In Which Blogger Has Totally Pissed Me Off.

My blog is going to disappear in two days.

Why? Because it's time to renew my domain name, and when I sign on to my Admin settings to renew it, I get an error message.  It's a KNOWN bug, but Blogger isn't bothering to fix it.
(check out these forum posts about a 'newly identified bug' - and they are from MAY.)

I do not have the time, energy, or patience to fight with this.  And while stressing about it a couple of weeks ago, I suddenly thought to myself, "Do I really care?"

And the answer was, no, no I really don't.

I think it's time for a change.  My life has changed dramatically since I started this blog, and maybe it's time that my blog evolves with me.

I have already exported my blog to my computer so I won't lose it, and if I choose to, I can upload it to my new blog, wherever that might be.

But yeah.  I think it's time to retire this one.

I'm not going to drive myself crazy trying to get the new blog up, but I will keep you posted.  Most of you know how to find me (I'm on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), and I'll still have the email address if you're interested.

 puttingthefunindysfunctional(at)gmail(dot)com

This is not goodbye!  It's see ya soon in another location.  Oh and BLOGGER/Google Apps, you suck, you have lost a long standing loyal paying customer.  Peace out.

Old School Blogging

I still occasionally do this "old school blogging" 

because well, I AM old school.

Also, old.

I seem to like to cling to things LONG after they've gone out of style.

That's how I roll.

Anyway, my friend LeighAnn from Single Mom in the South 

tagged me for this and I thought

OH HOW PERFECT!!

What were you doing 10 years ago?

This time 10 years ago, my first husband and I had just separated.  I was working (cleaning houses) and trying to figure out how to be a single mom.

What 5 things are on your to do list?

 

1. Start the process of getting my name changed on a million different things.  
2. Get my husband started on building my chicken coop so I can fill it with chickens! YAY!
3. Laundry.  It never ends. 
4. Get my nails filled.  Priorities, people. 
5. Color my grays. 

What are 5 snacks you enjoy?

1. Veggies & ranch dip
2. Nuts...cashews seem to be the current favorite.
3. Cheez-its.
4. Kettle cooked BBQ chips
5. cheese in almost any form.

Name some things you would do if you were a millionaire.

Pay off all bills.
Pay for the kids' college. 
Buy the kids crap they don't need. (just being honest! ha)
Build our dream home here on our property. 
Buy a vacation home in St Augustine area.
Travel.

 

Name some places you have lived.

I've always lived in the Gainesville, Florida area.  I only moved out of the county once, briefly, and it was just one county over.

 

Name some bad habits you have.

Procrastinating
Snacking mindlessly
Drinking WAY too much Diet Dr Pepper. WAY.
Cursing like a sailor.
Being stubborn.

 

Name some jobs you have had.

Supermarket cashier
DMV worker 
Child Care
Health Care


Name those you are tagging for #OSBlog:

Debby at Just Breathe because I think she'll enjoy it.
Kimberly at All Work & No Play Makes Mommy Go Something Something because I love her face.
My DEAR friend Kat at Seeking Sanity
Tami at Pretty Purplexing because hello, PURPLE.

There are a bunch more people I'd like to tag, but I'm not sure if you'd want to play so if you do want to -  join in!!

Cut the Crap!

I've been having an issue with Google reader for a long time now. 

Once I subscribe to a blog, I'm stuck with it forever.
I unsubscribe, delete, whatever it lets me do, and it goes away. 

Until they post again.  Then BAM! right back in my reader.

It's really annoying.  Not because it's incredibly difficult to just not read the blogs I don't care to read, but because it clutters my reader and I have to pick through which ones I do want to read vs. the ones I don't.  Also it's not always easy to remember by title alone which blogs I really enjoy.  So, the blogs I want to read get lost in the sea of blogs I don't want to read.  And there are quite a few of those.

For the most part it's just annoying stuff.  Either the blog took a turn that just doesn't interest me, or it's about something that used to interest me but not any more (for example, I was on a big couponing kick a while back and have since lost time and interest).  Or it's a partial feed....I LOATHE partial feeds.  

