Holly Jolly Holiday

My sweet nephew Eli and my brother Jay. Eli definately looks a lot like his Uncle Jay!!

The sweetest two boys ever in their new camo overalls!

The best dirty santa gift was a mallard skirt that was handcrafted by my mother several years ago (and a $25 Cabelas gift card). William was a great sport about the skirt! The most exciting part is that next year somebody else will get it!

My beautiful sisters!

Fun Family Times!

My family has combined our Christmas and Thanksgiving celebration the last several years. It made it easier than having to try to travel to include everybody for both holidays. We just pick one random day, and have a Thanksgiving meal and open presents. The past few years, we only gave gifts to the kids. This year, we gave gifts to the little kids (my two toddler nephews) and the rest of us played a game of Dirty Santa. It was Tracy's idea, and it was awesome! We had an absolute blast! My house is pretty small, but with the pretty weather, we were able to play outside, ride the four wheeler, make a small fire, and play with all the dogs. It was just a wonderful day!!

My Gratitude List!

My Gratitude List:

This year I have a lot to be grateful for! I am just overwhelmed with how blessed I have been. For the first time in a very long time, things are really falling into place! Here are just a few thing I am grateful for.

• I am grateful for the sweet little non traditional family that me and Roger have created together. Finding a man who loves animals as much as I do is a rare and wonderful blessing! Our life is crazy, chaotic, and sometimes pretty messy with two labradors and three cats, but I wouldn't trade him or my animals for anything!




• I have been blessed with the opportunity to go back to school and get a degree doing something that I will absolutely love! There have been several bumps in that road, but things are falling into place, and in the end it will be well worth it!
  



• My grandmother! She is an absolutely amazing woman who has lived a long life! At 84, she is pretty fiesty! She is an overcomer in so many ways, and is definately my inspiration and my role model. She has experienced some pretty rough things in her life, but maintains a certain innocense that most people don't have. I love her, and am so grateful that she is still in my life! I try to call her several times a week. I just cannot imagine the grief she has felt with the loss of my mom! She is amazing and I just love her! I am so grateful that my aunt and uncle, David and Jamey love her enough to give her the amazing love and care that she needs. She recently broke both of her wrists, and they were just amazing and patient in giving her the extra care that she needed while they juggled jobs and kids as well! I have an amazing family!
  



• My sisters and brother! They are so amazing in different ways! Christen is always the voice of reason, and has a sense of wit and humor that makes your day! I get random text messages that say things like "Walmart color coordinated their candy! Wow!" They make me smile! She always roots for the underdog, and cares about everybody! Tracy is the world's greatest listener and is as down to earth as they come! She is an amazing woman who is a single parent with 3 kids (11,3, and 2 years old) who juggles parenting and NURSING SCHOOL! She also roots for the underdog, and we talk almost every day! If it was up to Tracy she would have ten kids and probably the same number of puppies! Jay is also awesome! He has forever been my best friend! He gets it when nobody else does. He is the least judgemental person that I know, and would save the world if it was possible! He has overcome so much, and I am proud to call him my brother!




• I have amazing nieces and nephews! Tiffany is one of the most Godly women that I know. She is amazingly grounded in her values, and is as sweet and caring as they come! Jeremy is witty and smart! He is one of those freakishly smart people who is actually normal! He is extremely well rounded and a great guy! Erin is a beautiful 11 year old! She is probably the sweetest natured kid I have ever met. There is just not a mean bone in the child's body! She loves everybody and everything! She makes friends easily, and never meets a stranger. She is smart and creative, and I count myself lucky to have her in my life! Eli and Wyatt are the most beautiful blue eyed little boys I have ever met! They are the sweetest pair of toddlers you have ever met! Their personalities are very different, but they are definately fun!
  



• I am grateful for the memories that I have of my parents! No parents are perfect, and mine certainly were not. But, I know that they loved me and I loved them! Me and Jay are constantly rattling off goofy stuff that Ole Gary used to say That man was crazy and nutty, but he loved us and did so much for us! I am so grateful! I am grateful that I had a sweet mama that taught me how to sew, cook, clean, garden, and also taught me how to be a virtuous woman and to stand on what I believed in and to do what is best for me!




• I am grateful for little things that come with living in the country. I love afternoon four wheeler rides with my dogs, walks in the woods with Roger, shooting clay targets and bows, and bon fires on a random week night!





• I am grateful for my health! I have had some health struggles the last five years, and it feels really good to be healthy, happy, and whole!




• I am grateful for Roger's amazing family, and the way that they have made me feel welcome and a part of their family! As far as future in-laws go, I am really lucky!
• I am also blessed with really awesome friends who are there for fun and when I need them!

Holidays, Grey's Anatomy, and Sara Palin!

