New and Improved

So it's been a little while since I've posted and today I've spent the day watching movies that for no reason made me cry...Armageddon?  Really?  Crying over Bruce Willis and Liv Tyler!  And then When in Rome w/ hottie Josh...a chick flick.  And now The Nanny Diaries...Mike was the movie junkie.  Between November '08 and August '10 I watched more movies than I ever wanted to and some I never want to see again.  Why would I do this to myself today? 

Bri was gone this weekend so it was just me and Dakota.  I am not sure why Mike would ask me to keep his dog when he knows I'm not a dog person and Dakota is neglected more often than not.  I didn't spend a lot of time home this weekend - as most people know I don't do well home alone. 

Lazy Sundays alone watching movies is a sad, lonely existence.  But I must say this has been a good week reconnecting with old friends and making new friends, for learning to laugh again and realizing that crying can be a good thing.  I told a friend tonight to do the hokey pokey and turn herself around and turn her frown upside down.  I should take my own advice.  It's been 5 months last week and I think I'm getting better. 

Thanks to everyone for the love and support.  Maybe we'll get snowed in tomorrow and I'll be able to curl up on the sofa with a book instead of movies :) 

The next holiday

Well, the second to the last big one has come and gone without a hiccup.  My anniversary was yesterday - and I thought about this one a lot.  The other holidays all have something special and can be remembered in different ways but this one was unique to me.  January 9th was my anniversary.

I had a really bad week and met a friend to vent.  He asked why I set myself up for negativity - why each day had to mean something.  He said January 9th is just a day - I should remember the anniversaries of the past but it's no longer my anniversary.  This seems a little harsh but I probably need some tough love and we agreed up front to always be honest.  He asked why I was dreading Valentine's Day when it was just another day.  When I explained it was Mike's birthday he said "was" - and now it's Just Valentine's Day.  I should remember the birthdays of past but celebrate Valentine's Day!

Bri asked if she could take Valentine's Day off from school.  I told her it was just another day and we needed to learn how to live in each day instead of attaching signficance to every day.  She was upset b/c it was daddy's birthday.  I explained that yesterday was my anniversary which had always been a special day and for fifteen years I was part of that day and now I had to learn how to live January 9th as a single person - the signficance of January 9th changed. 

Valentine's Day is the last in a long line of firsts that I need to deal with before Vegas.  The other holidays after that one can be celebrated in new ways and have different memories attached.  But again, it's just Valentine's Day.

My facebook quote today says I feel like humpty dumpty and afraid to fall off the wall because I'm not sure I can put myself back together.  A friend told me recently that's the point - to not put yourself back together the same way because you are different when you're broken.  I am broken...and it will be interesting to see who I become when I'm put back together again.  But I do know that made it through January 9th as a single person just as I will make it through Valentine's Day in one piece. 

New Year

Hello everyone! Welcome to the 2011 edition of the Holliday Family life. I hope everyone had a great New Year's Eve and greeted this year with love and a smile :) I had a quiet New Year. Bri spent the evening with her best friend's family at a hotel to celebrate the new year. As most of you can guess I was not ready to bring in another year in a hotel room - been there, done that.
We are planning a trip back to Virginia in July. We are taking a road trip to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio and then heading east. We are planning a celebration of life party for everyone when we get there. Just a heads up for anyone outside of VA for planning purposes. I'd love to see everyone if you can make it - I'll send out more details when I get them in place.

I will be in Vegas for a much needed vacation (girls weekend) for St. Patricks Day this year. I'm excited to see all my girls. Sorry, guys - maybe next year we'll do a guys weekend but I wouldn't be able to attend :)

My goal for January is to get the band cds out. I know I've been saying this but it's been a little bit of a struggle the last couple of months with all the holidays happening. I am also appraising and selling the music equipment this month so if you are in the market let me know.

Bri is working hard in 2011 to save for her three international trips of 2012 - Japan for Spring Break, London in July for her school choir performing at the Pre-Olympic events and then Kenya with our church youth group to dig a well for an orphanage.

Thank you for the support and love this past year and dealing with my crazy year of firsts. I couldn't have made it without the love and support of everyone. 2011 is going to be a great year for the Hollidays.


You can continue to follow the saga on the blog: Hollidayfamilyinco.blogspot.com or facebook - I've discovered this is therapy for me!