5 Question Friday!

Thanks, as always to sweet Mama M over at My Little Life for the Link Up to #5QF! Last one of 2011 - YEAH! Check hers out this week too, she did a vlog for her answers.

 

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear Friday morning and LINK UP!

Oh, and remember (pay close attention...this is the important one)...HAVE FUN!

Questions for Friday, December 9th: (Special thanks to @KatieB38, @amy_mcmommy, @gasfamily, @trooppetrie and @ByGollyMsHolly for their question suggestions! I would love to link you in a future 5QF, so come on over to my community or watch for my Thursday afternoon shout out for questions on Twitter and offer up your best question suggestions! Remember to @5crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF if you go the Twitter route!)

1. What's the oldest piece of clothing in your closet?

a jean skirt from Abercrombie Kids that I used to wear when I was about 18. I don't know why I keep it -I guess to remind me how small I used to be? (Even though it's a kid's size, it wasn't inappropriate looking on me at that age - I hope not at least.)

2. How many random blog readers have you met?

None, but I would LOVE to meet up with some!

3. Do you let your kids stay up till midnight on New Years Eve? (Or, if you don't have kiddos yet, did you get to stay up until midnight as a child?)

No kiddos yet - but my parents always let me stay up for NYE. I think I would probably let my kids do the same. I remember always having a sleepover of some sort.

4. What are the gas prices where you live?

I have to run premium in my car and when I got gas yesterday morning it was $3.10/gal in Knoxville, TN.

5. What is one resolution that you know you should do but are too afraid to try?

I very seriously considered putting one of my 2012 goals as running a half marathon. Then I thought about that and realized I don't think I've ever ran 13 miles. Of course, this would include lots of training, etc. but I decided that might not be obtainable for me - or maybe I'm just a wussy. I would really love to do it one day but 2012 might not be the right time.

 

Happy New Year ya'll!

2011 -Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!

I am borrowing this great year end recap idea from the lovely All & Sundry. She's a wonderful writer and she cracks my ass up - she has a great sense of humor about raising kids and life in general. I really enjoy reading her blog - check her out! And thanks for the idea! :)

2011 has been good and bad, but aren't they all? I definitely feel like I am ready to embrace 2012 and all it's glory. Of course, I can only remember parts of 2011 when I sit down to write this but that's okay hopefully you get the idea anyhow.

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
I lost 27 lbs. and frankly I've never done that before because I've never needed to do that before. I guess you could say that 2010 was the year of the fat ass for me. After THE Accident I had in October 2010, I got real chubby and depressed. Luckily, my gym opened up down the street in March 2011 and has been a real live saver for me. It's true what they say about working out - good stress relief, addicting once you see results and improves confidence. I never want to have to lose that much weight again - unless it's from a baby!
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I'm not real big on new year's resolutions. I usually try to stick with the more general ones: be healthier (which I managed to accomplish in 2011) and all that bullshit. I am an extremely organized so I work much better towards a very strategic goal. For 2012, I've actually given this resolution business some thought and I've come up with my top 10 goals for the year - all measurable and attainable. I'm actually kind of excited about it!
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Not exactly. I feel like I've known lots of pregnant women, just not any that I've been extremely close to.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no. The closest person to me that died was my brother's good friend's mom died from brain cancer. I was very close to her when I was younger, but not as much as I got older. Her son and my brother have literally been friends since birth. They used to live across the street from us growing up. Bless her soul!
5. What countries did you visit?
None - In fact, the only place I visited in 2011 was North Carolina to snowboard and Atlanta for Supercross. What a boring travel year! We will have to change that for 2012!
6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
A big sparkly engagement ring :) I think it's coming!
7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
July 4th - Skye started the police academy - we embarked on an exciting new journey in our lives
December 15th - Skye's graduation from the police academy - such a proud moment for me!
Those are the most prominent right now. This year definitely brought a change for his career, which also impacts me in a big way - especially given his chosen path.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Growing Up. I feel that I've grown so much as a person this year. My emotions have been tested at times with given situations, but I'm proud to come out on top. Forgiveness does not come easy for me and I think I'm finally at a good place with the challenges that 2010 brought me. I feel settled.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Handling family drama - with both my parents. My dad's relationship with his (new) wife really rocked my world in 2010-2011. It is still an on going battle, but I've adjusted my attitude so that 2012 will bring better moments. My mom struggled again - as she seems to every year - with some sort of addiction problem. She's healthy right now which is important, but I fail her as a daughter sometimes due to my lack of patience and support.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
None other than the common cold. No broken bones, traumas or major illnesses. (I feel like I've jinxed myself now).
11. What was the best thing you bought?
My iPhone4s - LOVE IT it's pretty new though so I still have yet to explore all it's wonders. Our gym memberships were life changing for us, skinny jeans - I was resisting that trend while I was massively chubby for good reason, a new Coach watch which I adore, oh yeah and we got a new car in 2011! I wasn't sure about it at first, but we are definitely hooked on our new Suburban. I love driving it, when I'm allowed to.
12. Where did most of your money go?
Probably still to food - I find much of my life is centered around food and drink dates. Mortgage obviously and new clothes for hot new bodies! My dog - Tilly got attacked by our neighbor's dog in August and was in the hospital for a week. My vet bill was $2000!!!! Yikes!
13. What did you get really excited about?
Skye's new job and car. Apparently my life revolved around him this year.
14. What song will always remind you of 2011?
Adele - she's just blown up this year.
15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

