'Tis the Season....

I'm spinning... Literally... and I've gotten so used to this wacky out of control spinning of life... that I'm afraid if it (my life) were to slow down I might not be able to handle the "stillness" of it. I've found myself holding on tightly to things to gain some kind of security... But in the mist of it all... some glorious things have happened (glorious to me... and probably not glorious to others...)

* I decided to not stress out about Christmas cards. Normally, I do. I'm not this year. I am NOT.

* I got to go on the "Annual Mom and Amy (my sister) Christmas Shopping Trip"... which I guess we'll have to rename now that I have moved back. This trip consists of my sister and I shaking our heads at my mom's crazy list... lots of laughs... and loud Christmas music in the car.

* Madi is STUDENT of the Month in the Middle School... I might have posted about this! The breakfast to "honor" her was canceled this Friday due to the 10" of snow that was expected to fall.

* Madi had her Choral Concert... Beautiful!

* Mac bought my Christmas present while out shopping with my Dad. Even though it feels like a Pizza Cutter and is shaped like a Pizza Cutter... he says "It's NOT a Pizza Cutter" (Tho, I heard him whisper to Madi that it was! *wink*)

* I mourn the end of Santa's Secret Workshop this year. Madi doesn't have it in the Middle School and Mac's preschool doesn't hold one. No more crazy earrings from Madi.

* I am officially "Coke" (the soda, silly) FREE! This is a constant struggle for me.... and while I have been able to stop drinking it... I always get cravings. The cravings are gone and (excuse me while I pass out) the taste isn't even enjoyable to me anymore.

* I had a wonderful WONDERFUL time catching back up with my childhood friends... I'll post some pictures, soon! It was truly a great night... and fun to see how we've all "grown" up!

Ho Ho Ho! I'm sure I won't be back to post until the Holiday is over... Happy Holidays!

Old Friends...

We all have them, right? I'm not talking about a friend from college... or even high school... I'm talking about our "first friends"....

I have the pleasure of reconnecting with my first childhood friends via the Internet, class reunions, etc... but this coming weekend we are having our first ever "get together"... without the pressure of a class reunion, etc.

See... we went to a little tiny school... I don't think my class size was ever over 25 students. We didn't have "homerooms" or have to change classes or anything. We went to school together from Kindergarten until our sophomore year ... when our roots were "up" rooted and our small town school had to consolidate with a different school. Many of us were separated into different homerooms, different activities, different sports, etc... making it inevitable for us NOT to make different groups of friends... our small school bond got lost in the shuffle of the "new'ness" of a new school.

My 2 first childhood school friends Jen and Chanin and I have decided to make it our best effort to find what was lost... our "old school" roots.

To say I'm excited is an understatement. Our first friends in many ways... are what helped form our lives... our dreams... etc. These are the people we held hands with in a circle and sang songs. The children we bowed our heads and prayed with in school. Our friends who stood by us when we still didn't know all the words to the "Star Spangled Banner"... the friends who played cops and robbers on the playground with us... who helped us chase the boys away. These are the friends that taught us how to be friends. They didn't pick on you when you still went home for lunch in elementary school... because you were so homesick it hurt! (lol'ing... *wink*) We played jump rope, rode our bikes in circles on the pavement, wrapped our knees around the high bar and went round and round and round... Some of us were called "Towns people" and we walked to and from school.... we didn't worry about "bad things" or fear for anything (well... maybe except for the big white van parked on the road).... I personally think... living in a small town and going to a small school was a HUGE gift to all of us.

We're all adults now... but the fact that we're young enough to have these memories is awesome. I cannot wait to sit around and just remember how easy we had it then. To learn what everyone is like as an adult now...

And to make plans to make sure this is an annual event..... When you first friends can become your forever friends... I think you are pretty much as blessed as it gets!

So here's to Tigers, Show and Tell, and Small Towns....