2014

A few years ago when I was still spending all my money on designer bags and booze I could never figure out where my money was disappearing to.  I mean, I virtually had no bills so what was I doing with my money?  I didn't pay rent, my parents paid my truck off, they paid my cell phone bill.  Basically all I had to pay was insurance and then I had to pay for gas.  I realized pretty quickly that dropping several hundred dollars each week on a new bag I would carry only a few times wasn't the most sound investment.  27 handbags later I finally read Dave Ramsey's book and decided I needed to get my life right because I couldn't live with my parents forever and I would eventually need a new car.

Since I finished his book I have been on a budget and can't imagine my life any other way.  However, Aaron and I have had a combined account for about 11 months now and it is much more difficult keeping someone else on a budget than it is yourself. 

I have never been one for New Years Resolutions or crazy bucket lists.  I have however used New Year's Eve to get my life in order every year.  I always make a list of goals I would like to accomplish for each month of the year and then a few goals that I know will take me the whole year to reach.  I also spend New Year's Eve deep cleaning and organizing.  There is just something about everything being in order and clean that helps me to start the year stress free.

So there you have my big plans for New Year's Eve.  Revamping our budget and organizing and cleaning our house. 

I feel like I'm 50.

Worth every penny!

Little J wanted an iPad mini or an iPod touch for Christmas.  Her reasoning was simple, she wanted to be able to text us and facetime us.  I had no idea the entertainment this would bring me.

Aaron and I went back on forth on whether or not we wanted to get her started on technology already. 



She really wanted a phone but there is no way this 7 year old is getting one! So she had a genius idea a few weeks before Christmas.  We were driving down the road and she starts telling me her plan.  "Ok, either you guys or Santa can bring me an iPad mini or an iPod touch for Christmas.  But I don't want one of those things that plays music."  Umm...ok.  "We can download those apps to text and facetime and you guys can buy me a phone number."  Umm...you just described a phone to me and that is not happening.  I explained to her how a cell phone works and how the iPad/iPod situation would work.  She looked at me like I was nuts.

Fast forward to last night.  She clearly got an iPad mini for Christmas which means she has been texting and facetiming her family members as much as possible.  I was about to leave work yesterday and I knew she was home with her dad so I sent her a text asking what she wanted for dinner.  Who knew that I would get this much entertainment from this!  I have decided that was money well spent.  Its obvious this kid is just like me.  She covers about 5 different topics in each text and keeps up with each one like a pro.  I take full responsibility and realize I am creating a monster.

 

 

What 7 year old informs you that they made a "typo?"  She has been saying "Ugh" after everything when she talks lately, only pronouncing it "Ug."  I have corrected her repeatedly but the madness never ends.  Apparently she is spelling it the way she says it now.

8 months of marriage!

Aaron and I realized this morning that we have been married for 8 months, today!  It feels like it has been much longer than that!  This year has been packed full of big events for us.  An engagement, a wedding, pregnancy, buying a new house and now we are 33 days away from Baby Moody making our family a family of 4. 

Is Christmas really over?

I am glad the stress and rush of Christmas is over but at the same time I keep thinking "is Christmas really over?" It seems like the month of December has flown by.  Baby Moody will be joining us in 5 weeks, give or take. 

Monday after my doctor's appointment I picked Little J up from her mom's and finished up the last of our shopping.  Aaron decided to spring it on me as we are headed home that Santa is going to visit just as soon as I get home so that Little J won't have to wake up super early for presents before he had to go to work on Christmas Eve.  This was an interesting task to accomplish to say the least.  Little J likes to hang out with me ALL the time.  Which I love, but makes for playing Santa while she is awake very tricky.  We managed to pull it off though.  We hid her Santa gifts and filled stocking in the Safe and left her a note from Santa (sent with her Elf of course) stating that since she had been such a great kid all year he was visiting her early and he put her gifts somewhere "safe."

We thought we were really clever but she instantly went straight to the safe and got her presents out without a thought.  She was very excited about the presents we gave her but was thrilled that Santa had brought her the iPad mini she had really been wanting.  I understand now why my parents were always so excited for us to open presents.  This little girl being so excited was better than any of the other gifts I received and I REALLY loved my gifts.

 

Little J and I slept in on Christmas Eve, did some shopping, and came home to open gifts with Aaron's family.  Immediately after that we loaded up the car with all the gifts for my family and were about to head that way.  Aaron and I had agreed not to buy gifts for each other this year since we have made so many large purchases this year, have quite a few more to go, and we both buy what we want when we want it.  So, imagine my surprise when he hands me a Michael Kors box with a wallet in it.  Thankfully I had the same thought he did and had just purchased his sound bar for the surround sound in the living room.  Once I gave him that he brought out ANOTHER box with the matching bag that he knew I wanted but hadn't bought yet.  Definitely a great surprise!

