Christmas 2011!!!!!

 Christmas was pretty peaceful this year...  I thought is might be a bit lonely because it was the first Christmas in quite some time that the kids and I would be spending alone.  It turned out that I didn't feel lonely at all.  I felt calm, rested, and grateful...  The kids and I enjoyed our usual Christmas Eve "Feast" of appetizers, then watched old movies on TV in front of our little fire.  Little A practically begged to go to bed early so that Santa would come, and the other two raised no objections to that at all.  Santa came and delivered fairly early this year...  Not much to put together... thankfully.

Of course, the kids woke up at the crack of dawn on Christmas morning.  They were VERY excited by their gifts!!!  D spent the entire day building Legos, and the girls spent the entire day playing Barbies and playing with their American Girl dolls...  Very few fights between them occurred....  Only one meltdown occurred (and of course that happened during a brief visit by some friends... as usual).  All in all it was a very nice holiday.   :)

Finally, Another Post...

It is getting close to a new year...  Time for new beginnings... Resolutions... Every year I make the same resolutions and never keep them.  Just like most people around the world.  Exercise more, quit smoking, be happier, etc, etc.  So I'm not going to even write down my resolutions this year.  I do have them, of course, but no sense in repeating them like I do every year.  I will just quietly work on my goals for the new year... and hope that I have the strength and will power to reach some of them. 

I have to admit though, I am looking forward to 2012...  2011 was not the best year for me at all--- lots of struggles... mentally/emotionally, financially, and physically (Haha, but most years I struggle mentally/emotionally) ...  So maybe the next year will be better.   I am going to count on that.  I'm going to happily kiss 2011 goodbye, and move on....

Oh yeah, and I'm going to start posting again... Heehee.

Tired...

I have been constantly tired lately.  Not just tired, exhausted.  I went to bed last night a 8:30.... And I STILL woke up tired.  As soon as I got home from work yesterday, I was fighting to stay away long enough to feed the kids and get them in bed.  Needless to say, I got absolutely nothing done that I wanted to do last night.  There is really no reason for my exhaustion... I mean I was busy at work, but not slammed.  I'm not feeling depressed either... just sleepy.  Very very sleepy.  Maybe I'm still sick.  I am definitely still coughing a lot.  But my head is fairly clear.  My chest just won't seem to clear up though.  I swear it is because I'm not smoking as much.  Maybe that's it.  Withdrawals...  That must be it.  I'm going to bed early so that I won't be tempted to smoke at night.   Last week I was thinking about it less... probably because I felt like shit.  But this week has been hard. And it is only Tuesday. Meh.  Well, I have been sticking to my 3 cigarette rule a day...  Actually I may have smoked 4 yesterday, oops.  But I'm almost out of them.  Then it is done.  Yikes! I'm kind of scared.  I hate feeling this way.  I hate being so addicted to something.  It's ridiculous really.  Well enough moping about cigarettes.  I've GOT to get up and get ready for work now...

Breathing Again...

I'm feeling much better today... The minute we got back from Amelia Island last weekend, I got sick, and I have not been able to shake it.  It started off as just a summer cold, but it moved straight to my lungs, and I have been hacking for days.  I usually fight these things off quick, but I think the combination of working 6 days straight and cutting back on smoking have made it worse.  I know that sounds wierd, but in the past when I have quit smoking, I have coughed for weeks after... guess the crap in my lungs is coming up, and adding a cold on top of it was just too much for them.  At times this week, I felt like I was drowning in my own chest fluid...  I almost got concerned that I had walking pneumonia, but it seems better today.  I haven't quite quit smoking, but I'm down to 3 cigs a day, and that's not bad at all, considering I was smoking a pack a day 2 weeks ago.    The weekend is the worst.  I always tend to smoke more when I'm at home...  But I intend to stick with it.  Smoking is a disgusting habit, and I intend to break it once and for all.  I still have my gum, so it's not so bad.  Someday I may quit that too, but not this day! :) 



The beach was awesome!  I REALLY needed that rest and relaxation.   We just hung out on the beach all day long and chilled.  I actually read a couple of really good books I had been wanting to read and spent quality time with my kids.  Pixie and I didn't argue as much as we have in the past on vacations, actually we got along pretty well.  We also didn't drink as much as we have on past vacations.  That was my favorite part... No late nights staying up drinking wine for us.  As a result, we were in much better moods, at least I was.   I guess I shouldn't speak for Pixie. Haha!  We kept saying we were gonna stay up after the kids went to bed and watch a movie, but we both had our heads stuck in books the entire time...  Anyway, it was great.  A perfect beach vacation.  We didn't try to pack the trip in with activities and travel... we just chilled.  A perfect ending to the summer.



Yesterday was my last day working in Kennesaw.  I will miss the staff, but I will not miss the drive, or the hours, or the craziness of the appointment schedule.  Also six days a week was really getting to me...  Next week I only work 4 days, but the week after I have another 6 day week.  It is okay though, because I will be working close to home...  A two hour commute really tires one out.   So far things are going well at my new hospital.  I am only 10 minutes from home and that is AWESOME. 


Today I have got to work on my house and yard some.  It has been two weeks since I have cleaned, and it is back to being a trash pit again.  Last week I fell into bed every night by 8:30...  I was just too sick to manage a thing, and I'm getting a late start this morning, but I feel like I can get a lot done today...  At least I'm breathing better now.   Well, I better get off now and get to it....  there is much to be done.  I want to post about the books I read while on vacation, but that will have to wait...  First things first....

More Summer Fun Photos!!!

Big A Goes To Camp!!!