It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTMAS!!!

It's BY FAR my favorite time of the year. Even though I'm still in school, I'm trying to soak in as much Christmas music, goodies, and decorations as possible. It's also important that I watch as many Christmas movies, each as MANY times as I can, before Christmas. If you know me well, you know that I've been listening to Christmas music since about October, and I can quote a handful of movies like I actually WROTE them. I just love Christmas.
This is the first Christmas that I've lived by myself (well, that is, if you don't count Max). So of course, that means that I get to decorate ANYTHING I want, the WAY I want...it's really fun. My decorated tree doesn't look any different from anyone else's, but I'm proud of it, so I thought I'd share it with you. :)
(Max also wanted to show off his stocking!)

One of my favorite things to snack on especially during the holidays is called "puppy chow." You may have heard it called something else, but in OUR house, it's "puppy chow!" It's simple and so so good. You simply melt 6 oz of chocolate chips, 1/3 cup of peanut butter, and a small amount of oil in the microwave. Pour that over a big bowl of 6 cups of Crispix cereal (or, if you're like me and are forced to "pinch pennies," off brand corn chex works just as well!) and mix well. Pour confectioner sugar (I usually just kind of guess the amount...it really just depends on how "powdery" you like it!) in a big ziploc bag and pour covered chex into the bag. Shake well and serve. It's so so good! I HIGHLY recommend it!

Hmmm...and I'm always wondering WHY I gain weight during the holidays!!!

ALSO, if you're looking for some good Christmas CD's, allow me to do some recommendations!

• George Strait's Christmas - (I got it at Hallmark!)
• James Taylor's Christmas - (ummm...I think I got it from Hallmark LAST year!)
• Point of Grace Christmas

All of them are fabulous! :)

But, WILL I make it???

Before I started teaching, I was introduced to the term "teacher tired," and, at the time, I just laughed about. It wasn't until I had actually been teaching 2nd grade that I actually realized that being "teacher tired" was no joke. It is, in fact, a very REAL and indescribable feeling. If you are a teacher, then I'm quite confident that you understand what I mean. I feel this tiredness often, mostly on Fridays (as many of you know what I'm like on Friday nights). Very rarely do I experience a feeling that's BEYOND "teacher tired." However, right now, as my 2nd graders are thinking and talking about nothing else EXCEPT Christmas, the feeling is, well, just flat out painful. Don't get me wrong, teaching 2nd grade is my passion, and I truly enjoy what God has called me to do. However, there are certain times of the year (such as NOW) when I want to scream and pull my hair out! My kids are out-of-their-minds-wild, and I STILL HAVE 10 MORE SCHOOL DAYS BEFORE WE GET OUT!! 10!!!!!!! AHHH!!! That's right...we don't get out until Dec. 22. Try to find me that day, and you will see a very very happy (but really really tired) person. The fact that we don't have to go back until Jan. 8 is BEAUTIFUL though, and I absolutely cannot wait to sit around, play with Henry, spend time with my friends and family, and probably eat way more than I should....what a life.
The question is, though, WILL I MAKE IT UNTIL DEC. 22???

*note: the above picture is of my 2nd graders LAST year at Christmas...sure do miss those kids!

She's home! (well, for a little while anyway...)

Meredith's back in Starkville!! Yea!!!! Even though she'll only be here for a few months, I'm super pumped about having her here again. She left me last year when she got a job in Orange Beach, AL, BUT little did she know at the time that she'd be getting a nice little gift from her boyfriend and needing to be back home to plan her wedding. She and Vic (fellow Hebron graduate (: ) will be getting married here on March 10. A lot will be going on with her before then, and I'm so very excited about sharing it with her. Well, OK, I guess I'd be lying if I said I wasn't being A LITTLE bratty about her leaving me AGAIN in March. :) They'll be moving to Texas shortly after the wedding. Until then, though, Mere better be ready to play with me A LOT and probably make a few roadtrips to see our friend Claire in Birmingham (ANOTHER one of my "Starkville friends" who left me earlier this year...yeah, I'm still a little bitter). Some of my favorite memories are with the two of them. You really just don't even need to know details about the night this picture was taken of us...wow. Anyway, as Meredith's day gets closer, and as Claire prepares that rehearsal dinner "speech" (poor poor Meredith), I'll be talking more and more about them. They are definitely the kinds of friends that everyone needs, but most people aren't fortunate enough to have.

My little Max

This is MY baby, Max. He's 7 months old now, and this is a picture of us the day I got him. He's a great roommate, and he never complains about the fact that I go to bed super early. I talk about him a lot, so I thought it was only appropriate for me to introduce him to you now. He weighed only about 2 1/2 lbs when this picture was taken. Now, he probably weighs around 4 1/2 lbs or so, and I don't think he'll get much bigger. He started fetching when he was only a couple of months old, and I SWEAR it seems like he understands what I'm saying most of the time. I find myself talking to him OFTEN. He's a genius dog (ok, so I'm a little partial)! He has a little kennel that he stays in while I'm working everyday. At first I felt like a mother leaving her baby for that first time (well, I may be exagerrating A LITTLE), but he and I have both gotten used to it now, and he doesn't seem to mind staying in there while I'm gone. He's super excited when I get home everyday though. I've never had anybody love me so much! :)




Some people would call me "psycho" or "obsessed," but what's so wrong about sending out Christmas card pictures of my dog? I don't get it. I must share with you the picture that I sent out this year. Just so you know, trying to get a dog to pose for a picture in front of the Christmas tree takes TIME and PATIENCE! This one is almost perfect though. Yes, he IS wearing a santa suit (he didn't really get along too well with the hat, though). He's really excited about his first Christmas!!

I'M AN AUNT!

I'm very new to this "blog" thing, but I'll give it a try. Ever since my friends Jenny and Ryan Holloway had their beautiful twins, I've been checking their blog regularly, and thought this might be kind of fun. :)

I'm thrilled to say that my older sister, Kristen, and her husband, Rob, had their first baby December 1! His name is Henry Thomas Fyke, and he's absolutely perfect. He weighed nearly 8 lbs when he was born, and was nearly 3 week early! My poor sister wouldn't have been able to carry him too much longer! He and Kristen are both at home and doing well.

My younger sister, Heather, and I were both able to be there when Henry was born, and I was also able to see him the day he got home from the hospital. I'm already in love with his little face! Needless to say, I'm a very proud aunt! They live in Clinton, so I won't be able to see him too often, but I have a feeling I'll be there every chance I get. Isn't he adorable? Here's a picture of me holding him for the first time.

My parents are experiencing "grandparenthood" for the first time and they are unsurprisingly ecstatic about Henry. After having 3 daughters, I think my dad has always secretly wanted a son, so you can only imagine how he is reacting to having a grandson. They are both on cloud nine right now. It's weird seeing Kristen as a mom and my parents as grandparents, but I love it. This child will have no problem feeling loved!

I guess I need to brag a little now on the nursery that was created by my sisters, my mom, and me. It really turned out cuter than I had even imagined it would. Kristen was very pleased with it (and I think Henry likes it too!). It really is the cutest little boy nursery I've ever seen. I just had to show off some pictures of it. :)