Christmas Traditions- opening gifts

When families combine, you have to adapt to each other's traditions. Last year was our first "shared" Christmas. We spent Christmas Eve and up until lunch on Christmas day with Brandon's family, and then we drove to my parents. It was wonderful and different.

I've always had this thing about opening presents. If I spent the time to pick out the perfect gift for you, I want to see you open it. Last year was my first chaotic Davis family gift opening experience. Someone passes you all of your presents and you open them in a hurry and then you're done. When the little one's are done opening their gifts and parents ask "who was that from?" the response is "I don't know". I think I'm just slow when it comes to opening gifts, but I try to pay special attention to who the gift is from. I'm just glad Brandon and I sat next to each other, because we decided to exchange our gifts to each other at his family gathering as well.

This year, even though my family Christmas will be a week late, I can hardly wait to open gifts in our special way. One person sits by the tree with the santa hat on and passes out gifts. There is always a "no, they can't open that one yet" kind of thing going on. Lots of years gifts are numbered "1" to open first "2" to open after, etc. We go youngest to oldest and "santa" passes the gift to whoever's turn it is. So, if it is my turn to open, "santa" can just pass me a gift, or someone in the group can say "she needs to open mine". It is a slow process, but I thoroughly enjoy it. I get to see everyone unwrap the gifts from me and I can see what everyone got.

A little blogging break

I must admit that I LOVE to blog...but mostly I love reading other people's blogs and not writing my own.

I was totally ready to do my "thankful" blogs every day in November...however all I could think of was "I am so thankful for this amazing little life growing inside me". Since I had not gone public with this info, I just had to stop. I know there are a MILLION other things that I could say I am thankful for. God is SO great and I am thankful for all of the many blessings in my life. Since I was just busting at the seems to tell, I had to quit posting. I swear I only made like 2 posts on facebook the whole time I was waiting to tell. It was pure torture.

I'm so glad that we waited to tell though. I am very thankful for so many things and all of the supportive people I have in my life. Today I am 15 weeks and our baby's heart is thumping really well.

My very favorite season is here. I have been so unmotivated to decorate, so all we have is a red glittery "Merry Christmas" sign above our television, and a naked Christmas tree. Every day when I get home from school I throw up and then sleep, so decorating has not been on my agenda. Next year I will decorate with all the wonderful ornaments that I have and take a million pictures. I am pretty proud of myself that ALL of our shopping is done and everything is wrapped.

Our neighbors houses all look AMAZING with all of their lights. We've gotten a few gift cards lately as "late wedding presents". They are all to Lowe's or Home Depot, so I'm hoping they will have good after Christmas sales on the light up reindeer's for outside or these. One house in our neighborhood, that has a LOT of windows facing the road, has lights in the shape of Christmas ornaments in every window. I think it looks FANTASTIC!

On a really horrible note, I saw a nativity on my drive to Brandon's parents house a couple of weeks ago. It had Mary on one side, Joseph on the other and a HUGE Santa in the middle instead of a manger...It has been bothering me ever since. It has to have been the most horrid thing I have seen in a while.

Thankful day 3

Today I am thankful for massages. I had a great hour long massage today after school at the massage therapy school...it was WONDERFUL.

I am also thankful for one of my best friends in the whole world Crystal Newby. She's pretty awesome- world's best maid of honor and a GREAT friend :)

Thankful day 1 and 2

I didn't start last month, but I'm going to do it this month. Yesterday I had a migraine, so I did not stay awake long enough to blog after I got home.

Day 1- I am thankful for pictures, doctors and medicine.

Day 2- I am thankful for:
my family and especially my husband
learning to sew using a sewing machine
puppies
the ability to learn new things

Lately...

The last four weeks have FLOWN by!
We started school, softball season is in full swing, AND Brandon started his master's! It's been a little busy around here. The nights we are both home at the same time I have cooked. All others- we have either not eaten or picked up something on the go. A couple of weeks ago there were 9 softball games in one week! Craziness, but it's been fine.

This is the absolute BEST start to the school year that I've ever experienced. I hope and pray that every year gets better and better, but I am in touch with reality- every year is different. I have even gotten some amazing compliments from my students: "Mrs. Davis- why aren't you boring like all of our other teachers?" I told them that's just my personality- I love to be moving and I hate to sit or stand still and I hate boring things, so I try my best to make it as exciting as possible. Half the time you don't even know you're learning! Another student commented that it was probably because I was young, and to give me 10 years. To which I responded- "My goal is to be just as excited and energetic in ten years as I am today- you'll have to keep me on my toes".

I have to say that I have been lacking my me exercise goals since school started. This week I did a lot better- as long as I go exercise today I'll be good. Hopefully now that I'm back in the swing of things I can make myself go work out every day. And since the weather is getting cooler I may be able to get it taken care of during lunch. Last year I walked 3 miles a day during my lunch break. It was SO great!

I've been begging my husband to tell me something he used to eat when he was younger. His mom is not a good cook and never really cooked anything he liked. He's happy with any home cooked meal, but I wanted to know if there was something that a grandma (one which is not living and one which is in a nursing home) used to make that he missed. So, he FINALLY told me it was country fried steak. I have made it once and I'm making it again. I'm usually very anti- fried foods, but it's not TOO terrible for you. I did use deer steaks, and they were SO delicious. He said they were wonderful and "when are you making this again?" was a quick question after dinner. We're having them again tonight with mashed potatoes and gravy during our football marathon. UGA at 4:30 and Georgia Tech after that.

What we've been eating

Well, it's been a full 2.5 weeks of no eating out in our household. Don't get me wrong, we've picked up something really quick for lunch, but we've eaten a home cooked meal every night for dinner.

So, to assure you all that we're not bored by what we've been eating, here's a list of several things we've done.

Grilled chicken
Chicken nuggets
Campbell's chicken and rice casserole
Chicken Spaghetti
Baked chicken
Venison spaghetti
Meat loaf (it was AMAZING- I used betty crocker's recipe I found online)
Hamburgers
Hamburger helper
Deer steaks
Lasagna
Grilled pork chops
Honey bbq grilled salmon
Potato crusted tilapia
Sloppy Joe's

Some of our sides have included:
Garlic mashed potatoes
Potatoe casserole
Tater tots
Mac n cheese
Wild rice
Pasta salad
Squash
Butter beans
broccoli
asparagus
corn on the cob
creamed corn
chowder peas
field peas
black eyed peas
cucumbers
salad

So far (with the exception of sides) we have not eaten the same thing twice! I know that is about to change for this coming week, but I think we're doing pretty great!

We're cooking for my friends for my birthday- Steak, chicken, corn on the cob, potato casserole, salad, key lime pie....yum!

I'm so proud of us!

Ode to Summer

Oh summer, how I will miss you!!!

I will miss waking up whenever I please.

I will miss my morning gym routine (I'm sorry that you will have to be moved to the afternoon)

I will miss doing absolutely nothing.

I will miss cooking and eating whenever I want.

I will miss driving around.

I will miss going to the lake whenever I want to lay in the sand and soak up the sun.

I will miss cuddling with my puppy all day.

I will miss not spending the whole weekend washing laundry.

I will miss staying in my pj's all day if I want.

I will miss playing on my cell phone all day because there's nothing better to do.

I will miss skipping breakfast because I woke up at lunch time.

So- until next end of May....I'll miss you lots!