Woo Hoo... I got to play hookie with the kids and Phillip today! Holy moly it's freezing! 

We did all get to sleep in BUT... that also means cleaning house and the never-ending chore of doing laundry! Not to mention taking down the Christmas tree as we should have a few days ago. 

Tonight Makayla picked dinner - off to the store I go... you will soon figure out that I'm a terrible grocery shopper! I hate it, so instead I spend way more money than I would if I could just make a full list and do a single trip for the week or even two (hey that would be a concept!!!) Grocery store every night or two for dinner ingredients! 

Woke up feeling a bit  under the weather today, so finding positive will be tough but not impossible. Let's see... Here's how my day went. 

• We had a new employee start in the office yesterday. She seems to be fitting in just fine!
• Drayden had a follow up visit to the doctor this afternoon. He fractured his arm in 2 places, on New Years Eve last week and they splinted it. Today he got a full cast but will go back next Tuesday for another x-ray to make sure his elbow is healing properly. If it's not going how it should, he'll have surgery Wednesday AM to have pins put in. Prayers for him and his momma because no mommy likes to see her baby  hurt and nothing she can do about it. 
• I'm taking off tomorrow since Rachel and I are working the Bridal Expo Saturday... (works out perfect since it is going to be the coldest day of the year so far and I'm not feeling great)

Now everyone's favorite part of the day... DINNER... Oh my goodness this recipe is to die for! Talk about comfort food. I love this Chicken pot pie... I could just about eat the whole thing myself!

I'm headed to bed early. This cold yuck has gotten to me! 

AHHHH! I'm "sew" excited... I'm going to make a wedding dress for my friend Shannon... The big day is May 15, 2015... Look at this thing. It's gorgeous! I'm taking the picture to a JoAnn Fabrics store to have help finding a pattern and the pleated fabric... I can't wait to get started! 
(this dress found on DHGate.com)

Pretty laid back day overall, really... Up early, work, store, home... Chicken, broccoli alfredo & garlic bread for dinner. Victoria stayed for dinner tonight and I ran to a PTA meeting at the upper middle school. Nothing fancy or eventful today, BUT nothing negative either. So I'd say it was a pretty great day! 

Cleaning day!!! It looks like a tornado has torn through this house. Not a room here that doesn't need some serious attention. It's been a busy week apparently. I know this is supposed to be a positive blog, so we'll say that the finished product, if I ever get there will make me very happy. To know that my house is clean, laundry is done, and Christmas put away??? Ah, sweet success ;-)

Mom'ME' time happened today too. I went to get my nails done for the first time in probably 4 years. I was floored immediately when I sat down. The nail tech was removing the existing polish and here's how the conversion went:
Tech: Who did your nails? Your daughter?
Me: No. I did. Why? You think they're messy?
Tech: Yes. Messy. That's why you can't do your own nails.

Wow!!! Are you kidding me?! What an ass!!! Then I take out MY nail polish that I just bought at Sally's. DARK SIDE OF THE MOOD (really? There's a Fifty Shades of Gray OPI line)... and yet another conversation starts

Tech: (picks up the polish bottle) What's your name?
Me: Laura
Tech: How do you spell it?
Me: L-A... what are you doing?!?!?! Don't do that!!!
Tech: (writing my name on the bottle WITH HIS DREMEL TOOL) I'm just doing it so you don't forget it's yours.
Me: NO. Don't do that. You didn't even ask me. I won't forget it's MY BRAND NEW bottle that I JUST pulled from MY purse!!
Tech: well most of my customers say o.k..
Me: I'm not most of your customers, and you didn't ask, so I couldn't say o.k. so don't!

OMG, I was so pissed! BUT my nails are amazing. He had such nerve!

Thank God we we're having an awesome dinner. Mmm, catfish nuggets, red beans & rice, and corn... I've been waiting for it ALL week.
(no recipe today, sorry)

12:34am Yep, I'm officially old. I have a child who can legally drink now. My Christopher Michael turns 21 today. Where did THAT time go? ugh I must get my beauty sleep. I'm not getting any younger. PS. I did get the best response EVER when I sent him a happy birthday message though. "Thank you for giving me life."

