You Know You're Growing Up...

Well, I had a wonderful Christmas & New Year's vacation...still enjoying the last day of my New Year's vacation. I started to realize as I bustling around my house this morning all the things that happened over Christmas vacation & came to that awful realization that I'm growing up. Growing up was that thing that you always wanted to do when you were little & now that it is happening full force, I realize that all the advice about savoring your youth was wisdom from adults who had already lived the part of life I'm now living. Hindsight is 20/20 they say...

So, without further ado, *some signs (that I recognized at Christmas/New Years) that I'm growing up:
-getting two Dustbusters is not a bad thing; nor is the conversation about which one really would work best for me("I mean, do you really think you need a wet/dry function or would you rather have the one with better suction; that would work well with pet hair?"). Gone are the days when getting cleaning items was a bad thing. I can even say with very little shame that I text my Mom the other day exclaiming over the joys of having a Dustbuster...yep, I was excited over something that cleans...which leads me to another sign...
-Using Christmas money to buy a vacuum cleaner. That's right, I spent valuable & highly coveted Christmas money on another cleaning tool. And let me tell you that I am so excited with my new vacuum cleaner. That thing has amazing suction power & I get excited running it all over my floors & marveling at how well it sucks up dirt, dust & pet hair. *sigh* I really am becoming my Mother...he-he.
-I also got a really big high from cleaning & putting up all my Christmas things. Not because I was excited to take it all down, more because I got such a thrill from the sense of having my house organized & in order. Before I took it all down I actually tried to rationalize the idea of keeping up my Christmas tree year round & just decorating it for the season at hand - I realized that was bordering on a little much, so down came the tree. I realize that has very little to do with me growing up & more with me being completely anal...but that's okay too. I also realize that rationalizing that keeping the tree up year round is crazy is also part of growing up. That's cool. I can handle it.
-Knowing that ringing in the New Year with a 13 year old & your grandmother & having only your dog to kiss when the clock strikes 12 is a blessing, because there are some people in the world that are truly all alone ; not just when a new year starts, but every day. Realizing that while I may feel alone sometimes, I am actually surrounded by family & friends that love me. Also realizing that very fact - I get that means that I'm growing up.
-Most importantly, seeing that the magic of Christmas comes from something different. Granted, I will always love the lights, the decorations, the smells of Christmas, the TV specials, the parties...I love it all. I also see that the true magic of Christmas is that God would send his only son - the only son he ever had - as a baby knowing that one day he would sacrifice himself to redeem a world that; for the most part, didn't even acknowledge his arrival that night in Bethlehem. A world that would scorn him, hate him, crucify him on a cross & even today try to reject that he rose from the dead. The true joy of Christmas is that the greatest gift we ever could receive; the greatest gift we will ever receive if we choose to is the wonder of a child born of a virgin, a child whose birth was celebrated by shepherds, a child who received prophetic gifts of gold, frankincense & myrrh from wise men from the East...a child that would live a life as both God & man & save the world from it's sins.

I'm glad I'm growing up. It's hard to do at times, surely, but knowing that I know & have received the salvation & love of the Savior of the world lets me know that every step I take as I grow up is guided. Every turn the road I'm on takes is dictated by the Creator of the world. I am never alone & my life has a plan...even if I may only be able to see a little bit at a time.

Hope you had a magical & blessed Christmas & that you will have a wonderful New Year.

I'm A Bad Blogger

Well, I've just not been so good at this blogging thing for the past two months. I guess I really haven't felt like I had too much too say. Sometimes I feel like I have too much to say & maybe the things I want to say should really be kept to myself - so maybe it's a combination of the two. I've had things to say, but those things are probably best kept to myself, so that left me with little to write about.

The last time I wrote, I wasn't yet on my own - my Mom was still with me & we were just rolling along waiting to see when she might leave. My Mom moved to Virginia the first weekend in November & I've been trucking along all by myself ever since. I can't say quite yet how much I like or don't like it. There are definitely nights when I enjoy knowing that if I want to watch 5 episodes of "Chuck" in a row, then I can do that & no one will complain because the only other living thing in the house is Watson & a couple plants. Watson could care less about "Chuck" or anything else on the TV as long as I let him sit in my lap some & I'm pretty sure the plants should just be grateful they're still alive. I'm not exactly a green thumb. I'm always thankful for weekend plans - I've discovered very quickly that sitting at my house on Friday night & all day Saturday with nothing but a dog to talk to makes me a little stir crazy. I don't suppose Watson minds though.

