Momentum.

I was looking back at my post from last year about the 10 things I wanted to accomplish in 2011. I failed miserably at some of my goals. Like running the Peachtree Road Race in under an hour....I was lucky to finish PERIOD! Or memorizing all of John 3. I don't even think I read the passage a single time.

 But some of my goals I achieved with flying colors! I got a camera and started my own photography business and it's booming, if I do say so myself. I have worked hard the last few months and never in a million years would I have guessed that I would travel down this road. I even have business cards, so I'm pretty much totally official!

I had a few other goals that I was soooo close to accomplishing that I can almost taste it! I did join a gym, but haven't been too faithful at going to for the last month or so...and I've only been a member for a month or so. And I did serve some people by bringing them meals, but definitely not as much as I would have liked. And finally, I wanted to reach 100 followers on this here blog. I made it to 91! Soooo close! And I guess I really have nothing to do with new followers anyway, as that is a choice the reader makes.But I'm thankful for all of the new readership this year, all 53 of you! I love this place and I'm glad those of you who stop by like it too.

So, what's in the works for 2012? Well, I started thinking about all of the stuff I'd like to try and accomplish this coming year and then I decided 2011 rocked, so I want to stay on this train and see where it takes me! I grew, stretched, changed and explored. I laughed and I cried. The Lord taught me valuable lessons about money, speeding tickets, love, life and friendship. And I was blessed with many opportunities without deserving a single one.So that's it. That's my resolution. To keep the momentum. Wishing you all the best for 2012! I hope it rocks your socks off!

And There it Went....

....Christmas that is. It's all but a memory now. The great crescendo of events leading to the height of "the season" and then, that's it. The tree comes down, the music on the radio goes back to playing Bon Jovi, and your wallet feels a tad lighter. But it was all good while it lasted!

It was rough going there for a minute, but the tides turned and it made for a sweet Christmas. I'm not gonna lie, I won't say it was the best Christmas ever, but it was as good as it could be.

I stole my 7 year old sister for the week and it's amazing how the excitement of a little girl really brings out that "Christmas Spirit" and what's even more amazing--that 7-year-old little girl is so great at preoccupying a 17 month little boy so his momma can get her mile long list done...imagine that!

While I worked and cooked my butt off last week, I made sure I sprinkled in all of the "good stuff" for my youngest sister. I wanted it to be a special week for her. Memorable and magical. Starting with her room.

We made ornaments,

and gingerbread houses.

I took her and Kidd-O to visit Santa,

and then "Santa" came to us at our family Christmas party,

 and finally, she made reindeer food. She insisted that Veggie Straws were the way to go since I didn't have carrot sticks and the glitter is what makes them fly. So glitter and veggie straws it was. She wrote a letter to Santa and put out milk and cookies....

And then I gave her a "special delivery" in her room on Christmas Eve. Christmas PJ's. 

 My mom and I decided that she would enjoy Christmas Day more at my house since she "still believes" and Christmas for my other siblings was going to be sparse...like, one present sparse, since we are ALL going to Disney next week, so that's why she stayed with us. And she got everything she asked for. A cupcake maker and the Justin Bieber DVD were at the top of her list.

 

 

 Kidd-O got everything he "asked" for too! A basketball goal, so he can stop running to the neighbors to play with theirs, a guitar and a train table.

 After the gifts were ransacked, I made my very first Christmas breakfast since my mom bailed on us this year and took the rest of the kids to the Waffle House...for the record, my mom's breakfast is still way better.

 And on the final leg of this Christmas "marathon", I prepared dinner for my husbands side of the family...all 26 of them. It was exhausting but it was lovely.

And as of today, the house is cleaned up. The tree is put away and now it's time to ring in the new year and start 2012 at The Happiest Place on Earth!

Making the Most....

So, early in the season I was pretty gung-ho about this Christmas, and then it crept up on me faster than I was expecting and all of a sudden my stress rose and my enthusiasm sank like the Titanic, and just like that my joy was gone. It's a number of things--Having no money and a million things to buy would be #1 on the list, followed by living in a disaster area because I have been preoccupied with my new endeavors and knowing 25 people are coming to my house in 3 days...the list goes on.

