Vacation.

I am taking a week-long blogging vacation. I need to enjoy some time with my husband while he is on his break from training and the time I have while Allison visits without my blogging addiction getting in the way :) Check back next Monday or Tuesday for some new blogs, including all the details of my New Years trip to Nashville and any other exciting things that happen during my blog vacation. Thanks for reading! See you in 2010!!

Year in review.

A lot happens in a year. As this year comes to a close, I want to look back at all that's happened in the last 12 months of my life. Here is my photo blog of the year 2009.

Moving on...

Christmas is over. Presents are unwrapped. Decorations are put away (minus the tree). Family is gone. Even the leftovers are almost gone. Regular non-holiday music is back on the air and I am back at work. It's always sad for me when Christmas is over, but it's time to move on. Which should be pretty easy seeing that I have some very exciting events on the horizon. One in particular... a trip to Nashville for New Years Eve!

I'm going to Nashville with one of my best friends, Allison, to ring in the new year! There's actually a story behind this trip that makes it very special and exciting.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I hope you are all having a wonderful Christmas day. Ours has been so great! Dinner was tasty and having family here made it perfect. The big surprise of the day was that Jake got me a new digital camera! I have yet to really play with it but I'm sure it's going to be an amazing upgrade from my old one. Our first time hosting Christmas was a success!

Click here to see our pictures and check back again soon because I'm sure I'll add more once I get my new camera up and running. Tonight, we are relaxing and watching movies. Tomorrow we are off to Tupelo for the day to find some post-Christmas shopping steals!

Thankful Thoughts #13.

As I sit here with family, thankful for all the food and gifts we are enjoying this holiday, I am also remembering the real reason for the reason. Christmas is the celebration of Jesus' birth, and wow, what a huge celebration that is. It's so easy for all of the fun holiday traditions to overshadow the real reason we celebrate, but today and tomorrow I hope you will remember that Christ was born and was born for you! He is the Messiah, the Redeemer, the Ruler of Creation. He is worthy to be praised... and His birthday should indeed be a joyous celebration of life, love, and family. I am so thankful on this Christmas Eve for the birth of my Savior! He is and always will be the ultimate Gift and reason for celebration. Read the Christmas story {Luke 2:1-20}

 

O Holy Night! The stars are brightly shining,

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining. 

Till He appeared and the Soul felt its worth. 

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices, 

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn. 

Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices! 

O night divine, the night when Christ was born;  

O night, O Holy Night , O night divine!

Christmas eve.

Tonight we had a visitor! Santa came to our house, like he always does on Christmas eve, and this year he brought the puppies lots and lots of toys. Unfortunately, there was an attack and I am sad to report that Santa did not make it. Poor Santa...

Dear Santa.

I recently got an email forwarded to me with cute letters to Santa from kids all over the country. I love the honesty and innocence of their words. Their requests are simple and heartfelt, and so cute that they are hilarious! Here are some of my favorites...

Dear Santa, I love you.  Your reindeers are so cute.  Please show rudolph this letter and tell him "your nose is so cute". For Christmas I want a Snow White cleaning thing and a Dr. Pup thing.

Dear Santa, What type of fuel do you use for your sleigh or are your reindeers just hyper? Either way, I hope you won't miss our house.

Dear Santa, I want books for Christmas and a Peter Pan movie. I always leave you cookies.

Dear Santa, You know how it is nowadays, my parents are divorced, so please put me on your special delivery list to come 2 nights, Christmas Eve at Mom's and Christmas night at Dad's. Thank you!

Dear Santa, It is really cold here. Make sure Rudolph wears his sweater and Reindeer mittens.

Dear Santa, I would love all the presents I asked for but my mom deserves them more. I have been getting presents all year from my mom and she works hard to get them for me. My mom doesn't know how much I love her that's why I want her to have all my presents.

Dear Santa, I have tried to be good, but boys will be boys. You must know that cuz you are a boy.

Dear Santa, Does your Mommy make you stop and brush your teeth after you have milk and cookies at each house?

Dear Santa, Thank you for waving at me at the mall. You really do love me!

Cute.

I love this picture of Bailey. Right now, she and Badger are at home being spoiled by Jake's parents and hopefully they are behaving themselves while Jake and I are at work. The conversation at our house this morning went like this... {ME} What do you think you'll do today while we have to work?"{TINA} Relax and play with my grand-dogs of course! Ahh.. I am so thankful to have a family of dog lovers. My dogs are like my children. Some people just don't understand :)

Christmas break?

