I'm so Tired

I wish I wasn't so tired! I can't seem to get my energy. It's probably due to the fact that I haven't been in the gym since before the wedding. My house is a mess--since I'm so tired all the time, I don't feel like cleaning. And I wouldn't normally care. Because up until this point, I really didn't have any friends that I had to worry about just stopping by. But now, with my new church, I do have friends, and some of them know where I live. So, now I must at least keep the front part of the apartment clean. I'm not complaining--I just wish I wasn't so tired! I guess that comes with working third shift.

I can't believe I get to go to Alabama--even if it is only for a couple of days, and even if I will be busy the whole time I'm there. I love South Carolina, but at times, I really miss Alabama. That's home--I grew up there, and will always look at it as home. But I can't imagine moving back there. I really do love it here, and hope I'm able to stay here for a good while.

Now that I'm meeting people, and I have a church, it feels even more like I belong here. I got an email from the pastor of the church yesterday just telling me how glad he was that I am a part of their church family. They really are people-oriented, and it shows!

Well, I'm heading home--probably to do a load of laundry, and then head to bed. I slept all day yesterday, but I really don't want to do that today.

Hope everyone's having a great week!

I've Met Someone

This is a pretty exciting post for me to write. I went on a date yesterday. And I really like this guy. His name is Brett. We spent all day together--he brought me home about 8:30 last night--after dinner. BEfore dinner we went to an arts festival in Greenville. It was really fun!
I met him at church about a month ago, and we've been getting to know each other since. I am very cautious about writing this because I don't want to jinx it, but I wanted all you friends to know this good news. Just a little about him--He's a teacher, and he's from Alabama--can you believe it? I'm in the Carolina's and I met a good ole Alabama boy! He's also in ministry in the church. I'm so excited, but at the same time really cautious. My dad told me to be careful and not get my heart broken. I know that you have to be willing to get your heart broken in order to open your heart to anyone. So, while I know that that is a possibility, I want to see where this leads. I am also praying about this deeply. Because I want what God wants for me. But I've been praying that the Lord would bring a man into my life, so I am just testing the waters. Please pray for me that God would be at the center of everything we do and we will allow Him to lead us in this. This is so exciting!

For all of you that live in the Alabaster area--I will be at Kingswood A/G in two weeks. They are having a bible quiz tournament there--and I'm going as a chaperone! Brett is actually one of the people in charge of the junior bible quiz team here, and invited me to go...so it will be interesting to see how we do spending the whole weekend together. So, for you who live in that area, stop by the church and look for me. I would love to see you!

Well, I have to go. get ready for church I just wanted to share my news. I will keep you posted--but right now, I have a good feeling about this one. He's different from anyone I've ever dated--and I think that's a good thing.

Directions

I just got the funniest email from a friend of mine. It made me laugh on an otherwise bad day. I really hope you get as much a kick out of this as I did.

directions from New York to Paris

Go to Google.com
2. Click on Maps. (Above search space)
3. Click on Get Directions. ( Top of page)
4. From New York, New York
5. To Paris, France.
6. And read line # 23.

What you think? Are you in enough shape to make it?

April 14

Today is April 14th. Can you believe it's already the middle of April? Time is flying--and I hate it. I feel like my whole life is going by so quick. I can't believe I'll be 30 in a couple of years--and half of my life dreams have yet to come true. I know God has a plan--I'm just trying to wait on Him.
Speaking of the Lord--isn't he wonderful? I know this is corny, but at the beginning of January, I was having a really hard time--and so, I made a list of everything I wanted to see God do this year in my life. It wasn't like I was making demands or anything--more like I was having faith that He would see me and understand what I needed. I wrote down the list in my journal, so I would have something visual to keep track of it all. The other day I looked at that list. It's only April and half of the things I asked God to do--He's already done. Isn't that awesome? I asked Him to bring me to a church that would love me and include me--a place where I could worship among believers and want to go to church--since I left Mobile in 2003, I have just not wanted to go to church--I couldn't find a good church--a friendly church--a church where people were actually glad that I was there. So, I went from time to time just because I am a Christian and felt like I wouldn't be considered one if I didn't go to church. Well, guess what! My old roommate from Southeastern--Jill--got in touch with me out of the blue a few weeks ago. She had learned from the alumni website that I was living in South Carolina--she asked me if I had found a church and she told me about one here in Greenville. She knows the pastor. So, I went to the church, and guess what! I love it. Sunday will be my fourth time going, and everyone there has already accepted me as a part of them. It's amazing! I felt so welcome the first time I went, and have felt the same way every Sunday since. So much so, that I invited some friends to join me--and they loved it as much as I did. So thank you, Jill, and thank you God for sending me to Trinity Fellowship. If you live in the Greenville area, I would urge you to give Trinity Fellowship a try. It's a small church, but they really love the Lord and love people. www.tfcag.org

