The Center of My World

Jesse, this is for you. I know we were talking the other day about the one piece in my house that everything was center around. Here it is...

I think it is so beautiful. I love the red and gold and I got it just to go on the sage mountain walls.

I am still recouping from moving in expenses and Christmas, but one day soon I will make it to buy something extravagant to place on it.

What Have I Been Up To...

...Sinning! "Sin City" that is! Yes, at 33 I finally have made my way westward to Las Vegas. Jeremy and I had a fabulous time without the kiddos just walking and people watching and walking and people watching and OH, did I mention walking and people watching? I have to say for people who don't gamble, go out clubbing or want to pay big bucks for shows, we were out of our element. However we did take advantage of all the food and free stuff we could take in!

I was in awe of the mere beauty of the surrounding mountains. I guess because I live in flat Oklahoma I never expected the dessert to be so amazing. Up in the Stratosphere you could see that for sure.

We didn't go in all, but we did visit 90 percent of the casinos just to see what they had inside. Most were unbelievable!! The grand scale of these creations are hard to grasp unless you see them for yourself. It is hard to say which were my favorites, however New York, New York, Paris and the Venetian would all have to be in my top favorites for different reasons.

And of course the the most important thing on my list to see were the fountains outside the Bellagio (like the ones at the end of Ocean's Eleven)...Breathtaking! Just by chance we stumbled upon a show at the Palazzo. These women, dressed as statues, that did beautiful movements in a fountain to music with water coming out of their fingers. It was call the Living Garden.

I am feeling I have had my fill of the Vegas Strip. But I would like to go back someday to see the Hoover Dam, climb one of those mountains, and see old Vegas. That was one more thing to check off my list!

What Will This Room Become!

I'm stuck!

This room was SUPPOSE to be a theater room. And yes, while one day soon it will have all the components of a theater room - projection, projection screen and theater seating, my darling husband has decided it is now going to be an OU Sooners room!

So in the mist of compromise, we've decided to make it a "tasteful" sports room! Is that an oxymoron?

I NEED HELP!

Jesse, this is where I hope you can come in and guide me.

Do a coat of crimson paint on the bottom section of the wall. (the walls right now are Latte.)?

-The stadium seat are going to stay.

-This is a huge room with as you can see walls full of OU pictures that I need an idea of how that can be more tasteful!

-Is there some way it can be both without looking funny - one side OU/the other side theater?

Here is one more!

I'm Back From the Dark Place

Winter, I curse you!
January, I curse you more!

Yes, I'm SADD (Seasonal Affective Disorder)! They say it isn't a real disorder, but it is, I promise! It is the dark place! So I am back...I'm out of bed, my bad mood and weight gain - back to life, back to blogging, back to taking pictures and spending time with friends. Screw winter. I'm not going to let it win!

New Tradition - The Elf on the Shelf

This Christmas the Thomas family added a little member to our Christmas tradition - A little Elf on the Shelf who Andrew named November.

The story behind the Elf on the Shelf is that he comes to your house around Christmas time from the North Pole and sits and watches you the whole Christmas season. He does leave however when you're sleeping to return to the NP to report his sightings to Santa himself. He returns to your home each morning only he finds a new perch to sit on while watching. So every morning it is important you find him.

I had no idea that Andrew and even Kendyll would have so much fun with this little guy. He was one of the hightlights of our holiday season. As soon as AJ jumped out of bed the elf was the first thing he tried to spot. We had to be very creative as you can imagine. If you mentioned the elf Kendyll would always look to the place the it was the day before. However once she found the elf it was pure excitement and joy with a loud shreek "eeeeek," "eeeeeek." The elf brought to our house the just what an adult needs seeing the innocence and excitement of what Christmas is throught a child's eyes. And even better, all I had to say when AJ wouldn't mind was "Elf, did you write that down!" and AJ jumped to get it done. Now, I'm just not sure what I'm going to do for the next 11 months to get him to obey?



