If it weren't for the kids ...

... I would have been in bed at about 8:30 p.m. on New Year's Eve.

But, they wanted to celebrate the ringing in of the new year. That's usually Rick's job, but he is on a trip to the Fiesta Bowl so I was left with the duty!

I went all out .... not!

I bought a couple of party hats and some blowers. We decided to ring in the new year with New York, but found that the ball drop wasn't showing LIVE! We would have had to wait until 11:30 p.m. to start watching Dick Clark's show. And since I didn't want to stay up that late, or even 11:00 p.m. for that matter, I tried to stream it in live, but wasn't successful.

So, we did the next best thing. We set the timer on the stove when there was 5 minutes left until 11:00 p.m. (midnight, New York time) so we would have an official countdown.

Daddy called to be on the phone with us at the new year. Of course, he was in San Diego (heading to Arizona in a couple of days for the game) so his new year wasn't for a couple of hours yet. Confusing, I know.

At 5 .... 4 .... 3 .... 2 ..... 1 ......... we screamed ..... HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!  We blew our horns, took some pics, and then headed off to bed.

By the time I actually got Eli and Brynne settled down for the night, it was 11:45 p.m. OKLAHOMA time, not New York. I went to bed, but at 11:50 texted Dawson (who was upstairs, not in New York or San Diego) to have him come down to put some medicine on his sore thumb before he want to bed.

He came down and told me he was going to spend the next 9 minutes with me so we could ring in the Oklahoma new year together. At exactly midnight, OKLAHOMA time, I sent him, Rick and Kyndal a 'Happy New Year' text. Dawson said, "Did you seriously just send me a text when I am sitting right next to you?"

So, let's recap. We rang in 2012 with New York. My husband was in San Diego, two hours behind us and three hours behind New York. My daughter was in Florida, but on Oklahoma time. We were on Oklahoma time, but early, but then rang in the new year again at midnight Oklahoma time, which was 1 a.m. New York time and still not the new year San Diego time. When Rick got my text at midnight, Oklahoma time, he was asleep in San Diego and didn't ring in the new year there at all. Good thing he rang in the new year with us in Oklahoma but on New York time.

Hee .... hee ...

And I was in my pj's the WHOLE time.

The end .... to another year.

Every Day is New

How many of us wake up on January 1st each year with resolutions in our heart. We might not say them outloud or write them down, but we almost always look to that day as a day of New Beginnings and a Fresh Start. Out with the old, in with the new!

Sitting in church this morning, listening to the communion devotional, it occurred to me ... because God gave His son to die for my sins, because Jesus willingly went to the cross for me, every single day is a new year! 

Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ~ Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV). 

His mercies are new every morning.

When I mess up this year, and I will many times despite my best intentions not to, I have the assurance of knowing that I do not have to wait until January 1st next year to start again. I can repent, forgive myself and others, and wake up the next morning with a new day, a new week, a new year.

Every day is New in Christ Jesus.

Happy New Year!

Looking Back at 2011

Yep, I've gotta chime in on the Looking Back blog posts. The year 2011 certainly had it's ups and downs, like most years do. I thought it would do my spirit some good to look back on it.

January

This past January gave Oklahoma record snow totals! We were snowed in for over two weeks and we couldn't have been happier! Along with that came some sickness, too, but we just hunkered down for a long winter's rest ... and lots of sledding!

February

Kyndal had her winter formal and she looked so chic! We took some fun pictures. I had the opportunity to write my first college level business law course, and it was so fun! Rick and Dawson took a fun trip out to Reno, Nevada, to visit Rick's family and do some skiing.

March

We took our first of many vacations to my parents' house in Pensacola, Florida. It was a wonderful vacation. Kyndal started her first job at Sonic, got her driver's license, and got accepted to Vo-Tech Cosmetology school.

April

Brynne and I got our garden planted. Eli had a part in his class musical, "The Caterpillar's Voice", as the caterpillar. Kyndal got her first car. Spring sprung and Brynne and I started getting into some nature studies.

May

Tornadoes blew through Oklahoma giving us a couple of scares and causing death and havoc in nearby towns. Brynne and I got inspired to recycle. Rick and I went to watch a professional golf tournament called The Patriot Cup. I spoke at my childhood church's Mother Daughter Banquet. I enjoyed a perfect Mother's Day. We finished our first year of homeschooling!

June

We moved my grandma into a nursing home. We spent a rare family day going to the Blue Bell Ice Cream Factory. We started attending a new church. Rick and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary and Rick celebrated his 41st birthday. Dawson went to Missouri to work with papa and help my parents move.

