Mc Ho Ho Monday

There was only one man I could think of for this weeks installment of McMonday...

The Jolly ol' elf himself..Santa Claus



Top 5 little known facts about Kris Kringle

1. He loves to hang out with his "home-elves" and polka down at the VF on Friday nights.

2. He's into gibberish and can speak every language known to man.

3. When he's not working, he vacations in the Caribbean on a small remote island with Elvis, Easter Bunny, & the Tooth Fairy.

4. After making his yearly journey, he participates in the Reindeer Games. The Reindeer Game Foundation i a non-profit group founded by Santa to be sure all reindeer have a chance at employment. After the all the bad press with The Rudolph Fiasco, he wanted it known he was an equal opportunity employer.

5. When asked what his favorite part of the job was, he was quoted as saying, "It's all about the cookies"

Day 150: Merry Christmas to Me!

Well even though I doubted him, Santa came through. Yesterday, after a series of hiccups and lost paperwork, we finally closed on our family's very first home.

Standing in the kitchen last night for the first time it was real. It was mine. All of the choices had been made. Most of the blemishes have been repaired. Standing there in disbelief I cried. I am so thankful to have a real house, a place to call home.

Here are a few updated pictures now that we have light fixtures and door hardware.

The steps have been widened and are awaiting company...


After several episodes I have TWO lanterns instead of one..


A "hopefully" inviting entryway..


Where I plan to eat Christmas Dinner with my family next year...


Where "The Christmas Cookie Extravaganza" will take place next year...


Hunting for an antique mantel or building one ourselves will be a fun project for me and the MR.


Well if I don't get to talk at you ladies between now and Christmas, Have a very Happy Holiday Season..

Be sure to check back on MONDAY for the sexiest McMonday evah!

I Went There...Teenage Pregnancy, My 2 cents.

As the news broke this morning of Jaime Lynn Spears pregnancy, I was disgusted at what I saw. Now you guys are just gunna have to give me “comedic” bye this morning. I’ll vent, and then go about my day as normal. This needs to be said by me, so here goes..

As I was saying, I was disgusted. ABC News interviewed every mom and teenage daughter combination they could muster up in some remote mall. What was the general consensus?

“What a disappointment, she was a roll model for girls everywhere.”

Not ONE person sympathized or recognized how tough it’s got to be on her and her family. They were all comments of distain and disappointment. Well I am here to tell you; Teen pregnancy can happen to anyone.

Having my first child just shy of my 18th birthday, I have to say I feel bad for her. Teen mothers face an up hill battle their entire life. Everything right off the bat is harder. For a normal teenager there are no after school activities. College is an option; there are grants in place for single parents; however you can give up dorm life and sorority sisters. Only a fraction of teenage mothers are strong enough and have the support needed to get through college and find a decent job. I was one of the lucky ones.


(Me & Miss Thang on "our" wedding day.)

Enduring “the look” is probably the hardest thing I still have to deal with. When I was younger it was the disgusted, “I can’t believe you ruined your life like that look”. As I have grown older it has turned into the “You look too young to have a ___ year old daughter look”. It’s easier sometimes just to lie about your age, because people do the math in their head even as you stand in front of them.

There are tons of nimby’s out there. We call those the “Not In My Back Yard” people. These are people who refuse to believe it can happen to their daughters and judge others for their mistakes. The case of Jaime Lynn just proves my point, it can happen to anyone. She is an exception to the rule; she has the funds necessary to tend to a child. This gives her a leg up, but the stigma will still haunt her.

What a young mother needs is support from the community. Yes the line of prevention failed, there is no going back. To cast a young mother into nimby land for a irreversible mistake is the last thing she needs. With the odds deeply stacked against her, a young woman at a tender age has made the correct choice to take responsibility for her actions.

If you have a daughter, look at her tonight. Imagine how you would feel if you were hit with the reality of teenage parenthood. How would you want society to treat her? Think about that next time you go to the mall and see a teenager pushing a stroller rather than shopping with her friends. How will you choose look at her? Hopefully because of this BLOG you will forgo “The Look” and offer a supportive smile. Trust me, you’ll make her day and possibly give her just enough strength to push on through an already difficult life.

I am done now; I have a house to close on today.

