New Year, New Blog, New ME!

Happy 2010 everyone! Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday season and is off to a raring start in the new year and new decade!

We had just about the most amazing holiday season I can remember in our young marriage....kind of interesting because money was REALLY tight this year and we spent less money than we have spent the entire time we have been together. Put it into perspective for me what it was really all about....a good lesson to be learned and remembered.

We had a white Christmas this year which was pretty amazing, I don't believe it had ever happened before since I have lived in Texas. It was coming down so hard on Christmas Eve, we kept joking we were in a "blizzard". Then, unexpectedly, the roads froze solid while we were at Shannon's house celebrating that night, and it took us over 30 minutes to drive the less than 3 miles from her house to ours to get home safely. I couldn't believe it!

We celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary this past NYE and it was an amazing day and amazing evening. We ate dinner at the Melting Pot and they went over and above my wildest dreams for excellent service to celebrate our special night. It was a night we will remember for a very long time!

I made some pretty heavy duty resolutions this year....and I am very committed to seeing them through to reality. It is not going to be easy...and I can use all the help and support I can get. SO- if you see me doing something I am not supposed to- CALL ME OUT on it! Make me hold myself accountable. I need to be stronger in my spirit to take care of ME and keep my priorities straight, I am WEAK when it comes to this. I know I am a strong person overall- so I know I have the capability, I just have to DO IT!

My first resolution was a shocker to many people- I am NOT going to work on the weekends in 2010. At all. I am not going to check email, not going to read cases, not going to staff cases with workers, not going to THINK about work. For some of you who might not be aware....this is a HUGE deal....I have been working at CPS for 11 years now and I do believe I can name the number of weekends I did NOT work on one hand....and by that I mean two fingers. I am a admitted workaholic and I am total obsessive compulsive control freak when it comes to my email and to my to do list. Those things are just going to have to sit there over the weekend and wait for me to view on Monday morning. It is going to be hard. Very hard. I am on the right track, I haven't signed on since 12/31. Today and yesterday were really hard. It is almost like I am FEENING to check my email! What the heck?! Craziness. There will always be some TRUE emergencies that warrant my attention and this doesn't mean I am going to neglect the very important tasks and responsibilities I am charged with. It just means I have got to have a LIFE with Rebecca and I really need that time to focus on my family as well. My husband has been sorely neglected over the last 11 years....and it is time to make up for a lot of that. It is long over due!

My second resolution was to be a better person by doing the following things: 1) Do not engage negativity or negative persons 2) Do not create negativity 3) Putting my priorities in the right order, which means God first, and Troy and I second. The rest falls below those two things and that is how I will be living my life from this point forward. 4) Not allow my emotions to be controlled by others. I alone am responsible for them.

I have found, particularly with #4, that it is falling into place quite nicely and it ties in directly with items #1 and #2. I refuse to allow myself to be controlled by others at this point in my life. It is LIBERATING to feel this way and to have actually put that into action has been freeing of great proportions.

My third, and final, resolution (Golly, I hope I have not set myself up because this list is long and filled with CHALLENGING THINGS!) is to get healthy in 2010. I am not going to say "lose weight, diet, exercise, etc., etc." because while those things ARE what I need to be doing, the real important part of all of that is the end result- health. I am hitting WW again with gusto this week and I DO hope to have this last 60 pounds off this year. Troy and I are committed to the journey together- and I do believe that makes all the difference.

Lastly, a little bit of surprise news for you blog followers. :-) A new addition will be joining our family next Friday. Maddox is a 15 week old Biewer Yorkshire Terrier and he is being shipped to us from Michigan. He is pretty much the most gorgeous thing I have ever laid eyes on and I cannot wait for him to join our family. He is a TINY fella and he will only be between 3 1/2 and 4 lbs when he is full grown. Exciting and scary rolled into one! I cannot wait to hold him for the first time and I just know that he and Blakers will quickly become best friends and they are going to have a rocking good time. Momma is going to be tired! But since I will have all that free time on the weekends now....I should have time to squeeze in a nap....or two. :-)

Oh, and by the way, I did change the name of my blog. I decided it was pretty fitting to name my blog after a fairy tale....because at this point, I feel like I am living in a dream and I want to savor every minute of this story! Yes, I am aware that I am spoiled rotten...but I must say....it feels good to be spoiled every once in a while with the stress I am under day in and day out in the harsh realities of my job. God Bless my husband for taking such good care of me....I couldn't do it without him....and, honestly, I wouldn't want to!

