TTUT ~ I'm late, I'm late for a very important date....

I'm late to my own party which should really come to no surprise to anyone who really knows me. I'm always late, no matter how hard I try not to be. I was even late to my own wedding, almost thirty minutes late, people where starting to talk! That's another story in itself, all I'll say for now is that it involved a left behind blusher, a sweet brother who raced back home for it only to find blush, and a love affair between my 80's pink lipstick and the front of my gown...

I digress.

My partner in crime IA is back this week and she's ratting me out. Biotch! I swear someone slipped me something, probably Babe wanting a little lovin', because I only had three and a half drinks over the course of 4 hours. I'm glad she's back, I can handle it so bring it on friends! 

I fell asleep last night after doing a little reading in bed with a killer headache. The reading excuse was for you the headache excuse was for Babe. Both are true, I promise.

I'm on a reading kick lately. I really haven't read that much since I jumped on the wet bandwagon and read the 50 Shades trilogy last summer. I did read The Lucky One before it was released in the theaters, I like to compare the two when possible, and after seeing the young, very hot and extremely buff Zac Efron on the big screen I consider myself the lucky one! That's why I read Safe Haven last week, in an afternoon, I hated putting it down to do the few mandatory SAHM duties I had on my to-do list. If you haven't read it it was good, predictable but still good. I'm looking forward to seeing Josh Duhamel bigger than life in a few weeks, that Fergie is a lucky girl! Then I rolled right into The Best Of Me, another book from Nicholas Sparks, that one took a little time for me to get into but once I was past chapter five I was hooked. Since I was on a reading roll I downloaded {I prefer reading on my iPad than a real book-go ahead hate if you will, my girls do} Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It was referred to me by my girl Becca after it was referred to her by her Momma. I had no clue what it was about I just dove in. Y'all it's about a mass shooting at a high school, the timing is bad with the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook but I've been sucked in and have been slacking on all other responsibilities since opening it.

Do you read? 

What do you recommend?

I've done this once before and it was fun so I think it's time to do it again. I will send one of you my paper copy of Safe Haven {Honey read it first and she must have paper in hand} with my name and blog address inside for you to read and then pass on to another blogger. It will be fun to see how far it travels. If you want it let me know in your comment and I will email you if your chosen requesting your address.

Thanks for excusing my tardy friends! Now link up your random since there's no rules with our TTUT party! 

Talk To Us Tuesday ~ I wonder if...

 

It's just me again this week since IA has no Internet...again! I swear she should demand a serious refund, she goes without Internet more than she has it!

While coming home from taking Peanut to school the other morning I had itch in an area that made me very glad I was sitting in the privacy of my car. So I took care of my PHI, pubic hair itch as we refer to it at the Serious house, at the exact time I drove through a camera enforced stop light. That left me wondering if those cameras are monitored at all times or just on the occasion a car tries to sneak through a yellow light?

I wonder how many crotch and nose pickers are caught on camera? I guess I can now be added to the list.

OOPS!

TTUT ~ Ready ~ Aim ~ Fire

Welcome to TTUT, I've made it another week, whut-whut! I'm not so sure if my girl IA is participating this week or not, she's had a full week with her in-laws still visiting and a GNO to a casino where she indulged in the Captain, hopefully she'll find the time for a brief post but if not I'll still love her. We've managed to keep it afloat for another week, we certainly appreciate all of you wanting TTUT to stick around and the handful of you that emailed us showing an interest in helping out. As soon as we find a few minutes to actually talk we'll let you know what we're doing.

Last year instead of making New Year resolutions I made a list of 52 things I wanted to accomplish in the 52 weeks of 2012. I need to go back and review my list, I think I may have failed a little which is better than failing completely right? One of the things on the list was to have a weekly family night. This was very important to all of us as Honey will be leaving for college in 5 short months, we all wanted to seize the little time we had left as a family unit. I'm happy to report that we did very well! We missed a few weeks due to illness, a few to work travels and we had to reschedule for a different night a few times but all in all we were hugely successful! I think the key was setting the same day every week, everyone knew Thursdays were family night. 

