Welcome Holiday Season!!!

I have been putting my homework off this week because of the Thanksgiving holiday and boy am I regretting it now! I really don’t like taking time away from my family during this great time of year!

We have three Thanksgiving dinners to go to, a tree to go cut down, decorating to do, and a lot of quality time to spend together. This year, we added more activities into our yearly ritual by redoing our downstairs bathroom and adding a back cement patio. It really seemed like a good idea at the time but now it has become labor and time intensive-as most remodeling projects do.

My friends and I also tackled the Pre-Black Friday sales on Thanksgiving night and boy was that an experience! We went to Walmart at 5, an hour before the sales started, and the place was a ZOO! My friend was after a Nintendo D3 for her son and she waited patiently in line for that entire hour. People crowed in behind her, crouching closer and closer to her as if they were huddling in for a campfire. It amazes me that people lose so much respect and decency for others just to partake in what they feel is the deal of the century. One woman that was directly behind my friend actually went over the top of my friend to grab one! We did score some great deals but I didn’t necessarily check any gifts off of my Christmas list. I got a crockpot for my horse trailer, sweatshirts for my barrel race for awards, a new printer for those barrel races, and some pajamas for the kids for stocking stuffers. 

Time for a Break!! :)

With Thanksgiving right around the corner and time off work on Thursday and Friday, it makes me feel like a giddy grade school child that has all of the wonderment of Christmas awaiting. I am making plans for fun activities with the kids for the long weekend and I am so excited! We held out on getting the Christmas tree this weekend so we can spend extra time picking out the perfect tree this coming week. I always feel that the day after Thanksgiving doesn't give us enough time to enjoy the month of Christmas so I try to sneak it up a little every year. I guess I'm just selfish and can't control my excitement for decorating! 

I'm not saying that I am the person impatiently awaiting Christmas decorations to be filling the aisles at Walmart the day after Halloween, but I am always excited for this time of year. As I have said before, I am NOT a fan of winter but I do absolutely love the fun and delight that the next few months bring to my children. They are so engaged with helping with picking out the tree at our local tree farm, decorating it the way they want, and prepping everything else in the house and outside. We have a total of four trees in our home; one real tree and three fake ones. The real one goes in the living room with the stockings and the other three are in their rooms and in the dining room.

What is your family tradition for the holidays? Everyone has their own fun thing that they do and I would love to hear what you do too!

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone!

Is This Worth the Loss?

As I sit here doing my homework on a Sunday night, as usual, I am wondering what made me decide to go back to school. I sit here and watch my children playing in the living room as I type away at this unrelenting keyboard in the dining room. I do my homework in the dining room so I still feel like I am actually part of our family and so they can talk to me and ask me questions. I don’t want to lock myself into a room and sit in peace and quiet—that drives me batty. I love the interaction and don’t mind the noise or interruptions. I don’t want to miss out on my children and I don’t want them to miss me either. But even with me “being here” I am still not here. I am concentrating on what I am going to write and not giving them my attention. They miss having mom.

I know that I am not the only working mother that is going to school. I am not looking for a pat on the back or an “atta boy” from anyone. I just wonder how everyone else copes with missing out on their children. I do schedule my homework and my time with the kids but is that enough? Really? I think about my mom who was a stayed home with me and my sister. She always had time for us. She helped spark our imaginations, was there for any cuts or bruises we encountered, and was as our disposal. I loved it and appreciate her every day for it. Is this life of chaos really worth our missing out on our greatest accomplishment—raising children? I just hope that when we all look back we can honestly say that the gain outweighed the loss. 

Your Community Within Your Hobby and the Important Role They Play

As I reflect on today, I can't help but think about how blessed I am to be surrounded by such a supportive, kind, caring, and fun loving bunch of people. I am finishing up our Friday night barrel race in Winona on this gorgeous weekend in November with my friends and family. I could definitely think of much more fun things to be doing than writing this blog but I figured now was as good a time as any to write about my thoughts as I reminisce about how important family and friends are to me. 

I think that no matter what hobby you decide to embark in, the people that you surround yourself with depicts on how much you enjoy and continue doing it; regardless of the hobby. Our barrel racing family is best in class for fulfilling this need. It doesn't matter if you win or lose, they are there to boost you up and pick your sucker up out of the dirt and keep you going for your dreams. They truly care about your well being and want to watch you succeed and grow. Our kids are so blessed to grow up in this positive and supportive environment and learn responsibility, make life-long friends, to give back, and respect. They say it takes an army to raise a child and I can't think of a better troop to help raise mine.

I guess my point is that I hope everyone has a hobby that is as fulfilling and fun as I do. I'm not saying that barrel racing is everyone's cup of tea but there are SO many hobbies that provide the same supportive atmosphere. Find yours today!!