February: Faith, Friends, Family & Funny Babies

Wow - how is February almost gone? I feel like this month just started & already it is about to take a bow & we'll move right on into March. I guess February went by so fast for me because I was busy having fun; you know what they say about the way time moves when you're having fun, right? Because it flies! Anyway, I don't have a real point to this post, it is mostly just about getting caught up with my life - maybe with some amusing anecdote's in the mix. So...here we go!

I started off my February with DiscipleNow weekend. I always feel the need to brace myself for this weekend because I am such a big fan of sleeping & that is just not a luxury you are really afforded on a DNow weekend. I'm sure I got more sleep than most people; the past 4 years I've been with the same group of girls & they seem to value sleep as much as I do. Smart girls really, quite brilliant. The theme was Comm:Unity & was all about establishing relationships with people - you must first have an intimate relationship with Jesus so that you can begin to build those intimate, lasting relationships with other people; the kind of relationships where you can discuss your faith openly & truly be accountable to one another as Christian brothers & sisters. The whole weekend really had me thinking, but on Saturday night the speaker (who's name I cannot remember...all I know is he spoke so fast my head wanted to spin) put a familiar verse in a way that I've never thought of before. Check this out - put your name everywhere the word Love is; or where my name is:

  Natalie is patient and kind. Natalie is not jealous or boastful or proud  or rude. Natalie does not demand her own way. Natalie is not irritable, and keeps no record of being wronged.  Natalie does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Natalie never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

The speaker talked with us about how we should use that verse to evaluate how we acted in our daily relationships - and let me tell you, I fall short. Sometimes I can be kind, I try not to be rude...but when I really start looking at the other things - There are days when I can't wait to tell anyone who will listen how I was wronged. And don't even get me started on that last line because there are so many days when all I want to do is give up because the faith & hope I have are completely drained because of my circumstances. Thank goodness I have a Savior that is always faithful, a Savior that never gives up on me, no matter the circumstances that I am in. He is always with me, always. So, I keep the words of the speaker with me & try to work on being the person in the verses above - so I can build relationships with others.

I absolutely loved me girls - there were only 3 of them; my trio of trouble. Which was so far from the truth, but I just liked calling them that. They are each one such a special woman of God & I was so blessed to spend time with each one of them, even if just for a short, sleep deprived weekend.

Senior Girls & Me!

Thankfully I recovered from DNow throughout the next week, because the second weekend in February brought a visit from two of my favorite people - Kristen & Lisa! Two of my sweet friends from Jackson! I've known Kristen since Jr. college when we were in chorus at MCC, we even managed to live with one another for 2 years while we were at Southern & came out on the other side better friends than when we started! I met Lisa through Kristen/the BSU at Southern & was immediately into her & her crazy, infectious personality. I'm so blessed to have them both in my life & call them my friends. We all have crazy schedules - I think they may have the crazier schedules than myself, but we managed to find a weekend when we were all free & so they came to spend some time with me. We had a blast just catching up with one another, eating junk food (actually not that much junk food) & watching a girly movie. Lisa & I introduced Kristen to the awesomeness that is the show "Once Upon A Time" & we might have created a fan. We spent Saturday poking around some shops, eating at Cater's Market & seeing the movie "The Vow". It was so much fun & I can't wait till we can all get together again.

This cereal had flakes...like us, ha-ha

Valentine's Day - or Singles Awareness Day as I like to call it, came without incident or thrill. I'm sure for so many people in the world, it is such a wonderful day to celebrate the love you have for your significant other but I'm always acutely aware of how very single I am on Valentine's Day. My wonderfully sweet parents sent me a fat padded envelope full of wonderful things & I even got a surprise at work - so it certainly wasn't a bad day. I'm just waiting for that extra special Valentine's Day, that is bound to come someday.

Not bad for a single girl....

My wonderful Mom came to visit me on February 15th - so glad to see her. I'm not even gonna lie. I'm doing pretty good with this whole living on my own thing, but it sure was nice to have a Momma to be sweet & take care of me for a few days. We did all sorts of things - went shopping, went to see "This Means War", bought groceries, got a pedicure, ate out (a lot) & just spent time chilling. All of those things were awesome but it was the little things that were nice too, like watching "Castle" with her on Monday night & being amazed or surprised (or shell-shocked, because the promo said we'd be left shell-shocked) with her, instead of having to wait for her delayed reaction via text message. I think one of her favorite parts of the whole visit was getting to see the sweet babies in the nursery & see how much they have changed. She just loved & cuddled on them as much as she could - it's very apparent where I get my love of little kids.