July

Rick and I took an anniversary trip back to Springfield, Missouri, where we met. Oklahoma hit another weather record, this time with record heat temps! It was a miserable summer! My sister, niece, Kyndal and I went to the Backstreet Boys/New Kids on the Block concert! My parents sold their big house in the country and moved to a small house on Main Street in Small Town, Missouri.

August

I turned ** gulp ** 40. We started school again, including a second year of homeschooling Dawson and Brynne. Kyndal started cosmetology school. Eli lost his two front teeth. Brynne turned 6 and celebrated with a skating party. Rick left his company and moved into another industry.

September

Rick and I went to the OSU game in Tulsa and a monsoon came in that caused the stadium to be evacuated before the game even started. We made a trip to my parents' for the kids to see their new house. Eli and Brynne started their Boys and Girls Clubs. Dawson started weekly guitar lessons.

October

We had a fun Halloween with Captain America and a ladybug. Dawson celebrated his 15th birthday! We found and took care of a stray dog for a few days until her owner called. We went to the zoo with Eli's class. Eli walked 20 laps at his Walk-a-thon. We went to the State Fair. We made a trip to the pumpkin patch.

November

I went on a new annual trip to Canton, Texas, with my mom and aunt. Rick went back to his old company, but to a different department. I finally lost some weight I have been wanting to lose. Kyndal turned 17. Rick spent Thanksgiving with his family in Nevada. The little kids and I had the quietest Thanksgiving in history. We went on a field trip to see life-size replicas of the Nina and Pinta.

December

We hosted our first annual Homeschool Co-op Ugly Sweater Christmas party for the parents. We went to hear the Tulsa Bell Ringers and visit Santa Claus. Kyndal moved out and then moved to Missouri to live with her dad. We celebrated a warm and quiet Christmas. Eli celebrated his 8th birthday with a Wii birthday party. Brynne sang at her Homeschool Co-op's Christmas program. Rick started on his solo trip to Arizona to watch the OSU Cowboys play in the Fiesta Bowl.

Looking back I realize it was a big year for Kyndal. The rest of us seemed to be trying to find our place and eventually cycling back to where we began. I guess this means we are where we are meant to be for now.

So, this year, we will do our best to take one day at a time and enjoy our place in life, wherever that may be. We are blessed and we should appreciate and enjoy it.

I pray that you have a 2012 full of contentment.

God Bless.

My New Year

Yesterday I referred to my New Years Resolution. It's pretty vague, but in my heart I know what it means:

I am taking my life back.

I'm taking my life back in the ways that I know are right and true. My priorities are, and will be shown as being:

1. God
2. Rick
3. My children
4. My home
5. Myself
6. Others

I will no longer live in fear. I will not live in fear of rejection or of disappointing others. I will go at my priorities with full gusto, despite what anyone else thinks.

I plan to build relationships with the friends I spoke of yesterday. They will become a regular part of my life. I realize that I need friendship and support and love from those who are walking a similar path as myself. As much as I love my web friends, and you are so dear to me, I have found that occasionally I need a physical hug.

People and situations are no longer going to get me down. I have done much better on this front this past year, but there is still room for improvement. God has work to do in each of us, and I will try to remember that each time I feel hurt or angered by someone. Their "thing(s)" might just be showing, and it's God's job to bring it to their attention and try to fix it, not mine. I will just concentrate on reacting the way God would want me to in the midst of my own "thing(s)".

So how's all of that for a resolution that can't be measured? I'll know, over time, if I have succeeded. It will likely be displayed in the people around me.

Do you have a New Years Resolution?

Rebuilding

Yesterday I had the immense pleasure of going to have coffee with a wonderful friend. Several years ago she and I, and another one of our friends, got together once a week to scrapbook and share lunch. It was something I always looked forward to. Our families did lots of things together. Her husband and mine got along great. Our daughters were very good friends.

On a weekend back-to-school shopping trip. Love those ponchos!

Then I had Eli and then Brynne. Our scrapbook days dwindled. Other friendships started to take priority. And, we drifted apart. Over the past five or so years, we have seen each other occasionally. Her and her husband have come over a couple of times. She and I have gone to lunch.

But I ran into her at Walmart the other day and we just talked and talked. Our lives are still on the same paths and we have so much in common. Finally her husband came up and said, "Okay, ladies, wrap it up." We said we'd have coffee. But, we've said that before and then run into each other six months later and realized that we hadn't.

