I double dog, err make that quadruple DOG dare ya!

Can you just imagine the look on Santa and Mrs. Clause's face if I were to walk through the door with all 4 of my dogs, especially Rogue, in tow!

The attempt may just be worth peeing my pants in public. The calamity I would cause could very well be the pick me up I've been needing!

Does anyone dare me to do this? It just very well could become my 15 minutes of fame!

Mommas happy place!

I love to decorate for the holidays.

Valentines Day...Check.

Easter...Check.

Summer {yes it's a holiday here!}...Check.

Fall...Check.

Halloween..Check. Check. Check!

Thanksgiving...Check.

Christmas...Check. Check and double check!

I have a lot of things to set out and everyone asks where I store them since we don't have basements in Florida. For those of you that have attics you know it's tough to get those big bins up and into the small opening of an attic. Balancing them on your shoulder while trekking up those rickety stairs should be an Olympic event!

We had access upstairs in the bonus room that went to a large open area above Peanuts room and the kitchen so I had the area that was tall enough for me to walk in finished to use as storage. He closed it in, added a door that goes to the "raw" attic space, built a bench to set heavy stuff on and shelves to hold everything else. This room really has been a blessing!

Each shelf, or portion of, holds certain seasons making it easy for me grab what I need.

The Fall bins were waiting to be put in and most of the Santa's had already been taken out when I took this picture, usually they are stacked as high as I can reach.

I also keep our luggage, party supplies and Peanuts baby bassinet that Papa made her up there. The only thing that doesn't go up there are candles, in the summer this room can get pretty hot and I end up with a pool of wax were candles once sat.

I'm really not sure what I would do without this room, I would probably have to rent a storage unit. Can you imagine what a hassle that would be when decorating time came around!

I have loved this room since day one and consider it one of my happy places since I really would be lost without it! It also serves as a hiding place for gifts, the door locks and I take the key, there's no need to search year after year for that perfect hiding place from those noisy little brats my darling little angels!

Christmas is officially unfolding at the Seriously house today. I will hopefully be finished decorating later today and will be able to move on to wrapping gifts the gifts I bought on Black Friday by tonight!

This really is the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

25 Days of Thankful! Thanksgiving

Day 25: November 25, 2010

I am thankful for the Macy's Day parade that's on in the background because it reminds me of the may years my Daddy and I watched it together while my Mom worked tirelessly in the kitchen preparing Thanksgiving Day dinner for my family.

I an Thankful for my two precious daughters who are resting peacefully this morning.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband who will help me every step of the way today preparing Thanksgiving Day dinner for our family.

I am thankful for the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls coming from the kitchen because it's a tradition my girls have come to love.

I am thankful for my sisters and brother and their families who I will miss terribly all day today!

I am thankful for the fact that I have a warm home and a big turkey to set on the table today when many are in lines at shelters waiting for their meal.

I am thankful for my best friends who have once again convinced me that I have to getup at 3 o'clock in the morning with them to go Black Friday shopping because it's worth it just to people watch {they're totally right!}.

I am thankful that in just 29 days we will be able to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and all that He did and continues to do for each one of us.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends and be Thankful!

25 Days of Thankful! Little girls

Day 24: November 24, 2010

I know I'm a day late getting this one up but I needed to wait until I captured the days events before I could post.

My two best friends each have two girls, to say when we get together the men need to run and hide from the estrogen overload would be an understatement! Our girls range in age from 2-16 and I believe several, if not all all them have some hearing problems because they are beyond loud!

We all got together yesterday to make Christmas cookies and draw names for Christmas present. We baked, we made a huge mess, we laughed, they wined and I yelled "we will have fun today" when things started to get hairy between a couple of them. There was no fighting and no crying making the afternoon a win! I am still cleaning sprinkles up off the floor {the dogs did a pretty good job but missed a few...hundred} courtesy of one very cute and sprinkle obsessed 2 year old and there may be flour permanently embedded in the cracks of my cabinets but it's all good!