The second thing I asked the Lord to do for me is to give me some friends--specifically I asked for three girlfriends this year. Well, since the beginning of the year, I have made friends with the wife of one of my co-workers. Her name is Heather. She is a great friend--she and I are getting together about every two weeks and spending the afternoon together. And her husband keeps their children so she and I can go. Isn't that awesome? I know that's only one out of three, but I am very optimistic that some of the ladies at church are going to be my friends too, and then I will have what I asked for. Life is so empty without someone to spend it with--it's so nice to have a friend.

While I'm on the subject of happiness--I've been on a pursuit of happiness most of my life. And I think I'm close to finding it. For the first time in my life, I like the city where I live. I don't know why it's different here, but it is. Not to say if I felt I was supposed to go somewhere else that I wouldn't go--but I think I am going to stay for a while. There is a guy at work that's made it his personal vendetta to make me leave--everyone there knows that when I left Pensacola, it was because my boss had quit, and my life became a living hell. So--you'd know it--my boss here--my executive producer--quit a few weeks ago. And there's this guy at work that's trying to make my life miserable. I think he thinks he can scare me away. Well, I'm here to tell you--I like it here and I'm not leaving. So, no matter how difficult it gets at work--they won't be getting rid of me so easily.


My little sister is enjoying married life so far--I talked to her on the phone yesterday. I am so happy she's happy. I miss her so much.

Well, I have a lot to do today, so I will end for now. be blessed!

Wedding Pictures

As promised, here are some of the pictures from the wedding. I haven't got the ones I took yet--but these were some my family took. Enjoy!

This is Lisa--isn't she beautiful?

This is me and my brothers--Timmy and Joey

Here are my mom and stepdad--they were both so dressed up--they looked great

This is my Grandma. I love her so much!

Here comes the "bridesmaids"

This is my favorite picture so far from the wedding. She is so happy and it shows.

This is the bouquet toss. Guess what! I caught it! You know what that means!

Timmy caught the garter--he was trying to avoid it, but it was meant to be--it fell right into his hand!

Leaving as man and wife.

Back to SC

Well, after a busy week in Alabama, I am back at home in South Carolina. But it was a good week. My little sister got married Saturday. So, the weekend before, we took her to Nashville for her bachelorette party. We had such a blast! I won't tell you all about it, because you know, what happens in Nash Vegas--stays in Nash Vegas! Okay, so that's the slogan for Las Vegas, but it works for this too! I did have a great time! Here are some pics:

This is me and my sister, Lisa. We are waiting to eat and having a great time.

this is all of us waiting to eat at the old spaghetti factory. the food was really good, and the price was very reasonable. They have these restaurants in several U.S. cities. If you are near one, you should definately check it out!

Lisa had a checklist of things to do while we were in Nashville. One of the items on that list was she had to serenade a man she didn't know. This guy was a great sport and let her sing to him. He even played along!

We all did a lot of dancing at the Wild Horse saloon. Here is Krystal and me trying to learn the steps to a line dance.

This man kept hitting on Erica and me. We thought it was funny because he was so much older than us. But we had a good time with him.

Lisa and Erica singing and dancing.

Another group picture at the Wild Horse Saloon. This is my favorite picture from Nashville.

This is the last picture we took that night. See the guy in the picture? His name is Matt. He and his friends were staying at our hotel, and we met them while we were out. Matt thought I was cute, and he kept asking me to dance--and I kept accepting. It was so much fun! At the end of the night, he tried to kiss me! I couldn't believe it! Anyway, I saw it coming and turned my head--poor guy. He ended up kissing me on the cheek. Sorry, Matt! I don't move that fast. I mean, come on! I just met you!

So, that was our Nashville trip--or at least the parts I am willing to share. I will post wedding pics as soon as I get them!

NashVegas, Here We Come!

