November/Autumn Wrap Up

Ok ~ I am here! And I'm blogging! Let's finish up November/autumn.

We had a lot of dead leaves on the ground in the front yard in November. After Bri's 5K, it was time to rake them up. But, it was also a perfect opportunity for Bri to have a little fun jumping in them and throwing them in the air...

I truly appreciate all things "fall." Growing up in Miami as a kid, there was no chilly weather, colorful foliage or dry leaves to jump in. And most of my family also lived in Florida at the time, so I couldn't even go somewhere to visit to get that experience. I love watching Bri experience all this autumn "stuff."

November also brought an updated playground to our section of the neighborhood. The other play equipment was really getting worn out. This new one is really awesome...

Bri met friend/neighbor/soccer teammate Maddie one afternoon for some playground fun...

It was also the time of year for the annual craft show held at my former high school (held the weekend before Thanksgiving). I love the craft show. I pick up my favorite things each year from my favorite booths and I also get some fun ideas for Christmas. It was bittersweet this year though because I used to attend this show with my late friend Carole. To cheer myself up, I brought along Bri, my mom and sister to enjoy the craft fair with me.

We really had a fun few hours of shopping...

At the fair, I ran into my high school BFF Julie and her daughter Olivia. It was surreal being back at the school with her...

 When we were in HS, we looked more like this (heh)...

 We enjoyed our first autumn with our kitty Mei Mei. Or Princess Mei Mei. See below? She looks thrilled right? She is seriously the most tolerant cat ever...

Thanksgiving week finally came upon us, and Bri had the entire week of off school. We asked Imerie to have lunch with us and hang out at our house on Monday of that week...

Thanksgiving finally arrived, and Briana made hand turkey place settings for everyone...

My parents and my sister and her family all arrived to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast.

Bri helped prepare the pickles and olives...

Enjoying turkey neck with daddy...

My guy about to carve the turkey...

The cousins watched Santa arrive in the Macy's parade on TV...

The table was all set...

So blessed...

You have to eat pie for dessert...

So that is my autumn wrap up.

Now I am a purist when it comes to the whole Thanksgiving/Christmas thing. I like to celebrate them as two completely separate holidays. Thanksgiving ushers in Christmas. My Christmas tree doesn't go up until Thanksgiving is over. It's just my weird "thing."

But there is one and only one exception to that personal rule ~ visiting Santa Claus at the mall the day before Thanksgiving.

My reasoning for this is because it is less crowded to see Santa before the Christmas season is in full swing (unless it is the day he arrives,which seems to be in October now - heh). I'm not sure how many more times this rule will come into play. Bri is 9. Santa visits are limited. I'll be lucky if she wants to see him in 2016. When it comes to Santa Claus, Bri is still "all in."

Once the Christmas season really rolls in, I am crunched for time. Add in the fact that seeing Santa early gives him way more time to collect all of Bri's "necessary" gifts for Christmas Day. The whole thing just makes rational sense. ;)

Briana looked so beautiful the day she went to see Santa...

But more of that in my next post...

Life With Briana - Blog-O-Thon

 

 

I've never been so behind on blogging. Seriously. I love to blog but I just haven't found the time to sit down and do it. I still haven't blogged about things from the fall. None of December has been blogged ~ and we did a lot in December.

My goal is to try to get caught up next week. So be prepared to relive Christmas because that is what December was made up of - heh. I am going to have my own little blog-o-thon!

As Briana's shirt says..."Let's Get It Poppin'!"

I'll try to start on Monday! See ya'll then!

Happy New Year 2016!!!

Hope you all have a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016!!

(To read my thoughts on 2015, click here.)

Goodbye 2015

Each year, I contemplate what kind of year I had.

I have had sucky years. Ones I could not wait to get out of. Then I've had amazing ones - ones that I was very sad to see go.

This year is a mix for me.

There were some amazing highs this year and some pretty bad lows too.

 I had some great times this year. I went on several amazing trips/vacations. Doug, Bri and I went to the beach and the mountains. I went back and visited the place I grew up. I spent lots of time with family and friends (both old and new) this year. I finally had my "me" weekend away that I so desperately needed. Bri did great in 3rd grade and continues to do so in 4th grade. She had lots of great times with her friends and cousins. She continues to thrive in soccer and running ~ and Doug led Bri's soccer team to win a championship. My parents celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary and I took them to see Barry Manilow in concert. I experienced every season to the fullest from snow in the winter to sun and sand in the spring/summer to amazing foliage in the fall. I got a beautiful new backyard with a stone patio. My kitty Mei Mei came into my life and she is the best cat ever ~ seriously. She helped mend my broken heart after the loss of my kitty Asia.