5:34am and wide awake. Why not, right? 4 hours is plenty of sleep. Just kidding, I did not stay up... Today is grandma's service. 

OK, I got at least another 3 hours sleep, then up & at 'em to get everyone where they needed to be. Ran to Kohl's to get a new sweater for Phillip to wear today. What a steal!!! Got a $50.00 sweater for TEN BUCKS!!! In. Out. and on my way... We dropped Nicholas at his friend Konnor's house, to hang out while we were at the services. 

It was really good to see family, friends, and church family at the visitation. It's calming to know how much support we had and how everyone loved my grandparents. The lead pastor at Armor Heights Baptist church, Brian Mason performed the service. It was the most amazing and beautiful thing I've ever heard. I heard things about my grandparents that made me appreciate them that much more. They are amazing and he was able to capture that and share it during the service. My grandparents met when he was on leave from the Navy and she went to school at William Jewell college with her sister Wilma (who at the time was dating my grandpa's brother, Ray). 

On grandma's casket was this quilt and 4 roses: three white and ONE red. The first thing that came to mind when I saw the roses is a story my grandma always told us when we were little... "When God was handing out noses, I thought he said roses and I asked for a BIG RED ONE!" SO while the roses that were there clearly symbolized her 3 daughters and my grandfather All I could think of is 'that's grandma's nose!' My sisters thought the same... That definitely created some giggles. 

The hardest part of the service for me was when I noticed my grandpa standing next to the casket alone, clearly saying his goodbyes. 

Before heading to our cousin Linda's house for dinner, we all sang Amazing Grace and the Doxology. It was like having the church choir there.

Only 2 days in and this is hard already! 

I woke up at 3:45am for no reason at all. So, I did my late night ritual of checking Facebook, Pinterest, and Words with Friends... On Facebook, I saw the link for my grandmas obituary. She just passed December 29th. She was 90 years old and was married to my grandpa for 67 years. They are the inspiration behind my cross tattoo. 

The funeral services are tomorrow. It will be a beautiful celebration of her long life! We're really hoping the weather holds out. It is supposed to get pretty  nasty. 

I was chatting with one of my Thirty-One sisters, miss Jenny Majors today. She is driving down for the services tomorrow. It brought me to tears. That is so sweet. She lives 2 hours away... I feel so special. Small world too. Turns out her Aunt Susie knows my grandparents. She has been there banker for YEARS... 

I couldn't wait to get home and see my princess Averie this afternoon, so I was thrilled when work let out early. She has been with her daddy a few days this week since he's home from school for Christmas break. I was certainly ready for some baby snuggles with my girl , and that's just what I got all night.

Headed to bed, with a glass of red. Tomorrow will be a long day for sure!!!

I decided to write about only the positive things that happen to me during each day, no matter how the day goes overall. 

Today, I visited KC Ink (tattoo shop) to get this beautiful cross tattoo on my left inner forearm. I was so excited that Phillip went with me to get it done. In our 16 years together he hasn't joined me for any of my adventures in ink. I love the cross. As soon as we left, I decided that I'll be adding to it (yes already-I always have "the next one" waiting in line, even while I'm sitting in the chair). I want to wrap my entire forearm in lace, to finish it out...  ***see the fancy pictures below :-)

When we got home from KC Ink, Phillip and I decided to take Nicholas to a movie of his choice... I was hoping for something like Annie or Mockingjay. But he picked Chris Rock's Top Five movie 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ0Qhbm3Xj8

 I highly advise you watch this trailer BEFORE taking your 12 year-old... but who am I besides the woman who got the Mother-of-the-year award on the very first day of the year. Please, don't be jealous. I'm happy to pass it to someone more deserving. We are BAD parents...  WOW, the sex scenes! Oh my goodness... Overall good movie but WAY inappropriate for him. Brandon didn't go because he went to hang out with their cousin Caden for the weekend. 

After the movie we came home and I made dinner. A new recipe that gets to be added to the OKAY to cook again file... Cheddar Chicken BLT's. It got a thumbs up from both Phillip and  Nicholas.

Recipe here:
http://www.5dollardinners.com/cheddar-chicken-blt/ 

Bedtime brought me to then end of a book series I've been reading for a couple weeks now. His Submissive Series Collection Author: Ava Claire... No judging