Yahoo!

I'm on the computer so guess what that means?! I'm free!!!

Yep, the tree is down, Christmas is put away - inside and out - and the house is clean. YAHOO!! Thanks Mom for helping me break down Christmas while Gib and Mike manned the Man Cave portion of the day's detail. I've mopped the laundry room and my bathroom, but I need to wait on the wood floors; there are too many people moving about right now, so I'm going to do it after a break. There was some mention of Mario between Gibbie and I a few minutes ago...before the phone rang and Mike and Gib took off for the upstairs.

Indy has gone off to her New Year's Eve party with Joey who arrived from West Virginia yesterday; Taryn is getting ready to leave in a few minutes to a New Year's Eve dance at church. A couple days ago, Mariah was on the phone with her friend wanting to know what we'd be doing for New Year's Eve. Like we usually have such great plans. So I answered yes, I had a great idea for all of us to get 14 hours of sleep. Mariah goes, "no for New Year's" and I repeated, "Yeah, we'll all go to bed at 10 pm and get up at noon the 1st day of 2009...that'll give us 14 hours of sleep - I can't think of a better way to start a new year!" Mariah stares at me blankly for a loaded second or two and then says dryly into the phone "we're just hanging out". Mike and I busted out laughing.

For our New Year's dinner I made up a Kielbasa Stew that I thought turned out pretty good. I'm always looking for a way to sneak in canned Field Peas because I tried them out this year and really like them, but others not so much, so I like to find ways to work them into recipes. This one was the best yet. It had Polska Kielbasa, potatoes, onions, carrots, green beans, field peas, and the 5 remaining cherry tomatoes in the plastic box looking lonely. Mariah and I made a chocolate pudding pie with heath toffee pieces in an Oreo cookie crust. It was yummy. For a second there it was going to be ours, all ours, because Taryn thought I was putting nuts in it, but Mike ruined it and told her it was candy. Drats!!

Well, Kristin called to see if we would hook up our Mario online and play against each other and I'm wondering if everyone is afraid Baby Peach is going to kick trash and I haven't been invited to the party.

Or maybe I'll mop - nobody moving around down here anymore. But I'd rather play first. Then again, it's about time to drive Taryn to the dance, so I guess I'll be mopping at midnite. Sounds like a song, doesn't it?

I Hate Anti-Procrastination Day

Wednesday's are Anti-Procrastination Day. That usually means I will procrastinate a little bit more. Some weird kind of inner-rebellion. Actually, I usually ignore Anti-Procrastination day, and I created my own day which I call Wet Wednesday. On Wet Wednesdays, I do things that involve water (or start with a W cause I like stuff like that), so for instance, I'd be cleaning bathrooms, watering plants, weeding if it was summertime, changing litterboxes, washing windows, or mopping. Obviously not all each Wednesay, I'm not that OCD, I wish, but I'm not! But, since I successfully procrastinated taking down Christmas for a full 3 days now, I vow, and you heard it here first folks, and now that I've blogged it I have to follow thru...to do it first thing Wednesday morning!

No more "but first's...." As College Planning Administrative Assistant to my daughters, I have managed to spend quite a bit of time, much more than anticipated on that endeavor. I would look at the Christmas tree and go, "but first..." and turn on the computer and pull up the college housing applications and tuition enrollment deposits. Then there was the whole deciding which ones to do now, which to hold off on. Researching and more researching to see what students really think of their college. YouTube is alot of fun to use as a research tool for this by the way. The honors colleges needed to be applied for by either 12/31 or 1/10 depending, so that had to take place before the Christmas decorations obviously. Then there were Indy's two essays written for scholarships, they had to be proofed one more time and hand delivered to the post office. She's got two essays in the middle of research that we talk about occasionally, so we sit and brainstorm in the office, because it just wouldn't work to have a Christmas tree inbetween us. There was even one Parental Statement that I got to write! And now there's one college on the verge of being dropped from the list, do we or don't we proceed with the 3 more essays that college would require? Decisions, decisions....

