Bah Humbug

This is a delightful holiday meme stolen from the darling sister of my heart Di, in an effort to try to drum up some holiday spirit. It would seem I have gotten a nasty case of the "I don't give a darns." and have subsequently, just been schooled in the commonly known law of Murphy...be careful what you ask for...Just days ago I was telling JJ that I just wanted this season to be over, That I would like nothing more than to treat this Friday like, exactly that... A Friday. Well, tonight the decision was made to move up our Christmas to Thursday, giving me one less day to get ready. BAH HUMBUG! Now I really don't care! It is what it is! I can only do so much! I'm tired of saying "next year will be better".... but, the eternal optimist in me objects to my saying that... even though, I really want to, full on, say, "screw this B.S."... I can't truly do that... it wouldn't be me...

Eggnog or hot chocolate? Cocoa please, with a shot of peppermint Schnapps and a candy cane stirrer.
Does Santa wrap the presents or leave them open under the tree? Wrap, Wrap, Wrap, even the stocking stuffers and the pets gifts too. (BTW, I stink at wrapping)
Colored lights on a tree or white? Colored all the way! Jury is still out on blinky...
Do you hang mistletoe? No, but only because I don't have a fake one and can't ever find real
When do you put your decorations up? When I get around to it
What is your favorite holiday dish? our obnoxiously expensive rib roast (6 ribs this year...over the top decadence! this is the only time of the year I pay more than $2/lb for our protein) with 3 different sauces (horseradish, mushroom, and plain brown gravy so everybody gets what they like)
Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? I was, like, 10 years old before I realized that, that one package, on Christmas Eve was ALWAYS jammies (my kids totally figured that out WAAAAAY before that)
How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With a mish-mash of ornaments, homemade, gifts, special, family, old, new, silver garland and an angel I won as a door prize at a work Christmas party about 15 years ago
Snow: Love it or hate it? 28/82? Hello? Did you get that? Love it, but probably because I visit it, not live in it...White Christmas...how quaint...
Can you ice skate? I can go forward, backward, execute an amateur turn...just don't ask me to stop without a wall or a thud.
What is your favorite holiday dessert? COOOKIES!!!! (spoken in a blue monster voice)
What is your favorite holiday tradition? As a kid, Christmas Eve at church and Aunt Di and Uncle Skip's house. As an adult, that peaceful moment, in the wee hours, when everything is done and we sit gazing at what we have accomplished, with not enough money or time, its then, that I truly believe in Santa.....
Candy canes: yum or yuck? Yum...see question 1
Favorite Christmas show? Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer ( the island of misfit toys? Seriously?...totally me!)

I couldn't bear to delete this from Di's blog, that chickie has got skillz, I can barely type two handed...
(stolen from Swistle, and typed one handed while nursing Ben.)

Please repeat this on your own blog or in the comments, I'd love to see how you do the season!

With love and lifting spirits,
Suzi

Tough Year...

Our little family has gone through some interesting turns and twists(and a few back this fricken bus right back up and give us a do-overs). We've seen harrowing, pull your hair out times, Delightful, smile until your face hurts times. When we said our wedding vows, we had already made those vows and tested them. We know we can handle anything life throws at us, we're tough, we can take it. With God leading the way and love in our hearts, we'll get through anything...maybe...



Up until yesterday, I proudly would proclaim, I have a Senior, 2 Juniors and a Freshman! to anybody who asked how old my kids are. All 4 kids in the same school again! Hurray!

Until yesterday (dunt, dunt, dunnnn) yesterday we had Cats Senior pictures taken. Woo Hoo! hair styling, cute outfits, picking backdrops, sassy poses! So much girly fun! And we did have fun, Lisa and I took turns being with her in the studio (they only let one parent back and I LOVE the look on people's face's when they ask "Which one is mom?" and Lisa says "We both are"). Lisa went first. I didn't see The Picture happen. At the end, when we were reviewing the raw pictures, I was suddenly blind sided by it...The Yearbook Drape Shot...(sob) . I am now in amazement that Senior year is actually here, a pitiful kind of sobby OMFG MAH BABY amazement, somehow its realer now to me.



I'm naturally a teary eyed sort, so I anticipated moments of poignancy to strike unexpectedly. Seriously here people! I cried at the yearbook portrait of my darling girl, what in the world am I (and subsequently JJ) in for? First day of her last year in high school! (sob), Volleyball games!(sob) basket ball games! (sob) Senior nights (double sob with a side of honking nose blows).