Oh no, wait, I'm a grown up now. Being a "grown-up" is hard sometimes. I say that because this is the first year I'm not a student and therefore do not have a winter break. Every year I feel like I work up to winter break, which always guarantees 2+ weeks of R&R. The whole few weeks surrounding Christmas I usually spend at home with family, taking trips, shopping, watching movies, etc. Below is a picture at Disneyland from years ago when being a grown up was still far in the distance. And as you can see, Jake and I had just started dating, because he would never take this kind of picture with me now... Ha!

Anyways, this year I have a "real" job. Don't get me wrong, most of the time, I really like it. Not being a student means that I go to work for the day and then come home and do whatever I want {aka NO homework}. However, now all the students that I know are at home enjoying their R&R and I am at work. The week of Christmas. I know I really can't complain because 1) I have a job, a really great job, and 2) my company is very gracious around the holidays and I have two five day weekends in a row {for Christmas & New Years} I know this amount of time off is not usual for most businesses, especially in the world of advertising, and I am so thankful to only have four days of work in the next two weeks. Working at Christmas time is still an adjustment though. I know it's going to be even harder when summer rolls around and work just keeps on going.

Okay, enough of the Monday morning grumpy talk. Let's talk about this week... Christmas week!!

Thrift store.

I love thrift stores. I love them. I could spend hours walking around looking for hidden treasures. There is a great thrift store by my work and sometimes on my lunch break I will go there and wander around.

Today I went and this painting caught my eye. It's a vintage-inspired, 4 ft. tall, canvas painting wrapped on a wood frame, and this picture does NOT do it justice. It's such a beautiful piece of art and I love what it says - "How great would life be if we lived a little of it everyday?" So true. I also noticed it has a plane on it. Perfect. It's in great condition so I thought it might be pricey, but when I asked she told me I could have it for $10. Deal! This is the perfect piece of artwork to complete our cozy upstairs office. I can hardly wait to get home and hang it on the wall!

Ditto.

Love this picture. This guy is a Christmas light genius.

Thankful Thoughts #12.

I am so thankful for the smell of a real christmas tree. electric blankets. puppy kisses. thoughtful, unexpected emails. hot coffee on a chilly day. uninterupted moments with jake. christmas cards from friends and family near and far. 'Tis the season. Be thankful!

P.S. Thank you all for thinking of us and sending these beautiful cards

No subject.

I can't seem to think of any interesting topic or random piece of my life that I want to blog about today. Hmmm. This was bound to happen at some point. I suppose I will just ramble whatever comes to mind.

So how has my week been so far? Good, very good. Extremely productive actually. Last week I was so lazy but this week I have gotten everything done plus more, at work and at home. In fact, on Tuesday night I could not sit still because I was in such a "productive mode". I cleaned the entire house and then when it was all done I tried to relax and seriously could not do it. I ended up deep-cleaning the microwave and the stove (Ha!) and then organizing all our junk drawers (HA!) I never do those things on a regular basis {which is why they were extra disgusting} but for some reason I was motivated. Then I wrapped all the remaining Christmas gifts and sent off a few last-minute gifts to California. I made a nice collage of all the Christmas cards we've received in the mail and added a few more decorations to the tree. I did all the laundry, all the dishes, and finally got pictures printed for the empty frames that have been hanging on my wall since we moved in. Wow, I hope this productivity continues into my weekend and I have extra motivation to clean the bathrooms and shampoo the carpet - both of which have been on my to-do list for a while now.

A year ago today.

It has been one year since I left L.A. to move across the country and start my new Air Force life in Mississippi. As I look back through pictures, it seems like just yesterday. I'm so thankful I took so many pictures my last few days in L.A. I'm also really thankful I wrote blogs about the big transition. It's so nice to be able to remember the details of such a big time in my life!

Today I am dedicating a picture post to life a year ago today...

We wish you a Merry Christmas.

I sent out our Christmas cards last week and since we didn't send out very many I thought I'd post it here. Hope this year has brought lots of blessings to you and your loved ones! Merry Christmas from the Pruitt family ♥ Jake, Lindsay, Bailey & Badger

Santa came early.

Christmas Rule #1: Do not buy things for yourself right before Christmas! Chances are, the thing you have been wanting has been made clear to your significant other and its already wrapped and under the tree. My sweet husband learned this lesson on Saturday morning...

Checkride complete!

Jake had his Final Contact checkride in the T-6 today. It is the second big checkride in UPT. He has been studying very intensely for it all week and was nervous about how he would do. He just got back from his flight and called me to say that he got a 3E on it!! For those of you who don't know what that means, he had an excellent flight with only 3 downgrades... which is really AWESOME! Now he can just relax and enjoy the weekend. Good job hubby. I am so proud of you :)

Columbus is the winner!

