The Most Magical Time of Year

Bonjour! I have not died! I am alive and well, though rather exhausted. The past few days have been non-stop go go go and while I've loved seeing everyone and exchanging gifts and eat way too much yummy food, I'm ready to take a break! How about you?

The short little break from the blog felt nice, I won't lie. And it might extend just a wee bit more [or at least be a little lighter] due to the fact I have to drop my trusty ol' MBP off at the Apple store tomorrow to have a new keyboard installed. The traffic will be a nightmare... I know. Hopefully it'll just take a few days though. Please let me have it by the new year! I'll be working anyhow, so it might not matter, but still. I'll have Mike's macbook but I can't do too much on it!

I have so many blogs to catch up on! I don't know when I'll ever find the time! Don't worry, I'll be dropping around you're little slice of the blogosphere soon! Hohenwald doesn't even have 3G phone service so I didn't read much Twitter or post anything via Instagram. Sheesh! I felt so disconnected!



Excuse the crazy lighting. Even Photoshop couldn't help the bright yellow cast lighting from my Nana's house! Haha I really love the Christmas season. I love the hustle and bustle, the endless pondering of thoughtful presents, the hot chocolate and full breakfasts, the family you can't really stand any other time of the year [kidding! Sort of!], etc. It's a great way to cap off the year. Then a week later you get to vow to never drink soda again or never run through the drive-thru, etc... Perfect timing!

I spent Friday baking and crafting, so when Mike got home from work around 5 we could load up the car and girls then head to my parents'. Of course we didn't leave until 6:30 but that was fine. We snuggled in, watched Love Actually, slept and woke up to presents. We had breakfast, opened our goodies, and then went back to sleep for two hours. Then we woke up, went to my Nana's, stayed for quite some time, ate a late lunch, opened presents, went home, Mom cooked, stepdad's family came over, ate again, exchanged presents! Phew! Oh did I mention we had a white Christmas for the first time in 17 years?! Yes! That never happens in Tennessee! Well it was great until Christmas night when we were supposed to drive the 2 hours north to pick up Toby. The interstate was shut down, parties being a little less than cooperative, etc. Luckily at 8:30pm we had the "OK" to go. The roads were okay until the Franklin area. Then they were awful. We managed to pick up Toby and head back south for the 2 hour drive [again] when we got stuck on an overpass while asking if a stuck car needed our help [but we worked our way out], then in front of our house in Spring Hill we hit ice on a bridge and went all over the road. Luckily Mike regained control and we managed home without incident. But it was scary!

We put Toby to bed and we slept. Then we woke up this morning, opened his presents with my parents, had breakfast and headed south to Mike's parents'. We opened presents there then ate a late lunch, rested around, and finally headed home. Here we are! I hate throwing so much into just one little post but honestly, I wouldn't have time otherwise to even update about it!

We're keeping Toby for a few days and I'm so excited! Lots of toys to play with! I love having him around!

Now a ton of photos! [I'll put most after the jump!]

Me & my little cousin Kaylie

Lacey Lou Anne

Toby and Grammy Terri

Pip and Baby G

My two favorite boys ever!

Tuckered out. Presents take a lot out of a kid!

We got Mike's dad an assortment of Bulldog presents this year

Terri and Mike's sister Laine

Miss Abby

Toby and Mike's dad

Overall, Christmas 2010 was a success! I'll definitely share more about what I snagged for Mike this year and what I got, too. But for now, we'll focus on what the holidays are all about: family! xo

How was your holiday?!

Celebrate Moms!

Today is a day for celebrating. Celebrating and recognizing the wonderful woman that chose to bring you into this world. Whether it's your biological, step, grand-, in-law, sister, aunt, or family friend... these women helped shape you into the person that you are today. Good or bad. Most people know my relationship with my mother is strong. It's the kind that transcends all obstacles and arguments. It hasn't always been that way.

