Why my husband would make an awful Santa....

I was going to do a confession thing for the day.

But I'm taking it one step further.  I'm taking one thing & confessing about it.

Now, y'all know I love my husband. He's pretty awesome... I don't want this to sound like its anything against him. It's just his ways.  Men are content in their ways.  Christmas shopping is something he is VERY content in & after all these years, I know it will never change.

Where is this coming from?

I keep hearing people or seeing Facebook posts or tweets that say things like "I'm finished with my Christmas shopping!" ... or "Everything is wrapped & under the tree" ... or "I have no worries & I am so much better then Rebecca"...

maybe I just imagine that last one, but that's how I hear it.

I want so badly to be done with Christmas shopping early.  I even try to do the early shopping thing starting about October. 

Seriously!  I shop & buy a few things... & then they usually get lost & I don't remember them until the middle of summer when its an outdated product or someone has outgrown the piece of clothing.

... maybe this post should be titled "why I would make an awful Santa"

NO!  Because if I could, I would be done shopping.

But God love my husband...we go out & try & get shopping done.  & we do knock out some on the list every time we go.  I think what it is, my husband wants to make sure he gets the PERFECT gift for everyone.

Talk about pressure.

So he puts off committing.  Making the purchase. 
Waiting for that last minute present that is just the right one to get...
& he waits... & he waits... & he waits...

All the while, I'm saying, "Hey, how about this?" walking down every aisle...

nope, nope, nope.

So I know how it will work out.  I've been with Ricky for 22 Christmases now. 

We will still be out shopping on Christmas Eve.  Even though I started seriously, get down to business shopping on Thanksgiving. 

& that means on Christmas Eve, while my husband is sleeping soundly with a content mind of another year accomplished of perfect shopping, I will be up at 1a.m. doing the last minute wrapping....

... a wife's job is never done...

This is what the final packages just wrapped basically look like

So just ignore me if you hear a grumble under my breath if you tell me you're done shopping, or if I post a thumbs down emoji on your Instagram picture of a completed, peaceful, beautiful Christmas house...

It's just another Christmas in the Vincent house...

... & honestly, as much as it grates on my nerves & makes me feel like I'm going to have a stress related stroke or heart attack every year... I wouldn't want to spend my Christmas with anyone else...

... ahh... see what I did there... turned this into a post about how I love my husband...

(& maybe it will bribe him a little bit to do some shopping this weekend... I'm just saying)

 

Anyone else have a last minute shopper in their house?

 

Ever feel the pressure of getting the perfect gift?

 

Don't even tell me if you're done... no go ahead... no don't...

 

Winter Reading Challenge: Link up to what you're reading

Yipee - the first post of 4 for the Winter Reading Challenge.  Just a place to link up & tell me about what books you've been reading since the cold has forced us to huddle in by a fire... or in my case, by a infrared heating machine.  Whatever works.

The Rules:  Just link up with me over the next few posts & tell me about what books you are reading.  That's it.  Not too serious - not too scientific.  Just fun. 

& at the end of it all - a giveaway for everyone who has linked up with me.
Bonus entries for pictures on Instagram with the #WinterReadingChallenge & tagged back to me @Rebecca Jo Knits...

Easy Peasy...

By the way - so far the Giveaway is going to include a $20 Target Giftcard, & a knitted goodie to represent winter, as well as a cute bookmark to represent it being a reading thing....

So here's my first entry

 

I rate like Goodreads ... a 1-5 star (1 being awful - 5 being fantastic)

1. Divergent ... 4 stars / I was slow to getting to this one. Not sure why I put it off. I think because I want the whole series to be out now before I jump into a book series like this. I remember the days of old of staying up to midnight for the latest Harry Potter book.  The movie came out & I usually read the book before I go see the movie.  In this case, I did it backwards & glad I did.  I think I would have been too confused if I read the book first.  (side note: I get easily confused)  This is a sort of blend of Hunger Games in a new light.  Society is divided into factions & everyone fits into one.  Which I don't personally get.  & if you fit in more then one, you are labeled "Divergent" & apparently dangerous.  I would be divergent. Guaranteed. I am dangerous.  Anyways. I did enjoy it.  Cant wait to read the rest.  I of course think a book is better then a movie, but again, glad I knew what was happening so I could enjoy the details of the book more.  Plus, I got to have visions of Four in my head.