Oh, and while I was making another post office run today, Mike needed to go to Home Depot so while we were there...I selected the new paint colors for the downstairs! Indy laughed at me when she saw me on the couch ignoring all the Christmas boxes waiting to be filled. But, I gotta say, I totally amaze myself sometimes. I may put off something, but when it comes time to make a decision I am speedy quick! Unless it involves college, because you know, that's not my decision and maybe that's the problem. But anyway, back to the paint story....Boom, boom boom, I grabbed a bunch of likely colors at Home Depot, come home, hold them up, ignore the Christmas tree in front of me, and go, "no, no, possibly, yes, yes, no" and 15 minutes later I have selected the three new colors for the dining room, living room and kitchen!! The dining room will be Copper Coin (a burnt orange - wild huh?!) and the main living area is called Ryegrass (a nice relaxing light green) and the kitchen is Turkish Brown (super dark brown). They look totally cool together. I was going to call a designer and get an opinion for paint colors, but I'm not sure I need to do that anymore. "I done good!" And yet, I still can't make myself take down that darn Christmas tree!

And then we turned to the house which is now 90% super clean - thanks to the kids for doing major work upstairs. So, I don't think I can possibly avoid it any more. I have to take down Christmas inside and out tomorrow. I will go insane if I don't. Then I will vacuum & mop, do the windows and taa-daa! Ready for the New Year! I do love starting January 1st with a wonderfully clean home. But I gotta admit, I really prefer getting ready for Christmas!

Aha! I Remember!

Yes!!!! It came to me out of the blue! Something I was going to blog about but forgot. Actually, I think there may be something specifically from today that hasn't surfaced quite yet, but this one was definitely on the To Blog About List from Sunday:

Gib, for the first time ever, was the Tallest Deacon passing sacrament!!! Yeah, one guy wasn't there and, yeah, there's a new crop of shorties, but still, it's momentous! Gib was The Dude of the Deacons.

Things I Always Say I'm Gonna Blog About....

And then forget!!!

We have a new Christmas Eve family tradition to go to wherever a child is working and visit them that evening. Could be that getting dessert at Indy's restaurant had something to do with its inception! So, the host that night was heard whispering rather loudly, "Indy your WHOLE family is here!". We asked to be seated in her section of course and had a great time watching her work and having her visit us whenever she could. We folded her tip money into footballs, swans and rosebuds. Several coworkers came by to check us out and I smiled at all of them and said Hi. During a lull, we all wrote down what we thought her tip should be and made dad pick one out of the bowl, it was the poopy scrooge's 17%, but Grammy chipped in and we put it towards tip since Mariah made it into a rose, so I think Indy ended up with 50% tip which was my entry into the Tip Lotto bowl! Taryn has vowed not to have a job next year if this is what will happen to her. What?! I was only joking about us all trying on several pairs of shoes at once and going, "Miss?! Oh Miss?! Do you have this in a...." or if she's at Walgreens, getting on the store speaker and asking, "Will Taryn please bring a box of tampons to the checkout counter?!". Geez, does anyone REALLY think I'd do that?!?! Mwa-ha-ha!

Here's another one - so cute! Mariah had Santa notes floating around everywhere. There was one on the counter for days. I wasn't supposed to see it. Then another time, it was up on the computer screen and she yelled "Close your eyes!" and closed the doc, but finally, Mike and I had to take a peek. It cracks me up because she obviously needed the spy items badly and Santa didn't come through. Maybe there's a Wii game that will hone her spymaster abilities. Well, develop them may be a better choice of words.

Here goes her list (We love the last item):
I want a spy car with a camera
A spy hearing chip with a disguised microphone
I would also like a volleyball net
A canvas with paint brushes
And a kitten for Indy. Please she always wanted one

I received an email from a mother whose son wanted me to track down my daughter T, so he could ask her out on a group date before any of the other boys! Apparently T was the hot date for this group thing they've got planned for tomorrow night (and we all know why! T is cute and waaay fun!), and the boy (red power ranger guy I think) was calling while she was getting a haircut (so she wasn't answering her cell). In desperation, he asks his mom to email Taryn's mom to find her! How funny is that?! They are going to the Opryland Hotel to play sardines and see the water show and then to a friend's house for a bonfire. I bet they all get in trouble. At the hotel, probably not at the bonfire. Somebody better organize this carefully so everyone stays out of the botanical sections or security will be on them quicker than you can say "kiss my grits" and if they are running through the pathways they will be caught and escorted off the premises. They could have so much fun playing sardines there, but not if some goober screws it up.

