A Look back at 2013

1. What did you do in 2013 that you have never done before?
-got our first real christmas tree
-got my first smartphone
-got my first DSLR camera


2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for 2014?
-I started off losing a lot of weight and was doing well, but didn't stick with it.


3. Did anyone close to you give birth in 2013?
My roomate from college, Karen.. had her first baby! :)


4. Did anyone close to you die in 2013?
One of my best friend's mom died.. that was very sad. I hated to see him have to go through that. He is like a brother to me.

5. What countries did you visit this year?
None this year!


6. What would you like to have in 2014 that you lacked in 2013?
More confidence.. that is what I always wish for.

7. What date from 2013 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
The day Rachel started school.. it was the first day I went home and didn't have any kids in my house after being a Stay-at-home-mom for 7 years.


8. What was your biggest struggle in 2013?
I lost a few friends and had a few issues/arguments with some. It was really difficult to get through, and hurt really badly.

9. Did you suffer any illness or injury in 2013?
Not anything major, thankfully. Brooke was diagnosed with ADHD, though.

10. What was the best thing you bought this year?
We paid off our van!

11. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Brooke's.. she had a hard year in school with her ADHD, but she continues to try hard.

12. Whose behavior disappointed you?
A certain friend of mine I have known for years, she really hurt me

13. Where did most of your money go?
Probably to bills, food, and Christmas gifts

14. What did you get really really excited about this year?
Going to see Lynyrd Skynyrd for the 9th time. Paying off our van. I got a job at Target.

15. What song will always remind you of 2013?
"Counting Stars" or "She's so Mean"

16. Compared to this time last year, are you: much happier, much nicer or richer?
I'd say all 3. The richer part is due to me working ;)

17. What do you wish you had done more of?
More date nights with Arnold. it's hard to do with 3 kids

18. What do you wish you had done less of?
Not spent as much time on FB.. it is just so addicting.

19. Did you fall in love in 2013?
No but I continue to love my sweet hubby of almost 8 years!

20. What was your favorite TV Program in 2013?
Grey's Anatomy and Duck Dynasty

21. What was the best book you read this year?
The Divergent Series--it was awesome!


22. What was your greatest musical discovery this past year?
I really love the voice of that girl.. what is her name.. Lorde? She drives Arnold nuts, though.

23. What did you want and get?
A puppy! We got Sheldon back in August and he is a spoiled rotten dog now! :)

24. What was the best movie you saw this year?
Best kids' movie- Frozen
Best adult movie- Catching Fire

25.What did you do on your birthday and how old did you turn?.I turned 28 this past year. I went to dinner with friends like I do every year. We also went to Target and bought my first smartphone. Then out skating that night. Mom cooked a big dinner for the family and 2 of my closest friends and their families.
26. What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?

27. How would you describe your personal fashion statement this year?
Comfy and cute.. like usual. Jeans with a cute top or sweater.

28. What kept you sane this year?
Jesus, anxiety meds, hubby :)

29. What celebrity did you fancy the most?
I had a hard, hard time with Cory Monteith's death. He was a big crush of mine and I just loved him!

30. Who did you miss this past year?
Missed all my friends and family who live far away. My brother, who moved to Florida :(

31. Who were the best new people you met this year?My co-workers at Target.. most of them were really nice!

32. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year:
Despite all your best efforts, life doesn't go according to your plan; so trust in God to do what is best for you.

A Very Merry Christmas

 

 

I had to work on Christmas Eve. So I got up really early and left the house at 6:30am, before the kids were even up. Bob, our elf, had left the kids a "goodbye" note, saying he was headed back to the North Pole that night. He had brought them each one gift to open early, so they were excited about that. work wasn't too bad, it was actually busier the day before. The last 2 hours or so dragged by, I was so ready to get out of there and head over to my inlaw's house for our get-together.

