Resolutions

My New Year's resolution this year is to not sweat the small stuff. It's going to be very hard to do, but I'm going to give it my best shot. I have also enlisted the help of the hubs to remind me in cases where I forget. I have a type A personality, and I'm very organized. I tend to get very stressed out when things don't go as I have planned them or as I think they should. That's a very nice way of putting " Hi, my name is Amanda, and I'm a control freak!". At least I have made it through the first of the 12 steps, admitting I have a problem.

I'm also going to try to keep a positive outlook on things. Many would say I tend to over dramatize situations. I think those people are crazy! Seriously, I do tend to focus on the negative instead of focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel. My goal this year will be to focus on the light. Not every situation is a tragedy as I like to call it!

Another resolution I have is to focus on the relationships I have with others. I have had relationships end with friends this year and I have also formed new relationships this year. I want to work on strengthening those new friendships. I also want to limit my relationships with those around me that are toxic to my self-esteem and spirit. In my opinion, friends should lift one another up and encourage one another. Those are the kind of friends I want going into 2011.

And of course, I want to lose 10 pounds! Oh wait, is that a cookie....

Happy New Year! 

Retro

Fashions come and go as the years pass. One of the greatest fads of all time is puff painted sweaters. Don't cringe and don't laugh, because you know you had one! I'm always excited about a tacky puff painted Christmas sweater! I keep one on reserve, because you never know when the opportunity will arise and you need one. This year Kate suggested that we wear puff painted sweaters during our holiday celebration. We were going to borrow these beauties from Aunt Kathie and Phyllis. Unfortunately, we had to settle for "retro" Christmas necklaces and pins. Aunt Kathie and Phyllis could not seem to locate their puff painted masterpieces from Christmas past. There's always next year!

These necklaces were hand crafted from pecan shells and hand painted!

Over the River and Through the Woods...

to Grandmother's House We Go! Our plan was to drive to my Grandma's house after breakfast Christmas day. Yes, we did look at the weather report and we knew there was a chance of snow. My grandmother lives in the tiny, sleepy town of Sand Rock, Alabama. Don't try to find it on the map; you won't be successful!

South of Birmingham it started to sleet on us. As we gradually progressed north, the sleet turned into full on snow. The roads became very slushy and to be honest, I was very nervous and scared about driving in those conditions.

Snow in Gadsden

Getting to Grandma's was difficult. We were alerted by Billy Bob, the emergency volunteer firefighter, that we would have to take a detour because a person had skidded off the road into the ditch literally a mile from my grandmother's house. We then we went over the river and through the woods until we finally arrived at grandma's house.

After opening gifts, and watching the weather report, we realized that it would be best not to spend the night as we had planned because it was getting down to 27 that night, and everything was going to freeze over. There was no telling when we would get off that mountain and back to Auburn. We were disappointed and I hated to disappoint my grandmother, but she also said that it was probably best we left considering the State Trooper's had closed all roads north of the Coosa River.

We made it home safely last night. It snowed/sleeted on us the entire way back! How special that our first married Christmas was also a white Christmas! It was even more special because we ate Christmas dinner at the Waffle House! And Grandma, Bandit loves his Christmas coat!

Casa de Wallace Animal Shelter

We love Aunt Kathie! Not only does she already have a rowdy brood of pups and kitties (two pups and two kitties, I think-although I have only seen one), she always lets us bring our animals with us when we come to visit for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We had seven animals (mostly dogs) celebrating Christmas with us this year. Tucker and I brought Bandit. Kate brought her horse, I mean Great Dane, Lucy. Emily and Andy had Sulley. Then of course, there was Sunny and Peyton, Aunt Kathie's dogs, and the two cats. I can never remember their names. It maybe because they are very evasive creatures, and I never see them. Each animal had their very own Christmas stocking hanging on the mantle! And on Christmas morning, each animal had toys and treats in their stocking! Santa was very good to them! They must have been very good this year!

Christmas eve with our gang of dogs was super fun! Lucy and Sulley at one point were banished from the house, and spent the next 30 minutes begging to be let back in!

Sulley would also lay right in the middle of the kitchen floor. It did not matter that their were ten people trying to talk and cook in there. She was sleepy and she was taking a nap when and where she wanted! Got to love that attitude!

Sulley, the rug!

Bandit, of course, was running around underneath peoples' feet, tripping them at every moment. He was hoping someone would drop some food.

Bandit in his Santa cap. He's thrilled!