– happier or sadder? Happier
– thinner or fatter? Thinner
– richer or poorer? Richer - cheers to new jobs and raises!
16. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Spent more time with friends and family and more time at the lake
17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Being bitchy for no reason. I got in a couple of funks this year that were hard to kick and it's not fun to look back on that.
18. How did you spend Christmas?
This was my favorite Christmas in a while - I guess I always say that, but each time it feels true. My dad was home recovering from his heart surgery, my mom was acting normal, Skye was off work and we enjoyed the time with both of our families. It felt very blessed.
19. What was your favorite TV program?
Weeds was one, and now I'm behind on it. Dexter also, but I'm behind on him too. Mostly, I kept up consistently with all my Real Housewives. I even got to meet Gretchen Rossi from the Real Housewives of Orange County - pretty exciting stuff. My guilty pleasure is any realtiy show - Sister Wives, Teen Mom 1&2, American Pickers, the list goes on.
20. What were your favorite books of the year?
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer by Seth Grahame Smith - LOVED it, Jodi Picoult - Keeping the Faith, Tenth Circle, Perfect Match, The Help, The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson (now reading The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest)....my mind is blanking on me but I know I read other fabulous ones.
21. What was your favorite music from this year?

Jason Aldean - I think I rediscovered my country side this year.
22. What were your favorite films of the year?
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Breaking Dawn Part 1, Hangover 2, The Help...again blanking...but I know I didn't see as many movies this year as usual
23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I was actually at a wedding the night before my birthday - went out after the wedding and celebrated with friends at and beyond midnight. Had a smashing hangover the next day - then went to dinner with our close group at a Japanese steakhouse. I turned 27 this year.
24. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Blogging - even though I'm still new to it and I have a lot to learn. It's been a great release for me. I've loved starting to develop this little place of my own in the Internet world and I hope I continue to grow it.
25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
LAZY - most of my clothes are ill fitting - for example the pants I'm wearing today are 3 sizes too big and they look hideous. My bank account couldn't afford to keep up with mine and Skye's rapid weight losses so we are still sporting clothes that make us look bigger than we are. On the top 10 list for 2012, wear heels more, accessorize more and buy clothes that fucking fit!
26. What kept you sane?
Skye - he's my rock and his support is invaluable to me. I feel forever in debt to him.
27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.

Forgive AND forget - and move on. Don't take everything out on the ones closest to you. Girls need good girlfriends - not quantity but quality. Cherish everything you are blessed with. Live, Laugh and Love - I really try to do that. If you look like food, you will be eaten - military mantra.

Stay tuned for my Top 10 Goals for 2012 --

And if you decide to put one of these year in review posts together, link it up in my comments so I can check it out. I'd love to hear what all happened with you!

Please Support Sen. Yager’s Anti-Drug Dealing Legislation

Please Support Sen. Yager’s Anti-Drug Dealing Legislation

Please help fellow blogger Katie Allison Granju in her fight against methadone, the drug that killed her teenage son Henry. Katie lives in my city and has a real passion for fighting this much needed battle. If you are a Tennessean too, please support this movement! It is much needed in our area to keep us safe and healthy!

You can't complain about these problems as a concerned citizen if you aren't willing to do something about it. As the family member of local law enforcement officials, I can tell you that this problem is MUCH larger in our sacred Knoxville than you would EVER realize.
Justice for Henry

ATTN Harry Potter Fans

This is pretty funny, if you are familiar with the lingo and characters of the Harry Potter world. I giggled...a lot.

Wrap It Up Recap - Get it? Wrap? Christmas? Nevermind...

My posts have been filled with pictures lately so I wanted to actually throw some words down this morning. How are you? Have you missed me? I've missed writing and catching up on my blogs that I read daily.

Sadly Christmas is over... but I am very much looking forward to a new year! 2012 just looks like a nice round number year - except for that whole "the Mayan calendar says that world will end thing". Wasn't that the same deal with Y2K? I can't remember because I was in elementary school then, but I remember people freaking out about it. For what it's worth - I'm not really ready for the world to end. I need to get married and travel and have a baby before we talk about all that stuff. I personally feel like that might be bullshit, but I guess we will soon find out.