 

I met Arnold and the kids over at the inlaw's house. My mother-in-law always cooks a huge lunch on Christmas eve with ham, green beans, mac and cheese, etc etc. And this year she had made yeast rolls too, and they were so yummy! We all ate and then cleaned everything up so we could open presents. The kids were dying to open stuff, and they were passing them all out, and my niece even snuck into her's early ;) She seemed to like everything we got her, so I was happy. The kids were spoiled like usual, with lots of toys, pjs, dress up clothes, and even some cute character underwear and socks ;) Arnold's parents got us a big stack of new towels, which we had asked for. They are so fluffy and soft, and I went home that night and tried one out right after my shower! :) We also got a coffee pot.. 8 years of being married and we have never had one in our home. There is a good reason though, I do NOT drink coffee! Arnold likes it, but not enough for every day. But he did say that he would probably drink more now that he has a coffee pot in our kitchen.

 

Later that afternoon/evening, Brooke started feeling bad and we gave her some benadryl. That pretty much knocked her on her butt, and she spent the rest of the time resting on the couch under a blanket. So we decided to head home and let Brooke go to sleep. We usually spend Christmas eve night with my parents, but decided to stay at home this year so we would have more time to do stuff as a family. While Brooke slept on the couch, we made some christmas cookies to leave out for Santa. And I read some Christmas books to Rachel and Caleb before they went to sleep. After they finally all passed out around 9pm, we started bringing stuff up from the basement. And it was then I realized that I had bought WAY too many things for the kids this year. I did find a lot of great deals, but it was just too much. We left some stuff downstairs to save for Easter, etc. Then we got started putting stuff together. Arnold was glad to have that coffee pot then! ;) He assembled Brooke's Monster High School all by himself, and I set up Rachel's stuff. Finally around 1am or so we were done, but I was so hyped up and excited that I couldn't sleep. So I decided to clean the hall bathroom. LOL that is being a parent for ya! ;)

 

We finally got to sleep, and it is a good thing we did, because the kids woke us up at 6:45 the next morning. Thankfully Brooke seemed to be feeling a lot better. They ran into the living room and were so excited over all their stuff. But I think they were a little overwhelmed also, (my fault!) They checked out all their stuff from Santa, and opened their stockings. They got a big kick out of the note Santa left them, and how the cookies were gone and there were just crumbs on the plate (that was actually thanks to Sheldon-- he snuck some cookies while we were busy putting together toys! ;) Anyway, thanks to my Target job this year I was able to get a bunch of stuff for Arnold and surprise him, so he opened his gifts next. He got a Crossroads cd which he then put in the cd player right away and made us listen to the rest of the morning :P By the end of the morning the living room looked like a tornado had gone through it, it was crazy!!!!! We all then got dressed because it was time to head to mom and dad's.

 

 

We got over to Mom and Dad's around 11am. Grandpa was there, and so were Alex (my brother) and Bree (his girlfriend) Alex lives in Florida now, and we hardly ever get to see him anymore, so I was SO thrilled he was able to come into town for the holiday! We got set up right away opening gifts. Mom and Dad REALLY spoiled us this year. They got us a space heater, new microwave (our's just bit the dust!) and some MORE new towels! Dad also surprised us with a Best Buy giftcard, which I used to get a keyboard and case for my new ipad mini, and a case for my Canon camera. I was so excited and just couldn't get over all the cool stuff we got. Everything i had been wanting lately. And if that's not enough, Alex and Bree got us some giftcards to go out to eat, and they got me a scarf with OWLS on it! :) Oh yeah.. and I guess the kids were there too ;) they got a lot of new toys and Mom and Dad surprised them with a Power Wheels Jeep that was waiting outside for them. I had also had a red jeep when I was a little girl, and I think my parents were feeling a little nostalgic watching my daughter (my mini me!) ride around in the jeep!!! :) It was COLD outside, but we all managed to get out there to watch the kids ride around. And the boys also tried out the new helicopter Caleb got. After a billion and one tries, they finally got it to fly into the air (and then it crashed.. but at least they got it off the ground! ;) Boys are so silly, and after watching my brother and hubby with that thing, I realize that they never grow up either! :) Anyway, after all that we sat down to a yummy lunch that Mom and Dad made (both my parents are awesome cooks-- and they are upset I didn't inherit that love or skill from them! ;) They made a juicy beef tenderloin, along with potatoes, veggies and rolls. And some pie for dessert which everyone had but me (I am not a fan of pie-- I know I am weird!!)