McSteamy Monday

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I definitely did. Staying away from all of the holiday rigmarole at the retail stores, I spent my time with wonderful friends at an awesome Christmas Cocktail party at Super Mom's.. Thank you so much for having us, you throw a rockin party! Now, one party down and only ten more to go!

So who is our installment for McMonday? Well I semi-gave it away in the title. Yes, it's Eric Dane, the original McSteamy from Grey's Anatomy!



Top 5 little known facts about Eric Dane:

1.Eric and Rebecca Gayheart got married on October 29, 2004, the same night they decided to over dinner. They immediately hopped a plane to Vegas and had their cab driver Sam stand in as best man.

2.Eric appeared in the movie, X-Men 3: The Last Stand as "Multiple Man".

3.Eric's character, Mark Sloan, on Grey's Anatomy was so popular, he became a regular for the third season.

4.Eric moved to Los Angeles In the early 90’s, when he decided he wanted to be an actor.

5.Eric dated actress Lara Flynn Boyle in 2001, when they met filming crossover episodes of Gideon's Crossing and The Practice.

Do you have a favorite leading man??? Don't let him go unrecognized!! Say it loud and say it proud!! Email me your nominations TODAY!!!

Day 142: Tah DAH!

It's a good thing I have a husband to keep me from doing drastic and possibly desperate things. If it were up to me, I'd be moving this weekend. I already have people lined up! It was a plan! You can't break plans!Right? There are no lights, carpet,appliances or power?? Power? Who needs power? I don't need no stinkin power! I want my house! (*blink**sniff**blink*)

Fine then, I'll wait. But Santa promised :(

So how is it really going? Cosmetically, the house is starting to come together. We have a finished exterior...


but some dude hit it with a tractor (par for the course)


My granite counter tops made a grand better late than never entrance yesterday..


and so far the hardwood floor guys have been my favorite kind. They are working down there when I go to bed at night and there when I go by in the morning. Now THAT'S how you complete a job on time!


I have been pouting for about a week now because others are living in the house before even I get to move in. We have found evidence that points to vagrants living the lush life at night when the lights go out...


In the spirit of the season I opted NOT to go ahead with my plans to raise a fully decorated Christmas Tree in the living room as a message to the subcontractors. Instead I opted for a nice wreath on the front door as a subtle hint.

It's All About The Cookies.

Ever since I was a little girl Christmas signaled in the ONE time a year the family broke out the stand mixer and made cookies and candy until we couldn't hold ourselves up anymore. Ah the fun, getting covered head to toe in flower, rolling out and cutting the sugar cookies, the sprinkles getting stuck to the bottom of your feet from the always imminent sprinkle fights.

So when I moved out of my parent's house and had children of my own it was natural that I afford them the same wonderful memories I had. It seems I have created two cookie monsters. They will work to bake Christmas cookies! So this year, even though we have no house to call our own (yet), we borrowed a kitchen and continued the tradition at Grandmamas.



It wasn't long before my two nephews dropped by and they were instantly hooked on making cookies. The dirtier the job, the better!



Miss Thang helped train them right for a life long love of cookie perfection, but really all they were there for was the sugar!



Of course being our family, the children could not resist pulling one over on Dad and they made him a custom pink little girl cookie...



Needless to say the delivery method was the drop and run operation, and no one stuck around for the repercussions!



Seeing how much my nephews enjoyed our cookie day, it has opened up a new tradition I believe we will start next year. Santa's Cookie Christmas party at Aunt Christy & Uncle Todd's house! It will be an open invite for all children who want to come have a day of cookie madness!!! MuuuHAHAHA!!!

McElvin Monday

Finally!! They fixed our BLOGS. Just in time for the latest installment of McMonday!! I fell in love with him as the Elvin prince on "The Lord of The Rings", and was mortified when I found out he wasn't really blonde!!(he was so cute that way)

Mr.Orlando McBloom is this week's eye-candy fix.



And just because I like him blonde...



Top 5 little known facts about Mr.Bloom

1.Orlando's worst job was when he was 13 as a "clay trapper." For those that don't know, a "clay trapper" is the person that sets the clay discs for hunters to shoot. The one bright side was that it gave Orlando time outdoors, which he enjoyed.

2.Orlando suffers from Dyslexia.