Speaking of getting married... guess how many engagements sprung up around me over the holiday break? THREE!! They are dropping like flies, and of course my little green eyed jealousy monster is feeling frisky over this news. Skye and I had a pretty serious discussion about making this move recently and I'm feeling much better about it. I know he loves me, really he's the best guy I could ask for. And he reminded me - funny how quickly I had forgotten - that for the years I was the one pumping the brakes on getting engaged. I just didn't want to be that "typical" girl who was engaged and married before I could even legally drink! I'm a few years past that point now though, so I think it's safe for us to explore moving forward in our relationship. (Maybe that's not typical where you live to get married before you're legal. Welcome to the South - where you can get married at 16 with parental consent. I've heard from my transplant friends from the North that it's far worse here than in other areas. Obviously, I'm just living in the wrong part of the nation right now.)

I hope you were good little boys & girls and Santa brought you everything your little hearts desired. Santa - aka Skye - is always too good to me and did not let me down with that trend this year. My big present from my Daddy was my iPhone4s - Love it! Me and Siri were fast friends and our love affair just grows with each passing day. I downloaded this Instagram app that I've heard SO much about from all my iPhone friends and again, was not disappointed. I have been playing with this phone non-stop since last Thursday. I feel like a kid again playing with my new shiny Christmas toy! I even got a sparkly new phone cover -


I've been praying for snow because I'm one of those Southern oddities that actually enjoys the cold weather. No such luck though it's been about 50-60 degrees here for a few weeks now. One of the reasons I like the cold weather is because I love snowboarding. You can't really snowboard when it's not even cold enough for the local ski resorts to blow snow - we may have to head north or west this year just to get some time on the slopes. We get a season pass every year to a local resort - Ober Gatlinburg - and it's not even open yet! Granted, it's a small little mountain with only about 6 runs, but it's 30 minutes away and easy access for weeknights. We love it there and it works for cheap and convenient. However, I think the weather gods have been confused by my snow dances because they've sent rain. Normally, this would suck; however today I was glad because I got to wear my new Coach rain boots! I feel so sassy in them and in my eyes, you can NEVER go wrong with Coach.

The holiday drama in my family was kept to a very bare minimum this year...surprisingly! My mother actually acted normal, my step-brothers were calm and not wild animals, my (evil) step-mother was pleasant and easy to get along with, my dad is feeling better with each passing day, and Skye and I shared a few days off together. I'm not sure it could have been a better holiday. My neighbor who lives across the street - and is currently on his 2nd tour of duty in Afghanistan - is coming home this week! He's been gone for about 9 months and had a new born baby in September that he is yet to meet. As lucky as I am to have my family all together this Christmas, I still try to keep in mind those - like my neighbor's family- who are separated for the holidays.

I love the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, with all the get togethers and seeing old friends and family - but I am certainly ready for my schedule to get back to normalcy. Skye is on day shift this week so it almost feels normal again - except for a short work week, which is never a bad thing. We haven't done our family dinner with friends in about 3 weeks and we are on track for that again this week too. We have only had this family dinner tradition since about August when Skye was still in the academy, but I've genuinely missed it these last 3 weeks while the boys have been getting adjusted to their new rotating schedules. There's nothing like gathering with good friends over good food!

I'm all obsessed with my Twitter account again too. It's just easier for me than Facebook these days. Follow me! @nikkib918 and I will likely return the favor - it's fun! :)

As you can tell, I'm feeling quite sporadic this morning. So tell me, what do you think about the world ending in 2012?? And what are you New Years plans?? I don't have any solid plans yet, but I'm looking for an exciting idea! Snowboarding was the original plan, but with this weather I'm not sure I can make that happen.

Lucky Girl

Here is a pictorial glimpse at my spectacular Christmas weekend... Hope you had a spectacular one too!

Mini Time Warp - Christmas Style!

I am a picture whore. I love taking pictures - even though I don't own a fabulous camera. I love to capture candid moments and staged moments. I get a kick out of looking through old pictures frequently. I found these old Christmas related pictures today on Facebook and thought I would share them. It's so funny to look back at yourself over the years! When I get home I might update this post to share a wider variety of ancient Christmas pictures, but for now this is it.

PS - I am finally using my new iPhone4s today and that's what I'm looking forward to most is taking pictures with it!!!

Christmas Party 2009



Christmas Day 2009




Christmas Day 2005



Christmas Gift 2010 - Sweet Tilly!

Christmas 2011

Skye's family - Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas you guys!

