My Christmas 2016 and up until now

Hey everyone- Happy New Year!!

I’m finally just now posting about my Christmas.  I started to get pretty depressed as Christmas day approached.  Since I can remember, minus the few years here and there when I was out of state , Christmas Day was always always always spent with my Dad.  This was the first Christmas without him and it really was so very different for me. I was kind of lost. I know that seems so dramatic and I always had my husband by my side but when there is such a deep rooted tradition that I did for over 40 plus years, it was hard.

 The whole Christmas week was very busy and hectic which was good I guess.  We had lunch at our house on Christmas Eve day. Our son Collin who lives in Austin with his girlfriend Sydney drove up the night before and went to his mom’s house.  Our daughter Alison rode with them and they got to our house around 11:30. My in-laws came over too so they could see the kids.  We had a nice time though very brief . We rarely get to see Collin now that he lives out of town and he’s working full time.  After lunch, Todd had to leave for church because he was playing drums for the candlelight service and always has to go early to practice with group.  The family left and I then I headed to our church for the service.

Silly selfie with kids and parents

After our church service, we went to my Dad’s house and had dinner with my stepmom Deb.  She is very devout Catholic and her church dedicated 4 different masses in memory of Daddy and the Christmas midnight mass happened to be the last one.  I really do miss practicing Catholicism often especially around the holidays so I would have joined her anyway but it was special bonus for the dedication.  I like that her church actually starts Midnight Mass at 11 and then ends at midnight instead of starting at midnight like many do.   We got our double dose of Jesus that day for church with 2 different church services. I actually liked it and would do that again.  I was soooo tired though by the time we got home. I had got up super early that day for finishing touches of house cleaning for the family lunch.

The first service of the day was Candlelight at our church

Mass dedicated to my dad ( Mark Schmitz)

On Christmas morning, Todd and I slept in until 8am and we fixed breakfast and opened our gifts from one another.  I have another post regarding my Christmas present that I asked for.  We had to be at Todd’s parents house for lunch by noon and they live about 45 minutes away.  Their lunch was with Todd’s brother Kevin and his wife Paula and Kevins sons Zac and Seth, Todd’s cousin Kimberly and her husband Richard,  Us, and the in-laws so there were 10 of us.   We did our gift exchange with the family and had nice time visiting with one another.  I think we left their house around 4 and headed home.  I was SO tired from the nonstop day before and coming getting into bed around 1am, it was catching up with me.  I think we had leftovers and then put on our comfy pajamas and had a Bed In ( our version of Bed in is where we turn off the lights and lock the doors around the house and shut everything down , then just watch TV from our bedroom).  It was great!  We both fell asleep by 10.

Silly selfie with the fam

I took the week off for vacation between Christmas and New Years and it was great. I wish I could tell you that I met up with friends every day, shopped, cleaned house, took down Christmas, etc.   I didn’t do any of that. One day I did take Jack and Avery to the movies to see Sing. I’ve mentioned them a few times. I’m really good friends with their mom who works with me. They don’t have any family in Texas and they didn’t go home to Chicago this year.  They’re good boys and I love spending time with them.  Sing was super cute!  I did read a book- Miss Peregrine’s home for peculiar children.  I liked it but then I realized it’s a series of 3 books and I didn’t have the other 2.  I hate when I do that!  I slept in every day to at least 8 or 8:30.  I just kinda took it easy which I so rarely do.  It was nice!

Sing with Avery and Jack

For New Years Eve,  we were invited to some friends house who had a really fun ( brilliant) idea- the party started at 6pm and they changed all their clocks in the house to say 9pm.  So at our time at 9, we did a count down and toasted champagne like it was midnight.  Todd and I were back home in our jammies and in bed again by 10.  HAHA! We are some wild and crazy characters !  The following day on Sunday was spent at my Dads ranch again visiting with my stepmom’s family. My stepbrother and sister and the kiddos were in from California and I needed to spend time with them.  It was also Cowboys football time that we lost to the Giants. Poop! Then Monday came around and we had a corporate day off so that was good. I unfortunately had caught a bug (from one of the kiddos I suspect) and was super super sick all day and into the late evening.  Todd took down the Christmas tree and did what he could with decorations but i wasn’t able to help him much at all.   Then back to work on Tuesday. That was all pretty much my holiday in a nutshell.

NY Eve party with friends Debbie and Wendy( avery and jacks mom)

My nieces Ava and Paloma

Dad's dog Leroy did not mind being festive and wearing party hat

This week has been rough emotionally. This Thursday will be the one year anniversary of my sweet amazing Daddy taking his last breath.  I cant believe its already been a year. It honestly feels like it was a few months ago. I think I lived so long in the dark with my head in a hole last year that I lost track of time.  I will be  working from home that day so I don’t have to wear makeup because I suspect I’ll be crying the majority of the day.  This weekend Deb is hosting a Celebration of Life in Memory of Daddy. I’ve also been dreading that. I don’t know why.  It will be friends and family that loved my dad but I just am exhausted from crying and yet I still do.  A few of my close friends will be there so that will help.  Todd said to me the other night that we don’t have to go. But we do. I need to show my support to Deb. Maybe this is healing for her. I am his only daughter ( only kid born to him) and I feel like I need to be there.   So, please pray for my heart this week and weekend. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Have a great day yall!! 