I HATED feeling this way and hated letting this time go by me even more, so Monday evening, after my "mellow-dramatic-bah-humbug-grinchy" facebook status, I decided to put an end to it. And that's when I decided to make the most of what's left. And fortunately, it's the good stuff!

I decided to leave the dirty pots and pans, thew a jacket on Kidd-O and we were going to take a walk to look at lights. I pulled his stroller out of my trunk and also pulled a snow globe out along with it, shattering into a million pieces onto my driveway while my runny nosed child stared at me.

 At that point I was ready to cry. Walk back inside and just cry. But I didn't. I put on my big girl panties, took my boy and went for a walk. We took our time. Sang songs and looked at lights. And that's when my mood shifted. It was all going to be ok. Besides, all the stuff that needs to be done IS a part of Christmas, so I might as well enjoy it!

 And on top of all that-- look at all the love! How can I be in a bah-humbug mood?! What a blessing these people are in my life and I've never even met some of them!

After our walk, I went back inside, turned on a Disney movie and released some pent up creative energy and  made evergreen swags for my bannister and then I wrapped presents and popped them under the tree while sipping some hot chocolate. Can't get much more Christmasy than that.

My week has been different ever since my Monday mood shift and my trip to Luke 2. Aside from Kidd-O having an ear infection, messing up the schedule a bit, it's been great. And I truly can't wait for the next couple of days. I have some fun Christmas stuff up my sleeve for the next couple of days! More on that next week! Merry Christmas to you dear friend and reader. And may the real reason we celebrate this time of year be the central focus. It's an amazing thing to think on: 

“[Glory in the Highest] Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11 NKJV

Mr. Clean Has Something to Say....

Yeah, so this is Mr. Clean here…I can be a little long winded, so I’ve been limited to five paragraphs so I don’t really have any time to address everything my lovely wife has said about me being clean, cheap and who knows what else. But I suppose I can take a break from all of my cleaning and do some catching up on this little blog of hers! I’ve been given this special opportunity to post on account of our 5 year anniversary on the 16^th. Where do I start?! There goes one paragraph…

(Senior Prom '03)

Well, I am clean and Ashley is not. I am cheap—although I prefer “extremely frugal”—and Ashley would have us living on the street by now. I’m detailed and organized and details and organization get on Ashley’s nerves. I like a regular daily routine and Ashley could generally care less. I like things that go fast and Ashley likes to just take it easy…our list of differences is endless and always has been since the day we met 11 years ago. God proved that he is an Almighty God when he paired us up despite all of our many differences! He probably had a good laugh while he did it too—I certainly would have. Well our bond as friends became very strong very quickly. I don’t understand it to this day, but it was a beautiful friendship and we very much enjoyed each other’s company. We somewhat deliberately began dating a year or so later and it was very quickly evident to both of us that we hoped to spend the rest of our lives together. I guess I should make a new paragraph. This one is getting a little long.

(The day I popped the question '05)

We knew everything about each other and had a fantastic friendship beneath the romantic relationship. All that to say that we both knew what we were getting ourselves into. I knew she was messy, but I did think that would be easier to fix than it actually is—yeah, present tense…still haven’t figured out how to fix it five years later…But I LOVE my Ashley. She is everything that I am not: Sweet, thoughtful, compassionate, romantic, full of life, fun, spontaneous, creative and carefree (although she creates LOTS of messes…). I know, I know, you’re thinking, “Wow, you’re not good at anything. You must be really miserable to be around!” Yeah, that could be argued sometimes. I’m pretty boring. I enjoy myself, but it’s not all about me, right? So Ashley challenges me to be a more compassionate, thoughtful, sweet, carefree, etc person. God uses her to bring balance to our household and challenge me to improve my character. That is why God paired us together!

(The Big Day '06)

 We compliment each other perfectly and I can’t imagine having it any other way. It is her personality that God gave our son and makes him such a great joy. And her efforts to teach him things during the day and entertain him are made up of activities that I would not otherwise think of, shaping him into an even more wonderful little boy. And I am so grateful for this sweetness and joy and effort she pours into the raising of our child. She brings such fun and life to our household and I very much look forward to the many years to come growing and raising a family with her.

(Our Other "Big Day" '10)

 It’s a perfect design and only God could have so perfectly created it. We might get on each other’s last nerve with our differences, but that is just our sinful human nature fighting His divine design. I love you Ashley! Happy Anniversary!