Deep Conversation or just begging for food? You decide

Watson seems to be getting even more adept at begging; with my Mom one look did it. I'm not as easy to bribe & so he is getting pretty good at making pitiful faces all in the name of getting a scrap of cheese or a bite of bread. And with all that begging, he still somehow managed to lose 3 pounds in the past few months! The vet said it could have been caused from a change in food or a change in his living situation - which made me think "oh geez, I am literally stressing my dog out to the point that he's losing weight!" I guess maybe I should give in to those pitiful faces more often. I can't have him wasting away - without him it would be just me & the plants & while some people talk to their plants, I don't really think I need to become that person.

I'm settling into my own little routine. I have the day that I do laundry, the day I do cleaning, still trying to figure out when my grocery day will be. It's interesting settling into a completely new & different lifestyle - especially one where I get to make all the rules.

Thanksgiving Feast!

I got to play hostess at Thanksgiving - my parents came down from Virginia & Lindsey flew in from Colorado & my kitchen was filled with wonderful smells & the warmth of my family. I thoroughly enjoyed the few days we had together & especially enjoyed having a roommate for those few days. Lindsey is a good roomie - she doesn't hog the covers & she's good for conversation - although we didn't actually talk to late into the night since her pneumonia medicine knocked her out pretty fast, ha-ha. I'm looking forward to playing hostess again at Christmas. Which brings me to...



My Christmas Tree!







My first Christmas in my house! I decorated like a crazy person - I have 5 trees in my house. You read that right, 5. I really like Christmas. I'm currently wondering (courtesy of a post on Facebook made by my friend Nickolee) why I can't just leave my tree up year round & decorate it for each season. That's probably craziness though. I don't want to be one of those people that still have their Christmas decorations up in June. I think they probably get some funny looks & I don't need any of those. I get to play hostess to my family again in about two weeks & I can't wait to have my tree overflowing with present - which I know it will be doing once my family arrives. Mostly I can't wait for my house to be overflowing with my family. It gets kind of quiet with just Watson & I.

I'm trying my best to adjust to life on my own. So far, if I'm being honest...it's just been okay. I don't think I mind being on my own so much, it's just knowing that while I'm here by myself I'm missing out on things that my family might be doing in VA or CO without me. I guess that's just a part of growing up & I'm sure I'll adjust to it over time. That being said - if you're reading my blog you can certainly pray not only for me but for my whole family as we make this adjustment to being spread all over the place. It's a new experience for all of us.

I guess that's all for now. Just a small update - I'll try to be better about blogging, especially as the new year starts. I can't believe we are about to say goodbye to 2011 & move into a whole new year. A year that is sure to be filled with adventure I'm sure. If I'm not back on here before the end of 2011 - hope those of you who read have a wonderful Christmas & a great start to 2012.

I'm A Bad Blogger

Well, I've just not been so good at this blogging thing for the past two months. I guess I really haven't felt like I had too much too say. Sometimes I feel like I have too much to say & maybe the things I want to say should really be kept to myself - so maybe it's a combination of the two. I've had things to say, but those things are probably best kept to myself, so that left me with little to write about.

The last time I wrote, I wasn't yet on my own - my Mom was still with me & we were just rolling along waiting to see when she might leave. My Mom moved to Virginia the first weekend in November & I've been trucking along all by myself ever since. I can't say quite yet how much I like or don't like it. There are definitely nights when I enjoy knowing that if I want to watch 5 episodes of "Chuck" in a row, then I can do that & no one will complain because the only other living thing in the house is Watson & a couple plants. Watson could care less about "Chuck" or anything else on the TV as long as I let him sit in my lap some & I'm pretty sure the plants should just be grateful they're still alive. I'm not exactly a green thumb. I'm always thankful for weekend plans - I've discovered very quickly that sitting at my house on Friday night & all day Saturday with nothing but a dog to talk to makes me a little stir crazy. I don't suppose Watson minds though.

Deep Conversation or just begging for food? You decide

Watson seems to be getting even more adept at begging; with my Mom one look did it. I'm not as easy to bribe & so he is getting pretty good at making pitiful faces all in the name of getting a scrap of cheese or a bite of bread. And with all that begging, he still somehow managed to lose 3 pounds in the past few months! The vet said it could have been caused from a change in food or a change in his living situation - which made me think "oh geez, I am literally stressing my dog out to the point that he's losing weight!" I guess maybe I should give in to those pitiful faces more often. I can't have him wasting away - without him it would be just me & the plants & while some people talk to their plants, I don't really think I need to become that person.

I'm settling into my own little routine. I have the day that I do laundry, the day I do cleaning, still trying to figure out when my grocery day will be. It's interesting settling into a completely new & different lifestyle - especially one where I get to make all the rules.

Thanksgiving Feast!