 

That evening I didn't even want to go home.. seriously. I knew what was waiting for me there.. a big mess I had to clean up! It took me about 2 days, but I finally got everything cleaned up and organized in the kids' rooms. BUT we have so much trash that it is more than the trash people could take, so now we are backed up and I think we may have a trip to the dump in our future.. every year I say I'm not going to get that much for the kids so that I don't have to deal with the big mess, but every year it happens again! Oh well-- they are only young once, right?!

 

 

 

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bob with his note and presents on Christmas Eve morning

Lunch at the inlaw's house

Brooke and her cousin ready to open presents

Rachel and her Paw. She was playing with a cat toy!

Rachel with her HUGE lollipop from her grandparents, and some new stuff she got

This is how Brooke looked all evening on Christmas Eve. She was OUT from that medicine! Poor girl! Sheldon stayed by her side though! ;)

Santa came to our house!!!

Arnold put all this together, and it is harder than it looks! I promise!

Rachel's stuff-- including the Calico Critters house I held onto for months!!

Caleb's stuff-- good thing about legos is that HE is supposed to put them together! ;)

Opening gifts early in the morning!

Caleb got a bb gun! This makes me nervous! But Arnold is excited for the "father/son" bonding time, as he tells me ;)

Playing with their new baby! Rachel was freaked out at first! Alex's gf was freaked out by it too.. it really does look soooo real!

My cute hubby wearing the new shirt I got him!

Dad thought the Obama TP was hilarious! I knew it! He said "I will use this!" haha! ;)

The kids trying out their new jeep.

The guys outside-- finally got the helicopter to fly!!!



Week in Review!

 

We have been pretty busy this week! Especially with getting stuff ready for Christmas. I worked Monday and Tuesday.. which went pretty well. Monday was packed with people, but Tuesday was a little better. A few of my friends even came by to see me :) I am finally starting to settle down and feel at home there.. and starting to make some friends, so that is great. I found out I have to work Christmas Eve :( But at least it's in the morning hours so I will still make it to Christmas Eve lunch/ get together at my inlaw's house! :)

 

 

 

 

 

Caleb's class is doing a cookie exchange this week, as their Christmas party. Everyone was supposed to make a type of cookie and bring it in, and then each kid takes some home and they will have several different kinds to sample! I cannot wait to taste some of the cookies.. think he will share?! ;) We saw this online and made cute reindeer cookies for him to take. Actually, Arnold and I did most of the work.. oh and Rachel did add on the little cinnamon noses! ;)

One day this week Caleb's class also had Polar Express day. They got to watch the movie, and wear pjs to school that day. I had picked these pjs up at Crazy 8 a few weeks ago, for him to wear as his Christmas pjs, and he wanted to wear them in. After I saw them on him, I wondered if they might look a little silly or "babyish" and I was afraid of him getting made fun of. Which OH YEAH..he did, by 2 people he said :( I feel bad, but he didn't seem to mind wearing them, and they ARE so cute! They even sold out at the store.. so I wasn't the only one buying them! I guess kids can just be mean sometimes :(

I went on a little shopping spree this week, at Crazy 8 and Gymboree. I had coupons and rewards bucks to both places and so went ahead and got the kids some new outfits. I have a serious weakness for kids' clothes! Ohhh the cuteness! I got Brooke this kitty shirt, but with purple pants instead of the skirt. I figured she'd wear the pants more.

Bob, our Elf, has been up to some mischief this week. He was found peeking out of Caleb's stocking one morning. Arnold actually put him there.. I went to sleep and forgot all about moving him! Thank goodness for a hubby who stays up late and noticed my mistake!

Last night Bob had made it had for the kids to get out of their bedrooms! This is the girls' door.. but we also did Caleb's. Caleb actually woke up in the middle of the night with a bad dream and saw his door early. He came into our room and laid down with us for awhile. The kids all seemed to love it. They made me climb under the paper to go get their clothes.. so I wouldn't tear it down!

Arnold was proud.. I was just going zigzagged with them, but he decided to weave the colors in and out.. too much of a hassle for me!

My BFF Joanne's bday is on Christmas Eve, and you know that is a hard day to celebrate on, so we went out early! We went to sweet frog to get some icecream! Our friend Erika also came along. Rachel will be so uspet if she knows she missed out on this, because her friend Kenzie was there! 

