A Proud Aunt!

Just because I got some really cute pics of my niece and nephew over Thanksgiving, I thought I would write a blog to brag on them :) Ashlyn & Weston are Brandon's brother's kids. Ashlyn is 6 and Weston is 4. They live in Wilkesboro, and even though it is only an hour and a half away, I wish I could see them more often! But, I tell you, after visiting with them, I am pooped out! They are all about "Aunt Ginny" right now. I hate it for Brandon, as I know he would love to interact with them a bunch too, but there will be a time when it will be all about "Uncle Brandon." Whenever we go out to eat (which is what we do every time we visit) it is always fun trying to figure who is going to sit where. Jana and Derek have gotten to the point that whenever we get to the table, they say "Ok, Ashlyn & Weston, where is Aunt Ginny sitting so the rest of us can sit down." I am always right in the middle of Ashlyn and Weston, and spend the rest of the meal like I am at a tennis match with my head going back and forth, back and forth between the two of them. Most of the time, I have both of them talking to me at once, which becomes quite entertaining. But, all in all, I wouldn't trade them for the world! They are really great kids, and I just hope I will be so lucky one day!! Ok, now for some cute shots of my sweeties!!

Their favorite restaurant is "Fire Mountain" because it is buffet style and you get to make your own ice cream cones!

Ashlyn just lost her first tooth! She told me that the "Tooth Fairy" came to visit her. I asked her how much she got, and she said, "oh, I got a dollar - I would have liked ten, but that's ok". Hey, at least she is honest!

And Mr. Weston might as well be "Brandon Junior"!! It is amazing how much he looks like Brandon. I wonder if that means my kids will look like Derek!

At least the game boys they got last Christmas entertain them some so the rest of us can actually eat and talk. I tried to play Mario, and I forgot how bad I am at video games!

Lots to be thankful for.....

Brandon and Chelsi

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for many things, but most of all I am thankful for my wonderful husband, Brandon, who picks me up when I am down, makes me laugh, is a wonderful listener, cute, loving, strong, smart, great with my family, understanding, laid-back, patient, affectionate, full of random knowledge, handsome, and makes me feel "at-home". Recently someone told me how lucky I was to have Brandon, and that what we have is not as easy to come by as you would think. These words rung true in my heart, but also opened my eyes to the world around us. All I have ever wanted is for my family and friends to find true happiness, and when some of them have their ups and downs, I seem to have them with them. Brandon has told me several times that is the reason he feel in love with me, for my big heart. But, sometimes this big heart can get in the way of my own happiness. I get wrapped up in what is going on with everyone else, that I sometimes forget to appreciate what I have. I am doing my best to step back and realize that life is not always "peaches 'n cream", and that all I can do is stay true to myself, pray, and smile. I truly believe that God will only give each of us what we can handle, and sometimes when the world feels like it is crashing down on you, you just have to take some time to pray, find the little things that make you happy, and your roller-coaster of life will have an upward slope again soon. I find myself taking my own advice, and so this holiday season, I am going to appreciate all the little things and try to get out of this "funk" I have been in recently. On a lighter note, here are some pics of my Turkey day with my wonderful family!

My Mom and me

My Dad and brother, Andrew

Brandon with his parents, Barbara & Rex

My niece, Ashlyn and my sister-n-law, Jana

My nephew, Weston and me

Brandon and his brother, Derek

Auto damage and a Deer

So, I hit my first deer last night. I am ok, and the damage to my car really wasn't that bad. But honestly, what has got me the most upset is that there is an animal out there hurting because of me! Sure, it ran out in front of me and I know there is nothing I can do, but it still doesn't make me feel any better. It was about 5:30pm last night, and I was on my way home from work (only about 5 minutes from work actually) and I tried to call Brandon at home to see if he needed anything from CVS. I couldn't get him, so I hung up, and made the left turn onto Birch Creek Road. Less than 30 seconds later, the deer (a doe) ran out in front of me. I hit my brakes but it really was too late. I just hit the butt of it - shattering my front left headlight, and it continued to run into the woods. There was someone behind me, so he stopped to make sure I was ok and said, "That thing came out of no where!", and I said, "Yeah, well that is how they roll." I was amazingly calm, and no idea why that phrase came out of my mouth, like I am Mr. GQ or something. Anyway, I called Brandon (after 10 tries, he finally picked up), and then called Highway Patrol. They asked me if I thought the damage to my car was more than $1000, and I said I didn't think so, and they said in that case I wouldn't need a report, but if later my insurance company requested one, I could call them back and get one. So, I continued my trip home (slowly and more cautious this time). Brandon was really sweet, and offered to come and get me, but I said I was fine. Again, amazingly calm (especially for me). When I got home, he was waiting for me with a flashlight and camera, and took in the damage. Of course when the boy looks at the car, he sees more damage than the girl, but still isn't too bad. Brandon said he called his dad to ask if what the Highway Patrol told me was correct, and his dad said, "Tell Ginny that it happens to the best of families, because it has happened to me." So, I guess I am officially on the "Inscore Roster" for deer killing, even though I didn't want to do it! Brandon has never hit one, but he sure has shot one or two - something I will never understand. Anyway, we came back inside, and Brandon gave me a big hug and said it would be ok. He said he would stay home from "Theology on Tap" (men's group from church), but I told him no, go ahead, I am fine. The rest of the night I proceeded to bake, clean up, and pack for our Thanksgiving weekend away, but my mind just kept going to the poor deer that was suffering in the woods somewhere because of me!

