Thursday's Writer's Prompt- A Vice I Can't Let Go Of

Thursday's Writer's Prompt

(Link up at http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/) 

A Vice I Can't Let Go Of

Now, first thing's first: I am NOT a liar. As a matter of fact, I sometimes impress (and shock) myself with how  honest I can be. 

But, I have a flair for the dramatic. I'd like to think I am a natural story teller, and that this vice I have really just amplifies my abilities. I feel that "exaggeration is the spice of life."

I am an exaggerator. In my world,  this spider

becomes this spider:

and this mess

becomes this mess:

And my battered and bruised  (but generally okay) heart (ego):

becomes something ripped from my chest, thrown on the floor and stomped on until it's  a bloody pulp: 

This is probably not the WORST little tidbit about myself I could offer. Rarely does my exaggeration hurt anyone, and like I said, it's not lying...not exactly. 

And really, though my exaggerated descriptions of heated arguments, and people who I despise can leave me seething even though they're not worth the trouble, my vice has it's good points too. 

this humor:

becomes THIS humor:

This much love: 

becomes this much love:

And that, my friends, is that. 

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Thursday's Writer's Promp

Thursday's Writer's Prompt 

with

Mama Kat


Reverse Bucket List:
Stuff I NEVER Want To Do

10.  Run A Marathon. 
Uuuuuuugh. This sounds like a lot of pain. I'm disinterested. 

9. Parachute. 

Have you SEEN how high up they go? I mean, people who do that have a death wish. 

8. Hold A Tarantula.

There's this pet store near my house called "Rockstar Pets" and it's a really cool store- they have several of their own pets that kind of run around like they own the place. They have a giant tortoise that just moseys his way around the store, a couple of dogs, a cat,  and probably more. They even have those awesome rabbits the size of dogs that you can put a harness on and go for a walk with. They also have spiders. Tarantulas to be exact. They even have the BIGGEST species of spider- a Bird Tarantula...because it EATS BIRDS!!!! I mean WTF?!!!  I told my kids that if they EVER brought home a spider for a pet, I'd fry it live and make them eat it. 

7. Go To Japan, China, Or Any Other "Asian" Country.

Unlike what seems like the REST of the world, I'm not interested in exploring the country, learning about the culture, or becoming a martial artist. 

6. Loose My Teeth. 

I'm so scared of my teeth falling out in my old age. I don't care if I'm 99 years old and dirt poor. I will sell my children in order to get an implant before I'll wear dentures. (Don't call CPS. You all know me well enough to know that's an exaggeration. My husband, though....and the dog.....)

5. Have Triplets.

They always say that if you have multiples, you should have them first (because you won't know what you're getting yourself into, so you won't know anything different, and it'll be simpler that way.) or last (so that you have other people to help.

As a mom of 4, and a PRO at the "infant" stage,  I can honestly say I think I could handle two babies at once  with two  hands tied behind my back. Sounds like fun! But I do NOT want 3 at a time. (It goes without saying that I don't want 4, 5, or so on either.)

4. Give Birth Naturally. 

I heart my epidurals.

3. Die.

Yeah. I wanna live forever. 

2. Run Into My Ex Boyfriend. 

Nearly 10 years and 4 kids later, I'm still a hundred times more adorable than his new wife (who I saw because a mutual friend was tagged in one of his wedding pictures) and I wouldn't want to make him wish he wasn't an ass back in the day. 

1.  See ANY Of The StarWars Movies In 3D On The Big Screen.

We're going to Disneyland in 9 weeks over Lilly's birthday. My kids don't know. We're not going to tell them about it either, until we pile them in the car and drive PAST the school. I am so excited about this, I could pee my pants every single day. I even think that my elation exceeds that of my excitement to get married once I was engaged. 

My husband feels this exact same way about Star Wars, Episode 1 being on the big screen in 3D. He doesn't want to go without me. I think he'll never make it. Because, while I'm willing to suffer through LOTS of "his choice" movies I could care less about,  I'm not going to spend 7-10 bucks seeing a movie we already own that I don't even like, in 3D glasses that make me dizzy, just because it's in a theater. 