Joanne brought me a Christmas gift that day.. and included in it were a big owl ornament and a bookmark. The owl was one I'd seen and actually thought of buying, but hadn't. The bookmark has an "A" charm, an owl charm, and it's green! (my fave color) Does she know me or what?! I guess that is what over 6 years of friendship will do to ya! ;)

I saw this shirt on Amazon the other day and just had to order it. It should be here today, actually! If you have ever seen HOME ALONE, you will understand ;) They had the shirt in several different colors, but of course i picked green! I plan on wearing it to a few Christmas get togethers! :)

~Earlier this week we ran out of Brooke's ADHD meds. She had to go in for a recheck at the dr. It turns out she has lost 4 lbs since being on the medicine. That is a lot for a little girl! I thought the last time she got dressed she looked skinnier to me, but I thought I was just imagining it. Her teacher does great about trying to make sure she eats her lunch at school.. but she has had a lot less of an appetite lately. That is strange, as I am so used to her being my child who loves to eat! Anyway, the medicine is working somewhat, but not enough to make a big difference at school. So we talked about upping the dose one more time to see what it does.. for a month. It makes me nervous with the weight loss issue, but she said to just watch her closely. And Arnold and I decided we are going to weigh her every week to keep track. They said if this doesn't work, we can try a different med. But that one works more like an antidepressant, so with it comes risks of its own. This has been SUCH a hard decision to make.. I didn't want meds to begin with, but it has gotten out of control. If you saw how she is struggling in school, you'd understand. My stomach has been in knots over it. You want to do the best for your child, and having that kind of effect on a person is scary! You want everything to be ok! So... please keep her in your prayers if you would! We want this to work out so she can go back to enjoying life and doing well in school.. she is a smart girl! :)

 

 

 

~Caleb got an 102 on his spelling test this week. He was so proud, as was I! Had to throw that in. I have some smart kids! ;)

 

 

~We have a new neighbor that moved in next door. Word is she is expecting a baby, which you know makes me excited :) I hope to go introduce ourselves sometime soon, and maybe if I get on her good side she will let me come visit the baby??! ;) Maybe we can take her some cake balls that we are planning on making this weekend.

 

 

~What is up with the weather lately?! Nearing 70s somedays, and then freezing cold other days?? I wish it would make up its mind. I never know what to wear on any given day. It is also messing with my head/sinuses and I am not feeling well at all!

 

 

~Soooo.. the Duck Dynasty issue. Since I am a pretty conservative Christian and LOVE that show.. most of you should know where I stand on the issue. All I am going to say is I respect their family and I think everyone has a right to their own opinion. What he said was what he believes.. he wasn't judging anyone, just putting it out there. And if you ARE a Christian, then you believe what is in the Bible, and it clearly says it in the Bible. Straight from the scripture. They overreacted on kicking Phil off the show, and it has caused a huge stir from all the fans. I knew the family wouldn't go on without Phil, and I am happy they chose family first.. over the money and fame. I knew they would stand behind him. Whatever happens will happen, but I am sure there will be another station willing to pick up the show if A&E can't get their heads out of their butts.. LOL! Big mistake guys :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

AND with that.. I will wish you all a very happy weekend! :) :)

My Christmas Wish List

 

 

Every year I am thrown off when people ask me what I want for Christmas. I get so caught up in buying for the kids. Since having kids, my main focus is on them, and to be honest.. it is soo much more fun to buy for them and watch them get excited! Don't get me wrong, gifts are nice :) But anyway, when I started really thinking about it, this is what I came up with. I know for a fact our parents have gotten some of this stuff.. don't know the details though....

 

 

So tell me.. what is on YOUR Christmas list this year????? :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since I have a nice DSLR camera now, I'd love a bag for it. Ok I actually NEED a bag for it, to keep it safe. Knowing me and my track record with things!

We don't have cable.. we use Netflix and Hulu, so I usually buy the seasons of Duck Dynasty on dvd when they come out. This recently came out, so I want to see it!!

I see people wearing the Oragami Owl necklaces everywhere, and I think they are so beautiful!

We need new towels.. badly! All of ours right now are mismatched. And wearing out!

I collect Willow Trees, so any of these are nice :)

 

I know yall wouldn't be surprised I added "owl stuff." Anytime and any kind.. I am happy!

