So...I guess this is it...the last day of 2010. I've spent it with my husband & my sweet girl. No where else I'd rather be. I've been a little melancholy the last two days. I've shed some tears. Usually when I'm alone listening to music, and once during a run. Kinda pathetic, huh? I think I'm PMS-ing. It's always a little sad when the holidays come to a screeching halt & the reality of life hits you in the face. There isn't any "oh, it's the holidays" excuse anymore for eating oreos at night, for lounging in your pjs all day, for taking two naps in one day, or for purchasing yourself a little gift when you were supposed to be Christmas shopping. Jimmy's one week vacation will be over and I'll be off for a few days and will be really feeling it. I also haven't been able to go to church in almost 3 Sundays due to work and snow. That makes things worse. Sigh....
2010 was filled with blessings...my sweet husband became a Deacon, we have both grown in our walks with the Lord, we have each gotten really involved with weekly Bible studies, I took a really hard test and became a certified OB nurse, he got a quasi-promotion to quality manager over at&t engineering. W has blossomed into a sweet chick with a big imagination, the gift of humor, and a potty-er....not to mention a little bit of a diva who actually had a wardrobe change during opening gifts Christmas morning. Ooh...those teenage years are gonna kill us! I have helped welcome some extra special babies into the world this year of some extra special friends. That remains amazing! My Mom has been sick a lot this year...it makes me sad, but I know that it could be a million times worse and I just thank God for his mercy. I miss my parents a lot. I never got to go to my hometown during the Holidays. I always had to work and never got a long enough stretch to work it out. Maybe that's making me a little extra melancholy. Mom and Dad...do y'all wanna come spend some time with me? We went on a super, duper fun beach trip for a WHOLE WEEK in September!!! I think that was the highlight of my 2010. We were together - we were relaxed - the place we stayed was unbelievable. It was crazy fun! Hope for a repeat in 2011....
I'm not a big New Year's Resolution maker...although, I made one in 2010 and I surpassed it by a whole lot. It was to run a 5k ;) Boo-ya! That makes me smile! I may make a resolution or two, but I'd never ever ever make it public. Seriously...don't y'all readers know me well enough to know that I'm not gonna air my failures publicly? Not when it comes to something that I was really setting my heart out to do! I know that 2011 is already starting out with some big unknowns in our family. My close friends and parents are probably sick of me talking about it - and it's definitely not for airing out in a blog, although if you asked me, I'd totally tell you. On my run this morning, I gave it to God (for the 437th time) and am praying for faith and full reliance that He will meet our needs and He will put us where we belong and that I can let go of the things of the world. Cryptic enough for ya? For full clarity, as to not start rumors: we are fine and I'm not pregnant, nor are we trying to have any more children, nor are either one of us leaving our jobs. There ya go...just puttin' it out there. I know how people talk! So, I kinda want to ignore 2011. Kidding. Sorta. I hate the unknown when it pertains to my life! Plans rock. I do good with a plan. 2011 is gonna be alright. Yeah, it is.
Whew. Are you melancholy, too? Probably so after reading this. That said...I'm thankful for each and everyone that reads this blog. You're why I write - and because it's cathartic. I'm gonna snuggle up with my kindle, watch a little football, and attempt to see in 2011. Yeah, right - we all know I won't make it! Happy New Year!
P.S. I didn't ignore a Christmas post - well...yeah, I guess I did...but, how 'bout that White Christmas!?!? Shocker!!! That's what happens when you are so stinkin' busy that you don't watch the news/weather for over a week....you have NO idea it's even a possibility! ;) Coolness. Global Warming, Smobal Smorming. Whatever.
12.31.2010
12.21.2010
top things that I learned while baking today
I'm not good in the kitchen. This isn't a surprise to many of you, I'm sure. Especially my bffs, my parents, my husband...okay, not a surprise to anyone. That said, I kinda like baking. It's alot like a chemistry experiment - you know, you throw a bunch of stuff together and add some heat (or cold, or room temp), and poof, something happens. The "something" is the variable for me! Ha ha. You never quite know what you're gonna get. We've established that I'm not a big fan of the unknown (unless I'm running a new path), so I just decide to sit, soak, and sour and not cook. But, Christmas brings out the big heartedness and the frogginess in me, so here I am...baking. I love lists...so, here are some quick things that I learned today:
1. If your three year old drives you nuts to help and you expect him/her to stay with you and help the whole time you are baking...it's not gonna happen. A couple of things will get poured & then it's on to the next big thing.
2. Dora candy canes and Dora applesauce are more exciting than any cookies that you are making (unless they are chocolate chip).
3. Never underestimate the difficulty in making "little doodoo" cookies. No bake doesn't equal easy.
4. Cooking is an art. I'm pretty dang artsy. I sing, paint, and draw. I'm pretty animated and can write (according to some)...this said, I can't cook. Artistic abilities do not always cross over to other artistic genres.
5. Dirty dishes are the bane to my existence. I know that y'all are gonna laugh (especially because of my profession), but I hate to get my hands dirty. I feel a lump of vomit in my throat and get really gaggy when I have to dip my hands into the dirty water where the dirty dishes are. It disgusts me beyond belief to feel the food particles touching my hands.
6. The clean up is never really over. I always find some little place where there is a random bit of dough, oatmeal, confectioners sugar, or milk still to be seen.
7. I hate it with a passion, but I'm gonna have to say it (well, write it)...lowfat ingredients make your baking results gross. Yeah, there it is. Go big or go home.
8. How many ways are there to do milk? Vitamin D, chocolate, strawberry, fat free, 1%, 2%, buttermilk, sweet acidophilus, sweetened condensed milk (fat free, lowfat, and regular), evaporated milk (powdered or liquid), soy, soy chocolate, soy lowfat, etc. Wow. Here's hoping that you don't choose the wrong one...it can mess up your baking, too!
9. Speaking of sweetened condensed milk (which I don't think that I had truly ever seen with my own eyes until this past weekend) - it is crazy thick, crazy sticky, and is the color of colostrum.
10. I get a little anxiety when thinking of people actually eating the stuff that I'm giving to them! I love giving it - because if I'm giving it, I think I've done an okay job and that it's gonna be yummy - but I totally picture the recipients giggling loudly with their families about the disgustingness of the food and making a big show of throwing it out - and the neighborhood dogs shunning it as well, and then I actually have to look the people in the face again, all while thinking that they enjoyed my treats.
So...if you are one of the lucky recipients of some of my baking ventures this Christmas, I wish you well. Know that they are from the heart and if you and your family got a hoot out of the grossness and your dog covered his eyes with his paws when you tried to give him a peanut butter bon bon...you can tell me - and we will laugh about it, together!
Merry Christmas...and a shout out to those Martha Stewart bakers out there...I'm a hater, in the best sense of the word! AND, if you want to give me several free home-ec lessons in 2011, I'll take 'em...(ahem, Jenny and Kristi W.).
1. If your three year old drives you nuts to help and you expect him/her to stay with you and help the whole time you are baking...it's not gonna happen. A couple of things will get poured & then it's on to the next big thing.
2. Dora candy canes and Dora applesauce are more exciting than any cookies that you are making (unless they are chocolate chip).
3. Never underestimate the difficulty in making "little doodoo" cookies. No bake doesn't equal easy.
4. Cooking is an art. I'm pretty dang artsy. I sing, paint, and draw. I'm pretty animated and can write (according to some)...this said, I can't cook. Artistic abilities do not always cross over to other artistic genres.
5. Dirty dishes are the bane to my existence. I know that y'all are gonna laugh (especially because of my profession), but I hate to get my hands dirty. I feel a lump of vomit in my throat and get really gaggy when I have to dip my hands into the dirty water where the dirty dishes are. It disgusts me beyond belief to feel the food particles touching my hands.
6. The clean up is never really over. I always find some little place where there is a random bit of dough, oatmeal, confectioners sugar, or milk still to be seen.
7. I hate it with a passion, but I'm gonna have to say it (well, write it)...lowfat ingredients make your baking results gross. Yeah, there it is. Go big or go home.
8. How many ways are there to do milk? Vitamin D, chocolate, strawberry, fat free, 1%, 2%, buttermilk, sweet acidophilus, sweetened condensed milk (fat free, lowfat, and regular), evaporated milk (powdered or liquid), soy, soy chocolate, soy lowfat, etc. Wow. Here's hoping that you don't choose the wrong one...it can mess up your baking, too!
9. Speaking of sweetened condensed milk (which I don't think that I had truly ever seen with my own eyes until this past weekend) - it is crazy thick, crazy sticky, and is the color of colostrum.
10. I get a little anxiety when thinking of people actually eating the stuff that I'm giving to them! I love giving it - because if I'm giving it, I think I've done an okay job and that it's gonna be yummy - but I totally picture the recipients giggling loudly with their families about the disgustingness of the food and making a big show of throwing it out - and the neighborhood dogs shunning it as well, and then I actually have to look the people in the face again, all while thinking that they enjoyed my treats.
So...if you are one of the lucky recipients of some of my baking ventures this Christmas, I wish you well. Know that they are from the heart and if you and your family got a hoot out of the grossness and your dog covered his eyes with his paws when you tried to give him a peanut butter bon bon...you can tell me - and we will laugh about it, together!
Merry Christmas...and a shout out to those Martha Stewart bakers out there...I'm a hater, in the best sense of the word! AND, if you want to give me several free home-ec lessons in 2011, I'll take 'em...(ahem, Jenny and Kristi W.).
12.15.2010
Sabotage!
In my town, there is the most amazing little "girly food" place to eat called Clementines. The verdict is still out on the pronounciation "Clemen-teens" or "Clemen-tines"...but, it has the most fabulous lowfat chicken salad in the universe! They don't put all that crazy junk in it (like grapes and apples and nuts) and did I mention that it's lowfat?!? They also have these big ginormous crouton-ey like things that you can use to dip into your chicken salad (or pimiento cheese, or any of the other salads) that are NOT lowfat, but rock nonetheless. They have fabulous honeydew melon and canteloupe. Mmm good. They have awesome paninnis and other sandwiches, too. BUT...the best part is the cookie at the end. You HAVE to order a cookie - there are no freebies at this place. The lady at the register is a straight up Nazi. Think Seinfeld Soup Kitchen episode. When she answers the phone, there's not a cute little inflection in her voice to sound cheery or anything. She kinda acts like the world sucks...but, I don't care, because that food....those cookies! Emm. Oh...and the fruit tea will potentially put you into a diabetic coma, but it's unbelievable too. So...my point is...everytime I go there, I order a cookie. Typically, it is a chocolate chip cookie. No joke...nine times out of ten, they will forget to give me my cookie. Seriously. If I am in a group of five ladies...everyone will get their cookies EXCEPT ME. It's me, always! Some of my girls who are reading can attest to this - and it has become utter hilarity and a running joke. It doesn't matter who I am with....I am always cookie-less. Well, the Nazi doesn't believe me either when I walk up to the counter and say, "hey...y'all forgot my cookie". I usually have to show my receipt where I actually PURCHASED the cookie and I think she secretly wants me to empty my purse and quite possibly perform a full cavity search to make sure I'm not smuggling a cookie. She looks at me with the kiss of death as she passes me the coveted chocolate chip cookie...all the while, my friends are at the table snickering. Nice, huh? It's me. Always. If I'm not with my bffs when I'm there and I get cookie shafted - I have to send out the mass text message. "At Clementines - I know you won't believe it, but they forgot my cookie". Replies always include "not surprised", "ha ha ha", "are you surprised", etc. So yeah, today it occurred again. This time, Jimmy and I went to lunch together with W. Everyone ordered a cookie. I even branched out today & tried a Heath cookie (on recommendation of one of my besties, Elizabeth). We're hanging out, enjoying the day, our food comes and I see Jimmy's large, yummy chocolate chip cookie and here comes my wicker basket of food....I immediately do the scan and see my lowfat chicken salad, pimiento cheese, crouton-ey things, honeydew, canteloupe, a really odd lettuce wedge...but no cookie. No cookie! As the lady is walking off, I say "ma'am", but she continues to stride away. Jimmy says, "why didn't you tell her about your cookie". I said, "I tried, but she ran from me", so he went up to the counter and retrieved my Heath cookie. She didn't give him any lip about it. She just gave him the cookie and went on about her business. Hmm. Therefore, I think it's just me. She is making it her personal mission to make sure that I don't get one of her yummy yummy cookies! Of course, I mass text and make the announcement "At Clementines - they forgot my cookie", and get my usual replies. I'm not sure why I'm the recipient of the sabotage at Clementines. I'm a good patron, I pay for my cookies, I bring my parents from out of town, I bring my friends...what more do they want? I guess that I'm a total glutton for punishment - because I can't quit going there & ordering COOKIES!!! They are just. that. good! Or, maybe it's because I love a good laugh & it's like the joke that keeps on going....and going....and going :)
love...love...love :)
love...love...love :)
12.05.2010
Decorating the Christmas Tree
The Christmas season is upon us in full force! I'm still trying to figure out how it got here! It took me a minute to get into the spirit, but I'm easing into it. W is totally into Christmas music on the radio, we sang Christmas songs at church this morning, and I put my wreath on the door, so I might as well dive right in and put up the tree! So, that's just what we did tonight! As an aside, I was supposed to work today, but was happy as a clam to recieve a 5am call asking if I wanted to stay home! That call came at a perfect time! Yay! Thanks to my work peeps and hope that y'all didn't have to bust your booties too hard while I worshipped, napped, and played with my family!
Here's my take on decorating the Christmas tree...It's like a journey for me. A journey down memory lane. A time to remember all of the cool (and not so cool) things that have happened in the last several years. We've always had a real tree. When I was small, we were hardcore and went to a Christmas Tree Farm and cut one down with an old timey saw and drank hot chocolate. As I got older, we still always got a real one. We would load up in my Dad's old Ford truck (which was his Dad's before it was his)...I think it was a 79 model? Maybe? But, the bottom line is that it was humiliating to Junior High and High School Amy. Crap, even College Amy was humiliated. It's nickname was Popcorn - because of the noises made by the muffler as it drove. Sounded just like good ole Jiffy Pop. Nice, huh? The hood was rusty as heck too. Nicer. It had a bench seat (like most trucks of its day) and we would load up me, mom, dad, and either a friend or boyfriend and head out to get a tree. Fun stuff! The only time that I wasn't a real-tree girl was when I was in grad school, I got a little fake 5 foot tree for my apartment. Anyhoo...Jimmy and I are real-tree folks. I love the smell - it is manufactured pretty well by Bath & Body works, but I love the real tree scent nonetheless.