A Light at the End of the Tunnel

Today is my first day back at work since last Wednesday. The break was mostly lovely and much needed. Seeing Skye accomplish a major life goal with his graduation last Thursday made me swell with pride. I could not have been happier and more proud of him that day! I felt like I had gone through that academy with him for 6 months. Sure he did the everyday work, but I was right there studying every Sunday night and supporting him on the rough days and making some cherished new friends. It was a real win for us to have our families come together in support of this new chapter in our lives. I feel annoying, but I can't stop telling him how proud I am! Plus, whew that uniform thing is a little sexy :) We spent the first part of my days off celebrating his graduation and our anniversary. It was wonderful! The second part of my break was spent with Dad due to his surgery.

Coming back to work today, was met with mixed emotions for me. It's always hard to come back after a nice long break. We had our annual ham Christmas breakfast this morning and all of our Christmas bonuses were passed out. That's definitely a plus to coming back! However, my office was a wreck. Being the neat freak that I am, I despise a mountain of paperwork and a tidal wave of emails and voicemails. I can't stand that sinking drowning smothering feeling. It usually makes my first day back very irritating. By now, I'm mostly caught up. I can't complain too much though - tomorrow we will drudge through just one more work day and then off again for Friday & Monday. This time of the year is so marvelous because the sprinkling of holidays and time off. My schedule is even matching up with Skye's for a little time off together, for which I am most thankful this year. I've been toying with the idea of finding some freelance work so that I could have a more flexible and home based schedule. I think I've semi-permanently decided to put this on hold. Work is good for me. After I missed work for my accident last year for a month or so, it was so therapeutic to get back into the swing of things. I have some natural worries about my schedule syncing with Skye's but we will work through it. I am in a good place at work - and I work for a great company and with a supportive group of people. I can't pass that up for a "grass is greener" outlook right now. Sure, I will continue to complain sometimes and dream of hitting the lottery and not working, but for now I'm happy where I am in my career.

Dad is doing well - he finally got moved into a regular cardiac room late last night. They have removed several of his IVs, and he's able to eat some solid foods too. He's not puffy anymore and his color is almost back to normal. He even went for a walk today. I feel much better with him being out of the Critical Care Unit. I saw his scar yesterday and it's a doozey! I still can't wrap my head around the procedure and the fact that just 2 days ago we were terrified to begin this journey. Thank God for heart surgeons, doctors in general and fabulous nurses who truly care! They anticipate that he will still by home in time for Christmas. My Christmas wishes - so far - seem to be coming true!

I've had some interaction with my new (evil) step-mother since we've been forced together at the hospital. Not sure if I shared this, but she and I got into a knock-down drag out spat last week via text message. I sure did go ahead and delete her from my Facebook too - mature, I know. Monday was terribly awkward since we last spoke hate filled words to each other. I had tried to reach out to her and "make peace" the Thursday before the surgery by offering up a half-ass apology. She did not accept, thus the drama continued right into surgery day. My dad gets all tore up about my brother and I not accepting her into the family. Of course I am full of clever and seemingly logical comebacks in this department, but when it comes right now to it - it is not easy nor fun to have this level of discomfort with anyone you encounter frequently. She and I managed to have some civilized conversation last night, after which she sent me a text to say it was nice to talk again. Upon which, like the good little girl that I am, again apologized for my harsh text words last week and tried to squash the beef with her. I would just like to put it out there that this is NOT the first time we've been down Squash the Beef Lane together, but maybe it will be the last of our major arguments. I'm not saying that I will always think kind thoughts, but I am going to give my best effort to keep those thoughts to myself. If this has taught me anything, it's that I love my daddy. I already knew this fact, but being in this situation has made me more appreciative to have him around. I can't wait for him to walk me down the aisle and hold his grandbabies - when those times come. He's always been the absolute best dad so I will try to trust his judgement on what he wants. Wicked evil step-mother - be damned! Maybe we can drop the wicked and just settle on evil for the time being? Evil is bit of a harsh word, but we are still building this bridge so let's leave that open to change for now. Let me remind you that it's not easy to act like an adult when you feel like acting as if you were 13 again.

And on my final thought for today - I am mostly done with my Christmas shopping. I am definitely always a last minute shopper, but with dad being in the hospital this week it cramps my time to get those last minute shopping trips in. I'm a little disappointed in the Christmas lists that I received this year. Skye did not really leave me any room to surprise him. I usually like to throw in a surprise gift that is most unexpected. Those are so fun! Not this year though. Maybe something will come to me last minute?

I'm am fully still counting on my life getting back into a normal shape by next week. Christmas will be over, family drama will be on the way out the door, dad will be home and Skye will be on day shift. Sounds amazing if you ask me!

