It's the most wonderful time of the year...

...there'll be much mistletoeing and ...cleaning =( YUCK! Yep, the house has to be cleaned. We will have a Christmas Eve brunch plus the girls will be home so my two days without the girls this week were spent cleaning. I don't like doing it; I do all I can to avoid it; I am close to tears when I think about doing it; there's a million other things I'd rather do. So on Tuesday, before I started to deep clean the hardwood floors and mop the kitchen and bathrooms I decided to put in the movie Elf instead of turn on the iPod. It took me the entire movie to get it all done (I can usually do it in under an hour- it becomes a race to see how fast I can finish most of the time!) but I stopped and laughed a lot. Now that is a first. So today I had to clean the bathrooms, so in went Christmas Vacation. I couldn't watch as much since I don't have a TV in the bathroom but I did turn the TV way up so I could hear it and boy did I laugh. A good friend of mine (we've known each other a few years but just became close this past year), I am learning has the entire Christmas Vacation movie memorized. In emails or texts, she'll give me random quotes and now that the movie is fresh in my mind, so many of her emails are making a lot more sense now! So here's what I say to cleaning bathrooms and mopping floors, spoken best by Clark Griswold: "Merry Christmas, kiss my ass, kiss his ass, kiss your ass, and Happy Hanukkah!" Oh & Santa, if you're reading this- all I want for Christmas is a cleaning service and the money to pay for it.... not much ;)

Score one as a housewife!

Last night I was right on up there with June Cleaver and I am damn proud =) We received a Loveless Cafe ham & biscuits gift basket earlier this week so I decided last night we would have breakfast for dinner. OK, so the main reason it was for dinner is because I don't get up early enough to cook a full breakfast for the fam! So I made the biscuits; but of course this mom didn't have any buttermilk so I bundled up the girls and headed to Kroger's to get some because I was pretty sure milk would not be a good substitution in the southern boy's mind! I fried up the ham, some bacon, and made cheese omelets. I even got a compliment from the hubby (or at least I'm counting it as one!)... when he walked in from running, he said "oh, there is nothing better than coming home to the smell of pork!" He also loved the biscuits which I was glad for because they were a hassle to make. Being raised a northerner, our biscuits always came with a cute, pudgy dough boy on them... not mixed by hand, rolled out & cut with a mason jar. I earned my "southern momma" star last night and am displaying it proudly. Oh and I also introduced my girls to eggnog and they loved it! They also love boiled custard so they choose neither north nor south on this debate. The hubby & I decided that northerners like eggnog and southerners prefer boiled custard (at least that's how it is in this house!). We often debate if our girls are more northern or southern; given their southern drawl, they tend to favor the south more!

Side note: if anybody is in need of an Endodontist and is close to Hendersonville, I highly recommend Apex Endodontics... please use them so we can get another Loveless Cafe gift basket next year!! LOL! Oh & Endodontists are the ones that does root canals ;)

So far so great....

I am sitting here amazed as to how today has gone. I got up 30 minutes late but we were all ready to leave on time, which is rare even when I get up on time! Of course it did help that it was raining so I didn't have to put much effort into my hair! I got the girls off to school, came home and wrapped hubby's gifts all while chatting with my aunt and one of my best friends! Then it was off to get gas, Hallmark for a birthday gift, and then lunch with a good friend to catch up on life and our girls. Almost 2 hours later we parted ways (funny how it didn't seem that long to us!) and I ran to the bank to ask once more why I was charged a monthly fee on my account. Then off to pick up Bug and we had to go back up to Hallmark because the credit card machine was down when I was there and couldn't actually make my purchase and stopped back by the house so I could potty and Bug could eat some yogurt and off to pick up Peanut. After the girls got home and got to open the door and get a piece of candy from the advent calendar, they were ready for a nap. So I retreated upstairs to get a jump start on the office's payroll for Friday. Now here I am, all caught up and really excited! Tonight I have a Christmas party to attend and daddy is taking the girls to Wal-Mart. The great thing is, I don't have any plans on Thursday while the girls are in school so I'm not sure what I'll do! I know what I need to do (work out!) and that's what I will plan to do. Knowing me, if somebody asks me to do something else, I'll jump at it just to get out of working out!

