A Christmas-y Thanksgiving

So as I'm sure everyone is aware, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. At our home we got started on the decorating a little earlier than normal, but this year is special. I am having Thanksgiving dinner at my house for the first time for my family! I'm really stoked. I've cooked Thanksgiving food before, but never to eat at home with my parents and siblings. It is going to be so wonderful! In light of such a great day at our house, we decided to decorate a bit early and get the spirit going. It's Christmas central here at our home.

I am so excited and have to start cooking tonight. Stuffing, Bread, and the best part of all, dessert, which will be an awesome Pumpkin Cheesecake that made it's debut last year and, might I add, was received very well! I guess all my knitting and job work will have to be put aside for the next two days but family time is so important, don't you think?

Have a Wonderful Holiday!

Vote Vote Vote

For ME ME ME!

Puhhhleeease? I entered the weekly "Don't You Hate It When" contest on Shelle's Blog a couple of weeks ago and WON thanks to all my wonderful readers and friends. Now I'm in the running for a $25 Amazon gift card (which I could totally use now it's getting close to Christmas) and a very pretty quilt that I would love to keep on my bed! I want, I want..... Look at me, all in the Christmas spirit already, lol.

I just would love to win and would love it if you'd vote for me, if you do leave me a comment and a link to your blog (if I don't already know you) so I can thank you and tell you how much you totally rock my socks!!!!!!!!

Happy Monday!

And Here It Is!

The ever so ominous baby blanket. What's that, you say? It looks so much bigger than the same as last time I posted about it?! How dare you say such a thing! And what I really mean by that, is how dare you tell me the truth and not say to me "Oh Channon, look at the progress you're making on it!"

Okay so in all honesty, it is a bit bigger. A row and a half of pattern to be exact. I haven't even finished the first skein of yarn for this, and it calls for FOUR skeins. I told my hubby that I think since this is a "baby" blanket, it'll wind up not only being 2 skeins long but I'll make sure I say that it's a "crib blanket". Then I don't look like a total slacker to my bestest friend and her newborn daughter. Even though she reads my blog now and my cover is totally and completely blown.

So who else has any UFO's just sitting around, ominously staring you down every time you walk by? I hope it's not just me!

Have a great weekend everyone.

Thankful Thursday Returns

Last week on Thursday I posted a "Thankful Thursday" entry to my blog. [You may scroll down now if you did not read it, and partake in the wonderousness that is my writing... hehe] So here it is, Thursday again. Next week is Thanksgiving so I get to post five more things today, and five more next week.

Last week I posted about my family, my BFF and hetero life mate Heather, my ever so wonderfully amazing Mom, my silly pup and of course, coffee. Now those are the five obvious choices for me, I mean, duh. Of course they're some of the best because they were the first few to pop in my mind. Now, I have to warn you, the next few will probably be either insanely corny or reeeeeally hilarious. And that's just because, sometimes you have to look past the obvious and find other things you might not think of.

So without further adieu... here's my Thankful Thursday Five:

1. My best friend Sherry. She rocks my socks. I owe credit to her in many ways. Pulling me out of my shell while we were all in the abyss that is Alaska at the same time. Getting me interested in knitting. Blogging. She has a great family and is an AMAZING person. She always has something great to talk about, or a funny story to tell. No matter what my mood when I talk to her I always hang up the phone with a smile on my face.

2. Flowers. No specific kind or any sentimental story that goes with it. I always notice when there are pretty flowers around. I see those patches of wildflowers on the side of the road, or the potted ones on someones porch or window box when I pass their house. Anytime I pass them I always stop and smell them, and think about how pretty they are. I don't know why, but I always do.

3. My ex husband. Now before you think to yourself "Whaaaaaaaaat?" hear me out. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have my BEAUTIFUL children. I would never have met Heather. Or Sherry. And as crazy as it sounds, I wouldn't have Joe. The things I've dealt with because of him, or because of the decisions he's made sometimes were hard. Hurtful. Painful and miserable. But all that is behind me now. And instead of harboring hate, I'm thankful for him. Because I have such a wonderful life right now, and it's because I married him when I did. That was the start to the path of my life that brought me here. In all bad you have to find the good.

4. Matchbox Twenty. More so Rob Thomas. I love their music. And Rob Thomas is hot. I've thought so since I was 15 and liked the band they used to be in before they were who they are now. And even when their first CD came out, I thought the old fat guy on the cover was the lead singer, but I still LOVED their stuff. When I saw the hotness that was Rob I couldn't help but be even more thankful. I can relate to almost every song they've ever put out. They are my guilty obsession.

