Christmas time with the FAMILY

I love coming back to Chicago to spend Christmas time with my family.  Growing up, post divorce, Christmas eve was always spent with Dad.  We did the late night mass, gift opening (Santa always came while we at church... still not sure how Dad pulled that on off) and dinner.  Then we all loaded into the car and drove back to Mom's.  Christmas morning was spent opening gifts from Santa then then afternoon and evening was spent at Grandma's with Mom's entire family.  I loved every minute of it.  Then early the next day we were shipped off back to Dad's to fly to either California or Texas to spend the next week or so with Dad's family.

I am happy to say that in my 28 years I have yet to miss a Christmas Day back home in Chicago, even with living in Iowa for almost 9 years and now being down in Texas.  There were a few years there when I thought that it was not going to happen, and twice when I was driving all night long to get there after getting off work at 11pm on Christmas eve.  It is more important to my mom I think than to me, Christmas is her holiday, but that is okay with me.  I enjoy the time spent with my family, I know strange right but I really do.  I have come to realize with age that my big loving family that I grew up with thinking was totally normal is actually an anomaly.  Most families don't hangout together like we do, don't have impromptu get together's just because we like to spend time with each other and are not as close as sisters/brothers with their cousins.

Last year we had an ugly sweater contest and every year with out fail we have a wrapping paper fight followed by the Beck version of "scene it"  (we so should have put a patent or copy write on that years ago we have been playing for as long as i can remember)  This year things were a little different.  Grams was not feeling up to hosting after feeling run down from doing Thanksgiving and so Christmas was at my Uncle Jeff's. Let me tell you I was not okay with this, it just didn't seem right to not be going to Grandma's but I was looking forward to seeing everyone and spending time with the babies.  Due to so many people in the family being Bears (DA BEARS) fans and a few Packers fans (they all married in) we decided to dress up to cheer on our team.  It was very convenient of the NFL to have the Bears vs Packers game on Christmas day

After the game about 9 of us piled into my brothers Explorer and went to go see the new Sherlock Holmes movie. It was a good time, but to me it still just did not feel like Christmas with it not being at Grandma's house.  Some traditions are too special to change and I am sad to see that this one has.

Cousins plied into the 3rd row back seat of the explore on the way to the movies

Happy Holidays all!

Sláinte,

Kat

Things I want to make into Habbits

Staying in touch with those I care about

• each week write and e-mail to some one back home
• make a phone call or text to a loved one on a slow evening or on the weekends

Paying my bills in a timely manner with out the "oh crap is that over due" panic near the end of each month

Working out daily

• Find a routine that works for me and stick with it
• Workout with a buddy to keep me from talking myself out of (I am really good at this)

Going running with Gunner after dinner every night

Eating better & really watching my portion control

• Make a plate then put 1/2 of it away for lunch before I even start to eat

Doing my face wash routine evening & morning with out fail ... I am not getting any younger!

Getting up early enough to workout so my blood gets going so I am not slacking my first hour at work

• Just some thing quick and easy to get me moving before work

Doing my hair and makeup before work every day, even if its not seen under the hair net. 

Balance my checkbook & use my register after every purchase with my debit card

Sliante,

Kat

So its been a while, but I have been busy

So I know its been awhile since I posted anything, I have been super busy at work with a new project.  I was excited to learn that I was being extended through this project (I am still a temp but hoping to be hired on) and they was offered another project after this. My boss left with the parting words "at this rate I may keep you busy till next January."  I was hopeful but less than a week later those dreams were shattered.  My boss came in for an update on my project and told me that his boss was wanting to know when I would be done because he wanted to see the temps (me and another guy down the hall) gone soon.  So no I only have till the 24th of January and so I have been updating my resumes and prowling the classifieds for a new job. 

