I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

I must say, I've been smitten with the Holly Jolly Spirit himself. 'Tis the Season, indeed!!!

My favorite Christmas song, by far, is "I'll Be Home For Christmas"! For as long as I can remember every holiday season would bring to me an insatiable anticipation for home. Of course I've lived in Arkansas for the better part of my life now, but HOME will always be TEXAS!! Even if only for Christmas day, home is Meme and Papa's house. Christmas isn't quite the same anywhere else in the world, as it is at Meme's!
Its a magical place where there is always way too much food, lots of noise, love that heals a year of hurt in a minute, babies crying along with some of the adults, roaring laughter (often followed by someone sharing that they've just peed themselves), the most beautiful reading of The Christmas Story you will ever hear, wrapping paper flying through the air, Uncle Kyle and Aunt Tam's creative gift exchange, the best nap you've ever taken, and if we're lucky Meme tries to skip to her loo....and when all of that is done - we start over!
It has little to do with gifts, although this year promises to be interesting in the gift department! It has everything to do with appreciating the tremendous gift that God has given each of us through His Son. And realizing that in God's infinite wisdom, He placed each of us in this crazy Box family on purpose! Each of you are my favorite gift. It is my absolute joy to be with all of you at Christmas (or any other time)!
Last year was my first year to not spend Christmas at Meme and Papa's (dang compromise) - all I will say is most of the time we just get how to actually be and enjoy family. And when I'm not around that joy, I am acutely aware of it!
I just can't wait to see all of you!
So..... Meme, Papa, Aunt Sissy, Uncle Clint, Tiffany, Billy, Aunt Vickie, Uncle Kyle, Travis, Farrah, Harrison, Holden, Hunter, Holly, Jason, Dakota, Tatem, Meg, Aunt Tam, Uncle Gerald, Ashley, Brittany and all my Whiddon peeps (and whoever else decides to join us) - get ready, cause I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!
This one will be special because it's Bryson's first Christmas! Oh, I just can't wait!!!! WAHOOOO!
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

Ah! Christmas is right around the corner. :) Who else is excited about that? I know Rob is! He is so excited, I think he's gone out to buy Christmas lights so that him and Chaserman can put them on the house tonight. He really gets into the Christmas spirit. ;) I think everyone needs to post their favorite Christmas song and their most favorite Christmas Present. Mine favorite song is the title of this post. HeHe! My favorite all time Christmas prestent would have to be kitchen play set, I don't remember how old I was, but it was when we still lived in DeSoto. Thanks Santa!

Big Buck Deer

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my sweet nunchuck skills. Thats how I got this BIG BUCK DEER!!!

I didn't get it on video, so you will just have to take my word for it!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Thankful for Departure Times

I am thankful for round trip tickets.....just joking Chase. It has been great this past week to have you around. I've missed you man (tear). Which brings me to what I am thankful for. I am thankful for my amazingly beautiful wife and the most perfect little boy ever...sorry Trey. I am also thankful for my in-laws. I never thought I would marry into a family like this. Ya'll are great and make me laugh daily. Hope to see you soon and more often. One more thing...Thank you Brett Berry, Captain US Army and every other solder standing a post to protect our country.

Gratitude Never Hurts

I've discovered an incredible secret to life, that later I may write a book about and sell it for twenty bucks a pop, but today - for my family and our one fan that doesn't happen to be related to us - I will share it for free..........
Have you ever had one of those days where you are in a decent mood, and everything seems to be going fairly well? You smile a lot and think to yourself - 'man, life is good'.....you have so much to be thankful for? Then the next time you are in your car - listening to KLOVE, KCBI, or KLTY - someone pulls out infront of you and in half a second you find yourself in a fit of rage, screaming profanities and wishing horrible things on that driver? Maybe none of you do this, but on any given day I can find myself singing along with my Christian radio station at the top of my lungs while simultaniously screaming at the other drivers on the road - rationally wondering why they just HAD to be out the same time as me just to get in my way.
Aaaah.......?'My Way'?.......therein lies the kicker, and the opposition to my new-found secret.
The Secret: Gratitude.
The enemy: Selfish ambition.

Yesterday, we did have a wonderful service at church, like Candace said. I was reminded how much I focus on myself - whether on my strength or weakness- and how little I stay fixed on God, and how Great He is. Of course, I thank God for much. But not as consistantly as I should. He is the source of my life and everything good thats in it. He deserves much more credit......and every last drop of glory and praise that can be rung out of my existence.
I think He was serious when He said, 'In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you'??
Come to think of it, that's no real mystery at all.
Ya know, when someone thanks me for something - it makes me what to do another nice thing for them. You think God is the same way?
Maybe Grateful people are more blessable than those filled with road rage!!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Even though I won't be with you on Thanksgiving, I love every last one of you - and I'm truly thankful for the family we have. We have much to be thankful for. We are blessed indeed. Thank God!

