Another Year Gone......

I honestly don't know what happened to 2011.

And, seeing as I have a lot of memories to record from 2011....... I'm not completely saying goodbye. I'll be revisiting the last quarter of it for a bit longer as I recap.

Regardless, another year is over.

As I was going through my blog from this year, I realized a couple things....... 1) I posted a lot less this year than in 2010 and 2) 2011 was a lot less dramatic that 2010.

I'm ok with 2, but not so much 1.

This year has been pretty good. Slightly uneventful (with the exception of a few points), but fun.

I wanted to read 12 books this year. I know I read over 12 books, but I also know they weren't all the books I originally planned to read.

I know I wanted to free myself from some emotional ties with the male species. I have in a lot of ways and not in others. If you pay attention to me on Twitter, at all, you know that just a couple days ago, I was pissed at a certain FD. I still am ticked, but more resigned to trying to remember what I knew this time last year. Things with TG are in a good place.

I lost 20lbs in 2011. That's a good thing. I started WW and (with the exception of the holidays) have done well with it. Reading as many blogs as I do, 20 lbs doesn't seem like a lot. Then, I remember that I've been consistently losing weight for six years, now. I've lost just over 100 lbs. It's slow, but it's loss. I've had to remind myself that my body is soooooo used to losing weight that I probably won't have huge losses from week to week or month to month.

Something that I never said or posted was that I wanted to tithe the entire year. And, I did it!! I am not good at giving up money. I stress a lot about money, so the idea of just handing over 10% of what I earn has the potential to send me into a panic. But, I did it and plan on doing it in 2012, too. It's what God calls me to do, so I'll do it.

2011 was a year of just putting my nose down and doing it. I didn't have a ton of lofty goals. Any goals I had were more practical.

It's been good knowing you, 2011.

Merry Christmas, Everyone!!!

Wishing you an amazing day, filled with family, love, and lots of laughter!!

Fun With Our Phones Monday

I have a few pictures in my phone that I thought I'd dump on this ole blog!

A coworker that likes to hunt made this chili and brought it into work. You can see from the little sign I made how I felt about it, lol.........

Every year, my church puts on this HUGE community event for Christmas. They have a walk-through with all these lights and characters and then they have a walk through Bethlehem. It's two weekends long and over 30,000 people come through each year. 

Buddy the Elf......... This guy is SPOT. ON.

Lydia loves the event. So much, in fact, that she was brought 5 out of the 6 nights just because it keeps her entertained for so long, lol. She makes personal friends with all the characters, lol.

Each year, I choreograph a scene. This year was Alvin & The Chipmunks. The Chipettes were dancers and did these cute little numbers. The last night, ALL the Chipettes on duty (they had shifts of three) got on stage with their admirers for a Grand Finale!

Gratuitous Lydia Picture.......... Heaven help my blog when I actually have kids of my OWN.

On a totally different note........ This was an actual shirt that was walking through the mall on Saturday. I *had* to take a picture because I didn't think anyone would believe me.

Yes, that is, in fact, a woman wearing it.

Christmas Card 2011 (well, one of them, anyway)

 So many of my favorite Bloggers have been sharing their Christmas Cards this morning! It's been so fun to see that I had to join in :)

You can hop on the Christmas Card Carousel, too!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. When it comes to Christmas Cards, I'm a bit indecisive. There are way too many cards to choose from and too many personalities to whom I'm sending cards. So, I tend to choose 2 or 3 cards, each year (hint.... the Shutterfly promotion that gives us lucky Bloggers 25 free cards does allow you do do this. It doesn't have to be 25 of the same card). Then, because I'm single with no kids or pets, I tend to make individual cards for people with whom I have a picture during that calendar year. 

Anywho........ Here's one of the cards I'll be sending out this year! (Nope, still haven't sent them out).......

Ornament Exchange Party

Hello All!

Sorry for my horrid delay in posting an Ornament Exchange reveal. At first, I just became super busy. Now, I'm having Linky problems.