Okay, so I am really excited. I have been planning this bachelorette party for my sister for a few months now, and it's finally here! Nashville is one of my favorite places, and I cannot wait to get there!
I am going up on Friday to have a night to myself. While I'm there, I will decorate the room for the girls to arrive. There are 5 of us going. We are going to have so much fun! The other girls will arrive Saturday, and we will leave for Alabama on Sunday afternoon.
I will be in Alabama all week, helping my sister prepare for the wedding that's on March 17th. she is really excited--and I'm really happy for her.
And I am looking forward to the week off from work. I really need some time off. Speaking of work--my boss is moving. So, I'm a little nervous, considering that's what happened in Pensacola to cause me to be in such a bad situation. But I am trusting that God will take care of it--I really like my job here.
So, have a good week. I'm heading south!

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday, the first day of lent, the day after Mardi Gras. I wanted to wear my beads and bring a king cake to work, but lo and behold I got a migraine--a migraine so bad it made me sick. So, I called my boss and I didn't go into work. I ended up bring the king cake in last night.

I got back in touch with an old elementary school friend this week. She and I were inseparable back then. She moved away in 6th grade, and we lost touch. Hopefully now, we can rekindle that friendship.

I went to Winter Jam last Friday night. I was supposed to meet Steven Curtis Chapman--I was so excited. But you'd know it--a bunch of folks got stuck in an elevator--including the guy that was going to introduce me--and I heard Steven was in that elevator, too, so it didn't work out. Oh well, maybe one day. I love Steven Curtis Chapman! I did get to meet Britt Nicole, a newcomer to Christian music, and said hello to one of the guys from Newsong (I was backstage).

Have a good week!

Snow in the Upstate!

Guess what! The unthinkable happened! We got snow! We got about an inch to an inch and a half, but it was enough to look pretty and play in a bit. Of course, I was working most of the day trying to keep people informed as to what was going on. You know how southerners panic when it snows. But I was so happy to see it. But it was short-lived. It is already melting. It's supposed to be in the 40s today.

Sorry It's Been So Long!

I know, I know. I haven't posted in quite a while. Some of you in the blogger world may have thought I fell off the face of the earth. I mean, after all, I have an opinion about everything, and yet I haven't offered my opinion in a while. I guess I just haven't had anything productive to say. I've been really frustrated at work here lately, but I am trying not to let things get to me. After all, it's just a job. What really matters is my life outside the job (I keep telling myself that...whether I believe it yet is another story.) But the problem remains: I don't have much of a life outside of work. So, I am taking steps to change that. I am no longer attending Redemption World Outreach Center. I think that church was a bad choice for me. It's way to big to be people-friendly. There was 5,000-8,000 people in the church. I never did manage to meet the pastor, and I never made any friends at the singles group. So, after spending nearly a year at that church, I have decided to find a smaller church where I can get involved and hopefully make friends.

I've also started working out again. I went through a lull where there was nothing I despised more than going to the gym. But then I started gaining my weight that I'd lost back and I decided I need to be in the gym at least twice if not three times a week.

I'm in charge of planning my sister's bachelorette party. Her two best friends are helping me. We are taking her to Nashville in March--one week before the wedding. I absolutely love Nashville! We are going to stay one night and that night we are going to go out for a night on the town. It's going to be lots of fun!

Speaking of fun, I am listening to country music right now. I don't know if you like country music or not, but I think a lot of the new stuff is lots of fun. Anyway, there's this fairly new song out called "if you're going through hell" It's on the radio right now. It's so funny, but I have been there! And I guess that's why I like the song so much. It says:
If you're going through hell
keep on going
don't slow down
if you're scared don't show it
you might get out before the devil even knows you're there

If you're going through hell
keep on moving
face that fire
walk right through it
you might get out before the devil even knows you're there.

I think we've all been there at one time or another. That's why I'm trying not to whine about stuff, because things have been much worse. I just keep thinking about what I was going through this time last year. I was in a job I hated, working with people I didn't like one bit, and sick all the time because I didn't know how long I would have that job. And I was living in a tiny 600 sq. ft. apartment. It was horrible!

Now, I'm in a job that I like, I like all but one person I work with, and I have a beautiful apartment with comfy furniture to come home to. And to top it off, I am in beautiful South Carolina, much farther from the beach than I ever thought I wanted to live, but loving the mountains! I never thought I would say I loved living near the mountains, but I really do. The only complaint I have is my hours I work. With any luck, our 10 o'clock producer will move to something else so I can move into that job. If that doesn't happen, then I guess I will be forced to move one more time. The good news is there is a station my company owns in Nashville that I wouldn't mind going to. If I must leave here, Nashville's my next best bet. I have decided after much thought that I really don't want to leave the South. As the group Alabama says, I'm "southern born and southern bred". Why would I even think about leaving my southern roots behind?

