. I shopped, ate, and spent some quality time with my Daddy!

Here is a photo of all the stuff I bought today.


I know it's hard to tell in the picture, but I even got my son a scrapbook and a new cartridge for my Cricut!!!!

For Your Entertainment

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I Can't Believe It!

Random

I was going to post a "Wordless Wednesday" and decided that I haven't "said" much lately and needed to update. Then, I thought about how much I wanted to say and realized that none of it flowed together. So, I am just going to list some random stuff:

I didn't get finished Christmas shopping last Friday. You can't tell by the way the back of my car looked!


My daughter, husband and myself had the stomach flu last Friday and Saturday...YUCK!

My husband is finally feeling "normal" today after being sick.

I finished decorating my "main" tree.

I don't want to do anymore decorating for Christmas this year...I'm burnt out already. However, I do enjoy the way my babies look during the process!!!



I'm excited that I'm going shopping with my MIL and two SILs this Friday.

I'm even more excited that I get a break from my kiddos....ALL DAY!!!

We are going to Stone Mountain Saturday with some friends...yay!

We have a BUSY weekend planned...Stone Mtn, Christmas Parade, and Ornament Party at the Elder's

I had homemade pizza for lunch today and it was GLORIOUS.

I have a bag of Lindt truffles sitting in my living room...and they are delicious.

I am going to start my Christmas baking this afternoon.

For some reason, I can't get into the whole Christmas card thing this year.

I really need to go on a diet, but as you can see from the above...I love to eat goodies this time of year.

I talked my daughter into having a pool party in June instead of celebrating her birthday in January.


So...that's what's going on here. Hope you have a great hump day!

Why am I here?

Do you ever ask yourself that question? I do. Especially when I have had a day like today. The baby is into everything, the six year old thinks she knows more than me...and is not afraid to argue her point, the husband is mad at me for God only knows what and is not speaking to me. What have I done to deserve this?

I need a vacation.

Before I post about my weekend...

Let me just share something about my sister-in-law.

Before I left at 3:30 a.m. on Black Friday to shop, I checked my phone and saw that I had received a text message from her at 12:35. Her sister's son had been badly burned in an accident on Thanksgiving night. It was very shocking to say the least.

I am asking those of you who regularly read my blog to pray for A.J. My SIL has set up a website for him. Feel free to sign his guest book.

Thank you for your prayers and I will post more about my weekend later.

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Well, I feel much better today!!! Mostly because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I am truly excited. I am SO looking forward to lunch and dinner!!! We always go to my parents' house for lunch. This year my brother and his wife will be at her family's house...so needless to say, we will have a ton of food to consume! Here is the lunch menu:

Turkey
Dressing
Giblet Gravy
Green Beans
Mac and Cheese
Sweet Potato Casserole
Squash Casserole
Stuffed Celery
Fruit Salad
Cranberry Sauce
Deviled Eggs
Rolls
Pumpkin Pie


Does that sound yummy or what?? My mom and my grandmother usually do most of the cooking. I always make my signature squash casserole. Besides that I will bring rolls, stuffed celery, deviled eggs and a relish tray.

Now, for supper we go to Tim's parents. The great thing about that is...we have a non-traditional Thanksgiving. For example, one year we had a low country boil. This year we decided to have finger foods. I am taking sausage balls. It's so nice to go there later in the evening and not have to eat another huge meal.

Besides getting things ready for tomorrow, I have started decorating for Christmas. I like to put a different "themed" tree in each room of my home. Some of them are just small, table-top trees. Today I put up the tree in our office. My hubby calls the office "his room" because it has his fish he caught and soon will have the deer he shot. It is decorated with pictures of wildlife. So...the tree in there will have outdoorsy stuff too. Dragonflies, butterflies, feathers, leaves, etc. I'll definitely post a pic when it's done.

Hope you all have a blessed day tomorrow!

What I'm Thankful For

The last two days have been a struggle for me. I have had some emotional ups and downs. So, to make myself feel better I've decided to list some things I am thankful for. Hopefully, these will get me out of this weird funk I've been in.

My heavenly Father--Thank you Lord for sacrificing your Son to save me, a sinner.
My husband--Sometimes I forget how hard he works and how much he truly loves me and our babies.
My children--They are healthy, happy, well behaved, beautiful and I'm not ashamed to brag about it.
My family--They really mean a lot to me and are always there when I need them.
My friends--I am so thankful to have girlfriends that encourage me and pray for me.
My church--Although we have not joined the church we are currently attending, I feel like I am home when I am there. It's so nice to feel that warm welcoming feeling.

This is by no means all of the things I am thankful for. These are the ones that mean the most to me.

What's Up

Today is my sweet hubby's birthday. He is 37. I can't believe it. Three years until 40. Wow. We are getting old. It's hard to believe that he wasn't even 30 when we met. Time flies when you're having fun.

We went out to eat with my family to celebrate Tim's birthday last night. It was SO good! In fact, the best part is we had enough left over for dinner tonight. Yay! I don't have to cook for 2 nights in a row. Normally, I enjoy cooking. But I REALLY need to go to the grocery store and there just isn't a lot to choose from in the freezer right now! Soon we will get the three deer back that Tim shot a couple of weeks ago and our freezer will be full of meat. Thank you Lord!