I Survived Exhaustion With Non-Greasy Hair

The Good: I bought this dry shampoo over the weekend and I'm in love already. A girl like me gets oily hair by the end of each day. Not washing my hair every morning is not an option for me. I've heard rave reviews from my fellow grease heads about this dry shampoo business. They said it beat the old baby powder hair trick. (Which by the way, is effective for soaking up grease but also slightly taints the color of the hair to a grey-ish tint- not attractive for us under 30 year olds.) I am all for fighting the battle against greasy hair! Sometimes a girl needs to get up and go - without going through the hassles of fully getting ready. Like today - when I had to be at the hospital at 4am with my pops for his by-pass surgery. Who in the hell wants to get up and shower and fix your hair at 3:30am? Not me that's who. The dry shampoo really did the trick today. Left my hair with a strange texture, but didn't look to be a drop of grease. I was impressed!

The Bad: This is my 2nd night as a night shift widow, am I'm now referring to it. We had such a wonderful weekend together with his graduation and our anniversary. We even had a REAL date at a fancy Ruth's Chris restaurant - I must say it was impressive for a $125 meal. All day Sunday I found myself dreading that final hour together when I knew he would have to leave. I was worried about him, worried about myself, worried about the next day's surgery. I wanted to seem excited for him, but I did cry when he left. Last night was tough all around. My first night alone while Skye was working night shift AND I'm worrying about dad having surgery the next morning. I maybe got a total of 2 hours of sleep last night. Skye just left for his 2nd night on the job and tonight I'm feeling much more at ease with being alone. Could be that wild hair of exhaustion coming on though, not sure. He was thrilled with the excitement of his first night and was even able to get enough sleep after his shift. I'm so proud of him! And glad he liked his first night! I am beginning to think that a week sleeping alone might not be so bad. I can spread out in ways that I haven't thought about in years!

The Ugly: Dad had his chest cracked open today. As I hope you can gather via context clues that all went well. Or else I probably would have began this post on a more grim note. We arrived at the hospital bright and early - well it wasn't bright, but it sure as hell was early - this morning at 4am. They took him back at 4:30 to prep and do his blood tests. By 11:15am they informed us he was off by-pass and they were finishing up. We were able to visit with him for the first time by 12:30. It was a very long and hectic day - due to lack of sleep, anxiety and of course you can't forget our lovely family drama! It's definitely not easy to see your parent who is usually the one taking care of you, in a very vulnerable position and with tubes plugged in everywhere. It was definitely intense, emotional and at times overwhelming. But the most important thing is that Dad is doing great. The surgeon said that it couldn't have gone better, and he should be out of critical care by tomorrow at lunch. By the time I left his side this evening, he no longer had the breathing tube and was talking to me. He was very alert, but still in pain so they were going to keep him on the good drugs through tonight. Tomorrow after he moves onto a cardiac floor, they will start moving him around every time he eats. If all goes well, he should be home by Friday. Isn't modern medicine amazing? Thank you for all the prayers for my family- trust me when I say they are much appreciated. Dad has a 12 week road to recovery, but I hope it can only go uphill from here.

My motto for today to combat greasy hair, new work schedules and a quadruple by-pass surgery: Tough times don't last, but tough people do. Oddly, that cliche little saying has actually made me feel better.

Next week Skye will be on day shift and Dad will be home! AND IT WILL BE CHRISTMAS!!

5 Question Friday!

Okay so I've had a bit of a crazy week and haven't quite made time to tell you about it!
I'll get to that later, but for now let's have fun with Five Question Friday! Thanks, as always, to Mama M over at My Little Life for sharing!

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear Friday morning and LINK UP!

Oh, and remember (pay close attention...this is the important one)...HAVE FUN!

Questions for Friday, December 9th: (Special thanks to @bloggerlinds (and @kandiipie too!), @kenedram, Sharayha, @bellismom and little old me for their question suggestions! I would love to link you in a future 5QF, so come on over to my community or watch for my Thursday afternoon shout out for questions on Twitter and offer up your best question suggestions! Remember to @5crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF if you go the Twitter route!)

1. What's the best Christmas present you've ever received?

That's a tough one! I'm quite the lucky girl and I have received quite a few good ones! This sounds cheesy I know, but since Skye and I have a Christmas-time anniversary it would have to be him. Our 7 year anniversary was actually yesterday - 10 days before Christmas. He is usually the great contributor to my tangible presents so it would all have to start with him! awww love!

2. Worst/Funniest White Elephant gift ever received?

A blow up doll.... at one of Skye's old work Christmas parties. We all took pictures with it and had a blast with that thing. I believe that would qualify as both the funniest and worst.

3. Is your Christmas tree plain and simple (white lights and matching ornaments) or is it wild and crazy (colored lights with lots of ornaments collected over the years)?

