Maybe All This Explains The Pain In My Head And The Ache In My Side And The Hope That Just Won't Die

A random selection of this year's posts makes me laugh, wonder, and shake my head in disbelief. What was I thinking? Click on the big and bold words if you have nothing better to do... just don't hold it against me.

My husband thought I was ugly in the beginning of the year.
My brother was in the beginning stages of his weight loss journey.
And my big boy freely admitted he loved me.

I was searching for hope

While re-emphasizing we had no need for Cialis 

And pondering the possibility of mail-order husbands.

Strawberry Daiquiri's.
Lessons From A Clothesline.
Making Teenagers Groan.

I became my alter ego.
Watched my other half drown his sorrows in lights.
And became entirely self-absorbed.

Wonder what the next year will bring?
Thanks for reading along with me.
Happy New Year.  =)



Priorities

Things that make me laugh:
My husband. My kids.
And thirty-some hits within three minutes of posting a blog entry entitled Hot Booties?

Things that make me cry:
My husband. My kids.
And reading what my dad writes in the cards that he sends.

Things that make me thankful for the life I've been given:
All of the above. All of the below.
And everything else that comes in between.



The last time this group sat together.

My mom. My daughter. My grandma and me.

My present, future, and past... in that particular order.



Hot Booties?

That was the first thing I heard when I turned the television on this morning. Have you seen that infomercial? They're slippers that you heat in the microwave... not an actual booty that is considered hot. Yeah. I think I'll move on, too.

The middle had me up early on this chilly morning to drive him over to a friend's house to do his new favorite thing: longboarding. Ever since the FedEx man dropped his Christmas present off early last Saturday, the boy has turned into a faithful weather watcher and a man with a mission. He's also had his first run-in with the law. While out Monday on his board, he crossed over the street to get out of the way of the only car on the road. The local po-po were hanging out on a street corner when one decided to holler out, Hey you with the long hair. Get over here.

And if you've read this blog long enough or know me at all, then you know the husband has law enforcement experience and the highest respect for the men- and women- who stand in those shoes. This particular instance, however, just had us both wondering if the man had nothing better to do.

Anyway, the middle looks around, discerns that he is the only person around (long hair or not), and makes his way over to the officer.  The guy asks him who he is, where he is going, and why he is out in the first place (at this point the husband interjected Probable Cause?). So the middle answers with his name, where he is headed, and why he is out. A car pulls up with a girl behind the wheel which momentarily distracts the officer. Thinking he is free to go, the middle starts to take off.

Not so fast.

The officer yells at him to come back, lectures him on the rules of the road, writes him a citation (which basically boiled down to a warning), and sends him on his way. The middle, wondering if he would still like to pursue a career in criminal justice, continues on his journey to visit a friend's house. We just happened to be standing outside later when he came whizzing back down the road and into the driveway. The first thing he did was pull out a folded blue paper from his pocket, tell us his story, and ask Can I hang it on my wall?

The things that make a kid proud.
The things that make a husband grumble.
The things I get to write about. =)

The Year Of Me

Say what you will, but this year brought a strange twist to the traditional passing out of the presents. After Santa, aka the youngest, handed out the last gift, a strange hush fell over the room. Mom! Look at all your presents! I looked down, then looked around. Indeed, I was surrounded by gifts galore (at least by my standards). The others had some, too, but mine outnumbered them all.

I like to call it

The Year Of Mom,

And it's about time.



Random Note: If you look past me to the oldest, you'll see him gazing in wonder at that crazy black cat of ours.





And the fact that most of the presents were from the husband and included such practical things like new glasses for the kitchen, fuzzy socks to keep my feet warm, and a gift box full of silky underwear (seriously) did not diminish the excitement of my bigger-than-the-rest pile.

Besides, he also got me perfume called Rebel Chic and Luv-A-Licious.

To quote a friend of mine, Stand back, girls. He's all mine.

The Year Of Mom. The Year of The Wife.

It's all good in my book.

FedEx Brings Christmas Early

The barbecue is going in the slow cooker and I've got yeast rolls ready to set out. One kid is happily doing dangerous tricks and twists and turns on some steep hill (near a lake, no less) on his pre-Christmas gift of a custom made longboard (It's a longboard, Mom. Not a skateboard). The cheery FedEx man delivered the box just hours ago and the husband and I just looked at each other and at the big, obvious looking box sitting in the middle of the living room floor. Let him have it, the man of the house said. It's suppose to rain tomorrow. Pocket knife in hand, the boy took in a deep breath and commenced to opening the sealed package with great care. Father and son admired the handiwork together and out the door the boy went, long hair and all. Life is be pretty sweet when you're fifteen.