I got to play hostess at Thanksgiving - my parents came down from Virginia & Lindsey flew in from Colorado & my kitchen was filled with wonderful smells & the warmth of my family. I thoroughly enjoyed the few days we had together & especially enjoyed having a roommate for those few days. Lindsey is a good roomie - she doesn't hog the covers & she's good for conversation - although we didn't actually talk to late into the night since her pneumonia medicine knocked her out pretty fast, ha-ha. I'm looking forward to playing hostess again at Christmas. Which brings me to...



My Christmas Tree!







My first Christmas in my house! I decorated like a crazy person - I have 5 trees in my house. You read that right, 5. I really like Christmas. I'm currently wondering (courtesy of a post on Facebook made by my friend Nickolee) why I can't just leave my tree up year round & decorate it for each season. That's probably craziness though. I don't want to be one of those people that still have their Christmas decorations up in June. I think they probably get some funny looks & I don't need any of those. I get to play hostess to my family again in about two weeks & I can't wait to have my tree overflowing with present - which I know it will be doing once my family arrives. Mostly I can't wait for my house to be overflowing with my family. It gets kind of quiet with just Watson & I.

I'm trying my best to adjust to life on my own. So far, if I'm being honest...it's just been okay. I don't think I mind being on my own so much, it's just knowing that while I'm here by myself I'm missing out on things that my family might be doing in VA or CO without me. I guess that's just a part of growing up & I'm sure I'll adjust to it over time. That being said - if you're reading my blog you can certainly pray not only for me but for my whole family as we make this adjustment to being spread all over the place. It's a new experience for all of us.

I guess that's all for now. Just a small update - I'll try to be better about blogging, especially as the new year starts. I can't believe we are about to say goodbye to 2011 & move into a whole new year. A year that is sure to be filled with adventure I'm sure. If I'm not back on here before the end of 2011 - hope those of you who read have a wonderful Christmas & a great start to 2012.

My 26th Year

Holy Cow - has a year really gone by that fast? I guess so. There are times when I feel like there is no way a whole year has passed that fast & other times that I can't believe all the things that have happened in such a short time. When I was little it seemed like it took eternity for a year to pass but now it flies by in a rush of leaves, snowflakes (because it's actually snowed in MS the past couple years) flowers & ridiculously hot temperatures. I was thinking this morning on the way to work about all that has happened in the last year & I thought I'd write it down to reflect on all of it...

October - turned 26. There was a teeny cake & the joy at celebrating another year of life. I'm pretty sure being thankful to be alive was about the only thing on my list of celebratory topics. Well, that & cake. I'd been graduated for almost 6 months, put in resumes all over the place (from Jackson, MS to Knoxville, TN & even Colorado Springs, CO) with no luck. The reality that it might be a long time before I got a job was becoming more evident with each passing day. So, I ate cake & slept late...because those were the pluses then.

Fall!

November - Thanksgiving - always such an awesome time of the year. I was closing in on seven months of job searching with no avail when on the Monday before Thanksgiving I recieved a call from a former church member offering me a job at a clinic. I didn't even have to come in for an interview, I just had to be at the clinic the next morning to start the job. Obviously I had no idea what the job had in store for me - but I don't think we ever really have any idea what life has in store for us. I was surprised to discover that I only got Thanksgiving off - but as my Mom told me, that was part of being a grown-up & having a "real" job. Thanksgiving was, as always, wonderful. I am so blessed with wonderful families on both sides - my Mom & my Dad's sides - so getting to spend time with all of them & eat wonderful food that they'd all cooked (me included) was great. I love holidays primarily for that reason. I know some people think it is corny or crazy this day in age to love & enjoy spending time with your family, but all in all I'm pretty sure as far as families go I'm blessed with great grandparents, loving Aunts & Uncles & some pretty cool cousins. So, I'm gonna go ahead & enjoy that blessing to it's fullest. Also - I had an insanely good time decorating our house for Christmas with my little sister. And insane is probably the most apt way to describe it since by the night's end we had draped ourselves in garland & lights with wreaths as hats. There are pictures of this -

I'm quite certain our parents think we're insane.

December - Christmas season! I totally & completely love Christmas season. I wasn't totally & completely in love with my job in December but I did really like (most) of the people I was working with. I also knew that my little sister was going to be home for close to 3 weeks so that was awesomeness. We had our annual Christmas Eve get together as usual & had a great time - that little get together almost always involves several, if not all people involved laughing until they are crying. Love that. I also love being surronded by close family & friends like that - great times. We had no clue that it was going to be our last Christmas in our house - but I've got to say, I don't think we could have enjoyed it anymore had we known that. There wasn't really anything we could have (or would have done) to make it better. I'm pretty sure that is one of the joys of my family - we enjoy ourselves when we're together, regardless.

Christmas Eve

When did we all grow up so much?

