Friday, November 30, 2007

T.G.I.F.

Well friends, we made it through another week. Whew! Back at work for the first full week since the wedding. Wow - is it hard to get back in the swing of things. Good thing Christmas is close! hee hee. Well, as you can tell my mood is much better having had the week to settle back in at home with Kyle. And by settling in I mean continuing to wade through our mess of an apartment. It is strewn with wedding things and hawaiian t-shirts, all kinds of food left over from the wedding week. But, it is home and we are happy to be there mess or no mess.
The goal for the weekend is to clean clean clean and then put up our tree and get ready for the happiest of holidays.

I want to do a quick shout out to all the new bloggers out there. A few new comments turned up on my last post and I was happy to find friends who just started their own blogs. One of them had this to say as an intro and I am going to steal her line and post it.

"Greetings friends and loved ones
This spot is where I will write my thoughts. Express myself. If you are invited to read any of these writings do not spread rumors or gossip. These are no one's thoughts and expressions other than my own. Your comments are welcome. Be merciful when commenting."


I think as fellow bloggers we all come to days where we are hurt or sad and want to spill our guts but are ever so careful, trying to tiptoe around things without saying what we mean and that is not why I started a blog. How can I "go overboard" as my blog title suggests without talking about anything that matters? I do not mean that we should post everything b/c our goal should never be to hurt people that we love, but as our online journals - shouldn't we feel that we don't have to constantly censor ourselves? Somethings do not belong in a blog but I believe that we as readers and writers should acknowledge that this should be a safe place to express ourselves. Descent from soapbox.

Well, back to work I go. Please keep my family in your prayers this week as we seem to be going through some tough times.

Leslie

P.S. I am working on a blog about both wedding and honeymoon! I promise it will be worth the wait in reading it! I am hoping to attach some good pictures too!

Have a fabulous beginning to December.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

There's no place like home for the Holidays....

“I'm giving thanks that we don't have to go through this for another year. Except we do, because those jerks went and put Christmas right in the middle, just to punish us.”

-Home for the Holidays (1995)


I am not one that typically blogs in negative tones. I will admit to stress and I will admit to things not being perfect. But rarely do I blog out of pure frustration and annoyance and just a plain bah humbug mentality. Today is the day.

You may take my quote above as rude, but I love that movie and watch it every year right before Thanksgiving as a rule. It is about family and the dread of going to see family that you only see at the Holidays (which has become my life story- minus the dread, I am always happy and excited to go home). The heroine, Holly Hunter goes back to her family’s house for Thanksgiving and is immediately sucked into the drama and insanity that her family that still lives there deals with on a daily basis. It gets bad and then it gets worse as the siblings and family members assemble for the holidays.

I typically watch it because it is funny and is part of my holiday tradition. This year was no different and as I watched it on the plane on Thanksgiving morning I sighed in relief that my holiday would be so radically different than my favorite characters’.
And actually my Thanksgiving Day was nothing but fun and happiness. I was able to spend time with my family in Grove and see some family members whom I had not seen in some time, including my late grandfathers’ brother who resembles him so much. I laughed with cousins and Kyle has a good time playing cards and football. It was a great great day.

Friday we had a nice Thanksgiving with my Father’s family.
Saturday we had a lovely reception for the wedding for family and friends who were unable to attend. One of my bridesmaids came and surprised me with a video of the wedding which we all watched and that was very enjoyable.
Sunday we had lunch with Kyle’s college roommate Ricky who was also in the wedding and then said goodbye to family and escaped to the airport to depart back to sunny Florida.

Because I love my family and because I have a public blog and because I do not encourage rumors or drama that only cause hurt for others I will not post what it is that put such a veil of torture on my Holiday. All I will say is that the quote above is how I feel at this moment. I have never been happier to see my plane leave the ground in Oklahoma and I have never been happier to wake up next to my husband and know that our lives our here and what we have here are jobs we are truly blessed with, a church that we love, friends we adore and a new life together that does not include drama, lies, anger, hatred, or pain over the past. Over a past I did not choose but was dealt.


“We don't have to like each other. We're family.”

-Home for the Holidays (1995)


This post Thanksgiving quote is what is on my heart today. Do not think me negative for the lines I wrote above. Please understand that they are written from a very hurt heart and not from any one person but from a lifetime of drama and issues on all sides that continually go on. The healthiest decision I can make for myself and my husband is to live our lives here and pray for a peace for our loved ones who are suffering in different ways. This is the quote I will dwell on today:

“Thanksgiving is a time of quiet reflection upon the past and an annual reminder that God has, again, been ever so faithful. The solid and simple things of life are brought into clear focus.”
-Charles R. Swindoll


L. Hall

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

"There is something in every season, in every day, to celebrate with thanksgiving." -Gloria Gaither


glitter-graphics.com

Thanksgiving Blessings to everyone! Kyle and I are headed to Oklahoma to spend a holiday weekend with friends and family. We are having Thanksgiving with my Mother and her family in Grove on Thursday and then celebrating again on Friday at my cousin Tiffanie's house with my Father's family. On Saturday my parents are hosting a small reception in our honor for those who were not able to attend the wedding as well as for those who attended the wedding and want more cake! And on Sunday we have most of the day and then we fly back to warm Florida. I am a little nervous at the idea of snow on Saturday - although I am very excited...it just sounds a little colder than I was planning for! I guess I will have to throw in a few more layers and a scarf for the trip! Lots of love and Happy Holidays to everyone!
Take care and God Bless!

L. Hall

Monday, November 19, 2007

A wedding at the Beach...and a Honeymoon in Paradise...




Someday I will blog but I know you would rather see pictures! These are from the wedding and from the honeymoon. Lata'
L. Hall

Friday, November 16, 2007

I now pronounce you Man & Wife, you may kiss the Bride.




Much Much Much more to come!!!!!!!!! Love you all!!!!!!!!!
L. Hall

Saturday, November 03, 2007

Wedding Day!!







Going to the chapel



And we're gonna get married



Going to the chapel



And we're gonna get married






Gee I really love you



And we're gonna get married



Going to the chapel of love






Spring is here (ooo-ooo-ooo)



The sky is blue (sky is blue)



Birds all sing (oh the birds all sing)



Like they do (yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)






Today's the day (wah-hooo-oooo)



We'll say "I do" (ooo-oooo)



And we'll never be lonely anymore






Because we're



Going to the chapel



And we're gonna get married



Going to the chapel



And we're gonna get married






Gee I really love you



And we're gonna get married



Going to the chapel of love






Bells will ring (ri-ii-iing) (bells will ring)



The sun will shine (hey hey hey yeah) (the sun will shine)



I'll be hers (yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah) (I'll be hers)



And she'll be mine (oh oh oh oh oh oh oh) (and she'll be mine)






We'll love until (we'll love until) (hey hey hey) (we'll love until)



The end of time (ooo hooo) (the end of time)



And we'll never be lonely anymore






Because we're



Going to the chapel



And we're gonna get married



Going to the chapel



And we're gonna get married






See you when we get back from Hawaii!!!!!!!!!!!!


Love,


Mrs. Leslie Hall

Friday, November 02, 2007

It is the eve of the wedding!





So, here we are one day before the wedding! It is actually going to happen tomorrow! All these months..all this planning..and it is almost here! Thank you for all your prayers throughout this year and please think of us tomorrow around 5:30 eastern time!




Lots of love!!!




Leslie