Merry SITSmas!

Since today is "Merry SITSmas," I am taking this opportunity to say, "You Rock!" to all the other SISTas out there and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!!!

(future SITStas, my daughter and neice)

I also want to share some thoughts on Chrsitmas with you.

Normally I'm one of those people who CAN NOT believe that trees and decorations are in the stores before November. I wonder who in the world decided it was a good idea to start playing 24 hour Chrismas music on the radio before Thanksgiving. I'm mad at the media for talking about Christmas sales being down when most people haven't even put together their shopping list yet. I'm not being a scrooge. It's just too much, too soon, I think.

But this year, I'm looking at it a little differently. If we can have an excuse to be with friends and family and little more and share in the Christmas spirit a little longer, then that can't be a bad thing, right?

It's barely December and we've already gone to see light displays, twice! The Angel Tree tags at church were all taken in one week. I have a list of holiday happenings in the area that we could go to together on almost any given day. Instead of excahnging gifts this year, a friend and I decided to have a "sleep-over" instead. Steve has taken a week off of work not to travel, but just be with us. I have a hard time buying gifts for some people because they already have everyhting they want or need.

We really are blessed. We have each and every day to spend with our families and know that we are loved. (cue The Carpenters)
Now get out there and buy me a present!

Talk Turkey

It's been another busy week. I'm not bragging, it's just that this is usually how my time goes when I am not working. The summers fly by, we're busy going here, there and doing all kinds of things. School starts up and I wonder how I ever had time for a job? This past week I was off and we were out of town like 5 days. Then there was Thanksgiving.
It was a great day of food and family spent at my Grandma's. I made Paula Deen's Pumpkin Trifle. It was pretty good, but I'm not a big pumpkin fan so there is a pile of it still in the fridge. Steve actually cooked a turkey. He wanted an ole' fashioned turkey like back home (that means stuffed with Stove Top) so he decided to do his own. It was fine, but he can have that nasty stuffing.

And we shopped yesterday - on Black Friday. Savannah stayed with mama and Steve and I got up at 4:00 a.m. to hit the stores! We didn't get any super-fabulous deals, but it was still some good shopping and we were home again and it bed by about 9:00 a.m. Whew!
I hope everyone else had a great holiday.

Week in Review

We've been busy lately and that's why I haven't had a chance to post, but I have pictures so that makes up for it, right? So here's why I've been missing lately:
-Thursday: Big fight with the hubby. I considered signing up for "Wife Swap."
-Friday: Wet, cold and nasty out, but I managed to go get a haircut and run some errands.
-Saturday: No, my dears, I didn't mean "blue" as in baby, furniture or paint. I mean the blue Wiggle: Anthony! We went to see the Wiggles last weekend. It beats the heck out of Dora and besides, my friend won tickets, so we went for free! It was a cute show and the girls had fun.

What I want to know is what did this guy do to deserve being drug to the Wiggles? Is his collar "popped" because he's that cool or is it to hide from anyone he might run into there?
-Sunday: church and then lunch at Grandma's. Steve left that afternoon for Boston for a few days.

-Monday thru Thursday: work as usual. Had to suspend one kid. Had to kick out another one.

-Wednesday: USC vs. Clemson ladies basketball game. I soooo did not want to go but it ended up being an OK time. Clemson won (yeah!) and Savannah loved seeing Cocky and the other mascots. Cocky even picked her up and danced with her for a second.

-Friday: went out with my pal Jenn to see a band play. Actually, it was the lead singer of our fav-o-rite band who are no more (sniff). We had a great time, but stayed out too late! Dang, I'm getting old.

-Saturday: left to visit friends and hit a sale! Quoizel had a close out sale and we scored a stained glass panel ($50), a hanging light fixture ($50), some under the cabinet lighting, and 2 towel bars. I've seen similar panels for around $150 and similar fixtures for around $230. Score!