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Thursday's Writer's Prompt - Poems for my Valentines

Thursday's Writer's Prompt 

http://www.mamakatslosinit.com/blog/

Poems for my Valentines

Lilly, named aptly

for the blossom gold as sun. 

She's magnanimous. 

Fire cracker, full

of compassionate power,

my oldest little boy. 

Strawberry in cheeks

and hair, a gap toothed beauty.

Nickname: Little Red

My little darling,

careful and deliberate.

Sock and car in hand.

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"This one time, in Lit-Mag...",

Thursday's Writer's Prompt

from

Mama Kat's

Come over and link up!!!

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"This One Time, In Lit-Mag...." 

- The way I was in High School.

Whether or not you've seen American Pie, or any of it's sequels, you've heard the phrase "this one time, at band camp..."

I've always been an extrovert -from the day I was born, I've been...out there. In a lot of ways, I still feel the same as I did in high school. I sometimes look at myself in the mirror and am shocked that I'm nearly 30, instead of 15. I still fear mediocrity, and I still have a lot of the same passions.

I love the theatre, and I did then too. I also loved to write.

I think I had a minor identity crisis going on in high school, and possibly a little depression, but then, I mean, who doesn't, right? We're all trying to figure ourselves out. What we like, what we don't, what do we want to be when we "grow up", not to mention, the absolute horror that IS the teen years.

I survived my self-search party by spending days in the Literary Magazine room, and my nights rehearsing for plays and musicals.

(That's me with the long hair, and the white sweater. Brandon, my now bald husband, is the one with 2 dozen palm tree ponytails in his hair. Don't worry...he's done a LOT of growing up.) 

Surrounded by other kids who were as creative, and, a lot of them, as lost as I was gave me a spot- a place where I fit in.

No one took more of  a chance on me than did our teacher, "Mr. Long" who constantly put up with our pranks, which included desks hung from the ceiling, Latin phrases written in white out pen across the wall and on the bottom of our desks, flat Dr. Pepper in place of his morning coffee,  wordlessly lining up to follow the office aid out of his classroom and throughout the school, among many other crazy antics. He spent hours teaching us how to publish our wonderful, award winning high school Literary Magazine (Lit-Mag), Chasms. How to fill it full of lovely poetry, prose, photography, and other artistic features. Even better, he taught us to MAKE that art, and best of all, he accepted all of us.

Walt Whitman wrote, in Song of Myself from Leaves of Grass, "...I too am not a bit tamed. I too am untranslatable. I sound my barbaric YAWP over the roofs of the world." 

Mr. Long, and "Mama Squires"- the AP English teacher in the classroom next door- taught us the meaning of being "not a bit tamed" and how to YAWP. How to live, how to just be us. I don't think he knows he had that kind of effect of us. 

I think it took me until I was married for 5 years or so to really figure out how to be comfortable in my own skin- to love my body, not because it's perfect, but because it's mine, and because "beautiful" and "perfect" is relative and varied. It took me another 10 years after graduating high school to figure out that people, like ogres, are like onions- they have layers.

I only recently learned that people change. That people I only knew of in high school could become good friends later. People that I thought were permanent threads in my life could be severed.

Still, all those years in my personal Purgatory, full of locker shelves, teenage angst, sob-fests on the couch in the Lit Mag room, sluffing assemblies- again in the Lit Mag room, and more diva-offs than that Drama club could supply on it's own, put me on the path to figuring all that stuff out. Not because it was the end all be all of my cognitive abilities, but because high school just took everything I already knew, and dumped it out on the floor, and insisted that I put it all back together, piece by piece.

(I'm the redhead front and center in the red skirt and green shirt) 

And still, whenever I get together with my old friends, our conversation is riddled with that same old statement..."This one time, in LitMag...."

