just me, catching up

I've been really busy lately with sessions nearly every day, but because I also use this blog to document my personal life I want to make sure I get all of these things written before I forget!  So this will be a rather boring post, unless you find my everyday interesting.  And you should! 

1) My beloved tomato plants were ripped from the garden last week by a lawn man gone crazy.  Seriously, he must have been insane because why else would someone completely remove and chop up HUGE tomato plants that were in a raised bed and producing in aplenty?!  INSANITY.  When I opened the door to let the dogs out I just stood there in shock, like maybe if I stared long enough my plants would reappear.  They did not.  We planted that garden in April and those plants had yet to produce but they were huge and took up 3/4 of our garden.  Then one day last month Deran and I were picking okra and noticed the tomatoes, more than we could count.  They were on every branch and stem, and they were marvelous.  And now they're gone.  I did manage to salvage a few green tomatoes that were left scattered in the yard.  Avery went out to help me and as we were gathering them and putting them in the bag she said, "Why you so mad?  Lawn man knocked down you matoes?  You so upset!"  Indeed, I was...upset.  I know, I know, it's a first world problem.  My lawn man chopped up my tomatoes.  But SEVEN months of tending those plants.  Wah!

2) I've started using Deran's Old Spice After Hours body wash.  And I may smell like a man, but man I smell really good!  I ran out of Dove one night so I grabbed his and I haven't stopped using it since.

3) Avery has started demanding stories told to her often.  Mostly about the three bears and the three pigs.  Sometimes about dragons, and sometimes I can choose to tell a story about whatever I want.  One night I crawled into bed around 4:00 and she woke up and snuggled up to me on the pillow and said, "Tell me a story."  I totally pulled a Pop and fell asleep before the end.  My dad was a great story teller when I was little except that he always fell asleep mid-story. :)  And then last night she woke up around 3:00 growling at us.  When we rolled over she told us she was a tiger, then asked me to tell her a story about the three bears.  I was so tired that when Goldilocks tasted the first bowl of porridge instead of saying, "It's too hot!" I said, "That's a bad stomach waiting to happen right there" and trailed off.  About a minute later I snapped back awake and was like, what the heck did I just say?  After busting out laughing I turned on an episode of Dora and went back to sleep for 20 minutes because I'm an awesome parent like that.

4) Which brings me to number four. Avery has started saying, "Ayudame."  Dora and Diego are awesome, for real.  When she needs help she says, "Help! Ayudame! Help me Momma!" or sometimes she calls it out for her animals or babies in need of help.  Super cute!

5) Talk about Santa and Christmas is in full swing.  Avery does NOT want to see Santa Claus at the mall or her house.  He can bring presents but she will be asleep or with mommy.  We've also been talking about the real Christmas story and when Avery was younger she didn't hesitate when we asked where Jesus lives, in her heart of course.  But lately she looks a little concerned, like there's possibly a real physical man?  In her heart? 

6)  On the opposite side of the last note, let's talk about kettlebells.  I'm pretty sure Satan himself threw those out of the abyss for me to work out with.  No really, thanks Jen!  You're an awesome trainer, and not devil-like at all.  She really is sweet!  

I've got lots of great sessions to share and I'm considering a separate blog to keep up with my Avery Kate, at least through busy season. She's pretty darn cute every single day and I want to make sure I don't miss it.  She reminds me to find the joy in every day, and that's worth documenting.

I haven't done the 30 days of thanks like I did last year, but I'm certainly no less thankful for all of the things that make up my life.  Just for fun, here's a look back at last November 17th.  I have been blessed beyond what I deserve and at the end of the day if all I have to complain about is a couple of tomato plants?  Well, I'd say my life is pretty great.