Mom & some of her new (old) friends.

The last thing I really want to write about is all the precious, adorable, funny babies that I work with on Sunday mornings & Sunday nights at my church. Being the nursery coordinator can be insanely stressful sometimes, but spending time with all the sweet little ones in the nursery usually makes up for the stress. I have heard some of the funniest things from some of the sweethearts in the nursery & I thought I'd share them. The first funny that I have is from a sweet little girl - every week when she gets to church, she asks over & over again "Where babies?" She is so set on having a baby to play with & even when you ask her other questions, she just looks at you like you're crazy & asks you again "Where babies?" I love it! :)

Another funny came from a two year old on Sunday morning. We were talking to the kids about what their favorite fruits & vegetables were & one little girl kept quietly whispering something to herself. I finally pried the answer out of her & when I asked what she liked, she said "I like chocolate". That is a child after my own heart - forget grapes or carrots, bring on the chocolate!

Lastly, a few weeks ago a little girl was telling me what her whole name was - she told me she was using her "all 3 names" & rattled off her first, middle & last name. Then she scooted close to me & whispered ominously "when Mommy uses my all 3 names, it means that I'm in twouble." Hahahaha! I love little kids. They can be brutally honest & incredibly endearing all at the same time.

I suppose that is all for now. Can't wait to see what March has in store, although if this crazy weather is any indication it is going to come in more like a lion than a lamb. Oh well, bring it on!

Broken Pieces

So - this post will probably be short & sweet, but it definitely has a point. I'm a firm believer that the Lord can use anything & everything as a means to speak to a person. This morning I was listening to my Adam Lambert CD (let me assure, the last place I thought I'd get some kind of deep thought) & I was listening to a song called Broken Pieces. The lyrics of the song just really began to stand out to me & as I listened to them, I was so humbled & amazed by the love that Jesus Christ has for us. Let me write some of them here & maybe you'll see what I mean.

-Broken pieces, break into me...

so imperfectly what you should be...

-I know the battles..of chasing the shadows...of who you want to be.

It doesn't matter, go on & shatter, I'm all you need.

Those were really the lines that stood out most to me. Because while I'm sure he is singing about the love you might have for a significant other, that is the kind of love that Jesus has for us. He only asks that we come to him the way we are - even if we are broken. Only Jesus can take the pieces of our life & make us into the whole creation that he means us to be. I get so caught up in being the person I feel like I need to be to please my family, my friends, my boss...to please the world. The only person that I need to please is Jesus & all he asks of me is to give him the broken pieces that I have & let him mold my life into the perfect plan that he has for me.

I need to be reminded of that all the time. I'm so concerned with trying to be in control of things & make sure that no "cracks" are showing in the facade that I keep up. The face that says that regardless of what someone might say to me or what someone might do, I can keep it together & put on a perfect show. None of us is perfect & the Creator of the Universe made us that way - so that we would need him to put together the pieces. It's amazing the things the Lord can use to remind me of little things like that. Of course, the Earth is the Lord's, as in everything in it - so maybe if I paid more attention to my surroundings, I'd hear his voice in lots of other things. Just thought I share that.

For anyone interested in listening, this is the link to the song - the lyrics as a whole really speak to exactly what I wrote about above.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLhqkCzDbj0

Enjoy!

So, in the Meantime

I feel like the month of January is just a filler month - does that make sense to anyone else? Its the month that comes after the hoopla, excitement & festivities of the past three months. Think about it - you've got Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years all in quick succession & then...nothing. Nothing but the winter (although here in MS it doesn't seem very wintry) and days passing on end in mostly gray repetitiveness. Aren't I a ray of sunshine today? No - I'm actually doing a very good job of blending in with the outside surroundings these days. I'm just passing the time, waiting to see what happens - but I guess that is what we are all doing; that's what living life is about. Passing time, waiting to see how life unfolds.

The weather as of late..