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Thursday's Writer's Prompt - Lessons Learned from an extrovert

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Thursday's Writer's Prompt
With Mama Kat

Since last week I chose the prompt: Lessons I've Learned from an Introvert, I chose prompt #1- 

Lessons I've Learned from an Extrovert

When I told my husband about this topic, he asked "So, what have you learned from yourself?" 

Har-de-har-har. Believe it or not, I actually do know people who are more extroverted than I am. Not many...but I do. Still, here are a few things that YOU could learn from ME- an extrovert. 

1. If you have something of value to say, say it. 

             ~Extroverts don't hesitate to say what they're thinking. This is scary for a lot of people. They may be                  afraid of confrontation, or worry that they might be wrong. A lot of people don't like to rock the boat, and strong opinions do that. The truth is, though,  if YOU are thinking it, many others are thinking it too. There is always going to be SOMEONE who sees your point of view. 

2.  You don't have to be drunk to let your guard down.

              ~ Extroverts don't have trouble letting go of their inhibitions. It's totally okay to dance in your kitchen by yourself, sing very badly in the shower, or  to get up and sing Harvey Danger's Flagpole Sitta at the top of your lungs when you're at a Karaoke bar.  You might be embarrassed, you might be nervous. No one else cares. Really. When they leave tonight, you will never enter their thoughts again. 

3.  Confidence is Key

               ~Extroverts have TONS of confidence. In themselves, as well as in people they love. Sometimes, the difference between getting a job/role/a warning instead of a speeding ticket is confidence...and probably a little fast talking. I'm not good at the fast talking myself, but I'm really good at stealing the spotlight.  I get their attention, they give me what I want. In essence, follow the Nike logo. "Just Do It"- if there's something you want badly, don't chicken out. Go for it. 

4. What you see is what you get. 

              ~Most extroverts don't have very many secrets. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, say it like it is, and generally don't sugar coat things. In a friendship, you know an extrovert will never lie to you. Your boyfriend's a stupid-head? She's not going to tell you otherwise. In a romantic relationship, the extrovert is most likely to be the first one to say the "L" word. Always know though, that extrovert or not, they are still vulnerable. They're not invincible or overly carefree. Try putting yourself out there- even if it's just a little bit. You might be surprised at how opening yourself up can get others to open up too. 

5. Sometimes, it's okay to trust a complete stranger. 

              ~It's not uncommon to find an extrovert chatting it up with someone they don't know- in the isle of a grocery store, on a plane, in a waiting room. Once, I made friends with my phlebotomist because I opened up and spilled my guts. We connected, and 3 years later,  she's still a great, trusted friend of mine. Don't spill it all. Awkwardness doesn't make lasting friends- it makes you creepy. But it's okay to admit to your hairdresser that your kids drive you crazy sometimes, and two days ago, your 3  year old said the worst of bad words in front of his grandmother...when you give people a chance to identify with you on levels that most people can easily understand, you'll find a whole world full of friends. 

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Lessons I've Learned from an Introvert

Thursday's Writer's Prompt

Lessons I've Learned from an Introvert

1. Don't be afraid of silence. 

              ~ It's okay to sit and be quiet together. Introverts aren't afraid of silence.  If this is a friendship, silence and equal trust, when one knows how to shut one's mouth. Most people think silence is awkward. It doesn't have to be. Not if you trust each other. If it's a relationship (romantic) a lot more emotion can pass in the silence of a room. 

2. Listen

               ~ I have trouble shutting up. I have SO much to say. But sometimes, it's better to listen than it is to talk. I now make a conscious effort to let others talk FIRST. Introverts are experts at this. 

3. Give advice hesitantly. Even when it's solicited. 

              ~ Most of us feel like we have it right and we need to spread the word. That may be so, but for the most part, everyone else feels like they have it right too, and when they complain, they don't WANT advice. And when they ask for it, they still only want to be validated. Introverts know how to recognize genuine inquiries and then are careful about their words. 