January - Ok, I'm going to cheat a little bit here. My Mom's side of the family went to Gatlinburg the week after Christmas. We were there for about 5 days & just getting there was exciting since the roads were covered in ice & snow - my Grandma & Aunt slid around on the road & it added a whole new element of thrill to the trip. We had such an awesome time on the trip - there were literally feet of snow & for kids from Mississippi that was a big deal. Granted, we'd all seen snow before but not ever that much. We were able to make snow angels & still not make that much of a dent in the layers of powder. It was awesome! We also discovered that we weren't so great at making snowmen. Oh well - the snowball fight was certainly good. January also brought a job change for me - on the 12th of the month, I lost my job. Given the reasoning (which was that the clinic wasn't busy enought to entail more than one receptionist) I'm not really sure why I was hired in the first place, but what are you going to do? I was sure that I'd spend the next several months searching for a job but I was wrong. I went on an interview on the 24th, went back on the 26th & started my new job at BMG on the 31st. January was certainly a whirlwind of changes for me. Also in January, one of my very best friends welcomed the most precious baby girl - I'm talking of course about Nickolee. I've known Nickolee since we were toddlers & to have formed such an amazing friendship with her & witness her taking this next step in life was amazing. And her daughter Ryleigh is pretty amazing too - I love that sweet little girl & her family so very much!

Love my cousins - and all this snow!

Family - gotta love 'em!

A little Riley in the snow!

Two of my favorite girls.

February - I got major news in February...really, my family as a whole did. My Dad got a job in Virginia & he decided that he'd take it...which meant a big move was in store. I can tell you that when I originally found out, I kind of had a freak out. I started crying because here I was with this huge decision - to move to Virginia when I'd been wishing to move for months & months to anywhere in the world or to stay in Collinsville where I had finally found a stable job. I wrestled with that one for a while, but once I turned to the ultimate decision maker, the Lord, I felt like I was really being called to stay in Collinsville. That would mean finding somewhere to live & making a go at life on my own. I knew that whatever happened from here on out was probably going to be a whole new adventure for me. I also got to be a DNow leader for my church in Febrauary. I was the leader for the 11th & 12th grade girls & had 4 of the sweetest & most wonderful girls ever. I've been leading at DNow for too many years to count at this point, but it is always a great experience & I usually end the weekend having learned things I would have never imagined - and while most of those things are Christ-centered, with the girls I lead, I usually learn all kinds of other things!

Best DNow group ever - 11th & 12th Grade Girls 2011

March - There isn't much about March that stands out to me. I was finally starting to find my niche at work & felt like I might be getting to know the people I worked with & figure things out. Lindsey came home for Spring Break & even though I was busy with work from 8-5 I was even more thrilled to come home in the afternoons & get to spend time with my whole family - not just the three of us as usual. I also realized the joys of having a real job...which means that Spring Break didn't really exist for me anymore. That's the sad truth.

Zoo View 2011! It was a windy day!

Brunch at the Broadmoor with the Beast

April - Something happened in April that was a big deal for me. I flew to Colorado by myself to spend Easter weekend with Lindsey. That may not be so special to some people, but as a nervous wreck spazz that requires meds to fly with a family member close at hand, this was a big deal. I managed to survive all my flights (although the flight from Houston to Jackson on the return was like being shaken violently in a tin can for 50 minutes) & had an awesome time with my little sister. We made some great memories & I encountered & managed a crisis all on my own. Because getting stranded in Colorado Springs was a little of a crisis to me - it involved booking new flights, another rental car & another hotel room - thank goodness for credits cards! Okay, maybe that isn't actually a crisis but it was slightly stressful at the time, especially given my fear of flying. I got my 2nd job in April - I became my churches' nursery coordinator - a job I'd had once before. It is one of those jobs that can be crazy stressful but somehow has it's own cure for that...because when you're stressed out & you can just take a minute to sit down & hold a precious baby, things all seem to be a little bit better.

This is what I imagine some of the babies in the nursery want to say to me...

May - May is yet another month that doesn't just jump out & grab me. I was learning that the people I thought I'd figured out at work in March I probably hadn't actually figured out quite as well as I thought. So I kept right on plugging along at work, trying to make friends or at the very least not make people mad. Which wasn't easy sometimes. Of course, that still isn't easy to this day. May marked the end of one of my favorite shows - Smallville. Some friends & I got all dressed up & had a little farewell party to a show that we'd watched for years...and years...and years. 10 to be exact. :) We had a good time - even though some people seemed to think we were silly for imitating our favorite characters, we just laughed & kept right on with the fun...because sometimes in life, you just have to do that. My Dad made the move the Virginia at the end of May & the realization that we were all about to be living spread out across the US was becoming tenous...something I could very much grasp. It was crazy.