So this time, I immediately set it up so time wouldn't get away from us.

Oh, what a special time we had. We had coffee and talked for over two hours. I think we could have gone on for several more. I left feeling so refreshed and energized. A friendship has not made me feel that way in a long, long time.

We have now made plans to start getting together for one or two Tuesdays a month for lunch and a Bible study. For the first time in years, I am so looking forward to just spending time with a friend. I've been hurt and betrayed by friends in the past couple of years, and I have pretty much secluded myself from them. But not anymore. That time just felt too good and I realize that I need it more than I thought I did.

We talked about how we want to have better friendships, but I shared that I don't want new friends. What I realized is that I have good friends. I just don't nurture them. During this difficult time with Kyndal moving to her dad's, I have had a few specific friends reach out to me. I realized that these ladies are my true friends, and I am going to work on rebuilding and strengthening my friendships with them.

One of the things we talked about yesterday were our New Years Resolutions. I don't typically make any beyond the 'get organized, eat better, get in shape' type of resolutions. But this year I actually have one, and it's ..............

.......... you'll have to check back tomorrow to find out.

Best Friends

 

Dawson has two very best friends. One of them lives in Tulsa (he moved there a couple of years ago) and the other lives a couple of blocks away from us. He would rather spend time with these two boys than with anyone else in the world, except for his dog. During school breaks, it's common for both of these boys to show up at the beginning with backpacks full of clothes and their Xbox consoles and remotes and not leave for a week. They take over the upstairs and all they require is to be fed. When I know they are coming, I stock Dawson's dorm fridge with soda and buy boy foods. They are so sweet to our little two kiddos and help to take care of the dogs. They are very polite to me and do whatever I ask. I imagine it is rare to find a group of boys who have been raised to be so respectful. I actually enjoy it when they come to visit. When Kyndal moved out we turned her room into their "nerd cave". The futon couch in the cave is for one of the boys and we have another large futon mattress in the attached oversized closet for another one of them. They literally move in.

Dawson works hard at school and is a great kid who does whatever he is asked. So, allowing him these times with his friends is very important to me. I see these three being best friends for their entire lives.

Nicole's Daybook

Outside my window... It's a pretty, sunny December day.

I am thinking... about that game "Telephone" we played as kids where you whisper something in someone's ear and it goes around the circle and the last person tells what they think they heard. Remember that game? The last person is almost always telling a version of the sentence that is way off from what was started. That's how I feel about a certain thing in my life. A version of the story that is believed at the end of the circle is not the true version. But I know the true version because I was where it originated.

I am thankful ... for hope.

I am wearing... my pj's and robe while I sit in bed drinking coffee and doing my Daybook. Man, every day should be like this!

I am planning...  oh, Hallelujah, NO PLANNING! We have just wrapped up the last of our end-of-the-year craziness! In four months we have had all four kids' birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and all its celebrations, and a big move. Now, you can hear the crickets chirp. Ahhhhhhhh ........
 

I am creating... a completed list of organization, and I am ahead of schedule. I am so glad I decided to start the extreme de-cluttering extravaganza before Christmas this year!

I am going... to spend some time with friends this week, which is a rarity for me! Today Brynne and I are going on a play date with some great friends. Tonight Rick and I are going out to meet up with a bunch of his friends from high school. And tomorrow I am having coffee with an old friend, who I miss so much, and hope to begin rebuilding our friendship.

I am reading...  Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim (notice no school read-a-longs?)

I am hoping... for a happy 2012!

From the learning rooms... We are on break until January 4th. I, however, am learning how to take my life back, and it feels good.

Noticing that ... I have been an absent wife.

From the kitchen... It's going to be mostly teenage boy style foods and pantry purging over the next week. Rick is going to be gone for about 5 days and I am gaining two teenage boys. The microwave will be on overdrive.

Around the house... all of the Christmas decorations are down and it is back to normal.

One of my favorite things... is hearing and seeing happiness in my kids.

A few plans for the rest of the week... More organizing, more playing, more reading, more relaxing.

From my picture journal.

Eli and Brynne modeling the latest in Christmas Break dresswear. 

Lots of women Daybook. See what they have to say at The Simple Woman's Daybook.

S.I.M.P.L.E.

A simple Christmas.

A simple Christmas break.

A simple ringing of the New Year to come.

No muss. No fuss. And I feel so at peace!!

The hustle and bustle of the holidays can make even the strongest woman fall to her knees. There is all of the preparation, expectation, and then usually desperation when things don't go as planned. If there's no real plan, there's no reason to get upset. As long as your little family is happy, isn't that all that matters? The rush and hush makes everybody miserable in the long run.