There was something else that I said "I'm gonna Blog that!" to today, but nobody will remind me what it was. I hate that. I'm gonna have to start carrying a pen and write it on my hand or something.

Oh well, not that this is interesting, but to fill in the giant blank spot in my mind, yes, make all the jokes you want, I am consistently the WORST at Mario Kart ever! I claim all future dibs on Baby Peach because I like the little hissy fits she throws and the funny little whoo-hoo's she gives even though we are defying gravity in our little buggy and zipping around in 12th place.

Who Does This?

Mike and I were playing Cribbage and all of a sudden, he reaches over, grabs one of the 773 puzzle pieces in the middle of the table that will eventually be a part of a 1,000 piece puzzle and pops it in its place! How weird is that?! I mean to be looking at your cards one second and the next grab the piece that finishes the roof of the house? But I'll have you know, I did successfully do a little "puzzle housekeeping" myself, only they were already inside the puzzle zone - you know, someone had grabbed all the likely pieces that went in that area and put a piece or two together but hadn't realized it went "right there". Kinda like putting away the kids backpacks or picking up the socks. Puzzle housekeeping...I like that.

Anyway, Mike's inattention cost him. I whomped on him in the final hand. Hah!!!

Did Santa Show?! Wii-Wii

It's 9:30 a.m. and Mike is the only one awake...

What's wrong with this picture?!

But Santa obviously arrived - must have been late last
night because Chrissie & Taryn were up til about 1 am

and then Chrissie & Indy discovered their Santa Gift
of Text Messaging and promptly began abusing their new
privileges by texting each other from their bedrooms!

But finally, the sleepy children descended
to see what Christmas morning had in store for them!

Look at that smile!

Indy's gonna hate me for not cropping her out of this one!
Mariah's going through her stocking
Taryn's excited that her laptop has a pillow to rest on
since she refuses to use a desk for it!

I put this one up because of the balloons from Mike's birthday are still making appearances!
They keep drifting on top of the vent and then up they go when the air comes on - it really freaks the cats out!

Oh, and look at Indy's face when she gets lottery tickets in her stocking!

Did she fall back asleep?

Is she dreaming of what $4.00 will buy her?!

Mike promptly hooked up the Wii from Santa

The Wii is going upstairs today but we

enjoyed playing with it downstairs for Christmas!

We had a great Christmas!

Opening Presents

Here we are opening presents!

Let's start with Taryn's favorite - her space heater!

Gib can't wait to get to those jeans!

Lovin' that look T!

This was one of our favorite buys when T & I went shopping
because we found boy shorts with a pink tiger
on them to match. Mariah doesn't think it's as funny as we do!
We're laughing because this was another of T's
fun buys from that same trip
it's a Hello Kitty towel wrap and she HAD to have it!

After living with all these women for so many years,

it's either taken a toll or Mike has finally picked up

on how to accessorize

Mike loves this gift-it's appropriately called

Pass The Buck Bank

Mariah is so cute in hats

T and I found that great vest too - we rocked this year

as a shopping duo!

And now for the Entertainment Portion of Christmas!!

The girls enjoyed Mariah's Boogie Super Star!

Taryn is convinced Wii works
better if you stand ON TOP of the ottoman!

How cute is that?!

By the way, Gib grew again....another 1/2 inch! 5' 3 3/4" He's almost overtaking Indy's fake height on her drivers license!

What's On the Memory Card?

For Mike's birthday, Mariah made him an interactive birthday card / scavenger hunt. He had to find his birthday card - all 20 pieces of it! She spent a long time making it and hiding them all. She even blew up a bunch of balloons and hid them somewhere. We were having a house inspection for an appraisal and the man that came through the house and took pictures was let in on her secret so he wouldn't give it away, but we were all in the dark when he told us "there's something going on upstairs for your birthday but I made sure not to take pictures of it!". Here's some photos and even video of dad's interactive birthday card!

Here they are on the hunt!

A Clue! A Clue!
The Card All Put Together

The Video:

And now, here's Mariah's school Christmas Choir Concert!



And Mariah's first speaking part!