First world problems, I know, I know. 

But a recent post made me realize that I have to fix this feed situation, once and for all.

Someone posted a photo of her kid's poop.  

I don't mean dog poop, baby's poop or even a toddler's potty training first poo in the toilet.  (I don't want to see any of that either, for the record).  But no - I mean a school-aged child's giant shit floating in the toilet.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?????

I do not now nor will I ever want to see a picture of shit on the internet.  

It's a deal-breaker, friends.

I have since found a new reader service and am in the process of transferring all of my subscriptions - the ones I WANT to read.  If you post shit - you won't make the cut. 

(and if the offending Poop Poster is reading this - I am NOT sorry.  Just be glad I didn't call you out and link to you. Because really?  EW.)

I Believe....II

I did another "I Believe" post over three years ago.  I went back and read it and was pleased to see that what I Believe hasn't changed much.  But I remember I enjoyed doing it back then and wanted to do another one.

I Believe that almost anything looks better if it's PURPLE.

I Believe this:




I Believe that tomorrow will be a better day.

I Believe that a meal tastes better when shared with family or friends.

I Believe in Seeking Joy.

I Believe that partial feeds, word verification, and no-reply commenters are from the DEVIL.  Ok not really the no-reply commenters because I think many of you don't know or don't know how to fix it but OMG.  It really makes me cray-cray!!

I Believe this:


I Believe that MTV's Teen Mom did NOT glamourize teen pregnancy.  I'm pretty sure that nobody who holds that opinion has actually watched the show.  Did you see Amber Behind Bars?  Folks, that is NOT glamour. Not.Even.Close.

I Believe in marriage.  And keepin' on tryin' till ya get it right! (that's a shout-out to two of my dear friends who are planning their 4th weddings.  Not sure if that makes them determined, persistent, or insane....but I love 'em!)

Inspired by this post which was inspired by another post and on & on like that.....you know how it goes.

Hard Times

So many people I know are going through hard times right now.

In fact, as I read blogs and my friends' Facebook posts, I'm struck by how hard of a year this has been for SO many people. 

One of my friends who was particularly hard hit is Chris.  Besides personal problems, she's had serious health problems which have led to career problems which of course have led to financial problems.  

You can read more about her story at her blog, No Drama for da Mama.

If you are willing and able to help Chris out - go here.

I sure hope 2013 is a better year - for all of us!

Five Years.

 

 Yesterday while browsing through my reader, I noticed a post in which someone mentioned it was their Blogiversary.  I thought to myself, ya know, I think mine is coming up sometime soon.  So I decided to check....and it was YESTERDAY.  As in, the day I checked WAS my Blogiversary!  Yesterday was five years since the day I published my very first blog post.
How weird is that?!  I wanted to post right away, but I'd already blogged yesterday and too much of a good thing is not necessarily a good thing.  Like Mexican food, for example.

Anyway.
I have been blogging for FIVE years.  I have published 933 posts.  That's a lot of silliness, a lot of journaling, and a lot of pouring out my soul in this, my little space in the world wide web.  So much has changed in those five years that it's mind-boggling.

I have shared a lot here.  Maybe sometimes too much.  On the flip side, there is a lot that I haven't shared here, and maybe never will.  And that's okay too.  This space is mine.  What I do with it is up to me.

I love to write.  I wish I could devote more time to writing.  I've posted a lot of stuff that was just journaling, listing what we did that weekend or what was going on in our lives.  I've done a lot of fun, silly memes and hops.  But I've done some real writing here, and I'm proud of that.

I've made some wonderful friends.  Some that I met early on and am still friends with, some who drifted off throughout the years.  Some who I miss and wonder what is going on in their lives now.  Some who I've met in real life, some who I very much want to.  Some who have been there for me in some dark times, and whom I love even though I've never actually seen them in person.  I talk about them to other people and refer to them as "my friend in California" or "my friend in Texas".  Because they are my friends, true friends.  It's crazy to know that someone in Canada is thinking of you and wishing you well.  But it's true and it's real, and it's all because of blogging.