The girl came in, looked at the box, and sighed heavily. Again, the husband and I looked at each other. What the heck, I said. I picked up my phone and called a number that I have been saving. In the next room, we heard a phone ringing. I asked her to get her dad's phone and she gave me the look that says a million impatient things in one glaring glance. She did what she was told, though, and emerged from the room holding her dad's (old) phone and a smile on her face. She's a sharp one, that girl. I shut my phone in mock frustration and told her she really needed to get her voicemail set up. She's roaming the house now singing a Travis Tritt tune of "It's A Great Day To Be Alive." Life is pretty sweet when you're thirteen.

As for the other child, he is still sound asleep. There are no big surprises for him this year, but at this point in his life, he's pretty clear about his Christmas wishes. He would prefer no gifts at all (seriously), but he'll take the cash if you offer it. Gas. Insurance. Oil changes. His own phone bill. Dates with his girl. For the first time this year, he went out and bought a few gifts for other people. It's amazing to watch his attitude and outlook on life change now that he's a working man. He's on that threshold of breaking completely free and yet still having us hold the reins on him. One day he mentioned that the whole grown-up thing is a little bit scary. Yes, it is, Son. Nonetheless, life is still pretty sweet when you're eighteen.

So here we all sit on this beautiful day of Christmas Eve.

The still-singing youngest is filling up her contact list.
The wind-blown middle just walked in to affirm the wonders of his new board.
And the sleeping oldest has just been told by his off-and-on napping dad to get up.

It is indeed a great day to be alive.

Merry Christmas!

Where Does The Time Go?



Kindergarten



12th Grade

 

Santa Claus And Me



age 4




age 5




age 6




age 7




age 8




And that's the last picture I have. Maybe it was the year after this one that my older brother told me that dirty little lie that Santa wasn't real. Sheesh. I would've liked to have seen more stylish outfits from the 70s (and I do believe each one was handmade by my mom). Cool bowl haircut, huh?





Watching Charlie Brown On A Friday Night

As if my earlier musings weren't enough, I sit here now still dazed and confused.

Confused by friends who don't return calls.
Confused by young people who bicker over hamburgers.
Confused by Lucy who doesn't understand the importance of Linus's security blanket.

I think it's the date that's throwing me off. This is the first time in a couple of years that we don't already have the van packed with suitcases and presents and snacks for the holiday trip home. Our Thanksgiving trip cancelled out the Christmas one. I knew this was coming and have no regrets over that blessed, peaceful month of November, but feel a little bit bummed nonetheless. And I know I rambled on in an earlier post about the real meaning of Christmas and have no intention of backtracking now... still, the emptiness under our tree can be a tad bit depressing.

And the tree itself is dreadfully dried out. Not from a lack of water; just from a lack of restraint on the husband's part when it comes to our fireplace. That man loves a roasting fire no matter what the temperature is outside. Now we're faced with the dilemma of pulling the tree or replacing it the week before Christmas. I would be all for packing the whole thing in, but we are entertaining members of his family on Christmas Eve. I have a feeling he will have a fresh one in its place before this weekend is over. Oh well. Live and learn (and yes, I will be hiding the matches this time around).

Okay, okay. I also burned the last batch of Christmas goodies I was baking yesterday and the pan of peanut butter fudge I made is still in the fridge waiting to be cut. I kinda ran out of steam, I guess. Plus, the hot water handle on the kitchen sink went kerplunk and the dishwasher has not worked since I don't know when, so I'm faced with washing dishes in cold water, washing them in the bathtub, or not washing them at all. I gave George Jones entirely too much attention yesterday while I was in the kitchen and got to missing my dad. Then there's my mom. Same old story.

So maybe I'm just in a mood. Is it bad that the main highlight of my week was watching the Falcons smoke the Jaguars last night? Oh, it hasn't been all bad, I know, and I'm probably being a bit too dramatic here. I do have a few gifts I can wrap to liven up the tree (dead or not) and my family doesn't mind picking out the burnt pieces of chex mix. I just wish people would call back like they say they will, kids would all get along regardless of whose burger it is, and Lucy would leave Linus and his blanket alone.

And people do make me laugh around here.
God most definitely has a sense of humor.

Really?

From my front porch seat today, I have read stories about

(click on links to read):

parents locking lips with their teenagers for fun;
the danger (?) a Tim Tebow Superbowl win could bring to the non-Christian world;
and controversial pictures of tiny hands and feet.

I am disgusted, confused, and amazed (and yes, in that particular order).
I really can't think of anything else to say.