The next few days are going to busy with homeschool. I am trying to get ahead so that we can take 3 days off next week. I would also like to take off from December 22nd through the end of the year. We can do it...it's just going to take some effort. Now that I am finishing up with unpacking, I feel like I have more time to devote to school. Beth is really doing good and I am learning some things along the way as well. Funny how you forget how many pints are in a quart and all that!!

I am really excited about Thanksgiving. We always go shopping the day after. My kiddos will spend the night with my mom on Thursday and this year my best friend in the whole world and her hubby are joining us. The plan is for them to spend the night at our house so we can all leave from here early. Should be very fun! Then, on Saturday we will go pick out our Christmas tree and start decorating. Lots of fun things to look forward to!

Thanks to Michele for all the AWESOME Christ-centered Christmas tradition ideas. I can't wait to get started! Michele's daughter and my daughter are best friends. Last year, they were in a Thanksgiving re-enactment together...below is a picture for your enjoyment!


Have a great Wednesday!

Bingo!

Ok, so those of you who I am close to know that my family just experienced something that we never imagined. I won't go into any details, but let's just say we no longer have a mortgage payment. It has in many ways been a blessing and God has really opened my eyes to things I never really saw before.

With the Christmas season upon us, I am constantly thinking how we are going to manage this year? Then, I read Cheryl's blog, and BINGO! The Lord once again opens my eyes. It's not about how many gifts my kids have under the tree. It isn't about racking my brain to think of a gift for my Dad. Christmas is about Jesus...and what is He? Love...and Life. Sure, I've always kept Christ in Christmas. Heck, we don't even play Santa Claus. But was I REALLY celebrating the TRUE meaning of it all?

Watch the video that I "borrowed" from Cheryl's blog. I hope you'll examine yourself as I have and ask yourself if you are really celebrating the true meaning of Christmas. Also, please feel free to share with me some of the ways your family keeps Christ in Christmas.

Five Things

10 Years Ago…

1. I was dating someone that I really didn't want to date.
2. I was waiting for Tim to call me (someone gave him my number).
3. I was not working and lived at home with my parents.
4. I was a student at Griffin Tech and almost finished with my Accounting degree.
5. I was skinny. (those were the days)

5 Things on today’s “to-do” list

1. Clean the kitchen so my new dishwasher can be installed tomorrow!!!
2. Fold and put away all the clean laundry.
3. Clean 3 bathrooms.
4. Sweep all the floors.
5. Cook supper.

5 Snacks I enjoy

1. My homemade salsa with tortilla chips
2. Microwave popcorn (the fattening kind with Movie Theater Butter)
3. Brownies
4. Apples dipped in peanut butter
5. Cheese dip

5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire

1. Pay off any debt
2. Buy myself a Land Rover
3. Go on a trip around the world
4. Build our dream house
5. Shop

5 Places I have lived

1. Rehoboth Rd, Griffin, GA
2. Green Acres Rd, Griffin, GA
3. Jackson, GA
4. Williamson, GA
5. now back to Griffin, GA

5 Jobs that I have had / or still have

1. Medical Assistant--Field Foot and Ankle Clinic
2. Teller--First National Bank
3. Bookkeeper--C. Randall Howell, CPA
4. Accountant--United Bank Corporation
5. Operations Assistant--First Georgia Community Bank

Wordless Wednesday

I Finally Did It...

I started my own blog (obviously). I have been toying with the idea of starting my own blog for months now. There are several blogs that I have been reading for years and now that my good friends Tiffani and Michele have blogs, I just couldn't resist.

So, first, I will tell you a little about myself. I stay home with my two wonderful children, Beth and Avery. Beth is 6, Avery is 18 months. I homeschool Beth. She is in the first grade. I have to say that it is a bit challenging with my son getting into everything we do! My husband Tim works a regular job and owns his own lawn business. He is very busy and we don't see him much, but I am blessed that the Lord has provided a way for me to be home with my babies. I was working part time for a church up until last week, so this is my first "official" week of being a total stay at home mom.

We had a wonderful weekend. Friday was Halloween and the kids and I spent most of the day doing Halloween related activities. We decorated a pumpkin, baked Halloween cookies, made ghosts out of suckers and the whole family went trick-or-treating. I believe this year was our most fun Halloween. Saturday, we watched the Georgia/Florida game over at my friend Michele's. It was a great time of food and fellowship with some really close friends. You can check out the photos over on her blog. Sunday we went to church and spent the day with our best friends Barry and Stephanie. We are so blessed to have such a great group of friends.

Today was a typical Monday for us. Nothing really exciting besides Avery getting into my lipstick. He is such a delight. We were worried that God would never send us a second child, but boy was he worth the wait! He is such a loving baby and freely gives kisses to those he loves.

There isn't much going on this week. Tuesday I will go vote which could take all day, and Friday I am planning to scrapbook with my best friend Stephanie while our hubbies go to the local highschool football game.

Well, I'm off to change a diaper!