4. Don't say things you don't mean. 

               ~Since introverts already aren't prone to saying much, they are naturals at guarding their tongues. You can rest assured that everything they say is genuine and real. 

5. Don't judge a book by it's cover. 

               ~ Since introverts don't often wear their hearts on their sleeves, it's impossible to determine the kind of person they are without taking time to get to know them. It's opposite from those of us extroverts who blab our life stories happily to anyone who will listen. Most often, someone who takes time to get to know is worth the effort. 

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Thursday's Writer's Prompt- New Year's Resolutions

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Thursday Writer's Workshop

New Years Resolutions 

Today is the 5th of January. I have been avoiding this post. In general, I'm a bit uptight about resolutions. The honest to goodness truth is I think it's boring to read about. I mean, how many people want to get into shape every year? How many actually succeed? How many people set impossible goals for themselves? When people talk about resolutions, I feel my eyes sort of glaze over, and my mouth slouch into a bored frown. 

So I didn't want to talk about mine. 

Of course, I led my children in writing down the goals they set for themselves for the year, and we made some as a family, and I cracked up inwardly when I was perusing facebook, and saw a good friend of mine state that his New Year's resolutions were to 1. Play more video games, 2. Exercise less, and 3. Gain weight. Way to be realistic, dude.

2011 was a hard year for me. Not the worst year ever- that was 2009, but it was hard, nonetheless. Some wonderful things also happened. I had my 4th child, my second boy (Tuesday was his birthday and Wordless Wednesday is all about him!),

I was able to play one of my dream roles: Wendy, in the British musical "Peter Pan."

My gorgeous sister got married to a SUPER guy,

And My Business took off running!

When we think "cyber bullying", we usually imagine a teen or tween sitting behind a computer with facebook on the screen, and a bunch of other, meaner kids typing away at their own computers, all about this poor girl or boy who has no way to control what they say. But, at nearly 30 years old, I was, on several occasions, the subject of cyber bullying. I was the subject of several episodes of gossip by several different groups of people who should have cared about me, who had no real fodder against me- so what they said could not have been true.

On top of that, we have had some serious financial issues, though, luckily, by the end of the year, we were all still happy, healthy, and on our feet.

In all, I've learned a lot from this last year

1. When I was a kid and knew everything, my mom told me often that my friends won't always be there. My family will. She was right.

2. The friends that ARE always there aren't friends. They're family.

3. Some of those "friends" change, and sometimes, you have to let go.

4. Jealousy can hit you, years later,  even when you're over it.

5. My prayers will always be answered. Even if Heavenly Father takes his sweet time about it. Often the answers are sarcastic. Which surprised me.

6. I'd like to think I'm stronger for having escaped my latest trial unscathed...but I think that maybe God just had pity on me. I'm not sure I'm stronger for it. I'll probably bitch and moan just as blatantly next time.

7. Just because I'm right doesn't mean the other person is wrong.

8. People who choose to ridicule and discourage are usually jealous.

In my reflection on the past year, I have tried to sincerely study myself and to come up with goals and improvements that I can make in my behavior and ideas so that I can add more honorable topics to "lessons learned".

On the top of my list is this: To be so busy loving those that love me that I have no time at all to care, even the tiniest smidgen what people say about me behind my back. Those people are not worthy of my affection, attention, or even my dislike, let alone my worry. Let me save all those values for my children, and the ones who have my back.  For that matter, the people who TELL me about those who gossip aren't worth my time either. I can't trust them any further than I can trust the gossipers.  This goal will be infinitely easier said than done.

Next, I want to act in at least two plays. At the end of Peter Pan, I faced a lot of ridicule because, apparently, in following my dreams and doing what I like to do, I am not being an adequate mother. Apparently, parenthood doesn't require sacrifices, it requires you to sacrifice EVERYTHING. Apparently, I can't follow a dream without abandoning my children and marriage. It seems that I've done so many terrible things in my life that this behavior is believable and likely. (Note the sarcasm dripping off my keyboard.) I refuse to let those who might see my passion as a precursor to my children's demise dictate my hobbies, my passions, or make me feel terrible when there's nothing to feel terrible about.