As I put on each ornament, I think alot. Surprise, surprise, huh? Our lights remind me of our very first Christmas as an engaged couple...I helped Jimmy buy those lights and decorate outside of his house, which became our first home when we married. We were so proud of those decorations! As I put on the snowflake ornaments and the large stars, I think of the shopping trip to Gatlinburg in late November 2002. Me, my mom, Jimmy's Mom, and his sister all went Christmas shopping and spent the night in a hotel. His Mom & my Mom gave me some money to buy ornaments to put on our very first married couple Christmas tree...and these are the ones that I bought. We have some puffy snowman faces that I bought on that trip, too. As I came across the snowman holding an American flag, dressed as a soldier, who has "God Bless America" on his tummy, I remembered why he was purchased. In a post 9/11 world, we wanted to remember our troops who were away from their families that Christmas of 2002. As I hung the silver moose, my memories flooded back to our Alaska trip in 2004. I laughed as I thought about us Alabamians decked out in Ugg boots and sweatshirts as the Alaskans trekked around in shorts because it was the "hottest summer on record"! Jimmy and I laughed so hard as we pulled out the silver engraved heart that says "Our First Christmas - The Halls - 2002". That Christmas, I searched the world over for the perfect ornament to get engraved. I planned it out and dreamed about it...and I finally got it! When I took it to Things Remembered to get engraved, I wrote down & told them EXACTLY what I wanted. When I came to pick it up, it was less than stellar. It was CROOKED!!! Stinking crooked. I tore that lady a new one...(in my Amy way, so it probably wasn't bad to anyone else). I was so mad! The lady brought it out & said "do you like it?" and I gave her a dirty look and said, "uh, no, it's crooked. I was so excited about this and it is crooked!" Jimmy ended up paying & shuffling me off, but you just can't mess with a passionate girl with OCD! Really! We talk about that story every year when we hang the ornament. We have a special ornament from our first year as parents...a snowman & snowwoman holding a new baby. We have an ornament of our first niece, T. We have an ornament from Mama Trish for W from her first Christmas. We have carved snowmen from our trip to Normandy, France. We have ornaments from friends who just thought of us as they made them or bought them. It's just a journey of our life. It's beautiful. Just like life is. Yeah, sometimes it's messy and wierd and cluttery....but, you can always look back and see where you have been - what got you to point at which you are now. Probably my most favorite "decoration" of the Christmas season is our little silver frame that says "Our First Christmas". It has a picture in it of us posing in front of our very first Christmas tree. The room is empty, except for the tree. We didn't have a dining room suit yet. We were just starting out. We look 15...even though we were 24 and 25. I love to reflect on the years that have passed. I'm enjoying sitting back now in the darkness, with nothing lighting the room but the Christmas tree, listening to a softly snoring doggy and a loudly snoring husband and feeling majorly blessed.
Maybe when you put your tree up, you can take a walk down memory lane. It's so nice to begin the season in this way...it puts you in such a frame of mind to realize your blessings and to see how God has transformed you through the years and how He has had His hand on you all along...even when you didn't know it :)
11.28.2010
Thankful
Warning - I'm pensive tonight. Don't read expecting my usual self - 'cause you're gonna get a little more raw & a little less sunshine and unicorns. I'm hoping that's one of the reasons that you love me, though. Here's what I'm thankful for right now...
So, Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was rushed this year. It just randomly appeared out of nowhere & is gone like a vapor. Little Miss Fall didn't even get out the pumpkin pie plate decoration or turn the Halloween pumpkin into a turkey like we did last year. We didn't even carve a jack-o-lantern for Halloween. My Thanksgiving consisted of working - which, honestly, isn't a big deal - I resigned myself to that fact when I became a nurse. It was a lovely hilarious day with girlies that are truly my second family. I hate how Thanksgiving is glossed over by the mainstream. It is a big deal. Family is a big deal. Broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole is a big deal. Okay, maybe not the last part, but Thanksgiving is huge. Not the day, not the date, not the month, but we should ALWAYS give thanks. Thanksgiving in general is important. Have you ever really, really just thought about the luxuries that we have. My family and I do a tiny shard of struggling, but in the scheme of things - we are crazy rich. I'm a woman who gets to work, I'm free to make money, I'm free to wear what I want, I walk around with my Bible on my iPhone. I wear a bracelet with a Bible verse on it, I meet with a group of ladies on Tuesdays and study the Bible without fear of someone coming and shooting us all. This is not everyone's reality. Sad. Basically, I am thankful that I have no worries (relatively speaking). We are blessed. It is my hope that God's hand of blessing always stays upon us - I'm not sure that it will, considering the way that our country is going - but I hope it does. I hope that I can change my mind & open my eyes to what "being blessed" really means in the eyes of God. Everywhere I go, I am faced with Bible verses or connotations reflecting the need to turn my eyes away from the things of the world. Colossians 3:2, Matthew 6: 19-34, etc. I know this is the message that God is meaning for me at this time in my life. Obedience is hard and scary, though. It's hard to buck the system of the mainstream world. Jesus was the original rebel. Seriously. He never said it would be easy...but He promised it would be worth it.
I'm thankful for running. My readers are all aware of my love/hate relationship with getting my lazy duke up and making it happen at least 3-4x/week, but it has been life changing for me. I'm very candid & open about my ridiculously long term problems with anorexia...so, I'm sure I'm not enlightening anyone to anything that new...if so, yeah, here it is. I get crazy sometimes ;) ha ha. When I'm crazy, I fall off the face of the earth for a while. My friends begin to not be able to find me easily, I hide from everyone and avoid any social activities surrounded by food - or anything else for that matter - because I know y'all all are thinking that I'm fat and ugly. It gets hard for everyone around because I get so antisocial. This used to happen quite often....and it still does, irregularly...but, since I have begun running, it's like I've been given an okay to eat. It's a whole calories in vs. calories out mentality. I can get crazy with the numbers, and I do from time to time, but as a whole, running keeps me sane. I think when I run, it decreases my anxiety, and when I run with a friend, we can talk about things we might not talk about otherwise. Sometimes when I am anxious or feel huge or stressed, I crave a run - better than craving a binge of krispy kremes. It sets me free. It "allows" me to eat lunch with my friends, to have dessert with my friends, to not be wierd-o about eating in restaurants with my husband & daughter, and it makes me not be crazy food lady in front of my baby girl. I actually consume lunch regularly. I have hated running my whole life, but I believe that God knew that I had to have some way to stay sane so I can stop the crazy disordered eating mentality and the crazy way of thinking that has perpetuated over generations in my family. I may pass on my ham hock arms and my cellulite booty, but I WILL NOT pass on the way that I think about them!!!! I CANNOT pass it on to my sweet daughter. I love that she sees me take care of myself and run for health. I tell her that "running makes Mommy feel good and it's fun". I thank God for bringing running friends into my life who have helped bring this past-time into my life and give me back a little control! ...just in case my good buddy GV is reading - I don't owe it ALL to running...maybe only 30% ;)
There's more....but, I feel like I've overstepped my boundaries tonight. It's pretty raw. Sorry. Can't say that I didn't warn. I'm gonna run away now in case y'all think I'm wierd. Tender and pensive. Ha. Maybe it's because I'm sad for my sweet Bama boys...maybe it's because of Crystal and Methelina that I met on Thursday...maybe it's because of the incredibly sad Disney movie "Santa Paws" that we watched on Friday night...or maybe it's just because I have a full heart, but there you go. It's not always sunshine & unicorns....
So, Thanksgiving has come and gone. It was rushed this year. It just randomly appeared out of nowhere & is gone like a vapor. Little Miss Fall didn't even get out the pumpkin pie plate decoration or turn the Halloween pumpkin into a turkey like we did last year. We didn't even carve a jack-o-lantern for Halloween. My Thanksgiving consisted of working - which, honestly, isn't a big deal - I resigned myself to that fact when I became a nurse. It was a lovely hilarious day with girlies that are truly my second family. I hate how Thanksgiving is glossed over by the mainstream. It is a big deal. Family is a big deal. Broccoli casserole and sweet potato casserole is a big deal. Okay, maybe not the last part, but Thanksgiving is huge. Not the day, not the date, not the month, but we should ALWAYS give thanks. Thanksgiving in general is important. Have you ever really, really just thought about the luxuries that we have. My family and I do a tiny shard of struggling, but in the scheme of things - we are crazy rich. I'm a woman who gets to work, I'm free to make money, I'm free to wear what I want, I walk around with my Bible on my iPhone. I wear a bracelet with a Bible verse on it, I meet with a group of ladies on Tuesdays and study the Bible without fear of someone coming and shooting us all. This is not everyone's reality. Sad. Basically, I am thankful that I have no worries (relatively speaking). We are blessed. It is my hope that God's hand of blessing always stays upon us - I'm not sure that it will, considering the way that our country is going - but I hope it does. I hope that I can change my mind & open my eyes to what "being blessed" really means in the eyes of God. Everywhere I go, I am faced with Bible verses or connotations reflecting the need to turn my eyes away from the things of the world. Colossians 3:2, Matthew 6: 19-34, etc. I know this is the message that God is meaning for me at this time in my life. Obedience is hard and scary, though. It's hard to buck the system of the mainstream world. Jesus was the original rebel. Seriously. He never said it would be easy...but He promised it would be worth it.
I'm thankful for running. My readers are all aware of my love/hate relationship with getting my lazy duke up and making it happen at least 3-4x/week, but it has been life changing for me. I'm very candid & open about my ridiculously long term problems with anorexia...so, I'm sure I'm not enlightening anyone to anything that new...if so, yeah, here it is. I get crazy sometimes ;) ha ha. When I'm crazy, I fall off the face of the earth for a while. My friends begin to not be able to find me easily, I hide from everyone and avoid any social activities surrounded by food - or anything else for that matter - because I know y'all all are thinking that I'm fat and ugly. It gets hard for everyone around because I get so antisocial. This used to happen quite often....and it still does, irregularly...but, since I have begun running, it's like I've been given an okay to eat. It's a whole calories in vs. calories out mentality. I can get crazy with the numbers, and I do from time to time, but as a whole, running keeps me sane. I think when I run, it decreases my anxiety, and when I run with a friend, we can talk about things we might not talk about otherwise. Sometimes when I am anxious or feel huge or stressed, I crave a run - better than craving a binge of krispy kremes. It sets me free. It "allows" me to eat lunch with my friends, to have dessert with my friends, to not be wierd-o about eating in restaurants with my husband & daughter, and it makes me not be crazy food lady in front of my baby girl. I actually consume lunch regularly. I have hated running my whole life, but I believe that God knew that I had to have some way to stay sane so I can stop the crazy disordered eating mentality and the crazy way of thinking that has perpetuated over generations in my family. I may pass on my ham hock arms and my cellulite booty, but I WILL NOT pass on the way that I think about them!!!! I CANNOT pass it on to my sweet daughter. I love that she sees me take care of myself and run for health. I tell her that "running makes Mommy feel good and it's fun". I thank God for bringing running friends into my life who have helped bring this past-time into my life and give me back a little control! ...just in case my good buddy GV is reading - I don't owe it ALL to running...maybe only 30% ;)
There's more....but, I feel like I've overstepped my boundaries tonight. It's pretty raw. Sorry. Can't say that I didn't warn. I'm gonna run away now in case y'all think I'm wierd. Tender and pensive. Ha. Maybe it's because I'm sad for my sweet Bama boys...maybe it's because of Crystal and Methelina that I met on Thursday...maybe it's because of the incredibly sad Disney movie "Santa Paws" that we watched on Friday night...or maybe it's just because I have a full heart, but there you go. It's not always sunshine & unicorns....
11.22.2010
you can't cover country & leave out rock...
So, apparently, people actually read and giggle at this blog - to my surprise! There have been a few requests for a overview of AMA fashions...can't let the masses down, so here it goes. Keep in mind, I'm not claiming perfection. Honestly, I haven't had on makeup in 3 days until yesterday and yesterday's attire consisted of scrubs and an OR hat :)
Miley Cyrus - y'all know how I feel. Yeah, she's probably a bit of a ho...but she looked amazing. Her body is totally awesome and I want her hair...although my girl Jenny tells me that there's a little extra hairpiece under there making it so full and beautiful - but I will continue to hold out hope. I think that my hair was supposed to be a little more like this color and a little less like Marilyn Manson. Oh, and I guess I will forgive the dastardly train on the back of the dress. It's pointless, really, unless you are walking down an aisle to say "I do".
Rihanna - you're pretty, but why does your hair color match your dress? Is that in now? Did you use the fabric dye to do your hair as well, kinda like dyed shoes during prom season? For the record, your dress was gorgeous :) Where's Chris Brown now??? Boom!
Kelly Osborne - I'm so proud of your weight loss. I really think that you tried hard. Truly, you probably used coke, amphetamines, and old school Xenadrine with a side of Red Bull, but I'm gonna pretend like you ran miles and miles and deprived yourself of yummy food like the rest of us do. Your hair looked straight outta Texas (where bigger is better) and I can't make a decision on your dress....but, happiness is beautiful & you look happy as a pig in mud (no pun intended, really) so therefore, you're a 10 tonight.
Avril Lavigne - My daughter's My Little Ponies called and they all want their clip on pink streaks of hair back. Dude, you've been having pink streaks for years. Move on. Aren't you nearing 30? You're a cute girl. Grow up. Anyone who has ever had a song entitled "Sk8r Boi" is just pitiful in my book. Let's pretend like it never happened, mkay?
Whitney Port - who are you? Were you on The Hills or something? Maybe. Gosh, I may be outing my loserness with this one. Your dress is a bad mix of tie dye/preppiness/couture. Not sure what you're trying to portray. At least Avril has picked a genre.