So, in the meantime, what have I been doing? Like I said - not too much. I spent my Friday two weeks ago with sweet Hayden & Ashlan - they're always good for laughs, cuddles & a good mood lift. How can you not love setting up a mock battlefield to wage war only to have your hard work crashed by....a giant stuffed fish? Trust me, on the battlefield that Friday night, the real opponent to worry about was not the good guys (Hayden's soldiers) or the bad guys (obviously mine) but the giant stuffed trout that Ashlan was wielding. It was a quick battle. I saw "Beauty & the Beast" in 3D - that was probably the most well spent $9 that I've parted with in a long time. It has easily been my favorite Disney movie since I first saw it when I was 8 - and the number one reason is probably because it is just an amazing story, but I think another reason is because I identify a lot with Belle. I'm a bookworm & even at 27 I still sometimes feel like maybe I just don't quite fit into my surroundings; I'm also constantly thinking that, much like Belle laments "there must be more than this provincial life". So, I thoroughly enjoyed my 80 minutes watching it, it looked especially awesome in 3D. Also, how awesome is the scene at the end? If you haven't seen it - go see it. Rent it. Heck - buy it.

Spoiler Alert - the Beast is actually the hottest Disney prince ever. Yep.

Beyond all that excitement - it has been pretty much run of the mill, day to day life. I started Slim Fast 3 weeks ago & I also started walking on the treadmill. I HATE the treadmill, I do. But I love the feeling of accomplishment when I get off of it, so I guess I'll keep right on walking & see what happens. I've been told that walking will make the weight just fall off. I've yet to see that...but it has only been 3 weeks. Maybe by blogging about this I will have some kind of accountability because if by the time summer gets here I'm not any slimmer, all you people who read this (all 6 of you) can tell me that I obviously lied in writing. Is that libel or slander? Oh well...

Want to see what the weather looked like the other night?

It's the End of the World...



Ok - maybe it wasn't that bad. I don't know - I was watching the weather though & it didn't look like it was so great. I've always seen the progression from light green to dark green to yellow to orange to red on the radar...I thought that was as bad as it gets. Who knew that hot pink actually means that you are about to be blown away by a tornado? I didn't until I saw it on the radar the other night. I am completely terrified of bad weather, so I had a sleepover at my Aunt & Uncle's house. Even though they (jokingly, I hope) told me they would make a pallet in their bedroom floor (haha guys, funny) I passed & slept on the futon in the bonus room. Thank goodness for box fans & the TV. That box fan was so loud I wouldn't have heard a tornado if it ripped the roof off the house - and the TV was important because I swear, even when I can't hear the weather getting bad, it is like I have a built in sensor & I wake up just in time...so I can watch TV & be prepared for the worst. The weatherman kept saying "If you live in a trailer, get out - tornados & straight line winds just shred trailers, find a ditch if possible" & all I could think was "hope I have a home tomorrow morning". I did - thank the good Lord. I'm about tired of this bad weather & I think if the weatherman says "It's unseasonably warm for January" (75, gee - you think?) one more time, I might scream. :)

The weekend is only a day away & I plan to do a whole lot of nothing. This month has been short on activites, but February is getting ever closer & I've got plans for February. Also, seriously - how has almost a whole month already passed this fast? But I digress - I'm gonna watch the series finale of "Chuck" (so sad) & maybe a movie or two, buy some groceries & just chill. I'll probably end up cleaning something at some point because I'm turning into my Mom & I can't seem to sit idly by when something needs cleaning. Fear not Mom - that's not a bad thing. So, until next time...anyone got any suggestions for a good movie to rent?

Adventures in Adulthood

Sure - this thing looks cute. Appearances can be deceiving.



Firstly - I have no clue why the picture editor makes the white border so large at the bottom. Makes no sense to me, but there you have it. I guess it thought I was going to write a novel about the mouse. I'm gonna write a post about mice, but the picture caption really need not be that long. Anyway, I digress..

Almost a month ago I opened the door of my bathroom cabinets & noticed something that looked a lot like mouse poo. I got to investigating & sure enough - that was what it was. I freaked out, mildly. I figured that for sure it wasn't too big of a deal because I hadn't actually seen the mouse so maybe it had only popped in once to nibble the towels & then left. I still went to the Dollar Store & bought some DeCon, just to be safe. After almost a month of seeing no more mouse "surprises" & the DeCon being baited & set...but never catching a mouse, I was lulled into a false sense of calm. Silly me. Silly, silly me. I'm sure the mouse (mice? More than one of them, oh Lord sustain me...) thought "what an ignorant human...so stupid".