2.  Catcher, Caught.... 2 stars / This book is about a young boy that has cancer & his obsession with the book The Catcher in the Rye.  I have never read that book. I think that made me not really grasp this one as much as I should have because I seen others really love this book. To me, I just was bored with it, was aggravated with it & even madder at the ending.  I hate when a book has a bad ending. I want to throw it & scream, "I wasted my time on THAT?"... It gets 2 stars are least for the cute stories of being a teenager & living through high school & getting a girlfriend.  I wish that were more the focus. 

3. Is Everyone Hanging Out without Me? ... 3 stars / I had been wanting to read this one for awhile too. I love The Mindy Project & think Mindy Kaling is pretty funny.  Well, I wasn't too impressed with her book as being funny.  It actually was boring in most parts & I didn't really even laugh a lot.  I'm not sure what it was missing, but I was just glad it was over.  Now I'm heading onto other funny ladies like Amy Poehler & Tina Fey... I'm not giving up hope on funny ladies.

Sorry Mindy... I did give you 3 stars though

Not too many books read this time. I want to get through the holidays & then I hope to be on a reading spree....

Can't wait to hear what you all recommend.

 

Have you read any of these? ... What did you think of them?

An InLinkz Link-up

The weekend that I started wrapping gifts....

My goodness... I think I blinked & missed the weekend.  Christmas weekends go by so fast.  With busy plans, I guess that's how it works.

Here's some highlights of the weekend

Friday

* Kicked off my wrapping.  Luckily my hubs knew I didn't have any tape so he went & got me a roll.  One roll.  God love his sweet heart.  He thought one roll would get me through the whole wrapping Christmas season.  Heck, I use one roll for a birthday gift.  My name is Rebecca Jo & I love tape.

TAPE ALL THE THINGS!!!!!

* I ended up heading to bed early.  The work week wore me out so Ricky & I got in bed early to watch TV but I think we were both out like a light within 15 minutes. We've turned into an old married couple. 

Saturday

* Ahh - it felt like heaven to sleep in. I think we both woke up at 8.  It's mornings like that that I adore. They are so rare. Ricky is usually up so early or has to work, or I have plans.  To wake up to a room that is full of outside light?  & have dogs snuggled in bed with you?  That is the best way to start a weekend!

* We went to take Zoe to get a hair cut... only to have them call us about 4 hours later & tell us they couldn't do it.  She's getting so anxious the older she's getting, & her poor arthritic legs just ache so bad on her lately.  The groomer said she just would 'alligator roll' every time they tried to do anything & she was scared to death that Zoe was going to hurt her hips.  They told us to come get her & reschedule for a time when no one else is there or we need to have her sedated to get groomed. Our poor old girl.

* We also warned them that Zoe is a biter & escape artist.  She will bite through her leash in less then 2 minutes... they didn't believe me.  The groomer said she tried biting through her leash, through the head harness they hold them on the table with & even through the sheer's electric cord.  People - this dog has teeth like no other.  This is the dog that chewed through her stomach, into her intestines when she had stitches from her spaying surgery.  THROUGH.HER.ORGANS!!!!  A power cord or leash is child's play to her.

Yep... she really did eat through her organs.
... did you miss that story on my blog?...

 

* We tackled the mall & the crowd.  The lines were long but not as awful as I though they would be.  & I got a few good deals.  You can't imagine how many bags I had at the end of the day - all the shopping... & we're still no where near finished. I always say Christmas is going to give me a heart attack with the stress of it all. Tis the season.

* I was basically begging people from anywhere to post a picture of the sun.  We haven't seen the sun on a week. I always say I'm a solar person & I need the sunshine.  It is wearing thin on me about now.  & apparently I'm not alone. Florida & Texas were the only 2 places that could represent sunshine.  I want to go to there.
*** Side note - its gloomy & grey & no chance of sunshine again today & tomorrow.

* Yep... first roll of tape down. I couldn't do any more wrapping for the night.  That was totally OK with me. My fingers were getting numb from all the tape pulling & paper folding.

* Finished knitting a Christmas project while watching "It's A Wonderful Life"... the perfect Christmas evening.

Sunday

* Church Day.   It's always great to hang out with awesome kids.

* more shopping.... This will be the weekend theme for the next 3 weeks.

* Finally got my husband to download the Target Cartwheel app.  We headed to Target after lunch & I ended up saving like $10.00 with it... he saved nothing. I told him its an art of using the app.  It's the best thing Target invented.

* Ricky got an early Christmas present for Harvey Dent.  He got a new dog bed for him. If you follow me on Instagram, you know Harvey doesn't do well with dog beds.  He pretty much eats them.  Zoe eats her organs - Harvey eats dog bed stuffing. I have special dogs.  But last night as I was getting ready to go to bed & we got Harvey to lay in his bed, I had to spank his nose 3 times as he started chewing on the edge of his new bed.  I fully expected it to be in shreds when I woke up... but it was still together.  Fingers crossed it survives those teeth.