It's mostly simple. Red and gold color theme. With a few precious special ornaments scattered within. I'm really into the traditional red and gold christmas look though.

4. "How" do you iron your clothes? The old fashioned iron/ironing board way, the shower, back in the dryer, etc.

Funny you should ask - we've been having a bit of an ironing dilemma around my house! I iron with an old fashion ironing board MAYBE once a year. Skye irons quite often, especially his uniforms these days. So we've had 2 irons for a while - one circa maybe 1986 and the other circa 1997 maybe? Both old as crap. So I was cleaning out the linen closet the other day, and I threw one of the irons away. Hell, I never use them and so why do we need TWO? Well as it would turn out, I threw away the "better" one. Oops! Looks like we'll be getting a brand new 2011 model iron from Santa this year! oh joy!

5. How much baking do you do for Christmas and what are your "must make" items? (I'm looking for recipes here, peeps...)

I mostly partake in eating at Christmas. Since we are still in that phase where we are kid-less in our lives we are the ones who do all the traveling to visit everyone. It's not really easy to bring food to all the places we have to visit. But oh I long for the day when I can begin my own Christmas cooking tradition and not travel all around.

 

Happy Weekend Everybody!

Let's Keep it Short & To the Point

I went to get a lovely massage on Saturday morning. It was ahh-mazing. I think every Saturday morning should start with a massage, or a facial or some type of spa treatment. I went home feeling soooo relaxed and sooo stress-free...

You knew there would be a dot-dot-dot

All of a sudden today the evil Ms. Stress has taken up residence in my body ....again and with a vengeance! My daddy has his follow up heart cath today to determine if he would need by-pass surgery. Indeed, he does need it. My precious 48 year old dad will be having a quadruple by-pass next Monday. They expect him to be fine and home by Christmas. They are going to crack open his chest on Monday and he'll be home for Christmas presents by Friday? I'm a little...or a lot...scared. He's my only dad. Even though we've been having our differences lately with his unexpected new relationship status, I can't deny that this makes me want to throw all the bullshit aside. It's so strange to be an adult child worrying about your aging (even though I don't think 48 is really aging) parents. I never thought I would have to deal with a health dilemma this early on in my parents' lives. They're youngsters for God's sake! Alas, here I am- with my dad having major heart surgery next week. Please think of him, pray for him, send good vibes his way - whatever it is you do. I would truly appreciate it.

And then, if that wasn't enough to knock a girl off her rocker, Skye had his final test of the policy academy today. Which means, that graduation is Thursday! I'm beyond thrilled for him, yet so nervous about this new venture in his/our lives. Growing up with a law enforcement family, I feel well prepared on what to expect from a rotating shift schedule. I almost feel like knowing what challenges that lie ahead make me more anxious about it. Of course he will start off on night shift in the "projects area of town" next Sunday. I have no doubts that he will thrive in this new environment and with this type of schedule. He is so excited, so I can't help but feel that energy too. I am so proud of him for this accomplishment, and for carrying on my family's tradition in law enforcement. We will work with this schedule until May because he will still be in training until then. After May, it's official baby and he will be out on his own. Again, think of him, pray for him, send him good vibes in this exciting adventure.

I just want two of the three most important men in my life to be safe, happy and healthy. Thinking deep thoughts like this are enough to stress a girl out! I feel another much needed massage coming on!

5 Question Friday!

Brought to me and you by the fabulous Mama M over at http://fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com/

Welcome to Five Question Friday!! You've come to the right place if you want a fun, easy, silly post or if you've suddenly discovered your muses are out, probably late night Christmas shopping.

Rules for 5QF: Copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, then watch for the linky post to appear (that'll be the post with my answers!) Friday morning and LINK UP!

Oh, and remember (pay close attention...this is the important one)...HAVE FUN!

Questions for Friday, December 9th: (Special thanks to @BabyShmizz, @emenchho1, @ThisDaddysBlog, @KatieB38 and Sharayha for their question suggestions! I would love to link you in a future 5QF, so come on over to my community or watch for my Thursday afternoon shout out for questions on Twitter and offer up your best question suggestions! Remember to @5crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF if you go the Twitter route!)

1. What is your favorite Christmas cookie?

 I'm a big fan of the traditional Christmas cookies, the sugar cookies in Christmasy shapes like trees and snowmen, piled up with lots of gooey icing. Those are so yummy! I like to keep it simple. Also, not really a cookie per say - but the little Debbie Christmas tree cakes - DELICIOUS! I've devoured probably a whole forest of those little white Christmas tree cakes this year already.

2. What's your favorite holiday movie & why?
3 way tie - Elf, A Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation.

Elf for Will Ferrell reasons - he's so damn funny! Don't act like you don't laugh at his cotton headed ninny muggins!