3.Orlando has a tattoo of 'nine' written in Tolkien's Elvish on his right forearm. All the members of the nine characters in the fellowship in Lord of the Rings got one. He also has a sun on his torso that he got when he was just 15.

4.Orlando used to smoke, but he gave it up during the filming of Lord of the Rings, as he wanted to be more healthy, influenced by his character Legolas. Playing an elf also inspired Orlando to become a vegetarian.

5.Orlando's childhood dream was to be a stuntman.

Have a great week ladies :)

Cold Busted.

Having your Grandmother as the school secretary definitely has it's perks. If you ever need book fair money, free hall passes, or breakfast it's only a few steps away. On the other hand you can't get away with nothin!

At dinner one night Grandmamma asked the question, "Little man, Who were you holding hands with on the way back from breakfast this morning?" Immediately she caught "I'm gunna git you glare" from a rather shocked and embarrassed six year old. Of course that opened the flood gate of "Who's that girl" questions coming from all directions.

"Is her name...

Betty?
No.
Allison?
No.
Heather?
No.
Ashley Kate?
AAAGGGGHHHHH!!! NO!

After about the 50th name and a barrage of giggles little man sighed a big hough and without a blink said....



"Hey you guys, I have an idea. Let's not talk about this anymore."

After we were done rolling in laughter from his 40 year old answer we respectfully let that one go.

Of course later in one of our mother/son heart to hearts he told me she was his girlfriend, and her name is Alyssa. .

Oh the Waiting Game

You see, today I need some help.

Laying in bed last night I thought of everything still left to do in the house and I panicked. Everything is pretty much waiting on the counter tops to be installed. Yesterday I received word that they will not be put in until Thursday or Friday. Well when you are expecting them on Tuesday it sorta puts a damper on the big parade. It seems every week it is something else. With each passing week we get closer and closer to Christmas.

A year ago my Husband and I made a pact that we would be in a new house by Christmas this year. So here is where the help comes in...

Could everyone please write Santa and ask him to either (A) deliver some materials to my house STAT! or (B) push Christmas back a few weeks??

With all of the best Bloggers asking, Santa can't say no!

Thanks in advance and all the love in the world,

The Crackers

Santa, I'll Take One of These Please....

So I have been asked to make out the annual "What do you want for Christmas?" list. Is it just me, or is that not the hardest thing to do? Really, I struggle with it every year. It's not that there aren't things I would LOVE to have, it's just that I would feel bad to ask for them. Aside from the usual clothes, perfume, shoes there are the bigger ticket items.

Do I want a Cadillac CTS?


or maybe a

3 Stone Anniversary Band?


Or an original oil painting from a talented artist?



Oh yeah, What girl wouldn't!

These are gifts that deep down you would *like* to have one day, but they seem too big for even Santa's Christmas list.

If you could ask Santa for just *ONE*
big thing, no price tag an option, or guilt involved, What would it be??

McSaucy Monday

Hello Ladies..

Long time no blog. It seems leading a double life has caught up with me. For those of you who don't already know it I am heading up our new Outdoors website. So if you (or your guy) are interested in Outdoors, go take a look!

www.clarionledger.com/outdoors

I am also accepting deer camp bragging pictures...Do you know someone who killed the largest deer, or first deer? Send me thier pics!

Well that's enough of my 10 second promo about where I have been onto the fun stuff...

This man was nominated by a dear co-worker, Friend of a former McHottie, I give you:

Mr. McAffleck



Top 5 little known facts about Ben:

1.Ben and Jennifer Garner had their daughter baptised. Violet, who turned one on December 1, was baptised on Christmas Eve at the United Methodist Christ Church, in Charleston.

2.Ben and his friend Matt Damon sold their Academy Award winning script Good Will Hunting for $600,000.

3.Ben's teeth are capped. (My note-WHAT?!?!?!)

4.Ben is an avid poker player, regularly entering local events. He has been tutored by poker professionals Amir Vahedi and Annie Duke. He won the California State Poker Championship on June 20, 2004, taking home the first prize of $356,000, and qualifying him for the 2004 World Poker Tour final tournament.

5.Ben invited Jennifer's mother, Pat, to be present for the birth of their first child.

There ya go! I hope you ladies have a wonderful week and always remember Santa is watching!