And mom spends so much of her time and energy trying to make the holiday special for her family. But where is mom in it all? Mom should be happy, too. Because, if Mom is happy then everyone else is happy. And we all know that is right and true.

Even last year when I SET OUT for us to have a simple old-fashioned Christmas, it was two-weeks of work to make it happen. Not so simple in the long run.

Have you stopped recently to ask your family what they really want for Christmas (or for their birthdays, New Year's celebration, etc.)?? We all know the scenario ... WE have in our minds what WE think Christmas (or insert other holiday here) should LOOK like. We stress all day (or sometimes for several days) to make it HAPPEN, while in the meantime everybody is miserable because mom is freaking because nobody is cooperating and things aren't working out to the PERFECTION in her mind.

Not this year. I've looked at my family. I've paid attention to their true wants and desires. And I have done my best to deliver the Christmas THEY want instead. (And guess what?? It was a WHOLE LOT LESS WORK than I would have done under my vision!) Really, my family just wants to be home, enjoying each other and their new stuff.

On Christmas Eve I asked Rick if we should get out our Christmas china or our Mexican Fiesta-ware (since we were having Mexican with his sister's family) for our dinner. He said, "Neither." He wanted to keep it simple. Who were we trying to impress anyway? So, we just used our regular dinner plates. That kept us from having to locate the special dinnerware, wash it, use it, wash it again, and then repack it to put it away. No tablescape. No hoopla. Just dinner. And good dinner, too.

On Christmas Day? You read about that yesterday. Nothing but jammies, playing, and eating whatever we felt like. Nobody wanted to get up at o'dark:thirty to open presents when we could do it at 9 a.m. Nobody wanted the big fancy dinner. Nobody wanted a Christmas production. They just wanted to have fun and relax. Delivered. And mom was SO MUCH LESS STRESSED!! So, everybody was less stressed. I even let Dawson spend the night at his best friend's house ... GADS!!! ... on Christmas!  He was happy. So I was happy.

No, we didn't travel to see family. There are sacrifices that have to be made to carry out the simple plan sometimes. Ricks family, with the exception of his sister, all live in Reno, Nevada, so seeing them for a holiday is not possible unless we want to travel a loooooong way on Christmas. And we don't. And now my family has a house in Pensacola, Florida, where they are for Christmas. To see them we would have had to travel a loooooong way in the other direction, and we would have been on the road at about 4 a.m. this morning. So, we decided not to go. There were several times yesterday that I was thankful I wasn't spending my Christmas Day getting us prepared for a week-long trip. Talk about miserable mommy and miserable family. I do hate it that we don't have BIG FAMILY traditional get-togethers anymore. But to have the SIMPLE holidays, those are sacrifices we have to make. I am a homebody, true, but I have learned that so are my kids.

I have spent way too many holidays, vacations, even ordinary days, trying to get my family to live up to an expectation I have set in my mind. I think I'm starting to really GET IT now. I have read my family and realized that it's not about me and what I want. Yeah, I still got EVERYTHING I wanted! But I didn't have to work to get it. I got the love of my family. I got the tears from the kids when they opened gifts that they had wanted really, really, bad. I got the loving phone calls. I got comfy clothes, blankets and good books. I got a good day and a happy family.

Simple joy for all.

Feliz Navidad

Each year for Christmas Eve, Rick's sister and her family come over for dinner and fun. We have had this tradition for the 10 years we have lived in Oklahoma. Julie brings her famous enchiladas and I make tacos and guacamole. She usually makes a tasty dessert. We eat lots of Mexican food, have lots of laughs, and then sit down to watch Christmas Vacation. The kids open gifts and we call it an early night. (Rick and I always have to stay up after they leave and do all of our gift wrapping for the kids that takes us a couple of hours.)

We always look forward to spending time with Milton, Julie, Tommy and Angela.

Tech the Halls ~ Christmas 2011

Well, it's 7:00 p.m. and Brynne and I are laying in my bed with the doggies.

Rick is sacked out on the couch. Dawson just ran out to go to his best friend's house who lives two streets away. Eli is in his room. We are tired from a day of doing absolutely nothing. Brynne is currently playing with her new Nintendo 3DS, making Miis of all her family members. Eli is watching America's Funniest Home Videos on Netflix on his new Nintendo 3DS. My new iPad is re-charging from being played with so much. Dawson's Xbox 360 is smoking from all it's usage! We just might have to get a bigger modem to support all of the new Christmas technology.