I have started burning Yankee Candle tarts in the house and they smell sooo good. We are using the Christmas scents right now at night and I love them!

"Gourmet" oreos. Everytime I see packs of these in TJMaxx I almost get them, but they are expensive. But they taste sooooo good! So is Christmas a decent time to ask for them?? ;)

Of course I have my never-ending book list.. and these are a few on my list currently...

 

 

Happy, Happy, Happy

The new Nicholas Sparks book

And the new Mitch Albom book.. one of my fave new authors! 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

 

 

 

 

~My mom called me the other night and told me that my brother is getting to come home for Christmas! For a whole week! He lives in Florida now, and we weren't even sure if or when we'd get to see him this year, so that was a total surprise, and a good one at that! I was even tearing up some ;) Our family is big on Christmas, so it means a lot that we will all get to be together.

 

~The kids got their progress reports yesterday. They are doing really well. At the levels they need to be at for all their subjects, and doing pretty good at their behavior.. but their teachers say they talk too much. (Arnold says they get that from me-- oh well! ;) We are still struggling with Brooke's ADD. The teacher says she has good days and bad days. But her teacher also says she tries hardest out of anyone in the class. I am so glad she is trying her best, even if it's tough right now. I am so proud of how well the kids are doing! I may have given them a surprise for all their hardwork, too :)

 

 

~Friday is payday for me! Since I only get paid every two weeks, it feels like I am waiting forever. But it should be a nice paycheck because I worked alot! I finally am getting Arnold's BIG SURPRISE gift with this money, and I cannot WAIT to see him open it on Christmas. Every time I think about it I get fluttery feelings in my stomach :)

 

~Speaking of gifts, we put all the gifts under the Christmas tree last night (all the ones for the kids, at least) And like typical kids, they were inspecting the gifts and counting, to make sure everything was equal and fair. Maybe it was a bad idea to put them out in plain sight, because now Rachel won't stop pestering me to open them!

 

~I got to go have lunch with the kids yesterday, at school. It had been awhile, and they had been asking me to come. I was off of work, so it all worked out that I could! They each got to pick a friend to come eat with them. Then they mostly chatted away with their friends the whole time I was there. Guess I'm not cool enough ;) But Brooke did give me a big hug before I left!

 

~I finally figured out how to download books onto my new ipad. It took me forever. You think I'd know how to use it, seeing how much I'm on the computer, but I am so much more used to a big desktop computer than a tablet.

 

~We took the kids to eat at Village Inn Monday night. I love Mon. nights there because it is KIDS EAT FREE! That makes a big difference when you have 3 kids! Arnold loves that place, I'm sure he'd go any night, even if he DID have to pay for the kids ;)

 

~I am off work 3 days in a row this week (not sure how that happened!) But I am loving it because I am getting to rest, clean up around here, and do some things to finish up Christmas stuff. Today I am going to go have lunch with Arnold. I also need to go pay off and pick up our layway stuff at Toys R Us. Eeeek!

 

~I was able to bite my tongue and not say anything the other day when a customer was rude to me in my line. I basically got called stupid because I wouldn't change the price on something (my manager wouldn't even let me-- I did ask!) Something about miscommunication with ads and prices... but you could tell they were trying to get something for much cheaper than it was supposed to be! And so I am stupid because of all that? I don't think so. There were so many things going through my head I wanted to say to him.. but I guess God calmed me down or something because I held it together... haha. I was pretty proud of myself. However, he did NOT get my usual cheery self... that is reserved for people who actually use some respect! Sheesh!

 

~I started a new book called "Mended" last night, and it is pretty awesome. I read it until I literally fell asleep holding the book. It is about how God uses all the pieces in your life.. all your past stories and hurts to put you together and make you whole. And that you are worthwhile and important, even if you have screwed up. Just what I needed to hear! Sometimes I can really get down on myself! Anyway, I'd really recommend the book for anyone needing some uplifting!