I want to live. By this, I want to slide into bed, tired, exhausted, and able to say that I had grabbed life by the shirt, with both hands, and planted a giant, wet kiss on it's mouth. I want to laugh until my sides ache, and kiss my babies' cheeks off. If the situation warrants, I even want to cry until I am weak with lack of tears.

Forgive me if this bored you. I'll totally understand.

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You know you're a mom when...

***Last day to enter to win a My Memories Digital Scrapbooking Suite***

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Come and link up with Mama Kat's Losin' It for Thrusday's Writer's Prompts

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I spent a good several years in denial of my mommyhood. I mean, I had a baby or two permanently attached to my hip, and a diaper bag replaced my chic purses and bags...but I was young (I became a mother at 22 years old) and hot and REFUSED to fall prey to such horrifying things as "mom jeans". It worked...for awhile.  My babies wore adorable clothes, their noses were always devoid of anything wet or slippery, their hair was always done - faux hawks for the boys, tiny pig tails for the girls with ribbons or barrettes. They always wore socks AND shoes. And that diaper bag? Plastic encased red silk with colorful butterflies all across it. Heck, even the bottles I used were cute and top-of-the-line. As often as not, I was mistaken for the cute young nanny of the two darling children I towed everywhere, to which, I laughed delightedly, and relished in the not-momishness of myself.

Now a days, though, (I'm now nearly 30) there's hardly a glimpse of that girl.

I now look in the mirror (at my bad haircut) and know I'm a mom because, in doing my girls' hair, I don't have time to do my own. All my clothes are second hand- some from my sister, some from a local second hand store, and almost all my clothes fit the "mom jeans" description, including my shirts and cardigans and worn out shoes. I still wear makeup, but never anything terribly daring. I still don't carry a purse, but now the diaper bag is something cheap (read: the bag that the enfamil samples from the hospital came in when I had Teague almost a year ago.)

Teague NEVER wears anything on his feet. I mean, I DO put the shoes and socks on, but I don't waste time putting them back on 30 times a day, when he constantly pulls them off. And occasionally, my younger two will have sliminess beneath their sweet pointed little noses....and that usually ends up on my shoulder, or at about knee level, where Teague pulls up to standing, and then rubs his face against my mom jeans.

I know I'm a mother because, while I can't say I don't care- in fact, I care very much and try very hard to keep myself and my kids looking presentable, to keep us all clean and tidy- I just realize that it HAPPENS. I'm a mom of four. My time is split in several directions. And I love them too much to worry about the trivial things. A little snot never hurt anyone, and when it gets on my shoulder because my sweet baby is giving me a tight hug when he wakes up from his nap, or slobbers all over my cheek in a giant kiss, well, that is worth ALL the chic diaper bags in the world!

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Stories from my college days.

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Linking up with  Mama Kat's Losin' It for Thursday's Writer's Prompt.

Now, usually, as soon as I read the prompts, I know exactly what I want to write about. But this time, it was hard....er....I thought about writing about our Christmas Nativity, because I think it's kind of cool...but then that seemed flat. And then I wanted to write about what I wanted but didn't get for Christmas, if only because, for just about everything I didn't get, my dad (ahem: Santa) left notes with really creative and quite reasonable reasons that Santa would never be able to bring such a thing to me. 

And then I saw the one about stories from collegehood. And I just couldn't resist. 

Of course, this subject comes with a few problems. 1- Which story?! There is no shortage of awesome stories from my college days. The problem is in picking just one. 2- My mom reads my blog...so, I also have to decide what, exactly, I want to admit to. ;)

I think, personally, it's better idea for me to simply summarize several of my experiences in list fashion. You'll get a better, rounder view of my life as a co-ed, and I get the satisfaction of bragging about how awesome my  wild days were. 

