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Adapt and Recover......

I've been thinking about this blog post since August.

My 6th year wedding anniversary to be exact.
Although on Tuesday night, I told some friends I had been married for 7 years! Friends, you can't put a number on this love! 

This year, mine and H's anniversary weekend was a bust......and we haven't celebrated yet. Our anniversary was on August 25th. It's now November.

It's sorta a funny story......but not really.
H made us hotel reservations at a charming Bed and Breakfast in Ocean Springs (our favorite MS town). H surprised me with the trip and I was thrilled!

Then, my sweet Pop was having a bad week and I wanted to stay around home base........ but then he perked backed up and we decided to go again. So I called the Bed and Breakfast and made our reservations again. All is well. Let's pack up.

We were looking forward to taking the doggies to the beach, eating chocolate covered strawberries and popping open a bottle of champagne.

We wake up on the Saturday am, eat breakfast, put on our bathing suits, load up the doggies and get on the road. Halfway there, this started:

But that's ok. You can't rain on our parade! We will make the most out of the situation. We laughed about it and joked about how it rained on our wedding day in the morning, etc. Once we made it to the Bed and Breakfast.....I started punching in our "code" to get in the room.

It didn't work. 

I did it again. 

Nothing. 

So because H thinks I don't know my #'s, he punches it in.

Nothing. 

Meanwhile, Coopie is now pooping on their porch. Seriously. 

The cleaning lady is helping us and notices our name isn't on the reservation list for the weekend. We called the owners and they double booked. They forgot to write us back down when I called back.

Let me tell you how many Bed and Breakfast in Ocean Springs will take you and your weenie dogs on a Saturday on your Anniversary.

None.
Nada.
Zero.

So, we left and headed back home. In true married fashion, we ended up at Kroger......bought some steak and potatoes....grilled out and went to bed around 9:30 due to exhaustion of a long day of nothing but driving.

After we were home and in the comfort of our 4 walls and pj's......we laughed about it.

We talked about taking a bigger trip to celebrate, etc........but then football season started.....and now it's Thanksgiving....then Christmas.....then BOOM! it's Valentines day.....my birthday.....then it will be time to celebrate our 7th Anniversary. That's real life folks.

We are rolling with the punches. And obviously, our calendar.

But, isn't this what marriage is all about though? Adapting and Recovering????

When things don't go your way......you have to adapt and recover.....
At the end of the day, all that I want is someone to laugh with at the kitchen table as we eat in our swimsuits and don't want to waste champagne over a steak from Kroger. I still have an unopened bottle of champagne. 

Back to marriage though.....

You have to immediately adapt and recover after you come back home from your honeymoon and pay bills and do the laundry. Oh, and what about the new roommate thing? H was my first roommate since Jr. College! Talk about adapting! I was now living with a fraternity guy! 

What about when life throws you some lemons and you have to make grownup decisions?

What about health issues, or the ups and downs with family?

At the end of the day.......sitting in my bathing suit, "celebrating" marital bliss over a Kroger steak.....there's no one else that I would like to continue adapting with the ebb and flows of life with than Hunter Jones. We have learned to roll with the punches, be grateful for opportunities and laugh about situations that don't work out in our favor. I mean, do you really have to go somewhere to celebrate? 

Hunter Jones- if you do in fact read my blog....the answer to that question is YES! Take me to MEXICO! 7 years and 5 moves......Mama needs a trip! 

Thoughts for Thursday......

Do you know what I remembered this week??

Elf on a Shelf!

We are about to be bombarded with Elf on a Shelf photos on social media.
Can I set some ground rules here??

I'm gonna say for everyone, everywhere......do not post a pic of Elf on the Shelf unless it's funny and possibly inappropriate.

I wanna see Elfie driving Barbie's car.
I wanna see Elfie sitting on the top of the coffee pot and it scaring your Hubby when he wakes up at 5am.
I wanna see Elfie hanging on to the steering wheel in the car.

In other news:

- The Fall weather in MS is playing tricks on us. One day I'm freezing and having pity on people who live in Alaska....and the next day I'm running the air conditioner!

- If I generally buy you a Christmas gift.....please email what you want. This year, I don't have a clue or a budget. And, I need both.

- I was able to listen to my book on cd from my phone during my 10 hour drive to see Mar Per! I literally stopped and bought some popcorn to eat while listening to the saga unfold with my book.

- Emmaline Perry is the most presh squishy baby ever! She would smile and smile and open her mouth like she wanted to tell me something, but at the ripe age of 9 weeks old, nothing would come out!

- Call me crazy, but I wanna hire someone to help me decorate for Christmas. I only need someone to help for about 3-4 hours.....and I want them to do my trees while H and I do the outside decorations and the heavy lifting. I'm on the prowl for a highschooler that would like some fast Christmas cash.

