How I Survived December

Can you believe that it is already Christmas Eve?!?! Where did 2013 go? Heck, where did the last three weeks go?

If you have followed me throughout 2013, you know that December is my last "Focus on Relationships" month. How perfect is that, right? My partner in crime, Lexi, threw in some other fun challenges and focuses for the month because focusing on relationships during December and the Christmas season is kind of a given. Well.....yeah...I didn't have the chance to do much besides focus on school. School seriously kept me ridiculously busy.

December has been nuts. As in crazy, surviving on coffee and power naps, busting into spontaneous "I'm-so-tired-I-can't-form-sentences-and-everything-makes-me-laugh" laughter fits and having to keep moving and doing something so I don't fall over and into a coma or cry. That was my December.

In between all that weirdness I got to do some fun things that "focused on relationships" like:
Acquiring a free Christmas tree compliments of Bre House and BULL Country. Our first tree! We rushed out and got some more ornaments and lights and decorated it. She's beautiful.

A much needed study break with the Birge gals.....you will never know how much I needed that and appreciated the break, even all the Curious George videos were great!

Hang out with El-dawg (my boss) and Lexi girl and line kids up for commencement. We get coffee and then go hang out for about two hours and talk with kids, take photos and get paid. We do get in quite a few That's What She Said jokes in there too!

This year I had a holiday ladies night with a few of my favorite gals from work at our place. Low key, pizza, drinks and good fellowship. It was a great evening!

Second annual Christmas cookie and holiday treat baking day with Kelly! We got to use my new aprons, compliments of my bridal shower and bachelorette party...probably not how you thought I would actually use them ;) he he. They came in handy! We made lots of  yummy cookies.....we will now be renewing our gym memberships to work off all the calories gained from this day!

Vixen night aka wine night with Kelly after a four week hiatus. So needed and thoroughly enjoyed!
Family dinner and game night with the in-laws and extended family! It's always great to see family and even more fun to get together and play games and laugh.

Holiday date night in with Willis :) We watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. "Why is the carpet wet Todd??" "I. Don't. Know. Margo!" ha ha ha best line! We made some lasagna and got some drinks and curled up to watch A Christmas Carol (HIS PICK!). It was nice and relaxing and what both of us needed.

It's the little things in life that keep me sane, keep me happy and remind me of what life is all about. It's important to take time to do fun things and focus on others. These are the things that got me through my crazy town December thus far. The rest is smooth sailing :)

Day 30: Followers.

Today marks the last day of my 30 Days of Thanks challenge. Wahoooooooo!I made it!

It also marks the last day of my "Focus on Self" 2013 challenge. I had so much fun and it is a nice way to reflect on one's life and everything in it that I am thankful for. Everything I have mentioned up until now has had an impact on me and creating who I am.

One more thing that I am thankful for is YOU. That's right, YOU. If you are reading this, I am thankful for you. I am thankful that you care to read my blog. Who knows, maybe you are just bored and are tired of seeing my numerous blog posts so you just read them....I don't care why, but I am glad you read. I found out at a friend's birthday dinner (she follows me) that another friend follows my blog!  Totally unexpected. Totally made my day!

I love finding out that people actually want to read WAMalicious. You drive me. You inspire me. You give me purpose. You keep me going. You keep me writing!

Thank you for your support!

Today, followers, I am thankful for you.

Day 29: My Life.

Life. It's good.

I feel very blessed to be me and to have a life filled with wonderful family and friends,

my husband  

a stable job

an education

a great community

a roof over my head

food in my belly

clothes to keep me warm 

and good health.

It's these little things that we take for granted that make our lives complete. I wish I could take a moment each day to reflect on my life and to really appreciate the little things that make up my life. Without these things, life would be different. It would not be nearly the same and as awesome as it is now.

Today, life and everything in it, I am thankful for you.

Day 28: Co-Workers.

Pretty sure the best thing about my job is my co-workers. Our administrative assistants group is so freaking awesome....hands down! We are like a family. We stick together, we have each other's backs. We need to. As a support staff member, you often times get the tasks that no one else wants to. The undesirable tasks a lot of times suck. But it's part of the job. This last year has been a  crazy year and I know that we all made it through because of our group :)

We are coffee feens....we take turns buying everyone's coffee and then sit and have coffee together in the mornings. I love when Sandi comes in and is so bubbly and tells us about her new boyfriend. It's awesome to see her so happy! I love that I can make Ellen laugh so easily. Not only does it boost my ego, but it makes us all laugh. Serious contagious laughter from that one. Kim is one of the nicest people ever  and it's hilarious to see her say something sassy then immediately say "I'm sorry!" or cover her mouth :) Krystal, my dear friend. We miss you more than words. Come back to us and join our fun soon!!! Then there's Lexi. I survived this summer because of her. Life in the front office is full of wookies, dance parties, lots of laughter and talking like Brits.