I must say, the blogger that has impacted me the most is Hallie from Wonderful World of Wieners.  She lost her beloved son CJ, and I honestly don't think a day goes by that I don't think of both her and CJ.  I hurt for her, I worry about her, I think of her, and I remember CJ.

I've drifted away from here a few times, but never really left.  I feel like I'll always need this place to express myself and I hope I always have it.
I've never been to a conference.  I rarely log on to Twitter.  (I do love me some Pinterest though - hit me up!)  I rarely check my stats and don't really get SEO and branding and all of that stuff.  But I'm still proud of my little spot in the interwebz.

Thank you for coming by!  Here's to five MORE years.

Photo by Shelbie

This Here Blog

Most of you probably didn't notice, but a couple of weeks ago, a Trolly person with nothing better to do on Father's Day came and left a few Trolly Comments on This Here Blog.

I refused to engage in any back and forth with said Trolly person; I simply deleted the comments and enabled comment moderation for the time being until said Trolly person gets a life (oh, I can only dream....).

But I did want to address a couple of things here on This Here Blog.

Is everything that Trolly person said true?  Hell No.
Am I going through some major shit in my life right now?  Hell Yes.
Am I going to blog about every detail here on This Here Blog?  Hell to the NO.

You see, This Here Blog is MY blog.  I can blog about whatever I want to on here.  What I DO post is the truth, but that doesn't mean I have to tell every single detail of my life.  (I just farted - must I blog that??)

Apparently I have an online fantasy life here on This Here Blog, and I wanted to apologize if all the luxury and glamour of my fantasy life have caused any of you to be jealous.  Please don't hate me because of my incredibly fantabulous existence that I portray here on This Here Blog. I still love you little people, even if you'll never reach my level of awesome.  You can at least visit my blog and attempt to absorb some of my amazingness.  You're welcome.

(in the interest of full disclosure - I JUST BURPED.  'Scuse me.)

I don't expect you to blog about that fight you had with your husband.  It's ok if you don't tell everyone that you fell off your diet HARD and ate the whole pan of brownies.  It's ok if you don't want to share that you accidentally forgot to pick your kid up from soccer practice and the coach had to call you and you felt like a real douche.  Or that time when you drank too much wine at your neighbor's cookout and puked in her azalea bushes (yes, I did see that.).

Because on your blog, you post what you want.  On This Here Blog, I will post what I want.


And that's all I have to say about that!

Baby, I'm In....

• So, the guide dog people totally ignored my email.  Which I think is pretty douchey of them.  I tried to create the T-shirt myself on Zazzle which ended as an epic fail on my part, because I'm clueless.

• Speaking of clueless: if you have any HTML knowledge, could you please help a sistah out?  My blog is apparently crashing on Chrome & Firefox.  This has been happening off and on for a while, and I've contacted my blog designer a few times.  Unfortunately, she has not responded (yep, I'm calling you out too, cause that's not cool!).  So, I'm begging for help here!  Today is seems to be working fine though, oddly enough.....

• I didn't ask off for Memorial Day, but I got it off anyway!  I have a three day weekend..YAY!  I hear the beach calling my name and I really hope I can answer its call....

• On my days off, when I have a chance, I hang out with Hayleigh.  She smiles all the time now and has even started laughing.  Yesterday, she took one look at me and burst out laughing. I choose to believe that she appreciates my sense of humor, and not that I'm just funny looking.....

• Wishing you a wonderful weekend...ours will be full of friends, family, birthday parties, family gatherings, and who knows what else we'll get into??  Good times!

Visit Mrs 4444 for more Fragments!! 

Sharing a song to enjoy...TGIF!!

Now She Blogs

Pretty much, yeah.

This...right here...is my....Frags.

I'm in love, y'all. I know it's a little soon, but don't judge me. I just had to share with you about this new relationship in my life. After having a less than satisfactory one for quite some time, I am truly in awe of this amazing new....

....cell phone. It's a droid, and we're going to get married and have little android babies.