Kristen & I...or should I say Chloe & Lois?

June - June brought me to seriously looking for options for my living situation once I was on my own. I considered apartments for a long while but came to realize that decent apartments are scarce in Meridian & if they're decent apartments then they are suddenly very proud of that fact & wanted close to half my salary (working two jobs, mind you) to live there. I just didn't think that was an option that was going to work for me. Through what can only be divine intervention, some land next door to my Grandma's house opened up & I decided that maybe buying a trailer would be the best option. I spent a lot of June looking at houses & exploring my options & by the end of the month, I was a homeowner. Absolutely crazy. Crazy because it was certainly not something I'd foreseen happening anytime this year...or in the close future. Again - life is full of suprises.

New Homeowner - yikes!

July - Moving was the theme of July, whether it meant moving my life from one place to another, moving on with things...moving was just the theme. My family spent July 4th weekend in Strasburg, the place that my parents will be calling home now. I have to say that I absolutely loved the place for so many reasons. The location is gorgeous, the town of Strasburg is so quaint, DC is literally only an hour away, (and don't get me started on how close some other big cities are) & some friends from my childhood live only 40 minutes from my parent's house. I felt a little like I was being reminded of what all I was going to miss - but I still felt (still do most of the time) like I had made the right decision. I moved into my house on July 21st & started settling my house the way I wanted it. It was so crazy & exciting to be able to fix things just the way I wanted them because it was my house. I guess the moving on aspect came from not only moving on with my life but watching those around me move on. I said good-bye (or at least see you in a couple years) to my precious friend Nickolee & her family. They left in July to go to Madagascar for what I'm sure is only the first of many years as missionaries to the Mahafaly people. They have certainly been missed, but they are being blessing to so many people & bringing the most important message anyone can hear to those people who have never heard it. And Ryleigh just gets cuter with every passing month.

My parent's new hometown

A little horsing around in Middletown, VA

Love these two - miss you guys!

August - August was really just another month of getting settled into my new life. I spent it trying to enjoy the time I was able to spend with my Mom since I'm not sure when she'll be leaving to move to Virginia. I've got to soak up that time with her before I don't have the oppotunity. I've also got to enjoy her cooking while I still have the chance - because I know how to cook for myself, but there is just something about a Momma's cooking.

Watson had no trouble settling in...

September - I got to start my September with a visit to Colorado Springs for Parent's Weekend at the Air Force Academy. I love getting to spend time in Colorado Springs - it is such a gorgeous place & of course, my little sister is there. We stayed in a cabin in the middle of nowhere & we explored all the nature around us...even fed some deer by hand. It was a great time, but like I said...being with my family is pretty much always a great time.

My favorite Cadet

Bring on some Falcon football!

And of course, that bring us to October. So far, we're only 5 days into October...so I'm not really sure what this month holds. I know that tomorrow is my 27th birthday & I've been blessed by the 26 years I've had so far...hope the 27th year continues the theme. I never imagined on my 26th birthday that my life would have taken the twists & turns it has on the way to 27...but as I've mentioned before, life is pretty good at surprising you. So here's to saying farewell to 26 & looking forward to what 27 has in store.

Ok 27 - bring it on...I'm ready for you

Dogs, Daydreams & Drugs (the Over the Counter kind)

It's been almost exactly two weeks - like, literally. I blogged on Friday the 16th at around 1ish - and it's 12:11 today. So, yep...I'm punctual like that with the blogging.

What is up with me? Not a whole lot really - things have pretty much been life as usual. I'm a bit more sleep deprived than usual but that is really about all that has changed. I haven't had a legitimately good night's sleep in almost two weeks - which stinks. My legs have decided to mutiny the rest of my body & so whenever I lay down to go to sleep they start twitching, pinching, tingling & even...if they are really feeling like totally ruining my sleep...jerking. That's right, my whole leg just jerks on it's on. And that causes me to jerk awake. It's great really. My legs have started acting like the equivalent of a crack addict going through withdrawal. I mean - I guess. I don't actually know anyone who has detoxed off crack & I myself have never done crack, so I don't know firsthand. I'm just throwing that guess out there. It's not a good thing - I don't have to guess about that. The doctor wanted to put me on some serious meds - I'm not sure about it thought because I don't want to be taking all kinds of meds. Of course, I don't want to keep missing sleep either & the over the counter sleep druggies just aren't cutting it anymore, so I'm not sure what comes next. I'd love a full night's sleep to come next. I love to sleep...it is pretty much one of my favorite pastimes & I am missing out on it. Not cool.