We also went to see some Christmas lights. It was a drive-though event, but you could get out and roast marshmallows, see some artwork and a giant Christmas sand sculpture. Here are the little girls...

and the big girls...BFFs!
-Sunday (today): We went to church, ate lunch out, then headed home. Tonight there was a community Thanksgiving service and a reception afterwards.

Whew! I think that covers it. Oh, some of you have asked about the house. It is coming along quite nicely- despite the fact that someone stole 30 buckets of sheet rock mud!! Anyway, they started to brick up the house this week (view from the back yard).

Sheet rock is up and finished also. I'm not sure what's next but probably cabinets and/or paint. We're also ordering appliances. I haven't heard otherwise, so move in date is still planned for sometime around February. We'll see...

Well, that is all for now. Let me see if I can go catch up with some of you people and your blogs!

M.I.A.

I know I've been a little M.I.A. lately. I'm alright. Just kinda busy. I'll post an update soon. Here's a hint: I like the blue one best.
Hope everyone is staying warm!

To Blog or Not to Blog

...that is the question.
When I first started this blog, almost exactly 1 year ago, my intent was to let off some steam and share some of my mommy stories. I quickly found out that I couldn't be completely honest with my rants. REAL people read this occasionally, some of whom I know in person. I didn't want to come off as a total psycho who couldn't stand her husband and disliked being a mom. But let's face it, being a wife and mother is hard and sometimes those thoughts occur and you have to let them out. I don't communicate well, and sometimes writing it all out makes me feel better.
It's not that I'm afraid to put the "real" me out there, it's that I got a lot of personall sh*t going on sometimes and I don't particularly want everybody and their mama to read about it. While I would perhaps appreciate the input of an impartial stranger, I don't need the mailman to offer his two cents. Or Aunt Susie or my sister-in-law... So I sorta tried being funny and sharing silly anecdotes, like "Blueberry Hell" and "Southern Nectar." I've had some good ones, I think, but even then, sometimes I don't get any response. nothing. nada. It's not that I'm in this for the love, fortune or fame. I have no interest in BlogHer, stats or followers. I'm not an aspiring writer- been there, done that- Okay, maybe writing for a small daily newspaper doesn't REALLY count, but technically I've been published more times that I was ever interesting in.
I do love some comments though, as we all do, so I joined SITS - just a way to get and encourage comments. It's been good and I've come across some fabulous ladies out there, but sometimes it's overwhelming. SO many bloggers and roll calls, SO little time. And even that doesn't bring out the "lurkers,"- yeah, YOU!
But like I said, I've enjoyed "meeting" lots of you and my blog roll has expanded lately. Even my husband started his own dorky blog. I guess now that he reads mine he figured he would get in on the action, too. I don't know. If you happen to check it out, notice his use of theorems and geek-talk. Seriousley, we watch "The Big Bang Theory" and he knows what Sheldon is talking about!
So now I'm kinda wondering, "Why am I doing this?" If I feel like I need to censor myself, knowing that nobody may ever read it, but then again, maybe suddenly lots of people will read it....I don't know. I do know that I enjoy other blogs I can relate to. Everyone wants to feel validated and like they aren't alone. I guess, if I can share my ramblings with people who get something out of it- whether it's a chuckle or a "me, too!"- then that's why I'm here. To make those small connections with people. Uber cheesy? I know, this post sorta went all over the place, but I've found that it's better if I don't over-edit.
So, anyway. It's been a hell of a week and I'm ending with scripture:
"If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the spirit, any compassion and sympathy, make my joy complete..." -Philippians 2:1-2

YAGBTS

Wondering waht YAGBTS means? Go here.

So we were at the flea market Saturday...I know what you're thinking, "What the hell were ya'll doing there?"

1. We love a good bargain: n. something you don't need at a price you can't resist.

2. We like antiques and old things (a.k.a. junk)

3. The entertaiment value is unbelievable! We saw culture (half of the market were hispanics selling produce or Spanish music), wildlife (dogs and chickens), history ("they haven't made this kind of glass since the factory shut down during the depression.") and art ("yes, ma'm I hand-painted those roses on the T-shirts"). But we had never seen what we happened upon next.