Every year during the holiday season, Shannon from Welcome to the Nuthouse does "Cans for Comments". What is that, you ask? For every comment she gets on this post, she donates a canned good to her local food bank. And I think that is just awesome! So get over there and comment, please!

Speaking of the holiday season: let the hate mail begin....I don't understand why so many Christians have an issue with NOT saying "Merry Christmas" to everyone. I'm a Christian, although I certainly don't present myself as a perfect one.....but seriously. Do we go around telling people "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" when it's not their birthday? Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and that's their business. If it's that damned difficult to say "Happy Holidays", then...*gasp*....just don't say anything. Doesn't Freedom of Religion ring any bells?

Speaking of the holidays AND religion: it's December now, so I guess I'll get out the Christmas decorations. It's against my religion to decorate for Christmas before December. My own personal religion that I make up in my head, that is.

Speaking of...um, a whole different topic: I have two wonderful clients that I take care of (I was recently told that when I call them clients it makes me sound like a hooker, but what am I supposed to call them? Old ladies? Anyway...). I love them both, truly. But the oldest one, 93 years old, keeps me in stitches. Just as I was about to leave her house the other day she remarked, "You sure do look good for having a grown ASS son!"And I died. She also tells me she loves me every time I take care of her and hugs me when I leave. I have the best job EVER!

I think I'm a better commenter than blogger. I'm funnier in real life than I am on the blog, and I'm funnier in comments too. Just recently two of my favorite bloggers sent me awesome comment replies....one said "Best comment ever!" and another said I made her laugh so hard she choked at work! And these are like, rock star bloggers whom I idolize! I think I'm going to quit this blogging gig and become a full-time commenter.

I have another funny country song for you! This time it's NOT Brad Paisley, it's Billy Currington. You gotta listen to this, it's great!

Alright. I'm fresh outta fragments. Have a great weekend and don't forget to visit Half Past Kissin Time for more Friday Fragments!

Fraggin' from the End of my Rope

~ It's been a rough week, emotionally draining, and today was the worst! I'm at the end of my rope, for sure.

~ Among other stresses, today John went to the end of our dirt road, as usual, to pick up the Littles off of the bus. Andrew got off...but not Elayna. It took us 30 minutes to figure out where my child was! She missed the first-run bus, so the school dean put her on a second-run bus. She didn't tell anyone, so nobody knew where she was. The secretary finally learned, via the bus driver, what had happened and that she had been dropped off, so we had to rush back to the bus stop. Meanwhile she had already walked all the way home. She was scared, we were scared, it was just a very scary time!

~ Thanks for voting in the bedtime poll. My MIL decided I put Andrew to bed too early. They go to bed at 9pm at the earliest; on nights where they have soccer or other activities it's even later. And they get up at 6am! John works nights so it's just me and the kids Monday - Friday. I just love how she wants to tell ME what to do in my home! Grrr.


~ Speaking of MIL, Andrew, & stress...getting Andrew back after an entire summer at MIL's, where there are basically no rules, is challenging, to put it mildly.

~ Okay, I have to confess to a bloggy pet peeve. When the name you use for comments has nothing to do with your blog, and/or is a very common name, I never know who is commenting unless I click the name and visit the profile. I have several people with the same name who comment frequently, and sometimes I assume they are all the same person and don't realize I have a new commenter who I should be visiting. It would be SO awesome if you could use (for example) the name "Mary @ Totally Awesome Blog" or "Totally Awesome Blogger" for comments!
*WHEW* I feel better now.



~ Thanks for participating in/commenting on my new meme, DysFUNctional MOMents! I think it will be fun and I really hope it catches on and takes off.



~ My guest post is up now over at Single Mom in the South! =)

~ The BFF & I sang this last Friday night at Karaoke. It's kind of our theme song! ;-)

Have a GREAT weekend!

Visit Mrs 4444 for more Friday Fragment fun!

Where Am I?

I've ran away from home today!

I'm guest posting over at Single Mom in the South...so check it out!

Don't Miss Out

As some of you know, I also have a "food, etc." blog called Southern Loving. It has been slightly neglected lately but I'm working on getting it revived.

