The Weather Outside is FRIGHTFUL and other new going ons!

The newest thing going on around here is the weather! We had a white Christmas (apparently the first since 1975!) and with the new year single digit temperatures! It hasn’t been this cold since I moved here seven years ago!! After Christmas I always think “Ok, Christmas is over now it’s time to warm up!” This hasn’t happened yet…darn.

I feel like I’m back in Utah! Last winter we were lucky to have freezing temps one or two days! Everyone in my area has been complaining with their facebook status’s and my personal favorite was from my friend Kim who noted that it was so cold that she had to defrost her hot flashes!

Thursday, school was cancelled due to the threat of snow…we didn’t get any! But the kids had a snow day anyway! Arkansans just are woosies when the weather dips below 60 degrees…and I’m right there along with them!! I just don’t like winter…even on Christmas!

I’m also happy to announce that the Princess got a job! I’m so excited that she gets to experience the hard work along with a paycheck…a little one. When she got it, she said “All that work for eighty bucks?!”

That was my cue! I jumped in with both feet! : “All the more reason to make sure you go to college and get a really good job, my love!”

All I got was the teenage eye roll! But at least I got to add my two cents!

My Hero and I are still trying to eat right, exercising has gone south with the birds, but we will get right back to it as soon as the sun thaws this place out!

So, Happy New Year ya’ll! May it be prosperous and healthy for all of you!

Some Things I Learned from a Snowman

It's okay if you are a little bottom heavy.
Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.
Winter is the best of the four seasons.
It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.
Wearing white is always appropriate.
It's fun to hang out in the yard with your friends.
It's embarrassing when you can't look down and see your feet.
We're all made up mostly of water.
Avoid yellow snow at all times!
Too much sun is not good for you either.
The key to life is to be a jolly happy soul!

Ornament Magic

Some of my most magical memories are around the way my mom decorated for Christmas. The season would start by visiting the Christmas Tree lots where mom searched for the perfect tree for the perfect price. Sometimes it would take a few lots in frosty conditions, but she always picked out the most beautiful tree with the best scent. The tree would be trimmed, and set up in the house undecorated for at least 24 hours, so that it would open up fully. Mom and Grandma made most of the ornaments on her tree. Mom painted wood trains, dolls and nutcrackers and made quilted Christmas balls. Grandma and mom painted ceramic Christmas mice in moons, wreaths and candle sticks. Grandma’s string snowflakes rolled in glass snow added to the collection. Later, my sister made Christmas angels of ribbon and lace. An old pink star (had to of been bought in the 60s) donned the top of our tree each year…that was dad’s job as he was the tallest and could reach. Always colored lights and never blinking.

The mantle (on the wall, not over a fireplace) held Mr. and Mrs. Snowman, again hand made by mom, and the ceramic acrobatic snowmen dolled up in glass to sparkle like a fresh snow glitters in the sun. It was the only time she lit the silver candles. On Christmas Eve, our stockings would be hung from that mantle. All of our stockings were the same ones year after year. Mine didn’t have my name on it. It was red with the white collar and three angel stickers placed right on the white puff. Amazing that those stickers remained for eighteen years!

Mom would have me help wrap gifts that were for my sister or my dad. She would put pieces of tape along our table, she would make the cuts and folds and tell me where to place the tape.

Now, Christmas morning was the only time I was allowed to jump into bed with my sister and call out to our parents for permission to get up. Dad always had to “Check” on things before we were allowed to see.

Adding to our wonderment, the tree was always lit up revealing the treasures laid out for us. Santa only brought the big gift and filled our stockings. He didn’t wrap for added Santa effect.

One year, I went back to my room and there was a beautiful Christmas dress laid on my bed. It wasn’t there when I got up, but mom insisted that Santa must have still been in the house and left it there for me…and my sister had one on her bed too! Sneaky Santa!

Some of my favorite gifts from Santa were a family pinball machine, an Atari System, an electric child size organ, Alphie, Speak’n Spell, Moppet’s Doll House, A Cabbage Patch Kid named Ola and when I got older a rainbow comforter for my bed.

