Christmas Songs

Memories are a big thing and Christmas songs really help those memories. I know for myself that one of my fondest memories is when my mom used to make us each sing a Christmas carol before we got to open presents. She always started with "What Child is this". I miss my mothers singing. She passed away 6 years ago and every Christmas is still hard without her. It always turned into a weird little battle though. My mom would sing beautifully, I would then sing something quick and then my sister would sing a song that changed the words to be a bad song ha! My dad would laugh, my mom would get upset and then we would open presents. Every year we did it. Every year the same thing happened. Looking back at that even with all the groaning from us girls....it was a great Holiday Tradition. If you are looking for a great tradition I suggest you sing one of the Top 10 Classic Songs with your family. Doesn't matter if you are a great singer or a horrible one. Just have fun with it!

Top Ten Classic Songs:
1. Do you hear what I hear? Bing Crosby
2. Have yourself a Merry little Christmas. Frank Sinatra
3. A Holy Jolly Christmas. Burl Ives
4. Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Andy Williams
5. Jingle Bells. Roy Rogers
6. O Holy Night. Nat King Cole
7. Rockin Around the Christmas Tree. Brenda Lee
8. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Bing Crosby
9. Santa Baby. Eartha Kitt
10. White Christmas. The Drifters

Check one or ten out! Its going to help bring some Christmas Cheer and even some great Memories.

I hope that you have great Memories this year no matter how you celebrate. As my mother used to say you can always Live, Laugh and Love~!

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It's that time of year

Every other year is a shocking Christmas for us. Being a blended family every other year at Christmas time we do not have kids. They are at their other parents house. Why do I say shocking? Well gee hmmm oh yeah....when you have four teenagers and a bustling house and they leave it's well...QUIET!11

Every time the kids are at their other parents house for Christmas we generally go somewhere too. I don't particularly love being at home on Christmas Day without the kids. I do however like having a bit of a break and some romantic time with hubby. Usually we go to Cabo but like most of you who read know that is not happening. So we are going to do things that are romantic to us. Plus we will go out for a couple days. We got a groupon ( yes I am cheap ) to a spa suite at a casino. Then we got tickets to a comedy club ( again a groupon ha). Okay don't laugh but the reason I picked this place besides it's a spa suite...is because it has an oyster bar. I have always wanted to go to an oyster bar. I have had oysters in my life but I think it would be neat and kind of sexy to go to one. So yep....oysters it will be.

Plus I am starting a business that you will all see soon enough. I am crazy excited about it! I am still waiting for some of the materials to come in. I am homemaking them even! I will give you a little hint. It smells great and I think all woman need it daily! You will have to wait and see but I am over the moon excited! I should of really started it before Christmas to get more sales but I just have t had the time to get it going. Once it's all set up it won't be an issue at all however.

It's that time of year I think when everyone is busy but wants to do crafty things. I know when the kids are gone I am going to be working on my projects while ryan works. On our off time though we are running away to have some romantic fun together. It's our time of year that really gets us refreshed for the new year. I think everyone needs that time. Even if it's a day without kids to spend me time or romantic time with your significant other.

Don't get me wrong even though I look forward to some time....I hate it when my kids are gone. Even though I know they will have fun at their other parents house it just doesn't feel Christmasy without them.

We are going to have to make sure we have holiday cheer before they leave of course and again when they come back. I think it may be weird too bec two kids go one way to their dads and two kids go another way to their moms. Must be weird to not have each other too bec the four kids are so close. We have to be so thankful that we are blessed that they get along so well. It's Funny because when I ask them who their favorite sibling is. Each one of them doesn't answer their biological sibling. Kind of cracks me up.

It's only December 9th and I am looking forward to Andy yet not looking forward to Christmas. Any one else ever feel this way?

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Have a very blessed day

Adulting

Adulting.....Man, Adulting is hard. When I was younger I used to want to be an adult so bad. I thought my life would be amazing and I would be able to spend what I wanted and do what I wanted. Boy was I wrong. Its interesting now that I have two 18 year olds how their mentality has changed because they think they are a bonified adult.

I remember the first time I bought a real fridge that had an ice maker and extra drawer. I for sure felt like I was some kind of adult. Then when we had a half of cow worth of meat in our freezer I felt like an adult. These were exciting times for sure. The first time I got a REAL purse that was brand named or the first time we bought a car without payments. Man I felt like an adult. These were times that made me proud to be an adult.

Then came the first time we bought our own land and our own house. That actually was this year. The problem however is the land and the house aren't in the same area. We have to move the house onto our new land. There is so much that goes into doing that. Getting a well drilled, septic, water lines, electricity, building a road etc etc etc. I was so excited about getting a home that was ours. NOW THAT made me feel like an adult.

