The reasons why I don't like the Holidays

When I mentioned a few weeks ago & that I don't care for the Holidays in the middle of a Friday Favorites post - it drew everyone's attention.

It's not that I don't like the holidays, I just don't care for PARTS of them :) 

Let me try & explain... & I'll even go one step further & break it out per holiday.

I have my valid reasons apparently.

Thanksgiving

1.  Food Addict's Nightmare.  If you have issues with food & over eating, then this day is the WORST!  I mean, it's a day meant to eat till you bust and/or so miserable, that all you want to do is roll onto a couch & stay there... until the leftovers are brought back out.  Not good for someone like me who is learning portion control & eating healthy.  All the cheesy casseroles & pies everywhere?  Geez... its a nightmare.

2.  All the Dead Turkeys.  I am a vegetarian.  I am an animal lover.  I get people eat meat every day, but something about seeing all these piles of frozen turkey's laying in every aisle of the grocery - it just gags me.  & I want to find every turkey farm & set them all free. 

3.  Too many places to go.  This is going to be one of those things where I know this is REALLY a blessing, but it somehow backfires.  We have lots of family & friends we love & its hard to be at many places at once.  For years, Ricky & I actually would go separate ways on Thanksgiving - he'd go to his family - I'd go to mine.  We'd say, 'see you tonight' bringing home left over plates from each other's families.  & if we did try to make all the visits, let's revisit #1 - all the food!!!  All the eating... oh gosh.  You don't want to hurt someone's feeling by not eating when they cooked literally 12 hours....

Now we have family closer with our grandkids down in Nashville, that means some years, we would be out of state during Thanksgiving.  It's just hard to make everyone happy & every year, someone ends up getting their feelings hurt. I hate that.  So much.

4.  All the cooking!  Let's back up to that comment in #3 - over 12 hours of cooking.  Oh heck no.  I know some people love it & have traditions with it.  All I see is all the dirty pans that need to be cleaned.  This is a whole day event here.  All the ingredients needed.  All the timing of which dish that goes in the oven & which ones need to set & warm up & not set & warm up. My brain doesn't deal well with this all.

5.  Shopping Guilt. This is a new one - but now, stores are open on Thanksgiving & people try to shame you & put up posts that say you should be ashamed if you shop on Thanksgiving - its shoppers like that that make stores open & pull people away from their families.  No - its corporate America that makes those decisions.  Hobby Lobby does just fine not opening... corporations can make that call for Thanksgiving.  I want to shop because sorry, I want the deal.  I do feel bad some people that do enjoy Thanksgiving have to leave their celebration to go to work... I get it... but don't guilt others who want to save a little bit of money.

Christmas

1. All the Decorations!  Its not that I mind our decorations - I actually love when they go up. It makes my house so festive & cozy with all the Disney Christmas everywhere.... but it's the taking down. It's so depressing.  & a lot of work.... & honestly, every year I feel like I just took it down when its time to pull it out again.

2.  Putting up the Christmas Tree Fight.  Every year. Never fails. I've said before the hubs & I will get divorced over nothing - except the Christmas tree.  It has become better since pre-lit trees are a thing & I've pretty much given him a job of bringing up everything from the basement & leaving until its all done.  Don't look at me. Don't touch anything. Just walk away slowly.

3.  All the gifts!!!!! .... again - the blessing thing.  We have a lot of friends & family in our lives.  Yes - its a blessing.  But we want people to know we care so we buy lots of gifts.  We really love buying for people actually - but I can't begin to tell you how many gifts we buy for everyone.  HUNDREDSSSSSSS people... & it adds up so much.  I have an app that keeps track of the people we buy for, the gifts we get, & the amount we spend.  Now, remember, we have no small children at home celebrating Christmas with us on Christmas morning.... but our bank accounts are down THOUSANDSSSSSS of dollars at the end of Christmas.  Like, we could buy a very nice used car every year for what we spend on Christmas.

We have to cut back. We just have to.  We can't keep it up. We'd actually like to retire one day & not think when we're out on the streets, "well, they liked that sweater we got them in 2010"...

Someone once told me - ask the person what you got them last year for Christmas & see if they remember... most people don't.  That shows how much gifts really matter.  I get that. I do. 