So what did you do this weekend?

 

Get lots of shopping done?

 

Are you a tape person?

_________________

Don't forget - tomorrow will be the first Link up to the Winter Reading Challenge.
Can't wait to see what books you all have been digging into!

Friday Five Favorites

Like that title?  It takes care of 2 birds with one stone... doing a Five on Friday but still incorporating my favorite things.  This is how to blend two things into one magical post.


1. Favorite Post:  The Florkens "Why we aren't buying gifts this Christmas"

Find the post right HERE

I hate sometimes how out of hand Christmas can get with gift buying.  People think we're joking when we say we spend thousands on Christmas.  THOUSANDS. Do you know how many different ways that could be used in a more helpful way instead of gifts that I'm sure next year, no one will even remember?  It aggravates me so bad sometimes... so I love these two for this post. 

2. Favorite Recipe: Pumpkin Pie

 

Recipe is right HERE
This is the pie I made for Thanksgiving that didn't involve sugar.  It is so yummy.  I love that she gives you options too with your spice & your thickness of the pie. I wanted a thicker pie so I used less evaporated milk as well.  I seriously want to make another one of these this weekend just because.  Well, I do have cool whip left over so it needs SOMETHING to be eaten with it...

3. Favorite Christmas Craft Gift

Aren't these the cutest!?!?!  & who doesn't love candy?  These would be great to make a few extras just to hand out to people for a quick gift... or leave for like the mailman or to give to a cashier on a busy day.

4. Favorite Funnies

My reaction when my managers try to tell me how awesome the new office is:

How I feel when I think of all the Christmas wrapping I have to do:

5. Favorite Video: All is Well

My goodness, Carrie Underwood is just all things adorable with that baby bump. & that bump doesn't affect her voice one bit. It's angelic.  Add in one of the all time fav Christian recording artist/writers, Michael W. Smith (who still is a notch behind my Steven Curtis Chapman) ... this just gives me goose bumps.

What are some of your favorite things this week?

Thankful Thursday ... babies & mac & cheese... 2 of the best things in the world

There is no greater difference between men than between grateful & ungrateful people. ~R.H. Blyth

I'm convinced... work is trying to kill me.  I am now 2 full weeks into our new building & I'm now sick twice with a head thing. Sore throat. Coughing. Ears.  I think fumes are getting pumped in the air or something.  So its official - work sickens me. Truly.

Let's not focus on the things that are trying to kill me though. That's never a good outlook.  Time to look at the things that have made me smile this past week & reminded me of an attitude of gratitude.

1. New Cousin.  My baby cousin had a baby.  Freaks me out because she's always going to be my baby cousin.  & mercy, she had a beautiful daughter.  Welcome to the world Violet.

2. Believe she could.  I saw a Groupon for this bracelet & have always loved the saying, so purchased it for myself. I so love this thing. It's small & comfortable & flexible to wear at all times. I have yet to take it off.  And love the reminder it gives me.

3. Pinterest Recipes.  I found a new recipe for a mac & cheese recipe that was DELISH.  It probably was the most fattening recipe ever for mac & cheese. Lots of dairy - 2 full bags of cheese. It was like carrying a 10 lb weight around loading it up.  I also found a recipe for pumpkin pies that didn't include using sugar.  It was YUMMINESS!  I just told Ricky I want to make another one just because now. 

4. Grey Thursday.  We ran down to Target on Thanksgiving & while everyone was running to the TV's & electronics, I ran to the book section. I knew Amy Poehler's book was 50% off.  This was my priority.  Everyone was walking around proud of their grabbing xbox & ipads... I was holding my book up high, walking with a strut.

5. Family.  Holidays are always better with family.  Amen?  Amen.  Thankful that my brother & sister in law have a beautiful home to host holidays.  Also thankful for my nieces. I love those girls so much.

6. Flameless Candles.  It's always a battle in my house with candles.  I light them, my husband goes right behind & blows them out. I sneak & relight, he sneak & blows them right back out.  He hates candles.  So when I found these flameless candles at Home Depot on Black Friday I got them to use during Christmas time. I now want to go get more of these to use year round. They just make a room look so beautiful. They even came with a remote control & they also have a 5 hour timer that comes on every night & goes off right when we go to bed.  Who invented these?  Someone whose husband went behind them - I'm sure.

