Thanksgiving Weekend

Hello, how was your Thanksgiving?  We had a nice long weekend. Thursday was spent at the inlaws and we had a nice day. It was just our immediate group this year, Todd’s parents, Todd’s brother and his wife, and the 2 of us.  We watched the Macy’s parade while I made the hashbrown casserole and I grabbed a Starbucks earlier that morning.  I loved not having to rush and just appreciate the day.

I did not take part of any Black Friday shopping.  There’s just not anything that we have to have that is worth long lines and crazy hours.  On Friday, Todd and I went to our annual movie outing together and saw Bohemian Rhapsody.  Have any of you seen it yet? I genuinely loved it!! I thought it was well done and holy cow- the guy that played Freddie Mercury and the guy who played Brian May were SOOO good!   After I saw the movie, I went online to read more about it. The lead guy learned how to play piano and he also sang but they mostly dubbed in Freddie’s voice for the songs.

This is one of my fave Queen songs: Show must go on! 

On Saturday, we got the Christmas tree out of storage and got the lights on it and we put the decorations on it Sunday after church.  Saturday evening, I got to join my cousin and her 2 daughters to see the Nutcracker in Dallas.  It was Outstanding and I really enjoyed it. At one point in a scene, they had fake snow fall from the ceiling into the audience.  Great special effects for a Ballet!

When we first entered the Winspear Opera House, the backdrop was kinda creepy if you really looked at the whole thing.  I loved it of course because it had the eerie factor like Halloween. 

Sunday night , the 6 of us got together again at an Italian restaurant to celebrate my mother n law's birthday.  It was fun evening and a nice way to end the holiday weekend.  And then , it was time to get back into the work mode.  I’ve been really busy this week training classes and I’m off again tomorrow and Friday to prepare for my junk show I do twice a year. I am not ready this time.  Yall, that work trip to St Louis for 10 days seriously put me so behind on everything.  I am just going to wing it and hope I at least break even for the price of the entry fee.  Wish me luck!!

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!! 

A few celebrations

Good morning y'all!  How was everyone's weekend?  I had a very nice one and didn't want it to end. Saturday morning, Todd and I drove out to east Texas to spend the day with my grandma Nanny. Her birthday was yesterday and she turned 88 years old.  I bought her dozen roses that were gorgeous. One bouquet were these orange roses that were incredible. I didn't take any pictures.    

We had brunch at this little tea room that is so delicious. Home cooking and they are the sweetest ladies that work there. They brought out a piece of cake to go for Nanny and it made her day! She didn't even care about the cake but that they would do that for her.  

I asked Todd to take a picture of me and Nanny.  He's not the best picture taker because he won't tell you where to look or when , he just grabs my phone and takes it.  Oh well! 

After brunch we took her into one of her favorite boutiques to look around and then we walked across the street to go into an antique store. Nancy's leg sometimes will just give out and she also has trouble with one of her ankles. She doesn't lift her foot high enough and has fallen a few times. There were lots of uneven parts of the sidewalk and street so I grabbed her hand. We held hands across the street and what I didn't realize was that Todd was behind me taking pictures.  I am so grateful for them!! 

I love her so so much and she is so very precious to me.  

We also stopped at a few garage sales around and I bought a wooden quilt holder for 3$ y'all!!! I love junking in the country!  

Yesterday we celebrated my inlaws 50th wedding anniversary.  It was actually on Saturday but couldn't all get together until last night.  Todd's parents, Todd's brother Kevin and his girlfriend Paula and the two of us had dinner at a nice quaint Italian restaurant called Cafe Amore. It's so yummy and they have great cappuccino pie for dessert. It's heavenly!! It's frozen ice cream pie and it was 102 outside so it was perfect.  

Todd leaves in the morning to head for sturgis.  He is going to stay overnight in Nebraska and then come into sturgis on Wednesday afternoon. I fly in Wednesday evening. We packed last night because my stuff has to go with him. I will take my jacket and a helmet and walk off plane right on to the Harley.  Can't wait to have to need a jacket!! 

Hope you have a great day my blogger friends!