Its gonna be a soggy year (Might I suggest you invest in tissues? I like the ones with lotion)

Wow, Its Been a While

I know, I know...I suck. I'm especially sucky at doing things in a timely manner. I have a little contrary streak in me that, sometimes, I just don't feel like fighting. Every time someone mentioned "you have to do the "such and such" post it just made me dig my heels in, thinking to myself, "its my blog, I don't have to do anything". I know ya'll have been waiting patiently for the twins b-day post, job updates, summer plans, Grace in Small Things updates or even anything at all (Hello? Suzi? You still there?). I had grand plans for all of these. Indeed! I did! Really! No, really I did! I just went back to my drafts page and I have as many draft posts as I have published posts. Each of those events I mentioned, has a blurb or two written, and even some other topics too. Going over that list, I find the notion of writing each of them up fully, to be a daunting task, one I do not believe my sucky, lazi-a$$-ness is capable of achieving. So, to catch up, and establish a new starting off point, after which, every event will be documented and published in a timely manner(hahahaha, oh, sigh, I crack myself up), may I present, for your perusal, the bulleted version of...


I Really Want to do This Blog Thing, But I have the Attention Span of A Gnat, So I'll Try Again.



Late April

• Relay For Life - amazing cause, we raised a whole lot of money(despite the crummy economy), I signed up for a study group, the twins hung out all night and I didn't make it the whole night this year, I slept in the car from three to six, I'll try to keep the faith again next year.


• Job - ARGGGGH! The waiting is KILLING us, we anxiously await the second and fourth Wednesdays for some word, any word, of what our eventual fates will be, with nothing but the rumor mill for information, people are starting to get seriously stressed.

May

• Mothers Day - I am SOOOOOO blessed, to have an amazing Mama who is not only my mom, but the only person on the face of this earth who I can say absolutely anything to without any censoring (anyone who knows me, knows I often speak before thinking and subsequently blush furiously as I try, frantically, attempting to repair whatever discord occurs from my foolishness). Mom knows my heart, she knows my intentions even if I don't say it right. I love you Mama Bird!
• John's Birthday - OMG 16! You are turning into the most wonderful man, I can still see the last vestiges of the child, but the bones of the man you are becoming are beginning to show more prominently. You are handsome and charming, you have compassion unusual for a young man your age, your work ethic and drive are very strong and you are learning well the lesson of how much is too much, and how not to spread yourself too thin. Your Morrison wit is sharpening quickly, and you sometimes surprise us with it when we least expect it. Keep on the same path and you will soon find yourself achieving everything you ever dreamed! Oh, and congrats on getting your license
• Jill's Birthday (same day as John's but 5 minutes later) - again, OMG 16! You have grown from a painfully shy, timid little girl into a lovely confidant young woman. Your creativeness and sense of style shows in everything you have a hand in. You seem to have found a good balance between work and fun, you have two of the most perfect friends for you, each of you elicit creativity and fun from each other as well as complimenting each other with your differences. You passed your driving test before you could even get you license (hooray for drivers ed)! congrats!
• New Job - Keeping true to the governmental rule of Hurry up and Wait, and then proceed to wait so long you have to scramble madly to catch up, I was finally offered a position in Medical Billing, but with no start date. I worked Dispatch Tuesday, May 19th night shift and when I woke up at three o'clock Wednesday afternoon, I got the message that I was to start in the office at eight o'clock Thursday morning. Six weeks into it, I'm enjoying the freedom of an office job, I don't have to wait for anybody to be in the room for me to leave it, I don't have to tell anybody I'm going to the bathroom, and perhaps the best part is the flex hours, nobody cares when I work, I'm working 7am to 3:30 now. If I have to leave early or come in late for any reason, well then, I'll just work those hours another day that week. I'm also loving the busy-ness of the job, it really makes the day go quick.
• SPUD's Birthday - My Sweet Princess, Unbelieveably Darling, you just turned a delightful two years old, I miss you soo much and cant wait to see you when I come up to meet your new brother in October! I'm keeping my eye on the airline sales and will see you sooner if I can swing it!
• Finally the end of the school year! everybody passed, Cat's gonna be a senior, John and Jill get to be juniors, and Blake graduated 8th grade and will be joining the ranks of high schoolers!

JUNE

• Happy Anniversary! We took a little trip, just the two of us to Reddington Beach and spent three days wallowing in laziness at the beach.
• Two weeks after the anniversary I finally got the professional wedding pictures! I guess I'm not the only lazy-a$$ out there.
• Fathers Day - JJ you are the most wonderful father and I could not imagine what my or Blake's life would be if you were not a part of it, I love you!
• Mom's Birthday, Dear Mommy, see above (Mothers Day), I still adore you and am ever grateful for everything you do for us.

Well, there you have it, my official catch up post. I solemnly swear, holding my right hand in the air (and the fingers of my left hand crossed behind my back) to never, ever, or at least not very often, get this behind again!