One thing I'm going to do is move any reviews & giveaways that I do to that blog. So, if you're not already following over there, hop on over there and become a follower so you don't miss anything!

And there will be recipes, food tips, and other tips there as well. So join the fun!

Pretty Please?

{button by Mamarazzi}

Lately I seem to have acquired several fabulous readers/commenters who are "No Reply" bloggers. Often, they even ask questions in their comments, only I can't answer them.

I worry that they then think I'm rude or stuck-up or something, and then they won't ever come to my blog and leave lovely comments again.

Because often, No Reply bloggers don't know that they are no-reply bloggers. For example, somehow, when I switched my email address for this blog, I became no-reply and had no idea until a kind friend pointed it out to me. But if you're not getting replies to any of your comments, you might want to check. If you are even a tiny bit unsure, you might want to check.

So please, please, please. Follow the steps that Brandy@ You Don't Know took the time to type out so that no-reply bloggers can become start getting replies to their thoughtful comments! I'll be happy, you'll be happy; really, it's a win-win situation. I love replying to my comments (although I am ALWAYS behind on doing so). It can make for some great conversations and closer blog friendships. For me, it's a very important part of blogging, and it's disappointing when I can't do that with some of my readers.

What are you waiting for? Drink the Kool-Aid, already. All the cool bloggers are doing it.

*ETA* You're gonna love this. After I posted this, I posted a comment on a fabulous blog called Life with Kaishon. A little while later, I got a comment from her on this post. She tried to reply to my comment on HER post, and I came up as no-reply! So I checked and sure enough, my box was not checked. I think I figured out why that happened and I think the problem is fixed now but it just goes to show - GO CHECK!!!

Authenticity in Blogging

The other night I was beebopping around the internet. And as I often do, I ended up on a website that, looking back now, I have no idea how I got there. But it was kind of like entering Bloggy Twilight Zone.

I am totally uninvolved in blog drama. In my 3+ years of blogging, I have had one nasty, trolly comment that I recall. It was laughable, I deleted it and went on my merry way. I have enough unwanted drama in my personal life; my blog is my escape, and the last thing I want is drama in this little world of mine. Ignorance is bliss.

I know that drama exists in the blogosphere, but I honestly had never seen it until that night. And it was an eye-opener.

When I read blogs, I assume that they are completely true and honest, unless it's clearly stated somewhere that it's a fiction blog, or that the poster is participating in a writing exercise. I think we all condense conversations so as not to put our readers to sleep, or maybe leave out very private details of certain things. But overall, I take the words that I read as truth. I don't really understand why anyone would post a bunch of lies on their blog.

But there are many people out there who believe that a "big-name" blogger out there is very much a fake. That much of what she posts is untrue, and far worse in my opinion, that she has solicited money from generous, unsuspecting people through her blog. They've also said that she has collected money for specific items that were never delivered to the purchasers. The website I landed on was apparently one of many dedicated to proving this blogger's lies.

(And a bunch of y'all probably know exactly who I'm talking about, because you do not live in La-La Land like I do. That's okay, I like it here.)

All of this has really thrown me for a loop. It makes me wonder how much of what I read is real, and how much isn't. I've seen fakes exposed online before, so I really don't know why this is such a revelation to me. Clearly anyone can start a blog and put anything they want there and you never know if it's true, unless you meet that blogger in person or know them personally.

But I don't want to read blogs wondering if something is real or not. I liked my little Bloggy Bubble in which I took everything as real, from-the-heart honesty. So for the most part, I think I'll just stay there, thank you very much.

But I wanted to state something for the record. My blog is real. The words I type here come from my heart, to my fingers, to my blog, to you. My brain is rarely involved. (ha!) There is plenty that I don't say here, but what I do say, is 100% authentic truth. I'd rather have my small but real blog, with my relatively small (but fabulous to me!) following, than some huge blog full of lies. And I can't even imagine taking peoples' money dishonestly. The only thing I've ever even fundraised for was March for Babies, and that goes directly to the March for Babies website (and that will be happening again soon so get your credit cards out!)

