Fighting back...

We all get them...the Monday blahs.

Typically the score is Monday: 344,644,836,983,295,738 Alissa: 0

Poor Monday, the stereotypically worst day of the week, and we have to suffer through 52 of them every year. I've never ever heard someone say that Monday was their favorite day of the week...unless of course, Monday happens to be the first day of a vacation or special event, then it's "Hooray for Monday!"

I have been a victim of the Monday blahs myself...often. But I've been working on turning that around this year. It wasn't really a resolution, but just something I really wanted to do, make Monday magnificent - or at least tolerable, ha!

So here are a few of the things I like to do on Monday to perk up my day:

1. I have TWO quiet times on Monday.



By quiet time, I am referring to spending time with God for just a few minutes either through reading in my Bible, journaling, praying, listening to some of my favorite worship songs (lately I am really into Audrey Assad), or reading another special book. I've been a great fan of journaling my prayers lately. I am much more focused that way.

I typically have a late afternoon/evening quiet time and there's a good reason for that. No matter how hard I try or how much I really want to be, I am so NOT a morning person...not even with Jesus, lol. He knows all about it...He created me, right? =) However, Monday requires both an a.m. and a p.m. quiet time and it does help brighten my day.

2. Open the blinds.



It's no secret that the Northwest is a cloudy, rainy place. But no matter what it looks like outside, I always open or raise the blinds on Monday. There's just something about being able to look outside that lifts my spirits.

3. Get dressed.



I love a pajama day as much as the next gal, but that day is not for Monday. Mondays are the hardest days to force myself out of my p.j.'s and into presentable clothing...especially when I have nothing on my agenda. But it works! Putting myself together on a Monday morning makes for a much happier me and at least I can say I accomplished one thing, right??

4. Paint my toenails



Sounds crazy, I know. But every Monday I give my tootsies a fresh coat of paint...they typically need it by this point anyway. Being from the South, I am a barefoot queen when I'm inside my own home and it's so nice to look down and have something pretty looking back at me. I am usually fairly neutral when it comes to polish. But lately, I have been having lots of fun with crazy colors. After all, these toes have to stay hidden inside a warm shoe for most of the year so no one else is going to see them anyway. I've discovered the $0.97 polish section at Target and so right now I am wearing the brightest shade of hot pink you've ever seen! Fun!!

5. Change the sheets



Who doesn't love clean, fresh sheets? I adore them. I go to bed with a smile on my face when it's clean sheet day. This is actually a habit I've had for a long time...pretty much since Derek and I got married. Monday is always, always, always clean sheet day in the Thomas house! (And I use double fabric softener so it's extra nice). And what better way to end a Monday than on a bed of freshly laundered sheets?

Happy Monday everyone!!

It wasn't as boring as it seemed....

I realize that as far as blogging goes, this one didn't have much to say in January. But I promise you that January was not at all a boring month for us...in fact, I would say it was the opposite!! Nearly every day on my calendar had something on it, often two somethings - one during the day and another that evening. I would definitely say we were busy...but not the kind of "pull your hair out" busy you might be thinking of, it was a fantastic kind of busy - the kind of busy where you are surrounded by new and old friends and lots of people that you love. I love that kind of busy!!

If you remember back to December, Life Church moved out of Forza and into a new gathering place...


And we didn't just get a larger space...we got a larger church family, too! We are absolutely loving getting to know so many new friends and every week God has sent brand new faces our way...it really is incredible. So I would say January has definitely been the month for building relationships!


A lot of chairs for a lot of friends

We've been learning all month at Life Church about "it." How to want it, how to open it, how to find it, how to give it, and how to share it. So I'm sure you're wondering...what is "it"?

"It" is...
-a passion for the presence of God
-a deep craving to reach the lost
-sincere integrity
-a spirit filled faith
-down to earth humility
-brokenness

It's been an incredible teaching series...one that really makes you do some serious self-reflecting. And in my self-reflection, I have to be honest and say that I don't always have "it." I may have parts or pieces, but not the whole "it." But I want "it" and I'm working on "it" because I want others to have "it" too...and I will get "it" because I won't stop until I do =)

If you've missed out on this series at all, you should really jump over to the website and listen...you did know the sermons were online, didn't you? ;) Well, they are...just click here and you'll go right to them.

