Rounding off 2012

Due to the December 2012 mid west blizzard {G} and I were unable to make it back east for the holiday.

  We shoveled and plowed and shoveled and plowed

 

So what else did we do….

A LOT of THIS….

and this …

went here too many times to count …

probably did this more then we should’ve …

some of this …

{Shopping @ Jordan Creek }

a little of that …

{ we don’t know this guy but it’s a funny picture }

loved this …

{ Cuddling}

hated that …

{Claustrophobia}

checked this off the home list …

{both the master and guest bath}

Hung these …

{only the valence part in our office}

Overall I can’t say it was the MOST exciting week of my life. {G} and I would’ve really liked to have spent time with friends and family but we’ll look into other arrangements for early 2013.

We tried to make the most of all the “quality” time we got to spend together….

A total of 10 days straight… 240 hours … and I can honestly say I enjoyed every minute, even when he was driving me nutty.

Can’t wait to see what the year 2013 will bring us.

Bah Humbug…

Well, if you read my last post you already knew that I was not quite in the Christmas spirit. I held out hope that I would pick up speed as my travel plans got more realistic…in this case it’s gotten worse. “Draco” the 2012 Dec Blizzard is set to hit central Iowa this Thursday when my husband and I are supposed to be traveling back to see family and friends.

Winter Storm Watch:

Issued at: 3:43 am CST on December 18, 2012, expires at: 6:00 PM CST on December 20, 2012

...Winter Storm Watch remains in effect from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon...
timing...precipitation will overspread central Iowa Wednesday afternoon. Snow is expected along and north of an Atlantic through Boone to Waterloo line. Rain is expected in southern Iowa south of a Bedford to Oskaloosa line. In between...a rain and snow mix is expected. This precipitation will change to all snow late Wednesday evening before ending Thursday morning.
Storm total snow accumulation...5 to 8 inches of snow is expected in the watch area. Local amounts of up to 10 inches will be very possible with drifts even higher.
Winds/visibility...winds will become very strong Wednesday night from the north northwest. Sustained winds of 25 to 33 mph are expected with gusts over 45 mph possible. The strongest winds are expected a few hours prior to daybreak through noon Thursday. Blizzard or near blizzard conditions may occur with visibilities reduced below one quarter of a mile from time to time.
Impacts...very dangerous conditions are expected to develop on Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Be prepared for very difficult travel and blizzard or near blizzard conditions. Precautionary/preparedness actions... A Winter Storm Watch means there is a potential for significant snow...sleet...or ice accumulations that may impact travel...in this case snow. Continue to monitor the latest forecasts. If forecast confidence regarding the strong winds continues to increase...this watch may be upgraded to a blizzard watch today.

Read more: http://www.kcci.com/weather/alerts#ixzz2FQ0QqpiC

Seriously, can’t I catch a break? I try extra hard to stay positive year round about living so far away and all I ask for is one week to see everyone and have a moment of feeling the sense of “Home”.

I do like Iowa… A LOT. But I relish the time that I can just … Be … People don’t realize that when you live away from everything you grew up knowing that you spend day after day trying to fit in. Trying to remember short cuts in town, which restaurants are actually GOOD to eat at, which bar has the best happy hour special, which high school football/basketball teams are playing who, where to go for a nice run… ah my list could go on.

When I hit Delaware it’s like my heart grow 4 times larger and I just take in the sight of “knowing” ….  neighborhoods I grew up having sleepover at,  where I had my first kiss, my first date, my first soccer game, times spent doing goofy things with old friends.

People take advantage of the feeling of “knowing” … so bah humbug to you all that say “Delaware sucks… Delaware is boring..” I love Delaware and it will always have a place in my heart along with the people that are still there.

So… once again I am forced to “Stay Positive”. I will take what I can get I guess and look forward to having some time off with my husband and our little furry child. Fingers crossed that we are able to make it back at some point during this week to visit with family and friends.

Merry Christmas ya filthy animals…. (Sorry, had to throw it in there for “Home Alone’s sake)

and Bah Humbug too…

Lacking the Christmas Spirit…

We are officially at 12 days left until Christmas and I just do not “feel” the Christmas Cheer. Not that I’m Mrs. Grumpy Pants or anything I just feel like the spark that usually surrounds this time of year is no where to be found. Its not for lack of trying, I pulled out my decorations which was stored in two large tubs and maybe used about a quarter of what I did last year around the house. This year we have stockings up, our little Charlie Brown tree, the dinning room center piece, and a few small things here and there but that is it.

My Christmas Shopping is not even started minus a gift here and there… and I’m pretty much dreading it. Again, not that I’m being grumpy I just don’t feel excited about it.

I think it’s just the lack of excitement I feel towards making our 18 hour trek in a truck back east to see everyone. That and … really what is so exciting about spending our 3rd Christmas as husband and wife together? Not that we aren’t looking forward to having the time off from work but I feel like so many people are my age are more excited because they have their own children to spread the cheer with. I totally get it, what ISNT exciting about seeing a kid put out cookies for Santa and open their first Christmas present.

I feel as if I am in Limbo.

Maybe my problem is I’m comparing my situation to other people way too much. I love that others have started their families. It just hasn’t been the right time for us yet, although I’m still completely Jelly of all of your cutie-pah-tootie Christmas cards. I need to think of my life in another light at this time though.

George and I get to do a lot of things mommy’s and daddy’s don’t get to do. This February we have tickets to Bacon Fest in Des Moines, IA! So excited! Then at the end of February I am traveling to VEGAS for a work conference! First time offender so I’m stoked to be heading there. We may not have gotten to England like we wish to do before kids but we have time still. I can be completely selfish still and buy clothes just for me without feeling bad. (although I can’t lie, passing the baby clothes gets me every time!)

I suppose there is no right or wrong here, I just need to stop dwelling on comparing my life to others and maybe the Christmas spirit will explode out of me once we hit the Maryland/Delaware boarders.

We’ll See…