a 'when harry met sally' new year's eve...sort of:)

I have exactly 1 hour 15 minutes to finish this "New Year's Eve" post.

Yes, I took a break from the wild party to come peck a few words out on the laptop.

Yes, I'm living every girl's dream...

... a dramatic New Year's Eve party wearing a fancy little black dress...

...you know, like the party in When Harry Met Sally....

...with champagne, party hats, and party horns...

...with streamers and confetti falling from the sky...

...the big band playing "Auld Lang Syne" as you fall into the arms of the man of your dreams...

...kissing passionately as the clock strikes midnight.





Well, I sort of am:)

We almost had party horns and hats. I saw some today at WalMart, but I decided they weren't really worth worming and squirming my way through the crowd of 14-year-old partiers huddled around the selection at the store.

And about the confetti...

Well, confetti equals clutter, and clutter gives me anxiety. Let's not do the confetti thing for the sake of my sweet TT....when I have anxiety, I tend to take it out on his most patient and precious soul.

And speaking of TT....

He has a terrible, terrible toothache. He has been to the dentist and has to go back on Monday. For now he has to take antibiotics and put ice on his face to help the inflammation.

Soooo...a passionate kiss is probably out this year.

But I am spending New Year's Eve with the man I love.

And the baby I love.

No drama.

Peace and Quiet.

And I wouldn't have it

any.

other.

way.

Now, finally, for the 'real when-harry-met-sally new year's eve'....

Just a snippet of the Taylor Party, and those who watch til the end gets a special surprise!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

FB friends click HERE to view videos:)

rerun: on keeping it real:)

I initially started my blog when I was the house mom at The Way Home, a faith-based maternity home for teen moms. In the beginning, I blogged because it was a free hobby. My salary at TWH was sufficient, yet minimal, so the whole blog-thingy was an excellent hobby...free..:)

Eventually I found writing to be an excellent outlet for expression of the thoughts, feelings, ideas that I didn't necessarily have an ever-open ear to tell. The great part was that no one was forced to listen to the quirky stories or mundane details that were my life...anyone who read, read because he wanted to.

The greatest part of blogging....it was my stage for keeping it real. I mean real. There are just some things I can't necessarily verbalize, but I can write. Sometimes it's sad and sappy, sometimes informative, and sometimes plain-ole-embarrassing. Through my blog, I've learned to just be who I am. I love keeping it real.

THIS RERUN is just that...one of the posts where I kept it real, girls. I am who I am, and perhaps this is TMI. Fun stuff from the days at The Way Home...

rerun: pondering my mother

I can hardly believe this is the 5th Christmas without my Mom.

I've had more mountain-top and deep-valley experiences in the last year than I can number, and this holiday season has completely followed suit. Oh how I wish my Mom was here now. Especially now...to know my sweet husband, to play with my sweet new son, to answer my questions, to tell me how to overcome some obstacles that are causing me to stumble these days.

So the next in my series of "Read My Thoughts....the ReRuns": Pondering My Mother.

I really like that post. I hope you do too.

Merry Christmas!

rerun: the mouse wrestler:)

It's difficult to believe I've been blogging for almost 3 years!!!

I've decided to post of some of my favorite posts, a series of reruns, if you don't mind:) I will begin with one of the most popular posts ever to surface on Read My Thoughts. If you are a "regular" around here, you've likely read/watched this post many times. If you are a newbie... well, you've just got to see THIS (click here to check it out "The Mouse Wrestler")

Hope you enjoy!!!!

eat your heart out, Martha...DAY 2:)

Just because I told you I would...here's a pic of the blue and white snowman that I told you I was planning in my previous post. You can all breath a sigh of relief...I know you were just sitting on pins and needles waiting for me to post. HA!

I hope you've all had a fantastic Sunday.

I have.

eat your heart out, martha:)

I've always wanted to know how people make those beautiful Christmas cookies. You know...like Martha Stewart's cookies. Cookies that are edible artwork. Cookies that are just too stinkin' pretty to eat.

