Becoming an Adult....SUCKS!

Hello friends!!!!

Sorry it has been so long! I feel like once the holiday season hit, my life has been in fast forward!

Our first Thanksgiving away from Iowa was successful! We joined the boys downstairs and had a lovely meal complete with ham, potatoes, chicken, salad, 2 desserts, and more! Yes, we overcooked and yes, we overate but let me tell you, it was blissful! :)

I will admit, we got a little crazy with Christmas decorating! We transformed our living room into a Hallmark store.  I will attach pictures below.  It definitely made the holiday season seem more "festive", even if the weather was mid 60's and sunny!

For those of you who don't know, I was lucky enough to be able to go home for 10 days over break.  My trip was home completely and utterly perfect.  I was able to spend time with my family, pick on my brothers and sisters (which was long overdue, obviously!), and tear up Cresco with my friends.  Let me tell you, it was everything I missed about Cresco and more.  I had no idea I missed home as much as I did until I was home.  With that said, it was one teary goodbye.  I mean uncontrollable crying, tears streaming down my face, and not in a pretty, one glistening Jennifer Aniston tear; I'm talking black Lauren Conrad (when she is talking to Audrina) tears x 1,000.  Imagine that while going through security trying to convince the security man that I am actually okay, just sad I'm leaving home.  He thought I was crazy.... Needless to say, I left Cresco with a very heavy heart but it was full of new memories! It definitely gave meaning to the saying, "Home is where your heart is".

As hard as it was to leave everyone, say goodbye, and travel  back to Greenville, I was surprisingly excited to be back.  I realized how much I had missed my kids at school.  They were so excited to see me, as I was also to see them! I realized as I am writing this how many funny stories have happened during school just since we came back from break.  I had a mouse, yes a MOUSE, loose in my room, and the endlessly funny things my students say to me.  To read them and stay up to date on "$h!t my students say", keep following me on Twitter and Facebook! :) It is pretty hilarious.

We had a pretty great New Years Eve.  We went to one of our favorite local watering holes and saw a local favorite band "Emily Minor Band".  She was amazing, as always.  The drinks were also amazing, if you catch my drift! :) Haha.  I will also attach pictures from that.  Enjoy!

Now....to get to the adult portion of this blog....Since moving away from home, I have been faced with many "adult" challenges.  Some of them which were pretty easy; setting up a checking account, a saving account, changing my address, etc.  Then there were the more difficult things; figuring out and setting up my medical insurance, figuring out and setting up my benefits package, figuring out and setting up dental and vision packages.  I mean this stuff is endless! I have successfully done the things I  just listed but today I started a new venture, which I can already tell is going to be the most difficult; finding car/renters insurance! Renters insurance is no problem but car insurance, forget about it! "What's your VIN #? Uninsured Motorists Bodily Injury? Collision? Comprehensive? Property Damage? Medical Payments? Roadside Assistance? Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists? etc, etc, etc." My most common response, "Umm, can you explain that to me?"  Trying to find the answers to these questions yet still maintaining a confident front so I don't "get taken advantage of because of my youth and lack of knowledge, and, well, let's face it, my looks! Haha, just kidding.  But man, being an adult SUCKS...sometimes! I can tell this process may take a while and I can't wait for it to be over!

As I am writing this, there was a HUGE crash outside and we found there was an accident right outside our apartment...crazy living in the "city" sometimes.  So loud...all..the..time..!!!

Anyways, I hope everyone had a wonderful, safe, and heartwarming holiday season!

We are in the process of purchasing tickets to an Eric Church and Brantley Gilbert concert so you have plenty to look forward to for our next adventure!

Miss you all terribly!