The worst Christmas ever!

No child should be away from home for the holidays, unless it’s something fantastic. This Christmas morning is not fantastic. I feel like the worst parent. My child will wake up soon in a chilly dark cheap hotel in the heart of Provo Utah in about an hour. No Christmas tree or lights, no presents or magical stocking hung by the fire.

I insisted that he enjoy the holiday with my family in Utah. And never again will I get this feeling out of my heart. I hope that he feels that our trip somehow makes it better…but my heart is sick.

How could I let the joy be sucked out of such a magical holiday season.

The hotel pool is closed, we never got a chance to see the Salt Lake City Temple lights (or any Christmas light display). We spent Christmas Eve waiting for something to happen…and nothing ever did.

I hope the spirit of the season still reaches his little heart and that my guys will forgive me for this whole week.

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Reindeer Games

I am a lunatic this Christmas. I have brought this upon myself and hope that it all pays off.

I wanted the little man to have an amazing Christmas to remember and thought that this is going to be the year to do it. He still has the magic of Christmas in his eyes and believes that the world is a beautiful place.

In an effort to make it the most magical Christmas, I thought I needed a little Mommy time and that the little man could have an afternoon with Daddy to shop or just hang out (or go see that new Christmas movie that will annoy me).

I am having a group of my girlfriends come over for a cookie exchange party. I was a little harsh with the details, so I thought I would lighten the mood with a been there done that game. So essentially the winner of the game would have a chance for a prize!

Been there done that Game

• Been in a hot tub under falling snow
• Worked at a soup kitchen
• Wrote a letter to Santa as an adult
• Made a new year resolution and kept it
• Kissed someone under the mistletoe
• Lied to Santa about being good
• Caught a snowflake on your tongue
• Can Say Merry Christmas in another language
• Give someone a gift that made them cry
• Got a present that made you cry
• Hung Christmas lights from your home.
• Make popcorn string for tree
• Ate candy off the floor
• Been away from home for Christmas
• Made yourself sick on cookies
• Got caught kissing Santa
• Rode on a camel
• Made a snow angel
• Know how to ice-skate
• Been caroling
• Played secret Santa
• Been on a winter Sleigh ride
• Watched a Hallmark holiday movie this season
• Made paper snowflakes
• Baked Christmas cookies
• Had a fake Christmas tree
• Found the burnt-out bulb in a string of Christmas lights
• Mailed a card to a soldier
• Shoveled a neighbors walk/driveway
• Participated in Nativity

I hope it goes well.

Well….Here I am

Life is truly a blessing and absolutely never what I expect. I can’t believe how long I have been blogging here ( or, not blogging because Facebook got in the way)

I think it’s about time to get back to putting my thoughts down again.

I promise in 2019 to make an effort to break free from the silence.

Just say, “Thank you!!!”

In reading an article today, I wonder how often do I remember to say “Thank you” to the people in my life that deserve to hear it the most? So many times we treat strangers with more courtesy than we do to the people in our life each and every day. The fact that we take people for granted is no big surprise to anyone, we do this with everything. Time marches on and we have grown used to the societal norm.

I wondered to myself, as I have on so many occasions, about the “friends” I have on Facebook. We all know that person that has thousands of friends. Has the word friend become something different? I know we can all list a few people that we are required to be friends with on Facebook, and a few that we friend just to keep tabs on (read as stalk). But on average, could you, or would you for that matter, be able to walk up to more than half the people on your friend list and strike up a conversation? Would you have anything of value to offer them? Could you say thank you for being a part of my life?

This is my challenge – I want to thank each person that I am friends with. Not just a general post saying “hey guys, if you are reading this then I want to say thanks for being you!” Nope, I want to personally find one thing that I can truly thank them for. Like Aunt ‘Gerty (names have been changed to protect the innocent) I want to say thanks for all the times you saved me from the strange people at our family reunions by asking me to personally help you. Or Betsy (again changed), Thank you for being someone who I know I can call and have lunch with anytime I visit my old hometown, even though we don’t see each other regularly I enjoyed the times we have shared and your commitment to keeping a friendship alive even if we are miles apart and talk infrequently.

If you are up for the challenge, I would like you to join along. Send 1 person a message, card or (heaven forbid) call them or meet in person and thank them for being in your life. Make it personal, enjoy it and see if you can bring a smile to someone! Let us know how it goes.

Is that me?

Looking in the mirror sometimes I feel like I have no idea who it is that is looking back. While there seems to be a look behind the eyes that is familiar I look at the similarities from my parents that have somehow found a unification on what seems to be my face. How has this happened and when did it start? Am I going to be the inevitable slogan of “I am my mother, after all” ? I just want to know who is responsible for this disaster…is there a complaint department that I can call? I 1-800 number to India where Habib can tell me I can get a refund?  Some nameless face that I can wait in line for, to tell all of my frustrations to, just to be told that I have wasted my time and that no refunds are given after 21 days?

 

Was there a line in Heaven that I forgot to get in that gave me the option of having different parts for my body? Was the assembly line like a car manufacturer that just randomly adds leather interior to every 5th car threw the line…not that I want a leather interior mind you. Do you think that I was lazy and just got in the express line for 15 items or less and missed out because I put back the skinny waist so I didn’t have to go to the regular check out with the longer lines? If that was an option, I probably didn’t even put it away, just hid it under the candy bars next to the register so I didn’t have to walk all that way.

 

Why is it that I feel like I got the short end of the genetic stick? If I really think about it I could have come out worse…after all I do believe that I have more hair than my sibling, and it’s not nearly as grey! Things are looking up. lol.

Jan14

I love our plants….we have been waiting for quite some time for the amyrills to open up. Ain’t it a beauty!
Puts a smile on my face, what about yours?

Jan 13

Puppies always makes me smile. Little moments during my day are brighter because Milo always loves me. I can leave the house for 5 minutes or 10 days and she is always just as happy when I walk in the door.