This week has been pretty busy. Roger has been out of town off and on working, and I have been finishing up the semester. Gun season opens this weekend, so he is pretty excited about that! My family is coming to our little bitty house for Thanksgiving and I am pretty excited and nervous at the same time! This is the first holiday season in a very very very long time that I am excited! I really am excited! I am usually a bit of a scrooge, but not this year! I actually put my christmas tree up and put lights outside the house way too early! Jay has been laughing at me because I have been so giddy! I just can't help it! Life is great! I have not been this happy in like twenty years! God is so good to me!

On a less gooey note, I thought Grey's last night was awful and boring! I hope that when they get back in January something fun happens! I miss Izzie! It was just not the same seeing them all around the decorated christmas table without her!! I would love to hear thoughts on this one!

Also, I am so sick of Sara Palin and her trashy family. I just feel like she had to opportunity to be a strong political women and brought a lot of negative attention to the McCain campaign! I was one of her supporters for a minute, but no more. That woman is an idiot! seriously.

Have a great weekend everybody! Count your blessings and be corny and love your family! They won't be here forever, and you will definately wish you had spent more time with them. (cliche I know!)

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

I started on my Christmas decorating way too early this year, but I love the holidays and can't wait. Plus, my family is coming to visit the weekend of Thanksgiving (for the Egg Bowl) and we will do a dual Thanksgiving/Christmas celebration than. This will be Me and Roger's second Christmas together so we are establishing our traditions. Last year when I put a tree he was astonished. Turns out, he had never had a tree in his house during his adult life. I just can't imagine the holiday season without christmas music, the smell of cinnamon, and a tree. Last year was tough with it being the first without my mom. However, it was a year of new traditions and new people, and it was good. I am definately going to miss her, but I am going to make the most of the holiday season!

I put lights up on the house and the deck. In my opinions, they look great! I am especially proud of my door decorations! I also (as a joke) decorated the bow target with lights, a red nose, and a big red bow! He is pretty awesome and redneck!! I haven't put the tree up inside yet, I figure the kittens will destroy it so I better wait until closer to Christmas! Now, if it will just get cold and stay cold I will be in the spirit for sure! I got some new tunes on my ipod (including Alvin and The Chipmunks Christmas Song) and have been jamming while I drive, clean, etc. So, get in the spirit guys! The holiday season is a great time to count your blessings, love your family, and just generally be happy!! God is good, and it is a great time to remember that!

This weekend has been a semi lazy one. Roger has gotten into woodworking....yes like building furniture. I am really not sure where this hobby has come from, but he has gotten fairly serious about it. He spends most of his free time out in the shop....the wood shop that is. He and Jay spent several hard core afternoons building a small shop for Roger to do his woodworking in. This hobby pushed him over the space available in his original shop. I have actually been impressed with his progress. He has learned a lot from books and online, and talked to people who are experienced. His dad also showed him a thing or two a few weeks ago when he came to visit. His latest project is a big entertainment center for our living room. I am excited! The one I picked out from pottery barn was $2500 which is way over our budget!

This semester is coming to a close...just a few more weeks. I am extremely ready for a break. The month of December is going to provide a much needed breather for me. Going back to school at this stage in my life has been difficult. There have been several times that I have really just wanted to throw my hands up and get a PR job. Rog has been encouraging throughout.

Jay has been staying with us this semester. I am really proud of him as he is building a healthy life for himself. He is working for Headley Paint with Jonathan Headley which has been an incredible blessing. The timing for that job was an absolute God send. God has been really good to me and my family this year! I am very grateful!

The wedding planning is coming along slowely and surely. I did finally go dress shopping and ordered my dress. It is so beautiful and I am very excited! I probably tried on five dresses, but knew that it was the one!! We only went to one store!! I have the church, reception place, caterer, cake, lodging, and my dress in place. We are down to the shirts and ties for the guys, bridesmaids dresses, flowers, decorations, and all of other little needed accesssories. My sisters will be my bridesmaids. My nieces will be honorary bridesmaids. Roger's brothers will be his groomsman. Jay will give me away. And, I have asked Mackenzie to be my flower girl. Zeus may be the ring bearer....lol...not sure how to pull that one off!! I am having a small family wedding in Arkansas. I am excited to spend my special day with my closest family and friends. Planning the wedding without my mama is certainly sad, and knowing that Gary won't be there to walk me down the aisle is sad. However, I know that they would be happy and proud of who I have become and how my life is going. I am grateful to have my sisters and brother there to support me! Life is just so good right now!

My birthday is coming up, and I am hoping Jay will babysit Zeus and me and Rog can go to Memphis or Nashville for the weekend. I had hoped something would be playing at the Orpheum, but there isn't that weekend. Harold and The Purple Crayon is going to be at the Orpheum in January! So excited!! I am hoping to talk Rog into a weekend trip. I just love children's books! Children's literature is my absolute passion! We are going to see "Where The Wild Things Are" tonight at the movie. I have an open mind, because I have heard mixed reviews about it!