Well, that's about it. Nothing new really to report. I will try and post more often, but if I have nothing to say, then I have nothing to say. I know what some of you are thinking: "Nicole, you always have something to say." Well to those people, I must tell you, some things do change. And for the first time in my life I find myself without words sometimes.

Have a great week!

Happy New Year everyone! This year has started out really good, and I am hoping it will be the best year yet.

I didn't get to go home for Christmas since I had to work, but on December 29th, I headed home to Gordo. I got there, and I have to tell you, I've never been so glad to be home. It was torture not being home for Christmas this year. Friday night, I was so tired, but I got ready anyway, and went out to eat with my sister.
Then on Saturday, I went to my friend, Jennifer's, house to visit with her and exchange Christmas gifts. I got to visit with the babies too, and that was wonderful. Kathryn didn't cry near as much this time as she did the last time I was there. And Connor, he's just loads of fun. He's two and full of energy. He's learning new words, but he doesn't quite know how to use them all yet. So, last weekend, I was "uncle" 'Cole. We tried to correct him, but he just didn't understand why it wasn't right! I found it quite funny!
Sunday, it was Merry Christmas and Happy New YEar all wrapped into one. We got up and went to church. It was great! I got to see so many people I used to know, and Bro. Pat even preached. He's no longer the senior pastor of the church, but the senior pastor was out of town, so I got a special treat--to hear my former pastor preach.
Once church was over, we came home, and that afternoon, opened Christmas presents, and had all the family over for dinner.
Then that night, we sang about old aquaintences being forgot, and all that jazz...while we shot fireworks and listened to bad music on the new year's rockin' eve. and we even had a new year's toast! So, it was a good day.
Monday, my mom, grandmother, and I went to the movies to see "The Pursuit of Happyness". I thought it was a really good story, but I think the movie was a bit long for the subject.
Tuesday I came home.
So, that was my trip to Alabama. I did get another treat this week, though. My friend, Alex, was down visiting his mother in Charlotte. He lives in Vancouver, so it's very seldom I get to see him. So, I drove to Charlotte and had lunch with him yesterday.
Charlotte is an easy drive. I may have to go back and go shopping soon. I've heard there's great shopping there.
So, this weekend, I plan to rest from all my travels, and clean the apartment. It always gets a mess when I go on a trip. With all the packing and unpacking! I may go to the movies and see Freedom Writers.

Have a great weekend!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone. I am sitting here at work, just finishing up a full night on the clock. I'm very sad that I wasn't able to see my family for Christmas. I had a really lonely weekend because of it. Just knowing that I would have been home all weekend if I'd been off today was heart-wrenching for me. But now, Christmas is almost over, and I have something to look forward to. I am off on New Year's Day, so I am heading home this weekend. I will have Christmas with my family then.

Well, now I'm going home. I'm going to watch a couple Christmas movies, and then I'll be back to work tonight.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year everyone.

Deck the Halls

I spent my day Saturday at the Biltmore estate, and man, it was beautiful. The whole place is decorated for Christmas. It was a really good day. I did the audio tour, and it really added alot to the tour. Then I ate lunch at Deerpark, which is an absolutely amazing restaurant on the grounds of the Biltmore estate. After that, I went to the winery and got some more of the wonderful wine we had at Thanksgiving. Then I came home. IT was a great day.

My sister graduated magna cum laude this weekend at the University of North Alabama. Congrats, Lisa!

nothing new to report...gotta go...I'm starving!

this week

This week, for the most part, was a good one. Of course, my birthday was Monday, and I totally treated myself that day. I had a facial and then lunch with the girls. I wish everyday could be that relaxing! Then, the rest of the week, I've just been kind of chillin'. I bought my angel tree gift...I think this is a great Charity and I'm glad I was able to participate this year. It was so fun going to the store and buying for a child. I really hope the girl likes it!

Tomorrow, I think I may head up to the Biltmore Estate to see the Christmas decorations. I didn't get to go last week. And sometime this weekend, I need to finish my Christmas shopping. I have all gifts except for my sister's. Lisa, I really need some ideas!!!

Speaking of Lisa, she graduates from college tonight. And with honors! So, congrats, little sis! You did it!

And Happy 25th birthday today to my brother, Tim.