Santa's coming early!

With the way Christmas is falling this year and the fact that we get Little J for Christmas Eve rather than Christmas day, Aaron and I had to get creative.  Santa will be arriving at our house tonight just in time to open presents tomorrow morning before Aaron has to go to work for a while.  We are not fond of this plan but you do what you have to, I guess.

Once we made the decision to change things up for Little J this year I started noticing that there are so many people that celebrate a few days early.  I never noticed this before and its actually kinda sad that the world has become so fast paced and there are fewer days off of work for people that we have resorted to Santa arriving early.

I ventured out to get some shopping done on Saturday night.  Aaron kept telling me how crazy I was to be going out in this craziness on the Saturday before Christmas.  He contemplated coming with me but the thought of all that traffic and the crowds in the store kept him from leaving our home.  You can imagine my surprise when there was no traffic AT ALL and the stores were virtually empty. Of course I found very little of what I was actually looking for.

S and I decided to risk the mall yesterday. Again, I was expecting terrible traffic and awful crowds.  We saw neither.  Sadly, I still have Aaron's family to buy for and my dad of course.  Dads are the worst to buy for ever.  I never know what to get my dad.  He buys what he wants when he wants it then when we ask what he wants he says something we could never possibly give him, like: "to retire."  Great, let me know when you are at that point and I will slap my name on that and give it to you as a gift.

Transiberian Orchestra

Mama C has been dying to see Transiberian Orchestra for years.  Back in September she called and wanted to know if we would like to go too because she was ordering tickets.  I will admit I thought you was nuts at first making plans for a Christmas concert in September.

Last night was the big night and I had heard nothing but great things up until then.  Aaron, Little J and I went with my mom, Baby Huey, and my aunt.  Papa C is not into these types of things and was working out of town.

Let me just say that was an incredible show.  The story was amazing, the music was great, and the light show and fire had a 7 year old entertained until she just couldn't stay awake anymore.  Even Aaron enjoyed it and, to be honest, I really think he was dreading it.

 

If you ever get the chance to see them, you will love it!

Proud moment

Growing up Mama C always picked out wrapping paper that coordinated for each of us.  I rarely remember there being a present under the tree that didn't match the others.  So, naturally that is something Syd and I have felt was a necessary part of Christmas.  Last year was the first Christmas Aaron and I were together and we had blue snowflake paper and silver glitter paper (huge mistake! tape does not hold it together well!)  I wanted something a little prettier this year.

Since we all know Hobby Lobby puts out their Christmas stuff around about Easter, I have been browsing the gift wrap section for months now.  As much as I loved all the pretty Chevron paper I decided on leopard print paper with black tulle bows.  Mind you, I have never made a bow in my life.  I am more of a "pay someone to do it" type of girl. That applies to all aspects of my life.  Here is the finished product and I love it:

Even though Little J asked me not to wrap her presents and put them under the tree so she wouldn't be tempted (yes, I know I live with a 30 year old trapped in a 7 year old's body) her dad and I just couldn't look at a decorated tree with no presents under it any longer. She was at her mom's on Monday and Tuesday when we finished the wrapping so last night a very funny but proud moment took place for us. 

Little J is a child who takes everything in and doesn't forget a single thing she hears or that you tell her.  Even when you think she isn't listening, except when you tell her to clean her room or brush her teeth of course.  Some of our best conversations take place in the car or at 2am when she can't sleep.  We were in the car a few weeks ago and she brought up Adam and Eve, only she really wasn't sure what their names were for sure and she had never heard the story (that she could remember) of Adam and Eve.  So, I explained it the best way I possibly could.  I had forgotten about this conversation until last night when she discovered the tree was full of presents just for her. 

She proceeded to explain to me that my wrapping her presents and putting them under the tree made her feel like Adam and Eve and our Christmas Tree is the Tree of Life.  All those beautful presents are under that tree but she isn't allowed to touch them. 

For a few seconds I thought "maybe I don't suck at this whole parenting thing."  Then she called Aaron's mom to thank her for an early Christmas gift and blurted out that she was sleeping on the couch tonight because her sheets were in the washer and she was up past her bedtime because we were keeping her awake, I was reminded again that you win some and you lose some. 

 ***For the record, her sheets were in the dryer and she did in fact sleep in her own actual bed and she was only up 30 minutes past her bedtime.***