Monday night; having been lured into this false sense of calm, I was sitting on my couch watching "Castle" - just enjoying some crime drama & chilling out. All of a sudden, from the direction of the kitchen this brownish blur whizzes across the carpet & under the ottoman. When I tell you I froze, I mean - my whole body went stiff & I couldn't move. I called my Mom in complete panic, about to sob. Over a mouse. Something that might weigh a pound. It probably doesn't even weigh that, but I flipped out. I thought that the mouse problem was no big deal. I thought the mouse had sensed the DeCon & left, never to return. Just kidding - think again.

I bought traps - regular traps, glue traps, I even hung on to the weird DeCon swirly trap things. Tuesday night at 5:45 I had nine traps set. Yes, nine. I'm nothing if not thorough. I kind of went a little crazy with the cleaning as well. I'd read all this stuff about how if you keep a really really clean kitchen, you won't be as apt to get mice. I thought I had a really clean kitchen - I sweep & mop regularly & I wipe down the counters & sinks when I am done cooking at night. Apparently that is not enough. I vacuumed the floor, I swept the floor. I scrubbed down the counters with kitchen cleaner...I went a little nuts, making sure everything was completely void of anything that could even be seen as possible food stuffs. And then I went about my business - watched some TV, poked around on the Internet..did my own thing...and then I went to bed & prayed that all the mice near my house would just die or run away & leave me alone. Then the morning came...

I was beginning to think that all the mice had run away & left me alone. I didn't see any of the traps in the kitchen had been snapped & so I was thinking that I was in the clear & everything was going to be fine. I was standing by my dishwasher & I saw it - a tail. A long skinny tail. I peered around the door frame carefully & let out a scream - there was a dead mouse on the trap! I started the scream loudly & then thought better of it & shut up quickly. What if my scream alerted the mouse? What if it wasn't really dead & my scream made it suddenly wake up & run at me? All stupid thoughts, but I had them. I called my Mom in a panic & explained that I had caught the mouse...I had caught the mouse & now I had to get it out of the house. Oh crap. What was I going to do now? Catching the mouse seemed like a great idea, but I hadn't thought about actually having to deal with a dead mouse. Let me just tell you that the next 10 minutes or so provided my Mom with some great entertainment - she was supportive but I also know that she was trying pretty hard not to absolutely lose it laughing at me.

She told me to poke the mouse with my broom & see if if moved. If the mouse moved then I was supposed to leave it alone & let it finish dying while I was at work. This is about the way the conversation went:
Mom: Just poke it & see what happens...it's fine.
Natalie: "poking mouse" AAAHHHH - OH LORD, IT DIDN'T MOVE!! I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN DO THIS!!!
M: Yes you can - be brave. This will make you tougher. Just sweep the mouse & the trap into the dust pan. "stifling laughter while she says all this"
I proceeded to sweep the mouse from in between the TV stand & the wall, screaming all the time. I mean, maybe screaming isn't the best word but I definitely let out some shrieks in the process...or several shrieks. And my Mom was cracking up the whole time.
N: OK - IT WILL NOT SWEEP INTO THE DUST PAN...I AM GOING TO HAVE TO PHYSICALLY TOUCH THE TRAP! I CAN'T DO THIS. AAAAHHHH!!!
M: I may wet my pants...you've got to calm down. "still cracking up"
N: AAAHHH - THE MOUSE IS IN THE TRASH BAG. IN THE TRASH BAG. I MAY BE ABLE TO BE MORE CALM NOW...Holy Cow. That was terrifying. I've never been more awake at 7:10 in the morning before...

So yes - I managed to catch & kill my first mouse. I'd really rather not ever have to do that again. Ever. Then again, if I could bottle the level of adrenaline my body was pumping throughout the experience, I think I'd drink it all the time so I'd be that pumped & awake. I was alert to the extreme. I could probably run for days with that much energy. Maybe I should kill mice more often...since it gets me so hyped up. Of course, my heart racing like that might not be the best idea.

Anyway - I have survived my first "crisis" of sorts. I was concerned about bad weather or power outages or something along those lines...I never even thought of mice. It's always the thing you least expect, right? This was definitely an adventure - there is no denying that fact. I think I've had enough of this particular adventure though. :)

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.