Seriously. I think that if you're posting a fiction blog, you should clearly state that. If you sometimes post fiction posts, please let us know that. Otherwise, I'm going to assume that you're blogging authentically, and I'm going to be really disheartened if I find out otherwise.

(this does NOT include privacy measures, those are totally understandable.)

What do you think? Is it anyone's business if a blog is real or fiction? Is it only the reader's business if they're soliciting money or gifts? Inquiring minds want to know.

A Decade of Changes

As this decade draws to a close, I can't help but look back and reflect on what these last ten years have held for me.

I would have to say that the past 10 years were the most eventful of my life. They were full of changes - huge changes.

When the new millennium began, I had absolutely no idea what was in store for me in the coming ten years. If you had told me on December 31st, 1999, what the next ten years would bring, I wouldn't have believed it.

It all started with a new baby. In the Spring of 2000, I discovered that I was expecting a surprise baby. I had a seven year old and a four year old, and no immediate plans of having any more. But God had other plans....and he gave us Elayna, in January of 2001.

I stayed at home with the kids and loved it, although my marriage was stumbling along as it almost always had. And on New Years Eve of 2002, that blew up in a major way. 2003 began with my (now ex-) husband and I separating. Needless to say, it was a hard year. My baby turned two with a lot of chaos in the background. I didn't realize it at the time, but the hardest thing was just my life turning absolutely upside-down. I had to go back to work in the midst of a divorce and leave my baby for the first time. Meanwhile my older kids were confused and hurting. We also had to move and they had to change schools. It was an incredibly difficult time.

But 2004 was so much better. The divorce become final in February. The kids and I were adjusting well and I was becoming truly happy for the first time in a long, long time. I was discovering who I really was as just ME, not somebody's wife or just somebody's mom. I was finding myself. I was also working full time and going to school. It was tough, but it was good.

And then, on my birthday in 2004, I met a man who would change my life yet again.

I was burnt out on dating but something told me to give this a chance....and I am so glad that I did.

John and Andrew came into my life and brought me so much joy and love. They were literally an answer to prayers. Andrew was four years old, and my kids were 3, 8, and 11.

In April of 2005, we officially blended our family. John and I got married in a pretty little backyard ceremony with our children as the only attendants. It was lovely and sweet and the best day of my life. John loves me for who I am, and is so good to me. He has healed me.

In 2006,we almost moved to St. Augustine, and I sometimes wish we had. But instead, I got a job in the medical field, fulfilling a goal of mine, which is what I had been in school for. This was a good thing, for the most part. Also in 2006, my oldest son moved in with his Dad. Which has been another mixed thing; good and bad and sometimes I wish it hadn't happened. He is now with me about 1/3 of the month and his dad 2/3, and it works out quite well.

In 2007, we achieved another one of my major goals, which was to move back to the town I had lived in before my divorce. I loved the schools here and the small-town atmosphere. It was very important for my kids to get back here.

Unfortunately, in 2007 Andrew briefly went to live with his biological mother. That was disastrous and something we wished never happened. I also started this blog in November of 2007.

Shortly after that, I had yet another huge life change. In February of 2008, I had gastric bypass surgery. I lost almost 120 pounds. It was the best decision I have ever made for myself. Emotionally and physically, I have never felt better. It's been almost three years, and I've had no complications. I just bought my first pair of skinny jeans! I'll be doing a big update post about that a little later.

Later in 2008, Andrew came back to live with us, thankfully. He's been in therapy since then because of that brief time with his mother, and hasn't seen her since.

In 2009, I reconnected with a good friend of mine who I've known since high school. She was going through a rough time and she and her daughter moved in with us for a little while. It was so good to renew our friendship and help her out in a tough time. I joked that I had a wife; she cooked and cleaned and watched the kids some nights when John and I were both at work.

She is now married and doing well and we are still in touch.

We also found our wonderful church and became members. Finally, a place where we felt that we fit in and people were there not just for a fashion show, or a gossip fest, or to look good. We are like family there, and we love it.