- I need to pull my life together and cook. I've been very hodge podge lately. It's my goal to menu plan this weekend for the rest of November. Very ambitious I know!

Thoughts for Thursday.....

1.  Last night, my man cleaned the kitchen.......and he asked me to post on Facebook that I'm grateful that "I have a man that will come home and clean. #day7"

Insert eyeroll and belly laugh at the funny man.
See previous post if you don't get this joke. 

2. Yesterday I wore flip flops to work due to the insane amount of blisters on my feet. I had a work event Tuesday night......so I wore some snazzy shoes all day for it.....and by 5pm, I had called my mom and asked permission to wear my Christmas shoes that she bought me that's in my car waiting to be delivered to her. She said I could wear them, but that she's still wrapping them up! 

3.  Apparently, a lot of my friends share my same feelings about the Thankful Posts. Great minds think alike.

4. I'm taking a road trip this weekend to Huntsville. I'm ashamed to say that one of my BFF's had her sweet baby gurl in September....and I have YET to see that darling! Football totally got in my way this fall (don't judge...it's part of my j-o-b). So, to help the drive go by faster, I purchased a book on cd. I realize that last sentence makes me sound like a product from 2000, but, I purchased it for the cheap at Tuesday Morning. I go to put the cds in my cd player....and what do you know....the crazy thing won't work! I was soo disappointed, but, I haven't used the cd player since we purchased the car....almost 4 years ago! (Thank you Sirius and Bluetooth). Anyway, instead of trading in my car for one with a working cd player, I downloaded my cds into iTunes and BAM! They are now on my phone! #winformeg #ilovetechnology

5. I ordered my Christmas cards yesterday. Just.You.Wait! If you are not on my list, you may wanna be! Last year, my cards were hodge-podge from the Dirt Cheap, this year, I have made up for it. I'm so excited about them that I'll probably mail them the day after Thanksgiving.

6. Speaking of Thanksgiving.....I'm ready for some turkey, dressing and gravy! Lard help me!

7. I visited this little munchkin this past weekend:

8. This was my breakfast on Tuesday and today: #noshame

9. For Halloween at work....I was Pinterest:

My dad was shocked that I was even participating in the costumes at work. Growing up.....I HATED wearing costumes. HATED IT! Obviously, I'm still against it. I don't have a reason why....other than I'm lazy.....

10. I feel like I need to round out my thoughts with having 10.....

I have decided after I finish my piano class in December.....there will be no more classes for me for a while. I need a break. I need a minute from flashcards, jury's, augmented and diminished chords, arpeggios and any type of music theory. This was suppose to be my "fun" class.

Listen....it ain't no 'mo.

November Nerves

Call me Scrooge......but all of the "Thankful" posts on social media get on my nerves.

People are clogging up my Facebook feed with posts saying they are thankful for the obvious things in life.

My message to the people: STOP. For the love of all November......and turkey and dressing. Just stop.

How about instead......if you are thankful for your husband, cook your man a big meal and give him a little slap on the butt. 

If you are thankful for your kids, take them for an unexpected ice cream run.

If you are thankful for Jesus.....tell him that in your prayers and your actions.

If you are thankful for your parents, call them/show up at their door/ mail them a gift and let them know. It sorta defeats the purpose when you give your parents a "shout out" on Facebook and they are not even on it! Just sayin'. 

If you are thankful for your friends, mail them a note telling them why.

With my rant being over......I'm gonna give you my list of 30 days of Thankfulness. Get Ready.......

I'm Thankful for:
1. My doggies and how they smell like Fritos and Doritos in the morning.
2. Spaghetti.
3. Sand on the beach.
4. The smell of a library book.
5. Lotion in the winter.
6. Fall leaves.
7. Pancakes.
8. Conference calls with friends.
9. Belly laughs.
10. Grey's Anatomy.
11. Fresh flowers in my bathroom.
12. My weenie dog blanket.
13. Sharpie pens.
14. Front porch sitting.
15. Planners and journals.
16. Dr. Snap
17. Coach shoes.
18. Sunday afternoon naps.
19. Chili in the winter.
20. Pinterest.
21. Cookies and Cream ice Cream.
22. When my man does the dishes.
23. Notes in my Bible.
24. Chicken Spaghetti.
25. Tervis Tumblers.
26. Starbucks.
27. Sunday lunch at my parents house.
28. Watching the buddies chase the golf cart.
29. Scarfs.
30. Life.

I'm sorry (not sorry) if I have to de-friend you the month of November because you are thankful for the same stuff this year as you posted last year. I mean, we get it......you have the best husband, kids, parents, friends that anyone can ask for. You told us last year, and the year before. 

