It was the best of times it was the worst of times....

Charles Dickens, what was on your mind when you wrote this? I like to imagine sometimes that you were a mother who was home by herself all day with children. Daily you would cry because it was too much for you to take and you were sleep deprived and behind of everything you needed to get done. As you feel the exhaustion about to consume you, your child does something to melt your heart and just like that, it was as if you had not a care in the world.
I like to imagine that you didn't have any money and it felt like you could never get on your feet...but you had a family who loved you more than anything.
I like to imagine that you were so alone...that you didn't have one friend. No one knew you and no one talked to you and it appeared as if no one care and it was so hard....but you knew how much the Lord loved you so it made everything else seem so small in comparison.
You knew what it was all about, didn't you Mr. Dickens? You knew that every time life feels like it is the "worst of times" that really it is the "best of times". You knew that later on you always look back on those times you thought were so hard and end up seeing such amazing things come from it. Mr. Dickens, thank you for constantly reminding me that my worst of times can ALWAYS be my best of times.

Products you NEED

Here is a product I LOVE that I would certainly recommend to anyone with even a little bit of wave or curl to your hair. It is called Round Trip by Paul Mitchell, the Express style line. It not only has amazing hold and memory, and isn't sticky and doesn't make your hair crunchy. It also makes your hair curlier and curlier the more you use it!! Put it in your damp hair (i actually don't like to brush my hair before "scrunching" it because it helps it look curlier) and scrunch it! Remember when using product it is rarely intend for use on your scalp or root area...it is intended for mid-shaft and ends. Tip your head upside down and either scrunch your hair with your hands or use a diffuser. Blow dry until your hair is pretty much dry and if you so choose you may set it with hair spray! Seriously, if you have wavy or curly hair you NEED this product!

Our first christmas...just the three of us

What a lovely Holiday season! Our little angel just made our Christmas so much fun. I was kind of sad because this was the first Christmas I ever spent away from home but I realized that when I am with Andrew and Joie I am home. Watching Joie get so excited about the silliest little present was the best Christmas present I have ever received! I just hate that Christmas always comes and goes so quickly...I just hope I can keep that spirit of Christmas and the love it brings in my home all the way until NEXT Christmas.

Joie opening her Christmas Jamies

The only toy Joie cared about all day!

Deck the Halls

Oh I love this time of year!! Any one who knows me knows that I HATE winter with a burning passion. If fact, around February every year I hit the tanning bed every day and take a trip to Arkansas for a few weeks just because I hate being cold and stuck in side all day. In spite of my deep hatred for winter, I love it from the last week of November until New years. I just love the Christmas season for so many many reasons. Of course I love to decorate my house and I love how pretty the snow looks against peoples Christmas lights. I love seeing how it brings out the charitable side of so many people. There is a man who lives on my road and he owns an ATV with a snow plow attached to the front and he goes around and plows the whole street and everyone's drive ways! I know so many people hate the commercialism of Christmas and all the advertising when it is a time we should be celebrating Jesus Christ but I love it. To me, it is just a huge way of celebrating Christ! I think all the gift giving, both of material things and of your time and love and such, is an amazing way of honoring Christ's teachings of charity. I just love this time of year!! Of course, here is my newest reason for loving it.......