I keep spending all this "quality time" with my Mom because we keep thinking "oh, this will be the last weekend we can spend time together - I'll be moved by xx/xx/2011"...and yet, she is still here. I'm definitely not complaining about that. I like having company because my dog tends to be pretty anti-social. He likes to come in at the end of the day, eat a little food & then go lay in the recliner in the study for the next 4 hours until I make him go to bed. He might wander through the living room every once in a while on his way to get a sip of water, but that is about it. Last night I was decorating my Halloween tree (because Halloween is awesome & I love it) & he did stop long enough to stare at me like I was crazy as I wrapped purple lights around some black branches. It was good. I love getting strange looks from my dog - it's nice to know that he obviously thinks I'm crazy. Of course, he could still be mad at me about Monday...not sure.

Watson has never been a "bad" dog & I like to brag about how he never has accidents. Well - I should just stop bragging. Monday at 6 AM when I opened the door to the study to walk on the treadmill, this horrible smell slapped me in the face. There was a lovely spot (not a small spot either) in the middle of the floor where my dog had decided he would get up & use the bathroom - all over my new carpet - my carpet that has only been my carpet for 3 short months. I was not happy. At all. The whole time I walked I was muttering things at him like "your butt is busted mister, I hope you're happy" & "you better hope it quits raining before tonight, because you'll be sleeping outside". I'm sure I was very menacing as I trudged along on the treadmill uttering threats while listening to my dance beat music. Terrifying, no doubt. I take so much joy in scrubbing up dog urine at 7:03 in the morning...but it got better.

It was pouring on Monday morning. Pouring. Cats, dogs & buckets...you know what I mean. Watson hates the rain. I hate the rain when I have to get out in it, so I felt his pain...but I was still ill at having to scrub up his mess & so I wasn't feeling as sympathetic to his plight as I might have been. It was time to go & so I went to the study & snapped my fingers at him to get up - clapping, snapping & rocking the recliner to get him to get up. He hopped out of the chair, walked to the front door, surveyed the rain & proceeded to go get back in the chair. Great. So I had to pick him up & sit him out the front door onto the porch - into the rain. Let me preface the rest of this story by saying that he has a dog house (a quite nice one) a mere 5 steps from the front door that he could get into & he also has my Grandmother's front porch (with a roof on it) a quick sprint across the yard, which he is always welcome on. I grabbed my stuff & opened the door to head out into the rain & he sped back in the crack of the door, flying toward the study & hiding behind the recliner. Great. My umbrella had flipped out of my hand, over the ottoman & into the floor. So I went to get him out from behind the chair - he squealed the entire time like I was subjecting him to some horrific brand of torture (and I wasn't, I swear it.) and place him soundly in the middle of the porch. Again. In the rain. By now, I was wet myself. I grabbed my stuff & plowed out the door & past him - no getting a sneak pass into the door this time. I was wet & cold & seriously angry at this point. Watson sat in the rain & tried to look pitiful - but I was having none of it anymore. Needless to say - he didn't welcome me home with quite the same joy as he usually does.

So - I'm kind of thinking he was giving me the stink eye last night. He usually would just love on my Mom & look over at me with a look that plainly says "see, I love her because she didn't stick me out in the rain & you did, so bite me" but since my Mom is out of town, he just has to give me looks of disdain as he passes me on his trek from the recliner to the water bowl & back. Whatever dog. I've got your number. You're playing a game you can't win. At least, you can't win it until your Nana gets back & then I'm in trouble because she'd take up for you over me any day. *sigh*

I'm ready for 6 o'clock. Why 6 & not 5? I have to go watch a golf shoot out today after work & I'd really rather not - but sometimes you have to do things you don't particularly want to do. So I'll go watch some guys smack some golf balls around, practice my golf clap & then head home. Praise the Lord. I'm gonna spend my weekend entertaining my friend Lisa & being all crafty/DIY with some projects at my house. If they turn out the way I want them to, then I might just post pics on here. I'm sure I'll post pics on Facebook for sure. If I don't get good sleep, then I'll probably be doing some daydreaming at some point on Saturday & Sunday - naps are a good pastime to have. I hope those of you who read this have a good weekend. This is my last weekend as a 26 year old. This time next week I'll already be 27 - and that is too scary a thought to write about as of yet, so I'll stop here. Yikes.

Fridays Are Supposed to be Fun....

Well, I know that technically there is no rule that says that because it is Friday it has to be a good day - but I just had to blog for a minute & rant. I'm not ranting about people who are in bad moods & try to drag other people down. That happened today but I'm not going to touch that one with a ten foot pole. I'm ranting about the Meridian Police.