Happy January to you!

Wrapping Up 2010

All right, the truth is that I blog for mainly two reasons:

1. To help our families back home in the south feel more connected to us and know what is going on in our lives.
2. To have a little something to look back on in a few years.

But mainly, I blog for reason number one.

However, today I am blogging for reason number two because we wrapped up 2010 by spending it with our families, so they already know everything I am about to write =)

I left off with celebrating my 27th birthday and getting no so favorable news about Daddy's cancer. So I'll pick up with that...

Dad has started his new chemo and so far is not having any too terrible side effects. In fact, he feels better because his last treatment left him swollen, tired, and achy all of the time. When I talked to him last week, he was downright chipper compared to how he has sounded these last several months. So I am very happy that he is feeling better and hope he continues to feel better, but just continue to pray that his new chemotherapy will do what it's supposed to do and shrink those tumors!!

While I was in Texas with my parents, Derek had flown in and was waiting for me back in Louisiana. One of the first things we got to do when I got home was have a little lunch with some of our most favorite people!


Our friends Kevin and Ashley, who were also in for the holidays all the way from Las Vegas! We laughed about how we all live on the west coast now, but it took coming back to good ol' Bogalusa to get to see each other.


I was so happy to see Ashley! We were bridesmaids in each other's weddings and it was just so good to spend some time with her!

Then it was on to our first Christmas celebration with Derek's family in Denham Springs. Just look what his Aunt Donna made:

The most adorable penguin appetizers! Too adorable to eat =)

And after taking that picture, my camera battery went kaput, and I'm so sad I don't have any pictures from the rest of the day, but trust me, it was the most wonderful day and we absolutely LOVED getting to have a Christmas celebration with our family. We had more food than we'd like to admit and played a fun Stealing Santa game, in which I walked away with my very own LSU Snuggie, and a large can of popcorn, yay! What more could you ask for?

So I charged my battery up to get ready for Christmas celebration number two with my family.


Helped my sweet baby cousin Jax open up some presents (He celebrated his first birthday while we were home!)


He's the most squeezable baby I know =)


Here's Our Taylor Family Snapshot =)

And of course we did lots more eating...and then some napping, too.

Christmas with our families was just wonderful! I am so thankful we got to be home with them =)


And here's our Thomas family picture. Derek and I had arranged to have a photographer come out to take a portrait, but she became ill and couldn't make it, so we set up the tripod and took it ourselves...and I think it turned out perfect!

We got to spend some time with more of our favorite people while we were home, too.


Michael (not pictured), Kimberly, and Noah!! They are dear friends and we just can't get enough time with them when we are home. They are expecting baby #2 in March so we can't wait to meet Luke the next time we are home. And isn't Noah the cutest? I tried to get a picture of him by himself, but when I pulled out the camera and said "Say Cheese," this is what I got...

Now that's a cheesy face! So cute!!

And I also got to see another of my very best friends and meet her sweet baby girl, Eden, who live in Arkansas now.

A million "hoorays" for getting to see these beautiful girls! I love and miss them so much!! Hopefully, they will be making their first trip to Washington this summer...another hooray!!

Took Zack to see his first 3D movie, Yogi Bear!

He was not a fan of the much too large glasses, but he loved the movie. It was cute to watch him reach out toward the screen and try to grab the things that were popping out.

Loved spending some time with three of my favorite fellas!

Aren't Zack and Jared getting so big? They are growing up faster than I'd like them to.

And I loved spending time with my G =)


We really did have such a great time and look forward to our next visit, though it just can't come fast enough. We're so blessed to have such wonderful families.

There's one special lady that I can't help but think about every time we're home because I miss her so much...my Granny. One of my very special Christmas presents was a Willow Tree figurine called "With my Grandmother." As soon as I got home, I found the perfect spot for it.

And I just love seeing it everyday.


So that's how we wrapped up 2010 in a nutshell. We flew back to Washington on New Year's Eve and slept the night away...didn't even make it to midnight, guess that means I'm already "old" at 27, ha! =)