a Christmas miracle (of sorts)

I don't want to mislead anyone. This is not the sort of miracle you (and I) were really hoping would happen to me. No happy news to announce. Not today. But still-- a Christmas miracle...perhaps of a lesser order, but a good story nonetheless.

After all, it involves my favorite (and only) daughter!! And doesn't she look festive with her scarf??

So we're here in Augusta (and crossing our fingers for the First White Christmas since 1492 (or something)). Because life is cruel, I am being forced to wait until LUNCHTIME to open presents. This is truly unacceptable, since I am still the girl that wakes up at 4am on Christmas morning, ready and rarin' to go. But this is how it goes in adulthood. You have to wait until your punk little brother does Christmas with his girlfriend's family first before he can come and Christmas can commence at your own house. Jerk. So since I found myself with some time on my hands this morning, I decided to channel it productively by spending some time at the Fancy Gym.

Our gym, Anytime Fitness, is a franchise-type deal where we can use any of their facilities in the country. Conveniently, there is one about 2 miles away from my parents' house...and even though it's the same name as our home gym, it is WAY cooler! Hence calling it the "Fancy Gym". It's fancier than our home-sweet-podunk-home gym. It has way more awesome equipment than ours does, so we always look forward to visiting when we come to Augusta. Anyways. This is more or less irrelevant to the story at hand.

So we went to the gym, and YES we were the only people there at 8:30 am on Christmas Day. We are just that awesome. And I think I heard somewhere that you burn double the calories when it's on a major holiday. Or something like that.

We came home, and my mom really had to twist my arm to convince me that a good follow-up to my Christmas Day workout would be to lay in the Jacuzzi for awhile. I mean, since I had to shower already and everything...why not first lounge in a hot, bubbly spa??


I must say-- not too shabby. Especially when my servants Mom brought out the fruit plate and coffee. Really not too shabby. At this point I started considering the feasibility of moving back home. Fancy Gym. Coffee in the spa. This is the life.

While I'm enjoying my spa time, my beloved dog-ter is running wild in the yard. See, we don't have a fenced-in yard at our house, so Lola pretty much NEVER gets to play outside off-leash. She loves coming to my parents' house because they have a giant fenced-in yard and she gets unlimited play time. So she's running wild with her ball in her mouth, and I'm trying to convince her to bring it to me (in the spa) so that I can throw it for her. She's having none of it-- as far as she's concerned, I'm lounging in a giant, loud, bubbly bathtub and am two seconds away from hauling her in for her annual bath. So she keeps her distance.


Matt comes out off-and-on and will throw the ball for her. The thing is, as you can see, there are TONS of leaves on the ground. And the ball is a nice greenish brown, slobbery mess. So when Lola runs off and drops it somewhere, it can be hard to find the ball again. At one point she does this and Matt spends the better part of 10 minutes raking leaves, trying to unearth the ball. Unsuccessful, he goes back inside to find another ball so they can play some more. About 2 seconds after he goes inside, Lola runs over to where Matt had just left and quickly emerges from the leaves with her ball in her mouth.

Christmas Miracle 1: My daughter is a GENIUS! She can hide a ball so well that Matt can't find it, and then she REMEMBERS where it was! Brilliant. I think I'm having her tested for gifted next year...

Now along the back fence, there are some areas where the bottom of the fence gaps from the ground about 6-8 inches. I have noticed that our neighbors (who share a fence with us) must have a dog since I can see four paws and a little nose peeking under the fence. Apparently their dog is curious about the 3-ring circus going on in our yard.

So Lola is once again prancing around the middle of the yard with her ball. She throws (drops) it for herself and pounces on it...over and over. All of a sudden, she stops, ball in mouth. She sees the four paws at the fence. She runs over to investigate.

And she drops the ball. Right next to the fence.

Lola, No! I call. I can just see the ball rolling under the fence. I don't know those neighbors. I'm not going knocking at 10am on Christmas morning (in my bathing suit, haha) to fetch Lola's nasty old ball.

But she dropped the ball. And then...

she pushes it under the fence. With her nose, and then her paw. She gives away her ball. To her unknown playmate on the other side. It was absolutely on purpose.

And if that's not a selfless act, I don't know what is. My dear sweet baby. Giving away her only-begotten ball. (And yes, I know she didn't begot the ball. I just like that phrase. Especially at Christmas.)

So there we have it. Even our furry, adorable baby girl has caught the Christmas spirit. A miracle, for sure. Because Lola's an only child...you know, sometimes I worry that she's not properly socialized. That she doesn't know how to share with the other kids. But then I see this, and I know I don't have to worry. She gave away her ball!! My baby is a friggin martyr.

Soon we will open presents, and I heard that Santa left a few new toys for Lola. So I guess she won't miss her old tennis ball. But I just may have to go stick a brick under that hole in the fence. I mean, seriously. As sweet as that was, i just can't have her giving away all her toys. She's going to make me look selfish. You should never be out-martyred by your dog. It's just a rule I try to live by.

