Top 10 Reasons I Did Not Shop Black Friday

10. Getting up early makes me tired.

9. I'm extremely inept at prioritizing. I would have never been able to decide where to go first and that would be stressful. Stress is neither holly nor jolly.

8. Pregnant people tend to get swollen ankles if they are on their feet for long periods of time.

(While it's true that I am not pregnant, I would have been in danger of getting stuck in an obscenely long line behind someone that was. I surely would have been at risk of having to watch some poor lady swell up until her feet were hideously disfigured. Imagine the horror....)

7. Cleaning house seemed like a more productive way to spend my time. And by "my time" I also mean my kids time, who just happened to all be home (never happens) so I got out my whip to do list, and gave them all some chores.

6. People are crazy. I'm not just saying that, they really are. A man actually died when he was trampled by people rushing in to a Walmart. That's insane.

7. I didn't have anything to wear. You're probably thinking, "just throw on some sweats and tee and go!" but that would not have been sufficient. I heard on the radio that people shopping in groups were actually planning on sporting coordinating shirts. Matchy-matchy is so "right up my alley", yet I hadn't thought of it. I knew I would feel terrible when I ran in to those fashion savvy folks at the mall so it was best to avoid it altogether.

8. I was holding out for Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday just sounds so much cooler then Black Friday, which sounds ominous. Cyber Monday has a cool, smart feel to it. So shopping Cyber Monday seems like the more intelligent choice. Who's with me?

9. Getting up early makes me tired. I know I already mentioned this, but getting up early makes me really, really tired. So it counts twice.

10. I'm broke. Sure, I could have probably charged a bunch of "great deals" but credit is from the Devil. I'm determined to get out of debt and the only way to do that is to not buy stuff.

In the midst of being broke and feeling like I don't have any money, I've realized that even when I'm scaling back and "going without", I have more then I need. I can't help but think about men, women and children all over the world that know what it really means to "go without" the basic necessities. I can't justify going out and spending hundreds of dollars on stuff for my family and friends when none of us really "need" anything. While I don't see myself becoming some radical anti-consumerism advocate, I do see myself being very purposeful about how I spend my money. I can not, however, tell you how to spend your money. So if you we're already planning on getting someone special, like say... me, for instance, something pretty and admittedly frivolous, I won't hold it against you.

Random Ramblings

I'm so behind on everything. I've got so much to do I can't even think about what to do first. Not fun. Someone needs to send me there life schedule so I can copy it. Oh and I need a housekeeper for Christmas, in case anyone was wondering what to get me ::wink, wink::

I understand that might be a bit much to ask, so i'll settle for a Roomba or Scooba. Maybe you can find a great deal on a bundle pack and get me both! Come on, you know i'm worth it. Remember that time I did that thing for you and you were eternally grateful? No? Keep thinking, maybe it will come to you.

I will soon be taking our annual family photo for our Christmas Card, and I need to take Hannah's Senior pictures. I'm going to take hers and her best friends pictures and I'm looking forward to it. I find it's much easier taking pictures of people that actually stay where you put them and don't spontaneously burst in to tears when forced to stand still.

Here are some pictures I've taken just around the house and at the park the last few weeks. It's nothing special, but it's all i've got. Like I said, I'm behind on everything. I don't have any pictures of Noah. He's not been around when I'm shooting, but I think i'll probably take him along when I take Hannah's pictures so I can take some pictures of him too.

mm-kay.... let's see....

This is Jonah on a pole.

This is Emma leaning on our house.

This is Hannah leaning on our house (being sassy).



This is Jonah and Jaden showing you prime examples of why I'm excited to take Hannah and Noah's pictures.

Jaden hanging out by the pole.

Jaden in one of my favorite Boden outfits. Oh yeah, he said to tell everyone all he wants for Christmas is Mini Boden.

And finally.... Jonah being super cute with his cheesy grin.

Jonah put together this snazzy ensemble a few mornings ago. He then requested that I take his picture; he struck this pose and asked,

"Do I look like a real superhero?"

I of course said yes, even though the belt to his Batman costume was the only thing remotely "hero-esque" about his get-up.

You've gotta love a guy who's not afraid to accessorize.