My project has been going along well, I have been juggling it as well as my regular daily duties well.  Then i get hit with a baseball bat upside the head.  My original deadline had been the 15th of January, I find out wednesday Dec 21st (2 days before the plant shuts down till Jan3rd) that they now want it done by Jan 6th!! and since I don't get back from Chicago till the 4th that gives me just 2 more days to work on it.  I am SCREWED!! I had really been hoping that doing well on this project would led to more, and maybe a full time position as they are still technically still one Quality Specialist short but it does not look like that will be the case when I fail to me my deadline.  And with the plant being shut down its not like I can even go in and work on it at all before I fly to Chicago.  Well her is to hoping that I don't get one of these as soon as I turn in my project.

So aside from being busy at work I have also been fighting a cold and trying to find a new place to live.  Have I ever mentioned before how much I HATE moving!! I really had no intention of moving around once getting to Texas, but now thanks to a very rude and unprofessional leasing agent we (my roommates and I) are out of a place to live come February. So once again my house is going to look like a disaster as I put my life into boxes, sorting what to keep and what is not worth trucking on down the road.

Sliante,

Kat

Why Women Cry

I did not write this, I just found it to be very heart warming. I hope you all enjoy as well.

Why Women Cry?

A little boy asked his mother, why are you crying? "Because I'm a woman", she told him.
"I dont understand", he said. His mom just hugged him and said" And you never will".
Later the little boy asked his father, "why does mother seem to cry for no reason?" "All women cry for no reason", was all his dad could say.
The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry. Finally he put in a call to GOD. When GOD got on the phone, he asked, "GOD why do women cry so easily?"
GOD said "When I made the woman she had to special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort. I gave her and inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children. I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take take of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining. I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly. I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his ribs to protect his heart. I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strength and her resolve to stand beside him unfaltering. And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed." "You see my son," said GOD, the beauty of a women is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a women must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her hear- the place where LOVE resides."

My newest addiction... Pinterest

So I know its been a while since I have posted.  This is due in part to my newest addiction, thanks to my roomie....  Pinterest

OMG if you have not already heard about it click the link and head on over I promise you will love it too.  Well unless you are a strait guy then maybe not so much, but it is so addicting.  I can't help but keep clicking "see more pins" just one more time.

I have gotten ideas for my brother & sister in law's Christmas gifts as well as my mothers off here and its been great as I am super broke this holiday season.  I went a little overboard on my self with black Friday shopping.  I think I will actually return some of the items as I am having buyers remorse.  Its not that I don't the items, I do really want them, but I know the I don't need them. And even though I got them on sale at a great price I am struggling to justify it in this economy especially while I have such a small amount in my savings at the moment.

Okay back to Pinterest  it is an online pin board to share your ideas.  What is so great about it is that you can have multiple boards going at the same time.  I have some for the following:

Recipes to try: because I love to cook, especially for others as I love to entertain.

Books worth reading: I can always get lost in a book! I asked for a kindle fire for Christmas and my brother Kegner replied "OMG we are going to save a rain forest"

Places I have gone & want to still: I LOVE to travel, and I want to see the world

My 30 by 30: kinda self explanatory it is my list of to do's that I want to accomplish by the time I am 30 represented here to share with you.

My Bucket List: Pretty much the same as above.

My Style: fashion, hair and beauty that suit me :)

Quotes & Inspiration:  because others can and always will say it better than myself as I am awful with words.  This is one of my favorite boards so far.

Fitness:  This is a bunch of different work outs to try, because it is time to get healthy again,.  And come January upon my return from the holidays back home with the family I am going to start hitting it hard!  I have my roommie as a partner to help keep me on track, which is good because I am a huge procrastinator. 

For the Home: This is my dream home in the works, eventually I will build it.  I am sure it will be a slow and painful process (kinds like getting back into shape) but it too will be worth it!

Well I hope you all enjoy Pinterest as much as I do.  If you want a quick look around my head feel free to click any of the board titles as they are links to my board and you can see what I have posted.  

Till next time. Happy Holidays

Sliante,
Kat