Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve.

Middle age is when you're forced to. ~Bill Vaughn

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.

A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. ~Bill Vaughan

A New Year's resolution is something that

goes in one year and out the other. ~Author Unknown

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors,

and let each new year find you a better man. ~Benjamin Franklin

As you may or may not know, this has really been a tough year for us at my house. Don't get me wrong, we've had our good times, but it has been a trying year, nonetheless. I'm working on things I hadn't realized I needed to work on. I suppose that means I'm "growing"! :P

(And after 24 years of marriage, we are making it! It's been a long, (and sometimes very difficult) road on which to be, but Hubby still tries to make me happy. He still cooks for me. We still hold hands at the movies. That's definitely something for which to be thankful!)

But I can't leave out my friends for being here for me, too. And I would certainly be remiss if I didn't mention my blog friends. It's amazing how a bunch of "strangers" can be there for you, but I'm living proof that it does happen. My year has been made stronger by all my blog friends.
Thank you ALL!!

May 2008 be your best year EVER!!!!

Happy 24th Anniversary, Hubby!!!

I LOVE YOU!!

I would like to wish all my wonderful, amazing blog friends

a very Merry Christmas. May your day be filled

with warmth and wonder, joy and peace,

and everything you could ever wish for

during this family season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Wow... Time is flying.

I don't have a lot of things to buy for Christmas at this point. I don't really have a lot of people to buy for, and since son's been older, I haven't really spent a lot of time shopping for Christmas. "Things" haven't been high on my list in some time. I know it sounds strange, but it seems as if the last few years have taught me about the level of importance of things. "Things" and presents just aren't high on my list. Family and being there for each other, on the other hand, has come to be most important.

Granted, we have bought some things for son and for her, and I'm still trying to find something for hubby. (He's SO difficult to buy for! Truly!) I have my bike already and a couple more things on their way in the mail.

My mom and stepdad are also impossible for which to buy Christmas presents!! It reminds me of this Cathy comic quite a LOT! I've been sending them gift cards for things that they like the last couple of years. It actually seems to be working out very well for them. They seem to like it much better than more "knick knacks" and/or clothes and such. (And with my mom having COPD and other breathing disorders, even perfumes and bath oils, etc. are out of the question.)

And this time last year, we couldn't even get son to talk to us on the phone, let alone have him home for Christmas. We had to find him and take his present to him a couple of days after Christmas last year. That part is nice this year. It's nice to have him much closer to us this year.

Definitely.

Speaking of which, he now has a job. He's finished nearly a week there so far. He's very happy about that! And I have to say, so am I. They seriously need the money with a little one on the way. And to see that change in him from "I don't like this job so I think I'll quit" to "I really need this job so I'll do whatever it takes to keep it" has been an amazing change in him that I'm very happy to see. I'm very happy to see some sort of maturity in him.

OK. Now that I've bored you all to tears with the details of my boring life at this holiday season,

I'll leave you all with a very jolly,...

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL !!

...and have fun in the remaining days until the holidays are here!!

"Elf Yourself!"

OK. I finally gave in and "elfed" myself!!

I've seen this link on a few different blogs,

so I decided to go ahead and try it myself.

I did this last year, too...

>>>>>Here's my elf! <<<<<

Now you go along and make one!!

I'm thinking the weather here is going to be

completely whacky and crazy

the next couple of days.

It's 80 degrees today.

We're getting a cold spell tomorrow.

It's supposed to be a high of 51 tomorrow.

I'm pretty sure that's at midnight.

Within 24 hours we are, more than likely,

going from 80 degrees to 38 degrees

this time tomorrow. And we'll have

freezing rain this time tomorrow.

YIKES!!

**Edit -- As it turned out, we reached a high of 87 on Saturday. We had to have the air conditioning on. Within hours we had to turn the heat on when the temperature plunged to 34 degrees by the middle of Sunday -- not to get any warmer. One day shorts, the next day winter coats. Crazy Texas weather...! -- End Edit**

Insomnia...

What means this heaviness that hangs upon me?
This lethargy that creeps through all my senses?
Nature, oppress'd and harrass'd out with care,
Sinks down to rest.
- Joseph Addison, Cato (act V, sc. 1)

What probing deep
Has ever solved the mystery of sleep?
- Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Human Ignorance

But I, in the chilling twilight stand and wait
At the portcullis, at thy castle gate,
Longing to see the charmed door of dreams
Turn on its noiseless hinges, delicate sleep!
- Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Invocation to Sleep

He sleeps well who is not conscious that he sleeps ill.
- Francis Bacon

Can anyone tell me what this is?



**EDIT
(Oh, my!!! I'm sorry to give people the wrong idea!!
This isn't an ultrasound of mine - it's my grandchild.)
END EDIT **

Have fun shopping, cooking, and getting ready for the holiday season!!!

I did something "huge" today. Well, maybe not huge in the context that some of you would consider "huge," but for me, it was big.

I've been doing some Christmas shopping, as I'm sure all of you have done. But today, I shopped for her. In my heart, I didn't want to do anything of the sort. I received an email recently with some sort of "quotes" or sayings by which we were all supposed to live (as I'm sure we all have!!!) :P . I remember reading it quickly and in the same time frame, deleting it immediately. One saying stayed with me, though. I can't remember it exactly, but it said something regarding "learning lessons about life and love." Even though I threw it away, one thought stayed with me. It said something about "to learn about love, do something nice for someone you dislike." Well, sheesh, she fit that bill nicely!

Hubby and I stopped by a department store tonight and bought her some maternity clothes. I bought one pair of black pants (suitable for work) and a black maternity blouse and a darker red (burgundy colored) maternity blouse. I sincerely hope she likes them -- especially because son has said she has no real maternity clothes so far (she is about 14 weeks now). I'll be picking him up and bringing him home tomorrow so he and hubby can go play poker tomorrow night. I'll show them to him then to see what he thinks. ...to see if he thinks they will fit her and also if he thinks she will like them. If so, I'll wrap them up for her.

As much as I don't want to face it, it appears she is going to be the mother of my grandchild. I guess that means I must do what I must do to keep that baby in our lives. I suppose there are worse things....

Hoping you all have a happy holiday "prep" season!!