Happy New Year

 

So here we meet again. The end of another year. Amazing how that flew right by, huh? I am really looking forward to this year, 2014. I love the number seven and this year will have two of them! Double sevens! Seven plus seven, equals fourteen. Get it? Come on.... It's lucky!! Anyway...five years ago I started this blog. The first year was just a challenge to post a daily picture for a year. I loved it so much that at the end of the year, I wanted to continue, but also include little tidbits and stories of my adventures. Well, adventures might be a little stretchy, but silly, boring life isn't very exciting now, is it?  But, as time goes on, life changes and so do my interests. I have been working on a book on and off for quite some time, and find that I really would like to tackle it head on. I just don't seem to either find the time (Lame excuse) or I can't focus, as I have too many other things that I am "working on and thinking about." (Closer to the truth excuse) This past year, I have been slowly but surely eliminating and cutting back in many time consuming areas, learning to say no, and simplifying my life. One by one, letting go and moving on, making space. One of the things that I am letting go of, is this blog. I have taken it as far as it can go. It filled a need to write and post pictures, and it was a wonderful adventure. However, now it is time to close this chapter and start a new one. A new need. A new book. My book. The one I've been working on forever and really would love to finish. O.k. I guess that makes it an old book. Not a new book. Well an old, new book. Oh, you know what I mean! Anyway...Starting tomorrow. New years day. The first brand new, fresh, crisp, day of the year. I will turn the page and start a new chapter. (Geez...it's getting a little sappy here. Somebody stop me, already!)

 

 

Anyway....I am ready. I feel lucky. (This IS the lucky year!) I feel good. The stars, the moon, and Twinkie boxes are all lined up just right. (I'm so happy they brought back Twinkies, aren't you?)    It's time. I thank you all for coming along on this five year ride with me, and for sending me your funny and thoughtful (And sometimes not so funny or thoughtful!) emails and notes and sharing your stories too, with me. I loved them all. I will always remember those who took the time to do that, and you can bet that I will make sure that you all get an autographed copy of my new book, when it's finished. Please read it. All 5,677,777 pages. There will be a quiz. Oh come on now, relax your tighty whities. Ya know I'm just kidding. (Kinda) Anyway, here's to happy endings and new beginnings and all the funky, fun stuff that goes on in between.

 

God bless your little pea pickin' hearts,

and your garbanzo bean friends and family,

Love Always,

Desiree

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Tim, Desiree, Landon & Grandpa Al

 

 



Your Christmas Cards Have Been Shipped! Well....Maybe

O.k. so here's the deal. I've been wanting to "not" send Christmas cards anymore, as they really stress me out. Every year I struggle. Finding the perfect picture of the three of us, is darn near impossible. I am not crazy about the brag letters, as I don't have anything to brag about. And just a plain ol' regular card simply isn't done anymore. (Why not? Why the heck not?) I have been trying to simplify my life over the last few years, and I am finally getting there. One small step at a time. Christmas cards are one of those steps. Anyway, what I'd like to know is, how in the world do you stop sending them, without hurting/offending anyone? How do you let them know that you didn't drop them from your list, that you just decided not to even have a list? I have been fretting about this for several years now. This year however, I decided that this was going to be the year to end the Christmas card nightmare! Then at the last minute, I chickened out and ordered photo Christmas cards online. I paid the extra shipping so that they would arrive in time to get them signed, licked, stamped and delivered by Christmas. A few days later I received an email saying, "Your order has been shipped!" The estimated arrival date was a couple of days later. Well, a couple of days later....nothing. A couple of days after that....nothing. I called the card company and pressed a bunch of numbers, followed by the # sign and 3,444 minutes later.... nothing. No one was available to speak to me, so I was instructed to try again later. Yeah, right. So, I went to the card website and looked at my order. It said it had been shipped, but no tracking was available. Why in the world would a major company ship out orders at Christmas time, without a tracking number? Unbelievable. So, the next thing I did was call the post office to see if maybe they had accidentally kicked my package under a table or something, and do you know that they have perfect employees there and that never happens? They are so perfect, that the lady on the phone could tell me that my package was not there without even checking! Amazing, huh? I have to admit, I wasn't a very happy camper and said a few choice words to the lady at the post office, "after" I hung up the phone. (I'm just nice like that.) It was at this point that I decided to throw in the towel, and I thought that maybe this was my sign that it was time to hang up the card sending nightmare after all. Just when all was well with my soul and I had made peace with my decision, I received another email. It said, "We are sooooooo sorry! We don't have a clue where your cards are, but we are going to make it right, reprint them and ship them out to you! Not only that, we won't charge you anything! Aren't we wonderful?" Great. Just great. Now, I get to send out Christmas cards with a note (more work!) explaining why they are just now receiving them, whenever they decide to arrive. Merry Valeneastermas!
P.S.
Just in case they never do arrive.....here's a copy of our card from the order form. Hmmm...this just might be the way to go next year....