Taylor Swift - I'm not gonna profess my love again, but it looks like we have another case of some clip on hair. In this case, it is bangs. The smokey eye is working for you, but your dress might have been crafted using a be-dazzler. Bless your heart (I'm a southern girl...this just made everything better).
Fergie - Wow. My Momma taught me that if I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Clearly, that's not gonna fly, but your face reminds me of a chipmunk, or maybe a meerkat. I don't really know what a meerkat is, except from that show on animal planet that the commercial kept coming on for a few years ago & I would have to turn it bc my Labrador retriever would try to jump at the screen...but I digress. Your body is stinking amazing. You're having a root problem & need a stat touch up and the dress is a really bad mix of blue & black - which I'm not 100% sure match that great in this case and I see some really bad feathers. Feathers on outfits are never a good idea in my opinion. I'm gonna have to drop another "Bless Your Heart" on this one. For the record, thank you for "Boom Boom Pow", it's gotten me through a few difficult miles :)
Katy Perry - Girl! I had no idea. You are beautiful! Your dress is cute, your hair is cute, your makeup totally goes & isn't crazy business. Again, I had no idea...why do you always dress so hideously - you are gorgeous! Even your nail polish matches!
Ke$ha - note that I had to include the $ instead of an "s"...that is annoying point numero uno. Poor girl. I think she may have gotten frostbitten on the way to the AMAs. Her lips are blue. In my line of work, this means that for some reason, she isn't getting adequate oxygen. Maybe lack of oxygen to the brain is why she made such a poor decision on her hair, makeup, and outfit. Yeah, that's it! It's not because she has bad taste or a crappy stylist. She got frostbite & her circulatory system is trying to perfuse just as hard as it can. Clearly, when she got cold, she wrapped herself in a shredded Hefty bag. Yeah! That's it! AND...I do believe that the frostbite occurred on the way to the hairdresser to get her roots fixed. Whew. Glad she's got an excuse. Do you know who DOESN'T have an excuse? Me. I have one of her songs on my ipod! Eek!
Jada Pinkett Smith - So, what's that at the top of your dress? Is it a couple of turtle shells? Is it a mass of melted pennies mashed together to form a quasi-bustier? I'm unsure. Is it a dulled out C3PO? Still unsure. I also have never seen an African-American person fall victim to being monochromatic. There's a first time for everything, cause here it is. Your arms are buff as heck though and I think that your husband is super funny. When I met Jimmy, I referred to him as a white Will Smith. Ha ha.
Pink - Grey. Wow. You really aren't cute at all, and I'm unsure why you have dyed your hair grey, but that said, I like your music & I like how you don't care what anyone thinks about you. I also hope that you are pregnant & am glad that you and Carey got back together. He cleaned up rather nicely for the AMAs. Love, Amy. P.S. You have boobies now...you are totally preggo! ;)
Mandy Moore - I know you don't really sing anymore (thank God, because "Candy" was immature and atrocious lyrically). You were amazing and made me cry in Grey's Anatomy the last time you were on there. You are so beautiful. Your skin color, your makeup, your hair, your dress. You look so happy and your figure is beautiful & totally attainable! I was secretly hoping that I would look like you as a brunette :)
Willow Smith - proof that a 10 year old CAN try too hard. What in the universe is she wearing? I feel like I might should call DHR. Is that a bright yellow restraining vest? And, she should've loaned those gloves to Ke$ha to help with her frostbite.
John Legend - you look so dapper. I think that you may sing "Ordinary People". That song makes me feel relaxed and happy. Thank you. I don't know your girlfriend/wife/baby momma's name that is with you, but she is straight up gorgeous and so is her dress :)
Usher - yeah, in the late 90s, I owned a CD of yours, however; now, you have decided that you think you are better than everyone else. You are sorely mistaken, and your hair looks like you are contemplating a fro.
The Situation - what in the world are you doing at the AMAs? The only situation that I see is that you look stupid. By the way, what IS the situation?
Jessica Alba - hmm. Not sure why you are in attendance. You're pretty, but I think that you might know it, therefore, you are knocked down several notches. Here's a secret - your shoes & necklace are ugly.
Trey Songz - have you played for UA before? I think that I've seen you on the field. You're kinda cute, but I have no idea what "songz" you sing.
Gavin Rossdale - I am crying in my Diet Coke. Seriously. I was the BIGGEST Bush fan in the 90s! I even owned "Razorblade Suitcase" - no one bought that CD but me. I knew every word to every song on the "Sixteen Stone" CD. You were beautiful and hearing your voice sing the lyrics to Glycerine made me smile and feel warm inside. Sadly, you have gone south. Your hair is bad, just bad. You kind of remind me of a turtle. What has happened? You're married to GWEN - you can't give up hope. Oh, Gavin :(
Puffy - Sean Combs - Puff Daddy - P. Diddy - Diddy - Diddy Dirty Money - wow. How many names can one individual have? I don't think that you are cool enough to keep changing your name. Frankly, it's not cool, it's confusing. As an aside, the AMAs were held at night, so the sunglasses were lame...and because I'm a 90s junkie, I think that life was better when you and Biggie were bff.
Christina Aguilera - XTina - another name changer - oh girlie. I will begin with the positives. You are amazingly talented. Your range is crazy. I realize that you have gotten the big D and are "free" etc, etc. Please don't take this opportunity to go insane and slut it up really big. It looks like you are riding the line - based on your hair/makeup/wardrobe choices. It pains me to make this comparison, but....(sigh)....your outfit and appearance reminded me of the very sad "comeback" performance of Britney at the VMAs a few years ago. Turn away from slutdom now...please!
Natasha Beddingfield - are you wearing a black doilie? Is that how you spell that word? I have no idea, being that I'm entirely too cool to own a doilies :P Doilies of any shape, form, or fashion aren't in - so, your outfit is a fail. I did see one pic where you are holding it out like you are proud of it...maybe you made it? If so...I'm sorry & you're very talented.
Pitbull - how did I not know that you are white??!!
Justin Bieber - I don't have Bieber fever. I have no idea what you sing (yeah, so sue me, my kid is 3). I'm not sure if you are hip-hop or Kidz Bop. You look like you wear more makeup than I do and your face is prettier than mine...although those eyebrows eerily remind me of Bert on Sesame Street. You have Bama bangs and with a quick wardrobe change, you could totally fit in a fraternity at UA. I do know that kids are crazy for you and people faint and all that business. Ridiculous.
NKOTB - New Kids On The Block - I don't care how old you are. I still heart you. I still know all of your songs. I have since given away all of my shirts/pillowcases/buttons/etc, but you still hold a special place in my heart as the "original" boy band. I'm sure that since I gave my shirts to the Goodwill that there are several homeless people walking around with a shirt "signed" by Jordan Knight & Joe McIntyre. You guys have aged well and make an old chick proud. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me go to their concert :) Your buddies BSB were lookin' good too!
Jenny McCarthy - Not sure why you are at the AMAs. You just look okay....maybe you could lower the pompadour and I hate your dress. Maybe because I have this hatred for animal print recently. Maybe because you and Jim Carrey broke up and I like him. Maybe it's because of your wierdness about vaccines. Honestly, I think it's because I miss the Jenny from Singled Out. I dressed up as you for Halloween my freshman year of college. I had a microphone and everything. I loved that show. Weight Watchers worked well for you, however. Yay, you!
Ne-Yo - you look nice. I like the color of your suit. Really, I wanted to blog about him because at work, when we are taking a lady to the or for a c section, someone has to call "neo", which is short for the neonatologist, but I like to pretend in my brain that someone is calling "ne-yo" the singer. Window into my strange little brain. Bet my l&d friends will never call "neo" the same again :)
That just about covers it, friends! Until next awards show....ha ha. Next blog will be a little more personal - Thanksgiving is coming, you know :)
Love!
Miley Cyrus - y'all know how I feel. Yeah, she's probably a bit of a ho...but she looked amazing. Her body is totally awesome and I want her hair...although my girl Jenny tells me that there's a little extra hairpiece under there making it so full and beautiful - but I will continue to hold out hope. I think that my hair was supposed to be a little more like this color and a little less like Marilyn Manson. Oh, and I guess I will forgive the dastardly train on the back of the dress. It's pointless, really, unless you are walking down an aisle to say "I do".
Rihanna - you're pretty, but why does your hair color match your dress? Is that in now? Did you use the fabric dye to do your hair as well, kinda like dyed shoes during prom season? For the record, your dress was gorgeous :) Where's Chris Brown now??? Boom!
Kelly Osborne - I'm so proud of your weight loss. I really think that you tried hard. Truly, you probably used coke, amphetamines, and old school Xenadrine with a side of Red Bull, but I'm gonna pretend like you ran miles and miles and deprived yourself of yummy food like the rest of us do. Your hair looked straight outta Texas (where bigger is better) and I can't make a decision on your dress....but, happiness is beautiful & you look happy as a pig in mud (no pun intended, really) so therefore, you're a 10 tonight.
Avril Lavigne - My daughter's My Little Ponies called and they all want their clip on pink streaks of hair back. Dude, you've been having pink streaks for years. Move on. Aren't you nearing 30? You're a cute girl. Grow up. Anyone who has ever had a song entitled "Sk8r Boi" is just pitiful in my book. Let's pretend like it never happened, mkay?
Whitney Port - who are you? Were you on The Hills or something? Maybe. Gosh, I may be outing my loserness with this one. Your dress is a bad mix of tie dye/preppiness/couture. Not sure what you're trying to portray. At least Avril has picked a genre.
Taylor Swift - I'm not gonna profess my love again, but it looks like we have another case of some clip on hair. In this case, it is bangs. The smokey eye is working for you, but your dress might have been crafted using a be-dazzler. Bless your heart (I'm a southern girl...this just made everything better).
Fergie - Wow. My Momma taught me that if I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Clearly, that's not gonna fly, but your face reminds me of a chipmunk, or maybe a meerkat. I don't really know what a meerkat is, except from that show on animal planet that the commercial kept coming on for a few years ago & I would have to turn it bc my Labrador retriever would try to jump at the screen...but I digress. Your body is stinking amazing. You're having a root problem & need a stat touch up and the dress is a really bad mix of blue & black - which I'm not 100% sure match that great in this case and I see some really bad feathers. Feathers on outfits are never a good idea in my opinion. I'm gonna have to drop another "Bless Your Heart" on this one. For the record, thank you for "Boom Boom Pow", it's gotten me through a few difficult miles :)
Katy Perry - Girl! I had no idea. You are beautiful! Your dress is cute, your hair is cute, your makeup totally goes & isn't crazy business. Again, I had no idea...why do you always dress so hideously - you are gorgeous! Even your nail polish matches!
Ke$ha - note that I had to include the $ instead of an "s"...that is annoying point numero uno. Poor girl. I think she may have gotten frostbitten on the way to the AMAs. Her lips are blue. In my line of work, this means that for some reason, she isn't getting adequate oxygen. Maybe lack of oxygen to the brain is why she made such a poor decision on her hair, makeup, and outfit. Yeah, that's it! It's not because she has bad taste or a crappy stylist. She got frostbite & her circulatory system is trying to perfuse just as hard as it can. Clearly, when she got cold, she wrapped herself in a shredded Hefty bag. Yeah! That's it! AND...I do believe that the frostbite occurred on the way to the hairdresser to get her roots fixed. Whew. Glad she's got an excuse. Do you know who DOESN'T have an excuse? Me. I have one of her songs on my ipod! Eek!
Jada Pinkett Smith - So, what's that at the top of your dress? Is it a couple of turtle shells? Is it a mass of melted pennies mashed together to form a quasi-bustier? I'm unsure. Is it a dulled out C3PO? Still unsure. I also have never seen an African-American person fall victim to being monochromatic. There's a first time for everything, cause here it is. Your arms are buff as heck though and I think that your husband is super funny. When I met Jimmy, I referred to him as a white Will Smith. Ha ha.
Pink - Grey. Wow. You really aren't cute at all, and I'm unsure why you have dyed your hair grey, but that said, I like your music & I like how you don't care what anyone thinks about you. I also hope that you are pregnant & am glad that you and Carey got back together. He cleaned up rather nicely for the AMAs. Love, Amy. P.S. You have boobies now...you are totally preggo! ;)
Mandy Moore - I know you don't really sing anymore (thank God, because "Candy" was immature and atrocious lyrically). You were amazing and made me cry in Grey's Anatomy the last time you were on there. You are so beautiful. Your skin color, your makeup, your hair, your dress. You look so happy and your figure is beautiful & totally attainable! I was secretly hoping that I would look like you as a brunette :)
Willow Smith - proof that a 10 year old CAN try too hard. What in the universe is she wearing? I feel like I might should call DHR. Is that a bright yellow restraining vest? And, she should've loaned those gloves to Ke$ha to help with her frostbite.
John Legend - you look so dapper. I think that you may sing "Ordinary People". That song makes me feel relaxed and happy. Thank you. I don't know your girlfriend/wife/baby momma's name that is with you, but she is straight up gorgeous and so is her dress :)
Usher - yeah, in the late 90s, I owned a CD of yours, however; now, you have decided that you think you are better than everyone else. You are sorely mistaken, and your hair looks like you are contemplating a fro.
The Situation - what in the world are you doing at the AMAs? The only situation that I see is that you look stupid. By the way, what IS the situation?
Jessica Alba - hmm. Not sure why you are in attendance. You're pretty, but I think that you might know it, therefore, you are knocked down several notches. Here's a secret - your shoes & necklace are ugly.
Trey Songz - have you played for UA before? I think that I've seen you on the field. You're kinda cute, but I have no idea what "songz" you sing.
Gavin Rossdale - I am crying in my Diet Coke. Seriously. I was the BIGGEST Bush fan in the 90s! I even owned "Razorblade Suitcase" - no one bought that CD but me. I knew every word to every song on the "Sixteen Stone" CD. You were beautiful and hearing your voice sing the lyrics to Glycerine made me smile and feel warm inside. Sadly, you have gone south. Your hair is bad, just bad. You kind of remind me of a turtle. What has happened? You're married to GWEN - you can't give up hope. Oh, Gavin :(
Puffy - Sean Combs - Puff Daddy - P. Diddy - Diddy - Diddy Dirty Money - wow. How many names can one individual have? I don't think that you are cool enough to keep changing your name. Frankly, it's not cool, it's confusing. As an aside, the AMAs were held at night, so the sunglasses were lame...and because I'm a 90s junkie, I think that life was better when you and Biggie were bff.