Thankful

It sure is a lot easier telling what we are thankful for over blogging instead of everyone starring at you!!!

WOW, after our service this morning it's easy for me to say I'm thankful for our God's wonderful blessings. Somehow I can complain about something every week and when I stand back and look at the big picture, How great is our God?? I have nothing to complain about. He has blessed me with a wonderful husband, an awesome family, a great job, a beautiful new house (that I'm about to move into---Woo Hoo), and one day He's going to bless me with a precious child!

Our God is an awesome God!!! Next.........

Thanksgiving Holiday

Well, the Thanksgiving holiday is almost upon us. It seems only right that everyone who read this post should leave a comment about one thing that they are thankful for. This is important since we won't all be together for Thanksgiving, and I'm posting this now in case some people are too far out in the woods of Arkansas to have computer access closer to Thanksgiving. :) I hope that everyone has a great holiday! Today is my last day of school before we have all of next week off. So, let the comments begin and you may leave more than one if you feel the need! Love to you all.

Cutie Booty

We layed Bryson down for a nap fully clothed, came in later to check on him and we found him like this!!!!

Invites

I've invited Holly, Tami, and Vickie to join us. Are there any others to invite? Chase, I think that you need to sit down and train your dad tonight on how to write a post so that we can see his thoughts on here. Nothing much going on with me. Just wanted to let you know they have been invited!

Comcast SUCKS!

Just wanted to let you know that! They are liars and they have really bad customer service, and a reallllllllllllly bad billing department. So if you can read this, never ever ever ever use their services, because all it will do is make you angry. I will write about happier things tomorrow.

Its Been Monday All Day Long

Today won't seem to quit! I don't know why it won't get over with already! GAW!
Maybe I'm so anxious because I just can't wait for Wednesday to get here! CHASERMAN IS COMING TO TOWN!!!! (I'm singing that to the tune of 'Santa Clause is coming to town')
We will have some good times this weekend! Wouldn't it be fun if Rob, Amy, and Trey surprised us by showing up this weekend??? YEAH!!! We could have a big painting party at Clyde and Candance's!!!

A suspicious bruise has appeared on the back of my right hand, and I have no idea where it came from. Isn't that a weird spot?!! Kinda looks similar to the one from my IV when I had Bryson. Can bruises be recurring???

So, this Christmas has been dubbed "Crafty Christmas"!! Macarroni crafts for everyone!!!! I can't wait to see all of the festive creations. This idea is actually tougher than your ordinary store-bought gift.........we might actually have to put some thought into it this year!!! I was thinking of whittling a manger scene out of some holiday pine!!! Or maybe a finger-painting montauge of some sort!!
I have a suggestion for whomever draws my name.....you may build me a house to live in so we can move. But you have to build it with your own two hands! Don't cheat!! And remember, Nathan is a tall guy! 10ft. ceilings!

Gotta go..................Tuesday is on its way!

Chester the "Mo"

Happy Birthday to you! He's here, he's well you know...

Hitting on girls. Telling them something about kissing him because it is his birthday. I'm suprised that he doesn't have a sign yet so that EVERYONE will know, but i'm sure that will come when they are passing out lunches. So, I have to make this a quick one for now, but just wanted Chaserman to know that I wish him a Happy Birthday! I know it will be a good one!

Welcome To My World!

Get up at 6:40a.m., get ready for work...8 hours gone...come home rush to change clothes...decide which fast food to eat...arive at 26 Silver Springs Drive at 6:00...paint, paint, paint, paint, paint, paint, and on and on...arrive back at 11 Hawthorne Drive midnight...clean up and get to bed...and start the whole process over again!! Ughhh! A good piece of advice, NEVER PAINT YOUR OWN HOUSE!! But on the positive side, only 3 more weeks!! Hooray!!

We were painting tonight and neither one of us wanted to be there so we were really dragging. Clyde got up at 4a.m. (crazy hunting!) and so he was tired and I really didn't have any excuse I just didn't want to be there. We had been painting for maybe an hour and he had finished the mantle and I was starting to sand the pantry shelves...I hear him sigh and so I turn to look at him and he was so delirious that he had started to drink his paint out of his styrofoam cup....needless to say he only had white lips!! It didn't make it into his mouth. After that we decided that we needed to wrap it up!

Hopefully when we get settled I can blog more often!

Happy Birthday to Chase in one hour!!!! Chase you will have to forgive me, I didn't get your card in the mail but I will certainly hand deliver it next week when you come up.

The joy of ADOPTION!

Hello everyone! I've taken some time off from blogging because I've been really busy. I'm also plotting the termination of the professor from my previous class since she had no idea what she was doing, but that is neither here nor there.