 

~Last year we made the kids' teachers a craft we found on Pinterest. They are button trees.. and you add the student's names to the branches and there is a saying at the bottom about teachers planting seeds of knowlege.. etc etc. You get the idea! Kinda cheesy but cute! The teachers last year seemed to really like them, and hung them up in their classrooms. So we decided to do them again this year for the new teachers. We just finished the one for Brooke's teacher last night and are going to start on Rachel's teacher's next! Arnold does the painting and I do the buttons, names, sayings, etc. I am NOT very artistic at all (ask anyone who knows me well!) so they may very well look like a child did it, I don't know.. but I love them, and it is something sentimental that I think will help the teachers remember the students from this year! :) We are giving them something else for Christmas also, but this was a cute idea.. feel free to steal the idea if you want! ;)

 

 

 

 

 

It may look like it's poster board, but it's actually a canvas, so it's nice and sturdy! I used some dark blues in this one, because Brooke's teacher is a huge Duke fanatic (hey, she may not have the best taste, but oh well! I also threw in some Carolina blue.. I know, I am evil! ;)



Weekend in Review

 

 

This past weekend, a few close friends and I decided to have a "Tacky Christmas Party." Also known as an "Ugly Christmas Sweater Party." I went to Goodwill looking for a sweater and had a hard time finding one that was really over the topm so I just settled on one that was red, looked like an old lady would wear it, and had giant gold buttons. I did discover later that one of the buttons was missing off the middle of it, so it was pretty tacky I guess ;) I also bought some Christmas hair things in the kid's section and wore those. My friends were way better with their outfits than me. Gluing stuff to their sweaters.. lighting up.. yeah show offs! ;) But anyway, we had a great time. We ate some snacks (waaay too much junkfood!) and sat around listening to music and talking. We played a dirty santa game. My friend Erika forgot to bring a gift so just ended up throwing in $5 cash lol. I was the last to pick so I ended up with the cash. Not bad.. I used it for some snacks at work the next day! ;)

 

 

Saturday I had to work all day. Brooke and the cheerleaders from her school were in the local Christmas parade. I hate I didn't get to go see her! But her whole family was out there supporting her, and taking lots of pics (mostly for me! ;) So it was all good! I heard later that Caleb said "this would be better if Mommy was here!" That just broke my heart! I hate i am missing so much with working.. but what can you do?? I can't call out any during my first 90 days or I could get in big trouble!

 

Saturday night when I got off work, the kids and Arnold met me at work and we went out to dinner. We were going to go to Chili's, but they were packed, so we headed over to Ruby Tuesday's. We hadn't been there in forever and it was pretty good. It felt good sitting around a table, relaxing with my family! We were going to go to the mall afterwards but the kids were being restless so we went on home. After getting them frostys from Wendy's.. because they wanted dessert ;)

 

Sunday morning we went to the early service at church. I had baby class again. We only had 2 little ones in there this week.. they were both really "toddlers" and not "babies." So we had a good time. We read the week's lesson and Bible story, did some coloring, and played around the room. I love those little guys so much! I miss my kids being so little and so every week I get to be in there with them it just makes me really happy to spend time with them. Especially when the REALLY little babies are in there and I get to cuddle them! :)

 

Sunday was my niece's 9th birthday. I can't get over that! We were celebrating her 1st birthday when Arnold and I were still dating! That makes me feel so old! We were there at her party talking about how one day we'd have our own cute little blonde babies (little did we know we'd have three! and in such a short time period! ;) We all went out as a family to eat lunch at Applebee's. We had a great time hanging out. We got my neice a crazy loom (like the rainbow loom-- you make bracelets) and some of the different colored bands. She seemed to like it.. she is a crafty little girl! Now Brooke wants one too-- but I am afraid it will frustrate her trying to make them! Anyway, they came out and sang to her and brought her little cake and cupcakes, which she had picked out. She picked a snowman to honor the new movie out "Frozen" which she loves. I have yet to see it, but hear it is great!

 

 

 

 

Hope everyone else had a great weekend also! :)

 

 

 

 

 

Joanne, Erika and I at the tacky Christmas party!

We brought out some props for pics! I found this NEW kit at Goodwill for $2! Can't beat that! I let the kids have them after we were done ;)

Showing off our Christmas socks :)

The two girls up for the "tackiest sweater" contest.

The kids all dressed up for church. Thanks Grandma Marcella for their outfits!