12 Days of Christmas

Indy decided to do the Twelve Days of Christmas to the family that made dollar bill origami's and snuck over to our house late at night and put them in her car. So for roughly 12 nights, (if you're wondering how that could be - we door bell ditched them twice in one night to catch up) we left our funny little version of the Twelve Days of Christmas. It gets re-modified each time we do it depending on the family, and quite frankly, I've noticed our sense of humor becomes a little more warped as the years go by. Like I wanted to kill the partridge at the end this year, but they would only allow it to be "winged". I think the original, G-rated version came from Linda about a decade and a half ago. If anyone wants to see it, well not that one, it's long gone, I only have my sick & twisted copy, let me know and I'll email the document to you. Oh, this was funny, when our computer fried & died, we lost the file but had emailed it to a family we had done previously who wanted to play it forward in New Hampshire, so they sent it back to us, again, modified for their use and inclusion of alcohol. I made a few necessary changes, but somehow on the egg nog day, I mixed up the papers and accidentally sent the one that said "with rum because we really like you". Oops!!! We found out that funny & embarrassing little tidbit last night at the Big Reveal! I explained kinda quietly on the side to the mom how that had happened, not wanting to make a big deal out of it, but Mike didn't catch on that I had done that and gave everyone the same explanation I had just finished giving! Well at least we had our stories straight!! They thought it was funny. At least that's what they said. LOL!!

For this adventure, Mike and I were the Getaway Drivers; Indy was the Incognito Door Bell Ditcher. These people have a long, steep front yard and a glass front door (not to mention Taryn's double date guy lives across the street) so it was not easy!! Hence, the disguises. Plus, it made it more fun for us!! My friend Jill from Michigan even played along! Thanks Jill!

Jill wore The Beanie and her sunglasses when she

went to the door at night.

They never knew who she was! As a matter of fact,

they mistook her for someone else from church,

and went up to that lady the next

Sunday and gave her a big hug and called her their "Special Friend". Bet she was wondering what that was all about! The Twelve Days of Christmas Bandits

We crack ourselves up!
You should have heard the ideas & stories we concocted
for each night's special deliveries!
On the 12th Day, we all appeared just as in the photo above,
apparently totally unrecognizable!
Eric had no idea who we were and almost wouldn't open the door.
So I took his picture. It was great!

Indy's Entry: Small Talk and More Essays

I figured I would give you something to read besides some of the essays I wrote for college. But don't worry, these aren't the last of them, so don't be disappointed. ;) I still have three more to write for scholarships and then I am DONE!

Besides all the boring college stuff, my job at Red Lobster is going really well. I think I have finally gotten the hang of serving on my own. Yay for the money, right?

I got out of school on Monday and was lucky enough to keep up my grades and keep down the absences to be exempt from all exams. My Christmas break will mostly be filled with work, work, work, (I'm already scheduled five days this week), and my social life, of course. So many people to see, so little time! I have my friend, Joey, coming into town from West Virginia. He will be staying for a bit during the New Year's weekend. I am so excited!! Life has been great and Christmas should be even better. I just have some last minute Christmas shopping-- Poor Gibby still needs a present... what to get for the dude?? Girls are so easy to shop for. Wish me luck dealing with the traffic jams and crazy people.

Indy's Entry: Scholarship Essay for Vanderbilt

Since we all perceive the world in a different light, when we transform our ideas and feelings onto a piece of paper, through the soft melody of a musical instrument, or written in the form of a poem or story, it becomes something others can relate to. Creativity is an important part of my life. By exploring my own creativity and studying the concepts of others, I begin to learn about the unique personalities of those I come in contact with. I have a passion for creativity, which will be reflected in my academic journey at Vanderbilt.

I thoroughly enjoy many aspects of art, whether it is appreciating another’s work or creating my own. I intend to pursue my love for painting in studio art classes, and while I may not be the next Vincent Van Gogh or Claude Monet, it will be a gratifying outlet to express my feelings and individuality. I am eager to learn about the history of art through the ages and the lives of the artists themselves.

After many years of playing guitar, I look forward to classes in songwriting and music theory; furthermore, I would be delighted to learn the basics of piano in the Blair School of Music. I have always felt that music is the closest connection to my inner self. Playing the guitar brings peace and relaxation to a stressful day. I relish the thought of creating this same atmosphere by playing “Für Elise” on the piano, for example, or transferring my ideas and personality into a song of my own.