Well, enough is enough. It's time for me to stop envying and do something about it. I searched the world wide web and finally found THIS WEBSITE. It looks simple enough, so I thought:)

I went to WalMart, spent a small fortune, and purchased everything I needed.

This is meringue powder. Well, laaa-teee-daaaah! It's new to me, but actually a neat product. It replaces egg whites in the icing. I'd hate to give my family food poisioning!

On a little side note about the meringue powder...CONSUMER BEWARE!!! Although the label clearly indicates this container contains only 4oz, I didn't really notice that until I opened the really tall (as in "this-is-a-lot-of-stuff-for-five-bucks") container....

...and got a load of this...

...The really tall container is about half full. Just so you know....

Anyway....

I baked my little sugar cookie Christmas trees and snowmen.

Poor little naked Snowman!!!

Then the fun began! I mixed the meringue powder and water in my pretty white mixing bowl. Then I add the powdered sugar and little at a time. Which took FOREVER. Added a little corn syrup. Added a few drops of Almond extract. The beat the fire out of it until stiff peaks formed. I wasn't sure about the stiff peaks, but I hope this was right...

Oh...I almost forgot! In addition to using my pretty mixing bowl (a wedding shower gift that I thoroughly love!), I also used these beautiful measuring spoons given to me by my good friend Alice...

Don't you just love'em???

TT (on baby duty) sampled the icing. He licked the beater clean and said "it's alright". HA! Little MT was already out like a light. Aren't his little pajamas cute???

About 2 hours later, I had me some Christmas cookies all over the kitchen!!! The icing was still wet, but cookies were decorated- the most important part! I don't know how long it takes for the icing to dry, but I'm pleased with them so far. I'm hoping they dry!

Here's a few of the cookies...

Tomorrow, I'm going to get serious about this and try some....

....drum roll people.....

Blue and White Snowmen!!!!

Whoop! Whoop!

I know you will be checking my blog on the hour every hour to see the pics!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

our elf on a shelf...

I've been hearing all about "Elf On a Shelf". I soooo look forward to a few years down the road when we can do this with MT.

I happened to think....we already have our Elf. Elves (plural), actually.

I remember when I was in about the 5th grade, the year my Mom and her friend Peggy made the cutest little Christmas elves. I have four that my Mother made. This year I have them sitting under our tree like little watch guards over gifts. I love these little elves.

How cool will it be when MT is 3 or 4 years old to use elves that were sewn by my mom some 30 years ago!!!

I miss my Mom.

Especially now.

But she's here...

in all the things she left behind...

material...

and immaterial.

I believe she knows all the good things happening here.

I don't even know how to finish this post.

I'm just glad.

So glad.

on my christmas baby....

My sweet baby boy discovered his hands today. I know...I know....all babies do this, and it's all sweet. Surely you know how it is. Isn't it somehow different, sweeter, more awesome when the baby belongs to you?


MT held his little fists together and raised them up to his eyes only inches away. He wiggled his chubby little fingers then made fists again before his widening eyes. Down to his mouth went his hands....then up to his sparkling brown eyes...then back to his mouth. It was just beautiful, I tell ya!


Oh how I want to brand this sight into my memory! I want to hide these precious moments in my heart, for I know he's growing so fast and soon he will be using his hands for important things. Will he use them to pass a football someday? Will he play the piano? Will he be a great artist?

Will his hands someday be in chains?

For serving our country...?

For serving our Lord...?

This Christmas season has brought the mother of Christ, Mary, to mind.

I can relate to her a little bit...having a new baby. I don't know if she knew for sure what all was in store for her Son. Without a doubt, I'm positive she was in awe of his sweet little toes. Surely she kissed his little nose and "spanked" his cute little bottom.

She must have wondered what life had in store for Him. The angel had clearly told her, "you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. And he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end (Luke 1:31-33)." She must have wondered just how the details of His life would unfold.

