OH NO!

Only 12 more shopping days until Christmas, and I actually only have 2 since I will have to shop on Sunday afternoons! AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! My tree isn't even up yet because I can't quite get the energy to pull all the stuff out. How can a season I love so much also be one I hate so much? I always feel so rushed to get shopping done in between Christmas programs, and now the store every night and Saturday, Avery's basketball, and Christmas parties and dinners, etc., etc., etc. It is all so fun and so tiring and so busy! I just have to keep reminding myself what it is really important.

Smile and Wave, boys...

Even though I was a solid chunk of ice when it was all over, I had fun Sunday with several friends smiling, waving, and feliz navidad-ing. Here is a picture of me in my dress...

Just kidding! We all know that we would never use costumes like these as long as Scot-Ta is the boss! :)

It was quite fun riding beside my partner in crime -- Mr. Teen Wolf himself...if only we had remembered the rose everyone would have known who we were...

...and the best part of the whole day was eating hot pizza and enjoying the company of those friends I have not had the chance to see for a while! AAAHHHH! What fun!

Thankgiving

With Thanksgiving being tomorrow, here are a few things I am thankful for...(NOT in order of importance to me)

I am thankful for Sundays since it is my only day "off" now, even though I am not able to rest most of the time.

I am thankful for a few more hours of sleep today and that I decided not to work at school today.

I am thankful for my friends who love and support me through all kinds of things.

I am thankful for ooey gooey cinnamon rolls that I make with my kids.

I am thankful for animated movies and for the chance to go see them and laugh with all the children in the theater.

I am thankful for goofy, fun people who keep blogs that make me crack up.

I am thankful for the health of my family.

I am thankful for my husband who has really stepped up in helping me now that the store is open and I am there all the time.

I am thankful for the student teacher I have had for the last 12 weeks, whose ability has allowed me to feel good about giving up my classes and being more flexible for the store's opening month.

I am thankful that my student teacher is now done and I get my classroom back Monday.

I am thankful for the friends I have had my whole life.

I am thankful for the friends I have made in the last 10 years.

I am thankful for my sisters and their love and support.

I am thankful for health and ability to work.

I am thankful that I have a warm coat and fuzzy socks that are helping me to keep warm in this FREEZING weather!

I am thankful that I do not have to fix dinner tomorrow!

I am thankful that our school system has a supplement now because I have some money to buy Christmas presents.

I am thankful for so many things and there is not enough room to write it all down. Make sure to tell the ones you love that you are thankful for them! Happy Turkey Day!

No time like the present...

because I am always running to catch up to it! :) There is not enough time in the day to do ordinary things, let alone to do stuff for my 2 jobs! The store had a good first week and a good grand opening, but I am about dead right now because last Sunday was the only day off I have had in the last 16 days -- I worked 12-13 hour days a week ago Friday and Saturday and 6 hours of Sunday to get the store open, worked both jobs all last week, worked 10 hours last Saturday for the grand opening, and finally had Sunday to go to church and then try to catch up on grocery shopping, laundry, dirty dishes, house cleaning, etc. What a day off, huh?! It has been fun, though, and I would not change anything about it (except to have about 2 more hours of sleep each night!).

WOW!

OK, now we have what I have been waiting for... WE ARE OPEN! The computer and boxes are out of my house finally and the store is open for business. I have worked about 54 hours over the last 5 days at the store, and with the wonderful help of my 2 sisters, my mom and dad, and my brother-in-law, we moved merchandise in Friday and opened on Monday. If you come in the store you will see what a tremendous task that truly was because we have SO much stuff! We have had really positive feedback from everyone (some little old ladies have left without saying anything at all, so it might not appeal to them :) ), and we have had pretty good days and traffic with no advertising other than a sign on the road. This Saturday will be our grand opening and we will have food for a donation going to the hospital's digital mammography machine to tie in with breast cancer awareness month (since we are going to focus on a different organization/charity every month and because it is fitting with my sister's history). Scot-Ta will be doing some music, the AM station will be doing a live remote, we will be raffling off a couple of gift certificates with the proceeds from that also going to the hospital, and lots of other goodies. Come and see!!! :)

REAL progress!

The power is on, furniture has been moved in, and I plan to work like a dog all weekend to get it ready to open for business Monday!!! The following Saturday, hopefully, we'll do something kind of big as a grand opening. YIPPEE!!!!! Come shop, girls!

Well...

we got clearance to occupy the store building now (CO), although the parking lot is not striped. I guess we just needed a handicapped sign on the building by the ramp at the end -- gee, that was hard!!! :/ I guess that is what has taken 3+ weeks to get! Sorry about my sarcasm, but it has been a REALLY long and frustrating wait since we were told we would be open by July 4th! Anyway...we hope to have power by Wednesday, phone by Thursday, and furniture in around the same time. I know we would love to open the doors Saturday, but I am not sure we will be ready -- MAYBE by Monday with a lot of people and a lot of hard work but DEFINITELY by the following weekend. I will definitely be posting that for sure!