Boss of the Year

Whose boss pays them their day's wages AND sends home dinner with them that just needs to be heated up? Glad you asked -- IT'S MY BOSS, THAT'S WHO!!! Colleen, you are the "boss of the year"!! Thanks for all your kindnesses to me and my family. I love you bunches!!!

Holiday Eating Tips

Some of you have undoubtedly read this before, but we all need a reminder now that the holiday season is upon us, and the party invitations have started arriving!

HOLIDAY EATING TIPS

Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the holiday spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately! Go next door where they are serving rum balls.

Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly! It’s rare because you can’t find it any other time of the year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-aholic or something. It’s a treat! Enjoy it! Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think.

If something comes with gravy, use it. That’s the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy. Eat the volcano. Repeat.

As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they’re made with skim milk or whole milk. If it’s skim, pass. Why bother? It’s like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a holiday party is to eat other people’s food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year’s. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you’ll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don’t budget. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They’re like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you’re never going to see them again.

Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Cherry. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or, if you don’t like mincemeat, have a slice of apple, cherry, and pumpkin. Always have at least three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, its loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

One final tip: If you don’t feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven’t been paying attention. Reread the tips. Start over; but hurry, January is just around the corner.

An Attitude of Gratitude

In spite of everything going on in the world, the economy, health issues this year, and the everyday grind of life, we have SO MUCH to be thankful for. I have realized, in the last several months, that instead of dwelling on all our problems and the little things that drive you crazy, we need to dwell on all the things we have to be thankful for - develop an attitude of gratitude!! When we do, it makes life seem so much better!! I've been keeping a list of things I'm thankful for, and its getting soooo long!! Here's some of the things on my list:

• I'm so thankful that God loves me, as imperfect as I am. I'm thankful for my church where I'm learning that it's not what I can do for God but what He has done for me!!


• I'm thankful for my wonderful husband. He works hard to support our family, is a great father to our children, loves me (as imperfect as I am :0) ), and on top of all that, HE'S CUTE!!
  
• I'm thankful for two healthy children who are my pride and joy. Hilary and Lyle bring much joy and fun into my life.


• I'm thankful for my awesome friends! A few years ago I went through a very difficult thing, and I lost some of my most precious friends. I grieved and grieved for over a year (until God prompted me to "let it go"!). This year, on my birthday, God showed me that I still have many, many friends that love me! Thank you to each one of you that I am blessed to call "friend". You have supported and encouraged me through the years!!

We had a great Thanksgiving. We were invited to the Kinniers, and we always love going to their house. When Lyle was in third grade and in an All-School Musical, his teacher commented to him, "I saw your Mommy today with your grandparents." In childlike simplicity, he responded, "Oh, all my grandparents are dead except for my grandma. Those people are my pretend grandparents." After the teacher shared that with me, it just stuck!!! And oh what wonderful pretend grandparents they have been. They haven't missed a single school function, play, performance, graduation, etc. They have loved on my children, spent time with them, and had us over to their house 1,000,000 times (not much of an exaggeration). WE LOVE THE KINNIERS!!

We had such a wonderful dinner, great fellowship, a fun game of Bunco, and pies, pies, and more pies!! Two things I especially love about eating any meal anytime of the year at the Kinniers:

• Mrs. Kinnier lets one of the kids ring the bell when dinner is ready. Lyle got to ring it this year.


• After Mrs. Kinnier tells us where we are sitting, we stand in back of our chairs. We all join hands and sing the doxology together and then she prays!! It is sooooooooo awesome!!

My pictures didn't turn out very good, but I'll post them anyway (mostly for Jill - We missed you guys!!):

Sorry this post is so long!

Just Like the Energizer Bunny

My 50th birthday is just like the energizer bunny -- it keeps going, and going, and going. (Not that I'm complaining!) Our dear friends, Sam, Sylvia, and Ben Timmons, came for a visit this past weekend. We ate our way through the weekend. :o) On Friday night, we celebrated my birthday at Outback. Great food, great fellowship, and some "embarrassing" fun!

Sylvia gave me this cute little "tea for one" set:

Sam and Ben had been busy making me a 50th birthday present. Here it is:

Check out the details:

Training wheels

Spinners that turn (if I can walk fast enough)

a mirror and a horn (get out of my way or I'll blow it!!)

a bell

A can of marking paint (so I can mark the sidewalk and find my way home!)

and even fuzzy dice for a decoration!

Thank you, Timmons Family, for the wonderful gifts! Thank you, most of all, for the priceless gift of our friendship. Love you all!

Thanksgiving Treats

It has been sooooo long since I've made some "fun, little treats" to send to school with one of my kids. (Those of you who have little children, enjoy those years 'cause you'll miss them!). Lyle came home yesterday with the announcement that they will have a Thanksgiving party in Science tomorrow (YOU ROCK, MRS. RHYNE!!). So...we looked through the holiday recipes and found one to make.

When my kids were little, I remember making the treats after they had gone to bed. What a nice change for Lyle and I to work together tonight. We made little Pilgrim hats out of Keebler Fudge Striped Cookies (turned upside down), Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, and frosting!

And, the end result:

New Year's Resolutions

I haven't been very faithful at getting my film developed this year (one of my New Year's Resolutions). Most of my resolutions die a slow and quiet death. As January winds down, so does my motivation. :( It's not the resolution that is at fault, it's the follow-through. Resolutions are easy to make but much harder to make real in the everyday busyness of life.

I need to stop beating myself up and congratulate myself on getting some rolls developed this year!! Something is better than nothing -- right??

I did get a roll developed this week! Check out this picture, and tell me if you don't agree this is one of the cutest pictures you have ever seen!!

Lyle and Hannah Hathcock were 5 years old in this picture. They were best buddies and truly loved each other. As they got older, kids teased them sometimes. It was hard for other children to understand their relationship. They had been inseparable since birth and were as close as a brother and sister (without all the fighting). Oh the many memories that flooded me when I looked at this picture.

I think I'll head to the store to drop off another roll of film!! :)

I'm Back!

SWINE FLU?

BIRD FLU?

REGULAR FLU?

WHO KNEW???

Whatever it was, it knocked me flat for 8 days!! Besides having pneumonia once, I never remember being that sick. All those days of staying home, and I didn't even feel like reading, watching TV, or reading and commenting on blogs. How sad is that!! Oh, and by the way, being the generous, loving, caring person I am -- I shared it with Bob!!

P.S. My brother told me how to tell the difference between swine flu and bird flu. Swine flu can be helped with "oink"ment. But, if you have the bird flu, you need "tweet"ment.