Count Your Blessings!

just do it!

Christmas with the Delicious Bass

...that title may or may not be misleading.

This is Sophie (oh, really?) on a Merry-Go-Round at the Bass Pro Shop.
Which is now my new favorite Christmas Location.

Lindsey Insight Coming Your Way....

We have all said it at one point or another in our lives. 

"Sorry my house is dirty."

"The house is a mess, but come on in!"

"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

Okay, so maybe not the last one, but you'll see what I mean in a minute.

The past couple weeks I can count three different times when someone apologized for the mess in their house. I would like to make a public announcement about these Dirty House Statements. When you say your house is dirty all you are doing is drawing more attention to the Mess. (Gasp!) And here's another weird thing: Those three times I was in someone else's home, I didn't even NOTICE the mess until they said something! It's the same concept as "Don't look at the elephant in the corner." What are you going to do when someone says that to you? You're going to look at the pachyderm, of course! 

So let's look at Dirty House Statement #2 "The house is a mess, but come on in!" Do you know what it really means? Either (1) "I would have rather that you called before you stopped by so that I could have made the front room presentable" or (2) "I wouldn't have cleaned this even if you did call before hand, I just would prefer that you don't come in" or (3) "I'm pretending the house isn't normally like this, but it actually is."

Now about Dirty Houses. I can honestly say that I once saw a "Dirty House" and was relieved about it. I once entered a lovely, cozy, well kept home. "This woman obviously has everything pulled together and has an amazing life!" I thought. Then a few weeks later I went over to her house again. It was pretty messy. I sighed within and felt at peace knowing that she wasn't perfect yet.

Conclusion: We do not need to make excuses for our homes when they are messy once in a while. Life happens. We get busy, something throws us off track, our kids are insane.

I definitely am not a clean freak or a perfectly organized CEO of the household. But I have sworn off saying, "Welcome to my home. My house is a mess. Please make yourself comfortable in between yesterday's Squashed Frozen Pizza and my daughter's freshly messed panties."
Okay, actually I may say that one day. But just for kicks.



**This post is not meant to offend anybody on their protocol on inviting people into their homes. Just take it as a general Lindsey opinion on her observations of life.**

The month of November? Oh yes! I love that month.

Thanksgiving Activities:

We had a great day of Giving Thanks down in the Old Pueblo. I have always loved the month of November because it is sandwiched in between Halloween (love) and Christmas (really, really love) and not to mention it is my birthday month. And, of course, Thanksgiving.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, here's what happened on that eventful day:

 

Football.

 More Football.

Family Walk.

I love Arizona Thanksgivings. Where else can you spend the whole day outdoors with no jacket?

      

My Birthday!

Yes, I am a quarter of a century old! Hooray!

Check out what my sister, Laura, gave me:

1940's Opera Glasses! What an awesome and completely random gift!

Phantom of the Opera here I come! (That is, when they come to town next and if we ever have money again after our large purchase this month).

Another Sophie Moment

(Dave calls this pic Sophie's Dramatic Teenager Pose)

 So the other day Sophie and I are reading the Barney Opposite Book. We get to this page:

I ask Sophie pointing to the first picture, "What is this?" 

"Bath!" was her reply.

Then I point to Barney toweling off. "What is this one?"

"Cold!"

Yes, Sophie. The opposite of Bath is Cold.