We saw a ton of movies, ate dinner out and laughed loudly at our total inappropriateness, made homemade pizzas, played board games, went bowling, took the dogs for walks, treated ourselves to manicures and pedicures {yes, even Babe}, had dinner in front of the TV while watching one of our favorite movies, hit the mall a time or two, and I believe we spent one night studying for exams. It didn't matter what we did, it was all about spending quality time together, time is the one thing you never have enough of! 

Family night has a new night in 2013...Mondays. Monday is my cleaning day so I'm going to welcome a hot shower and a meal that I didn't have to prepare. It's also going to serve as more than a handful of TTUT posts I'm sure, hopefully y'all won't get tired of my family. 

Last night we all went to the shooting range for a little target practice before dinner. I fired a gun for the first time Sunday, with one of my besties and our husbands, I'm also taking a ladies concealed weapons class with her and a few more friends Thursday night. If we're going to own guns I'm going to know how to shoot 'em! It wasn't as bad as I anticipated but I don't see it as something I will want to do just for fun. Babe had me shoot a 22 the first few times before he had me use my 38, that 38 has some kick! I also tried the 9mm...do I sound educated yet? 

The girls did great. Honey was ready to shoot the minute we walked through the door while Peanut was a little hesitant. Once we got them set up there was no stopping them, they are both great shots! Within a few minutes they were each shooting on their own, with a parent over their shoulder at all times of course, loading and unloading and handling the guns with caution and respect. I was more than impressed! 

Safety first. It kills me how Honey can pull off ANY look! 

Honey went first...I'd say she got him! 

Peanut is very black and white, that child has zero grey area! She listened, watched and applied.

The shots in the red are from her Daddy, she's not that good...yet.

I only got in a few rounds, the girls were gun hogs.

How cool is this shot?  

It took skill to capture it twice, especially since I was using my iPhone! 

Gun control and safety is huge right now, obviously you know where this family stands. Like I said last week, the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. This family is full of good guys and now full of guns! I don't think I could shoot to kill but I certainly would shoot to stop. I just pray I never have to! What's your opinion?

Could you pull the trigger?

Gun control seems to be a hot topic since the tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary. I've decided to dip my toe in these dangerous waters and voice my opinion...


I do not think anyone has the right to tell me that I cannot protect my daughters and myself with any necessary means, after all it is the second amendment of this country. If that means shooting someone than so be it. If someone breaks into my home, and gets past my dogs, then I'm going to choose to defend myself and my family with a gun. I do not want to and I hope I never have to but I will. 

This is a new point of view for me. We've had a gun in the house for years and I have stayed as far away from it as possible. What has made me change my mind after all of these years? I really do not know but I have and I stand firm behind my decision. 

The President of the NRA wisely said during a heavily protested press conference shorty after the Sandy Hook shootings that the only thing that can stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun and I couldn't agree more! Will I shoot to kill? I'm sure I won't, I don't think I have it in me to take another life, but I will shoot to stop him {or her} in his tracks...I'm aiming right between the legs! 

In my opinion if someone enters my house unwanted they are entering with bad intentions. I will not give them the opportunity to prove me wrong. My girls are my world and I will not sit back and let something happen to them when I have the right and ability to prevent it. 

I'm taking a concealed weapons class next week and will start shooting often. I need to be comfortable with my ability to use such a powerful and deadly weapon, it's an obligation that every gun owner should be forced to take. I will also teach my girls how to shoot, another new for me!  At 18 and 13 I feel they are ready for the responsibility to protect themselves. We will not go down without a fight in this house! 

Melinda Herman, the Georgia mom that shot a home intruder 5 times last week, has given me the courage to do this. A man broke into her home in the middle of the afternoon, he searched her and her 9 year old twins out who were hiding in the attic and when he opened the door she shot him. If he was looking to simply rob the home then why did he seek them out?  It's my opinion that he was there to do them harm and she stopped him with her husband on the phone encouraging her to stay calm, remember everything he had tougher her and to shoot! 