7. Christmas Doggie.  I put up our tree over the weekend & love that my dogs just wanted attention & love & snuggles.  Bruno would follow me & throw himself down wherever I was... including by the tree.  It took all day to put up my tree at that pace of having to stop every few minutes to hold a dog.  I didn't mind one bit.

8. Our Grandbuddy.  We got to see Emerson & can't believe how big she's getting.  Almost to the 6 month mark.  It's funny because she's making noises now & she's really into the "na na na na" sound... which of course, I take it as her saying "Nanny"... duh :)

9. Precious Nativity.  I love Nativity scenes.  It's the most beautiful part of a Christmas decoration.  & while 99% of our decorating is Disney, I just love this nativity.  We actually got it at the end of Christmas last year at Hallmark for like 75% off.  Precious Moments are just so beautiful to me anyways so I love that we have a sweet little new nativity now.

What are you thankful for this week?

 

Do you love nativity sets?

 

What's a good Pinterest recipe you use?

Humpday Confessions...

Halfway through the work week... time to get some things off my chest

I Confess:

... everyone seems to be suffering from stomach flu stuff going around now. Oh sweet Lord.  It makes me want to hoard up in my home & not come out until Spring.

... One good thing I found at venturing around my new work - there's a Dunkin Donuts about 10 minutes away. I never knew where a Dunkin Donuts was anywhere in this town.  I always hear about their iced coffee & now, I'll get to give it a whirl. 

... I haven't wrapped one gift yet this year.  That is something I always try to stay ahead of the game with & I'm failing miserable.  I foresee long nights with tape-sore fingers ahead.

... my December schedule is already swamped with Christmas parties & events.  This is why I don't schedule photos in the last part of the year. 

... Harvey Dent is pitiful... we really need to get another dog for him to have a buddy.  He has such separation anxiety when we leave him.  I walked out to my car to get something & he thought I left... I could hear him CRYING... it broke my heart.  I ran in to tell him I was still there & he acted like I was gone for a year.  Made it worse when I really did have to leave 10 minutes later.

... I am still living on a diet of Imodium.   I hate my stomach.

... That cold / sinus thing I had about 3 weeks ago?  I still am coughing like a chain smoker.  My body is just fighting against me in every way possible lately.

... I'm not sure when its time to throw out my pumpkin pie.  

... I had the last 5 episodes of Jersey Belle on my DVR & watched them all over the weekend.  Love that show... but it made me feel like less of a woman because I don't have china & place settings.  Heck, I don't even have a dining room or a place to feed people.  These Southern ladies & their etiquette.

... if you didn't know - when we moved, I made my dining room a library.  Books over dinner parties. I have priorities.

... Why are men so hard to buy for?

... I got my prescriptions filled from the ER from Sunday... but have yet to take one pill. I really honestly can't stand medicine.  I just don't trust it. I feel like it just causes more problems that needs more medicine.

This is how I feel about medicine

... I can't WAIT until tomorrow night to watch the Peter Pan Live on TV.  Christopher Walken is going to be the one to keep an eye on... that man is kooky... a tap dancing kooky guy.  I can't wait!

YES YES YES!!

What do you need to get off your chest today?

The story of my appendix & why it sorta makes me a super hero

First of all, can I say that I just love you all.... seriously... love you. 

The texts I got & the emails & the advice.  You all are so much better then WebMD... a whole lot less scarier too.  You all don't tell me with every click I'm basically going to die in a few days a horribly painful death.  Just one of the reasons why I love you all.

A lot of you suggested that I go have the doctor check my appendix.

Well... funny story...

I mentioned I had my gall bladder taken out back in 1996.  Well, when they got in there to take it out, guess what they found out...

my appendix had ruptured... like YEARS before...

Yep... seriously... years before.

& yes, people die from ruptured appendix.

I must be a pretty tough lady & I don't even know it.

My mom said when the doctor came out after my gall bladder surgery & told them that, she said she felt like the world's worst mother.  The doctor asked her if there was a time that I was horribly sick.... & mom thought back & we think we had it figured out.

Graduation.

Good ole high school graduation.

I was sicker then a dog.  I mean feeling awful.  A fever of like 103.

I went to my family doctor who I have gone to since I left my pediatrician & I begged him to get me to my high school graduation.  I just wanted to walk across that stage & get my diploma.   It's like the pinnacle of being a teenager - wearing that cap & gown.  Throwing your hat.  Being handed the diploma in front of your friends & family.

Get me there.

So my doctor promised I would get there & he dosed me up in mega doses of antibiotics.  I mean MEGA doses.