Christina Aguilera - XTina - another name changer - oh girlie. I will begin with the positives. You are amazingly talented. Your range is crazy. I realize that you have gotten the big D and are "free" etc, etc. Please don't take this opportunity to go insane and slut it up really big. It looks like you are riding the line - based on your hair/makeup/wardrobe choices. It pains me to make this comparison, but....(sigh)....your outfit and appearance reminded me of the very sad "comeback" performance of Britney at the VMAs a few years ago. Turn away from slutdom now...please!
Natasha Beddingfield - are you wearing a black doilie? Is that how you spell that word? I have no idea, being that I'm entirely too cool to own a doilies :P Doilies of any shape, form, or fashion aren't in - so, your outfit is a fail. I did see one pic where you are holding it out like you are proud of it...maybe you made it? If so...I'm sorry & you're very talented.
Pitbull - how did I not know that you are white??!!
Justin Bieber - I don't have Bieber fever. I have no idea what you sing (yeah, so sue me, my kid is 3). I'm not sure if you are hip-hop or Kidz Bop. You look like you wear more makeup than I do and your face is prettier than mine...although those eyebrows eerily remind me of Bert on Sesame Street. You have Bama bangs and with a quick wardrobe change, you could totally fit in a fraternity at UA. I do know that kids are crazy for you and people faint and all that business. Ridiculous.
NKOTB - New Kids On The Block - I don't care how old you are. I still heart you. I still know all of your songs. I have since given away all of my shirts/pillowcases/buttons/etc, but you still hold a special place in my heart as the "original" boy band. I'm sure that since I gave my shirts to the Goodwill that there are several homeless people walking around with a shirt "signed" by Jordan Knight & Joe McIntyre. You guys have aged well and make an old chick proud. Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me go to their concert :) Your buddies BSB were lookin' good too!
Jenny McCarthy - Not sure why you are at the AMAs. You just look okay....maybe you could lower the pompadour and I hate your dress. Maybe because I have this hatred for animal print recently. Maybe because you and Jim Carrey broke up and I like him. Maybe it's because of your wierdness about vaccines. Honestly, I think it's because I miss the Jenny from Singled Out. I dressed up as you for Halloween my freshman year of college. I had a microphone and everything. I loved that show. Weight Watchers worked well for you, however. Yay, you!
Ne-Yo - you look nice. I like the color of your suit. Really, I wanted to blog about him because at work, when we are taking a lady to the or for a c section, someone has to call "neo", which is short for the neonatologist, but I like to pretend in my brain that someone is calling "ne-yo" the singer. Window into my strange little brain. Bet my l&d friends will never call "neo" the same again :)
That just about covers it, friends! Until next awards show....ha ha. Next blog will be a little more personal - Thanksgiving is coming, you know :)
Love!
11.10.2010
CMA fashion review
Y'all know you love it!!! My take on the fashions of the 2010 Country Music Awards. We all know that I'm gonna be wearing scrubs the next two days, so I really have NO room to knock these folks. It's all in good fun people, all in good fun :) Enjoy...
Carrie Underwood - slight green tint at the top of the hair - maybe it was the lighting, maybe you're swimming for exercise? Dress looks like it was intended to be short, but someone at the last minute said, "hey, let's add this...I just found some extra material!"
Gwyneth Paltrow - why are you at the CMAs? Why is some of your dress missing? Clearly, you haven't eaten in a while. Sandwiches are our friends. If I have to eat, then you do too.
Taylor Swift - you know that I love you and want to hang out with you. Red is bold & awesome! Get it girl! You seem so fun & down to earth - like I'm expecting a text from you anyday!
Kellie Pickler - I love you and also want to hang out with you! Maybe you should try walking on the brunette side, too. You look monochromatic - with the hair, the skin, & the dress - and some slight boobie droop. Everyone gets a chance for an oopsie...this is yours, my friend.
Julianne Hough- I find it interesting that Hough is pronounced "Huff". The English language is so strange. But I digress. You look beautiful & totally carry off that dress. I don't really know what you sing, except for maybe a song last summer. You are pretty, though.
Nicole Kidman - I totally had that dress in pink....IN 1995!!! Hello sister, wake up!! You are successful, have a daughter, and are married to Keith Urban. Step it up!
Keith Urban - I like you, but I think that you got dressed in the backseat of the car & missed a spot or two shaving. *hangs head in shame because I may get lambasted by my friends for this one*
Leighton Meester - who are you? do you sing? do you act? Am I just an old fogey who is out of the loop? Your face & hair is impeccable, but your dress looks like it was stolen from an animal at the Birmingham Zoo and your shoes came from Fredericks of Hollywood. Ouch.
Katherine Heigl - another person that I'm not sure why she is there, but I think she always looks great. Maybe I'm on a brunette bandwagon, but tone down the blonde a little & lower the pompadour - you kinda look like that chick on Jersey Shore...Snookie? Is that her name? But, your dress is pretty & you have a rockin' figure.
Hilary Scott - so...someone just told me that she is in the band Lady Antebellum. Lots of my friends like them, I don't really know what they sing, so I may like them too & just not know it. Um...it's really bad y'all. That ruffle, that fabric...oh my!
Miranda Lambert - I like your songs. I have a few on my ipod. Pretty color dress, but the style of it reminds me of the 8th grade pageant (in which I didn't even get in the top 10 and subsequently didn't eat for a decade), so you can imagine how it made me feel.
Blake Shelton - you look dapper in your suit. I like it, but I must admit that it is hard to respect you after Bro. Joel Frederick read the lyrics of your song "It's All About Tonight" from the pulpit & I really realized that they are straight up not reflecting what I would like to portray in my life...but then again, I have a couple of bad tunes on my ipod, so people who live in glass houses....(you know the rest). OH...and I'm mad at you because my husband has had "Hillbilly Bone" in his mind for a week now & keeps singing it. AND, he gets it mixed up with "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and makes for a crazy mix. Ha ha!
Billy Ray Cyrus - Wow dude. No lie...when I saw your pic, I thought to myself, "oh, is that George Michael? What is he doing at the CMAs?" You are breaking my achy breaky heart.
Jennifer Nettles - WT makeup. Enough said.
Martina McBride - I love you so much and don't want you to be wearing that dress. I'm sorry that your stylist failed you.
Sheryl Crow - you are so naturally pretty. We had some really great times together in the 90s and I still love you. If it makes you happy, it can't be that ba-aa-ad. :)
Laura Bell Bundy - who are you? Are you kin to Al? You do kinda remind me of Kelly Bundy? Better than reminding me of Ted Bundy, but still not that great of a compliment.
Sara Evans - your legs are freakin' awesome! You are married to Jay Barker (RTR) and you are pretty. Those shoes are a National disaster, but I am going to overlook them because I was awed by your calves. I do also find it slightly funny that you have a side ponytail. Oh, then again, maybe that's cool now & I'm just outta the loop.
Joanna Garcia - who are you? (are you sensing a trend here? maybe it's me and not them.) Your hair is gorgeous & deep purple is totally your color. You look really pretty. Maybe I should learn who you are.
Jason Aldean - who in the devil is with you? I think I saw her at the Wal-Mart in Hampton Cove last week. Her rub on tan is orange & uneven. Her hair needs a highlight job & looks as if it was done in the Wal Mart beauty salon with a small barrel curling iron, tons of Aqua Net, and some Goody's bobby pins. Negate all this if it's your Mom - I don't wanna be talkin' bout nobody's mama. She looks like she rode the Big Green Tractor to the CMAs.
Gretchen Wilson - I don't care if people think you are trash. Your hair looks pretty & I like your boots. Sure, you should've dressed up a little more, after all, you have on a sweater dress, but I just don't think that dressing up is your style - to each her own - and confidence is beautiful!
Dierks Bentley - *giggle giggle* I like you a lot. Your hair is a little too curly though. I like your music. *giggle giggle*
Bo Bice - bless your heart! Do you have COPD/Chronic Bronchitis? You look like a blue bloater!! (I know that all my nursing friends are howling right now) Maybe you just got off of drugs. If so, we are proud of you & totally excuse the bloat.
Carrot Top - are you really at the CMAs? Give it up. Everyone knows you are on 'roids.
LeAnn Rimes - I have disliked you for as long as I can remember. You only solidified it when you added homewrecker to your resume. You aren't cute & your dress looks like it came from Forever 21. Boom. Cheaters Never Prosper!!!
My husband just asked me..."are you talking about people on your blog?" My answer to him was, "no, I am talking about their clothing, so that makes it okay". I surely hope so... :) Oh, and never fear, I don't make fun of us "real" people's clothing - because we don't put ourselves out there like that & pay millions of dollars to make ourselves "fake beautiful"!! It's the inside, folks, the inside!
Love to my peeps <3
Carrie Underwood - slight green tint at the top of the hair - maybe it was the lighting, maybe you're swimming for exercise? Dress looks like it was intended to be short, but someone at the last minute said, "hey, let's add this...I just found some extra material!"
Gwyneth Paltrow - why are you at the CMAs? Why is some of your dress missing? Clearly, you haven't eaten in a while. Sandwiches are our friends. If I have to eat, then you do too.
Taylor Swift - you know that I love you and want to hang out with you. Red is bold & awesome! Get it girl! You seem so fun & down to earth - like I'm expecting a text from you anyday!
Kellie Pickler - I love you and also want to hang out with you! Maybe you should try walking on the brunette side, too. You look monochromatic - with the hair, the skin, & the dress - and some slight boobie droop. Everyone gets a chance for an oopsie...this is yours, my friend.
Julianne Hough- I find it interesting that Hough is pronounced "Huff". The English language is so strange. But I digress. You look beautiful & totally carry off that dress. I don't really know what you sing, except for maybe a song last summer. You are pretty, though.
Nicole Kidman - I totally had that dress in pink....IN 1995!!! Hello sister, wake up!! You are successful, have a daughter, and are married to Keith Urban. Step it up!
Keith Urban - I like you, but I think that you got dressed in the backseat of the car & missed a spot or two shaving. *hangs head in shame because I may get lambasted by my friends for this one*
Leighton Meester - who are you? do you sing? do you act? Am I just an old fogey who is out of the loop? Your face & hair is impeccable, but your dress looks like it was stolen from an animal at the Birmingham Zoo and your shoes came from Fredericks of Hollywood. Ouch.
Katherine Heigl - another person that I'm not sure why she is there, but I think she always looks great. Maybe I'm on a brunette bandwagon, but tone down the blonde a little & lower the pompadour - you kinda look like that chick on Jersey Shore...Snookie? Is that her name? But, your dress is pretty & you have a rockin' figure.
Hilary Scott - so...someone just told me that she is in the band Lady Antebellum. Lots of my friends like them, I don't really know what they sing, so I may like them too & just not know it. Um...it's really bad y'all. That ruffle, that fabric...oh my!
Miranda Lambert - I like your songs. I have a few on my ipod. Pretty color dress, but the style of it reminds me of the 8th grade pageant (in which I didn't even get in the top 10 and subsequently didn't eat for a decade), so you can imagine how it made me feel.
Blake Shelton - you look dapper in your suit. I like it, but I must admit that it is hard to respect you after Bro. Joel Frederick read the lyrics of your song "It's All About Tonight" from the pulpit & I really realized that they are straight up not reflecting what I would like to portray in my life...but then again, I have a couple of bad tunes on my ipod, so people who live in glass houses....(you know the rest). OH...and I'm mad at you because my husband has had "Hillbilly Bone" in his mind for a week now & keeps singing it. AND, he gets it mixed up with "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and makes for a crazy mix. Ha ha!
Billy Ray Cyrus - Wow dude. No lie...when I saw your pic, I thought to myself, "oh, is that George Michael? What is he doing at the CMAs?" You are breaking my achy breaky heart.
Jennifer Nettles - WT makeup. Enough said.
Martina McBride - I love you so much and don't want you to be wearing that dress. I'm sorry that your stylist failed you.
Sheryl Crow - you are so naturally pretty. We had some really great times together in the 90s and I still love you. If it makes you happy, it can't be that ba-aa-ad. :)
Laura Bell Bundy - who are you? Are you kin to Al? You do kinda remind me of Kelly Bundy? Better than reminding me of Ted Bundy, but still not that great of a compliment.
Sara Evans - your legs are freakin' awesome! You are married to Jay Barker (RTR) and you are pretty. Those shoes are a National disaster, but I am going to overlook them because I was awed by your calves. I do also find it slightly funny that you have a side ponytail. Oh, then again, maybe that's cool now & I'm just outta the loop.
Joanna Garcia - who are you? (are you sensing a trend here? maybe it's me and not them.) Your hair is gorgeous & deep purple is totally your color. You look really pretty. Maybe I should learn who you are.
Jason Aldean - who in the devil is with you? I think I saw her at the Wal-Mart in Hampton Cove last week. Her rub on tan is orange & uneven. Her hair needs a highlight job & looks as if it was done in the Wal Mart beauty salon with a small barrel curling iron, tons of Aqua Net, and some Goody's bobby pins. Negate all this if it's your Mom - I don't wanna be talkin' bout nobody's mama. She looks like she rode the Big Green Tractor to the CMAs.
Gretchen Wilson - I don't care if people think you are trash. Your hair looks pretty & I like your boots. Sure, you should've dressed up a little more, after all, you have on a sweater dress, but I just don't think that dressing up is your style - to each her own - and confidence is beautiful!
Dierks Bentley - *giggle giggle* I like you a lot. Your hair is a little too curly though. I like your music. *giggle giggle*
Bo Bice - bless your heart! Do you have COPD/Chronic Bronchitis? You look like a blue bloater!! (I know that all my nursing friends are howling right now) Maybe you just got off of drugs. If so, we are proud of you & totally excuse the bloat.