The old Christmas record played Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole and Sam Cook’s renditions of the timeless classics. They remain some of my favorites and take me back to the days when I wasn’t the Santa and didn’t have to do the shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking or making the traditions.

Magically, my mom made it to Christmas 1995. That year I decorated the tree because she was too sick to, but we listened to that old record together and had a fun conversation as I placed the sweet old handmade ornaments on the tree. That night was such a gift because the next day she wasn’t herself and didn’t even know it was Christmas.

My sister and I divided up the hand made ornaments and I have the old 1960s Pink Star. I haven’t used those ornaments in a couple of years, but I’m so glad that I have them. I used to proudly boast that every ornament on my tree was made by my grandma, mom and sister. I plan on passing them down to my daughter when she grows up and has a family of her own…and maybe add something to the collection that I make. That might take a little magic too!

Photo Tag

Here are the rules:

*Open your first photo folder.

*Scroll down to the 10th picture.

(if you dont have 10 in that one, then go to the next folder that does).

*Post that photo and the story behind that photo on your blog.
*Tag 5 friends to do the same.

This picture was on Easter 2007 when the Princess and her cousin were both just thirteen years old!

My Hero's family has a house in Ozark, AR that his grandmother's grandparents lived in. Through the years, the house has stayed in the family, most recently owned by his uncle Milton since around 1970.

This little truck has been driven by my Hero and his brothers when they were little kids! I have seen pictures of them sitting on couch cushions on top of the driver's seat! The boys were allowed to drive to the farm about 5 miles away from the house.

All the grandkids, the Princess included, has driven this little truck around the large one acre yard since they were young!

I'm so thankful for wonderful Parents!

Even being thirteen hundred miles away from my dad and heaven and earth away from my mom, they are still there for me no matter what.
I have the best step mom anyone could ask for. I've learned so much from all of them. Each one has touch my life so deeply and taught me things that are unique to them.
Mom taught me to be a mother. Dad gave me advice passed down from his father: to help others and make their jobs easier. Kim taught me to have fun and work hard.
I'm just so blessed to have them!

My Hero. My Sweetheart. My Husband.

Words cannot express how thankful I am for my wonderful husband. He treks all over with and for me, from trips to Wal-Mart to trips across the country. He cooks, he cleans, he fixes, he makes calls when I’ve had too much. He rescues me.
He’s finishing up the small touches on the bathroom project, repaired a water main break, put a new motor in the washing machine that was way too new to be worn out, worked in flower beds with me, and held my hand when my I felt like my world had ended.
At Grandpa’s funeral luncheon, my Hero sat at the little girls table and played with them.
The Princess’ sweet sixteen birthday party would have been a total flop if it weren’t for him keeping everyone entertained as Vern (his alter ego).
He didn’t freak out when we learned that if we turned on our heater we would die from carbon monoxide poisoning and made arrangements to have the whole heat and air package unit replaced.
Even though our cars are as old as the hills and we started shopping for a newer one in July, he hasn’t just bought the first one that came along. He wants to make sure that it’s something that we both want to drive.
He encourages me to go for walks and to eat less fattening foods and makes coffee for me almost every morning!
He keeps me smiling with his fun sense of humor and sometimes gives up his Sunday NASCAR race to spend time doing things that I want to do.
He is a nurturer, giver, and my best friend.
My Hero!

November means Gratitude!

I’m learning all the new ways I can be “Thankful” this year. After reading a friend’s recent blog of all the things she is thankful for, I think that I too can commit to posting some of my own gratitude throughout this month.

First and foremost, I’m deeply grateful for unanswered and answered prayers. So far, this year has been a big leap of faith. I’ve had to trust God to show me the way, listen and be patient when the answer was no. It’s hard to be understanding when you know all the way down to the pit of your stomach that an answer to a prayer is no. When a yes got sent down I had wonderful elation! Each answer is a blessing. Somehow. I’ve learned a lot about faith and for that I’m so very thankful.