Welcome to my life..my family..my world..unedited.

Courtesy of Sweetney, I bring you the New Year’s quiz, on this, the eve of the new year. (And hope I can actually get it done before midnight – geez, it didn’t seem that long just reading hers!!)
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Redesigned my blog. A number of times. For fun.
2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No, and, uh, no.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My cousin Michelle had a gorgeous little boy!
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. There have been a number of deaths around our family this year, including the shocking and unexpected deaths of my aunt and uncle only months apart.
In addition, we had to put down our dog of 14 years, lost our 19 yr old cat, and had to put down our 16 year old cat.

5. What countries did you visit?
Canada
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
MORE OF: Confidence, joy, laughter
7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Oh, I suck at dates, but events will remain: funerals, memorials, putting Riley …

No….IT’S ALREADY HERE!! (props if you can guess the movie from which those lines are stolen)
Almost done shopping. I am so far behind. A few years ago, before having 2 kids, I would have been done and completely ready for the holidays in November. Now, the organization, time management and holiday skills have been sucked from my brain by those two short people that share the house with us.
Tomorrow is my staff holiday dinner. I’m hoping to have time to make their presents tomorrow after I finish up the shopping. it’s not looking good for me.

My mom told me the other day that I’m doing a piss-poor job of giving my sons a strong religious base. (A reflection of my parenting skills?)
She’s right.   To a point…
I grew up Lutheran. Church every Sunday, Sunday School, choir. Christmas Eve, Easter, etc.  When my mom married husband #3, she started experimenting, taking us to different churches.  My brother and I balked and were told that when we turned 18 we could choose our own church. Fair enough.
Now maybe if we would have continued going to the church we grew up in, or if we had stayed close by, things would have been different.  But save for a few stints here and there, my wedding, other weddings, baptisms, concerts, etc., I haven’t really been to a church service in years.
And I am ok with that.
See, because I have faith and belief; I have spirituality, but don’t feel like I need to sit in a church to prove that.  I pray, but on my own terms.  I don’t believe everything the bible says – I believe it’s all open to interpretation, and that the men who wrote it likely put some of themselves into it, changed things around a bit. …

I really do love the holidays.  I tend to not get annoyed at crowds (because, DUH, what good does it do?), I enjoy the Christmas music, I and love, love LOVE giving gifts.  So in honor of December, the month of goodness, I give you my favorite things, Christmas Edition, in groups of 5:
Favorite Christmas Movies:

The Polar Express
The Santa Clause (I & II)
It’s A Wonderful Life
Scrooged
A Christmas Carol (the one with George C. Scott is my favorite)
*Honorable Mentions: Christmas Vacation, A Christmas Story

Favorite Christmas Cartoon/Animation:

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Frosty the Snowman
Twas the Night Before Christmas (~~even a miracle needs a hand~~!!)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas
huh…..Rudolph, I guess!

Favorite Christmas Songs:

God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman (Barenaked Ladies + Sarah McLachlan version)
Christmas Eve (Trans-Siberian Orchestra)
Sleigh Ride (Harry Connick, Jr.)
Baby, It’s Cold Outside (Dean Martin)
Santa Baby (Eartha Kitt)
*Honorable Mentions: Ave Maria (Celine Dion), Carol of the Bells

Favorite Christmas Books:

How The Grinch Stole Christmas (I have fond memories of making my dad read it to me over and over and over…)
Twas The Night Before Christmas (classic!)
Olive the Other Reindeer
The Polar Express
Russel’s Christmas Magic

Favorite Christmastime Traditions:

Staying home on Christmas Day
Being with family at our many gatherings – everyone is so happy and relaxed.
Going to Greenfield Village to …

It’s my birthday!!!!!
I’m as old as my cousin now (I get to be younger for 2 weeks every year, during which I could’ve totally rubbed in the fact that she’s 35 and I’m not, but I didn’t…(dammit)). Doesn’t matter, because I will ALWAYS be the baby of the family pfffttttt!!!!
35.
Huh.
Some days I still feel like a kid playing house.  Other days I feel like I’m about 100.
This past year hasn’t been all bad, but there have certainly been better.  We lost some good, amazing people this year in our family. I lost my beloved dorkdog. Our cat died.  The economy has totally sucked. Business is decent but the bills are piled high. My stress has been through the roof and I’m the heaviest and out of shapiest I’ve ever been in my life, including my pregnancies.
BUT, my boys are healthy and happy and wicked smart. We have a fabulous babysitter who loves our boys as if they were her own. I still have a business to walk in to and my husband, more shockingly, still has a job to go to every day. My cousin had a brain tumor removed and is doing fantastic (and as a direct result …