Hope for the Holidays

Losing a loved one and then celebrating may seem impossible but it's not. Losing over half your family then there comes the holidays not long afterwards. Yes at first you get mad and then you get angry. But would your loved want that? Probably not. There is hope to keep celebrating the holidays.

Avary's Post and Jessica's Challenge.

This is Avary on my dad's blog.

I am all about reading. I love to read and write. I write short stories about my day and things I read.

My story I wrote today was about a fary who live to help make different candle smells.

The fary loved all smells even bad smells. The smell of steamed




I just found this. I would love to see how she finishes it. I may let her finish it for now I want her mom to finish the story. So Jessica this is now your blog challenge. +Jessica Upton

Bookwormy

 1. Never be allowed to read the last chapter of a book, but be able to read as many books as you want, OR only be allowed to read one book a year, but be allowed to finish it?
Only one book a year.

2. Read only trilogies OR stand alone books?
Stand Alones

3.Have to start every conversation of your life with a quote from a book OR never remember any quotes and be able to speak normally?
Starting with a quote is something I do sometimes now.

4. Read 5 pages per day OR 5 books per week?
5 books a week

5. Have to steal any book you want to read from the library and not be able to give it back OR have to pay $40 for every book you want to read?
Steal it.

6. Only read your top 20 favorite books over and over OR always read books you haven't read before?
Reread because I like to go over things

7. Have to read 50 Shades of Grey repeatedly for an entire year OR go to every showing of the movie at your local theater for a month?
Reread... All that moaning in the theater? I'll pass

8. Be a librarian OR a book seller?
A book sellar

9. Only read your favorite genre OR every genre except your favorite?
Favorite Genre

10. Choose a very well written book (I'm talking words of gold), with a dull plot OR a very interesting plot written in a way that threatens to make your eyes bleed?
Going with with a way that makes your eyes bleed

11. Would you rather meet your favorite author while making a complete fool out of yourself OR have your most hated book character be your roommate?
I will take making a fool of myself over being stuck the most hated character as a roommate.

12. Be Katniss Everdeen, and get thrown into the games, with no guarantee you'll win OR be Harry Potter, and get thrown into the Triwizard Tournament, with yet again no guarantee of winning?
Harry Potter.

13. Have a pet dragon that accidentally sets things on fire OR a pet parrot that tells people what you really think of them?
Pet parrot - It would be like having Ridge on my shoulder.

14. Be the super villain in a story, and get to survive OR the superhero and die midway?
Depends on what my villainous self is doing. Lol I could see me being a superhero too.

15. Which character do you hate the most?
Bella from Twilight... It's so popular and girls are getting the wrong idea about how to act in life.

Avary's November Boodle Box

 

I was awake early today because apparently my cousin who Avary lives with has just now check her mailbox from Saturday. Avary came screeching up to me holding her box so we could open it up together. She loves everything in the box.

EcoTools Mini Essentials Makeup Brush Set: Avary doesn't wear a full face of make up yet. But like my other cousin's wife said this is a great way for her to learn about it. She said it was important for girls to feel confident with a make up brush instead of scared.

Herbal Essences Shampoo & Conditioner: Avary loved that it has a coconut smell. She wants to save them for her trips she has coming up. I like that idea. Avary loves travel size things which made this even better for her.

Knit Boot Cuffs : Sparks and wonder was going off in Avary's eyes when she seen these. There was something like this on Shark Tank once too. She is super excited about these and right now is wearing them as ankle warmers around the house.

Chocolate Covered Sunny Seeds: I didn’t even know that chocolate covered sunflower seeds actually existed.  I don't think Avary would have been overly excited about sunflower seeds, but chocolate covered ones?  She was pretty excited.

Leather Wrap Bracele: Avary has loved all of the "arm candy," as she calls it, in the boxes. She likes this one a lot.

Fall Paper Straws: Avary loves paper straws. She came home the other day telling me about George's house having paper straws. Now she has her own.

Physicians Formula Natural Bronzer: Avary didn't see the purpose of this so she gave it to my cousin's wife. Avary likes eye make up.

Being Happy when I have a Million Reasons Not to Be

 

There two cousins that I get along with the most: Sean and Ridge. If it is bad it has happened to us. Between the three of us there has been several shot wounds, self mutilation, 179 bones broke, a child murdered, told unable to have children, abused, we have all had our parents killed, and we have had all our share of relationship trouble.

One thing that the three of us pride ourselves on (and warning this may offend some) not a single one of us take a single pill to keep us in high spirits. Ridge has watched her twin get tortured, lost her for four years, had a child get murdered, went through a miscarriage, she has had hot grease poured down her throat, has has been stabbed and cut herself. Does she take a depression pill? Nope.

I have lost my entire my family. My dad ran off. My dad got me shot. Granted I jumped in front of him but I did. I watched him give himself over to drugs. I watch my grandparents get done wrong by my dad and his brother. I watched my aunt die. I watched my uncle get killed doing what my dad did. I am watching my grandma give up on life instead of fighting because she is scared to be alone. The woman who once told me I was never alone as long as I had God. Don't become a hypocrite.