Carrot Top - are you really at the CMAs? Give it up. Everyone knows you are on 'roids.
LeAnn Rimes - I have disliked you for as long as I can remember. You only solidified it when you added homewrecker to your resume. You aren't cute & your dress looks like it came from Forever 21. Boom. Cheaters Never Prosper!!!
My husband just asked me..."are you talking about people on your blog?" My answer to him was, "no, I am talking about their clothing, so that makes it okay". I surely hope so... :) Oh, and never fear, I don't make fun of us "real" people's clothing - because we don't put ourselves out there like that & pay millions of dollars to make ourselves "fake beautiful"!! It's the inside, folks, the inside!
Love to my peeps <3
11.06.2010
The Quick & Dirty
...rundown of what has been up in our Halls since the last blog post. What did y'all think I meant by "quick & dirty", I'm a deacon's wife for Pete's sake ;)
My last post must've had an impact b/c I now own about 1/2 of the items on there! Ha ha! It was totally not a hint dropper! Just sharing what I love (you know, like Oprah, minus the racism). I own the Garmin (thanks Poppy & Lovie) - and have used it a few times. Pretty awesome. Sometimes I think it thinks I am running faster than I really am. Maybe it just feels sorry for me & tries to shave 10 or so seconds off of my pace. Ha. I own ALL of the Kiehl's products...and I have tried - NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE - to order my boots and for some reason the order keeps getting cancelled. Hello, God? What in the world? Am I just not meant to own Cowboy boots? It's a little disheartening. Hmm...
I turned 32. Yeah, I did. It was just another birthday. A good day, but plain nonetheless. I began it with a 7.6 mile run! Woot! That was the farthest that I have ever ran...AND, I didn't feel like I was dying. I felt good - like I actually could've run farther. Maybe it was the feeling of aliveness that I liked. It was slightly crisp, so I ran in my running skirt & it was cool enough to wear a long sleeve t-shirt over my running shirt - which is PERFECTION to me :) Woot! We ate at 5 Guys for lunch - THE BEST hamburger in Huntsville. Hands down!! Watched lotsa college football, Bama beat UT. In the words of the great philosopher Ice Cube, "today was a good day".
We had Halloween. It was amazing this year! Dorky, huh? Nah, not really - remember I'm a mommy :) This was the first year that W really "got it". You know what I mean? For weeks, she had given me the runaround about what she wanted to be for Halloween...it started out as a cupcake (which she was last year), and a mermaid (she wanted DaDa to be one too), a bumblebee, a moo cow (she wanted DaDa to be one of those, too), and finally, she informed us that she wanted to dress up as Boo - the black cat that lives at Mama Trish & Poppa's house. So, Boo it was. Mommy made her some special ears & painted a pink nose & whiskers. I have never witnessed a child so excited! She would walk up to the doors (where she rang the doorbells) and would say "trick or treat...meow", then "thank you" & "happy halloween". She kept telling people that this was the first time that she had ever been trick or treating - and it was...if you mean first time going to homes other than our family. I honestly got tears in my eyes a few times as she said, "oh Mommy, I am having so much fun!". I loved seeing her reactions to the other costumes and just to everything. Times like these remind you of the magic of being a child - when you aren't jaded, you aren't aware of evil, & your only responsibility is to play and enjoy life to its fullest. Makes me want to help her stay this way as long as she can ;)
We went to see Disney Princesses on Ice. Whew. First, I'm gonna give props to my parents who took me to that junk my whole life bc they knew that I loved it. Dude, there are alot of kids, crowds, and everything costs a million dollars. W had been so pumped about seeing the princesses. We met Lovie & went with her, too. Lovie had obtained a handicapped parking tag (lovingly referred to by me as the 'capper'), but conveniently, on this rainy, cool night, the person in front of us got the last capper. So, we had to traipse through the mud to get to the entrance. Of course, those hawkers are standing outside hawking the most annoying toys and screaming "$10 here, $20 inside". So, Lovie purchased a glowing butterfly thing for W. Picture it. You're at a rave. The music is straight techno, but it's on a continuous loop of about 5 seconds, so it repeats OVER, and OVER, and OVER. The strobe-like lights border on making you seize when you look at it too long. Nice, huh. So, we get inside & I see why they are "$10 here, $20 inside". The $20 ones are nothing like what we bought outside; they actually have Disney characters on them, the song is much quieter & less annoying, AND there isn't a seizure-inducing strobe light. Now we get to our seats & there is 30 minutes until the show starts. W is jumping & getting pumped, but 30 minutes for a 3 year old is like 3 hours for an adult, so she starts getting fired up about the dumbest things. Lovie made the mistake of offering her some Cheese-its (usually a favorite), but she pitched one about that. She requested a sno-cone in a Tinkerbell cup. Got it. Only set back a mere $15! She didn't want it bc it was TOO COLD!!! She wanted popcorn then - she got it. The show started & it was a success. She sat in my lap most of the time, but loved the show, clapped, smiled, and asked a million questions. All was well until the last 5 minutes when the dragon appeared in the story of Sleeping Beauty. She. Lost. Her. Junk. She cried and cried and cried and begged to go home. We tried to coax her to stay so she could see Cinderella's carriage, but to no avail. We left. She talked about the dragon for days. She did say that she had fun, her favorite was Tinkerbell, but then would tell you all about the dragon. The really annoying butterfly toy came home with us. My Dad heard it so much that his ears may still be bleeding. W took it to Mama Trish & Poppa's house. They are probably still bleeding, too. Somehow, the butterfly has become MIA. Wonder how that happened? ;) Mommy & Daddy's ears are just fine! Ha ha!
Last, but certainly not least. There has been a tragedy with my hair. So, maybe not a tragedy, but it certainly seemed that way for a couple of days! Last post, I put up my pic of Jennifer Aniston - yeah, that's what I wanted. Just like that. I showed my hair dude about 7 - 10 pics of Jennifer Aniston & said "this is what I want". A dark blonde with some streaks. I am a complete brunette with some really dark blonde streaks. Yeah, you see the new pic at the top of the blog - that's it. I (and my husband) were pretty shocked & I felt a little devestated - especially bc the hair dude kept saying that it was "spot on" like Jennifer A. Whatev. But, that said, I have come to peace with it at this time & am gonna keep it for a bit. It's fun for the winter...but you can bet that in summer, it's gonna need some mega-lightening up! I should sincerely apologize semi-publicly to Kayse, Jenny, Katie C, & Ash Fro for the days long freak out and text message blowing up as I worked through the emotions associated with grief and loss. DABDA - denial, anger, barganing, depression, and acceptance. Thanks Elizabeth Kubler-Ross: the five stages of grief. Ha ha. Remember, my original degree is in Psych ;)
Love to my peeps who are reading! Oh...and a big Roll Tide. I guess that you can't win 'em all. They gave us such an awesome run over the last couple of seasons. We'll be on top again. No doubt! Call me a jerk, but if I were Nick Saban, I would've held out my hand mid-field to Les Miles & pulled it back & said "syke" and giggled. Ha ha. Kidding....sort of :)
My last post must've had an impact b/c I now own about 1/2 of the items on there! Ha ha! It was totally not a hint dropper! Just sharing what I love (you know, like Oprah, minus the racism). I own the Garmin (thanks Poppy & Lovie) - and have used it a few times. Pretty awesome. Sometimes I think it thinks I am running faster than I really am. Maybe it just feels sorry for me & tries to shave 10 or so seconds off of my pace. Ha. I own ALL of the Kiehl's products...and I have tried - NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE - to order my boots and for some reason the order keeps getting cancelled. Hello, God? What in the world? Am I just not meant to own Cowboy boots? It's a little disheartening. Hmm...
I turned 32. Yeah, I did. It was just another birthday. A good day, but plain nonetheless. I began it with a 7.6 mile run! Woot! That was the farthest that I have ever ran...AND, I didn't feel like I was dying. I felt good - like I actually could've run farther. Maybe it was the feeling of aliveness that I liked. It was slightly crisp, so I ran in my running skirt & it was cool enough to wear a long sleeve t-shirt over my running shirt - which is PERFECTION to me :) Woot! We ate at 5 Guys for lunch - THE BEST hamburger in Huntsville. Hands down!! Watched lotsa college football, Bama beat UT. In the words of the great philosopher Ice Cube, "today was a good day".
We had Halloween. It was amazing this year! Dorky, huh? Nah, not really - remember I'm a mommy :) This was the first year that W really "got it". You know what I mean? For weeks, she had given me the runaround about what she wanted to be for Halloween...it started out as a cupcake (which she was last year), and a mermaid (she wanted DaDa to be one too), a bumblebee, a moo cow (she wanted DaDa to be one of those, too), and finally, she informed us that she wanted to dress up as Boo - the black cat that lives at Mama Trish & Poppa's house. So, Boo it was. Mommy made her some special ears & painted a pink nose & whiskers. I have never witnessed a child so excited! She would walk up to the doors (where she rang the doorbells) and would say "trick or treat...meow", then "thank you" & "happy halloween". She kept telling people that this was the first time that she had ever been trick or treating - and it was...if you mean first time going to homes other than our family. I honestly got tears in my eyes a few times as she said, "oh Mommy, I am having so much fun!". I loved seeing her reactions to the other costumes and just to everything. Times like these remind you of the magic of being a child - when you aren't jaded, you aren't aware of evil, & your only responsibility is to play and enjoy life to its fullest. Makes me want to help her stay this way as long as she can ;)
We went to see Disney Princesses on Ice. Whew. First, I'm gonna give props to my parents who took me to that junk my whole life bc they knew that I loved it. Dude, there are alot of kids, crowds, and everything costs a million dollars. W had been so pumped about seeing the princesses. We met Lovie & went with her, too. Lovie had obtained a handicapped parking tag (lovingly referred to by me as the 'capper'), but conveniently, on this rainy, cool night, the person in front of us got the last capper. So, we had to traipse through the mud to get to the entrance. Of course, those hawkers are standing outside hawking the most annoying toys and screaming "$10 here, $20 inside". So, Lovie purchased a glowing butterfly thing for W. Picture it. You're at a rave. The music is straight techno, but it's on a continuous loop of about 5 seconds, so it repeats OVER, and OVER, and OVER. The strobe-like lights border on making you seize when you look at it too long. Nice, huh. So, we get inside & I see why they are "$10 here, $20 inside". The $20 ones are nothing like what we bought outside; they actually have Disney characters on them, the song is much quieter & less annoying, AND there isn't a seizure-inducing strobe light. Now we get to our seats & there is 30 minutes until the show starts. W is jumping & getting pumped, but 30 minutes for a 3 year old is like 3 hours for an adult, so she starts getting fired up about the dumbest things. Lovie made the mistake of offering her some Cheese-its (usually a favorite), but she pitched one about that. She requested a sno-cone in a Tinkerbell cup. Got it. Only set back a mere $15! She didn't want it bc it was TOO COLD!!! She wanted popcorn then - she got it. The show started & it was a success. She sat in my lap most of the time, but loved the show, clapped, smiled, and asked a million questions. All was well until the last 5 minutes when the dragon appeared in the story of Sleeping Beauty. She. Lost. Her. Junk. She cried and cried and cried and begged to go home. We tried to coax her to stay so she could see Cinderella's carriage, but to no avail. We left. She talked about the dragon for days. She did say that she had fun, her favorite was Tinkerbell, but then would tell you all about the dragon. The really annoying butterfly toy came home with us. My Dad heard it so much that his ears may still be bleeding. W took it to Mama Trish & Poppa's house. They are probably still bleeding, too. Somehow, the butterfly has become MIA. Wonder how that happened? ;) Mommy & Daddy's ears are just fine! Ha ha!
Last, but certainly not least. There has been a tragedy with my hair. So, maybe not a tragedy, but it certainly seemed that way for a couple of days! Last post, I put up my pic of Jennifer Aniston - yeah, that's what I wanted. Just like that. I showed my hair dude about 7 - 10 pics of Jennifer Aniston & said "this is what I want". A dark blonde with some streaks. I am a complete brunette with some really dark blonde streaks. Yeah, you see the new pic at the top of the blog - that's it. I (and my husband) were pretty shocked & I felt a little devestated - especially bc the hair dude kept saying that it was "spot on" like Jennifer A. Whatev. But, that said, I have come to peace with it at this time & am gonna keep it for a bit. It's fun for the winter...but you can bet that in summer, it's gonna need some mega-lightening up! I should sincerely apologize semi-publicly to Kayse, Jenny, Katie C, & Ash Fro for the days long freak out and text message blowing up as I worked through the emotions associated with grief and loss. DABDA - denial, anger, barganing, depression, and acceptance. Thanks Elizabeth Kubler-Ross: the five stages of grief. Ha ha. Remember, my original degree is in Psych ;)
Love to my peeps who are reading! Oh...and a big Roll Tide. I guess that you can't win 'em all. They gave us such an awesome run over the last couple of seasons. We'll be on top again. No doubt! Call me a jerk, but if I were Nick Saban, I would've held out my hand mid-field to Les Miles & pulled it back & said "syke" and giggled. Ha ha. Kidding....sort of :)
10.13.2010
These are a few of my favorite things...
In light of the fact that my birthday is coming up, and as a shameless plug for myself and all that I want - here is a (non-exhaustive) list of things that I'm totally in love with right now! Enjoy! :)
First up: a garmin forerunner 110 gps with hrm. Since I'm a "runner" now (still using the term loosely - mainly bc of my inability to seriously conquer anything major at this point), I need this sweet gadget to help me figure out how long I've ran, what my pace is, and (if I'm so inclined) how many cals I've burned. My super favorite run is one that is an unplanned course. I enjoy running down random roads with no rhyme or reason. Without the garmin, I just "guesstimate" how far I have ran based on the time that has passed. This just isn't gonna cut it if I plan to up the ante on my running game. So, I need hard data to back up my aimless running that I so enjoy. In the words of my fastest friend Shari, I may not hook up the heart rate monitor (hrm) bc someone may call HEMSI to come pick me up bc they think I'm dying. True dat...but it will be nice to have if I decide that I must know how many calories I'm burning.*No mom, I won't get obsessed...I promise :)* Oh...and as an added bonus: it's pink!!!!