Except the weather is beautiful from where I sit.
I would never kiss my child like that whether in public or private, joke or not.
I seriously doubt a Superbowl win by the Denver Broncos would incite Christian rioting.

And I wish I had pictures of tiny hands and feet of our lost baby.

I like to read news stories from a variety of sites;

 all three of these were found on The Blaze.

And for my own reasons, comments for this entry have been disabled.

See you next time!

Putting The Merry Back In Christmas

The following was a post by a local radio station on facebook.

This is supposed to be the most wonderful time of time of the year,

 but for some it is not. What are you doing to truly enjoy the Christmas season?

Well, let's see.

First, I'm being honest about things. Being tight on Christmas funds is nothing new for us, but this year is notably different. I refuse to spend an unemployment check on gifts (besides, seeing as how I just put fifty bucks worth of gasoline in my vehicle and the water bill is due, there wouldn't be a whole lot of fun money left anyway). What we will spend will come out of our savings and, no news flash here, I will not drain that account to appease anybody. Thankfully, I'm in luck. My parents love anything to do with our kids, our kids love anything we give them, and my husband loves me. I can count on one hand the others I have already bought a gift for and the rest of the clan (neighbors, acquaintances, and such) will get some homemade goodies straight from my kitchen.

Second, I am surrounded by Christmas cheer. Remember that post about the husband's new found purpose to decorate? Well, he didn't complete everything he had on that original list, but our home is very festive nonetheless. You can't help but hum a little tune of Jingle Bells when you walk through the front door. Plus, last week I fixed a ham for supper one night and just for kicks pulled out the good china. Nothing says good mood like eating what feels like a fancy dinner on an ordinary week night. Today I used that leftover ham and fixed a soup that my husband deemed grandpa worthy (older-than-dirt family recipe) and let my girl whip up some chocolate-covered pretzels. Nothing says Christmas more than sweet and salty snacks.

Finally, and I guess this is the most obvious, I think about why we have this season anyway. I can never think of Christmas without thinking of Easter and how a baby in a manger ended up a man on a cross. December will come and go, gifts received will eventually become nothing more than memories, and sooner or later we will all have our fill of fudge and frosted cookies. We will continue to pay too much for gas and try to cut back on the water bill and pray the new year brings employment. Life goes on no matter what the holiday may be. Through it all, I am comforted by what I know to be true. He is not a baby in a manger anymore and He is most definitely not a man still on a cross.

He Is My Resurrected Savior.
My Soon-To-Be Coming King.
The Only Reason For The Season.

And in Him I find enjoyment.

A Glimpse Of Our Christmas



Our First Ever Real Tree
(I absolutely love it and may never do a fake tree again.)



Santa In His Place
(the bone is for the dog, the ornament for another cat,
 and do you see the Christmas Nail hanging in the background?)



The Stockings Were Hung
(these three have been with us since 1993 when it was just me, dad, and new baby)



By The Front Door
(a candle holder the oldest made in kindergarten, a dollar store manger scene,
 and an empty looking mailbox of Christmas cards...
 doesn't anyone mail cards anymore?)



Our Front Porch
(and my prized childhood sled underneath the tree)



Flowers In Bloom All Year Long
(a favorite of mine of living where we live, no matter what the holiday)

24 Days Till My Birthday!

December. December. December.
How did it become December so quickly?
The last time I checked, November was just beginning.

But here we are, the sixth already. The kids just have this week and next to finish up before the highlight of every school year (other than Spring Break and the Last Day, of course)... Christmas Vacation. All I can think is, How in the world am I going to entertain them for two solid weeks?

And at this they chuckle.
No need to entertain us, Mom.
Just keep the fridge stocked and the electricity on.

We've been enjoying some beautiful 70-ish degree weather around here. The windows have been opened, the short sleeves on, and the flip flops still getting plenty of use. My hometown back west got its first snow today. Do I miss it? Not a chance. Sweet tea and warm weather keeps me happy.

The Christmas decorating around our house has come to a blessed halt. The husband never did get that manger scene up or his personal message to the President made, and Santa Claus is still awaiting his stuffing, but other than that, all decorating came to a grinding halt last Friday for the birthday party of the oldest.

I have never been so glad to have people over.
One day of faster-than-lightning cleaning and hauling boxes to the attic.
Now that's how we get things wrapped up around this house.

I started my next-to-last class this week. Hallelujah. Come April 3, 2012, that nifty piece of paper with my name on it will be all mine. Thank goodness they don't hold 'em hostage until the student loans are paid. I may never get the chance to gaze upon it if that were the case. Oh... student loans.

I'll think about that tomorrow.
And enjoy my Christmas today.
Cold weather (that's 50s for me) is on the way.