Happy New Year!

Pin It Now! I am a total party pooper when it comes to staying up late even on New Year's Eve. When you're a seasoned insomniac, you just can't afford to take the chance, even for one night, that a new insomnia cycle will commence.

Yes, one night of insomnia usually starts a round of more nights of insomnia. The more tired I get the more I can't fall asleep. It doesn't make sense, I know, but it's just the way it is for me. *Sigh*

Also, I seem to have a window of opportunity when it comes to being able to fall asleep. So, if I miss it, insomnia ensues.

Can anyone relate?

I have found a few things that help in this area, so things are much better than they used to be, but I want to keep it that way!!

Anyway, enough about my sensitive sleeping issues, I still had a great New Year's Eve!

I don't ever plan anything big for New Year's - I don't make cute New Year's Eve crafts with my kids or plan a special meal. By the time Christmas is over, I am plumb out of creative energy and festiveness!!

I woke up on New Year's Eve and decided to make coconut walnut pancakes. Delicious. Then, I spent the rest of the morning shopping and spending Christmas money. THANK YOU, THANK YOU sweet family members for Christmas money!!! It isn't often I get to spend money on things I want - ya know, the fun stuff - so I had a blast! Here's a taste of what I've been spending my money on . . .

My hubby and I have wanted to make a wall frame collage for over a year with pictures we had made in November 2011. I can't wait to finish it. For my design I was inspired by something I saw on Pinterest of course!

I've also been able to spend some money on clothes and some beauty products ~ yea! It really is nice to be able to have outfits to choose from now. :)

On New Year's Eve as a family, we spent time sitting around our new fire pit. (Thanks again for Christmas money!) I may have a reason to sort of like my backyard now. ;) Mmmm - chilly night, hot cocoa, roasted marshmallows, and sweet family fellowship. Well, most of the fellowship was sweet anyway. (Goofy kids and certain "noises" can kind of sour the mood quick!)

Happy New Year Everybody!

And That's a Wrap!

Pin It Now! Hard to believe another year is coming to a close in less than 12 hours. So many blessings, I can't begin to count. God is so good. I am so grateful He's been turning our big pile of ashes from the past few years into something quite beautiful.

Kids are healthy. Marriage is thriving. We're getting back on our feet. BLESSED.

Right now things are pretty peaceful in our own little household, and it feels good. I want to cherish it fully because I know circumstances can change in an instant. There will always be trials and hardships to come, but right now I am thankful I can bask in the calm.

I'm not going to attempt to recap our entire year for I have a couple of piles of laundry calling my name, lesson plans to prepare since I have procrastinated the whole time we've been on Christmas break, and tonight's a cook dinner night. So, that's that. Mom life!

I will, however, take a few minutes to recap some Christmas moments . . .


Christmas Eve

We always look forward to our Christmas Eve Breakfast - Sausage Balls and Monkey Bread. The kids like to exchange gifts with each other after breakfast, too. Oh, and they gave gifts to Daddy and me, too. SO. SWEET.

Getting ready for Christmas Eve service at church. Daddy picked great Christmas songs!

 After church we let the kids open the presents from all of their Tennessee relatives.

 

 

Christmas Morning

 

We always put all of the Christmas presents from us to the kids under the themed tree. This was the first year we had to wake our kids up on Christmas morning!!

 

At my mom's house for Christmas brunch.

Pretty girls

 

Silly boys

 

 

My brother's family

My mom

 

 

Fun games

 

 

 

Christmas Night

We went to my dad's for a delicious traditional dinner.

 

Shiloh got the light up Pillow Pet she's been wanting. :)

Red eye I can fix. What in the world do you do with white eye?

 

And that's a wrap!

 

See you next year. ;)

New Year's Day--Ragamuffin Style

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2009? What? 2008 seems like a blur!

Anyway, everyone who knows me knows I HATE staying up late, so we celebrated the new year on New Year's Day instead of New Year's Eve. I was singing Tylenol PM's praises this morning b/c it kept me from waking up at midnight to the obnoxious firecrackers and pot banging that was going on, so my hubby tells me.

Mark, on the other hand, is an owl, so he didn't mind staying up most of the night tending the shoulder on the smoker. Lincoln tried to stay up but fell asleep on the couch around 9:30. Mullin made it to 11:00, I guess. Sad when my 9 yr. old stays up later than me!!! Yep, there wasn't much going on in the Ragamuffin household on New Year's Eve. I went to bed at 10:00 after watching the Dog Whisperer with Mullin. That is about as crazy as I get on New Year's Eve. (And I like it that way!!!!)

We spent the morning getting ready for our friends to come over, and sweet Mullin built Benjamin a Thomas track. Oh, brings back those fond memories of Mullin when he LOVED trains.

Mmmm, the shoulder is almost done!

Here it is.... Mark's a southern boy through and through--he's proud of his pork shoulder. He even made the Cole slaw. Rotel and his grandma's baked beans were also on the menu. Our friends are NOT from the south and weren't even sure what Rotel was. Someone from Mark's work wondered if smoking a shoulder was like smoking a cigar or something. Nope, we are not in Tennessee anymore. (I am glad.) Did I just say that?

Seriously, this was an amazing, melt in your mouth shoulder!! Watch out Paw!!

And here is my beauty waiting patiently for her friend, Kaiya, to arrive.

Kaiya always loves to dress up as a princess when she comes over.

The girls playing in Shiloh's new Hello Kitty house. Kinda clashes with our decor, but oh well.

Lincoln and Shiloh relaxing after everyone left. I was so busy pigging out that I didn't even get pictures with our friends. And I am sure Mark is glad that we don't have visual proof of him getting whooped in a basketball match with Jarid!!!

Party Poopers

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Yep, that's us!

We didn't really have any super, exciting plans to ring in the new year. Just pizza and a movie. Mark even ordered a few slices of my absolute favorite pizza--pineapple! We rented Ratatouille and even let the kids stay up past their bedtime. Mullin tried to make it to midnight with Daddy, but I am told he fell asleep before 2008.

We did have a couple of "party" invitations from lovely family and friends, but what can I say, I guess we're fuddy duddies! A nice, quiet, relaxing evening is what we desired.

Plus, New Year's Eve is one of my least favorite holidays. The other is July 4th. I dislike them entirely for selfish reasons--I HATE staying up late, I HATE hearing fireworks go off late at night, and I HATE spending the next day exhausted from not getting a good night's sleep.

No, I didn't stay up until midnight. I believe I have only done that twice on New Year's Eve since I have been married. Once was to see the lighting of the 3 crosses at Bellevue Baptist Church in 1999 . I am glad I was there to witness that amazing sight, but it was a bit difficult with a 4 month old!! Oh my, and that was the time when everyone thought the entire world was going to lose electricity or something due to the date changing from 1999 to 2000. Mark and I made a few preparations but nothing major. I think I even filled the bathtub with water before we left that night. What funny memories!

Here we are having a smashing good time on New Year's Eve! Really it was fun. Good movie, good times.