+ =

a fun ride for the kiddos! Only costs a quarter! No sh*t! They had empty plastic bottles taped to the horse with packing tape. You're supposed to put a quarter in the bottle and then enjoy the ride. I am not kidding. Kinda gives new meaning to the term "quarterhorse."

Gorgeous, gorgeous!

I didn't have the time or patience to upload umpteen thousand gorgeous pics from this weekend so I just chose 3 favorites. We did a little tail-gateing Saturday morning and then we were off to the mountains. My parents have a place about 2 hours away for here and that's where we headed. It was so beautiful! The leaves were just amazing! And how about this view!?! That afternoon Savannah, mama and I took a walk down the road and collected leaves. Savannah thought each leaf was gorgeous and derserved to be chosen.

After a big breakfast Sunday, we decided to go....pick apples? no...hike in the woods? nope... go canoeing? unh-uh...pan for gold? not this time. We decided to go to the flea market! Which leads me to my next post...

Overheard at the White House...

You know how sometimes you think, "Man, I wish I could be a fly on the wall..." well, how would you like to be a fly on the wall tomorrow...in the Oval Office...when Obama goes to meet with Bush about the take-over transition. It might go a little something like this:

White House aid: Mr. President, meet Mr. Obama. Mr. Obama, President Bush.
Obama: Mr. President, it is an honor to meet you.
Bush: Hey, Mr. Osama, I mean Obama. Hee, hee, Just kiddin! Well, how do you like the place so far?
O: It's nice, but I'm thinking about changing the name. The WHITE House just doesn't have the right ring to it.
B: Well, I guess I see what you mean. Heck, even that store the girls like to shop at, "The White House" added "Black Market" to their name.
O: Uh, I'm staying away from anything that has do to with "markets" for a little while...
B: Alrighty then, let me show you around in here. You'll definitely be glad to know we had a doggie door installed for Barney. That'll come in handy for the girls' new puppy.
O: Yeah, I should have kept my mouth shut on that campaign promise. That's all I hear at home now is when are we getting a dog?!?
B: Yeah, just you wait until those girls get a little older...asking to stay out late...skip the family gatherings at Camp David...anyway, you'll need these, too.
O: What's that?
B: Poopie bags. You aren't the only one doing your duty around here, if you know what I mean...
O: Oh. Thanks.
B: Over here's the Official Commander in Chief desk. Top drawer: pencils, pens, erasers, Tic Tacs and White Out. Second drawer: The Bible. You'll be needing that since the Rev. Billy Graham is retiring from advising the President anymore.
O: That's OK. I've got Oprah.
B: Yeah, OK then... and the Third drawer: left over cigars from Clinton, but I wouldn't smoke them if I were you.
O: Noted...
B: Now, lemme show you the phone. Dial x10 for the kitchen. Cook can make some mean chimichangas! Extension 11 is for the press secretary, x 12 is for them to bring the car around, x 13 is the Lincoln bedroom... x19 is for the special branch of the secret service -
O: Like in case something happens in the Oval Office?
B: No, for when Jenna and Barbara are up to no good, you can get some of the fellas to follow them around town and keep them out of the news. Trust me, Malia and Sasha may be cute now, but give them a few years and they'll be raisin' some hell!
O: Oh, I hadn't thought about that.
B: And whatever you do, don't push this red button.
O: Is that the button to start WWIII?
B: Nope, it's for the trap door under the desk to dump the interns. Clinton had that one installed when he was in office. I got a nasty bruise on my chin one time when I hit it accidentally.
O: I don't plan on needing that one, but you never know. Whoopi Goldberg called me, "sexy" on The View.
B: I see....No, they moved the "annihilate" button to the Oval bathroom - you know- where REAL work gets done. Heh, heh. Actually, Uncle Ronnie was so worried about one of them Commies coming to get him in the 80's, he had The Clapper installed which releases tiny poison darts aimed at the doorway when activated. All you gotta do is clap twice.
O: Good to know.
B: Oh, I have a gift for your lovely wife, Michelle. Laura and I noticed she likes to wear pearls so we thought she might like these. They were my mom's, but since dad left office she doesn't dress up too much anymore. To tell the truth, she just lays around the house in a Baby Phat athletic suit most of the day watching the Food Network.
O: Oh, that was very thoughtful. Thank you.
B: Well, I guess that's about -
(Over the phone): Mr. President, we have a Code C-18.
B: Aww, Sh*t!
O: What does that mean?
B: That's the code for -
(entering the room): Hi boys!
B&O: Hillary?!?
Hillary: I just thought I would stop by to offer my services, to see if there was anything I could do to help this transition go a little more smoothly...
(Bush and Obama exchange glances)
CLAP! CLAP!