Columbus, MS is finally known for something... BAD TV ADS.
Last night I was watching the Jay Leno Show and he had a segment called "Bad Ads" and our little town of Columbus made the cut! I thought that was hilarious but really it is true! Some of the worst ads I've ever seen play regularly on TV here.

Don't believe me? See for yourself!
I was able to find both videos on You Tube and posted them below. The first one was the one on the Jay Leno Show {for Carl Hogan Automotive - which ironically is where we bought our new car} and the second one is an ad that's notorious around here for being the worst commercial ever! Enjoy :)

Thankful Thoughts #11.

I am thankful for God's perfect will and timing. He has a great plan for my life and because of this I don't have to worry about my future. In fact, the greatest evidence I have of this is how He orchestrated the meeting of my husband and I in 2003.

So how did I meet my perfect match? Here's the story for those of you who don't know...

Excitement.

Today is a new day and my grumpiness is long gone. I am back to my usual "glass half full" mindset. In fact my glass is overflowing today with excitement. Want to know why?

I am going on a cruise!!! Yes, in just a few short months, my best friend Tori and I will be tanning on the deck of a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Oh that sounds so wonderful right now in this winter weather. Since this is a public blog, I won't give any travel specifics until after we get back, but wow, I am beyond myself with excitement! Here's how it came about...

Grumpy.

Yes, today I am a grump. For good reason. I just got two fillings at the dentist. My first fillings ever. Fillings that apparently, because of their placement, are going to be painful and uncomfortable for me for the next few days. Well now the numbness in my mouth is wearing off and I am feeling that uncomfortable pain. It's like my mouth is bruised all over with an oh-so-wonderful random pinching feeling every now and then.

Yes, today I am a grump. Or at least for the time being. I am sitting here at work - swollen, puffy and in pain - with absoultely nothing to do. I am caught up ahead on all my work projects and so I predict that I will sit here twiddling my thumbs for the rest of the work day. Oh how I wish I was at home sulking in my warm, cozy bed...

Yes, today I am a grump. And sadly, this is the best I can do at the moment for my one-year blog anniversary post. Maybe I'll write again once my aspirin kicks in.

Snuggie.

A few months ago when I was in Walmart I noticed that that they sold dog snuggies {In case you haven't heard of a snuggie, it's basically just a blanket with sleeves}. Anyways, later that week I was telling Jake and his classmates that I thought it was ridiculous that they made those for dogs, thinking "Who would make their dog wear that?"

Well now the joke's on me because I came home tonight to Badger wearing this blue snuggie! One of the guys in Jake's flight thought it was hilarious and actually went out and bought it for him. Turns out that little Badge loves it! He's been sportin' it around the house all night. Thanks Brent :)

Good morning.

How do you start your day?
My mornings usually consist of me snoozing until the last possible second, getting ready in sort of an organized panic, throwing some food out for the dogs, grabbing random food items for my lunch, and rushing out the door hoping that I don't forget anything important.

My mornings are a ball of stress. And for what? A few minutes of extra sleep? That's pathetic. Today I tried something a little different...

Interaction.

As I've mentioned many times before, I am really thankful for blogging and how easy it now is to stay connected. And let's face it, blogging is really fun! Even if you don't write blogs, you probably enjoy reading them {And I feel I can safely assume this because you are reading this blog right now...}

I've been amazed with how many people I have met through blogging, usually being connected through a 'friend of a friend's blog page. I just love hearing other people's stories and views on life. This thought made me wonder how many of you ended up on my page that way, through a 'friend of a friend' or even just randomly. Lately I've noticed my little visitor counter at the bottom of my page ticking away and am honestly baffled by how many people care enough to read my blog.

So here's my thought... I would LOVE if everyone who reads my blog would post a comment at the end of this post. Whether I know you or whether you are a 'friend of a friend', it would be really encouraging to me for you to say a quick hello. If you want to, put a link to your blog so I can follow you too! Even if you prefer to remain a Busy Thoughts anonymous reader, just post a simple "Hey I read your blog -Anonymous".
Ok, everybody in? Oh and on a side note, whenever someone leaves a comment from now on, I will always try to write back. That way there will be more interaction and not so much of a one-way conversation on your part. Much more fun :) Anyways, thanks for reading! Hope you'll say hello!

Go spread the good news!

Being that we are a Christian-based company, my work loves taking the opportunity to send out a Christmas card reminding all our clients and vendors of the real reason for the season. Today we sent out the following card that one of our graphic designers created. I think it's awesome!

Blog yearbooks.

I've always wished I was good at keeping a diary. Growing up I tried multiple times a year to start keeping some sort of journal of my life but it never lasted more than a week. I wish so much now that I could have such a detailed look back at my years growing up.