Happy November Everyone! 

Love- Mega-Scrooge

In the Sweet By and By.....

On October 2nd, my sweet Pop passed away.

Some may say he lost his fight against cancer, but I choose to think that he gained Victory and he is now healed. Pop was a musical man, and a lot of his talents spilled over to his children and grandchildren. I like to think that Pop is playing music in Heaven with some of the icons of his time.

When he passed away, I didn't make a big deal about it on social media. I didn't want Facebook to try to water down the hurt I was experiencing. I didn't want people who had never met him try to comfort me. I didn't want to have people "liking" a status that holds so much hurt for me. So....I didn't post anything. At all.  I'm just now able to blog about it......and even then, I'm simply copying and pasting!


Below gives a better description of Pop. This was submitted by my dad to the local newspaper:

On October 2, 2013, we lost a husband, Dad, helper and friend.  Our beloved Pop joined his Savior, his first born son, and family and friends in the twinkling of an eye.  If Heaven needed a harmonica player, guitar picker, or simply someone to lead the Angelic Choir in “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem,” then the Celestial City has it now.

If every cloud has a silver lining, then every loss contains a hidden gain.  Our loss was Mr. Grady……Our gain was You.  The outpouring of God’s spirit through His dear saints was quite simply….overwhelming.  Pop spent his final moments on earth surrounded by his family. And his family spent that time surrounded by God’s instruments of mercy, the dear people from the small communities that dot southeast Mississippi and southern Alabama.  You prayed, preached, and propped us up during this difficult time.  The food you provided was not only gourmet, it always came at a time when it was needed most.  We never dreamed that midnight dumplins’ could be so good or that “oooy-goooy bars” could soothe more than our sweet tooth.  The fresh vegetables you dropped off represented far more than your green thumb.  Cards, flowers, visits, meals and graveside singing reminded our family once again that the human spirit is alive and well, eager and willing to serve, eager and willing to share the burden of a grieving family.  Through Pop’s illness, we were also reminded that Heavenly Angels do, in fact, roam the earth, and they appear in the form of Home Health and Hospice Services.  Incredibly compassionate, incredibly professional, and incredibly gifted.

    If Pop could speak from the streets of gold, he would surely voice his gratitude for your love and support through his favorite little saying, “Great Goodness!!”  Great is our God for His Goodness made manifest through the lives of His servants in our little region of the world.  Thank You So Much.

The Family of Grady Walley

Puzzle Pieces

That is what my weekend was.

One big puzzle piece.

Here's the rundown of the weekend:

-Friday night.....I had intentions to pack for the weekend. Instead, I fell asleep on the couch.
-Saturday am, H went to work......I packed...and met my mom to drop off the doggies.
-Brudder and his fiance arrived and we left for Starkvegas.....2.5 hours later, we arrived.
-Lunch at The Grill.
- Game time.
-After the game, we stayed with some friends.
- Starkville Cafe' got us going on Sunday morning.....then, I became a nomad.

I had a work conference in Tupelo starting on Sunday night. I didn't feel like driving home just to get back in the car and drive north again, on the same roads mind you. So, I sweet talked a co-worker to just pick me up in Starkville. But, my dream plans started to derail when H said that he needed to leave immediately after breakfast.....thus...I became an nomad.

Here's where my well being depended on the kindness of others:

H dropped me off at our friends house.......then, the puzzle started.

Our friends dropped me and ALL of my bags and hanging clothes off at Restaurant Tyler. Then, I met my friend Susan.....and put all of my belongings in her car while we dined.
Then, Susan dropped me off at Starbucks where I squatted for about an hour and a half.
A co-worker picked me and bags up.....and off to Tupelo we went.
While in Tupelo, I invited my friend Abigail out to dinner....but told her she has to pick me up!
Then, in a panic, I realized at midnight.....that I didn't have any house keys with me......and I really didn't want to call H at midnight and have him put a key under the fern at that time of the night. So instead, I called my neighbor at 7am (who happens to be recovering from pneumonia) to stroll down to my house at her leisure and let me borrow my house key from her. Side bar: I needed my house key so that I could get to my car and car keys and I texted before I called. 

My grand plan was solely in my mind this whole time......then on Saturday night, I explained my plan to H and our friend.....and at that time, it sounded really crazy. But thank the LARD....everyone was compliant and on time.

I'll leave you with this:

Why yes...that is Sponge Bob on a camel. In MS.

Beside our hotel, Tupelo was hosting their fall fair. We were tempted to attend to buy a candied apple.....but the hotel didn't have a steak knife. Y'all all know that I eat my candied apple's with a knife. It's a process.

I'm glad to be home. And to drive my own car. And count down to the Laurel fair so I can buy a candied apple and go home and eat it with a steak knife!