Sean fell from a five storie building breaking every bone in his body almost. He watched everything thing that Ridge went through. He had to deal with the fact that his baby brother wasn't following a great path. He watched his sisters make irresponsible decision and people blame because he was the man of the house since my uncle skip town. People blame for leaving them to deal with their own problems.

The reason people shake their heads at us? We are happy without pills. Do we get high off something else? Sort of but we don't smoke. Well Sean sometimes smokes a cigar but his wife would kill him right now if he did more that. Trust me the three of us are very dangerous when you get us all going against the same thing. We have this thing called happiness that we find all situation.

We do not like to be labeled a victim. We hate it with a great passion in fact because that means pity. In the words of Eckhart Tolle:

When you complain, you make yourself the victim. Leave the situation, change the situation, or accept it.

We talk situation out, leave, change it or many times accept it.

The three of us are good about moving on, because that's what we have done all of our lives. So how do we stay happy? Twelve simple things.

 1. We express gratitude for what we have. Seriously the number one thing that we are all certain give gratitude for is the family we have. We have a lot to be thankful for in our lives. If we aren't thankful for what we already have, will have a hard time ever being happy.

2. Cultivate Optimism is something we have. We see our lives full of endless opportunities especially in trying times. Heck Sean and I have made several ways to help our situation right now.

3. Learning to forgive is something we actually have to work on daily. We still work on it. Many times we learn to feel nothing towards these people which is in fact worse.

4. We got for smart thrills in our lives. Sure we don't always make the best decisions but we seek enough to get our hearts pounding and making a situation better (sometimes) and of course we protect our family like nobody's business.

5. We live in the now instead of the past. People are happier when engaged in what they are doing as compared to when they lack concentration. From research, it has been discovered that people spend as much as 45% of their working hours in mind wondering.

6. We are very sure ourselves. We think it might be a McLachlan. We get very sure of ourselves when you tick us off or dare us or threaten us. When a person doubts their judgement, they are prone to a variety of psychological challenges like low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and mood swings. Not us.

7. We move every day. When you are happy, there is a higher possibility that you will engage in activities that promotes your health. Findings from a recent study performed by the American Psychological Association reveals that depression across all ages is significantly reduced by exercise. Trust me I can over do it easily because throwing heavy metal up and down gets me get the bad energy out of me.

8. We surround ourselves with people who are happy also. It took me a long time to learn the significance of this. But I can say it is very true. You have to surround yourselves with people who believe in you.

9. We do act of kindness. A pet peeve of mine is people who don't open doors. I don't care if it is another guy opening the door behind me I will hold it open. Kindness spreads kindness. Talking about kindness doesn't.

10. Sleep is something we all enjoy. We savor it for all it's glory but is that all we do? Oh no! We have lives. We move we get out. We just grin when people say sit down. You won't see us sit until around 9 PM because we have grown our bodies to accustom to that.

11. We have faith. Sure if you don't believe in God go ahead and mediate on something else. I am not holding a gun to your head and telling to believe in God. We have our faith in God. We use the strengths and abilities that God gave us.

12. We don't over think and we create flow situation. We get really into what we are doing that we don't notice the outside world. We don't over think things either. We are straight cut people.

This is how we still grin without doing something self destruction. Ridge laughs when people ask if she on a lot of medication. Sean will flip you off. I just shake my head no. We have God and each other.

Low Down and Dirty

Honestly,

If Alabama had done it I would be up in arms... Regardless it's disgusting and undermining...

Auburn coming away with the win last night against Ole Miss will always be under review with me. Why? Well look at what was on the front of their newspaper:

Finding a way? Seriously? I know there was over 87 pictures of last night's game to put on the front of today's paper but they went with the one where they caused a man's leg to snap in half. A lifetime changing moment in Treadwell's life. Treadwell underwent surgery last night and will miss the rest of the season.

Not the ideal image and headline combination to use when a player suffers a serious injury because it's hard to know how people will deal with it. It's a disgrace. This newspaper really needs to get their act together. They also brought a video to the world showcasing this man's unfortunate misfortunes.

Apologies But Is It Enough

Real classy Auburn. Trust me I was pulling for Ole Miss, but trust I am going to become the biggest Texas A&M, Georgia, Samford and my blood team Alabama fan for the rest of the season after this disgrace. 

People keep telling me the school has nothing to do with what the newspaper posts. That's bull. They have to approve it and trust me if they approve this that makes it even worse. There were several things from last night's game that is just showing how lack of morals people have and how low they will stoop for this game.

When I was Younger

Me at 13

Random Facts About My Self-Past

• Taking dance lesson was something I started doing at 3 years old.
• Playing the guitar was something that I took up at 6.
• Dance competition was something that I enjoyed.
• I can also play the piano and the saxophone, but only some saxophone.
• One of my painting sold for $315 once. It was a painting of my mom.
• Sewing is something I can do but I am not a fan of it. I am a pro at threading a needle, though.
• I do like working with wax. I was probably a rare kid for my mom because I was extremely excited when I got a candle making kit. 
• I have model for different companies in the past.