My friend I had lunch with today, just quit "corporate America" to join us "at home Mom's" and she was asking my thoughts on it and advice. Her girls last day of day care is today so she said she "officially" begins tomorrow even though she hasn't worked in a week. I didn't have much advice for her... mostly because I'm not even sure what the hell I'm doing most of the time! She also asked what we did all day and I drew a blank. I couldn't tell her a thing! As for a daily schedule, we eat breakfast, do some stuff, eat lunch, nap, get up & have a snack, d some more stuff (usually they play their DS or watch tv while I make dinner, just to be completely honest)eat dinner, and then get ready for bed. I feel like all I'm doing with my girls is feeding them (now don't go freaking out on me, I only feed on demand- I'm not encouraging food issues for my daughters! It's just that my girls like to eat a lot but you can't tell from looking at them). We also don't do certain things every day & I am NOT the mom who feels I have to entertain my girls non-stop. My thought is "that's why I had a second child so they could entertain each other!" I have since learned that fighting is an acceptable form of entertainment in their book (as is the game "annoying the crap out of your sister"!). Wait, we did have a craft day last week! They made ornaments for their family... well, let me clarify that- I had to cut out the hand prints & assemble the ornaments and insert the picture and they put stickers on them. Turns out that craft was not as much fun as I imagined!!! Next Monday is baking day. Fingers crossed that it is a little more fun =)

Sunday School Lesson

Yesterday I taught our Sunday School lesson (our class is named Serenity Now! And yes, it is after the Seinfeld episode & very fitting for our class of 30-40 somethings, mostly parents). We were doing the book Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. For any of you that don't know Rob Bell, he's a contemporary Christian preacher that questions the church and it's traditions and isn't afraid to question what we have been taught about the bible. Check out www.robbell.com for more info & go buy the book... it's going to make you think outside of your box and get you yearning to learn more and live better. I taught the final chapter, titled "Good." I had my lesson all mapped out. I felt that chapter was a little scatter brained and jumped around a bunch but I did my best to get an outline. I taught once before and learned that you don't have to have it completely written out because if you ask the right question, you can get answers that steer you in a different direction than you thought you could go. I was talking about the chapter and how God said everything he made was good; not perfect, not complete... just good. Throughout the book, you have gone in so many directions and been forced to think of things you never even considered to question (i.e. there is no actual place as heaven nor will you "go" to it; it will come to us when it's our time; that's God's plan). So as I'm talking about Jesus' love and how he showed it to people that society felt wasn't fit to hear the words of the rabbi, it just starts coming to me. I had an "aha" moment about what the theme of this book was and the Holy Spirit gave me the words... I didn't plan one bit for it and I was so overwhelmed by the feelings that I had, I was fighting tears as I was talking & completely choked up. Here's what I said (as best as I can remember it)

What I really think the whole point to Velvet Elvis is and what Rob Bell is trying to teach us is that it is our job to go out there and tell others of Jesus' love. Not only tell them, but show them. No matter how big or small your words or actions are, Jesus' love can be conveyed. Not all of us feel comfortable talking to others about that and that's OK, so bring that person to church and let Don [our preacher] do the talking. That also means that you don't have to fit into some cookie cutter mold of what the church thinks is right. Y'all know me and know I've never fit into a mold & I'm not sure I could even make one that I would fit into myself... but that's OK! We hear so much about what we should do and what we shouldn't do to be "good Christians" but the only One who can judge that is God. So if I choose to do something the church "frowns upon" that's OK, as long as I am showing God's love. That's my job as a child of God: go out there and show people how amazing Jesus is. You don't always have to approve of my methods or choices, but it's not up to you to judge me. If you are out there showing God's love and talking about it, that's what counts. Who cares if you are doing it with a bottle in your hand or at a place the church would frown upon?!?! I've learned, as I've aged, that as long as I'm right with God- that's all that matters. I've made my choices on how I want to live my life and I'm OK with not fitting into the mold, but I know God loves me and in turn, I'm showing others that. It doesn't mean I don't sin nor does it mean I'm making the choice God intended for me to make, but Him and I are working together and as long as my intentions are to glorify Him, He will continue to help me. I can't worry about what some institution tells me about my choices because at the moment that eternity begins for me, it's just going to be me & God. If that moment were to come today, I know where I stand... even if I do it with a bottle in my hand. So I encourage all of you to go out there and show everybody Jesus' love... be it a small act of kindness, a smile, or something as big as having our Sunday School class adopt a family for Christmas. It's easy to show God's love. Um, can somebody please close us in prayer because I barely finished this without completely losing it and there's no way I will make it through the prayer too?!?!