So that brings us to 2010. We moved in to this home that we love. Elayna turned 9, then Tim turned 17, then Andrew turned 11, and finally Shelbie turned 15. My son started dating his girlfriend, who we love. My husband and daughters were baptized by our preacher and friend. I left my hospital job after many changes, and plan to do something else within the medical field, with less hours and less stress. I have juggled softball, soccer and volleyball and a teenager's social life. My oldest son started his senior year of high school and my oldest daughter started her freshman year of high school (and that threw this mama for a loop!). Andrew's bio-mom just came out of hiding to demand her parental visitation rights, and we're grappling with that. Life is not perfect, but we have wonderful friends, family, and faith, and we will be okay.

It has been a truly amazing decade. That word, "amazing", is so overused, but it fits this past ten years so well. I think I've experienced every emotion possible, and then some. But it's ending on a wonderful note. I am content, happy, and at peace. My heart is so full of love.

I can only imagine what the next 10 years will bring, as my older kids leave the nest, start college, maybe even families (hopefully at the END of the decade!!). But I know that my best friend, my husband, will be at my side, holding my hand, walking through it all with me.

If you made it this far, thank you for going on this journey down memory lane with me. I wish you a wonderful decade to come!

My Last Fragments of 2010!

SHUSH, children! Can't you see Mama's trying to FRAG?!?!

I mentioned on Monday that it snowed here on Sunday morning.

Today, it was 75 degrees, sunny and beautiful! You gotta love Florida.

This week has been interesting. Andrew is still at his grandma's and Shelbie has been over at a friend's house since Monday night. So it's just been Tim and Elayna here. The youngest and the oldest. Tim's main goal in life is to torture Elayna.

Elayna's main defense is to scream this ear-piercing shriek.

Good times!

On a totally unrelated note, I've had a lot of headaches this week...

Update on the "I think my house is haunted" situation: We've had several more odd things happen. For example, the other night Elayna said the Christmas tree was moving. I told her the dog probably had bumped it, but she said that the dog was sleeping on the love seat.

I try to explain these things away or just kind of forget about them. But it's getting harder.

Last night, John and I were taking a shower, and we realized the bathroom door was open. I got out of the shower and closed it. A few minutes later, John looked over and saw that the door was open again. This is not the kind of door that can just come open, you have to physically pull it open.

It looks like this:

.....and it's on carpet, so it can't just slide around. It's never opened on its own before.

The kids were asleep, and I don't think the dogs could open it from the outside, but regardless, they weren't in the room (the door opens into our bedroom).

Explain that one away, please, because I can't. Although I really want to.

Do you have any New Years Eve Plans?

How about plans for 2011? Resolutions? Bloggy or otherwise?

We have no NYE plans. We rarely do anything big for New Years. We'll eat party food and stay up till midnight and say WOOHOO! And then go to bed. We're a wild bunch, I tell ya!

We're under a burn ban, so we can't do fireworks or even a bonfire.

I don't really do resolutions. The only plans I have for 2011 are to go back to work, but I will work fewer hours and with less stress. I'm not getting myself into that trap again.

And bloggy-wise, I plan to go to my first blog conference, and I am just going to continue working on building my blog. I have found some great new-to-me blogs recently, and I'm really just excited about taking this blog further.

Speaking of which, I have also started a new blog, which is private and by invitation only. If you are interested in an invitation, please let me know. It will be different there, more of a journal and more personal. Maybe less of the fun and more of the dysfunction? ;o)

I wish you a wonderful and prosperous New Year!

Happy 2011.

and don't forget to visit Mrs 4444s for more Friday Fragments.

Here's my song of the week:

Christmas Crashing

It's a real thing.

Christmas Crashing: Used to describe the after-effect of Christmas, or the Holidays in general: 12 Days of Hanukkah/Christmas, etc. is usually a busy time, very exciting, and enjoyable. By the end of the celebrations (The night of Christmas Day/Dec. 26th) you feel exhausted and overwhelmed. People are usually groggy, lethargic, and almost depressed from exhaustion. (from Urban Dictionary)

That's me! Except for the depression. Because I am very happy.....but so darned tired!