Jaden's Singing Debut

Brace yourself. You're about to witness some raw talent.
This is Jaden singing along to the theme song from The Planet Heroes cartoon. He only says the last syllable of the last word in each sentence. Still, I think you can sense the depth of his passion for music, even at this early age
:: please insert a sarcastic tone::
Enjoy!

Meet Miss Mia

This is my newest niece Mia Ramielle. She was born yesterday, which just happened to be my anniversary. She seems to be very patient, which is always an admirable trait in a newborn, especially when you are you're Mommy's first baby. She's just as bitty as she can be, born 5.3 pounds and 19.5 inches long.
I'm pretty sure I'm her favorite aunt (shhh... don't tell Aunt Kelly). I'm also almost positive that she wants big Texas sized headbands adorned with froufrou bows. I have a sixth sense about these kind of things ;o) I guess I'll have to hook her up!

Koo Koon

There's never any shortage of fun around here, no siree.

Check out the little critter that visited us yesterday. It's a baby raccoon. He was wandering around our front yard, obviously scavenging for food so I took it a plate of cat food. Apparently baby raccoons are big entertainment because all of my kids came outside and just sat there and watched it eat.



He wasn't very fast and he didn't seem bothered by us at all. There was a time (long, LONG ago) when I would have taken in that bundle of potentially rabid furry cuteness and raised it as a domesticated pet, bought it little coon sweaters for the holidays, and so on. But not anymore. Five kids is apparently the cure for a chronic case of taking in stray animals. Although, if it had been a bird (particularly a Hawk) I probably would be writing this with a new friend perched on my shoulder. The coon however, was a bit easier to resist, even if he did have sad beady eyes.


I was pretty sure he was harmless, but a part of me was ready for him to realize he'd been lured in to a trap by the yummy goodness of Hills Science Diet and go crazy trying to claw all of our eyes out. I informed the kids that if it made any sudden moves they were to run for their lives. I even told them that coons can carry rabies and if they got bit they would have to get 20 shots in the belly or they would die. Extreme? Maybe. Untrue? Probably. But I couldn't remember all the facts about rabies and Google was not an option, so I had to punt. I'm sure I gave Jonah something good to talk about in therapy. Every time he moved in the raccoons direction I shouted "20 shots!!" in an effort to scare him straight.



After Koo Koon (ya, I named him/her) finished eating he headed for the nearest tree and started climbing. He got about 10 feet high and fell, yes FELL off of it and crashed on to the ground with a THUD! I might have freaked out a teeny tiny bit, and shouted "Get the baby! Get the baby!" because for some reason I felt like Jaden needed to be protected from a two pound dazed and confused orphaned raccoon baby.

Koo Koon finally made it safely to a nook in the tree and we all went inside. Today I wondered what the heck I was thinking sending a defenseless baby lump of love out in to the wild on his own. I passed no less then a dozen dead raccoons on the roads today. I couldn't help but wonder if that is how Koo Koon will end up. I put some more food out in the yard today in case he came back. Tonight I was driving home in the dark and I spotted some glistening spots in a neighbors drive way. "Koo Koon?" I thought.... no, just a soccer ball. Sigh. I guess I'm not as cured from my obsession with strays as I thought I was. Good luck tiny Koo Koon, live long and prosper!

A Homecoming Bri Ha Ha

This past weekend was homecoming weekend for Hannah and Noah's high school. I had this plan to get pictures of everyone before they left but it didn't pan out. It took a lot longer for Hannah to get ready then I thought it was going to (imagine that). And while I was helping Hannah do her hair, Noah got dressed and left to go meet up with his friends.
So here's what I managed to capture....

Bri and "Ha Ha" (that's how Jaden says Hannah, so stinkin' cute) doing their hair.

Then they left, about 45 minutes later then they should have so you know what that means? Yep. No before photos.

Fast forward several hours and they came home and asked me to take some pictures. They were so goofy. They are ALWAYS goofy.

Walking like an Egyptian.

Posers.

Uhhh... I have no idea.
Don't make the face if you don't want me to take a picture of it. That's all i'm sayin'.
Like I said, just plain goofy.