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you are all healthy, happy, and blessed!

R

Slacker

Okay, okay. I know. I have been slacking. I PROMISE I am going to be back in full force over the next couple of weeks. Work has gone completely insane (seriously people- it is Christmas! Can't people stop abusing their children just for the MOMENT? It makes me crazy!) and I am so exhausted at this point, I hardly have enough energy to lay down at the end of the day and I am pretty sure I have fallen asleep sitting straight up a couple of times in the last several weeks. Thank GOD for my husband- he is a saint every year around this time- and he pretty much takes care of every last minute detail so that everyone gets a gift, it is actually wrapped in Christmas paper, we have food to eat, and gas in the cars to get us where we need to be. Every year I remember just how truly blessed and lucky I am- despite the madness of the season. I am so grateful Troy always has my back.

I always have to work the week of Christmas because I cover for my best friend this week and she covers for me next week, which is our anniversary. Well, mine and Troy's that is. Not mine and hers. Our is Sept 1. That's a whole different story. Anywho, it has worked out just that simply for the last 10 years, I work this week, she works next week. But, this year is the closest I have ever come to NOT being allowed to take off time for the holidays- my workers were SO far behind- I wasn't sure how they would ever get caught up. But, apparently, if you work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for a month straight- you get pretty close and my time off (and theirs) was approved after all. Thank goodness, I was getting ready to need SICK time as I was pretty sure I was headed to the looney tunes house in short order. My body is pretty close to just totally shutting down on me and refusing to move another inch until I rest. I have promised it that I will do just that as soon as Saturday rolls around. I just need it to hang in there with me for another three days. Please send prayers it actually does!

This week, we are celebrating our very first Christmas without our beloved Buster Brown. We have had him every single Christmas that we have been together as a couple- even before we were married. He was always so much fun on Christmas morning, he would tear into his gifts and grab the toy out from the paper and then run off like a wild dog squeaking it and playing like a pup. Bailee has never been the brightest bulb and she pretty much doesn't understand the whole opening gifts part and besides she is way too lazy to exert much effort to get to the actual gift if it is under some sort of disguise. She will gladly just sit there patiently and wait for you to unwrap it FOR her and hand it to her. I am also sure she would be just as happy to have you squeak it for her and she surely isn't fetching- anything. I am willing to bet that Blake will think the paper is the actual present and he will be running around the house like the paper bandit thinking he is really getting away with something, leaving the toys behind in his dust. Troy is making me take him to the groomer again before the week is up (he is a real stickler about this grooming thing. UMPH) so he will at least be nice and cute while he is running around with wrapping paper on Christmas morning.

I am SUPER excited about Christmas with Burim this year and I cannot wait to see the look on his face on Christmas morning after Santa visits. It is going to ROCK! I feel so privileged that my sister lets us take part in that on Christmas morning- I know a lot of people that don't have others over when their kids open Santa gifts- and I think we are lucky to get to be there and see it first hand.

I am the on call supervisor on Christmas Eve this year, so I have to make it through one additional day more than normal before I can start to enjoy the holiday with my family and 4:01 PM on Christmas Eve just simply cannot get here fast enough. I cannot wait to be off of work and enjoy quality time with Troy. These are the only days he is off of work all year long and we have big plans that involve sleeping in, napping during the day, and playing Super Mario Brothers and Guitar Hero until the wee hours of each morning. We will celebrate our 11th wedding anniversary on the 31st and I guess this is just what old folks do for fun. :-)

Merry Christmas everyone- I hope your holidays are filled with peace, joy, laughter, love and blessings. I love you all.

B

Hello out there!

Hope everyone had a super duper fantabulous Thanksgiving. I know we sure did! Dinner/lunch went off without a hitch and everything was fabulous. My sister AND Burim ended up being able to come for the meal and my heart melted when Burim told his mother he wasn't ready to go home because he needed to stay at Becca and Uncle Troy's house a little longer to "have Thanksgiving". All together now.....Awwwwwwww! Right? I know! Uh huh! Love that kid. His mom isn't too shabby either. We had an amazing day with our family- such a blessing!