Today, as I was driving down the road, minding my own business - a cop pulled me over. I was thoroughly confused because since I was in downtown Meridian I'd been going all of about 20-25 miles per hour, I had on my seat belt (remember that part, it's important) no lights were out, I wasn't on my phone. Nothing. So, I pulled over & sat there in confusion. The officer came up & the conversation went like this:
Officer: I pulled you over because you aren't wearing your seat belt.
Me: *said nothing & just looked at her because I am sitting there wearing my seat belt*
Officer: You put your seat belt on after I pulled you over, didn't you?"
Me: "No ma'am"
And then the woman disappeared back to her car with my driver's license. And she was back there for way too long. Of course, when she came back - she had a ticket for me.

I got a ticket for something I didn't even do! Of course, you can't flip out on a cop - that would have only resulted in worse things. I didn't really want to get arrested. I have things to do this weekend - like sleep late, watch McKenna cheer at the football game & convince my Mom to watch "Thor". The ticket is only for $25, so it isn't even so much the money aspect that makes me angry. I'm just ill that someone accused me of something I did not do. That's happened to me before - I have not so fond memories of it. Want to hear the tale? I'll share.

In kindergarten, I napped by a little girl named Shareka. One afternoon when we woke up from our naps, someone had colored all over the wall with a red crayon. It wasn't me that did it. For one thing - I like sleeping way too much to waste a chance at a nap to color. We colored all the time in Kindergarten - I wanted my sleep. Guess what Shareka told the teacher though? That Natalie had colored on the wall, not her. And for whatever insane reason, they believed her! Even though I told them again & again that I had not done it, they wouldn't listen to me. I guess they assumed I had done the art work & now I was lying to them - which constituted a double offense. So I got a spanking - at school. To make matters worse - I then got a spanking when I got home...because if you were bad enough to get one at school, you were definitely going to get one at home. The next day Shareka fessed up & told the teachers that she had done the coloring, not me. The teachers apologized & my parents were sorry too...but I'm pretty sure I was scarred for life. The memory of getting a spanking not once, but twice in one day was just too much for shy, quiet little 6 year old me to handle.

I'm all for taking the blame if you did something wrong. If you do the crime - you pay the time. But...In that situation & this one today, I didn't commit the crime. And yet I'm going to be doing time time - so to speak. Not cool.

I think my Friday is going to get better from here. Don't see why it shouldn't. It's going to be hard to part with that $25 when the time comes to pay that ticket though. Geez.

Just Because....

I don't guess I really have a specific topic for today's blog - maybe just a "what I've been up to" kind of thing. I'm chilling (both literally & figuratively) at my desk at work. It could be a slow day today because at 9:30 more than half of the office is StarkVegas bound for the MSU vs. LSU game. Go Dawgs! :) I can't decide if I want it to be slow or if I want to be given a little job to do that might make the time pass faster. Right now I'm content to type away at my blog.

Why the picture of this kid? Because when you see this you automatically think of Home Alone. And I'm getting even closer to being home alone - which gives me mixed feelings. I'm excited about having my home, the place I can come home to at the end of the day & chill out with Watson (so, okay I won't be totally alone but try as I might to get him to talk, he just won't) but I'm not so excited about coming home to a house with JUST a dog. I feel this sense of apprehension that at some point it might get lonely. I don't do lonely so well. Of course, I also don't do storms very well either. The other night it started getting windy & the thunder was rolling in the distance & even at 26 (okay...almost 27) I wanted to make sure my Mom was going to be awake for a little while..ya know, just in case things got crazy. I'm gonna have to get over that one. I'm gonna have to learn to be tough - which is probably easier said than done for me. Only time will tell how me getting more tough will go, but I have a feeling that a certain verse from Psalms will become very important to me in the coming days. "In peace I will lie down and sleep,for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe." Psalms 4:8 See - that verse even has the word alone in it. So even when I think I'm alone...I know I won't really be. And that makes me think I might make it.

Speaking of my house - I am obsessed with decorating it! There are so many things I want & only so much money to spend. I still need that rug I've had my eye on for my living room & I really want to fix my guest bedroom differently & I want Adirondack chairs for my front porch...I mean, this list could go on & on. Of course, those three things are on the top of the list. The older I get, the more I understand how money works. And the way it works is simple - I get paid money & I turn around & give it to other people so that they will let me live in my house, have lights/air/heat in my house, have running water in my house, have health insurance, have car insurance, have a phone & of course, my favorite one - I pay for the time I spent in school. I essentially earn money to pay back money that was given to me to learn how to make money & support myself. Insane. I'm well aware that I am far better off than most people, but I sure wouldn't say no to finding a way to make some more money - because I always feel like I am just barely there - financially. Oh, and have I mentioned that I work two jobs? Life is crazy y'all. There is no denying that fact.