The good part about the night, was that I had that feeling that someone was watching over me. I don't get it very often, but when I do, it really is a cool feeling. I think that is why I was able to stay so calm. Just little signs when I look back on the night - the fact that Brandon didn't pick up the first time I called, or I would have been on the phone with him when the deer ran out in front of me, and may not have been as aware and could have done more damage to the car and myself. The fact that someone was behind me (but not too close for following distance) and nice enough to stop and make sure I was ok. The fact that where the accident took place was not a busy road, so I felt safe pulling on the side of the road. The fact that where I pulled over, there were two horses at the top of the hill just looking down on me (I work out towards the country in McLeansville) - I know it is corny, but I thought of them as my guardian angels. And most of all, I feel lucky that not more damage was done and that I am ok. So yeah, someone is watching over me, and I know exactly who that is, and that is a really really cool feeling.

Sometimes you just gotta let go!

I was talking to my great-aunt (my deceased Nana's sister) on the phone today, and she is in the process of cleaning out the house she has lived in for over 50 years and moving into an apartment at a nearby retirement community. I had a business trip in New Jersey over the summer, and took advantage of work paying my way and was able to visit with Margie. While I was up there, she was just in the beginning stages of the move - she had put the down payment on the new apartment, and was starting to interview real-estate agents to sell the house. This has been a long and difficult process for this 88 year old woman. Well, I thought the hardest part was over, but now the hardest part is here. She has sold the house, moved into the new apartment, and is now going through the process of trying to weed through all of the stuff in her house. She closes at the end of this month, and so she doesn't have much more time left to go through and decide what to do with all the furniture, "nick-knacks", clothes, pictures and other memorabilia.

Margie and me - May 2006

While I know it must be painfully difficult to go through all the memories of your life and decide what is most important, I also do not understand why old people hold onto so much stuff! I can understand pictures and sentimental things such as that being important, but what is it with all the furniture, and every piece being so important. Sure, I enjoy some of the furniture in my house - the couch that I have fallen asleep on many a nights before dragging myself to bed (I am turning into my mother!) - the red recliner in my bedroom that used to belong to my Nana and every time I see it, I think of her rocking away. But, every piece?!? Honestly, I can't wait to get rid of some of the pieces I have now - like the new kitchen table I am hoping to get for Christmas (if we can find something we like), or the new bedroom suite I hope to have some day. The pieces that these new items will replace hold no sentimental value, and I can't wait to get rid of them!



Is that the difference between our generation and the ones before us? They hold onto all of these pieces of furniture for generations, and we throw out the old and can't wait to buy the new. I guess one reason is that older generations, such as Margie, lived through the depression, and so they remember how lucky they felt when they were able to bring such nice pieces of furniture into their families homes. And a part of me feels guilty for not wanting to accept it all into my home. But, I am just not an "antique" fan. I do not like all of the really contemporary stuff, but I do like something in between.



To top things off, I called my Dad (Margie is his aunt) tonight, and was telling him about my conversation with Margie. Of course he was concerned with how she was doing, and I told him that she sounded frazzled but overall, she was still the funny Margie we all know. I then started to tell him about what she is doing with some of the pieces of furniture she has - giving the dining room table and chairs to her friend's son and daughter-n-law, and the china cabinet and china to her friend Sylvia, whose daughter can't wait to use it as well. How she found someone who could sell all of her Coca-Cola memorabilia on EBay, and how a lot of the other stuff is going to a salvage place that will give it to families who can't afford anything else. I told him how I comforted Margie by saying that it is so wonderful to hear that people who really need and can appreciate her things are getting them. That I wish I could take more, but I just don't have room in my house, and with the distance between us, it is hard to transport it here. Well, this just sent my dad into another one of his guilt trips, where he said he just doesn't know how Margie can be getting rid of all her things, and that he can't stand the thought of my brother and I just throwing away all of his things when he is gone. I told him once again that we will hold onto a few items that hold special memories for us, but that we just can't keep it all. I have to remember I am talking to the man who rearranged his whole house so that he could make room for all of his mother's things when she died. My mom is a wonderful woman to let him, even though in some cases it meant not having room for things from her family. My dad is just very attached to anything having to do with his mother (another story on that topic to come), and just attached to everything in general. My parents had a flood in their basement last year, and when I went to help them clean everything out, we came across my dad's filing cabinet full of high-school papers. High-school papers!!! What does a 60 year old man need with his high-school papers?



So, once again, I can understand wanting to hold onto your memories, and how it must be difficult to down-size, but you just have to learn to know when to let go!

Football

Today is the last Elon football game for the year. We have had an awesome season! The best yet!! The Southern Conference better watch out next year :)

This was also our first year with season tickets, and already, I can't wait for next year. Tailgating and cheering on our team has been lots of fun! We even went to our first away game at Citadel last weekend, and had a chance to visit with my brother, Andrew. I grew up going to football games and watching sports, but the past few years I went through a spell of not really being involved, so it has been nice to get back into it this season.

Go Phoenix!

Why to start a blog?

Well, everyone else seems to be doing it for one thing. Secondly, I find myself for hours upon end in front of a computer, and what am I really doing? I am just sticking my nose in everyone else's business! I am addicted to My Space, FaceBook, InCircle (AOII network), E2 (Elon's network), and blogs. I rarely update my own listings and just search everyone else's. Is this healthy, I ask? Well, my first thought is that people will not find my postings very interesting, and I enjoy seeing what is going on in everyone else's lives. I guess that is the caring part of my personality coming out. But, at the same time, I have to remember my life is important too! Even though I may not have children yet, and not the in the crazy dating world, I still have things to say. So, for anyone that reads this, ENJOY!