Being an avid reader, I increase my knowledge reading books that interest me on a variety of subjects. As culture greatly influences authors and their writing, I discover history in a fascinating and enjoyable way from the author’s perspective. I also internalize moral lessons or simply become a part of another imaginative world. I have always felt that the most well rounded and intellectual people are those who have created a library in their own home. Therefore, the opportunity to become acquainted with other works of literature through various courses at Vanderbilt University is important to me academically.

Psychology is the aspired path for my academic career because I feel impelled to help others through therapy, especially children. A strong believer in the ripple effect, I know when I am a positive influence in a child’s life through therapy, I will also make a difference in other lives through that child. However, in order to do so, I must have a solid education, not only in psychology, but in a broad range of subjects. I value Vanderbilt University’s dedication to provide opportunities for academic excellence which will help me develop the knowledge and experiences that I will draw upon to seek understanding and find common ground with those I meet in my life’s journey and career.

Indy's Entry: Elon Essay

Peer pressure is one of the greatest challenges facing my generation. Whether it is due to media examples or those within a circle of friends, teenagers are conforming to certain expectations at a faster rate every year. I understand through my own experiences the difficulty of adhering to personal morals in the face of peer pressure.

Media examples are extremely influential to a person seeking a role model. However, if teenagers pick the wrong ideal to look up to, the expectations set before them can be life altering. For instance, many girls develop eating disorders to resemble celebrities. Media images cause females to generate within themselves a distorted body image where every bump or bulge is disgusting and ugly. To combat their insecurity, young women can go to extremes. I have personally seen a girl at my school reach a startling stage of starving herself, to the point of becoming literally skin and bones. Eating disorders become a life long battle in many cases, even if they are treated. In another situation, the media pressures young adults to rush into sexual activity. Scenarios glamorizing intimacy in movies and television shows cause teenagers to feel left out or abnormal for not participating in sexual activity. By constantly showing examples of skinny, beautiful people and movie scenes of sexual activity, teenagers feel pressured to look and act in the same manner.

While peer pressure can come from a role model teenagers do not even know, it often develops within their circle of friends. Because teenagers tend to value their self worth based on acceptance, feeling different from those around them can cause a change in their actions. An obvious example is those who begin to smoke to fit in with a group of friends. At my job, I witnessed a girl turn on her own values to adapt to her new friends’ standards. She began to smoke in order to take smoking breaks with them and feel part of the social scene. Since many teenagers do not have the ability to stand up for themselves and go against the crowd, they can be easily pressured by their peers to conform.

I am working to meet that challenge by helping others in my generation understand that they are worthy of peers who respect them by being a good example of a friend who has their best interest at heart. As for myself, I choose to be surrounded by those who understand and accept my values as part of my friendship. I want to be unlike the majority of my generation and withstand peer pressure, being an example that reinforces the ability to be accepted while maintaining personal morals.

Indy's Entry: Essay Numero Uno

This essay details my work experience and highlights the values that come with having a part time job.


For the past two years I have worked part-time, which has provided me with many opportunities to strengthen valuable skills that I plan to further build upon in my college career. This aptitude, combined with a confident, outgoing personality, will assuredly enhance the educational experience of the freshman class at Auburn.

I am a worthy candidate for admission; academic achievements notwithstanding, I have fostered character traits vital to success. While athletics, clubs, and extracurricular activities were beneficial, the skills I attained, which will serve Auburn’s freshman class best, were achieved in the workplace. There, I discovered the worth of hard work, responsibility and discipline.

Working in an environment where I was accountable for all my actions, responsibility was essential. I learned how to manage my time, work quickly, and finish tasks precisely. I became known for arriving promptly and cheerfully performing what was expected of me, and more, without being asked to do so. Furthermore, seeing the difficulty a manager faces in setting up work schedules helped me to recognize the importance of dependability. I developed self-discipline to become a person who could be counted on whether it was convenient or not. Training new employees and providing excellent customer service showed me that patience is another form of self-discipline. When frustrations arose due to circumstances beyond my control, I realized positive outcomes were reached when I showed consideration and responded with empathy, while recognizing the importance of resolving the predicament.

In gaining responsibility and discipline to be a valued employee, I matured into a young adult. Colleagues older than I became my peers and were examples of professional conduct. Being employed allowed me to partially support myself and save for college.