I'm writing to tell you about the adoption process that Amy and I find ourselves in. This is the first time that we have mentioned this to any of you because we wanted to know it was definitely happening before we let it out! So, I'd like to introduce all of you to the newest member of the Vardeman family, Chase Lawrence Whiddon. He's about 3 years old so he gets along well with Trey, but he claims that he has been walking on this Earth for almost 19 years now. Let me share with you a magical moment from the world of our new "little" Chaserman. Tonight we took him and Trey out for dinner. It was Chaserman's first trip to the infamous "Pei-Wei". He sat down and started to eat ALL of my lettuce wraps and the delicious sauce that you soak them in. While he is doing this Trey has opened a package of chopsticks, pulled them apart and is playing some sort of game. Normally this would be the fun part, but this evening our newest addition brought a moment of joy instead. He opened a package of chopsticks and asked why they were "stuck together" and how he was supposed to use them. It is moments like these that causes an adoptive parent's heart to grow three sizes. After pointing out that his counterpart, Trey, figured out how to work these complex contraptions called chopsticks, we helped Chase to pull them apart and then I stabbed one into his Mongolian beef to get him started.
Now I have one last minute update to share. Chase just rounded the corner, looked at this screen and saw that I was writing something. He asked if I was writing a paper and just making it up, I said yes. Looks like a dad's job is never finished. I'll show him this blog, and right about the time he reads this line I'll train him how to write his own story.

So, welcome to the Vardeman household to our newest addition.

76 Trombones

On Amber's next post, she will gladly tell the tale of mom and her fantasy that is The Music Man! I'm still laughing about your story. I don't care who you are, that's FUNNY! Newsflash! I am all out of starbucks gift cards! Well, actually I got one over the weekend, but have seemed to misplaced it (don't you worry, I will find it!) So, needless to say, I cannot afford my Starbucks habit on my own. I am now taking donations (or gift cards) for my crack, I mean "Starbucks" addiction. Because if I spent my own money on it everyday, Rob and I might end up getting divorced. Please Help!

Random Thoughts....and such

I'm almost convinced that an intervention is emminent between Amy and her addiction to brownies. That is along with her addictions to Starbucks, comfy sweaters, tivo, bossy-ness and other nameless indulgences!!! Nevermind, we'll just keep Amy the way she is! PRACTICALLY PERFECT IN EVERY WAY!!!
Besides, I would hate to see the economic depreciation if Amy did not support all of these endevours! The mind reels at the thought! The dollar would certainly lose value, stocks might dive, we would all lose our investments, the lions in Finland would migrate to Russia, birds with large talons would invade America.......AAAAAAHHHHHH!
Amy, quick - go buy another latte!!
Whew! That was exhausting! I never realized the responsibility that Amy carries on her shoulders each day. KUDOS, Amy! KUDOS!

Moving on............. Rob, we miss your crazy antics on this blog! Have you abandoned ship??

Christmas is right around the corner (collective sigh), and sometimes the festive spirit can be so overwhelming as to make you do such things like putting up your Christmas Tree in early November. (Enter Deb!!). That's right. Mom has been taken. The tree is up. The house is decorated. The fireplace is ablaze - because dad believes if its November, there should be a fire. (His is the only house where you will find a fire going, with every window and door open at the same time!) Its classic!
When I called mom yesterday she was a bit winded when she answered. Before either of us said a word my imagination played a scene of what might have taken place just before the phone rang..........
There was Deb, surrounded by trinkets, lights, pine needles and the vocal stylings of Robert Goulet's Christmas album blasting over the stereo! 'Home For the Holidays' begins to play, and mom cannot deny her urge to celebrate with a Christmas dance! As she prances around, she tosses ornaments on the tree while singing as loud as she can, with enthusiastic agreement, in hopes her kids will here her plea 'IF YOU WANNA BE HAPPY IN A MILLION WAYS, FOR THE HOLIDAYS YOU CAN'T BEAT HOME SWEET HOME'! Her performance was so convincing that I thought she actually had 'met a man from Tennesse who was headed for Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie'!
Then I called and ruined the whole thing! Sorry mama! You sing your Christmas songs and decorate your Christmas tree............CAUSE WE'LL ALL BE HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS!!!!
As it turns out, mom just tripped over her gown on the way to the phone and lost her breathe a little.
I like my story better!!

Stupid People, Brownies and Ted's

I'm kinda high on sugar right now, so if I don't make sense....oh well. I just have to get it out there, I do not like people with bad work ethics. Well, let me rephrase that, I just don't like their bad work ethic. The person is fine. Don't act like you do some sort of great job, when in reality you do nothing at all. :) There, I said it and that's all I have to say. Now on to more important topics...Brownies and Mexican food. First I have to give a shout out to OKC. They are home to the best, yes I said it, the best Mexican Food restaurant I have been to. Ted's Cafe. It was exellante. Ole! I would recommend it to any and everyone. I may even have to take a road trip back up here just to eat there. And now...Brownies... I have eaten the most delicious (bass,hehe) brownies ever and cannot stop. Those combined with mountain dew are very dangerous and that is why I am on a sugar high. And on that note, the brownies need my attention...TaTa!