When I started my blog one year ago {almost exactly} I figured that it would be another failed journal attempt. And it definitely did take me a while to keep up with it, but the important part is that I did. I kept writing and the more I did, the more I loved it. Now blogging is just a fun outlet for my thoughts and its hard to even go a day without posting. I found a really cool website the other day that will convert blogs {including photos} into a book...

✔ Check.

My Christmas shopping is complete!
I got on a roll with some online shopping today and wah-lah, I'm done :) I've never done online shopping before but living out here in small town USA it seemed like my best alternative. And wow, I found some really great deals!

I am especially excited about the gifts I got for Jake. He never, EVER says he wants anything so I usually have the hardest time shopping for him. He usually ends up with something practical and not necessarily exciting. Well, not this year! I have hit the jackpot and thought up 2 major things he is going to love. One is wrapped and under the tree {and as you can see, it's gigantic and takes up the entire bottom of the tree} and the other is on its way! I can hardly wait to see him open them.

Saturday To Do List

✔ Christmas shopping

✔ Address Christmas cards

    Clean the house {well....}

Because of my Christmas tasks, I didn't exactly get around to all of those fun household chores {no surprise there really} but that's alright. Jake has to fly all day tomorrow and I will have no excuse not to clean.


As for tonight, I've got a lineup of Christmas movies, starting with The Santa Clause!  
Oh yeah, have I mentioned that I ♥ the Holidays?

It wasn't me, I swear...

Actually it wasn't just him but doesn't he look so cute and guilty?
This damage was done by both dogs after I gave them a cardboard box to shred for fun. Unfortunately, Bailey kept going and shredded a bunch of their toys too.
Hey, at least its not the furniture!

Random babble.

It's Friday! Woooo hoooo! I don't have any plans for the weekend but at the same time I have so many little things that need to get done. I have been extremely lazy this week! I've made dinners and managed to keep up with dishes but that's about it. Our laundry in the closet is piled up the walls and the bedding really needs to be washed {thanks to the dogs who made themselves at home on the bed while I was on my trip} There are rooms to be vacuumed, toilets to be scrubbed, and groceries to be bought. I think I have been enjoying all of the Christmas shows on TV a little too much this week {the original cartoon Rudolph the Reindeer movie anyone?} Plus my house is so full of decorations and Christmas spirit that I just want to sit and drink hot chocolate... NOT do housework.

Another thing staring me in the face is Christmas shopping... I looked at the calendar this morning and realized its almost the 2nd week of December already! Time is flying! I got most of the family's gifts while I was in California but I am still working on part of Jake's present and didn't realize how little time I have to pull it all together. There is also lots of Christmas wrapping to be done before Jake gets a chance to find out where some of his presents are hidden :)

Also, I have realized that it's been awhile since I posted real updates on our life  
so I think I'll do that now...

Thankful Thoughts #10.

This week I have been constantly reminded of the blessings God has given me. I've had a couple of those moments where you just look around and realize everything is so wonderful. I am so thankful... I have a husband who still gives me butterflies. I have a family who truly cares. And I serve a God who loves me and blesses me constantly. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that I heard a powerful testimony at church. I was able to locate the video of that testimony and wanted to share it with you. Rachel goes to my church and is a fellow Air Force wife. She has experienced more grief than most people can even imagine and yet God has allowed her to still be optimistic and thankful.I hope you will be blessed by her testimony and be thankful today!

Christmas card failure.

I mentioned before that I was designing my own Christmas cards. I sent the order to the printer 2 weeks ago and while I was gone on my trip they arrived at our house. I was horrified when I saw that the printer had done an awful job! The quality of the paper (the specialized photo card paper that I paid extra for) was so bad. It was seriously like bad Walmart printer paper. The color was dull and pixelated and there was no excuse for that based on the type of file I sent them. I called them and thankfully I was able to get all my money back. I ordered new ones and decided this time to just go with a normal, pre-made, one-sided, one-picture, traditional Christmas card. No hassle, no worry. They are completely opposite from the cards I first made but they are simple and pretty and I like them :)

Since the original cards are no longer being sent, I thought I'd post the preview of them. Click here to see them. I do like them, but honestly I like the new ones even more! See, everything happens for a reason.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree.

After what seemed like waiting forever to put out our Christmas decorations, we finally got to decorate on Sunday. The house is quite the Christmas wonderland if I do say so myself!

The best part was getting our first Christmas tree! We found a big, full 7 foot tree and it is absolutely perfect. The decorations came out just as I had imagined and I am very excited about it {Please note that the pictures do no justice to the pretty decorations because the pictures were taken on my phone...new camera for Christmas maybe? *Hint Hint*}