I've had these bad boys saved in my favorite folder for oh, approximately 9 months. I want them severely. I've been wanting to purchase them so, so, so bad for so, so, so long. I really should've just bit the bullet and done it already - especially because they are the low price of $99. That's an awesome deal for cowboy boots! I may just be convincing myself as I type to buy them...although, I did buy a Bama shirt tonight at the mall, and in light of the Nicole Richie birthday party, I should lie low for a bit. Anyhoo...aren't they amazing??!! Yee-haw!
I am in love with Kiehl's. Where have I been? Apparently, this counter has been in Dillards for more than a year. What?!? Seriously. A girl needs to branch out! A couple of weeks ago, I was perusing for my husband some size large tall clothing in Dillards. As an aside: why in the world do tall clothing have to be more expensive than regular? Extra fabric, you say? Well, then why in the universe isn't my petite clothing cheaper? Hmm. Answer that, homeboy! But I digress. So, there was an offer for a free gift just for stopping by the Kiehl's counter - not one to shy away from free, I stopped by and was met by a girl with perfect skin. Way to rope me, huh?!? She assured me that this Acai Damage-Minimizing cleanser was what she used. It foams up (love that), gets my makeup off in one fell swoop (check two), it uses organic products and has the super clean, yummy organic smell that I love (check three and four). It makes my skin feel crazy clean. Big smiles for that :) Plus, she gave me this argan oil that lathers up to use as ---get this--- shaving cream!!! Bomb stuff! It made my legs feel so stinkin' smooth. Until about 15 minutes later when I was freezing & got chillbumps, but that's not Kiehl's fault. So, of course - sucker - I went back and bought some! I still don't really know what argan is...but I like it nonetheless.
More Kiehl's!! Obsessed much? Ha ha ha! So, this is midnight recovery concentrate. I don't have a real bottle of it...YET *ahem*, but I am using the heck outta the sample that perfect skin chick gave me at the counter. This stuff is pretty awesome. You put it on after you wash your face with the awesome Acai stuff. Word on the street is that you "only need 2 drops"....maybe if your face is as big as Smurfette's. More is more, so I use (gasp) about 5 drops. This stuff is supposed to replenish and regenerate my dermis. My dermis is in serious need of rejuvenation, so I slather it on :) I really enjoy the way that it makes my epidermis feel, so my dermis must be insanely happy and on the road to recovery. I might mention that it's 99.8% organic. Sorry peeps for the other .2%. And it has evening primrose - which is a cure all, right?!
So, it took every ounce of my being to not post another Kiehl's product...because I am in total love with the Soy Milk and Honey Kiehl's lotion with Shea butter...but I know I should move on from the Kiehl's love fest. This brings me to one of my super favorite sites for running garb. Call me soft core for it, but I wanna look cute when I run. If I'm gonna be sucking wind & possibly humiliating myself, I want to look good doing it...or at least feel like I look good. On http://www.runningskirts.com/ (yeah, it's a real site) it's socktober!! Woot! This means that compression socks are on sale for $26 buck a roos. I'm totally loving these pink compression socks and want them desperately! :) How cute would I be?!? Other fabulous things on this site include the plaid running skirts and the super cute long sleeve shirts that are reflective!! Don't wanna get run over! :) That would be a buzzkill on my running program. I must also add that the shirt with the heart on the sleeve HAS A PLACE FOR YOU TO PUT YOUR THUMBS!!! How exciting :) 
Wonder what Jennifer Aniston is doing up in my blog? Ha ha. I am in love with her hair color and style at the moment. Yes, I remember when I walked the dark side. It was dark. Really dark, with no highlights or lowlights or any lights whatsoever. So, I'm toying with the idea - actually leaning closely toward - doing a little darkness for the fall/winter. This time more along the lines of our buddy JA here. Eek...but yet exciting :) Maybe I'll get the nerve up super soon. I really want to! 
Last...but certainly not least...."Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. I could (and should) read this book weekly. Actually, I'm gonna re-read it soon. I'm trying to get through "Radical" right now. I've been trying to get through "Radical" for over a month now. It just isn't "getting me" the way that it should. Quite possibly my own fault? I don't know. But...that said..."Crazy Love" got me - right in my heart, where I need to be gotten. The Holy Spirit packed a one-two punch when I read this! AND, coupled with our church's study of the Sermon on the Mount (a.k.a. the original bust down) is super challenging and exciting!! You should read this book....really!!!So, these are a few of my favorite things!!! Hope someone finds them exciting and maybe tries a new product, or reads a new book based on my recommendations :) Yay! Oh, or buys me something for my upcoming b-day ;) ha ha ha!!!
Love, love, love <3
10.10.2010
birthdays
October is full throttle on B-days in our household. Our whole family has b-days in October. It makes for alot of busy days and alot of money spent (much to my husband's dismay). Well...3 years ago tonight, I looked pretty close to this:
ha ha. this was a pic when I was about 37 1/2 weeks pregnant with W. Keep in mind, I didn't have her until 38+6, so, I got a little bigger. Note the awesomeness of the fact that I am wearing my husband's boxer shorts and his white-t undershirt! Praise the Lord that somehow I made it through without stretch marks! Woot! Honestly, I will admit that while it was hot as Hades that summer/fall/etc, and I took more "naked naps" with the ceiling fan on and the oscillating fan on than I would like to admit, I loved-loved-loved being pregnant. I was a straight up hoss, huge. My face and body looked like I had PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension or pre-eclampsia - for my non-nursey friends reading), I gained approx 24 pounds (IN MY FIRST TRIMESTER!!!!!) and a grand total of about 57 altogether, and my arms were each about the circumference of the planet Jupiter, but I felt unbelievably beautiful. I felt gorgeous and proud. Everyday, even when I knew I was swollen and hot, I still felt gorgeous. Strange, huh? I knew I was rockin' it like a fat girl. I loved Butterfingers (shout out to Katie C. who ate one with me everyday at 3pm!) and Checkers cheeseburger, fries, and a banana milkshake with my husband in the park! It was wonderfully freeing and fun. I felt like a vessel for God's miracle of life. So awesome!
Long story short, 3 years ago on 10/11, I gave birth to the sweetest, snuggliest 8# 4oz. baby girl. I helped to make my husband a daddy, exactly one day after he turned 30 years old - just as we had always dreamed of doing. We made some awesome parents into grandparents, and created some super great aunts & uncles. Life altering day. We didn't know what we were having - yeah, everyone hated us for it - but if God made me have another child, I wouldn't find out again. It was the most true surprise of our lives. I will never, ever, ever forget the sound of my husband's voice as he called out "it's a girl!".
3 years later, life has changed. She is our world. She makes us laugh, she makes us strive to be the best that we can be, she challenges us to pray harder and love deeper. She challenges everyone's brains to work to come up with answers to the rhetorical question, "why?". So, our Saturday was stressful - Mommy had the stomach bug. Mommy was npo (nil per os for my non-nurseys again - aka - I didn't eat anything) except for sips of Sprite and Coke. Mommy was tired, but did as Mommies do and put on a smiley face for the par-tay. I couldn't go "all out" as much as I did last year bc Jimmy put the smack down on me. Last year he referred to her as Paris Hilton. This year I couldn't do that much, I could only go Nicole Richie status. We had an Olivia the Pig party. It's her favorite! She was beside herself with excitement. I don't think she ate anything except part of a cupcake. She drank about 50 juice boxes - because THIS was the highlight - jumping in the Princess Palace!!! Pure excitement & sheer joy!!! Thanks for everyone that came to celebrate with us!!
Sunday (today) was my sweet Jimmy's birthday. I kinda feel bad for him, like he gets the shaft because his b-day is so close to W's & we've spent a ton on hers & everyone is all pumped bc she's a kid & he just gets left by the wayside. So not fair, because he's one in a million. Y'all know how I feel - you actually probably get tired of reading about his awesomeness, so I'll spare the baring of my heart. I've got a little something up my sleeve to do something special :) I hope it works out, because he deserves it! He did go fishing with his sweet W today! That's fun! They caught a "whopper". Not really, but that's what W said. Ha ha!
So, now we wait a couple of weeks, because next up is the celebration of me, me, me!!!! Woot!!! I don't care if I'm gonna be 32 years old. I think my birthday is the bomb and totally expect it to be a big deal to the world. I realize that it's the only child in me that comes out, but I can't help it! I love my birthday!!! Eek!!! The only bummer is that when you get older, the gifts that you want become more expensive & you get embarrassed to request them ;)
Hope y'all have a great week - and of course, I've gotta shout out a big Roll Tide, despite the fact that we did experience a bit of an ole fashioned butt whoopin' and maybe ate a rather large helping of humble pie. I still love my team, though. You just can't win 'em all. At least they aren't like me...because if I didn't think I was gonna do my very best, I wouldn't have even shown up!!! Ha ha!
9.24.2010
Can't believe that I've survived!!!
This week has officially kicked my booty. Really. I am sore all over, crazy tired, and think that I may be trying to succumb to the sinus troubles that are plaguing everyone. I'm gonna go to bed in a moment. I'm sitting in my recliner blogging, while Jimmy is reading to W. Just a little relaxation before bed. So, yeah, the week whipped me...but here's the awesome re-cap...
My sweet husband went out of town on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This left me to be mommy and daddy both - and...did I mention that I traded my work days around to work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday....all in a row!!?? So, some of you may be thinking - 'really, she's complaining about 3 days?'. You have to understand the nature of my job. Many days I don't sit down for longer than 5 minutes at a time, I eat lunch on the run (when I can get it), and sometimes it is interruped by patient needs (sometimes more than once). Also, my shift is 12 hours. I did that...plus was Mommy and Daddy and taxi service. Praise God for Mama Trish & Poppa & Aunt Christy who helped with the taxi-ing and even did an overnight :) Woot! No day did I get to sleep past 5:15. Most days were 4:50. I didn't get to run AT ALL - therefore, I am koo koo bananas and irritable. Then on Wednesday, sweet Jimmy came home - and bless his heart - he had a terrible, nasty case of poison oak. He was all whelped & itchy & sad....so, W and I trekked to CVS and bought Benadryl & some special lotion junk. How awesome - he's been out of town for 3 days and he comes home all gross & the most romantic thing that happens is that he slathers his body with poison oak relief cream. Nice.
Thursday morning, I popped up at 4:30am & put my OR hat on & got ready for a super special day...Aunt Christy & Uncle Shane pulled up for a BYON (bring your own nurse) & took me to the hospital to help deliver my new niece :) Seriously...no matter how tired I was...it couldn't have been any more awesome! That IV that I started in her right forearm was the stinkin' bomb! Woot! I had all of the staff chosen & fabulous peeps to take care of her :) Such a blessing! I love my job! Such a sweet, cute, perfect little gift from above - with a darling dimple on her cheek! Makes my ovaries twitch....just for a second...then I think about how wonderfully I sleep at night, without interruption....then my ovaries are still. Anyhoo - it's so amazing to see birth anytime, but even more special when it belongs in your family :) Congrats to Christy, Shane, T, and baby KA!
THEN....it was time for all of the excitement to peak! Jimmy had been keeping this secret from me for over a month...maybe even a month & a half. All I knew was that he was going to take me somewhere Thursday evening after Christy's surgery - he had arranged for W to spend the night with mama trish & poppa, and I had to trade the day so I wouldn't be working on Friday (hence the reason for my three-in-a-row). He wouldn't tell me what to wear or anything!!! So, on Thursday afternoon, he told me to put some pjs & some knock-around-town clothes in a bag with my toiletries. That's it. That's all I got! Eek! He told me to dress up...and on a scale of Burger King attire - Carrabbas attire - and Ruth's Chris attire, to dress somewhere between Carrabbas & Ruth's Chris. Double Eek! So...I have this adorable peasant dress that I've been dying to wear & I put it on - thinking I'm the bomb - and walk out of the bathroom. Jimmy says, "uh, is that what you're wearing?". I said, "yeah". He said, "you can't wear that - you just might embarrass yourself". What the heck?!?!?!?! Kinda knocked the wind outta my sails :( But, I changed to a classic black dress & pearls. Can't go wrong with that! So, we load up in the car & start driving. We pass into Tennessee & get near Chattanooga. I have a habit of reading road signs & billboards aloud, so I was just doing what I do sometimes, and say aloud "now entering Eastern time zone". I look at Jimmy (for an unknown reason) and I see the look of panic on his face, and he says "uh oh". I said, "did we have reservations somewhere?". He said, "well, we did. but, the time has already passed." He confessed that he had reservations at The Melting Pot!!! I've been once, but I talk about it ALL THE TIME and am dying to go again. I've been waiting 7 1/2 years to be exact. Not that I'm counting or anything. Such a bummer...but, truly, I wasn't hungry & he said that he will take me on my b-day - but, deep in my heart, I know that he hates the Melting Pot - and I won't make him take me - I may just gather a girls group to go for my bday. But I digress. So, we are driving along & are just having random conversation & I make the mistake of saying "dude, I freaking hate concerts". Which is the honest to God truth. I looked over at him again & he says, "well, this is gonna be the worst date ever". I said "a concert? you're taking me to a concert? but...I have on a black dress and pearls". He told me that I had to wear this - and now I'm headed to humiliate myself??!! What the heck??!!?? So, I asked him, "who in the universe do you think that I would want to see?" I gave him a million questions - is it rock? is it country? is it Christian? is it a band? is it an individual? is it a man or a woman? No answers. Not a hint. Can I tell you how hard we laughed about this whole situation?!? Praise God that Jimmy has a great sense of humor! He takes me to get a cupcake before the "concert" and the pumpkin spice that was advertised on the billboard is sold out. Poor guy, this was going downhill fast...although we shared a carrot cake cupcake & it was scrumptious :) So, we walk down the street a little & end up at this opera house. It's called the Travoli or something like that. They have symphonies & operas there - so no, I was not overdressed - the black dress & pearls were perfect :) I had no idea who was playing until they came out - and it was an acapella group called Straight No Chaser. They are 10 guys who sing popular songs & only use their voices. They are amazing. I had seen them on You Tube several times & was totally amazed - btw, you should get on You Tube right after reading this blog & look for them! Jimmy had found out that they were gonna be in Chattanooga, and planned it up :) How adorable. He's the greatest! The show was awesome - I knew every single song - and as typical for Jimmy and I, we sat behind a 60-70 year old "cougar wanna be" (Jimmy's description, not mine), who acted a total fool & gave us something to giggle about! After that, he took me to spend the night at his grandparent's cabin on the lake & in the morning we had breakfast. Such an amazing date - so wonderful to have time away, together :)
For explanation (in case it's needed for future references): yes, I freaking hate concerts. Okay. Whatev. I'm unAmerican. I hate summer, too. So, sue me. To each her own. I have had to apologize a couple of times to my friend Shannon about my hatred of concerts - because she would go to a concert every day if she could. I just hate the atmosphere. I so dislike the crowdedness, the drunk yellers/slurring/spilling, the people holding up signs, the "worship" of the band, the panty throwing, and you can't even see the group on stage anyway - maybe you're 5 feet tall like me & some nutso is jumping in front of you like they are practicing their vertical, or you are in the nosebleed section because you still paid an arm & a leg for those seats. Maybe it's those whack t-shirts that you will wear once & never again. Maybe it's the stankness of the women's bathrooms and the long lines. I don't know, but I hate it all. I explained to Jimmy, that I grouped his date as a "show" and not a concert - it was more like a musical or broadway show. When I say concerts, I'm picturing Poison circa 1988.