I had some painful lows too. I lost one of my best friends suddenly in March. Not a day goes by that I don't think about her, and the after effects of that loss are still lingering. Doug lost his uncle this year to a quick, aggressive cancer. I've struggled with sickness ~ from stomach issues to skin issues to back issues this entire year. I seem to go from one ailment to the next. It is so extremely frustrating. Lots of doctors appointments; lots of medications. I'm really over it. Briana had some "tween" type attitude come into play this year. Overall she is a really good kid, but there are those times that she can frustrate me like no other. She has had a lot (and I mean a lot) of school projects this year. That adds to her stress level which makes her kind of ornery. Which then makes me kind of ornery. Bri struggled with being on her new academy soccer team and decided to make a change. Doug traveled a lot this year (and I mean a lot) - which is a double-edged sword. Great that he is busy and working and not so great because he is gone a lot.

I already know going into 2016 that there are some hurdles I am going to have to get over. I will try to stay positive, but honestly, I am human and flawed ~ I can only say I will try my hardest.

My goal is to get healthier this year. And I know that will make me a happier person. I hope and pray I don't lose anyone this year. I lost both my grandmothers, Doug's uncle, a best friend and my cat in just the last 3 years. I have also watched several friends lose a parent over the last couple of years. I know that is an unrealistic request because of my age, but I'm not sure how much more loss my heart can take.

I have a beautiful roof over my head, food in my kitchen, insurance to see good doctors, a great husband, and an amazing daughter. You know you are spoiled blessed when you have the time and energy to get annoyed at little, stupid things people do around you or get huffy when someone doesn't take the time to "like" something on your FB page. So overall, life is good.

 So goodbye 2015. I am both happy and sad to see you go. I am going to dive head first into 2016. I have to tackle what is ahead of me. What else am I going to do?

(And I promise to be a better blogger in 2016. These past couple of months have been abysmal!)

Happy New Year everyone ~ hope 2016 is a healthy, happy and prosperous year for you all.

A Follow Up To My 5K Post

I still have a ton to write about regarding November and December, but I am going to quickly address a comment that was posted on my 5K post. An anonymous person commented that maybe Briana's actions during her 5K were more about being a team player (keeping her coach company and helping her along) rather than her not trying her hardest. After I read the comment, I pondered it for a few minutes.

Because the comment peaked my interested, I decided to ask Briana (again) her reasoning for lagging behind during the race. This race happened over a month ago, and we are completely fine and past all of it now. But, I decided to casually bring it up to Bri. Bri explained to me that her actions didn't have anything to do with team work or helping her coach along. She is certainly a great team player when it comes to soccer, but in this case, it was a different reason.

Briana loves her running club coach. Loves, loves, loves her coach. She is a strong female athletic role model and I am blessed that Briana is able to look up to her. In B's first 5K last year, her coach ran for time and endurance (and a parent volunteered to stay at the back of the group). Her coach is quite fast, and Bri tried to keep up with her but could not. So this 5K, Briana found an opportunity to run with her coach because she loves her so much (because in a regular situation, her coach would have been running for time and not hanging back). Instead of sharing this wish with her dad and me, she just decided to do it on her own. So that day, we interpreted her actions as being overly social and "not trying her best." 

The running club kids train for a 5K for an entire semester (every Thursday after school). And that entire time, the coach is building the kids' endurance and drilling into them that they are in "a race with themselves and no one else." She wants them to run for time and endurance ~ concentrating on themselves. So when you finally get to race day, you hope all that training comes into play. When Briana decided to hang back with her coach instead of pushing herself, no one got the real outcome of all her training.

I do believe that I (and Doug too) may have been a bit too tough on her that day. She is only 9. At that time, Bri had been exhibiting some "tween" type behavior and this event added to all of that. But since then, we have talked it all out. Bri told me that since she has had the opportunity to run along side her coach, she is now able to focus on doing her personal best next time. 

Bri and I spend so much time together, I know her like a book. And because of this, I know when she's got a different agenda and is not giving it her all (which she has a history of doing ~ she's done it in soccer, school, and now running). I've always told her that I don't care if she comes in last or fails a test, as long as she tries her best and stays on task, I'll be proud. 

So that is the follow up. Yes, I was a bit disappointed in her, but overall, B knows that I think she is the best kid ever. Let's see what happens in the spring.

Merry Christmas From Our Family To Yours

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!!!