My path to Auburn University has prepared me to work hard and utilize skills strengthened through employment. I have no doubt I will handle a heavy course load with ease and a positive attitude. I have a drive to succeed; the responsibility and discipline to achieve my goals. As part of the freshman class at Auburn, I will be an exemplary student who will gladly share what I have learned with others and lead by example.

20,000th Tree & Kid Update

Click on the link to go to the Tennessean Article.

Gib finally got his Media Moment! We got the word that the article was in the newspaper today. The 20,000 tree milestone was reached right after Thanksgiving. Look at Gib hauling that Christmas tree in like the cool Senior Patrol Leader Scout that he is! And quoted too! Gotta love it! Guess I need to go out a get a copy of the newspaper today.

Tonight is Mariah's school Christmas choir concert/play. She has a small speaking part and is very excited about it.

Taryn & Gib have had mid-terms this week and they report they are going well. Indy is excused from taking them because she is a Senior and met the GPA and fewer than 5 absences in each class required to get the Free Pass.

Hey everyone! Taryn went out on a double date this weekend. They went to Laser Chase. The boy from church committed a Cardinal Sin, and let me tell you....it was AWKWARD!!! He phoned from the curb to tell Taryn to come on out. I don't think Taryn anticipated the result of agreeing to that. I said "ah-ah-ah" and took the phone and tried to advert disaster by telling him to come to the door, but he had hung up. It was dark and I couldn't see him, but apparently maybe his parents had told him to pick her up at the door and he finally remembered and was on his way. Meanwhile, back at the office, Mike gets wind of it....oh yeah, F3, possibly could have gone higher except poor double date guy arrives right in the middle of Mike's tirade to poor Taryn about how unacceptable it is, how not right it is, how she does not go out the door, the guy comes in, etc., etc., etc., Poor, clueless, double date guy, on his first date too, I'd imagine, gets the rest of the lecture while shaking Mike's hand. Man, I bet he never forgets that one!! Not that Mike was wrong, but Poor Taryn! I tried, really tried, to come up with something to ease the awkwardness, but that F3 had sucked all the mojo right outta me and for once I was completely speechless. Taryn just kept looking at me like I Can't Believe These Are My Parents. Well, at least everyone had fun at Laser Chase and afterwards they all returned to our house and had ice cream sundaes. My mojo had returned by then and I visited with the group for awhile and we talked about funny things.

So, this was exciting too: Indy had her first college interview last night with an alum from Vanderbilt. She knocked it out of the park!! It lasted about an hour and she made all the key points she wanted and if you're a person who doesn't believe in coincidences, you're going to love this! Her volunteer service at WAVES really impressed him because he has a Down's Syndrome child who went there for 3 years and they love, love, love WAVES. And, he went skydiving once too! He thought it was great that she had done that and they shared their moments of glory. They had a great interview. She feels her chances of getting in just got alot better. She's done all she can do. Now we sit back, well, actually, we write more essays for scholarships and honors colleges (ugh) and put the rest in God's hands.

Calvin and Hobbes Snowmen

Once There Was a Snowman

There must have been some magic in

that Snowstorm we had late Thursday.....

For it never snows in our town,
and we all must dance around!

OK, enough of Frosty.....

Here's Taryn in the dark...can you see her?
This is with The Giant
Snowball That Got Stuck


Here is that same snowball on Saturday
(with the stick the kids tried to lever it with)


Now for another song! I may not have the words just right
we don't get to sing it much around here!

"Once There Was a Snowman, Tall, Tall, Tall"
(at least he was on Thursday)

Here he is on Saturday 11 AM
"And in the sun he melted, Small, Small, Small"

Notice the celery nose is gone


Still melting, at 12 PM, along with visual proof
that the celery nose was indeed the first to go
followed by an arm

Up Close And Personal Evidence of the Melting Process

Saturday 12 pm

Saturday 1:30 PM

The Head has joined the nose - it's not pretty folks!

Saturday 2:30 PM - Gib has nothing but time to document

the demise of the snowman and is just waiting for
the other arm to drop

Notice how quickly parts of the head have already melted

Sunday 4PM

"I'm Melting! I'm Melting!"

(oh wait, wrong movie!)

And Monday, 3 PM

"Somebody kick me PLEASE!"