Yes, I can relate to Mary this year....especially when she sang from her full and overflowing joyful heart...

My soul magnifies the Lord,

And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior

For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant;

.......

For He who is mighty has done great things for me,

And holy is His name....Luke 1:46-49

Yes, truly He has done great things for me!

I wonder what life has in store for my sweet baby boy. I know God has big, big plan for his life, and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

For now...I'm going to tickle his little feet. I'm going to kiss his little nose and "spank-spank" his cute little bottom as my soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior...

Ahhh...sigh...

God is so good, isn't He?

say whaaat?...scientists these days!

Okay.



You know something profound or distinctly strange is about to follow whenever I begin a post with 'okay'.



Okay. THIS is weird. I mean I'm glad scientists have developed this new use for MRIs and all, and I'm sure there are many, many socially redeeming results waiting to be revealed. It's just that the image is a little weird to me.



That poor baby looks like Achmed the Dead Terrorist!


If you've never watched Achmed, check him out on Youtube. Funny stuff. Not kid-friendly, but funny stuff! Jeff Dunham is a talented ventriloquist!

oh so sad for my BamaSlammer...

Today I was scrolling through the newsfeed on facebook when I saw the saddest post I've ever encountered. My friend Shay wrote, "rest in peace, daddy. a very sad day for us."

My heart broke. Not because I was so close to Jim, but because I know what Shay will be facing in the coming days. Grief is hard. Grief during the holidays can seem unbearable.

I remember a particularly moving post that Shay, a.k.a. BamaSlammer, once wrote about her dad. BamaSlammer, a hard-working single mom of a toddler, hasn't done much blogging lately, but her posts are still out there. Check out THIS ONE.

I'm humbly reminded of those who may be having a Blue Christmas....praying for all of them.

Praying for you, BamaSlammer....

I can do anything Sandra can do...BETTER:)

OK...I'm just gonna say it.

I had to search my heart deep and wide.


Do I have what it takes to face the challenges that will surely come?


Do we, TT and I, have what it takes?


Is it fair to the child? I mean, really? What will it be to be an African-American boy being raised by two old white nerds? TT and I aren't getting any younger, you know.


I searched my heart, and found a resounding YES!!!!


Yes we do, through Christ who strengthens us, that is. But I have to admit, on a much more spiritual note (ehem), my buddy-ole-buddy-ole-pal Gequetta gave me the vote of confidence that settled it all. I distinctly remember the steamy July evening, sitting in my lawn chair along the side of Hwy 27 watching the Somerset Cruise-In (a whole nother post for a whole nother day!), texting back and forth with Gequetta, bouncing my thoughts off of my friend regarding the whole race-thing. Finally she said...you can do anything Sandra Bullock can do.

You are so right, Quetta I thought! And that was that!

A funny thing happened today. Waiting in a most lengthy line at Wal-Mart, I realized my baby had been the subject of some ladies' attention when a Wal-Mart worker came up to me, joyfully declaring...

"We finally figured out who that baby looks like!"

"Who?" I couldn't wait to hear this....

"Sandra Bullock's baby, Louis!"

HA!

"Well, I will just go home and GOOGLE him for myself to see what he looks like!"

I did GOOGLE lil Louis....

You can decide for yourself...

MTT...Meet Louis...

I might can see it a little bit:)

Oh, and by the way....

About the whole race-thing...

I don't care if my baby grows up to be blue and red polka dotted! Yes, his race is different than mine, a fact that may create some challenges, but it's not better or worse. TT and I are not at all concerned with his race, but we are concerned with his character. We will do the best we can to teach our baby right from wrong, encourage him to appreciate his heritage, pray for the Lord's wisdom and help, and hope we handle the challenging times in a way that helps MT to grow up to be a man with impeccable character.

Isn't that what parents do...regardless of race.

Yeah, that's right!

Thanks, Quetta!