They also spent time playing with each other's toys. Sulley didn't play so nice. If you know her feisty attitude, then you totally understand why!

Notice the stuffing ripped out of the toy!

Very few people got very much sleep at Casa de Wallace's Animal Shelter Christmas Eve night. The dogs refused to sleep! I guess, like children, they were too excited to sleep, awaiting Santa's arrival. Bandit decided to tap dance all night! He was very close to getting the curtain!

Phyllis with her granddog.

Family Portrait, Christmas Eve 2010

  Happy Holidays from Casa de Wallace's Animal Shelter! We are tired and now resting!



Our First Married Christmas

Here's a little glimpse of what I have been doing during my break from school.

Just imagine me tucked right in next to him!

Tucker and I decided to give each other our gifts last night. We are going to be really busy this Christmas traveling to see both our families ,and this leaves no time for just the two of us to exchange gifts. I was so excited about my gift! I have been asking for it for forever it seems! Here it is!

A down comforter and a duvet cover for it!

I then of course had to go to Bed, Bath, and Beyond this morning to get matching curtains, bed skirt, euro shams, and sheets. Did I mention I love to decorate? And right now I'm in a renewing and organizing mood. I'm ready to redo everything! Here's what the bedroom looks like now!

I bought Tucker the best present ever. It does terrify me at the same time though! Here's a hint!

Tucker is signed up for scuba diving lessons! He is so excited, and I'm so excited to give him something that I know he loves even though it is super scary and dangerous!

He better not get attacked by a shark!

Tucker and I are so excited to spend our first married Christmas together. We can't wait to see what the future has in store for us!

Merry Christmas!



SEC Championship

War Eagle! We are so excited that our Auburn Tigers made it to the SEC Championship. It has been a long road of proving ourselves along the way. We are even more excited that Auburn is going to the National Championship Game in Glendale, Arizona after beating the SC Gamecocks twice! Even more exciting is that the whole family is making the trip out to Glendale! We have tickets and everything! Tucker's parents, Al and Phyllis, his sister Emily and brother-in-law, Andy, and Tucker and me of course are all going! I'm super excited because I have never been past Mississippi! I know that sounds country; you don't even have to tell me! Here are some pictures of the SEC Championship!

Tucker and I made a sign! We were trying to get on TV.

The final score

After the game!

We also celebrated Emily's 30th birthday party, but I swear she doesn't look a day over 25! Happy Birthday Friend!

The Holidays

Christmas is finally upon us! Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday! I'm also a teacher, and I get two and a half weeks to enjoy it! The time off is not why I decided to go into teaching, but it is definitely one of the perks.

I feel like the worst blogger in the history of blogs. Tucker and I have been so busy lately, it has been hard to keep the blog updated. One of my New Year's resolutions is to do a better job of keeping this thing updated. I at least want to do one blog post a week.

I finally finished my first semester of grad school! Woo-Hoo! I'm glad to be getting a break before the next semester begins. And as much as I love this holiday, I also detest it at the same time. My poor husband works so late to deliver all of the last minute packages we all send. He is also sick right now and still working. I believe he got sick from the lack of rest. He literally gets home at 8 o'clock! If he gets home earlier than that, well it's a miracle! I know he will be so happy when Christmas is over!

We have many family celebrations coming up, and we are both so excited! I feel so blessed to have married into such a fun and loving family. I can honestly say that I absolutely love my mother-in-law and sister-in-law! I'm so lucky that we get along so well! This past Saturday we celebrated Christmas with my grandfather. It was so nice to see everyone! I made Grandpa a banana pudding and some deviled eggs. I actually made two banana puddings; one just for him and one for us all to eat at lunch.

We got to see my Aunt Rhonda and my beautiful cousins Taylor and Rachel, and their sweet mother, Stacy. And if you know my grandfather then you know he does not decorate for Christmas and he is a huge Alabama fan. So they decided to bring Grandpa an Alabama Christmas tree! As much as I loathe Alabama, I have to admit it was a pretty cute tree. The tree was white and decorated with red. My Aunt Rhonda bought Christmas ornaments for us to decorate. And, yes, I actually wrote Roll Tide on one, but it was only because I love my Grandpa so very much! Their was even a picture of Nick Saban placed at the top! This has given me the idea for my very own Auburn tree next year!

The Alabama Tree

Grandpa, Aunt Rhonda, and I

Aunt Rhonda, Taylor, Grandpa, Rachel, and Stacy

Tucker and I