Today yesterday I am thankful for my two "sisters" and my four "nieces"! I love them all like my own family and secretly more than a few of those!

Danielle and her girls

Rebecca and her girls

Obviously me and mine

We rolled the dough with help...

and without.

and we decorated.

With icing....

and with sprinkles, lots and lots of sprinkles!

And we played in the flour because what fun is making cookies if you can't make a mess?!!?

I am thankful for each one of these beautiful and special girls!

Be Thankful!

12 Days of Christmas Swap!

I'm sure all of you know by now how much I love a good, please let me stress the word GOOD, swap! So when Sami at Symmetry in Motion announced she was hosting a 12 days of Christmas swap I was in! That's right 12 gifts are about to be sent and received and I cannot wait! I really need to get me thinking cap on so I don't disappoint my partner! The swap doesn't close until the end of today so there's still time to join in just head on over to Sami's and sign up!

25 Days of Thankful! No School

Day 23: November 23, 2010

There is no school or work for Babe all week! That means no alarm clocks, no bed times and no schedule! We love sleeping in and staying up late watching movies! I love last minutes plans to run here or there and I love doing all of it with my 3 favorite people!

Today I can honestly say I am thankful for the county school calendar, that may very well be a first!

Be Thankful!

25 Days of Thankful! Family

25 Days of Thankful!

Days 21 & 22: November 21 -22, 2010

I cannot begin to express how thankful I am for the past 3 days! It was so wonderful to spend time with my family in such a relaxing setting. There were no computer {my iPhone had hit or miss service and helped me stay sane}, no cars, no responsibilities and no distractions!

Our friend took great care of us! The food was incredible, the tour of the island was breathtaking and the boating and fishing was something we had never experienced before. With that being said I must add Julio to my thankful list!

Spending time with the love of my life is always something I'm thankful for!

and of course time with my girls is treasured as it seems to be slipping through my fingers!

I am thankful for bonfires

and smores!

For seeing nature up close and personal

and seeing my girls hold it in their hands. Peanut pulled in this 3.5 pound, 24" trout with minimal help!

Honey's trout was a little smaller and made for a perfect dinner for the pelican that was waiting patiently nearby soon after he was released!

For Peanuts determination to finish the job

And Honey's ability to relax and laugh with her family even though its no longer cool to be with us. "Snookie caught a Snook!" {all together the girls caught and released 2 ladyfish, 1 bluefish, 2 catfish, 2 trout and 1 snook all in under 3 hours!}

I'm thankful for the privilege to sit back and watch my girls have fun together

{they did not fight all weekend!}

and for seeing moments like this, proof that they really do love one another!

I was also extremely thankful for my bladder that stayed strong when Julio caught this shark with his casting net and brought on board!

And for the beautiful sunsets that God made just for us!

Be Thankful!

25 Days of Thankful! Blogville friends

I have wonderful friends both IRL and I talk about them all of the time but I don't think I've really taken the time to talk about all of friends in Blogville. For my nonblogging friends the fact that I have real friendships with strangers is a very hard concept to understand, it's like internet dating of which I have a new respect for now! But all of you I know what I'm saying and completely understand. I have several friends out there that I would drop my life for to come and help if I was needed. Friends who I email on a regular basis, friends I have shared a margarita with, friends that mail me Christmas presents and birthday cards. Friends that share their life with me, and you, every day. Friends that make me laugh and cry and friends that do their best to keep it real and are always eager to make new friends. Yes, these complete strangers are my friends, I so wish I had the time to list of you but I don't. Please go visit them all, they're all listed right there to the right, I promise they will love you, there are no cliques amongst these friends! When you visit leave a comment, we all love comments, and be sure to tell them I sent you!

I received a package in the mail from one of these friends last week. A package that was sent to me randomly just because I'm one of her followers. How sweet is that? This is the type of friend that everyone needs and deserves, she is the type of friend I want to be when I grow up.

There was a cute little card in there that I can't seem to find and a bottle of pink nail polish that I believe has already been high jacked by one very adorable 10 year old. I cannot wait to listen to her play list, how cool is that? A play list. I never would have thought to send that but I'm so putting that one in the vault for future swaps!