With my niece on her birthday! I love how cuddly she is! :)

Opening her gift from us

Life in the Land of Red

So I have reached my one month mark (and then some) working at Target. It has been a pretty good job so far. I am thankful that they have worked with me on hours so I am always able to be there to pick up the kids after school. And most of my co-workers are really friendly and willing to help a girl out when she is feeling stupid at her register, unable to figure something out!

To celebrate one month at this new job of mine, here is a list of "What I have learned about working at Target, thus far" :)





~It gets really old wearing red day after day. Really, really old.

~Saturdays are insane at Target. Be prepared to not even get a second to blink your eye or take a sip of water. It is that bad.

~On the other hand, mornings at opening are boring. You have to stock stuff. Occasionally I wander over to the magazines at the end of my aisle and take a peek ;)

~Security devices on stuff like tvs are the DEVIL to get off. I have to ask someone to help me every single time. When someone comes through my line with one of those items, I am silently cussing them.

~The holidays brings out the rude in people. Even little old ladies wearing cross necklaces (imagine that.) Yesterday I got yelled at for bagging something she didn't want "bent up." Yes she yelled at me. And made me feel stupid. The people in line behind her stuck up for me though ;)

~Kids who come through your line... well.. they are either asking for stickers from me, pounding the credit card machine with the pen, and I actually had one kid actually CLIMB up onto my counter and start playing with my scan gun. His mom didn't even move him. Sheesh. Be patient Abby, remember you have kids too!

~It is really hard to get people to open red cards. Really, really hard. I was not made to be a salesperson. Most people tell me "no" before I even get through with my "speech" they make us give them. God didn't make me to be a salesperson, that is for sure! If they judge me just on that fact alone, I will probably be fired!

~People spend a lot of money in Target. A lot of money. More money than I usually spend in there (which is saying alot!) I think my biggest order thus far was for near $700. I wish I had that much to spend! Oh and men are usually cracking jokes to their wives/girlfriends about how much they spent that day. So it's NOT just my husband who does that! ;)

~Speaking of men, the men who come through my line are WAY nicer than the women. They don't care about anything. They just want to get their food, deodorant, underwear, or whatever they are buying, and get out of there quickly. They don't care about how much they saved (usually) They don't care about if their reciept is in the bag or not. They just don't care. Makes it easy on a girl!

~Don't expect to watch anything good on the tv in the breakroom. Most of the time the guys monopolize that thing and are watching football or scary movies.

~The cafe is right there, and it is tempting. They have soft pretzels, hotdogs, icees.. and all the yummy goodness you want. And it's RIGHT there. If I eat there everytime I go into work I will gain 500 lbs. Must. stay. away!

~For the longest time, I thought the HR people really hated me. I was getting weird hours, late hours, or stuff that just didn't make sense. I finally asked someone about it, and turns out the computer throws out hours for the workers. They just correct any mistakes. So it DIDN'T mean I was "special" when they chose me to open up alone on the register that one morning. Darn! ;)

~They keep the inside of Target hot. It feels like you are on the face of the sun. people come through my aisle and complain about it. You think I don't know? Check out my armpits buddy.. I have been standing here ringing people up for 1500 hours and am sweating like something nasty! Yeah.. I have to shower everytime I come home from work!

~It is HARD to keep a clean house now that I am working. I don't think Arnold and the kids realize how much I did when I was a "stay at home mom." Our laundry has been backed up... etc etc. Caleb even failed a spelling test last week. Probably because I didn't study enough with him. Bad Mommy moment!!!







So that's about it... If you are still even reading this far! :) But for real though, I like my job. I especially love the extra money and discount which makes me shop there even more now (they know what they are doing! ;)

Catch Up Time!

So... where have I been lately? Shew. It has been hard lately, getting used to being a working Mom, and balancing work, the kids, school stuff.. not to mention Christmas is coming up soon! We have been doing so much and having a great few weeks.. for the most part. So here is a random look at what we have been up to!


~We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving with family. Although this year was a little different. We had lunch at Mom and Dad's, but it was earlier this year. Because I had to work that night! We had turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and all the yummy stuff. I looked through ads for the Black Friday sale. We took family pictures in my parents' yard. We even went over to Kmart since they were open. And while we were there, Arnold decided to get Caleb a bb gun! Whaaaat?! I was freaked out since he is so young, but Arnold says he will always be with him when they play with it, and it will be "bonding time." Oooook. Well we will see how that goes. That afternoon I went home and took a 3 hour nap, in hopes that I could manage staying up all night!