So..........

If you would like to share your ornaments, please leave the link to your post in my comments and I'll add them in my post. It's kind of the ghetto way of linking, but it will work.

Also........I promised that I would pick one participant by random draw to receive an ornament from me. That person is........

Breanna!!!!

Congrats, Breanna! Email me your address and your ornament will be on its way!

Why Florida Is Like A Man

It's fickle and can't make up it's mind on what it wants.

Is it summer and 85 degrees?


Is it winter and 39 degrees?

Oh, it's both in less than 18 hours?

Ok.

If it would just decide what it is for more than five minutes, I could plan/dress accordingly.

The Plank

I'm a day late posting the ornament swap linky, I know. I'll get it up.

This past week has been discombobulated. Great in some ways. Rough in others. And, as is required during this time of year, extremely busy.

I've been wrangling a post in my head for a couple days now. It's weird how that happens, isn't it?

Anyway, this past weekend was Weekend #1 of a big Christmas event we do at my church. It's actually pretty awesome and I love being a part of it. I do choreography for one scene each year and I'm so proud of "my girls." They are doing such a great job, this year. Because of my work schedule and helping with Youth Group, I didn't have time to volunteer to be an Elf this year (which is why I used an elf picture from last year in my header).

Friday and Saturday nights were spent helping with the event. Sunday was Youth Group. We did what is called "The Plank."

The Youth Pastor has this big piece of wood that he drops on the ground. It creates this loud, loud BOOM. From that point on, no one speaks unless they are on The Plank. The lights are dim, there is soft music playing, and there's a microphone, just waiting.

Sometimes, there is a question posed. Sometimes, it's just an open mic. Sunday, the question was, "If I could have the one thing I desire most, it would be......"

Again, no one speaks unless they are on The Plank. What is said on The Plank, stays on The Plank. There is no judgement. No ridicule. No wrong feelings or opinions.

It was an intense hour, let me tell you.

Because when you ask a room full of high schoolers what they desire most, their answers will floor you. They'll break your heart. They will bring you to your knees with just how real and UN-materialistic they can be. 

The Plank was open to leaders, too. Which is a fairly scary thing. Because, it can be difficult to admit to a room full of your peers AND the people you're supposed to be leading just how weak you really are.

I won't share what others said, but I will share what I said (paraphrased)..........

I was raised in a Christian home, a Christian school, and a Church. None of it was perfect, but I've spent my whole life being led in a direction. And, I've spent my whole life doing what I was taught was right. Society has a plan for the majority of us....... we go to high school, we graduate, we go to college, we graduate, we go out on our own, we fall in love, we get married, we have kids, and we live to raise them to follow that same life pattern. So, my whole life, I've tried to live that way. I do the things I'm supposed to do and I don't do the things I'm not supposed to do. I've gotten to the point where I have this image of what I think other people think of me and I try to uphold it. But, I spend a lot of my time wondering if I am where I'm supposed to be. I pray that I'm doing what God has planned for me.... and if I'm not, that He'll show me what I AM supposed to be doing. Because certain things AREN'T happening and I just wonder if it's because I'm doing something wrong. So, if I could have the one thing I most desire it would be the peace and the knowledge that I'm where God wants me to be.

Afterwards, I had a girl from my small group approach me. This girl is the image of the daughter we all want. She's sweet, she's caring, she's involved........ she's an absolute doll. And, she asked if we could talk at some point. Because, she wasn't ready to talk right then, but she knew she needed to sit down and talk with me. That everything I said up there rang true for her and that she thinks she's probably a lot like me.

I'll say this...... hearing from this little girl that I admire so much that she thinks she's like me was altogether humbling, flattering, and terrifying.

It is strange to be at war with yourself (which is where I'm at, right now).

So, I have a question for you. I'd love to hear your answers, but understand if you don't want to share......... If you could have your heart's desire, what would it be?