1. I won a game of Twister that involved painted grass and over 200 people at starting. 

2. I am a "true wildcat" - which means I got kissed on Homecoming night at the bell tower. 

3. Once, it snowed 4 and half feet in one day, and when the plows were done shoving it off the Union Building driveway, there was a mountain of it 8 feet tall. Of course, my friends Jon, Ray and I climbed into Jon's truck, and drove over it. Despite the seatbelt I DID buckle, my head still hit the ceiling on the way down the other side. 

4. Several of my friends were night managers over the Union Building. They found out that there were under ground tunnels that went all over campus. Through some study, they found out where the cadaver lab was, and we all went exploring late one night. When we got there, one of the boys whispered my name in my ear, it freaked me out and I took off running the other way. We ended up lost in the tunnels for another hour before we found our way back. 

5. I got attacked by an owl  while walking on the sidewalk on my way home from a night class. Luckily she only dived at me once, and only smacked me with her wings. 

6. My boyfriend's cousin came to visit once, and stayed at the dorms. While my boyfriend was at work (at the Union Building) the cousin and I went to test drive a Volvo...because on tv, they advertised that every test drive would earn a free Shrek video. We got the video...and didn't buy the car. 

7. I worked my way through college at a place called Galaxy Diner- where we wore poodle skirts and danced the hand jive. Though, back in the kitchen, we didn't hand jive, we skanked to Ska music whenever there weren't enough customers to keep us busy. (And don't worry mom- Skanking isn't nearly as slutty as it sounds.)

8. My second year, two of my best friends spent the weekend with me in my dorm. One of them had dark brown hair, the other (my sister in law now) had almost white hair. We bought a jar of fuschia pink hair dye from Hot Topic. I dyed both their hair with it. Nyssa (dark hair) came out with deep purple, and Stephanie (my sis-in-law) was, of course, FLORESCENT pink. It was awesome. My hands, though, turned pink too, because we couldn't find gloves. So I just didn't use any. They were stained for 6 weeks. 

9. I went to a Student Housing Convention in Colorado called IACRH (Eye-a-curr) - it was pretty fun, but kind of embarrassing, because while other school's representatives shouted all kinds of cool cheers, the only thing my group knew was "Weber, Weber STATE! Weber, Weber STATE!!!" -well, we KNEW more cheers, but the group had issues with communication and team work. So instead of discussing, they just automatically shouted. A boy there from Arizona State gave me his sombrero. 

I'm sure there are more- but college was full of moments as much as it was full of actual events. So there's a little peek into me a decade ago. 

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"The Best Way Out is Always Through"

Giveaway coming soon!!!

I am SO excited to announce this! I have never done any reviews or giveaways other than my own home made items, and I am ready to jump in head first!

My first weekly Friday Flash giveaway is starting TOMORROW- so check back for that! There will be one every Friday, so tune in for THAT! (I know, the anticipation is already killing you. LOL.)

But that's not all! A wonderful new review and giveaway is on the way! I can't say what it is yet, because it's still in the works, but it'll be settled soon! I'm excited! You should be too!

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Mama Kat's Writer's Prompts.

I chose prompt number 1:

What did you go through in order to get out?

"The best way out is always through." - Robert Frost

At first, when I saw this post, I thought hilariously about the Haunted Circus my girlfriends and I attended this past Halloween- the spinning rooms, the puffy tunnels, the chainsaws, the clown oven....- long story. The things I literally went THROUGH to get out of there.

And then, I noticed the complexity of the question.

When we say to someone who has had a hard time, "You've been through a lot," or "this situation is tough, but you'll get through it," we don't usually think about it as a physical thing.

Looking back, though, it does seem a bit more physical. Dark spots-tunnels, if you will- that eventually widened into caverns and then became bright again. I remember lots of them. I'm in one right now- a loooooooong, seemingly endless tunnel that gets narrower and narrower as the days go on. I'm sure that eventually, it'll make a great blog story about what I went "through" to get out of it. For now, you'll have to settle for a past experience.

