A little of this, a little of that

For probably the past 10 years, I have really not enjoyed Christmas. I get serious holiday "blues", to the point that I start to feel tense in late November, just thinking about Christmas coming. Basically, I have come to really dislike this time of year. This year, though, I am not dreading it with my normal anxiety. I'm actually enjoying decorating. Libby wanted to start collecting a Christmas village... so I found

some used pieces at a bargain price! My patio:

And then there's Rufus... I had told the kids we might could get a puppy when we get a house (in the FUTURE), but then one day, they fell in love with this little guy outside of Pet Smart and on an impulse, we brought him home. At first, I had buyer's remorse BAD! But I couldn't help but fall in love myself. He is SO cute and has a sweet disposition. (Right now he is using my feet as a chew toy, but he means it in love).

He has gotten really attached to this big teddy bear. He sleeps cuddled up next to it and fights with it. We have started referring to it as his "brother".

Thanksgiving in Michigan

I always post too many pictures of my times with my family in Michigan, but I feel I'm entitled since I don't post much these days. Ha. Entitled to post pictures on my own blog?! I guess I can post whatever I want here... you don't HAVE to read it. :-) So... I flew up to Michigan for Thanksgiving and I sincerely missed being with my kids this year. But I was glad I didn't have to stay in Alabama alone. The real bummer is that I can't get the pictures in the order I want them on this laptop. So.... here they are in no logical order....
The table at Melissa's before we ate Thanksgiving dinner.....

Mom had the great idea to teach us all to make German stars. Here is Melissa...

Here are mine finished....

Here is Melissa, Kelli and Mom's finished....

Here is my mo helping Kelli (before they all got frustrated and crumpled their papers into a pile)...
Mine in the beginning stages....

Working on the stars, watching the football game.....

Me at Spartys eating a Coney.....

Melis and David at Spartys...

My cousin Rhonda and me at McDonalds....

My sister's guinea pig Perry (strange little creature, huh?)

Melissa cooking Thanksgiving dinner.....

Rhonda, me, my uncle Mike, Melissa and my aunt Raylene... McDonalds.....

More of McDonalds....

Kelli learns the family tradition of putting cream cheese in celery...

At Target.... (p.s. it's snowing in this picture, but you can't see the beautiful flakes)....

Eating dinner.... it was all so delicious!
David makes the red pepper jelly spread!

Melissa and David at Cuginos... about to have the best pizza ever.....

Notice: no pictures of my dad included because I am not to post pictures of him without his express written consent. Which I don't feel like asking for. :-)

I have lost my mind

I was conned into adopting this... yet to be named... sweet as can be... boy puppy. Someone please come get me and have me commited. I will go willingly.

November 13, 2010

I am thinking about........... numbers, notebooks, balances, tallies, records, naps, having no place to go, Jesus, cleaning, family, Thanksgiving, love, soccer, hockey, piano, homework, sickness, health

I am thankful for........ fall leaves, healthy kids, plenty to eat, a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in (talked to a lady at work this week who has been sleeping on the floor for 9 months...), a fun job

I am eating...... too much lately... medicating the pain with food as if I haven't learned by now that too much food just brings more pain

I am wearing..... black pajamas with little white polka dots

I am reading..... almost done with John Grisham's short story collection, "Ford County"... highly recommend it, especially to fellow Grisham fans... about to start "The Confession" and "Same Kind of Different as Me", which I picked up on the 50% off table at the christian bookstore

From the kitchen..... tried Swedish Meatballs at Publix last night, Libby and I both liked it, so going to make some for dinner tonight

I am hearing.... the clock ticking, each time one second closer to meeting Jesus

One of my favorite things..... working with fun people, sleeping (if I ever could)

I am praying..... for peace, for God's hand to guide me

A picture to share....

(From the sample pictures on my computer.... pretty huh?)

Some Pictures for my Family

Outside view... bottom floor..... nice little covered patio.

In no particular order... the kitchen.... (behind the door is the laundry room). The girls' bathroom....

The girls' room (we're not finished with it, yet).

The "dining room" ....

Living Room:

Framed scrapbook paper on the wall above my FREE TV (picked up beside the road) and the little table I got cheap at my store...

The recliner is chocolate brown- not bluish gray as it looks in this picture.

Jacob's room (Sarah picked out the camoflage... Jacob likes it). You can't see the headboard, but it came from Sonja and matches the bookshelves:

Bathroom #2 ...

My comfy bedroom (more scrapbook papers on the wall)... dark curtains to keep out the bright orange light that shines in all night from the parking lot.

A beautiful fall-leaved tree that is outside my window. Love it!

Patio from inside..... (taken before I put the loveseat in front of the window).

Another corner of my room. Painting from Dollar General. (Notice the mirrored closet doors which I love).

.Pretty scented oil diffuser that my sweet friend Lisa gave me for my birthday- looks so cute in my room! Due to allergies and now a cold, I couldn't tell you if it smells good anymore, but it makes me happy.Thanks to my sweet and ever-faithful friend Misty who helped me arrange alot of this and make it look like a home when it was just a jumbled mess of furniture and boxes and I was a jumbled mess of overhwelmedness and exhaustion. :-)

Halloween Fun

Got a camera! Lots of pictures to come, but we'll start with Halloween. Here's Jacob and his friend Scott as Sumo Wrestlers.






Libby and Alice as Gangstas. :-) We had beautiful weather!