I went to Colorado recently - that was a blast! Of course, I'm not so sure getting up at 4:15 on Friday morning was a blast, but hey...I got to spend the day with Lindsey & that made it worthwhile to me. I experienced some new stuff this - of course, it seems like every time I go to Colorado I discover something (or somethings) new. Where shall I start the list?
-I'm not really into rustic. I'm more into fake rustic - as in, it might look rustic but it really costs lots of money & is fancy. We stayed in a lovely little cabin in the mountains & it was rustic. Not fancy but looked rustic. Just rustic. There were all these little "heads-up" things about locking the doors & not leaving out food because the bears & mountain lions would just barge right in if they wanted to. And then they put these doors on the place that look like in one whack a bear could just barge right in!! Sure - they had wrought iron screen doors, but there was a notice not to lock them! I mean, really?? Don't lock the one small defense against me & the wild??? Insanity I tell you. So I concluded - much as I've already known - I'm just not into rustic.
-I am pretty sure I've mentioned this before - but graceful is not something I claim to be. I used to be graceful. I took dance for 13 years - I had to have some semblance of grace to do that, right? We hiked, wandered, climbed all over the place exploring the land around our cabin. There were gorgeous rock outcrops, a lake, beautiful Aspen trees...it was all just gorgeous. It was also all on an incline. I managed to do it all in Rainbo flip flops & fare just fine. I mean, sure a plant stuck me in the toe, but life goes on. Lindsey had us climb to the bottom of the Incline, on steep rock strewn paths interspersed with rickety old wooden step. Managed it just fine in flimsy bejeweled sandal. Of course, then my Dad & I went to Florissant Fossil Beds State Park & decided to walk a mile long loop. That was totally flat. No hills. No incline. And it was on that trail that I decided to wipe out. Because obviously walking on flat ground is what gives me trouble. Scratched up my knee, ankle & even managed to tear a hole in my brand new (as in, maybe 14 hours old) athletic pants. The look on my Mom's face when I returned with dried blood on my knee & pants covered in dust...priceless. As was my Dad's horrified yelp of "NATALIE!!!" as I crashed to the ground. You can't make this stuff up people. You just can't.
-Epic sunburn. That's really all you can call a sunburn that I still have almost 2 weeks later. Saturday will be two weeks since the AF vs. SDSU game & I am still peeling from the sunburn I received cheering on the Falcons. My nose may never be the same & thankfully my right ear only stayed swollen to half it's size for a day or two.
-I also experienced a level of fatigue that I think only new parents feel. I slept restlessly on Thursday night & may have only gotten 3 hours of actual sleep before my alarm went off at 4:15 on Friday morning. I made it until almost 8 that night before the trouble really set in - but from then on...I felt like death. I'd been awake for going on 18 hours, with only 3 hours of sleep to support that much activity. I reached a point where just sitting still was too complicated. All I needed was a semi dark corner of a room that was semi warm & I would have probably completely collapsed. It was bad. So bad that I didn't even feel like eating my delightful pasta at McKenzie's Chop House. Thankfully, on Sunday afternoon when I came back from wiping out at the fossil park, I had a lovely snack of pasta waiting on me. Because time...and pasta, heal all wounds.
-Star Wars. Nothing really new here - except that I learned that I'm not the only nerdy one in my family because my sister loves watching it too! Nothing says Labor Day weekend like the power of the Force fighting it out against the Dark Side.

I guess that is really about it for Colorado. I'm sure I'll think of something else that was funny or memorable - like maybe my spazzing out mere moments before we were supposed to go into the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine. I'm not going to elaborate on that one right now. I'll leave you wondering.

Work is ever the same. Just keep plugging along, doing insurance related stuff & trying to learn how to do things the way the higher ups want them done & keep everyone happy.

I'm trying to lose weight again - because honestly, I need to. I started drinking Slim Fast this past Monday & so far it's going pretty good. I almost had a total breakdown last night & wanted to devour the last piece of my Grandma's birthday cake...but I didn't. It takes major self control & that is something I don't really have complete mastery of yet. I'm trying to get past the hunger of the first week - usually if you can make it through that first week of feeling like your stomach is going to cave in & eat itself, it gets better & over time you don't get hungry anymore. So, I'm living for that moment - since being hungry makes me cranky.

So there you go - my life at the moment. Basically I'm hungry, hanging on to what little money I have & getting ready to go at it alone. Oh, and I'm also clumsy & sunburned. I'm also blessed though - so very blessed. Because in all these things, I am saved by the grace of God & the same grace that saved me will get me through those little day to day struggles that can sometimes seem bigger than they really are. And that makes me think that I might be alright in the end - because it all gets better at the end, so if it isn't all better, it must not be the end.

But that is the end of this post. :)