We did our big Black Friday rush- even though we got a late start at 7:30 AM. I still threatened to hurt Troy when he woke me up at THAT time. It took one VENTI peppermint white chocolate mocha (nonfat still of course) to get me back into functioning mode and stop being crabby McCrabster. Despite heading out after the sun went up- every single "deal" we wanted was still there and available. It was like we couldn't go wrong. We even stumbled into Academy Sporting Goods and found a huge clearance section and got Troy work-out shirts (NIKE!) for under $2 a piece. It was insane. I FINALLY got my "Flip" video camera- YAYYYYYYYYYYYYY and I can't wait to start using it. We also got the "door-buster" HP printer at Best Buy and I am in heaven salivating about being able to print again. Wouldn't you know it has been almost a week and I haven't needed to print anything yet though? I think I will just start printing willy nilly just to get my money's worth...even though I did get it for 50% off.

My one TRUE LOVE (kidding....kind of), Bath and Body Works, is where I scored the biggest savings. I accidentally picked up the wrong stack of coupons when we left that morning and I was near hysteria (this is SERIOUS people!) when I walked in and realized it. The manager recognized us (yes, I am aware this is NOT okay) and I blurted out my dilemma. She was all, "No problemo! We got ya covered!" and I almost kissed her but Troy yanked me back and shot me the "stop acting like a psycho" look. Umph. When I got up to the check out line with all of my little separate orders so I could use all of my little coupons the checkout girl said I could just use them all on one order. I was like....ummmm, how is that going to work? They are for 20% off? She said she would just.....wait for it......give me SIXTY PERCENT OFF (20 for each coupon)!!!!! I about FELL OUT. When it was all said and done, I got $925 worth of merchandise (full price) for........(drum roll please).........$126. I was on a deal getting HIGH for the rest of the day. Best shopping day EVER! Of course, all of this shopping was made possible by my super fabulous husband winning the Thanksgiving Day bowling tournament. Even though I was dead on my feet, I stood up and cheered for that news at almost midnight. Yes, I was at home alone in my pajamas. I still did it. Doesn't get much better than an unexpected windfall of cash the night before the biggest shopping day of the year. All of our Christmas shopping is DONE except for two things. That is pure greatness right there.

After we collapsed from shopping, cooking, entertaining, etc., etc., etc, wouldn't you know it....I got sick. Again. Of course. Ugh. So, I extended my Thanksgiving holiday by another two days, sucked down Nyquil and Gatorade, and didn't go back to work until today. All I know is my holiday vacation cannot get here fast enough because today......whew. It was a whipping. I keep trying to remember that new found wisdom from April....remember that? But it seems to be escaping me right about now. I am TRYING to do some things for myself in between saving the world and the universe....like TRYING to keep dieting (I gained three pounds over the last three weeks- YIKES) and enjoying my puppy (he is a whopping 4.4 lbs now) and reading books to relax.

Right now I am reading the Victoria Laurie "Abby Cooper- Psychic Eye" series and I just found out yesterday that the series is based on her OWN life! She is an "actual psychic" and she does some work for the police department. Isn't that cool? She does professional readings for $140 but I don't think I want to spend money to hear more bad news. I'm pretty sure even though I say I want to quit my job, it totally isn't going to happen and I have a really sickening feeling people aren't going to stop abusing their kids anytime soon. Ugh. Anywho, I love these books and I think it is neat they are based on her life!

Well, that's about all that is new and exciting. Except today we ran out of Blake's potty treats- and in case you didn't hear the CNN news bulletin it was SNOWING in DFW today (i.e. I wasn't going ANYWHERE outside) so I had to bust out a new bag of different treats. He did his business (aren't you glad you are still reading) and I whipped out the new treat and acted all excited about it. I gave it to him and he glared at me (he really did), put the treat in his mouth....and wait for it......spit. it. out. Then he went back to glaring at me. Hmmmm. Methinks puppy is a teensey weensey bit spoiled. I am able to write this blog right now because my husband is out at the store. Which store you ask? Yeah. Petsmart. Getting more potty treats- the right ones.

Oh yeah- our espresso maker came via UPS today (of course he knocked on the door RIGHT in the middle of a telephone staffing with my BOSS- knocking on the door=dogs barking like idiots) and I can't wait to put it to use! Does anyone else have one or know how to use it? I am afraid we are espresso idiots! We are just trying to save $$$ on Starbucks and make my heaven in a cup here at the casita. That was ANOTHER good deal- if you haven't checked it out....eBay is doing "deals of the day" every day until 12/8 and they are all free shipping and no tax (unless you live in that state) and are HUGE discounts. This was a brand new espresso maker, regularly priced $400 and that is what they are selling it for at Bed Bath and Beyond and at Amazon, and we got it for $150. Now we just have to figure out how to use it!