Other fun things - I bought my kid some awesome pink, polka dotted, slightly sparkly Chuck Taylors. :) Bomb, baby.
All this gigantic post to say - whew, I am beat. I am tired, but blissfully happy and blessed. I have gotta get up and run in the am so I can stay sane and still be nice and happy and maybe deserve another surprise date at a future time :) Tomorrow is an awesome football day, too!!! Rizzle Tizzle!!! :)
My sweet husband went out of town on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This left me to be mommy and daddy both - and...did I mention that I traded my work days around to work on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday....all in a row!!?? So, some of you may be thinking - 'really, she's complaining about 3 days?'. You have to understand the nature of my job. Many days I don't sit down for longer than 5 minutes at a time, I eat lunch on the run (when I can get it), and sometimes it is interruped by patient needs (sometimes more than once). Also, my shift is 12 hours. I did that...plus was Mommy and Daddy and taxi service. Praise God for Mama Trish & Poppa & Aunt Christy who helped with the taxi-ing and even did an overnight :) Woot! No day did I get to sleep past 5:15. Most days were 4:50. I didn't get to run AT ALL - therefore, I am koo koo bananas and irritable. Then on Wednesday, sweet Jimmy came home - and bless his heart - he had a terrible, nasty case of poison oak. He was all whelped & itchy & sad....so, W and I trekked to CVS and bought Benadryl & some special lotion junk. How awesome - he's been out of town for 3 days and he comes home all gross & the most romantic thing that happens is that he slathers his body with poison oak relief cream. Nice.
Thursday morning, I popped up at 4:30am & put my OR hat on & got ready for a super special day...Aunt Christy & Uncle Shane pulled up for a BYON (bring your own nurse) & took me to the hospital to help deliver my new niece :) Seriously...no matter how tired I was...it couldn't have been any more awesome! That IV that I started in her right forearm was the stinkin' bomb! Woot! I had all of the staff chosen & fabulous peeps to take care of her :) Such a blessing! I love my job! Such a sweet, cute, perfect little gift from above - with a darling dimple on her cheek! Makes my ovaries twitch....just for a second...then I think about how wonderfully I sleep at night, without interruption....then my ovaries are still. Anyhoo - it's so amazing to see birth anytime, but even more special when it belongs in your family :) Congrats to Christy, Shane, T, and baby KA!
THEN....it was time for all of the excitement to peak! Jimmy had been keeping this secret from me for over a month...maybe even a month & a half. All I knew was that he was going to take me somewhere Thursday evening after Christy's surgery - he had arranged for W to spend the night with mama trish & poppa, and I had to trade the day so I wouldn't be working on Friday (hence the reason for my three-in-a-row). He wouldn't tell me what to wear or anything!!! So, on Thursday afternoon, he told me to put some pjs & some knock-around-town clothes in a bag with my toiletries. That's it. That's all I got! Eek! He told me to dress up...and on a scale of Burger King attire - Carrabbas attire - and Ruth's Chris attire, to dress somewhere between Carrabbas & Ruth's Chris. Double Eek! So...I have this adorable peasant dress that I've been dying to wear & I put it on - thinking I'm the bomb - and walk out of the bathroom. Jimmy says, "uh, is that what you're wearing?". I said, "yeah". He said, "you can't wear that - you just might embarrass yourself". What the heck?!?!?!?! Kinda knocked the wind outta my sails :( But, I changed to a classic black dress & pearls. Can't go wrong with that! So, we load up in the car & start driving. We pass into Tennessee & get near Chattanooga. I have a habit of reading road signs & billboards aloud, so I was just doing what I do sometimes, and say aloud "now entering Eastern time zone". I look at Jimmy (for an unknown reason) and I see the look of panic on his face, and he says "uh oh". I said, "did we have reservations somewhere?". He said, "well, we did. but, the time has already passed." He confessed that he had reservations at The Melting Pot!!! I've been once, but I talk about it ALL THE TIME and am dying to go again. I've been waiting 7 1/2 years to be exact. Not that I'm counting or anything. Such a bummer...but, truly, I wasn't hungry & he said that he will take me on my b-day - but, deep in my heart, I know that he hates the Melting Pot - and I won't make him take me - I may just gather a girls group to go for my bday. But I digress. So, we are driving along & are just having random conversation & I make the mistake of saying "dude, I freaking hate concerts". Which is the honest to God truth. I looked over at him again & he says, "well, this is gonna be the worst date ever". I said "a concert? you're taking me to a concert? but...I have on a black dress and pearls". He told me that I had to wear this - and now I'm headed to humiliate myself??!! What the heck??!!?? So, I asked him, "who in the universe do you think that I would want to see?" I gave him a million questions - is it rock? is it country? is it Christian? is it a band? is it an individual? is it a man or a woman? No answers. Not a hint. Can I tell you how hard we laughed about this whole situation?!? Praise God that Jimmy has a great sense of humor! He takes me to get a cupcake before the "concert" and the pumpkin spice that was advertised on the billboard is sold out. Poor guy, this was going downhill fast...although we shared a carrot cake cupcake & it was scrumptious :) So, we walk down the street a little & end up at this opera house. It's called the Travoli or something like that. They have symphonies & operas there - so no, I was not overdressed - the black dress & pearls were perfect :) I had no idea who was playing until they came out - and it was an acapella group called Straight No Chaser. They are 10 guys who sing popular songs & only use their voices. They are amazing. I had seen them on You Tube several times & was totally amazed - btw, you should get on You Tube right after reading this blog & look for them! Jimmy had found out that they were gonna be in Chattanooga, and planned it up :) How adorable. He's the greatest! The show was awesome - I knew every single song - and as typical for Jimmy and I, we sat behind a 60-70 year old "cougar wanna be" (Jimmy's description, not mine), who acted a total fool & gave us something to giggle about! After that, he took me to spend the night at his grandparent's cabin on the lake & in the morning we had breakfast. Such an amazing date - so wonderful to have time away, together :)
For explanation (in case it's needed for future references): yes, I freaking hate concerts. Okay. Whatev. I'm unAmerican. I hate summer, too. So, sue me. To each her own. I have had to apologize a couple of times to my friend Shannon about my hatred of concerts - because she would go to a concert every day if she could. I just hate the atmosphere. I so dislike the crowdedness, the drunk yellers/slurring/spilling, the people holding up signs, the "worship" of the band, the panty throwing, and you can't even see the group on stage anyway - maybe you're 5 feet tall like me & some nutso is jumping in front of you like they are practicing their vertical, or you are in the nosebleed section because you still paid an arm & a leg for those seats. Maybe it's those whack t-shirts that you will wear once & never again. Maybe it's the stankness of the women's bathrooms and the long lines. I don't know, but I hate it all. I explained to Jimmy, that I grouped his date as a "show" and not a concert - it was more like a musical or broadway show. When I say concerts, I'm picturing Poison circa 1988.
Other fun things - I bought my kid some awesome pink, polka dotted, slightly sparkly Chuck Taylors. :) Bomb, baby.
All this gigantic post to say - whew, I am beat. I am tired, but blissfully happy and blessed. I have gotta get up and run in the am so I can stay sane and still be nice and happy and maybe deserve another surprise date at a future time :) Tomorrow is an awesome football day, too!!! Rizzle Tizzle!!! :)
9.21.2010
Things for Which I am Thankful...
a stream of consciousness, non-exhaustive list of things for which I am thankful:
- nice juicy veins on a patient that are just the right amount of juice without the roly-poly
- running skirts - it makes me feel cute when I am sweating like a pig & sucking wind
- super dark brown/black polish on my toenails. I know it's 95 degrees outside. I don't care. I am waaaay over the summer and am wishfully thinking that if I have my toes painted black that the fall weather will come quicker.
- The lady at the nail salon in the mall who gave me a little extra leg/foot massage after work today. Yeah, I paid for it, but who cares. My dogs were barkin'.
- Caramel Sugar Mama Gigi's cupcakes
- intrauterine pressure catheters
- diet coke in a bottle
- wearing a scrub hat on my second day in a row of work. read: I didn't have to wash my hair, therefore; I slept 15 minutes later.
- Conversations with my baby girl
- My husband calling the cops to make sure that they patrol extra while he's out of town
- Season premiere of Grey's Anatomy this week
- The Sermon on the Mount - a.k.a. the original bust-down :) Love it!
- Art projects
- Down feather pillows
- Fall candles
- College football on tv this weekend - especially my Bama!
- My niece - who will be arriving on Thursday - and I get to help deliver!
Again, not an exhaustive list, but things on the forefront of my mind, nonetheless! Woot! Woot!
9.14.2010
much needed vay-cay
Hello to those who read :) It's been a minute, huh? Yeah. I was busy. Doin' nothin'!!! Love it!!! We just got back from a week long (oh yeah) vacation. It's been in the works for one year & it finally arrived - just in time! It was me, Jimmy, W, Lovie, Poppie, & Mama Trish & Poppa. Aunt Tamara & Uncle Dustin came & hung out for a few days, too - which rocked! Sad stuff was that Uncle Shane, T & Aunt Christy had to stay home for this go-round. Mainly because Aunt Christy is 36 weeks pregnant and could blow at any minute. I surely didn't want her stuck down south where if something happened, she would have to be cared for by someone where a resident was included! Eek. I would die. At home, she was safe. If something happened, I knew that she was in very capable hands with her md & my sweet co-workers :)
our sweet family :)
someone drank a blue icee!!
On Daddy's shoulders :)
Me and my lovemuffin with whom I am blessed to share this crazy life
our sweet family :)
I'm not gonna bore you with the details of the trip (although, I could!), but we ate to our hearts content (W was totally intrigued by the place where the rolls are thrown), spent too much $ at the outlets (of course I needed those pants at Ann Taylor - the size zero fit for pete's sake - you gotta buy them, for that reason alone!), we rode every - and I do mean every - carousel around, we swam, & watched W put on "talent shows", I got to run along the road by the beach, Jimmy & I got to eat a special lunch of royal reds alone, we watched football, we went to the most awesome little bitty zoo (that didn't stink like an elephants patoot), we built sandcastles, we took naps, and (my personal favorite) - I read 4 books!!!! Woot!!!! I also had a spray tan, so I was quasi-tropic while doing all of this! I drank the BEST chocolate malt in the universe (twice). It was at a place called "Shakes". Worth every stinking calorie!!!
someone drank a blue icee!! On Daddy's shoulders :)Now I am worthless - back to the land of chaos & time constraints & messy houses & laundry - and I just want to read another book on the beach. The only saving grace that I have is that my house smells like a pumpkin and fall is really RIGHT around the corner! That keeps me going!
Oh, and the fact that football abounds & Bama is rockin' so far this year :) Hooray!
Oh, and the fact that football abounds & Bama is rockin' so far this year :) Hooray!
Me and my lovemuffin with whom I am blessed to share this crazy life
I have many more post topics in my brain (i.e., the books that I have read & am currently reading) "Crazy Love" & "Radical" - oh yeah, sell your stuff & give it all to God & what's TRULY important in life - these books are impacting me in a huge way - thanks God :) um...and I was gonna do a 09/11 post, but I missed that big time, I'm thinking about a facts about me post - which apparently in the blog world is a must-do, and etc, etc. My mind moves alot...can you tell?
Love, love, love :)
8.30.2010
just a day in the life...
It's been a minute since I wrote. Mainly because nothing has struck me to write about, and I worked all weekend last weekend. Honestly, I don't have anything cool to say. I just thought I should update. Poor readers, so, y'all log on, intending utter hilarity and this is what I offer. Wonk-wonk. Sorry :)
In case you haven't figured it out, we are raising straight drama. As I type, she is dressed as a fairy (with a purple fuzzy purse, play keys, and play lipstick) and is quoting an episode of Olivia. "I'm W, the Queen of the Fairies. Tonight we'll have a dance, and we'll ALL be merry". She stood up on one of the shelves at Hobby Lobby today & quoted her line. She asked me to do the same...what do y'all think I did? No...I'm waay too big to stand up on the shelf! I did quote the line though - arm motions and all :) I could care less if I embarrass myself, as long as this little girl smiles! Ha ha!
She also informed me today that she was "a great shopper". Wow. This doesn't bode well for Daddy :) Mommy can shop hard, too...as can Lovie, Mama Trish, Aunt Christy, Kayse, Mrs. Brandi...yeah, she's surrounded by professionals. Ha ha! She was my helper at Bath & Body Works today. She smelled everything before I purchased - and gave her opinion! As an aside - the fall stuff is in full swing at Bath & Body. I am a sucker for all things fall. I'm just waiting for September 1 to appear on the calendar - then it's fair game - Fall will appear at the Hall home - in FULL EFFECT!!! :) Let's just take a second to praise the Lord that I had a 20% off coupon today! Ha ha. Honestly, she was the best shopper ever today...we were all over town & she was nothing but a helper. And for once in my life, I was thankful to see the little guy in the food court giving out chicken samples, because W thought that "that chicken was great"!