4. All the wrapping!  All those gifts?  Who wraps every one of them?  Me.  Every.One.Of.Them. .... all the boxes. All the paper. All the ribbons.  I mean, you can't have an ugly package.  I think I make 20 trips to Hobby Lobby for fancy ribbon every year.  & don't even ask me how many rolls of tape I end up buying in one Christmas season.

5.  All the shopping.  I love to shop -Ricky loves to shop.  But when you have to shop for people & on a dead line - the pressure builds up.  It becomes not fun, but a mission.  We usually start out of the house when the sun rises (sometimes before) & get back home at the end of the night with a load of packages.
*Refer back to #4 & #3

6.  Men.  Sorry guys - but y'alls are the hardest people in the world to buy for.  My husband, my dad, my brother, friends, coworkers. If you are a man, you are hard to buy for.

7.  No Santa Surprises.  It's easier as we've gotten older, but Christmas has always been hard for me as someone who never had children of my own.  I mean, its about seeing the magic of Christmas through their eyes.  & when you have no small eyes to see it through, it just bites.  I mean, I look stupid standing in line with my dogs to get a picture with Santa (though I've asked Ricky to let me do it)... We never had the wake up early to see what Santa left in our home.  That's always tough.

I take yearly pictures of my dog in front of the tree instead of kids

.... hey, I get it ... there are some amazing things I love about Christmas

- Obviously #1 - the birth of Jesus. I love church service at Christmas more then anything.  The Christmas story always hits me right in the heart.  & if there is a nativity scene anywhere, I'm stopping & looking.  It really is my favorite time of year when it comes to church.

- Spending time with friends & family - we usually make it work better at Christmas then Thanksgiving - we spread it out all through December to make it work - & that's nice.

- Christmas songs. I will sing them all season long & never tire of them. I actually have Casting Crowns & Josh Groban already in my car!

- Christmas TV shows & movies - especially the old ones. I can always sit with a cup of hot chocolate & watch Rudolph & Frosty - no matter how old I am.

- Christmas lights. I want houses all year long to light up for the drive home.  With it getting dark early, all the extra lights makes it so much easier to take.

- Day off work!  Holla!

I know I sound like the Grinch & Scrooge all wrapped up in one... but this is just all truth.

I always say to Ricky, if we didn't have to buy one gift but just spent time with friends & family, playing games, making cookies, reading the Christmas story together - that's all I would love to do more then anything....

Take the pressure away....

Maybe this will be the year.....

The weekend that was full of photo stuff, new nails & 2 horribly depressing movies....

Hello Monday.

I'm greeting it happily because this is my last week at work before vacation - so I'm going to be so uber-busy trying to get caught up (only to come back with a pile of work where I'm so far behind... humph) ... but I'm still keeping a happy attitude knowing the COUNTDOWN IS ON to no alarm clocks next week!  Thank you Jesus!

I need a vacation if my weekends keep up like this.  I am beat down. Exhausted. Spent. Done. All the fun words.

Friday started off with a mission.  I've had so many double bookings in photos & I hate getting behind & I knew I had 2 more sessions coming up over the weekend so I was determined to get finished on the pictures on my computer up to that point.

This was pretty much my view from the time I got home until after midnight....

Editing is tough stuff y'all... photography ain't just about snapping a camera.

But then I get amazing pictures like this & its all worth it...

I ended up finding a movie that I had heard all about - Still Alice ... I heard more about the book then anything but thought, I'll let this entertain me while I'm editing pictures.

oh my gosh - I'd rather someone pluck out every leg hair one at a time then watch this again.  It's so depressing & heartbreaking... & the end?  What? That's it.  I was so mad that I wanted to throw something...

& then I kept giving myself memory tests because the whole thing just freaked me out... I'm not a good one to watch movies about health issues.

I finally crawled into bed knowing I could sleep in the next day.... YAWN!

But I was up around 7:30 with Harvey wanting to snuggle. 

He can have the whole bed, the whole couch, the whole room... & he wants to lay right next to you - like AGAINST you - like ON you... that boy likes to snuggle.  Who cares if you need to breath.

.

Just a few examples here








That's OK... I wanted to get up to enjoy the beautiful day.

I started off taking some time to Bible Journal... & excited to do this one because it was my life verse I was working on.

I actually love how it turned out. I know its not the prettiest page I've done but it mean a lot to me... the colors represent something to me, the cameras represent the FOCUS of the verse... I just really love this page...