Then there is today when being an adult means doing things you don't want to do because you have to get things done and want less stress. Today we decided to cancel our trip to Cabo for Christmas so we could save money and get things done for our house. This is the kind of adulting I don't like. You know the kind where you don't just run off because you know you will have the time of your life but rather you do the right thing and stay at home. Boring. That what its like to be an adult though sometimes...boring!

I am proud of the decision we made don't get me wrong because in the end this will work out much better. I will be happier in the long run when we are in our own home that we can do what we want to it. So tis the season....I am going to start decorating in my head and know that adulting isn't always about the now but about the future. Money doesn't grow on trees so you have to make sacrifices to better your family. At least I know our kids will be at their other parents house having fun. I will have alone time with my husband and we will just have to have a different type of Christmas this year.

I would love to hear what made you feel like you were adulting? Also have you ever given up something fun to better your future? Would love to hear about it.

College already? She is just a Senior!

I am seriously freaking out. Wouldn't you? Ok, as most of you know I have four teenagers. Jackson graduated last year but we didn't do applications for school or scholarships as he is going in the US Army. I love the fact he is going to serve our country and get a great job Welding. I mean heck they give you every certificate so when he decides to leave the Military he will have a great paying job. I am so proud of him!!

Next is Cassie. She wants to go to a UC school. She also wants to be a Nurse. Its amazing how much UC Davis or UC Irvine or UCLA is! I mean MAN!!!! Its crazy!!!!

Cassie thankfully has the grades to get into those schools. She has a 4.14 GPA. Today we literally spent hours upon hours doing the application to the UC schools. It amazes me that she is a Senior ....Its ONLY almost OCTOBER and we are having to turn in all applications by Nov. 1st! How are parents suppose to know this stuff? I am so glad today we decided to sit down and start looking for scholarships for whatever nursing program she decides to go into. She would like to get a Bachelor in Sciences for Nursing.

I actually pulled my other two boys into the kitchen today to talk to them about what Colleges are asking for. Its not JUST GPA but also extracurricular activities, Awards, Jobs, Volunteering for your community, and much much more. Seriously you have to be an all around child to get into College these days. It was cute to see the boys talking about what they have already been doing and what they were going to add just to be able to get into college in a couple years.

This year Cassie graduates, next year is Joshua and the year after that is Jason. I swear by the time Jason graduates I will be totally a pro at this! You need a scholarship! Bam here is one! You want to get into what college? Oh I know the deadline! Bam! :) I cant help but to laugh at myself.

I feel like everyone can get into some sort of College or University. There are so many programs to help pay. Even Scholarships! Did you know we filled out a scholarship because Cassie's Great Great Grandfather was in WW1 for more than 4 months. YES THEY EVEN HAVE A SCHOLARSHIP FOR THAT! Crazy huh!

I am thankful I have good kids. We are lucky this year with Cassie since she does always have straight A's. She also has played sports (Volleyball, Basketball and Softball). She has been on ASB and also Class President and Leadership. She has worked during the summers and all our kids have always volunteered in our community. Makes me feel good like we are doing a semi good job. All our kids have always gotten good to great grades, sports, working and volunteering. Oh and lets not forget they do have plenty of time to be crazy teenagers too (and even sleep in). Totally off the subject but I probably am the only mom in Big Valley that has a 930 bedtime for my kids. Ten o'clock if your a Senior. I think with all the stuff the kids do they need to have good sleep!

Anyways, I am excited and yet a little nervous about the up and coming months to get this all done. I hope that Cassie and I are organized enough to get everything done in a timely fashion. You should see how many things are on my calendar now just for deadlines. Man! Deadlines! Yikes!

Its kind of fun though because you are spending time with your child. Each year I will have that time with each of my boys too. By the time Jason Graduates I am going to be a pro~!

Pray for us so we get into the right schools for what she wants to accomplish in life. If you know of any Scholarships opportunities please make sure to write to me in the comments! We could always use the help!

Tuesday will be the ending of the Gift Certificate to Starbucks Entries. So make sure to comment to get more tries for yourself. Sorry I didn't blog for two days but I had migraines! Hate those!

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Organize my Life

I need someone to come organize my life. Oh and for free ha! This morning I was up and out the door by 6am. Had to meet the Cargo Container guy in town and take him to our new land. Of course I had to grab a coffee first at our only gas station in town. She laughed at me when asked how many shots I wanted. I said 22 please :) She decided for my health and the fact we are friends that maybe 3 was good. All I have to say is the world is lucky I managed to put on eyeliner and mascara:)

The kids were having big days too. Picture day, Field trip to a College, Cake Sale (for which I made the creepiest cupcakes), a Junior Feed at the Volleyball Game and Football Practice.

I need someone to come organize my time and my life. I am falling behind. Do you guys feel like your ever falling behind? I met with my contracting friend Christine at 8 and we started working on permits for our house, construction and the land. Did I say her mind works better in the morning than mine. Went to our new land. We bought 20 acres in town. All I can say is I will be sooooooooooo excited when I don't live on a 15 mile dirt road. I am not even sure what color my new car is. Come to think of it. Not sure what any of the colors of the cars or trucks are. Dirt! Is that a color? It should be!