Well, since it snowed today, I think I am entitled to a big steaming cup of hot chocolate WITH marshmallows. Actually, I kind of did that yesterday.....but I think because it SNOWED I can do it again today. :-)

Happy Holidays!
B

A change is gonna do you good

Well, yesterday, I bit the bullet and made a decision. We are going out to eat for Thanksgiving. GASP!

Every year, I host Thanksgiving at my home and I make myself crazy (and spend a ton of $$$) making a humongous meal that is way too much food for any one family (or three or four) to eat. I love it. I have done it two days after being in a car accident that totaled my car and sent me to the ER in an ambulance. I have done it three days after having surgery on my jaw which caused nerve damage and I couldn't feel my face. I have done it two days after my great-grandmother passed away because we "already had the food" and we might as well cook it and eat before we loaded up for the trip home to Illinois. I have done it after working until 3 AM the night before because a case blew up before I could escape the office for the holiday.

Yes, I am a glutton for punishment and most would say I am just a martyr and like the madness. :-) I do think a lot of that is true, but mostly, I love to do it. I like the fact that I can single-handedly (okay my husband might take offense at that part because I do put him to work like I am the Nazi Chef in the Soup Kitchen on Seinfeld barking orders like a lunatic, "Stir that pot! Take that out of the oven! I need the blue pan not the green one!") put on a feast for 5 to 15 people and it tastes great and looks beautiful and everyone enjoys the meal and has a great time. It reminds me of my grandmother and makes me feel close to her every year when I carry out this amazing feat and think about how she did it for 20 years for up to three times the amount of people. I love having everyone at my house and I love thinking about the memories and the traditions that we are making here. I love the feeling of success when I crawl into bed after the last person has left and the last dish is washed and I collapse utterly exhausted and tremendously proud and happy.

This year, my sister is not coming to Thanksgiving with us (SOB!) and my grandmother, who was possibly going to come down, isn't going to be able to make it. My husband's family is doing a separate get-together on Friday following T-Day so they won't be here either. It is just going to be us, my mom, and Troy's mom. For four people, I just couldn't see putting out the spread. I picked up the phone, I called Texas de Brazil, and I made reservations for four. I should have felt a sense of relief....right? No work. No dishes. No hot oven heating up the house. No mess. No back ache from standing on the kitchen floor for 12 hours straight. This should be great....right?

I started thinking after I made the reservations that we were eating awfully early....and wouldn't we be hungry later? What would we eat without any leftovers? Nothing will be open that day! We must have food to eat....otherwise, we would die of starvation! That 11:00 all you can eat steakhouse dinner isn't going to tide you over indefinitely!!!

I know! What if I just prepare a "small" Thanksgiving meal....no big deal....for after the game? Then we could eat a little bitty Thanksgiving dinner that evening after the game and that way no one will die of starvation on our watch. My husband just looked at me and rolled his eyes. "Just do it," he told me. "But, you are ordering the turkey from Popeyes, I am not frying it." Me, smiling from ear to ear....."DEAL!" So, while this year won't be the big feast we normally have....we are still going to have our nice dinner at home and all will be right with the world because I AM just a glutton for punishment. Well, all will be right except Shannon and Burim not being here. I know it is only fair but I am still sad. :-(

Here is my menu:

Main Meal
Fried Turkey (4.5 pts for 3 ounces)
Mashed Potatoes (2 pts)
Broccoli Rice Casserole (4 pts)
Sweet Potato Casserole (4 pts)
Cranberries (2 pts)
Deviled Eggs (2pts for 1 egg)

Desserts
Pumpkin Pie Smash (1 pt)
Bread Pudding (8 pts)
Banana Pudding (5 pts)
Pumpkin Pie Flan (4 pts)

Appetizers
Jalapeno Poppers
Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Mushrooms
Fruit and Vegetable Tray
Chips and Dips

******

I hope our meal at Texas de Brazil is lovely, I hope our meal at home turns out fabulously (I have never made a couple of the things on this menu and I am praying for them to all turn out for the big day!) and I hope we are all happy, healthy, and hopeful when we celebrate our blessings this year on our official day of Gratitude.