A Christmas Story - Ralphie never gets old! I watch it at least 5 times when they show it for 24 hours straight on Christmas Eve every year.

Christmas Vacation - when I am feeling overwhelmed with my own family's dysfunction, I can always count on Clark Griswold to make me feel better about myself. The grandma with a cat wrapped up in a present box - It's a classic.

3. Is there a gift that you bought for your kids that you wish you hadn't after they opened it?
Technically, no because I don't have kids. I do have dogs though. And I regret EVER introducing them to fluff from stuffed animals. Sometimes they equate stuffed animal fluff with my couch cushion fluff. I'm sure children would never do such horrid things :)

4. What is the messiest room in your house right at this moment?

Dining room by far. Our dining room in the mecca in our household. It serves as the entryway room from the garage when you walk into the house. It also very freely flows into the kitchen and living room areas. More specifically my dining room table is a natural disaster area. It's where we pile up all of our shit. I plop down my purse there, the mail, my ipod after a workout, Skye's laptop is housed there right now, along with all his pocket treasures.

5. What is the furthest you have driven for the holidays?

Pennsylvania. My dad's mom's family is from Pennsylvania. When my brother and I were very young we used to rotate holidays with them and drive up there every other year to visit. The first time I'd seen mega snow was on a PA trip. It was also the first time I'd had my accent challenged - I mean, who doesn't love a sweet southern accent? We've since let that trip go and now the furthest I travel is about an hour from my house. We are blessed (& cursed) to have all of our immediate family within an hour drive.

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Happy Holidays!!!

In Dreams

Update: I wrote this draft on 12/6/11 and wasn't sure if I should post it or not. It's hard digging up these issues, ya know? Surely the dreams don't mean anything, I told myself. THEN last night BAM! another dream. I went to visit him in jail in this one. He's not actually in jail, but in the dream he was. Now I'm back on my crazy antics of thinking this means I should break the silence...

I have something to get off my chest that I haven't been able to share with my closest peeps lately. I am having a recurring theme in my dreams and it's freaking me out! The theme is that I'm reunited with my old best friend. Sometimes I'm anxious, or scared, or even ecstatic to see him again. I have not spoken to him since October 8, 2010 - that date of THE accident. I've literally had this dream about six times in the past 2 weeks. Each time it's a different location where we meet or run into each other. Each time a different scenario throws us together. Each time we both suffer through different reactions. Each time I wake up with a pain in my stomach that reminds me that the horrible incident that happened to me - between us - and has never been settled between he and I - is all too real. I tend to be a "brush issues under the rug" type of person. I am straight forward most of the time, but that doesn't mean that I always like to tackle difficult situations head on. Especially when there are very high emotions involved. After you live 14 months of your life without a person (or people), one would think you would begin to heal and recover and eventually not linger on those memories. I keep telling myself this in hopes that it will become true, but so far it ain't happenin'. Hence, these pesky reoccuring dreams. Is my subconscious trying to tell me something?

It's not often that I have reoccuring themes in my dreams. I almost feel like this MEANS something. Maybe I am just being superstitious. Maybe dealing with the stress of all this has caused me to lose my mind just a little bit. Maybe I should reach out to him. But why should I be the one to make that move? Maybe I'm taking this more seriously than I should be. Maybe I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. Maybe I should move on...

I made a minor breakthrough and reached out to his wife - my other old best friend maybe a month or so ago. I am trying to get better at forgiveness. I messaged her on Facebook and she messaged me back and then it was done. Unfortunately, I didn't get the sense of satisfaction that I was hoping for out of our correspondece. But maybe that's because she's not the root of the issue? The thing is I struggle with my own emotions on this topic so much that some days I just want to forget it ever happened and make peace and then again some days I'm out for blood. Skye would refuse to ever be-friend them again, and he's not a grudge holder in the least. It's just the principle and the severity of what COULD have happened and how much WORSE it could have been - oh yeah and their lack of concern for me. Should I give up or should I reach out? What's the worst that could happen? He hates me as much as I feel like I hate him somedays. He doesn't respond to me. When you share so many memories - many of them wonderful and some very ugly - how to completely shut that down?
Again, maybe I've lost my mind a little bit.

Are you bottled up emotions person or a let it out emotions person? Apparently, I'm a little bit of both.

Trending #Awesome

Do you see a trend in this statement? Apparently so! I posted this picture of Neil Patrick Harris on my Facebook probably 2 months ago. I think every single person on my friends like "liked" it.
It's not that there is anything wrong with being single, or dating someone for years before getting married - like myself, or having kids. I aspire to get married and have kids in the next 5 years for sure. It just seems like right now there is an incredibly rapid influx of wedding and baby showers surrounding me. That makes me feel the pressure! One of my good friends told us about 2 weeks ago that she is pregnant with her second child. (It's Cayson's mama for those of you who have followed my blog and seen sweet Cayson on here.) TWO girls I know got engaged over the weekend! I'm drowning in a sea of princess cut diamonds (oh I wish!) and diapers over here!