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

"...a beautiful day for a neighbor, would you be mine, could you be mine?"

Mr. Rogers aside, it really is a gorgeous day here today! Sunny, warm and the trees are in their peak color! Then "why", you may be asking am I sitting inside at the computer? Steve is napping and Savannah is occupied with ye princess dress up clothes at the moment. Besides, we got out this morning and soaked it all in. Savannah and I took some beautiful pictures. First, we hit the town park, then we went to my dad's pond.

This is my current desktop background. Gorgeous!

God has quite the paintbrush:

We had the playground to ourselves!

Would you look at those eyelashes!

Savannah and Buford:

The pond where the goats and donkeys live:

The critters:

Not my dad's pond, but one that is down the road from us:

We are supposed to go to the mountains tomorrow so I may have some more pics later. Enjoy your weekend!

Rock the Boat!

We voted today, despite the lines, yucky weather and taking Savannah along. She kept saying, " Can I take dis on the boat?" "Yay, we're goin' on a boat ride!" and then I figured it out. We told her we were going to VOTE, but she heard BOAT. Yes, that may have been more fun, but not today, boo.

It wasn't too bad. We stood in line for an hour and 45 minutes. Savannah behaved pretty well. She socialized with the other kids there and even entertained everyone with a brief dance performance. That's my girl!

On a separate note...We had a girls shopping trip the other day with our friends Amy and Harper. After almost 4 hours, the girls had been pretty good, but they were reaching their limit. Our last stop was Ross' shoe department. Amy was on the hunt for the mate to a boot and I was keeping an eye on the girls. They found themselves a half-empty shelf and proceeded to sit down and pout. They made up a little song, something like, "This store is no fun, there's nothing to do," And of course I had my camera...
How stinkin' cute are they?!?

Halloween low-down

We had a pretty good Halloween, which included plenty of treats, chills and frights: treats - the humongous pile of candy Savannah racked up; chills - the fever induced kind from some of us being sick over the weekend; frights- me being scared that Savannah or I will be sick next!
Our church had their Halloween party Wednesday, which was good because we weren't so hurried last night. My whole family was there and we had fun "trick or treating" and playing games.
Friday, Steve wasn't feeling too good so he stayed home while me and Savannah made the rounds. We made a few stops to see some family and then we went to our friends' church festival. There were so many people there! They had games, a super slide, a bouncy house, food, fireworks, trunk or treat, and a DJ. But what did my little ladybug tell me? "I just wanna swide (I just want to slide)." The girl knows what she likes!
Afterwards, we stopped to get a sandwich and then we were home by 9:00.
Tonight, we were supposed to have a birthday dinner for my brother at my parents' house, but my dad was really sick last night and mama's sniffles haven't gotten any better. So, we are postponing that until maybe tomorrow.
Anyway, here are a few pics from the festivities...

Savannah's "scary" face

Posing on the porch.


Playing the "Go Fish" game at church

My niece, Grace as "Gabriella" from High School Musical (the wig was a trip!), my niece Madeline as a spider and my Savannah as a ladybug

Riding the "train" with our friend Harper as Fern from "Charlotte's Web"