To a sad note...
Please keep the Hannah family in your prayers. They are old friends of mine from grade school that now live in southern Georgia. Anyway, one of the children...he was 24 now...died in a car accident this week. Reports are that he fell asleep at the wheel. And his brother, who was in the car with him, was taken to the hospital. I have no update on his condition. But that family needs lots of prayers right now.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Well, it's official! I am 28 years old. You know, when my mother got 29, she never aged again...for the longest time, she told people she was 29 no matter how old she was! That is, until her children got too old for people to believe it anymore! I am thinking that might be a good idea...stop aging at 29. What do you think?

I had a good day at work last night. My co-worker, Heather, made me a wonderful, chocolate cake! It was so tasty! She even brought candles, and they all sang happy birthday. It was great! Today was also a good day because our writer that's been on maternity leave is back, so we had extra help.

Now, I'm about to get ready to go to the spa to get a facial (I'm so looking forward to it!) and then I am meeting the girls for lunch!

The weekend was good. I went to the "the holiday" at the theater. It was great! And then I went downtown Greenville and walked around Friday night so I could look at all the Christmas decorations. Saturday, I did almost all of my Christmas shopping. I got everyone taken care of except my sister! I have no clue what to get her!

Well, gotta go! Have a good day everybody.

It Feels Like Winter!

I don't think I've ever been this cold in December! Some cold air from Canada gushed down here last night, and man, it's cold! It feels like it's 11 degrees outside here in Greenville. And up in the mountains, the wind chill is below freezing. People up there got a good bit of snow last night!

Okay, so I turn a year older Monday. It's my 28th birthday, and for the first time in my life, I'm really not looking forward to the celebration of my birth. As I inch closer to 30, it just reminds me that I'm getting older. I don't want to be older!

The good news is, I have plans on Monday, so I won't be sitting at home by myself. I am going to the spa for an hour to get a facial. I'm really looking forward to that. I've never spent money on myself in that way before! And then for lunch, all the girls from my morning crew will be heading to lunch at P.F. Chang's! Now, I do not like chinese food, but I love this place! The food is great!

I already received birthday gifts from my mom...thanks! I really love them! For everyone else, I accept cash, checks, or credit! Just kidding!

Well, I think I'm going to go to the movies today. "The Holiday" starts today and it looks really good. Then tomorrow, I am going to head up to Asheville (if the snow is gone) so I can go see the Biltmore estate at Christmas. I have a drama performance tomorrow night.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hey Everyone!
So, I thought I would post some pictures that I've been itching to share! They are pretty random, so just bare with me...and enjoy!

Isn't this beautiful? I took this picture of the sunrise Thanksgiving morning at my dad's.

This is me and my nephew, Raphael. He was too busy looking at everything going on to take time to look at the camera! But he's still so cute!

Here is the fall colors that I miss so much right now. I took these at my apartment complex. I think it was so beautiful. Now, the trees are naked and blah!

And this one was just too cute not to share! This is my baby, Casey. He was sound asleep on my sofa and looking mighty confortable...complete with blanket and pillow! I swear, he thinks he's human!

It's Christmastime!

It's Christmastime! Yea! I absolutely love Christmas. Everything about it gives me warm fuzzies! All the lights, the music, and the smells of Christmas just make me feel so good inside. And thinking about Jesus and His birth just makes the season even greater.

I don't know why anyone can think about Christmas without including Christ. I mean, that's why Christmas exists. There have been several stories lately about Christmas celebrations in different cities...the one that come to mind was in Chicago...where they wouldn't allow the movie "the Nativity Story" to air during the festival because they didn't want people who weren't Christians to be uncomfortable. I really don't understand how you can differentiate between Christmas and the birth of Christ. Because the way I see it, if you didn't believe in Jesus, then why are you celebrating Christmas anyway? That's like saying, I don't believe Nicole exists, but I'm going to celebrate her birthday anyway. Christmas is just a big birthday party!

Okay, I'm off my soap-box. So, I had a wonderful visit with my family over Thanksgiving. I went to my dad's and my step-brother, Chris, along with his wife and baby, flew in from Chicago. It was the first time I got to meet the baby--he's 14 months old--and man, is he cute. His name is Raphael and he just took to me like white on rice. I went with my step-mom to the airport to pick them up and when I said hello, Raphael just fell into my arms. I had him in my hands before I could even ask if I could hold him. And it was like that all weekend. He was constantly with me. It was great! I hated to say good-bye. I love children so much, and I cannot wait until God blesses me with a couple. The weekend was also nice, because I got to know Chris's wife, Francoise. In the past, we had a really hard time communicating. She's from Paris, France, and her accent is really thick. Plus, with my thick southern accent she had a hard time understanding me as well. But I think both of us have gotten better with our English ((I didn't speak English, I spoke southern before (lol))) and we were able to enjoy each other's company. I'll post some pics next week.