Mothers Day didn't SUCculents

Hello yall! Happy Monday to you. Hope everyone had a nice weekend and if you're in Texas- a safe one.  We've had some serious crazy weather here in DFW area with flash floods, tornados, winds and rain. Yesterday morning the tornado sirens woke us up blaring into our bedroom. We don't live far from the fire station and our window faces the street.  Not the best way to start your day for sure. Our neighborhood was Ok thank goodness! 

Since Mom lives so far away and I'm not a mom myself, Mother's Day was always just another day.  After church, Todd and I had a fun day running errands and grabbing quick lunch. We ate Canes chicken because it was buy one get one free for the occasion.  Later in the afternoon I received a sweet text from my  stepdaughter Alison that made my day.  

I invited my stepmom Deb to dinner and told her to pick where and when to meet. We enjoyed a yummy dinner ( Mexican food) and I bought her 2 bouquets of flowers from the grocery store close by. They were gorgeous roses and tulips. Daddy was feeling good and it was so great to spend some time with them. 

When we got home, I had a card on my pillow from Jax and Lila.  Todd said they saved their money and pitched in to buy me a card but he had to cover the difference. lol!!  They are too sweet and I love being a mom to furry babies. 

Just before we went to bed, my stepson Collin sent Todd a text that said : Tell Holli  happy Mother's Day from us.  This is the first time he has ever acknowledged me for Mother's Day and it means so much. 

I saved the texts by taking pictures of them. 

He at least spelled my name with an I. Lol 

So overall my day was a good one and I'm very blessed. 

Last week we had a few days of sunshine and I was sent an idea from my sister in law using vintage cars.  I was inspired and went to Home Depot to buy some soil and some succulents.  I'm very pleased on how they turned out. Now I'm just concerned they don't blow away or get flooded in my backyard. 

So did you have a good weekend? 

Labor Day weekend - Wedding Anniversary - i'm so tired

Hey y'all! Let's all do a cheer for a short work week. Woohoo!  So how was everyone's weekend? Mine was crazy busy and hectic and did I say crazy busy? Last Friday , Todd had to have some procedures that requires a driver there and back.  Oh man , was he ever funny drugged up on anesthesia! I truly wish I would have recorded him talking on our way home. Where he had to be was on other side of town and not too far  from the bakery who made our wedding cake.  So right when they took him back, I went to buy a small Italian cream cake that is the best ever.  We did not bother on keeping the first layer of cake from our  wedding cake as is tradition. We were living in apartment with very little freezer space and we also knew we were moving and didn't want the hassle. I prefer a freshly made cake and wanted it for our anniversary.
Here's our cake from the wedding:

Meanwhile later Friday evening, my stepson was playing high school football in a few towns over but we didn't make it. Todd was in bed by 8 pm.  Saturday morning, Todd listened to his voicemail and had message that Collin was in hospital with broken arm. We rushed over and was able to see him just minutes before they took him into surgery. He has broke his arm in 2 places and they had to put several pins and plates in his arm. This was very first week of school and very first game of the season. My heart just breaks for him. He's going to have a rough couple of months ahead. 

Later that afternoon, I left hospital because I had a baptism to go to. It was across town again. I put lots of miles on my truck this weekend.  Todd got home from hospital and I was done with the baptism around the same time and we met at a resturant for dinner. We had a party of 28 family members to celebrate my step- grandmothers 80th birthday . We had tons of fun and the food was awesome. It was at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants Esparzas.  When we finished dinner, Todd and I still weren't done with the evening. 

I can't remember if I had mentioned that we were setting up a good friend of mine with a friend of Todd's. It took a while for them to finally nail down a date and they wanted us to join them. We told them to get seated and order without us because we already ate but we would be there. Unfortunately , it was not a love connection. It was even kinda awkward to watch in action.  Todd's friend must have been very nervous because he drank too much and conversation was all over the place.  No sparks at all but at least we tried. My friend got out of the house and got to see us. Not a total bust. Haha! 

Sunday came around which was our actual anniversary date.  We went to church and I left after the first service. Todd plays in the band now so he has to stay for both services. Afterwards, he went to hospital to visit Collin who was being released later in the day and I went to my parents house to visit Rachelle before she flew back to Cali.   Todd and I both got home around 3 and we had dinner reservations at 5:30pm.   Dinner was outstanding!! I had ya 3oz filet and small lobstae tail and it was incredible. The resturant was so nice and brought out a huge piece of German chocolate cake for us because we mentioned it was our anniversary .  It was so delish and we were too full to have a piece of our wedding cake I bought.  

Yesterday , I made early appointment at our closest NTB and had my oil changed, and tires rotated and an alignment.  We were lazy most of the day and them went to our friends Debbie and Marks for a cookout. They're the ones who kept Jax for us during Sturgis so he got to come and have play date with his buddies.  He played so hard and slept all night through last night. He was tired! 

So now it's Tuesday and I'm so tired and didn't feel at all like we had a 3 day weekend.  I'm just thrilled that it's already September and I am going to Montana in 3 weeks to see mom. The countdown begins..... 

Have a great day!