Our group loves a good "That's what she said!" joke, we love mustaches, we love funny You Tube videos, we love the Monster Mash, we love Festive Fridays, we love to talk in British accents, we love to go to lunch, we love to play baseball in the hallway with giant marshmallows! We love to laugh.....

Some days you just need to laugh because there's nothing else you can do. So that is what we do.  And we do a dang good job of it! We always know how to have a good time :)

Today, co-workers, I am thankful for you!

Day 27: Family.

Today is Thanksgiving. The ultimate day of thanks, overeating, and of course family :) I love my family. I love my family of origin, in-law family, and all my "adopted/sub unit/extension" family members! You all have a special place in my heart.

I feel very blessed to have such an awesome family. I feel very blessed to have married into such an awesome family. My family has grown by leaps and bounds with kidlets, in-laws, cousins, aunts and uncles and grandparents.  I think that it is easy to take family for granted and I am going to try harder in 2014 to tell my family how much I love them, to talk to them more and visit more too!

I wish I could have been with each and every one of you to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and to tell you in person how glad I am that we are family, that I am thankful for you and that I love you. Some of you got to hear it via phone or Skype. For those who did not, now you know :)

Today, family (Brustuens and Gillespies...and all the sub/extension units) , I am thankful for you.

Day 26: Martha Stewart.

Here's another light-hearted post again :)

It's true, I am thankful for Martha Stewart. I strive to be like her....minus the whole insider trading and going to jail bit. Other than that, you got it! I love everything about her. Crafts are my happy place and unfortunately, I have yet to get my craft on too much this year, but I will make up for it tenfold this summer and next year!

Martha is an awesome woman. She is successful and independent and as I found out on the TODAY show, looking for a man. Any of you  single and interested bachelors, she has a dating profile. Check her out! She has her own magazine (which I love), she has her own TV show (which I don't follow too much), she has her own craft line (which I wish I owned everything from, not JUST for the cute packaging!)....she can whip together a holiday table or a centerpiece in no time and make it look easy. She is just so talented.

She has inspired me to explore my creativity and craftiness. I started by scrapbooking and still have about four started and  one completed. Then I moved to making greeting cards which has transformed into many things from centerpieces to shadow boxes to wreaths to gift tags to homemade art. And I owe it all to Martha (and Mims too! Because I mean, come on, she is like a Martha in training already!)

Today, Martha Stewart, I am thankful for you.

Day 25: Tradition.

Especially this time of year, I am thankful for traditions. I love the holidays! I love family time! I love traditions!

I remember growing up, we would do the same thing every Christmas. We mainly celebrated on Christmas Eve went to the early church service, which most of the time had the Christmas  pageant that one of the kids was in, then dinner at Grandpa and Grandma Nelsons or the Brustuens. Dinner always was the same awesome thing: ribs, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, Grandma Goldies special cranberries, rolls and green beans. Then we would all clean up, head to the living room where Grandpa (who was a retired pastor) would read the Christmas story from the bible and then we would take turns opoening gifts. Now, to some, this may seems weird. I know that my in-law siblings thought this was a little wacky the first time, but to us it made sense. We would go in age order and I HATED being youngest because I had to wait forever!!! Grandpa Arnie had it down...he would just go for it randomly, kinda funny :) This way, we can all see what everyone got. As Mims says, half the joy of opening presents is seeing the reaction of the gift receiver when he/she is opening. So true!

 When the Brustuen kids got married off, we adjusted our Christmas Eve tradition. Now, my favorite part of our tradition, the big Christmas Eve meal, still happens much to our siblings' surprise, but with my smaller family unit  consisting of me, Will, Marin and Mims. We even have the almond in the dessert and whoever gets it wins a prize. It brings back great memories of my grandparents. We have also made our own traditions, like present scavenger hunts, dance parties, learning Norwegian songs and Grandma's "made up" songs.....Christmas Eve gets a little wild and silly sometimes!