I then couldn't handle it any more - I had to get outside. The weather was in the 50's which is perfect for running!  I could have stayed out there all day & ran for hours if I didn't have to get going to my Senior session...



Thumbs up for beautiful weather, blue skies, my camo pants
... but not for that flyaway hair!

I went down to meet my next Senior guy... which I always say I love Senior sessions better then anything, but Senior guys are just so easy.  There's only so many poses you can do with a guy anyways - but this guy made me laugh the entire time we did his session.

I got out of the car & he was like, "My grandma is making me do this - I could care less"... I told him thanks for knowing expectations are set low. He said, "You could take pictures of the back of my head & call it a day & I'll be happy" ... well, he's going to be pleasantly surprised when he sees how handsome he is in front of the camera.

He was so much fun to talk to ... His grandmother had to wait in the car with another one of her grandbabies who was sleeping so it was just Chasity, me & our senior.  I really enjoy that because it takes so much pressure off of a Senior when they don't have family members watching them. 

I just loved talking to this kid because he works at Chick-Fil-A & I was all about the sneak secrets of the place.  I told him to please tell me he gets tired of saying, "My Pleasure" & he said that honestly, the place is THAT happy all the time where you just get wrapped up in it & you really do mean "its my pleasure" :) ... that's good to know.

I ended up leaving him & had to run into Target because... well, why not.

My mom then called me & told me my aunt was in from Texas & at her house... I booked it home faster then ever so I could see her & my uncle....

my momma with my 2 aunts
... trying to get the Capito family to take a picture is like pulling teeth...

I finally got home, got a shower & got cleaned up & then Ricky said he couldn't wait any longer.  He had bought a movie months ago & I told him to wait to watch it with me because I want to see it too.  Well, as you can tell, most weekends, I have ZIP ZERO ZILCH time so we never get around to it. 

I told him I could watch it as long as he didn't mine me doing my nails while we were watching it...

So we finally put on Unbroken

I had heard so much about it but gosh, I could barely handle it.  Yes, the story is amazing. That this man survived is astounding... but I can't deal with seeing things like this.  It was just so depressing.  Give me some happy Disney musicals any day over the torture of soldiers in war.

One good thing about the movie - I did get my nails done.

It was the first time I tried Jamberry nails.  My friend Nathalie did her nails a few weeks before & she was the push I needed to finally pull mine out & give them a try.

I love how they turned out... & it wasn't as hard as I expected.  Maybe all except the cutting with cuticle scissors left handed.  It's not possible. Sorry - not possible.  I had to use nail clippers.  I did just buy new scissors yesterday to see if I just need a sharper pair.

I'm anxious to see how long these last....

Sunday - no sleeping in. 

I had a meeting with my next bride for a wedding consult at 1:30 so we couldn't make it to our home church we've been doing.  We usually get done around 1 & I had a 45 minute drive from my house - it would have been over an hour from the home church... so we ended up heading down to Southeast for an early service....

It felt funny being in a 'real' church after about 5 weeks of home church... but it was a great message & topped off when we saw a few friends there & able to get some hugs from sweet people.

The advantage of early church?  You can get into lunch anywhere before all the other churches let out.  So Ricky & I went for brunch before I had to leave him for the rest of the day....

I then made the drive out to meet my next bride & talk all things wedding... & then had to rush to get back to Indiana for another Senior session.

This young lady was just the CUTEST!   I had heard that she was very shy & quiet & reserved.  But I loved hearing her talk about what she wants for her future, her band competitions & especially about her GOATS :) ... She photographed so well!  Some people are just naturals in front of the camera - I cant wait for her family to see her pictures.

I so loved getting to know her momma.  Apparently we live like a few streets apart - so I love getting to know people in my own 'community' ... community probably isn't the best word, but in a small town where everyone seems to know everyone or someone who knows everyone, its good to meet people myself. 

It was just the perfect day for pictures, for making new friends, for doing what I love to do...

I got home in time to upload all my pictures, warm up some leftovers & finally take off my shoes & put on some comfy pajama pants...

time to edit away... watching The Walking Dead! (GASP!!!!!!) & barely able to hold my eyes open by 11

...Whew... another one in the books....

& now its countdown to vacation....