One of my other favorite traditions is lining up in my mom and dad's hallway waiting to see what Santa brought. I have been doing for as long as I can remember and the tradition still holds even with my children.



One last great thing that happened this holiday season. On New Year's Eve we came home early from our party just to be home together as a family. Jeremy, AJ and I stayed up until midnight and toasted together. Before the toast we practiced with AJ by counting down 10 to 1 then saying Happy New Year then toasting. After we practiced and said "then we toast" he asked us "where is the bread!" Don't you love what goes through the minds of children?

My Life Will Never Be That Way...Eat Those Words!

It is so weird, but Jeremy and I are in this season of life where I feel I have to write down everything I want to say to him. It is like a "to do" list but a "to talk about" list. And even though I may begin going down my list when we get a minute, most the time the topic doesn't finish and then it remains on my list for three more days. Kids, kids, kids are so demanding (I need more water, I need help with my shoes, Stop messing with your sister) I am finding we can't finish a topic of conversation. What ever happened to my life won't be that way?

The other day I find myself getting upset over the littlest things Andrew is doing. Why am I so upset over this? I never was going to yell or use phrases like "because I said so" or "I don't care, you do what I say."

Since I became an adult around my friends who had kids (you know when you are the only one who hasn't begun that season) I use to wonder why aren't they taking care of themselves? Why can't they just throw on a little make up, why haven't they washed their hair, or why are they gaining weight - they're just letting themselves go! It is straight up work to maintain yourself as well as your house and your kids. I find myself on a daily basis wondering if it would be easier to just go back to work. I am now in that season of understanding and I want to apologize to all those moms who I had bad thoughts about. I drag my getting bigger butt (because I am always running with my kids and eatting fast food) out of bed at 6:30 in the morning just to look presentable. I am gaining weight like crazy and now at 33 it is not coming off as easy (went back to the gym this week and began dieting - I gained 3.5 pounds!)

Since I am a control freak. I am trying not to loose my mind! That I don't have the perfect house with everything in its place, my car looks like I live in it, and my Christmas tree is only half done because I am too exhausted to put more ornaments on it because I keep finding the ones already on it around the house. I am busting out of my clothes because I am not buying new ones. All things that I was going to be in control of, but I am too tired.

I am getting close to freaking out! But I have to keep perspective - one day my house will have everything in its place and my car won't have snacks and car seats in it, and my Christmas tree will dazzle with color and I will be thin! And last but not least, Jeremy and I will be able to have a full conversation at dinner or when he walks in the door. But that will be a sad day because that will mean my babies are gone and all grown up! So lets live in the moment and enjoy all those little annoying uncontrolable things that are so bittersweet!

My First Award

Okay, I am new to this blogging thing, and I just found out I won an award. What excitement! My blog is Fabulous! I never knew!

I am suppose to pass on five additions of mine! Only five?

Well my newest addition is...

1. I dislike coffee, however weirdly enough I love the smell. I love to walk down the coffee aisle at the grocery store and take a wiff. Needless to say with such a dilema I'm sad about Starbucks! I want to go in there so bad, but can't find anything I like unless it is hot cocoa. That is until just recently when my little sis introduced me to the "Double Chocolate Chip Frappacino!!!" No coffee, just lots of delious goodness that isn't very good to the figure if you know what I mean.

2 & 3. Which leads to my second and third addictions. As a gift to myself when I get to go shop by myself (which is not very often) I get my Starbucks indulgence while shopping at my two favorite stores...

4. Nicolas Sparks...what a fabulous author. I love all his books and sometimes read them then read them again. I have always wanted to go or live close the coast in North Carolina. In my mind it would be amazing. If you've never read any of his books the first one to try is The Notebook (a very easy read), then Dear John was incredible.

5. Then last but not least...Rachel McAdams. I guess you could say she is my celebrity girl crush. I love all her movies and she is just beautiful. She is always so sassy!