While I've always loved my mother and found her to be my biggest inspiration, our relationship has not been without many traumatizing arguments and disagreements. Slammed doors, hurt feelings, the works! But something amazing happened once she released me to the "real world" (as they like to call it). Everything that she spent 18 years teaching me suddenly took flight. I was taking care of myself, paying my way, and really getting out on my own. Then we became best friends. I had to call her every single day (if we're being honest here, it was multiple times a day!) and she's the first person I rush to when I have big news. The way I look up to my sweet Momma can't be put into words.

She slaved many jobs to raise me on her own. She struggled to make sure I never did without. She instilled so many morals in me and if there was one thing she wanted me to know, it was to "always keep good credit!" (and that she loved me). She endured trafficking me to softball scrimmages, cheerleading practice, volleyball games and camps all around. She always welcomed my friends and stood behind me even when I made less-than-stellar decisions. And to this day, she remains my biggest fan. She stands up for me when someone comments poorly on my choice in body modifications; She keeps the 2008 issue of Seventeen magazine that I was in in her car; She's always raving on me. But what she should be proud of, is her parenting. A+ all the way. It was always just me and her. She didn't need a man to support her. She taught me that independence is key. She taught me how to "fly with my own wings" [read: my Latin chest piece tattoo]. She gave me her dark brown eyes and deep brunette locks, as well as her love for softball. I'm sporting the signature Hankins turned-up nose, too. (She also gave me her ghetto booty! Ha!) Mother's Day and Father's Day alike. I always celebrate this with this lady who managed to play both roles in my life.

I am my mother's daughter. And I couldn't be more proud.

(Momma, circa 2007)

(Momma, June 18, 1980)

She is the woman I look up to and aspire to be. If I'm half the mother she was, I'll consider myself a damn good lady.

So thank you, Momma. For being the most amazing woman on the planet. You deserve the world, and I'm so so happy that you're finally getting it.

And this foxy lady below... that's my Nana. A wonder woman herself! Raising 5 kids with a stubborn husband (my dear Papa who I love and miss dearly). The kickass female who I recently had my right calf tattooed for. She raised me when my Momma had to work and we always had a grand ol' time. No one could ever take her place.

"It happens the second Sunday of every May. We celebrate the women who give us life and so much more, the ones who protect us at all costs, who have the courage to fight those who would do us harm, who put our happiness ahead of their own, but mostly we celebrate a mother’s love which is constant, eternal, and there from the very beginning." -Desperate Housewives

"A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary." -Dorothy Canfield Fisher

"A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us when adversity takes the place of prosperity when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine, desert us when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts." -Washington Irving

xoxo

Easter Weekend

Work definitely wasn't any better on Saturday night... I held out hope but the bar was stocked and ready to go well over an hour and a half before closing. I sat down at the bar in a stool, played on my phone, and hung around until Mike showed up about a quarter after 1am. He drove down in his car to pick me up and we drove to my parents' house because we brought laundry and Georgia with us. I left my car at work overnight.

We were coming into town a little after 2am and all of a sudden Mike asks "Did you just see what I saw?!" I had no clue what he was talking about so we turned around really quickly and looked again... It was a big ol' cow.. a big cow, standing directly on the side of the 4 lane highway... just chewing some grass. Our lights spooked it a bit and it ran down the hill a little. Hohenwald is a tiny tiny rural town, so this WOULD seem normal... except that part of "town" isn't really near any farms. So I called it into 911 (couldn't get my iPhone to process the police #) and told the dispatch that there was a loose cow that looked like it wanted to dodge some traffic. Then I said "Well I'm only calling it in because I'm assuming someone will probably report it missing". The dispatch (who was audibly an older gentleman) exclaimed "I WISH someone would report that thing! It's been evading me for four weeks now! I'll get a call, send someone out there, then the dang thing will just run off! It's bigfoot! You just saw bigfoot!" At this point I'm cracking up, about to pee my pants, and just trying to stay with the dispatch. He was such a friendly fellow, and that conversation pretty much made my week. My parents got a kick out of it Sunday morning, too.