I just want to be lazy next week.... I think I need it ....

How was your weekend?

 

Have you seen Still Alice or Unbroken?

 

Do you use Jamberry Nails?

Friday Favorites

Favorite Halloween Decoration



I never thought about decorating the front door but these look pretty simple actually


Favorite Faith Reminder



 

Favorite Knit

 

How versatile is this?!?!?!


Favorite Food


LINK
I'm all about simple... & 3 ingredients is up my ally!


Favorite Beauty & the Beast



I would die if I saw this little boy walking around Disney World


Favorite Shirt




Favorite Funnies









.... when Ricky is coming home with Bonnie & Clyde's pizza

...when a friend tells me they're staying home & their Instagram shows a different story




... basically how I figure out what to do next on my To-Do list




... what I want to say to young 20 something's that are eating whatever they want & are still rail thin




... how I deal with people in company meetings




4:00PM on Friday




Happy Friday Y'all!!!

Thankful Thursday {Link up #41}

"To God be the glory, great things He has done & greater things He will do."

This week I am Thankful For:

... spending time with my nieces in Toys R Us.  I never outgrow toy stores myself!  & I never want to.  I never want to miss out on any opportunity to hang out with these 2 girls either.

... getting to celebrate their 11th birthday.  I still can't believe it.

... childhood faith still going.  When we were out at the toy store, Sophia had picked a Magic 8 ball as a gift.  She kept asking it over & over again, "Magic 8 ball, will we get cell phones"... yes, they are at that age where they want cell phones.  & the Magic 8 ball told them yes every time.  Madi even said, "We'll find out tomorrow if this thing really works or not"... I thought, we'll there goes their fun with this thing in just one day.  But I got to their house on Friday & first thing they said - WE GOT PHONES!.....  WHAT??!?!?  They really did!  They got little flip phones, good enough for them - they can text on them & take pictures - but Madi told me, "That Magic 8 ball was RIGHT!" ... let their hopes be dashed on another day - not their birthday :)



Sophia really did pick this Frozen one
.... it matches her room :)

... speaking of which, I'm thankful for the texts that I got from my nieces since they have their phones.

... thank you cards that the Ironman athletes took the time to write to the volunteers.  How kind is that!  It gave me a name to pray about during the race too.  I need to look up how Preston did :)

... the beautiful weather we've had all week.  Still enjoying these last warm days.

...  I happened to drive out to get some sparkling seltzer water at a grocery store near me at work & found gas almost 50 cents cheaper then what it is at my house! YES!  I was on empty too so DOUBLE YES!

I still cant believe gas is available at $1 -something

when we were once paying near $4.00

... my sweet hubby.  He knew I was out running & as soon as I got out, I noticed dark clouds coming.  I kept running & thought that I would just run until I had to stop.  I look up & there's Ricky in the car.  He said he knew it was going to rain - I told him it would hold off - but he said he would stick with me in case I needed to jump in - so he followed me in his car for over 20 minutes. How cute is that?

He said with my busy schedule, this is about the only way he could see & talk to me
#truth

.... It didn't start raining until I literally pulled into the garage at home... I was right - the rain held off for me :)

Here it comes!!!!
 

... meeting new people doing something I love. I honestly & truly love getting to hear people's stories & capturing a moment in their lives.  I don't take it for granted one bit.

... the countdown to vacation is on.  8 days!  We're under double digits.  Thank you Lord!!!

... Sweet friends had us over last night.  They were the leaders of our Bible Study group that we had so many year ago & that continued for years after.  They invited us over to just do our own little Bible study - a reunion sort of Bible study... & we got there & everyone else has to cancel except Ricky & I.  They told us they didn't want to call & tell us no one else was coming because they knew we'd just say we'd not come as well - & they wanted us too. How cute is that.  So we just ended up sitting on their couch chatting, catching up, remembering why we love these friends so much.  We missed them dearly & want to really strive to find more time to visit with them when we can.

... I left our friend's house with 2 bags of yarn & new knitting needles! WHAT?  ... she said she tried to learn to crochet & knit & she just couldn't figure it out so to take it. I told her she needed a good teacher & I'd help her - but she's a quilter & said she'd stick with that.  So not only did I leave with a refreshed heart, I left with yarn goodies!  That's a good night right there!

What are you Thankful For this week?