I don't mean this hateful so I hope that no one takes offense to it. But usually what happens is, my unmarried non-parent friends are on my side about these things. Then, BAM! they up and get engaged and then they pressure me to do the same. What these folks don't get is that Skye and I have an equation right now that works for us. Next week will be our 7 year anniversary of dating (8 years of knowing each other). We aren't the perfect couple and we do fight. But I can honestly say that anyone who's been around us for any length of time knows the love we have for each other. We have seen some friends' marriages come and go already, we have some friends who are now single parents. Rushing to get married and grow up just isn't in the cards for us. People say "when you know, you know". I almost take offense to that -I know that I love him dearly, but I also know that he's not going anywhere anytime soon. I feel a little sorry for people who rush to get married and then spit out a baby within a year. They don't really take the time to get to know each other and just have that important couple time. Again, no offense is meant by this it's just the way I feel right now.

I'm truly happy for the people in my life who are making the big moves and getting what they want! I love being involved in my best friend's weddings and baby planning processes. I can't decide what's the right timing for them, just for myself.

I'm only 27...and down here in God's Country that's old hag status. But at least I'm an awesome old hag!

5 Question Friday!

Segment borrowed from My Little Life - Thanks!

Questions for Friday, December 2nd (speaking of December, who stole my November?!): (Special thanks to Sandy, Sharayha, @emilywickham, @trooppetrie and Lorilynne for their question suggestions! I would love to link you in a future 5QF, so come on over to my community or watch for my Thursday afternoon shout out for questions on Twitter and offer up your best question suggestions! Remember to @5crookedhalos me and use hashtag #5QF if you go the Twitter route!)

1. What is your favorite Christmas decoration in your house?

My favorite Christmas decorations by far are my outside icicle lights on the house! I LOVE those because it really makes me feel like Christmas time to see people light up their houses. It just puts a smile on my face to come home and see them on! That might be a little Griswold-ish, but that's how I roll.

2. Do you finish your Christmas shopping early or are you a last minute type?

I very much a last minute shopper. For example, right now I have zero Christmas presents. But in the last week, I will get all my shopping done!

3. When do you turn on your heat?

I'm a wait until it's 30 degrees at night to turn your heat on kind of person. Just about 2 weeks ago we turned our heat on. Until then we were sweatshirting it up!

4. Do you ever wish your blog was private?

My blog is fairly new, so right now it suits me just fine being public.

5. Do you put your deodorant on before of after you put on your shirt?

Definitely before. Hands down. Otherwise, you get those yucky deo marks.

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Thursday Things to Love

1. My Gym! For a reformed chubster, I chuckle at myself for thinking that I love my gym, but it's so true. It's less than a mile from my house, it's one of those 24 hour access deals, AND it's no contract and $15 a month. You can't beat it with a stick! Plus, they offer boot camps - which I love. I did one in the summer and it's 4 weeks, 3x a week for an hour of pure hell. At the end of that month though I felt so good about my fitness level. They are starting another one soon that I want to be a part of after my holiday food massacre. I have a renewed sense of confidence thanks to this gym! So Holla to Workout Anytime!

2. The colder weather here in East TN! I woke up this morning to a nice frost on the ground. I enjoy the cooler weather, unlike a lot of my fellow Tennesseans. Skye and I are into snowboarding and we have about 5 semi-good ski resorts within less than 3 hours from where we live. We also try to go to one big place every year - like out West to Colorado or California to snowboard on the big time mountains. We are going for the first time this Sunday in North Carolina and I am so excited! Funny how I never thought I would be into something like this, but oh the things we do for boys and end up enjoying!

3. Season of Goodwill - I went today at lunch and dropped off 7 HUGE leaf trash bags full of clothes at Goodwill. You thought I meant the Christmas spirit with that, didn't you? Nope, the actual cleaning out your closet Goodwill season. Thankfully none of that stuff fit us anymore so it was a good reason to donate.

4. One of my very best friends in the world got some good news back on a biopsy test result today!! Her mom died of breast cancer when she was 6 years old, and she's around that age her mama was. They found a lump, biopsied it and everything came back fine. Thank you Lord!

Tweet Tweet

Do you Twitter or Tweet or whatever the hell it's called? I joined the Twitter world about 2 years ago and I was into for a while and then the inspiration left me. I was more into Facebook. My Facebook is now a mess and a little difficult to keep up with so I'm diggin' on Twitter again - Follow me! @nikkib918 and I'll reciprocate.
Tweet Tweeeet!