5. Planners. Yep, those spiral bound notebooks with calendars in them that you buy at WalMart. Or even the 3 ring binder type ones that they have. They are overpriced, but I have to have one. I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached and I am glad I have one. I need it for EVERYTHING from doctor's appointments to weekend activities... to chores! It's a blessing to have that planner on my desk!

So those are my 5 crazy, and [some] silly things that I'm thankful for this week. I didn't get much going from this last week... maybe I can get a little participation, hmm?

Oh How I Miss...

This coffee. I live in the middle of nowhere and have to drive 35 minutes to the closest Dunkin' Donuts. I hate that. You can buy it now, at WalMart and all that, at the grocery store, whatever. It sucks in comparison to the real thing. Just saying. Sucks. Nobody makes a cup of coffee like Dunkin' Donuts. Sorry out there to all you Starbucks lovers but their coffee isn't as good and it's too expensive. Just my opinion.

On a night like tonight, I am wishing I lived closer to a beloved DD right about now. I could really use the extra boost. I have laundry sitting on the bed behind me. I have a binder full of work I need to be typing up and emailing to my boss. I have a lunch to make for school tomorrow, and a report card to sign. And yet, what am I doing? Sitting her blogging. Yeah. Not only blogging here but I posted a blog on my MySpace page and I'm over to CafeMom after this. Maybe Starbucks doesn't suck.... I think it's me. I am procrastinating like never before. But doing this stuff is way more fun.

I got a new pattern from a friend of mine for a ruffled baby hat. I can't wait to make it. Not like I don't have enough gloves, scarves, and hats to make for my own family, not to mention the ever looming presence of the baby blanket that is NOT going to be done. Let me just start on a hat too! Haha.... Oh well. I'll get it done. Right?

Now who wants to go to Dunkin' Donuts for me?

All Work, No Play

I have been so busy the past couple of weeks, I don't know what to do with myself! I started a job as an assistant to a Wedding Planner about a month ago, and it's kept me busy. I love the fact that I'm at home doing my work, that is such a huge blessing to me. But it does keep my free time limited. I have a billion crafts I want to work on and haven't picked up my needles in probably 2 weeks. It sucks sometimes, but I like having a job. I got paid for the first time today. That's the first time I've made my own money in 6 years. It was really nice to feel like I was contributing financially. I know I contribute in a MILLION other ways here at home, but it was a nice change of pace.

Miss Priss keeps me so busy too with school volunteer stuff, dance class, and girl scouts. I never realized how much work it is to run around with them doing all their activities. I wouldn't change it for the world though. It's wonderful to see her doing things outside of school, getting brighter and more social every day. I love it. Both of them are getting so big, so fast, it's crazy to watch how UNlittle they are anymore!

I've been battling the blahs a bit too, I've kept so busy I feel like my relationships with my friends have started falling to the wayside. I'm trying to keep up but it feels like I'm treading water, and not swimming anywhere. I keep missing calls, and emails, and then take forever to return the favor. I know that in a sense I'm not doing anything "wrong" .... Anyone with a family knows you put them first, and almost all of my friends have families of their own, and I know they understand. I can't help but feel a little bit guilty sometimes though.

I guess it's a pretty boring post but that's all that's really been going on in our neck of the woods. Hope everyone's week got to a great start! :-)

Thankful Thursday

So Thanksgiving is 2 weeks from today. I see everyone with all these contests and giveaways, and I don't have anything I'm good enough at to really do something like that myself. Neither do I have enough people that actually follow and read my blog. BUT.. I want to start a little tiny something, I'd love to get more readers and I would love to see the answer to this question.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving coming, today and every Thursday til then I am going to list 5 things I am thankful for. I'd love to see what everyone else is thankful for too, leave me a comment, or put something on your blog too!

5 Things I am Thankful for:

1. My family. It didn't turn out the way I'd always pictured it, but in it's own way I think it is actually better than I would've ever imagined.

2. My best friend Heather. It's almost an obsession I have with her, lol. She's been there for me when no one else was. She knows EVERYTHING about me. Everything. And she's the only person who does, not even my husband knows everything the way she does.

3. My dog. Even though he gets on my nerves and poops on the floor sometimes, he always has that tail just wagging away when we come home. It may have been an all day trip, or me walking out to get the mail, but he's always happy to see me.

4. Coffee. I wouldn't make it through the day without it. I am having Dunkin' Donuts coffee withdrawals in SmallTown USA but none the less, I heart my java.

5. My mom. She never was one of those "moms" when I was a kid. The one who embarrassed you or got on your nerves. I was under-appreciative of her, like all kids tend to be. But she was and still IS an amazing mom and as I've gotten older, I know just how amazingly lucky I am that I got to have her for my mom.

So those are my 5 things for the week. I hope to see some of yours!