So, Merry Christmas. I hope you meet someone as generous as Lola today!

yay for vacay!!

Woohoo!! It's CHRISTMAS BREAK!! It's been a long time since I've gotten to participate in this ritual of lots-of-days-off...for the past few years my work calendar has meant that (even though I work for the school system) I work for several days a week even during Christmas break. However, this year, since I took a 13-day calendar reduction (and subsequently a 13 day pay cut, yippee!!) I get most of the break off! No work for me until January 4! Yippee!!

That pay-cut "yippee" was sarcasm. The last "yippee" was for real. Just so we're clear.

Anyway. I have kicked off the celebration by waking up at the exact same time as normal, since my sweet husband doesn't get to have the whole week off. And he still needed company and breakfast, so I got up to do my part. And then I always have these lofty of goals of going back to sleep after he leaves, but once I've been up for an hour, I have a hard time going back to bed. Hopefully this will improve, because there is really not a lot to do at home alone at 7:30 am when you have no home internet. It's even a little early for my beloved trashy TV shows...I can't handle the drama of Real Housewives at that hour. It has to be at least 9 for that, I think.

Anyway. Last night one of my former co-workers had a little soiree for co-workers past and present...not all of them, just the ones she liked. Ha. At least she's honest, right?? So we had a good time wining and dining and whining and dining. And I personally feel that someone should come out with a fad diet that relies on eating pigs-in-blankets and Oreo balls and drinking wine. I think I would be a major success at that diet.

I also think it is interesting to see where the conversations of 20-something educators go...even when we're not at work. You throw together a handful of outspoken, opinionated women, some throwback tunes, and a few bottles of wine...buddy, you just may change the world. Or at least we might. Before the night was over we'd all but written a grant to fund our innovative and flawless theories.

Does anyone else work in the world of grants? It's funny that when you do, that's just your first inclination for any issue. Need someone to do something? Write a grant for it. Need a new table for your classroom? Write a grant for it. Toilet paper running low in the bathroom? Write a grant. And then when you get your grant you can spend the rest of your days whining about how sucky it is working for a grant. It's awesome.

Anyway. Enough about working and grants. I'm on vacation!!

We have another Christmas party tonight and then Christmas with Matt's fam tomorrow night and then it's back to Augusta for Christmas with my family this weekend. I am pretty much done shopping, just need to get a few more things for stockings. And print a few pictures. And wrap the presents. But other than that, done.

Oh!! You guys were so helpful with all the suggestions about thermostat settings. I think that was the most comments I've ever gotten on a blog!! Since then we've been much warmer...and when we get the bill, we'll see if it is worth it, ha. You may notice me putting up a little money donation paypal thing on the sidebar: Help Erika pay her electric bill!! But I did want to share a link that Lisa shared with me. It's from the Department of Energy and deals with exactly what we were debating-- is it better to turn down the heat when you're asleep or gone, and does the heater actually have to work harder to heat up the colder air? What the DoE says is actually different from what many of us were thinking, so it may be worth looking at. Trust me, it's a reader-friendly article, not too science-y or boring. Check it out!

Well, this may officially be one of my most boring blogs ever. Grants. Science. I hope you'll still be my friend after suffering through this.

Oh wait-- before we go. I just need to share this really depressing fact.

I decorated my house for Christmas (like I do every year). It looks great-- I've posted some pics previously. And it occurred to me yesterday that NO ONE has come to our house and seen the decorations. Only Matt and I. NO ONE else!! And it's been decorated since the Saturday after Thanksgiving! I guess this is one of the drawbacks to living in the "country" (that is really only 15 minutes away from town), but it is making me really sad. I think I may just invite the UPS guy in the next time he comes by, just to make me feel like someone appreciated my decorations other than me. Does anyone else have this problem? I mean, it's not that I regret decorating...because I do really enjoy it. But I think the thing that made me saddest is that I got these cute towels to put in the guest bathroom...and no guests have been there to see them.

Please. Join me in my pity party. Actually, why don't you physically join me. Then you can see my decorations!!

back and at it

Is anyone else familiar with this expression? It's something my family uses frequently (ie: "I took a break from mopping, but now I'm back and at it") but for some reason the words all run together and it sounds more like backanatit. [side note: now that I actually spell it OUT, it looks like "banana tit" at a glance, which is really more than I can handle] I think I was like 15 before I realized that this expression was actually four different words and not just one. Anyway.

The wedding's over (with great success), the newlyweds are on their way to the Keys (and I got to FB chat with my sis this morning to catch up), and we're home sweet home, back and at it. The first thing we did (after turning the heat up to 69, thanks for ALL the advice-- you guys ROCK!) (and unpacking) was go to the gym for a long and torturous time of penance. Because we also brought home with us approximately 2900 pounds of leftover wedding food. And surprisingly, very little of it is healthy (hello, one lone head of cauliflower. You have no company!). So I think the gym will be my new BFF this week. Boo.

