What I really want for Christmas

I want a lot of stuff for Christmas. I want supplies for my classroom, new "teacher" clothes, and stuff for my house. I don't expect to get all or any of these things, and I really am grateful for all of the things I have. I've been thinking though about what I really want for Christmas, my wish can't be found in a store, it can't be wrapped, and it doesn't cost anything...but unfortunately it's impossible. For Christmas, I just want to go back in time. I want to have another Christmas, really another year, as a child. I want to feel the joy and excitement of Christmas like I did when I was a kid. I want another Christmas with my parents together and the people I love still here.

DW and I usually ended up sleeping in the same bed 'cause we were just too excited to go to sleep! I want to grab my brother's hand and sneak into my parents' room to wake them up really early, like 4am early, on Christmas morning to go see what Santa left us. I want my parents to make Christmas seem so real! Complete with half eaten cookies, and empty Diet Pepsi (yep, we didn't leave milk) gnawed carrots for the reindeer, boot and hoof prints in the snow, I want it all. I want my dad to cook breakfast and then I want to sit at the table with my family. Then, I want to take an afternoon nap before going to my grandma's. I want to go to my Guinkum's and see my aunt Cathy. I want to tell her all about my Christmas gifts. I want to have to wait for the prayer before we eat because Mike, Sherry, Matt, and Trey will be coming in at that exact time! I want to spend the evening playing board games with my family and laughing until we can't talk. I want to go back to when holidays were complete joy, and didn't make me miss the people and ideals that are gone... all I want for Christmas is my childhood back.

Fall Decor

My beautiful fall mantle decorations, go a lot of the ideas from other pinterest users, and tweaked them to fit my own taste, then put the pieces together!

fishing with P

Pipe cleaner fishing! P said she was wanting to go fishing so I brought out a blue covered basket, grabbed some pipe cleaners that were lying around, made fish and fishing poles! We had a lot of fun!!

Fall Wreath

I made this wreath, and wanted to pin it for people who want to put a letter on their wreath but don't have a "hole" in their letter. I bought all the materials at Hobby Lobby, and the letter I tied on with 2 pieces of fishing line! It turned out pretty well if I do say so myself!

Tomboy?

I consider myself a tomboy. Believe it or not- with all my vintage dresses and hats, away from Sunday mornings this girl is rough around the edges! Now, I love looking girly and feeling like a woman, but I appreciate the finer things in life too. Like, getting dirt under my finger nails even if they're polished pink, coughing and sneezing up black gunk after halling straw, ruining a pair of jeans in the mud, and the smell of gunsmoke on September 1st.
 Before I joined the Leyhew family I was still a tomboy at heart, but had never been dove hunting. Now the beginning of September is like a national holiday for me! I know some people think it's awful to hunt, especially doves cause "they're so pretty" First of all- I believe it's wrong to hunt if you are not eating the animal or it's not a threat to humans and I'll stand by that, it's wrong to kill just cause. Secondly- Doves are not "pretty!" I cringe when people say that! I'm terrified of birds for starters, but people think of the white doves that are released at weddings, not the ugly gray things that dart across the sky!
 I don't mind getting dirty! Today when I was at my in-laws I sat down, in my Sunday clothes (Reminder- I DRESS to the nines for church) at the desk that has the relolading station on it and started loading shells for Thursday. My father-in-law said "honey you're gonna get dirty" I said "it really doesn't matter." Dirt doesn't bother me, Most times it will wash out and if not, then it can be used as a "play" outfit. (BTW- I didn't get a speck of dirt on my dress, I'm that good.)
Riding my fourwheeler, though I don't get to ride it near as often as I want to, is one of my favorite things to do. If you're upset about something riding on that fourwheeler will release all of those feelings. It's like a renewing when I get to go out and trudge through fields. I can use most tools that are in a machine shop. Though I haven't done it in a few years, it wouldn't take much to pick those skills back up.

I will always be a Southern Belle- but that doesn't mean I can't hang with the boys. Just remember that just cause a girl is polished doesn't mean she's a frail lady!

Content?

Yesterday I heard a wonderful sermon, presented by one of my favorite persons. It was on being content in your life, which I feel like was a definite God-send for me, because I have been struggling with being content.

Sometimes I think, "I really wish I had some extra money so I could go buy some clothes," yes dresses and hats are my weakness, as you may know. Then I may think "I really wish I had some more money so I could get these cool sandals, or wedges..." I always want more, when I already have so much! After I want for these things, I often scold myself for feeling I need more when some people may only have one outfit to their name, and may not even own a pair of shoes. It's such a shame that we live in a world where we are often not satisfied with all we have been blessed with, and like I said, I'm talking directly to myself here.

Along with material things, sometimes I struggle with wanting to spend more time with people, expecially my husband. You may be thinking, well you shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to spend more time with them, but hear me out. For everyone out there that has lost their spouse, or mother, or brother, or best friend I should be content that I've had this long with them, and shared this relationship with them, rather than feeling like I deserve to spend more time with them. Whenever I say, "I miss you," especially to Nick, I feel guilty and scold myself for thinking that I miss them....I have no reason to miss them because they are still on this Earth...

I need to focus on relying on God to provide the things I need, and knowing that will be enough...The sermon presented Psalms 23, which really broke it down for me, I never really understood what those first verses were saying until it was explained, I shall not want anything, because the Lord is my shepherd and He shall provide for me...

Psalms 23- The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

The Boy I Thought I'd Marry

** This phrase popped in my head one day and felt it would work great as a poem or a song, though the words don't rhyme, I wrote down what came to mind and this is how it came out...**

The Boy I Thought I'd Marry

I always thought I'd marry that boy,
he was my childhood best friend.
When we were old enough to marry
we'd be royalty in our small town.
Well life doesn't always go
the way you may think.
That boy was always
just one of my best friends.
It's funny now to think about
what might have been.

I thought I might marry that boy,
I planned the wedding in my mind.
Church folks thought a preacher's son
would do my life good.
Well life doesn't always go
the way you may think.
That boy I was crazy for was
never more than a friend.
I wonder if he thinks sometimes of
what might have been.

I never thought twice about marrying that boy.
I actually said I never would!
He tirelessly asked me out, but
I always turned him down.
Well life doesn't always go
the way you may think.
That boy is now my husband,
and my very best friend.
I'm no longer saddened by thoughts of
what might have been.