I have spent Thanksgiving  with the Gillespies for maybe five years now. The first year I had to work :( I love it! Depending on the year, you never know who will be there. Sadly, my sister-in-law and her BF will not be there this year. It may be a quiet, small Turkey Day. It's still a day with family who we love. One tradition that my Gillespie family has is to do a toast with champagne at the beginning of the meal. I remember when Mims came for Turkey Day in Moscow. Now, my husband does not like champagne, so what does he do? Yes, he chugs his glass of champagne...I have a classy husband my friends ;) When Mims (who adores champagne) came Will said, "Mims, watch this!" and chugged his glass. Funny man that one. I like that we pray and thank those who are fighting for our country, I like that we have the same foods each year, I like that we can all be together, I like that the men watch football and the women sit around and chat :) Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and I still hang on to my family's traditions like watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. I love parades. Put that on my bucket list: attend the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and find Matt Lauer and give him the world's biggest hug!

This year is a year of new traditions. I will embrace and love each and every one. It's WAM's first holiday season as a married couple. We talked about what our Christmas Eve will consist of. Who knows, maybe I will attempt Grandma Goldie's ribs! They are bomb.com!!!! I look forward to having our own WAMily traditions. I look forward to my first Christmas in Moscow with my new family too!

Traditions are something sacred. They have a lot of meaning to families and to individuals. They have a lot of meaning to me. I will welcome new traditions and honor current traditions.

One thing I will miss this holiday season is Lefse...so if someone can mail me some, that'd be great!

*Side note...I sang something from Fiddler on the Roof one day and Will joined in. WTF?! He told me his mom loves this musical and he was forced to listen to it many times as a kid. One day I sang it in front of her and she had the same reaction :) We are a just a Fiddler on the Roof loving bunch I guess!

Today, traditions, I am thankful for you.

Day 24: In-Laws.

My new in-laws are awesome. Honestly, how many of you can say that? I mean, I am a little biased of course, but mine seriously rock! Karen and Bill feel the same way about Will's new in-laws. We are both very fortunate and lucky to have such great in-laws :)

I remember when Will and I first started dating way  back when....about six years ago (holy cow! time flies when you're  having fun!). His family planned a trip to Maui. His dad asked Will if he wanted to invite me to Maui, which he did. At the time I was managing the Holiday Inn in Lewiston. He asked me wanting me to go, but thinking that work would get in the way of letting me go. I asked my boss and what do you know...I got the time off! It was incredible. I met my now sister-in-law Marina, two sets of aunts and uncles and a cousin of Will's all on one trip. It was a great week of fun in a place that is breathtaking. I had a blast getting to know not only Will, but the entire Gillespie family so much better.

What a great group!

Over the six years WAM has been together we have had so much fun  together! We have gone to  Hawaii twice, Chicago once, multiple camping trips to Dworshak, many memorable float trips down the Clearwater, we've had some awesome holidays together and some fun summer BBQs....they even got me to try some new things like horseshoes and golf!

From day one, my in-laws have been so warm and welcoming. It was uncanny and unknown to me for strangers to be so nice! The first day I met them they hugged me. For a person who is not about PDA or letting others into her personal space, this caught me off guard, but at the same time it felt nice and comfortable.

I have grown to really love my in-laws (not that I didn't love them at the beginning) and appreciate them to no end! I love that they live in the same town as WAM and we get to see them so often. It makes me happy to have some family close by. It is comforting when my family is so far away.

It's funny when Karen tells me that she likes me better than Will :) I know she is just playing around, but it feels good to know that they love me just as much as I love them and I am really part of the family!

Today, in-laws, I am thankful for you.

Day 23: Goals.

I love goals. Even more, I love accomplishing goals.

It doesn't matter what kind of goal it is, the feeling that I get when I achieve it is overwhelming, in a good way. I love the feeling of being proud of myself, for feeling that I can do anything, that I did this for myself and by myself and it feels damn good.

I think that everyone should set goals for themselves because it pushes us, but all the while it teaches us something about ourselves. We can be driven. We can be strong and determined. We can set our minds on the prize and reach it.

When I think about goals, I think about bucket lists.  Lots of my friends have them. I think they are awesome! A friend, and fellow blogger (shout out to you Erin Murray!!) created a Dirty 30 bucket list of 30 things she wanted to do before turning 30. She accomplished all but three of her goals. How cool is that? My sister Marin and her friend Brita  have a bucket list of things they want to do/see before they turn 40. Again, how rad! I need to work on my bucket list.