Yes, our Christmas was a techy one. We kind of went big this year. I read about lots of families who were scaling way back, some who were doing the three gifts to symbolize the number of gifts Jesus received from the wisemen. We did the opposite, really, and I am not ashamed of that. For many, many, many years we have done Christmas the lean way. We don't buy a lot for the kids throughout the year. They have to wait until their birthdays, which are all right before Christmas, to get bigger ticket items. Our kids have been exceptionally good this year. They have done excellent in school. They have grown in leaps and bounds in treating each other with kindness. We wanted them to have a great Christmas. Really, they each only asked for two or three things. But I knew many things they wanted that they didn't ask for. They aren't greedy kids. They deserved to be rewarded with fun.

They slept in until 9:00 this morning. We were planning to go to church at 10:00, but didn't make it. Instead, we stayed in our pajamas all day! I made cinnamon rolls and biscuits and gravy and we opened gifts. Here are pics of the haul ...

A saucer gaming chair (that he's sitting in, and a futon couch not in the pic), Totes slippers, a sterling silver guitar pick necklace, a box of clothes from American Eagle, Hollister, and Pac Sun, an Xbox 360 one-year Live contract, a light saber, a Hurley shirt from grandma, and two video game posters from Eli and Brynne. (From Kyndal he got some guitar pics and a Capo). In his stocking was a Hurley leather wallet, Hurley socks, underwear, and candy.

A Nintendo 3DS, light saber, Mad Season 1 DVD, Mario 3DLand game for DS, Fossil Fighters DS game from Dawson, Mario and Sonic at the 2012 London Olympic Games game for Wii, a new sled, a board game and gun from Brynne, Bop It! XT from grandma, new pjs from Kyndal, and in his stocking was new slippers, a Finn McMissile car, a Sonic Boom character for his Skylanders game, underwear, a stocking cap, and candy.

A Nintendo 3DS, Kirby Mass Attack DS game, Barbie and the 12 Dancing Princesses dvd, Barbie and the Princess Charm School dvd with Blair and Delancey Barbies, Just Dance 3 for Wii, a pink lap tray with marker tower, new colored pencils and crayons (not pictured), Jenga from grandma, three Barbie puzzles and a coloring book from Eli, and Barbie clothes from Dawson. Kyndal got her new Hello Kitty pj bottoms. And in her stocking was a Hello Kitty DS game, puppy stocking cap, underwear, more Barbie clothes, and candy.

Daddy got an RCA internet streaming device (like a ROKU), a rechargeable flashlight (because he can never find one with batteries), a brushed oil bronze hand towel rack for dishrags (because he cleans the kitchen at night and hates not having anywhere to hang the dishrag), a golf book, some pj bottoms, a Dr. Pepper t-shirt, some new undies and some jalapeno stuffed green olives. Oh, and he's taking a 5-day vacation by himself in a couple of days to go to the Fiesta Bowl game in Arizona.

Mama was happy! She got all of her favorite things: new pjs and slippers from Dawson, a cozy green plush blanket from Brynne, an electric candle warmer (like Scentsy) from Eli, a personalized "T" button picture made by Eli, some thermal pants and top from my mom with a book, and from my sweet hubby a new iPad 2 and $50 gift card so I can get accessories for it!!!

We all also got money from my mom and dad, and the kids got GameStop giftcards from my sister.

Kyndal wasn't here, but we got her new Ugg boots, a wand curler, a pink blow dryer, a pink personal back heating pad, an Ed Hardy belt, a smokey eyes makeup kit, undies in her stocking (a tradition), a crocheted headband, and new gloves. We also got her a plane ticket to fly to Pensacola to visit my family for the last half of her break.

For lunch we had candy and more breakfast.

I had planned to make an elegant dinner of filet mignon, potatoes, green bean casserole, rolls, and pumpkin pie. Rick and I decided to just eat leftovers from Christmas Eve and Eli and Brynne had macaroni and cheese.

What were the favorite gifts? Mine, of course, was my iPad. That was Rick's favorite gift, too. He'll be playing with it often, I know. Dawson loved his new blue light saber. He's had it in his hands almost all day. Eli's favorite gifts were his Nintendo 3DS and a $1 gun Brynne got him at the Dollar Tree. Brynne's favorite gifts were her Nintendo 3DS and her new puppy stocking cap. She also spent lots of time playing with her Barbies.

To me, this was just the best day ever. I think everyone in my little family agreed. We'll be enjoying it all year, too.