... & I made it...

I sat in my cap & gown & sort of really don't remember any of due to a fever that may or may not have caused hallucinations.  Did New Kids on the Block sing at my graduation or did I imagine it.  **

New Kids on the Block... it was the 90's...

& I was HANGING TOUGH!

Like what I did there?

Everyone was going to parties afterwards & I just found my parents in the crowd & had them take me back home & I stayed in bed for like the next week.  So I figure that all high school graduation parties are just like the movies - right?  I'll never know....

But that's the only time we think my appendix could have ruptured.

The doctor told me that all those mega doses of antibiotics are probably what saved my life from infection.

So yeah, appendix isn't an option in this case with my pain now...

& it sort of proves that I have super hero blood in me.

It's going to take a lot to bring this woman down!

_________________

** No, New Kids on the Block did not sing at my graduation. Just our high school Principal, who I think is a used car salesman now.  True Story.

The weekend that I was in the ER...

Ahh - the Monday after Thanksgiving.  It ranks pretty high up on the list of pretty bad Monday's. Add in the fact that I left my keys in my husband's car & he had to drive all the way back home to give me my keys this morning, its down pouring, & I am bruised from needle pokes ... & the fact I'm not feeling good & in pain... yeah, this is a pretty bad Monday.

I know blog land is going to be full of Thanksgiving day posts.  I can't wait to read them all.  I had a really nice Thanksgiving as well.  Pinterest didn't let me down with 2 new recipes, & I got to spend time with family eating yummy stuff & we even headed out into the shopping of Grey Thursday... isn't that what they call is?

I know people get upset about the stores being open on Thursday, but let me tell you. It doesn't stop anyone from going out. The lines were long, people are on a mission, it was time to shop...

We headed out on Black Friday early & got a lot of shopping down... not enough...

Saturday, I got my tree up & my house decorated...

Good holiday stuff...

but yeah, I know you all are like, "So how did you end up in the ER?"...

Well, through all this holiday stuff, & really, the past month, I just haven't felt well. My stomach has been in knots, not cooperating with me.  I even said somewhere I think it's turning against me.

Then on Tuesday evening, I started getting these weird pains along with it.  Right in my side, sort of under my lower ribs.  It sort of comes & goes, but when it comes, OH LORDY... & then the pain would even sometimes run above my stomach.

I kept trying to ignore it.  I could tolerate it - heck, I can tolerate a lot in order to not go to the doctor. 

But I woke up Sunday, with stomach cramps & feeling nauseated - something that has been normal for a month now... sigh... & that pain was poking me in my side.  I couldn't stand it anymore... I was getting nervous, & Ricky was getting nervous about it, so we got to the ER bright & early at 6:30am

For reference sake, if you need to go to the ER, do it bright & early. There was no one there. I walked right in & they took me right back.  The shift change started at 7am so I got a fresh bright happy nurse...

I was in there for about 5 hours & they basically just poked on me, getting the pain flaring pretty good & did some blood work tests.  They really freaked me out when they were testing for my pancreas & liver.  They said it sounded like gallbladder, but I had that sucker removed about 20 years ago...

Luckily, everything came back just fine.  So the doctor thinks it may be some sort of muscle pull or skeletal bruise.  Don't ask me how that happened. You'd think I'd remember bumping into something that would bruise myself that badly.  & with pain that comes & goes, that really doesn't seem right to me.  But of course, the ER's famous last words, "Follow up with your doctor"

They did give me medicine for nausea, which I think is the best invention ever & I always want to have some in my pocket... & they gave me a shot of morphine for pain.

WhooooOOOWOWWOhhhOOOOOWOWOW......

I don't do good on medicine.

I never take it.

So give me morphine.

I felt it as soon as they put it in my IV, felt it go up my arm, down my legs, back up to my head... & mercy. I was out all day long.  The nurse told my husband its a small dose of morphine but that's my tolerance. I felt like I could hardly even walk leaving & I was on my living room couch from the moment I got home until I got ready for bed.

& I didn't feel pain for awhile.... but it wore out by the end of the night... & my pain is back...

& I'm still cramping & my stomach still hates me... & now, my side hurts...

Welcome December.

But I am praising God that all my blood tests came back OK... & now praying that this pain eases up & my stomach gives me a break.  A month of this is getting a little old now.

I'm anxious to venture around blog world & read about good, fun, pain free Thanksgiving's...

 What was the highlight of your weekend?

 

Get any good deals?

 

Anyone else bruise horribly from needles?