I'm going to be busy this weekend...
Tonight, we have our first performance with our drama group at church. We are ministering at the Singles Bible study tonight. I'm kind of nervous. I just pray it goes well, and God uses us to minister to someone.
And tomorrow, we have our company Christmas party. I have the most awesome outfit I'm wearing. The dress code is semi-formal, and my outfit is "the bomb"! And yes, to everyone who's wondering, I'm going alone. No date this time. But that's okay...I"ll have fun with my co-workers, I'm sure.
I also plan to hang my Christmas lights on my balcony at my apartment...That should be fun!

Well, I have to get to the gym...kickboxing! Have a great weekend everyone...and don't take Christ our of Christmas.

Not Feeling Well...Again

Man, I am really getting tired of being sick. I have been sick so many times since I moved to Greenville, and here I am...sick again! I went to church yesterday, feeling just fine. Then about 30 minutes into the service, this overwhelming sense of nausea came over me. I had to leave for fear that I would get sick right there in the sanctuary. I came home, sent a couple of emails, and went to bed. I didn't even get up for drama practice. I slept until it was time to go to work.

Well, I really did not feel like being at work, but with our writer, Kate, on maternity leave, we are already short-handed. So, staying home really isn't an option. I got to work, only to find out most of our morning crew is sick. Amanda had strep-throat all weekend. Greg had stomach issues all day yesterday. And Heather wasn't even at work for 5 minutes before she had to run to the bathroom to throw up. So, we were all at work, and we were all sick. Something is definately going around. And it doesn't help when we all have to work sick. We pass it around like pre-schoolers at daycare.

So, now I'm home. I called my trainer and cancelled. Just can't work out feeling like I do right now. I think I'm going to go to bed soon.

I really hope I start feeling better soon. Thanksgiving is this week and I am going to my dad's. I really want to feel good while I'm there.

It's snowing in the mountains today (they're not that far from me). I think we're supposed to get some sleet here in Greenville. It's already raining a little. Winter is definately here. You know how I told you the leaves were so pretty a couple of weeks ago? Well, for the first time since I moved here, I think South Carolina is ugly! All the trees are bare...everything looks dead. It's just so yucky looking. I now appreciate all the evergreen trees in Alabama. But, still, I think I am going to enjoy winter here. I do hope we get some snow. I just don't like the way everything looks.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

All I want for Christmas

Just a few moments ago, I went to a friend's blog. His post simply said, "What do you want for Christmas?" It didn't take me long to answer. This year, I don't want material things. But the one thing I want, I can't have. I want to be with my family on Christmas. That would be the absolute best Christmas present ever! But I have to work, so I cannot go home.

You know, as a child, Christmas was always so magical. I knew the real reason for the season. My mom made sure to teach me about Jesus at an early age. But my dad made sure I got to experience the other side of Christmas, too. Santa Claus was very real to me growing up. I remember hearing elves run through the hall on Christmas eve, and hearing the reindeer on the roof. One Christmas morning, I went outside and found sleigh marks in the dirt. Santa was there and he was there every year!

One year when I was little, we were all spending Christmas at my grandmother's house. We used to have these big family Christmases with all the cousins. I don't know why we stopped. But it was so much fun. My brother and I were the youngest of the cousins and the older ones had a lot of fun with us because of it. One year, they were trying to get me to go to sleep on Christmas eve, but I wanted to stay awake. And you know if you're still awake when Santa comes, he won't stop. So, I was laying there and I looked out the window, and I saw Rudolph's red nose in the window. Oh no! Santa is here and I'm not asleep! What am I going to do? It was so much fun. I miss those days. I can't wait until God blesses me with children so I can bring back that childhood magic of Christmas.

Thanksgiving hasn't even passed and I'm already thinking about Christmas, but I can't help it. Christmas is all around me! On the radio, stations are already playing Christmas music...and you go to the store and there's Christmas decorations everywhere! But I don't mind. Christmas is my favorite time of year. I've been known to listen to Christmas music in July! :)

I'm going to my dad's for Thanksgiving next week. I'm really looking forward to it!!! And I get to see my nephew for the first time...he's a year old! My step-brother and his wife live in Chicago, and her family lives in France, so we don't get to see them very often.