You see, I sort of see my entire college career as "dark ages" in my life. The details of that are not really necessary- not terribly incriminating either, so don't jump to conclusions- but there was a heck of a lot of soul searching, getting to know myself and learning how to trust, and how discern when not to trust. A lot of culture shock.

And, not that I'm reminiscing at all, but I was involved with my first serious boyfriend. I dated him for two years, and we almost got married- but you see, it's obvious that we did not get married, which means that there was a breakup. It was absolutely the most distraught period of my life.

I worked as the early morning (read: 4am) baker at Smith's Bakery then. I drove an adorable little yellow Omni with band stickers plastered across the back window, I spent all day going to class, afternoons doing homework, and evenings hanging out with roommates who didn't really care about me, nor me them, and dodging "date nights" in our living room.

I cried- nay, I sobbed- while baking french bread and Mexican wedding cookies each morning, barely held it together while taking cake orders from customers, and was severely glad to just sit, staring at my teachers for 8 hours a day. Surely they thought I was deeply interested in what they had to say. In the Student Union Building, I often crashed beside the fireplace, curled up in one of the many love-sac beanbag chairs while trying to finish math homework, and snorted sarcastically when, during my Tai Chi final, my teacher expressed, with much gusto, how well she could feel my chi. I told her, without smiling, that I was just so incredibly happy. I still got the highest grade in the class.

My ex and I had all the same friends. We all met the first week of school. And when I broke up with him- yes, believe it or not, I must have had some kind of masochistic desire to have my heart ripped out of my chest, thrown on the floor, kicked through the dirt, and then stomped on until it stopped beating. I broke it off- I lost most of them too. Neither of us asked them to pick sides, but he threw parties a lot, and did "cool" stuff like rock climbing and sk8ing. There were few people I had left there, but one of them, Ryan- a boy I wasn't interested in at all, but who made me laugh, danced with me at Homecoming when I showed up stag, and let me bowl free because he worked at the alley and was captain(?) of the bowling team. I spent a night, once, sobbing so hard that I couldn't breathe in his dorm while he rented me a stack of chick-flicks, and brought me pizza.

Those days seemed to last forever. I truly loved him. But we didn't belong together. We wanted a million different things.

Of course, time took it's toll. I grew up a lot. Heartbreaks make cynics of us all. I came home from school a lot, and I started dating Brandon. You see, I'd made a really difficult decision, knowing it was the right one. My romantic belief that love always perseveres and that happy endings prevailed had been proven wrong. But I survived- and largely on my own.

Slowly, the tunnel lessened it's pressure on me, and let me escape. And I was still just fine, when it was all over.

The "through" is never as dark when you look over your shoulder as it is when you are surrounded by it.

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Thankfulness Project, Day 24, Writer's Prompt

(Brandon after Boot Camp Graduation- Texas, January 2005)

Thankfulness Project, Day 24

November 24, 2011, Thursday: Thanksgiving Day

(These are terribly out of order...well...mostly they're backwards. Sorry.)

(Karaoke with all the mcnuggets- October this year.)

I am thankful that today, my husband has work off and gets to spend the holiday with us.

(Oquirrh Mountain Temple Open House, July 3, 2009- Mahone's 3rd birthday)

I am thankful that, after 8 years of marriage, my husband still calls me on every single one of his breaks, and misses me when he's at work.

(Family pictures, spring 2009. i love this one, because it's NOT picture perfect. Life is crazy- and so is this photo.)

(Our wedding day- November 21, 2003)

I'm thankful that he is completely oblivious to other women- even though he's very handsome and girls flirt with him in FRONT of me. If I mention it, he just looks confused.

(Brandon and my oldest son, Mahone- age 2- at my brother's wedding, December 2008.)