Prom 2009

I know, I know, I know...this post is a wee bit late, prom was in March. You probably already know I am a) lazy, b) technologically impaired and c) lazy. When I first tried to post this, I had issues with the pictures (and whats the point of a prom post without pix), they refused to conform to my idea of proper blog placement and I had no idea how to make them sit where I told them to, so I gave up....(you happy pix?...you won...fine, be that way). I've discovered a new resolve to figure this out (pictures! you will not win, I can do this). Now, please allow me to present The Prom Post - picture edition.


Cat has an amazing group of friends, they are sweet and fun, intelligent and beautiful. When this bunch goes out...watch out world! The picture (ack! a picture! lookie! lookie! I did it!) above is "the girls" as the parents call them or "the Fab Four" as they call themselves, on prom night they were "the Skittle Chicks". The stood elegantly enduring hundred of pictures from dozens of cameras (I was using two simultaneously), their grace and beauty was recorded over and over again until....

Their adorable goofiness and exuberance was a relieving breath to the bewildered parents and grandparents, who had been mourning the metamorphosis of their "adorable little girl" into "elegant young woman". I think the adorable little girl , still lives on...

So many pictures were taken that day, I scrolled through hundreds trying to pick the ones, I liked the best, to show you....

I think this one is my favorite...

Happy Birthday

Dear Self,

So, another year down. Where are we now... Married, still wondering what job you'll be doing and more firmly entrenched in the 35+ demographic. 30 was easy and at 35 you could still claim to be a part of the 18-35, pop-culture-dictating machine. At 36, however, you got thrust into that new demographic that says you no longer have any bearing on pop-culture. Shortly, you'll just stop marking what the actual number is and just enjoy the cake.

Did anyone tell you how wonderful you are today? How intelligent and beautiful you are? How grateful they were that you were born?...Did you believe them? (sheepish shrug, naaa, they had to say nice stuff ...its my birthday) Well you should! Never mind the nagging voices in your head telling you that the Saturday puzzle you did in under 15 minutes, is not a "New York Times" puzzle, and therefore, you are not smart. Never mind it when they tell you that the "personal silly putty" you carry around on your belly or the "jiggle in your wiggle" is overwhelmingly disgusting, and for pete's sake, for heaven's sake, for sanity's sake, never mind those silly "40 things to do before you're 40" lists.

Happy Birthday, I love you.

Love,

Your Other Self...(the one who got the pretty eyes)

Happy Birthday!

Dear Blake,


13 years ago, yesterday, you were born at 8:02 in the evening, I wont gross you out with the details, but sadly, I didn't get to meet you, outside of my belly, until the next morning (as you know, we always take note of 10:30 am April 4th), but I already knew you. You were so active, prone to hiccups, and a very picky eater. Oh boy! You were tiny! You were a scrawny 4 pound, 18 inch tall, starving little bundle of baby. Most babies lose weight before they leave the hospital...not you, you did nothing but eat...and eat...and eat. Today, you stand, a huge, 5 foot 9 inch tall, young man, surprisingly only 3 inches more than last year, it feels like you grew 2 feet... and, you still do nothing but eat...and eat...and eat.

You have been, through the years, my buddy, my love, the one and only person in the world who lived it all with me ( my real life only began after you entered it). We have a connection that I never believed possible between two humans, I joked tonight that I would throw myself in front of a speeding train for you and I meant it...subsequently, you responded you would throw yourself in front of a speeding red jelly-bean for me, I appreciate your desire to protect my aging waistline.


You have an exceptional aptitude for silliness, a goofy sense of humor that is slowly maturing into a very intelligent wit. You excel in athletics and I have no doubt you will be a star in high school, you work as hard as you can to to be a team player. Your drive and ambition stem from the things that intrigue you, and only you, you will not be swayed to another's intrigues, if they do not meet your own. I pray you continue to do only what you believe, to feel only what moves you, to walk where you want to, to love as you want to. On that same note, you are almost too shy sometimes and need to learn to push yourself to experience life to the fullest.

My goodness, year number 13 is gonna be a biggie for you! Soon you start spring football at the high school, then going to high school, and ROTC. Yikes! Big changes coming up, learn to take it one challenge at a time, and know in your heart that you really are an incredibly intelligent, strong, charming young man that can make anything, anything at all of himself, with me standing by as your best cheerleader!



I love you baby, more than you could ever imagine!

Grace 4/365

I do not remember hearing the word consecutive mentioned in this challenge, so I'm gonna take "every day" and translate that to..." out of 365 random days in any given time period, do a Grace post for each of them". That said, how about getting on with today's...

*Short work days
*frozen homemade spaghetti sauce
*Rubik's cube
*The furminator (yes, it really works)
* weather so nice I needed to use said furminator on the wee fuzzies.