Anyway, since I don't have any dinner to cook (leftovers, remember?), I thought I'd zip up here to Ye Olde Library and share one of my latest crafty endeavors with yall. See, I have a lot of earrings. A lot. And most of them are dangly, or chandelier, or big, or all of the above. And they lay in a jumble in my jewelry box and cost me precious minutes in the morning as I try to hunt down and detangle the ones I want. So I decided to innovate. What I came up with is a hybrid of something I saw in a Pottery Barn magazine and something I saw in an antique store. And I like it!! Check it out:




And that's it: some empty frames (cheap cheap at an antique store), some chicken wire (cheap cheap at Home Depot), a stapler (free cause I already own it), and some patience cause working with chicken wire is a little out of control...but in the end, I have the perfect place to hang my earrings! I'm so excited about it! And look-- there's room for more earrings! How convenient.

I also bought a much larger frame that I am planning on doing the same thing with, but this one will be for necklaces and bracelets. All you have to do is hook some tiny s-hooks over the chicken wire, then hang the necklace from the hook!

So there's a good 20 minute project if you have some supplies on hand. I would not recommend doing this with children around, though-- little bits of metal go everywhere when you cut the wire...I might actually wear safety goggles (aka sunglasses) next time I do it.

As for me, I go back to work tomorrow (just for Monday and Tuesday) and other than that I'll be finishing my shopping and wrapping and going to Christmas parties Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights! Whew! Good thing I have all those leftovers....mwah ha ha.

hitched

Warning: MANY pictures ahead!!!

Why do I feel like lots of my blogs start with a warning?? Strange. Maybe I'm an over-warner.

But seriously. There are a lot of pics ahead. I tried really hard to pare it down to only maybe the top thousand you needed to see...but that was hard. So now I'll just try not to provide commentary on every single one, because let's face it-- you're probably familiar with weddings and you know me and my people well enough that I shouldn't have to label every single picture...but let's really face things: you KNOW I can't mince words. I'm compelled to over-comment on everything. I'm an over-sharer like that. I over-warn. I over-comment. I over-share.

But only via writing. In real life I don't usually talk that much. But that's another topic for another day.

On with the pictures! Here are recurring themes you should look out for: a) my sister is BEAUTIFUL. b) it's very handy to have a sister and other bridesmaids who are cosmetologists. c) my sister should be a model. d) I want to get re-married (to Matt, duh) so that I can wear my sister's dress. e) did I mention that my sister is stunning?

Here we are post-rehearsal dinner. You should be stunned and amazed that this is the ONLY picture from the rehearsal day that I'm putting here. I opted out of torturing you with 40 others. Amazing. What self-control I am showing! But how could I pass up on me and Sarah with Santa & the Mrs.??

And here we just jump right in to the wedding day photo shoot. A few things you should know: 1) these pictures were taken at a local RETIREMENT COMMUNITY...hahahaha...we were in it for the scenery, friends. The old folks had fun gawking though! 2) It was like 40 degrees or something. Or maybe 40 below. It was cold. 3) I had an ovarian cyst rupture at approximately 3pm, or 1 hour before these pictures were taken. For the record, it hurts a lot and I was in excruciating pain until about 8pm, at which time the pain became only moderately unbearable. I should receive an Academy Award for the smile on my face in the following pictures. And the fact that I didn't faint during the ceremony. Or maybe that one should just be a Badge of Courage or something. Anyway. Just wanted to over-share that I had possibly the worst-timed medical event of my lifetime yesterday. 4) The semi-crappy pictures came from my camera. The good ones came from Sarah's BFF/my fellow person-of-honor Lindsey. The professional ones are to come. But that's why we appear to be staring off into the distance in many pictures. Really we were just looking at the "real" photographer...and other people were snapping from other angles. 5) Sarah is BEEEEEYUTIFUL!

Well you KNOW I have to start by showing off my hottie husband!


Me and the other bridesmaids: L-R Katie (Mark's sister), me (matron of honor because apparently I'm a MATRON???), Sarah, Lindsey (Sarah's BFF since kindergarten and the maid of honor), Rebecca (Sarah's fellow fabulous doer of hair)
Sarah and Jake (our brother)...so cute I could die!

Is she fabulous or WHAT??!



There are a million more pics from this photo shoot...go to my Facebook if you want more.

Didn't get many shots of the ceremony since we were kind of in it...


At the reception:

Yes, I would like one of these chocolate-covered-strawberries trees at every table I ever sit at for the rest of my life, thanks. Oh, and the cheesecakes too.

My aunt and uncle cuttin' a RUG!!!

Me and Stine! So glad they came to love on my sister (and keep me company!)

Keepin things klassy (and safe)...leaving in a Taxi!!! (don't worry, we did a "fake leave" photo shoot way earlier in the night when we did sparklers and stuff....hilarious)

The this morning (morning after the wedding) there was a brunch. This time James & Stine brought baby Adoration so that I could hold her the whole time and show her to all my relatives, pretending she is mine. They indulge me like that.


Okay that really did not seem like that many pictures. I have a thousand more, just let me know if you want more (with more commentary).

It's been a great weekend, I'll share more later!!