On Christmas Eve, we visited my parents and then went to the Christmas Eve service at our church. The service was amazing; I can't even describe it. It was extremely moving. We have grown so close with our church family this past year, and one couple in particular who we are just so blessed to be friends with. They are wonderful.

John and I spent Christmas Day at home, just the two of us. We had our lasagna and brownies, and it was delicious. We exchanged a few gifts and just enjoyed the day.

On Sunday afternoon, my kids came home from their dad's house (Andrew is still at his grandma's) and we had our Christmas with them. Then Tim had to go to work, and we took the girls out for dinner.

Today the kids have been spending their Christmas money & gift cards. They were burning holes in their pockets. We found some great after Christmas sales. They absolutely wore me out!

Now Shelbie is spending the night with a friend, and Tim has a friend here spending the night with him.

The stressful stuff is still out there looming over us, but the good far outweighs it all. I know we'll be okay. And it's all brought us closer to each other, and the ones we love, and who love us.

(and I'm sorry for being so vague, but there are unwanted people reading this blog, so I have no choice. In fact I'm seriously considering shutting down this blog and starting over and hoping not to be found this time.......but I'll figure that out later.)

But right now.....I am ready to Christmas Crash!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday.

*ETA* OMG, I forgot to tell you it SNOWED here on Sunday morning! For real! We took the dog out and this white stuff was falling on us and this Florida native was all, "What the crap is this stuff on me???" and John thought I had major dandruff but finally we realized it was SNOW! The newspaper confirmed it - Gainesville Sun

So Much to Say, So Many Frags

~*Friday Fragments*~

~* In case you didn't notice, I decorated my blog for the holidays. My header is all festive, my footer is a holiday message, AND....it's snowing! On my blog, that is. It's cold enough to snow here at home, too. Ugh! I thought I lived in Florida?!

~* I started decorating the house, too. I'm all done inside except for the tree, which we'll get this weekend (we always get a live one). We'll decorate outside this weekend too. This house is the biggest we've lived in, and I've decided we need more Christmas deco! I will be doing some after-Christmas stocking up for sure.

~* I almost let my kids stay up late watching TV last night - on a school night! - because I thought it was Friday. They weren't about to say anything, but I saw them exchange a weird look and then it hit me - d'uh! It's Thursday!

~* There's a great giveaway going on at I'm Living Proof that God Has a Sense of Humor. It's for a Reverse-a-Purse, and I want it! Check it out.

~* Speaking of giveaways, a while back I won a credit to have a custom piece made at Stamped Under the Moon. I just got my necklace in the mail, and I LOVE it! It is stamped with my kids' initials, which spell the word EAST in order of youngest to oldest (Elayna, Andrew, Shelbie, Timothy). I LOVE my necklace!

~* I got an award this week on my food blog, Southern Loving. I was so shocked! I am on a list with some real, GOOD food bloggers! I'm not sure how that happened, but I'll take it!

~* I am SO happy to be back to blogging regularly. I hated feeling so out of touch, and I NEED my outlet of blogging! I've been getting caught up on some of your blogs, and I've even had time to get on Twitter a little bit. I actually blogged every day this week, which is unusual for me, but I just had so much to say and had been out of the loop for so long! Thanks to all of you who stuck with me through my hit & miss blogging & visiting.

~* If you've never seen this site, check it out when no kids are around, and you're not eating so you don't (a) choke or (b) spit food all over your screen. Seriously, I have laughed myself SICK the past few nights reading this site! Hilarious! Damn You Auto Correct

~* If you are one of the people who gets upset when you see someone shorten "Christmas" to "X-mas", read this information that my friend put on Facebook. It's actually not an offensive thing!

"X-mas" originated due to the fact that "X" is the greek letter for "chi." What does "chi" mean?

You guessed it, "Christ."

So when you see "X-mas," the word Christ is still in it and the reason for season has not been forgotten!

~* Last but not least....I'm going to start ending my Friday Fragment posts with a favorite song of the week. Listen if you're interested. This one reminds me of myself & the hubby!

Visit the Fabulous Mrs 4444's for more Friday Fragments!