Mission Accomplished

Is what I would like to say. But there's still an overly-large Christmas tree spread with tinsel, lower branches covered in husky fur, standing in (well, let's be honest -- overtaking!) my front room. I had all the intentions in the world of bringing up the ginormous box from the basement and undressing that bad boy of its bulbs and baubles and bedazzlements. Hey, it's a word if I say it's a word. But I didn't do any of that. Part of me wants to stamp my foot on the ground with a pouty face and scream, "I DON'T WANNA!" The other part just wants to have my front room back.

The problem is, every time November comes around, I have these lofty expectations of how I want Christmas to be this year. I want to be organized, to have my presents purchased and wrapped early, to plan a big family dinner where we all sit around and talk about our year, to write long personal notes inside of Christmas cards and send them out on December 1st, to get a group of friends together to adopt a needy family and buy their presents and Christmas meal, and to dismantle the tree and all the decorations by December 31st, having approximately 100 people over for a fabulous New Year's Eve party.

Then I blink, and it's January 7th.

What happens during that time!? Is there some sort of worm hole I get sucked into and spat out the other side of? I haven't been grocery shopping in almost four weeks. FOUR WEEKS! I ate a bagel and a can of knock-off Spaghetti-Os last night for dinner. Seriously. Today, I was so proud of myself because I went shopping and put food in my house. This is the most enormous accomplishment I've made in the past month, I think.

I'm getting excited because it's closing in on tax time. I know, who says that? But we always get somewhat of a refund, and this year's should get us out of that debt that's been lingering. I'll be able to breathe a little more freely when that happens. Not a lot, mind you, but enough. Then it's time for saving. I'm a little perturbed that I'm going on 35 and have nothing saved towards retirement. Not that I'm actually ever going to see retirement, but it's the principle of the thing.

We watched "Crazy Stupid Love" tonight. It wasn't as funny as I thought it was going to be, but it ended up being pretty good. If you haven't seen it, you should. So go rent it, so we can talk about it. I don't want to give anything away.

Tomorrow we're going to church. Not just because it's the new year, either. Hehe. I like it there. It rejuvenates me. Check it out sometime at GCCWIRED, and you'll see why.

But now... A Walking Dead marathon with our daughter! FAMILY TIME!

I know. We're freaks. But I love it.

Stephanie Jean