~So I had to work Black Friday. Technically Thanksgiving night from 7:30 til 6am the next day! I was sooo nervous for weeks before, I kept actually having dreams at night about what it would be like. I am NOT the kind of person who likes to stay up all night! I got there extra early and still had to park at the back of the parking lot, it was filling up fast. I went in and everyone was in huddles getting ready. Then people start filling in at 8pm. They actually were cheering and yelling, and they had to stop some from running! Crazy! They were really good about keeping my lines low though, only 2 people allowed at a time, so I didn't get overwhelmed. And I didn't have any rude people! I was shocked! The first few hours flew by because I didn't even stop to blink. At 1 am I was in the breakroom eating a catered ham sandwich from Jason's Deli... they fed us but I'd still rather have been in bed! And around 3am it started dying down and I think I might have nodded off standing up at my register.. who knows. ANYHOW, It was finally 6am and I made it! I was so proud of myself. On the way home after getting breakfast I saw the sun starting to come up. It was beautiful. I felt like a zombie. Yeah man, I did it!!! :D

~So after surviving Target's black Friday we got into the Christmas spirit. We went to pick out a Christmas tree, put it up, and decorated it. Have had to fight Sheldon off many times because he wants to drink the tree water or pee on it. Did I mention we got our first REAL tree this year?! Loving it! We took the kids to the mall to visit Santa. They all froze up and barely spoke to him.. go figure! Bob, our elf, made his return! With a North Pole Breakfast for the kids. I was probably Mom of the Year that morning because they got to have powdered donuts and cherry poptarts to eat.. and were all sugared up for school (sorry to their teachers!) AND we went to see the Christmas lights! I am on countdown now, less than 3 weeks to go!


~Speaking of Christmas, Arnold surprised me BIGTIME this year and got me a big gift. I told him not to get me anything, so I definitely wasn't expecting what he did. He got me an iPad mini! And he already gave it to me, he said he couldn't wait! We are not the best at keeping surprises, in case you hadn't noticed! ;) But I am loving it, I lay in bed every night with it and play on the internet. I am also surprising him with a big gift this year and I doubt he will read this, but in case, I will not mention what it is! I am soooo ready to give it to him, but I am keeping mine a real SURPRISE! And I owe thanks to his childhood friend, Brian, who helped me pick it out for him!

~My good friend from college, Matt, lost his Mom this past week :( She has had a few strokes and wasn't doing too well health-wise and they said it wouldn't be long, and she was with Hospice. Matt let me know when the receiving would be and it just so happened I was off work that night. I was so relieved because I wanted to go see him so badly. The whole family went to see him, and I got to give him a big hug. I hate that we didn't get to see each other under better circumstances. Please pray for his family during this rough time!

~This past Friday I was off work, I had a whole day to myself before the kids got off school and it was awesome! I got a lot of things done I needed to do. I went to Goodwill and found a tacky sweater for our Christmas party (more on that later) and to the Lifeway Christian store and got my dad a few things for Christmas. And by Michael's to get some buttons and chocolate for some things I am making (NOT the same craft, by the way ;) And I stopped by to get some lunch at Taco Bell, and decided to pay for the person behind me in the drive thru line, as a surprise. I got that idea last year from our pastor, who was talking about Random Acts of Kindness. And ever since I try to do little things like that for others, when I think about it. It makes me feel so happy to know that the person behind me pulled up and was told her meal was paid for already! I hope it made her day! :)




That's about as much catching up as I can do right now.. I hope to find more time soon to write even more. Hope everyone is having a great month so far and is getting ready for CHRISTMAS! :D


Here are some of my fave pics from recent times....

 

 

Thanksgiving family pic

The girls got some matching pjs!

The kids and I went to visit their Daddy and Paw at work when they were on break

Brooke and I at the Panthers Stadium-- school field trip

At the Southern Christmas Show with Mom

Mom got the kids small trees to match mine :)

Sheldon enjoys lounging around by the glow of the tree lights :)

They are not always that innocent! ;)