Anywhoo, after sleeping and waking up early (9am-ish?!), mom made breakfast and we ate. After that, I spent some time getting ready and we went to Walmart to grab a couple Easter cards for family. Here's the floppy hat I bought the other day (I didn't wear it yesterday), but the photo below was what I wore for Easter (new dress... but it's a halter top and I'm not crazy about it. I'm thinking it's too poofy).



And a photo of Georgia after running around outside for a while. She was exhausted and hot.


After the Walmart trip, on the way home, I happened to see someone I knew... someone I haven't seen or spoken to in a few years... my father. If you've never seen me post anything really emotional or honest, here's your chance. I recognized him immediately and I couldn't help but start bawling uncontrollably. Mike pulled over to talk to me and stuff, but I just wiped my face, said I wanted to go home, and that was that. Well, until my Mom saw my face. She could tell I was upset about something and I told her. She asked "Did you talk to him?" I said no. She said "Well you're about to" and she walked into her room, called him, and handed me the phone. I was literally running down the hallway opposite of her crying "No, I don't want to! I don't want to!" but alas, she handed the phone off and I spoke. He could tell I was crying but I lied. Regular small talk like work and weather... things you'd talk to your old neighbor about if you hadn't seen one another in a few years. He didn't know what I was going to college for, He didn't know that I graduate in December, blah blah blah. A man... A FATHER... who sees his daughter's name and handwriting EVERY Sunday at work... yet never thinks about calling to check up on her or to say Happy Birthday. This has been going on my entire life. 22 years. A vicious cycle where we'll talk and visit each other for a few months, then we'll fight about something and not speak for years. He says it's because we both have tempers... I say "I got it honestly". Instead of spending time with me, he'd buy me things, take me to the mall, sit me in front of a new flat screen computer, etc. All I wanted was him to take an interest in a volleyball game or a softball scrimmage. Come see me go to Prom or maybe lunch in Franklin. People say I'm lucky to even know who my father is in this day and age... but how easy do you think it is to be 100% sure your father KNOWS of your existence, yet he blatantly avoids you and wants nothing to do with it? We have a house on the Tennessee River with lots of boats and 4wheeelrs and fun stuff. He said he'd like for Mike and I to come down in 4 weeks when I get out of school for the summer. We'll see.... Anyway, whatever.

We ventured out to my Nana's house with part of my extended family. We had a nice lunch (though Mike and I could barely eat anything... My family thinks meat should go in EVERYTHING! And few people were aware of the fact that we don't eat meat.... even though I went vegetarian when I was thirteen haha), good conversation, I met my cousin's new baby (she's adorable!), and we shot some more pictures with our throw away cameras (post soon!).

After a while we gathered our things, said our goodbyes, and headed back to Franklin. Well, Mike drove me to get my car in Columbia. I passed out the whole way. As we were pulling out of work, low-and-behold, guess who is pulling in to do Sunday inventory? My father. As if yesterday couldn't have gotten any more awkward. It was casual small talk once more. The first time he's seen me in years. Red hair. Tattoos. It's all new to him. We drove back home and dropped off some film. I tried getting into school to do some work but it was locked so I came home and worked on it. Mike and I brainstormed my book idea once more and came up with something better. (Thank you if you submitted stuff! I'll still try to use it!) We made dinner and tried watching Dexter but the website was shoddy. We caught up on Community and Modern Family before hitting the hay.

I've been up for an our already (early to rise at 8:30am) and I'm about to wake up Mike. We've got things to do!

I'm headed to Nashville tomorrow to go approve the sketch for my calf tattoo on Wednesday. This week is going to be so incredibly hectic. The book/super comp is due on Wednesday, and a million page paper is due on Friday. Just let me get through this week!

I have to pay my NYC rent this week too.... $4600 for 2.5 months. GEEEEZE!

Happy New Week!
xo