We are still obsessed with picnics. She's moved on now and is begging Dubya (the wonder lab) to have a picnic with her. She has a pallet out & has all (yes, I said all & I mean ALL) of her stuffed animals out & is making lasagna & brownies for them. I have attended 432 picnics in the last 18 hours. Not that I am counting :)
Today, I have passed out 3 rounds of apple juice, given 2 things of yogurt, given more cheese than I would like to admit, laid out a pallet more times than I care to count, moved stuffed animals from one room to another and back again. I didn't have time to put on makeup - I went out wearing my UA hat with my hair in a ponytail- AGAIN. I didn't get to sleep late. My nap wasn't long enough. I have a book in a Books A Million bag that I'm DYING to open, but I haven't had time. I have read "Thomas the Train" though. I've changed an enormous poopy diaper, swept up a massive amount of dog hair, and heard "The Wheels on the Bus" on repeat like it was #1 on i-tunes. AND...I sit back and smile as I think about my life, the things that God has surrounded me with, the everyday mundane, and the tiny blessings that come almost every second.
Just a day in the life...and I love it :)
In case you haven't figured it out, we are raising straight drama. As I type, she is dressed as a fairy (with a purple fuzzy purse, play keys, and play lipstick) and is quoting an episode of Olivia. "I'm W, the Queen of the Fairies. Tonight we'll have a dance, and we'll ALL be merry". She stood up on one of the shelves at Hobby Lobby today & quoted her line. She asked me to do the same...what do y'all think I did? No...I'm waay too big to stand up on the shelf! I did quote the line though - arm motions and all :) I could care less if I embarrass myself, as long as this little girl smiles! Ha ha!
She also informed me today that she was "a great shopper". Wow. This doesn't bode well for Daddy :) Mommy can shop hard, too...as can Lovie, Mama Trish, Aunt Christy, Kayse, Mrs. Brandi...yeah, she's surrounded by professionals. Ha ha! She was my helper at Bath & Body Works today. She smelled everything before I purchased - and gave her opinion! As an aside - the fall stuff is in full swing at Bath & Body. I am a sucker for all things fall. I'm just waiting for September 1 to appear on the calendar - then it's fair game - Fall will appear at the Hall home - in FULL EFFECT!!! :) Let's just take a second to praise the Lord that I had a 20% off coupon today! Ha ha. Honestly, she was the best shopper ever today...we were all over town & she was nothing but a helper. And for once in my life, I was thankful to see the little guy in the food court giving out chicken samples, because W thought that "that chicken was great"!
We are still obsessed with picnics. She's moved on now and is begging Dubya (the wonder lab) to have a picnic with her. She has a pallet out & has all (yes, I said all & I mean ALL) of her stuffed animals out & is making lasagna & brownies for them. I have attended 432 picnics in the last 18 hours. Not that I am counting :)
Today, I have passed out 3 rounds of apple juice, given 2 things of yogurt, given more cheese than I would like to admit, laid out a pallet more times than I care to count, moved stuffed animals from one room to another and back again. I didn't have time to put on makeup - I went out wearing my UA hat with my hair in a ponytail- AGAIN. I didn't get to sleep late. My nap wasn't long enough. I have a book in a Books A Million bag that I'm DYING to open, but I haven't had time. I have read "Thomas the Train" though. I've changed an enormous poopy diaper, swept up a massive amount of dog hair, and heard "The Wheels on the Bus" on repeat like it was #1 on i-tunes. AND...I sit back and smile as I think about my life, the things that God has surrounded me with, the everyday mundane, and the tiny blessings that come almost every second.
Just a day in the life...and I love it :)
8.18.2010
Fourteen Years? For real?
Around this time, in August of 1996, my life changed in the craziest way. I went to college *for the first time - no giggles from the peanut gallery, please*. It was an exciting, interesting, wierd, unfulfilling, & ultimately sad way that I ended up at the University of Alabama. Of course, I grew up a major, major fan of the Crimson Tide. My family loved football season - I have a million fun memories of family time on gameday Saturdays - my mom & I making peanut butter balls, going shopping with Mom before gametime & bringing home pizza for the game, joking that when Bama played & the game was intense that my dad would get 'bad breath, diarrhea, & b.o.', trekking during a tornado (yeah, seriously) to the neighbor's house bc our power went out and it was the FOURTH QUARTER!!! I even had my own Tide By a Toe sweatshirt when the Original Tiffin kicked the game-winning fieldgoal against Auburn ;) I guess that I never thought much about where I would go to college, until it came time to choose. I knew I would go, but I hadn't considered where. When it came down to it, I was just a chick from a small town, who lived the small town life, cheered at the local high school, went to the same church forever, had the same friends forever, had the same boyfriend all through high school, and was an only child who was superclose to my family. I had great ACT scores & fabulous grades, I suppose I could have gone almost anywhere - but circumstance led me to UA.
No doubt, I was proud to be attending UA - it was totally the right decision! It was intimidating - none of my friends were going. I was pretty much alone. I even had a private room in Tutwiler dorm - a.k.a. 14 Floors of Whores (ha ha ha). We loaded up my Mom's car, my car, my Granddaddy's truck & made the big move. Move in day was chaotic, but promising. I can still remember the exact set up of my room, although some other details (like was it room 1032 or 1034?) have become fuzzy. I had my cool plaid comforter (looking back, it was HIDEOUS!), a maroon futon, a desk with my big huge computer on it (back when AOL made that big noise when dialing-up and screamed "You've Got Mail" at you), I had a big collage of pics from high school of all my friends & fun moments that I brought with me to remember my "life before". I had my hooptie TV on my shelf beside my mirror & my stereo in the corner.
It's totally insane how quickly life changes when you go to college - things change as quickly as the fall winds that begin to sweep in as September progresses. I went from hometown high school girl, to Freshman Sorority Girl. I pledged Zeta Tau Alpha & was scooped up & loved by my sorority sisters immediately. Say what you will about it, but it was a wonderful way to find your "place" in such a large environment. Suddenly, I had parties, meetings, hangout time, oh, and class ;) My "old world" began to pass away - my high school romance faded quickly - I couldn't believe the world of guys that existed outside of my hometown!, I kept in touch with my "core group" of hometown friends, but the rest faded away as well; I couldn't believe the freedom that came with college. I mismanaged it - I can totally admit that now. I didn't know how to study - I had never hardly studied a day in my life and was in the National Honor Society & graduated in the top 10 in my class. I partied. Alot. A whole lot. Not my finest moments. Definitely not living in the will of God. I was living it up at one of the top 5 party schools in the nation. I found myself on probation at the end of my first semester - Roll Tide! Wow.
So, as my freshman year came to a close, I met (through one of my sweet sorority sisters) my future husband. He made good grades. It struck a fire under me - I'm competitive ;) I don't know if I matured, or if the freedom just got old, but I began to party much less and care much more about making Dean's List. Life became more settled - as much as you can say for a college student.
Despite the crazy amount of trials & tribulations & tears that I am so not gonna discuss here - I think a whole lot about my freshman year at UA. I think about the newness, the freedom, the pride. Especially this time of year, when many people who were the big fish in a small pond like I was, are dropped off at college to start becoming an adult. I think about lying in my tiny dorm room bed alone at night watching "Loveline" before I fell asleep. I think about cruising in the 240 SX listening to "Jagged Little Pill". I think about playing cards at my sorority sister's apartment before swaps. I will never smell Peach lotion from Bath & Body works and not think about Sorority Rush 1996. I remember my ripped up CK jeans & think about how awesome I felt in them. I remember the walk to 912 Magnolia Drive. I remember the smell of fall at UA. I use carmex very, very, very sparingly now - I was addicted to it during my Freshman year at UA. As soon as I use it, it takes me back, right there to that dorm room, in the dark, watching TV, thinking on freedom, thinking on life, thinking teenage dreams - and I never want to lose those memories. I remember eating baseball cookies at the sorority house & drinking orange kool-aid. I remember the places we frequented. I loved it. I loved it. I loved it. I can romanticize it now, because I am so removed from it - but, it was a broken road. Many things I am not proud of, some things I miss, but it lead me to who I am now. It led me to my husband. It led me to love UA. I have my childlike love for football again :)
So, fourteen years ago, I set out on a crazy journey. I made alot of mistakes, but the initial decision was the correct one. It has made me, me. God knows what he's doing! A tiny part of me envies those luckies that are moving into Tutwiler - life is so just beginning for them! Hope that the experience shapes their lives in the way that it has shaped mine!
Roll Tide Roll!!!! ;)
8.13.2010
Dubya's Birthday :)
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Today is Dubya's birthday. For those who might not realize, Dub is our labrador retriever. He was our "firstborn". Ha ha. I am a total dog person. I get joked on freely because of my love for dogs - especially big ones. I will also acknowledge freely - and now in a semi-public manner - that I can handle the death of a human fairly well, but cannot handle/think about/fathom thinking about the death of an animal - especially a dog. Jimmy always tries to tell me that I'm on top of the food chain, but I just don't care - seriously, I was a vegetarian for 5 years! I have a big granola girl side! That said...I love Dubya. I love to hug him. He's super cuddly, smart as a whip, the bestest big brother to W, and he truly has an innate sense about people's feelings. No lie. I know it sounds a little "Marley & Me", but when I miscarried our first pregnancy, before I even knew there was a problem, sweet little Dub stuck by me all day long, like glue, he laid by me on the couch, on my legs, then at my side, until I figured out that something wasn't right. There's no doubt in my mind that he knew what was up before I did.
I make a big deal out of his b-day every year. We do pics, we get gifts. Yeah, I've gotten him a pet-friendly bone shaped cake before. Heck, tonight, he even got a bath with some new organic anti-shed, good smelling shampoo. W picked out a rope-bone for him...granted, she calls it a scarf, but whatever. It's the thought that counts - she was throwing it for him & he was chasing it. I think it was a hit. We got him a pack of Greenies. They used to be his favorite - we used to get them for him almost weekly, until W came along & now the $ to do that just isn't there. We've taken him to the beach twice. He's a puppy college graduate. He's like me, he has a Master's degree, but doesn't really use it. Nice to know the knowledge is there, but you can choose to ignore it most of the time. Ha. He loves everyone with whom he comes into contact. He doesn't meet a stranger - except he doesn't really like smokers - can't blame him for that one - he has a sensitive sniffer! He lets W have her way with him. She listens to his heart, "checks" his blood pressure, looks in his mouth & ears & even "gives him a shot" with her doctors kit about 10 times per day. She sits on his back while he is laying down. She throws toys for him. She snuggles him, she wants him to be there when we read books at night, she can't go to bed without telling "Bubba" goodnight. He is truly a blessing to our family and helps complete our little group.
I'm so glad that we chose a labrador retriever. They are awesome family pets. We looked into a Mastiff - woah, that would've been a mistake! Whew! It was Jimmy who brought Dub into our family on a crisp, clear October afternoon. It was close to my birthday, but he wasn't my birthday gift, he was just a gift. A surprise. One of the best kept secrets ever. Good job on Jimmy's part. I was talking on the phone to my Dad after a day trip to Birmingham. I pulled into our driveway & looked in my rearview because a small blonde moving streak caught my eye...I saw Jimmy running after it & I told my Dad, "oh my gosh! I gotta go...I think Jimmy bought me a dog!". Best surprise ever! We rolled around in our big backyard. We took him to PetSmart that night & bought all of our doggie supplies. He was 10 weeks old & so small that he fit in the TOP of the buggy!!!! Wow!!! We knew that he was gonna be a biggie bc his paws were already enormous! What an awesome memory!!
Yeah, I'm a dog person. The shedding is horrific & annoying - especially bc I love to wear black. But, the love that we get from Dub is special and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Happy Birthday to my furry boy! We love you so much & wish you many, many more birthdays with us!
8.09.2010
Making it happen
So, as mommies, we learn to create something fun out of nothing at all. For some people, that task comes easy, for others, they have to work at it. I'm a very creative person - I love art. I love to doodle, write, sing, & paint canvases. But, when it comes to making up fun activities for my child - I kinda stink. Jimmy is much better than I am. For example, last week, W was on a kick about wanting to go camping - I am so dying to go bc I've never been :( Sad, huh? - and she wanted to have a tent, sleep in a sleeping bag, see the stars, & roast marshmallows. Her scenario, not mine, although I think it sounds like the bomb! Jimmy suggested (from his cozy desk at work) that W and I roast marshmallows over the gas burner on the stove. Awesome idea - I was gonna be Mommy of the Year in W's eyes for sure! W had been bringing sticks into the house from outside on which to roast her marshmallows, but I wasn't brave enough for them, so I got some wooden skewers - much the same...right? - for us to roast marshmallows on. She seemed cool with it. Mommy of the Year - I roasted those puppies - I did it very lightly, as to not freak her out, but to excite her and make all of her dreams come true. Not. She had a total meltdown. "It's dirty!!!!" "Noooooo!!!!" "It's dirty!!!!" I ate a few to show her how yummy the lightly toasted marshmellows were. Meltdown continues. Mommy of the stinkin' year. I used logic to explain what the brown was and how the brown was the good part. I roasted some more. You know what they say the definition of insanity is...well, I was living proof. Meltdown number two was crankin'. "It's dirty!!!!" "Nooooo!!". I promptly texted Jimmy at work to tell him the aftermath of his grand idea. He giggled. Probably glad that he was at work & not at home to endure the wrath of a wronged 2 year old.
As to continue my quest for Mommy of the Year - my baby wanted to play with the hippo float tonight. She walked around the house with her legs in it. I'm not sure who decided to make this sweet move, but either me or Jimmy decided to let the float join her for bathtime. What's up?? Mommy of the Year!!! She loved it! She splashed & played to her heart's content. She thought she was in a pool. Pathetic? Yeah, so what. That's how we roll. Anything to make our girl smile :) She wants to float around in the hippo? Yep. Mommy's gonna make it happen!! That's my job!!
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