Real Life and Reverie: November 2010

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

I LOVE decorating for Christmas. So my decorations have been up for a couple weeks including the tree but minus the ornaments. These days finding a night when we are all home long enough to do something is getting rare. But we did it! I love watching the kids go through their ornaments from years past and telling stories about mine from childhood. Ahh Christmas memories! So here's a peek at my tree. I'm linking up with this cute blog!

More Christmasy fun to come!!

My brain is going to explode.....

This is how I've been feeling lately. (This is a webcam pic of my daughter by the way- I'm so proud! :) ) Then I read this blog post and it made me start thinking even more about the pressure we as women put on ourselves and sometimes others.

Alot of my problem boils down to my personality, or that's what I tell myself. I don't like to start things unless I can finish them and do them perfectly. Of course, I have to start things because that's life but I rarely feel good about them. Add in the complete inundation of information these days....facebook, twitter, TV, magazines, "helpful" books and blogs - my gosh the blogs!!

I love blogs, obviously, I have one. But I will sit down to browse through my list of favorites and jot down ideas I see or things I want to do. What was suppose to be 10 minutes turns into 2 hours and I finally tear myself away feeling inadequate and lame. Why can't my house look like that? Why didn't I think of that? I should be better about that. I should always be prepared and have a plan like they do. How does she do all that and still have kids? I wish I had a super big fun craft room. I wish I had this and this and this and time for that and that and that!

But I don't. I do what I can, when I can. Somehow it never seems good enough. Well I say.....enough! I will quit trying to be supermom/superwife/superfriend/superchurchlady/superemployee/supervolunteer (yes those are all words) I will be me! Flaws and all.

Blogs sometimes read like an annual Christmas letter. Perfect pictures with perfect stories and perfect lives. I hate to burst anyone's bubble here but I am far from perfect. I don't always have it together. It is the night before Thanksgiving and I still have 5 pies, cookies and a casserole to bake and I am sitting on my computer blogging. But ya know what? That's okay. The food will get made and we will have a wonderful day with my family.

That's what is important after all right? Not how much you get done or how pretty you look doing it but that you make an impact on those around you. That when you leave this earth they don't just say, "Man she made a mean pumpkin pie!" They say, "Man she was a generous, loving, compassionate person and I will miss her!" So relax this holiday season ladies! Do what you can do and forget the rest. I guarantee your kids will not remember if your wrapping paper matched but the time you spent together celebrating the birth of our Savior.

Now, I'm off to do some baking!!

The Thunder Rolls....

So if you've been reading my blog for a while you know about my son's bedroom from this post. Obviously we are Thunder fans around here. I have to say when the rumblings first began in OKC about having our own NBA team, I thought it would be cool but it is so much cooler than I expected!! Part of that coolness comes from the team themselves. An awesome, humble group of guys who not only play great together but are actually people I don't mind my son looking up to.
They have set a fantastic example of hard work, dedication and never underestimating yourself, even when you are young. (We have the youngest team in the NBA) So when I found out about the Thunder Bus that goes around to area schools and gives out books, I had to find out how my son's teacher could sign up. She set up the meeting and the Thunder Bus rolled into our neighborhood!!

The kids were so excited! The lady who drives the bus came in to talk to the kids about the players and how several of them are finishing their college degrees right now. She asked them if they thought being an athlete meant you didn't have to learn how to read well, then explained that no matter how good you are, reading is super important and the Thunder agrees. They let each child go on the bus and have a book of their choice along with the team yearbook and bookmark. What a great day! Here are some pics of the event....Go THUNDER!!