Another Christmas Has Come & Gone

I can hardly believe that Christmas is already over and that there are only a few days left in 2007. Where has the time gone? If you are reading this, I hope you and your family had a truly blessed Christmas. If your anything like me, you absolutly LOVE Christmas, but are always somewhat glad when it is over and things can settle down a bit. For the past few days Ryan and I have been extremely busy visiting with old friends who have traveled to Springfield for the holidays. It is always good to see old faces. It is weird that all of us old friends are now all married and most of us have at least one child, if not two. The next few days will be as chaotic as the past few as Ryan and I celebrate our 6th wedding anniversary and get ready to ring in the new year with our friends Hilary and Kevin.
This year we began a new tradition with my family. In years past, Ryan and I have always spent the night at my mom and dad's on Christmas Eve and then spent Christmas morning opening gifts and their house. Now that it is no longer just Ryan and I, we decided to spend the night at our own home on Christmas Eve and my parents were at my house at 6:30 am Christmas morning. We all sat around anxiously awaiting the moment Charley would wake up. I have to say that this "new" tradition is one we will look forward to in the years to come. Happy New Year!

5 DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!

I can hardly believe that it is just 5 days until Christmas. Ever since having Charley, the days and years seem to be flying by. A part of me really hates that. I sometimes feel that I don't take enough time to enjoy each day. It seems that there is always something to get done. I have been blessed to be able to stay at home with Charley the past year and half. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to juggle a full-time job and a family. However, I realize that the majority of mothers do exactly that. I have several resolutions for the upcoming year. First, I really want to take advantage of each day I am given. For me, this means spending less time worrying about whether or not the house is clean (if you know me, you know the house is ALWAYS clean), worrying about finances (Ryan always provides above and beyond), and just feeling like I have to get everything done in one day. I plan on spending more time just playing with Charley. Don't get me wrong, I spend almost every waking moment with her, but sometimes it still doesn't feel like enough. The other night I was rocking her to sleep and I noticed her little legs were hanging down past the edge of the chair. I wondered where the time had gone and how she had gotten so big in a mere 18 months. It was then I realized that my sweet little girl would only continue to grow, and that one of these days I wouldn't be able to hold her and rock her to sleep. It's moments like these that I want to cherish. I am not guareented tomorrow, and I will never be given today back.

The second thing I want to accomplish in the new year, is becoming more healthy. I just recently started working out regularly (for the second time this year) and am looking to lose several pounds. Did you know that gaining weight is so much easier than losing it? I recently discovered this. As I continue to get older (thank goodness I am still the youngest of all my friends), I realize that I am coming to an age when the things I eat, the way I think and act, all reflect heavily on my body. I want to feel good in my own skin. I want to know that I am doing everything possible to live a healthy lifestyle. I realize that is going to require me to cut out the late-night snacking and the glass of wine I like to have in the evenings. My goal is to be able to wear a bikini next August when Ryan and I go on a cruise with our best friends, Hilary and Kevin. Don't get your hopes up, I WILL NOT be posting any bathing suit pictures, bikini or not.

Finally, I want to work on paying down debt. Ryan and I both feel very blessed that we don't have the amount of debt that most couples our age have. However, we still feel the burden of our debt when we make monthly payments towards it and realize that money could be going towards something better. I know that paying off debt takes time, and for us, I am shooting for two years. Over the past year I have kept track of our spending and I am amazed by the amount of money we have spent on eating out and just stupid things. My goal for the next year is to be more smart with our spending. Ryan's business continues to grow and I want that to reflect in the way we live.

Well, that's it. I have a lot on my plate for next year, and I am excited about the opportunity to make positive changes for myself and my family.

Scary Santa

What a GREAT day to see Santa......other than it was a Saturday and there were oh......about 100 PEOPLE IN LINE BEFORE US!! So, what did we decide to do, wait it out. What else? Charley was dressed in the cutest snowflake dress and I was bound and determined that today was THE DAY. My parents were brave enough to venture out with us, so we all took turns standing in line. Finally, it was our turn and TA DA! I'm not so sure Charley has ever seen anything so scary in her life. Santa was actually really nice and just smiled with our screaming daughter on his lap. There was no way she was going to even crack a smile, so Charley's picture with Santa this year shows her real emotions towards strangers, even Santa Clause.

Fun, Fun, Fun at Silver Dollar City!

Last night we went to Silver Dollar City with our very best friends, The Austin's. What a beautiful night! The weather was perfect and the lights were great. Charley had a great time seeing all the lights and hanging out with her best friend Zach. Hilary and I were best friends all through high school, and now have kids just 3 months apart. Hilary and I stayed with kids and watched the light parade while the guys secured us a table at a restuarant. Little did Hilary and I know that we would be bringing up the tail-end of the parade with our little tikes. Funny Story, but don't ask! Anyway, it was a great night and as always, Charley was an angel.

Silver Dollar City 2007