It's easy to show God's love this time of year as we prepare for the coming of Our Savior. The real test will be if you are still showing God's love in January when the rush from the holidays has ended and all the decorations are put away and life has returned to a sort of "normalcy"??? It's not hard, I promise. Just don't do it to make yourself feel better, do it to please God (which is SO not hard to do, thankfully)!!! Thank you God for your unconditional and unwavering love and for giving us Jesus so we could also have your grace.

Funny story...

...yesterday. I didn't have time to jot this down yesterday but it's one that I have to share! The girls got some money from their GG yesterday and I want to put it in their 529 account. Sweet hubby wanted to put it in one of our envelopes (we do the Dave Ramsey budget & envelope system) since we already bought all of their gifts. My comment was "at the rate we're saving, we won't even be able to afford a semester at Vol State without getting a loan!" Hubby's reply?!? "Oh, don't worry... I'm sure they will live with us forever so we really don't have to worry about college then!" He then turned to Sweet P, our 3 y/o, and asked her "do you want to live with Momma and daddy forever?!?!" She gave an adamant "NO!" and when asked why she replied, "because I don't want to!" So I thought, she's 3- she doesn't get what we mean and explained that it meant she would go live somewhere else, without momma and daddy and by herself. She looked at me like I was an alien with 3 eyes and said, "I know." Ok- #2 does NOT want to remain at home.

...but what does #1 think??? As Bug and I were driving home from a birthday party I posed the same question to her... and she starts to cry!! She says if she moves, she wants her family to live with her. I told her Sweet P said she didn't want to live with us forever but Bug asked "but can I still live with you forever." I told her we will get old and need somebody to take care of us someday like we take care of her now and asked if she would do that. Her answer: "of course I will." I comforted her tears and when we got out of the truck gave her a big hug and told her she could live with me forever. I retold the story to Daddy and he asked her the same question- do you want to live with us forever. She was fighting the tears and said, "Momma said I could" and Daddy's reply was "and so do I" as he picked her up to hug her.

One more reminder at how different our two girls are and will forever be! By the way, I will eventually force Bug to move out and will eventually call Sweet P begging her to come home... that's just the way a Momma works =) Maybe I can just convince Bug to go & live with Sweet P so at least Bug isn't without all of her family?!?! Hmmm....

Here goes nothing...

..so I blogged about my weight loss journey and it really helped me succeed at losing the weight and keeping it off for the past year. I have a blog that I attempt to keep up to date for out of town friends and family. But what about me?!?! I'm a stay-at-home mom and most days, I suck at it. I decided to start a blog for myself... share my joys, vent my frustrations, voice my fears, get my thoughts out there... and maybe share with my girls one day (maybe). Here's a little about me... I've got 2 daughters- "Sweet P" will be 3 next week and "Bug" will be 5 next month- who are as smart as they come (not sure how!) but they are mini-me's... they love to push the limits (and my buttons). I've been married for 8.5 years but I still haven't gotten this wife thing figured out (still holding out hope!). I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to run this house and it's pretty clear that I'm not doing the best job at it, but nobody seems to mind as much as I do. I have a tendency to focus on the insignificant; I can't just let the little things that don't go right roll off my back; I feel if I stood in the middle of the street and screamed, nobody would notice (unless my youngest was pooping at the time and needed her butt wiped!); I would fight to my death to protect my girls and husband; oh & I love Jesus... a lot- and spend 99% of my time asking God to forgive me once more, or to pick me up, or just carry me this time, or thanking Him for loving me even though I really don't deserve it.