It was a nice day to walk the whole plot and measure every last inch of where things had to be and where they are going. Thank goodness for Christines contracting mind~! Love her! It helps she is my friend too so its not boring while we are doing everything. After hours of paperwork, walking, her drawing plot plans I was off to go back to my house. The kids actually beat me home for once.

As soon as I walked in the door the questions started:) Love that about my kids. Also that they want to tell you about their day and what have been going on. Some days they really can be a breath of fresh air.

I got a lot done today but I need someone to come and organize my life. I have more paperwork to do and organizing it to go and turn it in tomorrow. All I can see right now is that I need to do another load of laundry and have to water my plants and lawn first. How do you guys do it all if you have had a long day? Do you let some things go? Or just get it done because its not going to do it itself? I personally am just gonna do it anyways.

All I know is 22 shots of espresso would be great right now:) I am super excited about our land and house though. Now we just have to get it so the house is on the land. Its going to be a big process but once its done I am going to sit on my porch and drink as many coffees as I want. Oh and sleep in:)

Remember to comment. We have a contest going on for a drawing for Starbucks Gift Card.

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Who loves Coffee??? Who loves FREE Coffee even more???? Well you have a fabulous chance to WIN a $25 Starbucks Coffee Card! MMMMMMM!!!! Caramel Macchiato is my personal favorite!!!! This is how you can win! In one week from today I will be looking at who has been commenting on my Blogs and put them into a Raffle. Winner gets $25 Gift Card. The more you read, the more you can comment and the more chances you will have. Make sure to Subscribe to this blog by Email, Google+ or Bloglovin so you don’t miss out on chances to comment. PS one day in this next week I will be asking a Question and if you answer it you will be entered double! So lets get to it!!!! J

BAD MOMS (no spoiler)

I have been wanting to see this movie forever. A bunch of us planned on seeing it at our own screening but that feel through because well....we are moms and everyone is busy. I did end up seeing it thought two days in a row. Yes...I saw it twice. I laughed just as much the second time as I did the first!!

The first day I went with my friend Christy, MIL and she invited some fun friends as well. We went to Mexican and then the movie. It was GREAT! Laughed so hard I thought I might pee myself.

The second day I finally talked my friend Megan into going. Cassie and I went and picked her up and away we went. It was interesting because the first time I saw it I was not going to take Cassie but then I realized I have to let go a little because in a month she is 18. She probably hears worse at school. Actually I know she does.

I laughed just as much the second time as I did the first!

Now lets get to the nitty gritty of this blog!!

I loved this movie because it really showed that no mom is perfect. NO MOM!! That everyone has dirt on them in some way or another. It also shows how much us moms care about our kids and try to do our best. Not the "best" of someone else's standards but to OUR best! It shows you no matter what your kid is doing, even when they drive you crazy... that we still love them very much! It even showed that realisticly  we should be not judging others. We don't know what's going on in their lives.

Now this may not be a God movie and maybe a lot of Christians wouldn't go to this movie (or maybe they would....I am not judging) but it really showed me some similarities.

Who knows I will probably be judged for writing this but just know that we all have different views on things. I took some of what I saw and laughed at it because I could relate to it in the movie and thought about it in the Christian sense too.

Treat others as you would want to be treated. Lets try and stop judging. I know I do it too and I am always working on it. Does it matter if you bring donut holes to a bake sale or you spent hours making cupcakes yourself? As long as the money is going to your kids right? I am not saying that those beautiful cupcakes didn't take you a long time and that you aren't awesome for it but the person who is working a lot and maybe who doesn't have time to make cupcakes instead  grabs the donut holes is just as amazing.

Lets stop judging. I mean seriously none of us like to be judged. We all know how it feels to be judged in life. None of us has escaped judgment I assure you.

Being Vulnerable and Real and Raw is okay! Personally I love my friends who can tell me their real stuff. It makes me feel more normal. I feel more connected to them. I even feel like I have a deeper friendship because they are willing to share with me their REALNESS and RAWNESS. If you aren't that way though....I get that too. Not gonna judge!

We all love our children. We all do it in different ways too. If you think about it though and look at all your friends whom you love dearly and who love you dearly......they ALL came from different backgrounds and were raised differently. That's what makes us unique. We love our children we just love them in different ways. Even if its the ones who loves them enough to give them up so they can be loved by someone else even more so.

I really loved the message in this movie. To be honest I loved that I could laugh at situations too. I saw myself in so many of them. In the end though....we are all bad moms. In the sense of NON of us are perfect. Its just not going to ever happen. I know I will keep trying my best but that's all I can ever do is MY best.

Hope I don't get judged just by this blog:)

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