The latest!

I haven't blogged in too long! So sorry, friends! 

So...this is what is taking up all of my time...and will continue to do so for the next 13 days! THEATER!

Most of you know i am very involved with our local theater...been acting & stage managing there for the past 6 1/2 years (woah). I love it. But as I get older, I get too tired to manage that plus a full-time job! The thirties are no joke, people! 

Anyway, they have asked me to run sound for A Christmas Carol. I saw it last year & they are making it a tradition. It is a fantastic production! It is nice to not be stage managing... to have nothing to worry about except my sound cues & the sound board. Which is a lot! But nothing compared to being in charge of EVERYTHING (which is the case as stage manager). Also, they are paying me...which is rare in community theater. So I am super thankful for the chance to do this! Even though I am going to be crazy tired!

just a typical night of rehearsal...before actually rehearsing ;)
Yes, that's a lot of people! Mostly cast members!

The theater marathon started Sunday & will be EVERY NIGHT (except Monday the 10th), until the last show on December 16th. Also...there are TWO shows this Saturday & Sunday, and TWO shows the following Saturday. Basically... I will be a zombie at work every morning. But it's fun. And money. :)

Work is good. I have a new boss who started yesterday & she is really nice. However, there are SO many changes going on at work that it is slightly overwhelming...and we haven't even begun to implement a lot of the changes yet! Ack!

Well, that's a bad pic. but just to show you how (in the first pic) full it was before i was even done adding the vegetables! Ha! 

I made this delicious soup Sunday, and I am so glad! It was kinda funny because i didn't realize my pot wouldn't be big enough. I'm thinking the words "big batch" in the name of the recipe should have been a clue! No worries, I dumped part of the liquid out & it was just fine! Really good, actually! Great recipe!

I am loving Christmas! We got our tree up...which is a small one, but still pretty! Mom let me have the nativity set we had when i was growing up...one that, as a child, i thought was the most beautiful nativity set in the world. ;) So that is up too. It is beautiful. We went shopping last Saturday & I got more Christmas decor at Pier One, and everything is so pretty & festive! (Too bad i won't get to actually sit & enjoy it until after December 16th! Haha.) 

We paid off my student loans. FINALLY! We paid it off a week or two ago, but I just got this email this morning. Yeahhhhh. Honestly, this should have been paid off ages ago but i was a poor twenty-something barely making rent! Since I got married, though, we have been steadily paying those things off & now - it's DONE! All that's left is the mortgage... woohoo!

I am currently 19 days FREE of sweets! I don't say sugar, because yes, i do have some things that contain sugar...ie, salad dressing, ketchup, and i do put splenda in my coffee. But i have had NO cookies or cake or pie or brownies or coke or candy - not even chocolate! No bagels, muffins or rolls either. I can brag, right? It's just that i have struggled for SO LONG & i am so proud of myself. And, truly thankful. Thankful to God because this has been such a huge stronghold for me - an addiction - and i have felt unable to get past it. It is so important. It's not about getting thin, hubby loves me just the way i am, and i don't hate myself or anything! But for my health. So. Yeah! I am going to keep it up, even through Christmas! All things are possible!

Now, to get back to working out. {SIGH.} I loved it at one time. Then stopped. So now i gotta make myself again until I'm back to actually wanting to do it! HA!

So what else is new? I can't think of anything! But i love December! I love Christmas! And I am excited about all that's ahead this month! Hope you are, too!