Ding Dong The Computers Dead!

I am at the library on the computer right now. Our computer at home a finally kicked the bucket! We knew it was coming. We were warned. The power source has been slowly going out and yesterday it said it's final prayer. May it rest in peace. When are we going to get it fixed??? Who knows. Until then I am offline which drives me crazy insane. I feel so disconnected. I would give up my phone anyday if it meant I could still have the computer. I feel lost and disoriented with the comfort of getting online. *sigh*

So anyways....I have new stories to tell about going downtown and seeing the gingerbread houses and getting santa pictures. We've also got snow with frigid temperatures. All this will have to wait.

Goodbye for now my friends....

Going through the motions of Christmas

Its December 12 and so far the Christmas spirit hasn't visited us yet. Its always been a struggle but this year in particular seems really really hard. I feel like we are going through the motions and everywhere I turn the struggle gets bigger and bigger.

For instance our tree....

I can't get over how pathetic it is. Usually we go out as a family to a tree farm and cut down our own tree. But with Todds schedule we decided that we would just have to go buy one at the store. We are a "noble" family. We like the branches to have nice even spaces between them so the ornaments can dangle. Lowes is trying to tell us that this is a noble.....I don't think so. Look how full and barrel shapes it is. We might as well saved ourselves $15 and bought a douglas fur! (sorry to all the douglas fur fans out there) But the story doesn't end there. You probably can't see it by the picture but there is a huge hole in the front of the tree. That is where the tree-train was supposed to go but after Todd cut back the branches to try and fit it in, we realized the trunk is way to thick. So no tree-train this year AND there is a big freaking hole in the front of it. And also, for the icing on the cake....not only are we losing needles faster then a speeding bullet but the tree is leaning! Todd doesn't see it so he won't fix it.

This is the beginning of the huge pile of lights that are not working this year. All the icicle lights and all the lights for the windows are broken. When I put them away last year they were working. What is happening inside those boxes during the year. I swear its a conspiracy going on. So we don't have all the lights put up because its not like we are going to go buy more....cuz we are freaking broke! Yes its a tight Christmas this year. Todd lost about $1300 a month in his income because the company is cutting back on expenses. So that means Todd and I are not buying for each other this year. Which I guess is fine because I don't really NEED anything that bad. But the lack of Christmas shopping as put a slight damper on the spirit. I am not a big spender or a major shopper but I love to go Christmas shopping. I love the challenge of finding the right gift at the right price. I love finding an item on sale and feeling like I got a good deal. I love the walking around, touching and thinking about things. With Kyler getting older I found it harder to figure out what to get him because not only does he have everything but he is almost out of the toy stage so you can't just grab a toy off the shelf. Research needs to happen. And I enjoy the challenge. And even though I know I don't need anything and its more important for the kids to receive...there is that small part, that little girl inside of me that will be disappointed to have no presents under the tree for me this year.

I use to work in retail and even though I am glad to not be doing that, there is a small part of me that misses it during the Christmas season. I worked in the perfume section and would help everybody pick out there gifts. I would wrap them up in pretty , elaborate packaging and feel really appreciated for it. Sometimes I miss the hustle and bustle of it all.

*Slap *Slap...I know I need to get a hold of myself. I know what the true meaning of Christmas is. But even that part feels like its missing this year. *sigh*

Maybe when the baby is in the manger...then I will feel better.

What??

The strangest thing happened to me today and of course my first thought was "I might just have to blog about that!"

ok so here's was happened.....

I am in the check out line at Target and I hear "Can I see your ID?" (and no this is not a repeat of my last ID post) my response was "huh??" cuz you see I didn't have anything I felt I needed to be carded for. No alcohol. No cigarettes. I wasn't trying to see an R movie. and I wasn't writing a check. Can you guess what I was being carded for???

Go ahead.. take a guess. I bet you'll never figure it out in a million years!

It was...

AIR!

Yes Air! Canned Air that is. And the checkout chick couldn't even tell me why (though I guess if you really really think about it I am sure it has to do with getting high or something!) But she definitely had to scan my ID before moving on. So weird! I don't even know what this world is coming to and what will be next.

What goes beyond having to be an adult to have air?

Thanksgiving Martha Stewart Style

Let me introduce you to my cousin Brian (Thank you Brian for dressing for the occasion!) and his girlfriend/fiance/wife Audrey. (Nobody knows what to call her cuz they've been together for like 13 years, they both wear wedding rings and they call each other husband and wife BUT they are not married...confusing!) Anyways...we were invited to there house for Thanksgiving this year and thank goodness for that cuz up to a few days before, we had no where to go! I didn't know this but Audrey is our familys very own Martha Stewart.

I just couldn't believe what she put together. I mean you see this kind of stuff on tv but never in real life...especially in Arlington WA where hicks are very common.

Just look at this...my place tag was hand done just for me!

The kids had there very own table...not that Kaden sat there for very long but its was blissful for a few minutes

This here is what you would call Pink Panties

Pink lemonade..7up...Vanilla Vodka...Just trust me on this one!

This is how we had our turkey prepared this year

I was wary and a little frightened but I tell ya...it was the yummiest turkey I have ever had.

Yes that is my child sucking on a greasy turkey leg and yes I am ok with that...but only because it Thanksgiving.

The kids got to make a gingerbread house too (Good idea Audrey!)

All in all it was a great Thanksgiving! I don't know if it was because of the fancy table set up but the food was just amazing! The best Thanksgiving feast I think I have ever had. My mom's pumpkin pie was missing but I guess everything can't always be perfect!

But don't ask Kaden how he felt about dinner

He chose to have cereal instead

I could sleep for like a 100 years!

We are back from our Thanksgiving travels and we had a great holiday with the family. Yes, I have pictures and stories but right now I think I just need a vacation from my vacation. The house is a wreck and all I want to do is work on my puzzle. Also I need to delete a ton of crap off of the computer so I can download more pictures. It feels weird to not have posted anything in over a week and I don't know if anyone even noticed. But I am hoping to get my act together in the next couple of days. I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and if you braved Black Friday like I did....God bless you child!