The craziest thing.  Ever.  NewYear’s Eve 2014 found the Hubs and I at Vigil Mass (not so crazy) and then afterward we went to dinner (crazy).  Our oldest son met us there.  Because…..ALL the other kids were at NYE sleepovers.(WHAT?!?!)

So.  After my first pick, favorite restaurant was a 2 hour wait (dinner on NYE is a thing ?!?!?!??!), we went to choice #2, 15 minute wait and pretty tasty.  Then home to tuck in the Hubs, text my missing children a happy, happy, set the alarm for the oldest (who had to work at 645 this morning–hence no sleepover for him), I sat down and binged on Nashville….my new favorite show.   Until Downton comes on this Sunday!!!

Today, it’s nasty and drizzly.  My house is way too quiet.  So, I drank my coffee…am pondering breakfast….paid bills…and am blogging.   Later, we will return this laptop (sticky space bar), shop for a microwave, have lunch in the mall and then head to a friend’s to watch the Noles play.

There ya go.

The blog, she’s picking up steam…..let’s see what 2015 brings!!

Hope your New Year’s Eve was fun and flu-free and that 2015 brings you blessings in abundance!

Happy 3rd day of Christmas to you!!

It’s been a good Christmas season.

Santa even brought Mama a new laptop……

So. Perhaps the blog will make a resurgence!!

Right now though, I have a book (Call the midwife) to finish and Sunday evening to enjoy!!

7:43 a.m.   I’ve been up since 6.  Out of bed since 6:20.  Kids are still sleeping.  This.  Is.  The.  Life.  jk….but, really, it is pretty windy, clearly gearing up to rain at some point and quite balmy.  I just finished my Dunkin Donuts caramel coffee cake coffee and figured I’d visit the blog for a quick minute or 20.

The good news is…..Christmas is coming and maybe a laptop, too?!  Totally on my Christmas list.  Rest assured.

Some  highlights….we hit the 40’s here this week and I had to break down and get our oldest a heavier jacket.  Today I’ll need to get our 15-year-old a couple more pair of pants and this week Thred up delivered RIGHT ON TIME with 2 pair of pants for  our youngest.  Yowza.  The problems of living in the Florida:  no cold weather gear.  I will stop “complaining” though because, Buffalo.  Surreal to  me.  All these pics.  I am morbidly fascinated, horrified and freaked at the amount of snow….BEFORE.  THANKSGIVING.  What the heck will winter bring?!?!??!  Anyway, I’ve been keeping tabs on Heather  at Mamaknowshoneychild on her Insta account and just, wow.  I want to bring them some soup.  And groceries.  And a personal snow plow.

What else?

Christmas pics done and I am impatiently waiting for  them to arrive so I can put them together and send them off.  I may have mentioned before, but I find it hard to wrap my mind around Christmas shopping until I get the cards out.  And with a short Christmas season again (thanks a lot late Thanksgiving!!), I don’t want to be rushed again like last year.  However, I have purchased the boys SURPRISE plane tix to see Mimi and John in January (providing we aren’t hampered by snow and I DID buy insurance for that reason alone!), and the girls’ Christmas PJs….so the shopping has officially begun.

I addition, I have purchased our youngest’s birthday present (June) to see her very favorite T-swizzle in Tampa in October.  And my own EDEL15 ticket to Charleston in July!!!  Woop woop.

The Hubs and I have decided to make Thursday nights and Saturday a.m. our “Spin Class” dates.  So, back in the saddle I go.  Surprisingly, it’s just like riding a bike.  ahem.  punny, right?  Anyhooooo…..good sweat and heading into the food fest that is November and December followed by insurance blood work and body comp in February (which incidentally, can lower our insurance rates by 1/2……) it seems like a good idea to go ahead and do this.  I’m sure my jeans will thank me, too!

I now have a heavy-duty staple gun and am ready to go.  I have already repaired the bottom of the couch.  Next up is the recovering of the girls’ bulletin boards to match their room re-do and recovering the piano bench to go in our room at the foot of our bed.  Be scared.  And then be awed.

The girls and I enjoyed the FSU homecoming game two weeks ago with my step-dad, sister and nephew and step-bro and nephew.  Tailgating with friends, Trader Joe’s and staying up way too late post game chatting with my girlfriend.   Was a fab weekend!!  I’ll be back up in Tally in December to babysit my nephews <blatant HINT HINT> on December 13 and I think I’ll take the boys to Thomasville to see some fun decorations and such…we will have just missed the Victorian Christmas festival, but maybe YOU can go!!

I’m out.  The kids are stirring.  It’s been a great 25 minutes…peace out and Happy thanksgiving!!

Marriage.

It’s for the long haul.

And, boy, there will be days when you hit the wall.

Just like running, you have a choice: quit and go home, or power through.

Sometimes, you just need to regroup and grab some sustenance because you’re running low on fuel.

And that makes all the difference.

So, when you are hitting those patches of life seasons where carpools, homework, taxi duty part 2, 3 and 4, weekend extracurriculars, marching band competitions, volleyball tournaments, homecoming, cold snap and STAT runs to the store for long pants and hoodies for growing legs and arms, combined with work, bills, feeding and caring for this church……… and the list goes on.

Yeah, that kind of balance.

That’s where it gets real.

And you have to stop and grab sustenance. Because suddenly, the only talking that has been taking place is reduced to scheduling, organizing and surviving.

When that Hubby says, “I NEED you. To talk to you. I. Need. You.” So, in the midst of it all, you sit on that couch and talk. Not about scheduling or carpools or dinner menu. Talk. Life. Anxieties. Dreams. Goals. Needs. Desires.

This is what it is all about. Living. Loving. Communicating.

5 minutes from now all that life stuff will still be there.

That wall will come. Because, you know, life. But choose sustenance. It makes all the difference.

Thanks for the couch time, Hubby. You’re the best! XO

Sustenance