Will and I both created our own goals, bucket lists, of things we wanted to accomplish before we got married. We each had one big thing on our list....BOOM. Both accomplished. Yay us! It feels good. Both goals were things that impact each other, our future, and our WAMily. Having accomplished them, I feel good. I feel prepared. I feel at ease. I feel like I need to set more goals....

I am too close to 30 and have zero time to focus on anything other than my regular stuff (excuses, I know, but it's harsh reality too)......BUT we have a "baby bucket list." No, it does not mean it is a small bucket list, it is a bucket list of things we want to do before we bring any WAMbies into this world. On this list are things we want to accomplish by ourselves and things we want to accomplish together. It gives us something to work towards, something to push us, something to challenge us and something to look forward to.

I am 29. I have set an incredible amount of goals in my lifetime. Some of them, I have given up on or pushed to the back burner, some of them I have accomplished, and some of them are just coming about and I am terrified, but super excited to tackle. But, no matter what they are, they give you this amazing feeling once you've accomplished them. You are on top of the world. You are truly phenomenal. You feel so full of wonderfulness!

Today, goals, I am thankful for you.

Day 22: Laughter/Humor.

I like to laugh. I like to make others laugh. Laughing is such a great feeling!

Growing up, my sisters would tell their boyfriends, "My youngest sister is so funny!" Then when they'd meet me they'd expect me to be funny. I remember a boyfriend of Marin's who asked me to tell him a joke. Excuse me?  A joke? Really? No. My humor and ability to be funny is organic. It comes out naturally. Still does. My husband really loves when I start my dance routines randomly...and in random, public places... he really loves my awesome cheerleader routine to the American Dad theme song. Epic.

Growing up, I remember sitting at the dinner table with my family and as soon as one of us sisters started laughing the other two would chime in. It was a contagious. Very contagious....even Mr. B would start in :)

Throughout college, I was never the "skinny one" or the "pretty one" or the "nice one" in the group. I was the funny one. Yup, that was me. And I was proud of it! It's a way for me to express myself. I also can appreciate others' sense of humor and ability to be funny. One of the funniest people I know is Derek D-Rock Kahler. When he and Will are together I better double up on the underroos because they are hilarious together!  He's one of those people that can make you laugh until you can't breathe and it hurts. Some of the best kind of laughter if you ask me.

Humor can be a down fall at times too. I use it as a defense mechanism. Like Khloe Karadashian (Ahhh busted. I watched a little Keeping up with the Kardashians. Sporting a hat of shame now) who laughs when she is uncomfortable. I try to make others laugh if there is tension or if the situation is not fun. It's easier to laugh sometimes than it is to face what is really going on; eventually we face it, but in the moment it's a good distraction.

Laughter is good for the soul. Laughter is good for one's health.

Today, humor, I am thankful for you.

Day 21: Weekends.

I love my weekends. I want to marry them I love them so much! :)

What do I do with my weekends? EVERYTHING! What don't I do?! Weekends are my time to get work don....son!! I try to cram as much as I possibly can into my weekends because I usually (when I say usually I mean always) have a huge "TO DO" list that I try to tackle. I cram WAM time, hockey, workout,  TA grading, thesis research, homework, email catch up, blog catch up, errands, laundry, grocery shopping, etc. into 48 hours. Ya....it doesn't all get done, but I am a master at multitasking, so I am decently successful.

However....most people like weekends for the obvious reason. No work. Weekends are a time to relax and unwind. Forget about the Monday through Friday stressers and have fun. .

This fall, WAM's schedules have gotten crazy freaking busy and we don't get to spend as much relaxing WAM time together. Not okay with us. So, we made a deal.

Sunday = day to relax and, naturally, watch the Seahawks. No errands. No homework. No cleaning. Just WAM and sometimes friends, but actual relaxing, fun, lazy hang out time. :)

I love my weekends and have gotten used to prioritizing what really needs to get done and what can wait. I love my lazy, football filled Sundays with my husband and I love my get as much as you can done on Saturdays too! I feel more rejuvenated after our new Sunday routine and am ready for the work week come Monday morning.

I have learned to relax, slow down a bit and enjoy life and soak up my weekends with my hubs.

Today, weekends, I am thankful for you.