(I promise to be a better blogger from this point on! Christmas has been extremely busy this year! When life calms down a bit, I'll be back. I still have a lot to blog about from November and all of December!)

Briana's 2nd 5K

I know, I know. I haven't blogged in two weeks ~ again. I have to catch up on events that happened in November. I am so behind.

I made a promise to myself that this year that I was going to concentrate on getting ready for Christmas instead devoting more time to blogging. And I have to say, I am ready for Christmas. Earlier than I ever have been. All my presents are wrapped and all my cards are sent. I can't believe it.

And now I have some time to blog.

Briana's 2nd 5K was held in mid-November, and ironically, it was a tad bit colder in November in GA than it has been in December (it's supposed to be 73 degrees on Christmas -whaaaat?).

Briana was all bundled up for the run...

Being silly with dad...

The race was held at a small local airport and was a "1st annual" turkey trot 5K held by the Family Alliance of our county. With that being said, no one really knew anything that was going to happen. Most of the attendees were kids from Briana's elementary school. That part I really liked because a smaller group made it easier for the coach and volunteers to keep their eyes on the kids...

Briana was stoked when she got her number...

Of course, we had to get the all important running club photo opp...

Bri and her awesome coach...

Silly times with dad again...

One of the boys from running club asked Bri to race (which is always a good thing to do before running a 5K - heh). Of course Bri loves a challenge and she obliged...

She kind of smoked him (he is on the left)...

It was time for warm up...

They do the Whip/Nae Nae plus exercises to warm up...

Here is some video of it...

The participants lined up at the starting area and I immediately saw Bri gravitating toward her coach.

Several days before the race, Bri and I had a discussion about "worrying about herself and not anyone else." Last year, she ran her race in 37 minutes (rock star), but she helped a boy with some encouragement (he was getting tired because he didn't do what he was told ~ started out too fast and was trying to keep up with friends) and that actually slowed her down a bit (which bothered her). This year, I said if she was running for time, she could concentrate on herself if she wanted. Bri was on the same page with me until she started the race.

Bri's coach had suffered a broken foot at the beginning of the year, so she couldn't train for this 5K. She made the decision to stay at the back of the group (since she couldn't really run for time) to make sure all the kids crossed the finish line. Bri knew this information. And instead of running for time, doing her best and worrying about herself, she decided to hang back with her coach. You can see her in the picture below doing exactly the opposite of what we discussed...

Hanging back...

We waited and waited and waited and waited for Bri to go around the airport path.

I was really frustrated because I knew Bri was not being serious about this race. This race wasn't supposed to be a social event. I didn't get up at 6AM in the morning on a Saturday and pay a fee for the race for her to just hang out with her coach. She can do that at school. She trained for this race. Seriously ~ there was a kid with a boot on (broken foot) that crossed the finish line before she did.

Finally, she came in with the back of the pack...

She made it in just under 52 minutes...

Now, no one knew the path was gravel until the last minute and it is much harder to run on gravel. Bri told me she stopped several times to get gravel out of her shoes. Bri is not a "grin and bear it" kind of kid, so she stopped. But even with a gravel path and a couple of stops, it shouldn't have added 15 whole minutes on to her run. She is too fast for that.

It was definitely frustrating...

After everyone crossed the finish line, the kids got on the blender bike and made smoothies...

And Bri received a participation medal...

Of course we were proud she wanted to even run the race. And we were proud that she finished the race. We were only disappointed because she didn't try her hardest. That is all we have ever asked of her.

She got a bit of a lecture. We told her she won't be running in any more 5K's if she pulls anything like this again. She said she understands ~ we'll see.

On a lighter note, a few days after the race, it was the last day of running club for the season and they had an ice cream sundae party...

I scooped more ice cream that day than I even want to talk about! It was pretty chaotic! The kids enjoyed it though.

So, the plan is for Bri to sign up again for running club for next (spring) semester. There will be another 5K scheduled in the spring ~ so we will see how it goes!

My Beautiful Girl (And Neglecting The Blog)

I can't believe I haven't blogged since the 23rd! I am neglecting my poor blog. I rarely do that. I've been so busy ~ preparing for Thanksgiving, decorating for Christmas, helping Bri with several projects for school and going to way too many doctor's appointments.

I am so behind on blogging and I have so much to write about. I just need a few more days to wrap up Christmas stuff (shopping, decorating, wrapping, etc) and then I can try to catch up here. I'll be back ~ promise.

I did manage to take some photos of Briana for our Christmas card this year. The one above was the money shot. I love it. She just looks so beautiful and grown up in it. Sigh ~ how is she nine years old?

Anyway, I'll be back soon!