What I Did This Decade

Can someone please tell me exactly where this decade went? Just yesterday I was marveling at how the world didn't come to a screeching halt like the Y2K nuts said it would and now it's ten years later. So, to recap, here is what I did this decade:

• Graduated from high school and went to college
• Met this really hot guy and married him
• Dropped out of college
• Let the hubby join the army and moved to Hawaii (then Texas, then Kentucky)
  
• Gave birth to 3 awesome kids
• Went back to college
• Read some books
• Voted
• a bunch of other random things

So, what did you do this decade? Anything interesting?

I Want My Schedule Back

Christmas break has thrown me so off my schedule. I love spending some quality time with the kiddos and the hubby, but I want my schedule back. I missed Random Tuesday Thoughts yesterday, so I'm gonna throw out some random Wednesday thoughts. I promise I'm gonna be back on schedule soon and we will return to our regular blogging programming :)

**I haven't taken down the Christmas decorations yet...not because I'm that in love with them, but because I'm lazy.

**The hubby is watching the Burn Notice marathon on USA and he's not even in the house right now. But, I guarantee, if I turn the channel, he'll come in wanting to know why I changed the channel because he was watching that.

**I've cooked in my CrockPot everyday this week. My sis gave me a CrockPot recipe box for Christmas so I'm testing some of them out. I'll pass along what works.

**I read Matilda this week, just for fun. It was amusing, different than the movie (of course) but still good.

**We visited the National Corvette Museum yesterday. It's pretty cool. The only downside is that the hubby now wants a Vette...

**I love taking my kiddos to the library. They are quiet and don't argue there.

**My kids are now demanding lunch so I've gotta go...

My Christmas Happiness

I got some really great stuff for Christmas...pretty dishes, books, a freakin' awesome handbag from my parents, a Crock Pot recipe box...it was fantastic. However, the very best gifts I got this year were the smiles from this wild bunch...










And the reason for their smiles...



I hope you all had a very merry Christmas full of love, happiness and memories to last a lifetime!

Catch Your Happiness

The other day I was reading one of my magazines. On the last page, it has a few inspirational quotes. One of them really stuck out to me.

The Constitution only guarantees the American people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.
~Benjamin Franklin

It seems to me that so many people believe that they are entitled to happiness yet make no effort to make themselves happy. Or they go about it all wrong. With Christmas upon us, I think we should all remember that happiness does not ultimately come in the form of whatever gizmo, gadget or doo-dad that you unwrap tomorrow morning. Next year, we will have forgotten all of these things, or sold them in a yard sale to make room for the coming wave of new and improved gizmos, gadgets and doo-dads. Happiness is the love around us, our crazy families and the memories made during all the madness. So, while you are unwrapping those presents tomorrow, take a minute to look around and catch a litle happiness for yourself. Merry Christmas to all!

Is It January Yet?

I've been asking myself that question since Friday morning. Don't get me wrong. I love my children, but 24/7 with them makes us all a little nutty. The weather has been a little yucky so the kiddos have been stuck in the house. I've been having internet troubles so I'm a bit cranky. The whole thing is just setting us up for some major drama around here. I did take the boys to the library yesterday afternoon. It was a great outing. They know the library rules and are quiet the whole time we are there. The peace was nice while it lasted! Oldest kiddo has already finished his books, so I think I'll take them over again tomorrow to pick out some more books and maybe a movie. Too bad you can't check out some sanity from the library...

Home for the Holidays

Home is where the heart is.

This has been my motto for years now. Since my hubby joined the Army, we have moved several times and will continue to move frequently until he retires. This little saying has helped me in so many ways. Whenever his unit deploys and wives start packing up and moving home, I stay put. My heart is in the house we share, the location where we are stationed, and, ultimately, the life we share. It isn't always easy, but it hasn't killed me yet.

The holidays are always an interesting time around a military base. It's almost like a ghost town. Everyone packs up and heads off to visit family in other places. We have been known to do that. In fact, we haven't been in our own house for Christmas in a few years now. Going back home is always fun, but super stressful too. The hubby's parents are divorced so that means we are pulled in three different directions. It can be really frustrating because no matter how hard we try someone always gets shorted. This year, the hubby wanted to go visit his grandparents in Minnesota. I have a severe aversion to cold weather. I wanted to go to Arkansas. There was no way we were going to agree, so we chose to stay home for the holidays. Both sides of the family have been relentless in their efforts to lure us to them for Christmas (and hubby hasn't entirely given up on trying to convince me to go to MN), but we have stuck to our decision. Our friends around here ask if we are going home for the holidays and we say "No, we're staying here." Then it hit me today...Duh, we are going to be home for the holidays. We will be in our home. I am really excited to watch the kiddos open their presents around our tree on Christmas morning. I am also really excited to know that we won't spend the day rushing here, there and everywhere. This year, my heart is just really into a quiet Christmas at home with my hubby, the kiddos and our crazy dogs.

So, I am editing my motto in celebration of the Christmas season...

Home for the holidays is where the heart is.

Random Goodies

**Random goodies...haha, that sounds dirty...yes, I'm very mature!

**I keep meaning to turn the channel but I haven't yet, so I've spent the whole morning watching ESPN...that's my punishment for being too damned lazy to find the remote.

**I love Phineas and Ferb!

**I have to say that I'm pretty happy that the 49ers won last night. I don't know why, but I've always had this aversion to the AZ Cardinals.

**I need to go grocery shopping, but it is payday and I'm procrastinating because I really don't want to wade through the mess of retirees who show up at the Commissary on paydays. We don't really need to eat...

**My Christmas shopping is finished!! Yes, I mentioned it yesterday too, but it feels so good that I feel the need to share it more than once.

**Of course, I still have to wrap and ship those presents...UPS Store here I come. I'm too lazy to actually pack my own boxes.

Alrighty, well, I've gotta go wrap those presents, stick a sharp pointy thing in my eye and go grocery shopping...enjoy the randomness people!