Thank you Mamarazzi for being one of my favorite Blogville friends!

Be Thankful!

25 Days of Thankful! HMMMM

Day 19: November 19, 2010

What am I thankful for today?...What am I thankful for today?...

HMMMMMmmmm....

Don't get me wrong I have a lot to be thankful for but like I said when I started this 25 day journey I wanted to be thankful for the small things in life, the things that are so often taken for granted. It's been a little more difficult than I thought it was going to be, especially since I'm trying not to throw in my extreme asshatery humor! So as I sit here thinking this morning I'm honestly struggling and that's just embarrassing and sad!

I am thankful that I woke to chilly temperatures this morning, it's a little tough to get into the spirit of Fall and Christmas when it's 88 degrees outside. I was very thankful again for my Kuerig, it made me such a wonderful cup of coffee this morning of which I added Peppermint Mocha creamer to! I was thankful for the warm blanket that I wrapped around myself as I sat on the couch to watch last nights episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice. I was also very thankful for my TV companion, Rogue, who curled up next to his Momma to keep me company.

Right now I am thankful the hot shower I'm about to jump into and for my parents who are so graciously coming to watch my babies this weekend. And after ugly crying while watching Grey's Anatomy I am again very thankful for Gods grace in providing the continued good health and safety of my daughters!

I promise to put more thought in the remaining 6 days of my Thankful journey, I'm sure as I'm sitting on the beach around the fire tonight with my 3 favorite people something will come to me!

Be Thankful!

25 Days of Thankful! Just Relax

Day 18: November 18, 2010

Today I am so very thankful that tomorrow is the last day of school for a week, the last day of work for my husband for the next 10 days, that my parents are coming over to watch my dogs and that we are getting lost {perhaps literally} for a few days before Thanksgiving.

Tonight I will pack clothes, snacks and a few things we just cannot do without, like my computer, so we can head to a small island a couple of hours south. I have to pack all of these things because the only way to get to the island is via boat, our car will be parked on shore! This island is small, only 4 houses are on it {I think that's an extreme exaggeration, I'll soon find out}, we will be able to go boating, enjoy the private beach, read, sleep in and the girls can drive the golf cart around and explore. The best part? The owner of the house is a good friend of my husbands and an incredible cook, he's coming along and has told me I am not allowed to do a thing! SCORE!

I am very much looking forward to recharging my battery with my family this week. Now lets just hope we all make it off the island together, you never know someones torch may have to be extinguished!

Be Thankful!

25 Days of Thankful! Nemesis no more!

Day 17: November 17, 2010

My office is finally clean and is now an area I can hopefully be productive in. Now I just need to keep it this way for longer than a week.

Now that's it's clean I want a makeover. New paint and window treatment may be on the horizon!

I even went through each scrapbook and labeled what needed to be done to complete it. I'm hoping the blinding hot pick post it notes will encourage me to start scrap booking again soon. I am years, literally years, behind!

I'm thankful not only for a clean office but for all of the other little things that were haunting me every time I walked through the door. I was able to get everything done but organize the pictures and memorabilia that needs to be scrap booked. It is all in storage bins and stacked in the closet for another day.

I finally finished the altered paint can for Honeys room. I will Cricut cut a title for the teal top as soon as she tells me what she wants, I'm thinks "Honey's Keys".

I fixed the pillow that was torn from ripping the tag off instead of cutting it off.

And this pillow that may or may not have been chewed by Mr. Rogue

I tacked the peace charm back onto Peanuts flip flop, it's been off since June!

I reattached 5 of the chains that came off in the wash on Honey's shirt.

And painted zebra stripes around her Tim Tebow picture that has been sitting on the corner of my desk since, oh I honestly don't remember, maybe April?

I accomplished a lot, especially considering I still did a load of laundry, prepped the food for the brunch I had here this morning and made homemade chicken pot pie for dinner. On day 17 I am very thankful {and proud of myself} for having such a productive day!

Be Thankful!