Melinda, you are both a hero and inspiration. I hope if I am ever faced with such horror I can handle myself just like you did! 

What are your thoughts on home protection and the possible threat to have it revoked? 

TTUT ~ December recap

 

2013. The future. driving cars in space, living on the moon, robot maids. Yeah, notsomuch.

Sorry that there was no TTUT last week, to be 100% honest with you with it being New Years day my partner IA and I just completely forgot. It's hard for me to admit this but blogging just isn't on my list of priorities any longer. I wish it was, I loved it when I was all in. I loved reading other blogs and couldn't wait to journal my life on mine and I met some very dear friends along the way but lately it's been more of a job than a fun past time and if you know me at all you know I'm slightly allergic to work. Run on sentence much? I'm not so sure what 2013 is going to bring for me as far as blogging is concerned so if there's anyone out there that would be interested in helping with TTUT please let me know as I may be taking a hiatus. I'm not sure what IA's intentions are since her in-laws are visiting we haven't been able to talk about it....

Since I'm a week late Emmy Mom has already closed her 10 Thing To Smile About but I still want to participate, just without linking up, because December was simply wonderful! In no particular order here's my list of smiles...

1. My Dad celebrated his 75th birthday. I'm too lazy to actually download the pictures off of my camera but I love, love, love this picture of him and my Mom with Honey on Homecoming night. He is such a wonderful, Godly man who had a less than wonderful childhood. Instead of making his children suffer through the same torment he did he broke the chain and gave my sisters, brother and I an incredible life. I love my Daddy!

2. Peanut turned 13, I am now the Mother of TWO teen girls. Her day started with a ride to school in style. She was less than thrilled with my antics but to avoid me beeping the horn the entire drive and through the car line she decided to tell me how much she loved me and ride to school without complaining and with a smile on her face. Smart girl!

3. Christmas was fabulous! I bought all new decorations for both trees and the dining room table, it was long over-due, as a gift to myself but my favorite gift this year came from Honey. She remembered me saying how much I loved this frame when shopping almost a year ago and went back to get it for me. It has found its home and every day, multiple times a day, I look at it and smile. She is one awesome daughter!

4. I rang in another New Year with the love of my life. This was the 26th time he was the first person I kissed at the start of a new year, a tradition I'd like to continue until the end of time!

5. In light of the tragic event at Sandy Hook I joined thousands of others in a walk to honor the victims. Walk 27 was a global event, a 27 minute walk in honor of the victims, I extended my walk to a little over an hour walking past all 4 of my local schools, stopping at each one to pray for the students and staff inside. I sent the word out via FaceBook and it spread like wildfire. There were close to 60 people walking with me that morning and although someone accused me of only wanting to get my name in the paper it was an incredible experience and one that I would do again. A local news crew came out to interview a few of the walkers as well as two local newspapers and I was interview via telephone by HLN. I was proud to be a part of the event and even though our walk will not change anything it felt good to show our love and support.

6. I celebrated Christmas with my two best friends and their children. Our girls are 18, 15, 13, 10, 8 and 4 and are just precious! I love them all like my own and am blessed beyond measure to have them in my life.

7. Honey was able to spend some time with her boyfriend. Why does that make me smile? Because she wasn't sulking around the house missing him, his college is about 7 hours away, but was instead, to quote Phil from Duck Dynasty, happy, happy, happy!

8. To celebrate Peanut becoming a teenager I took her to have her pictures taken like I did with Honey 5 years ago. They turned out beautiful and the studio is actually putting a few on display in the mall!

9. One of Peanuts Christmas gifts was a ticket to Illinois/Wisconsin to visit family for week. Seeing her face was priceless {still on the camera} as was watching her big sissy nervously watch her plane leaving the runway.

10. Our third annual girls weekend is on the calendar! Finally finding dates that work for all of us made me smile and breathe a sigh of relief. Now to find a plane ticket...

Coming soon...Tulsa

I hope your December was equally as wonderful as mine and that your 2013 is off to a fabulous start!