(Early February, 2008 when we blessed Scarlet. Lilly-almost 3, Mahone 19 months, Scarlet- 3 weeks)

I'm so thankful that he adores our kids and is such a great father.

(Disneyworld, December 2007)

(At a lighthouse on some beach in New Jersey....or New York. I don't remember. LOL. Mahone-10 months, March 2007.)

He puts up with a LOT of crap from me, and I don't really deserve his patience. But I'm thankful for it.

(Brandon and Lilly-11 months- on the pedestal of the Statue Of Liberty, New York, March 2006.)

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Mama Kat's Writer's Prompt.

In honor of Thanksgiving Day, the prompt I chose is:

"A Favorite Thanksgiving Memory"

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The truth of the matter is, I am not the biggest fan of Thanksgiving. That's not to sayIi don't appreciate the sentiment. Still, the holiday doesn't hold much weight for me, as far as tradition goes.

I suppose I have to mention the jigsaw puzzles though.

My family is a big GAME family- as in card, board and so on. We love games. And we love puzzles only slightly less. With all my babies running a mok everywhere, we don't break out the puzzles (500-5000 pieces) all that often anymore. But they still come out every Thanksgiving day and stay out until after Christmas.

Folding table

Chairs

Several puzzles.

We all join in, get addicted, get frustrated, leave, meander back eventually. And when one is finished, it is put away and replaced within minutes by another one- often autumn or Christmas themed.

Often, my husband and I take our children to a new holiday movie after the meal. We started that tradition when we lived in New Jersey for the military, spent the day with friends who also had no family (they were military too) and after dinner decided to go see something. The day feels kind of anti-climactic to me once we eat and clean up. The movie helps bring it to a smooth end.

Still, all traditions aside, I have two favorite Thanksgiving MEMORIES- the first was the birth of my youngest brother, Bozton.

What I remember is that my mom had been in active labor with him for days, but was not progressing. My dad took her to the hospital Thanksgiving morning 18 years ago, and they sent her home because , long story short, they didn't want to do anything on the holiday. Unfortunately for them, babies don't care if it's a holiday or not.

My mom had opted to stay home from Thanksgiving, since she was literally having a baby, and my dad took my brother and sister and me to my grandparent's house for the family party. We walked in the door just as my mom paged (yeah- pager. Crazy how times change, huh?) my dad that her water had broken and the baby was crowning. So he left. We had Thanksgiving while my mom was at the hospital. She very nearly gave birth in the car but missed it by minutes.

Of course, sibling anticipation is always fun when you're a kid, waiting for a cute new baby. So, that's a fun memory. My brother will celebrate his 18th birthday this Friday, after thanksgiving.

My other favorite memory is of the Thanksgiving I spent in Jamaica. Brandon and I were married on November 21st in 2003, after which, we honeymooned in Jamaica- the place my husband had served his 2 year LDS mission. The hotel we stayed in was owned by an American and his Jamaican wife.

In Jamaica, they have this wonderfully delicious thing called "jerk"- Jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk....you guessed it, TURKEY.

Well, Jerk chicken and pork are sold on the road side all over Jamaica and it's fabulous, but turkey is not normally something they just do there. Still, having an American hotel owner, he threw a great Thanksgiving party for all the guests, and we ate from a buffet of a "jerked" turkey, lobster, fish, shrimp, oysters, and all manner of fruits. The hotel was right on the beach and our table overlooked the ocean and the sunset while we enjoyed a light cool breeze and Bob Marley playing on vinyl in the background. Hibiscus flowers the size of my head adorned our table. It was amazing.

Our lovely hotel. We're standing on the beach taking this picture.

Just ONE of the gorgeous Jamaican sunsets!

Yeah...that's me on the beach.

This little place was about a half mile down the beach from our hotel. It doesn't look like it, but I was actually really close to this bird, and I was trying hard to sneak up on him. LOL.

Gorgeous waterfalls- K&M or something like that. We got to swim there too. Such a gorgeous color to the water, and it was warm, and just so beautiful!

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