Picking Up Where We Left Off

Holy Cow it's been busy around here!  I turned 31, experienced my first professional hockey game, hosted our first guest to our new place (other than my parents), and experienced my first Duke Men's Basketball game.  Whew!  I'm tired.  All of those exciting adventures combined with a few others got me a cold and no voice.  I still sound like I work for a 1-900 # and if I would have known it was going to stick around for so long I probably would have applied.  I could have made some mad quick money.  Although I probably would have gotten fired pretty quickly when they realized I didn't have any idea what I was doing!  HA!  Can you imagine me on the other end of a 1-900 call???  Never mind don't imagine that.
Ok getting back on track.  Thankfulness...

Wednesday, November 13
Wednesday I was thankful for the reminder of how many great friends and family I have.  So many sweet birthday wishes were sent my way on Tuesday.  It's always nice to know people are thinking of you on your special day.  I was also thankful for my left-over cheesecake.  Tom kept asking what I wanted to do for my birthday and all I said was, "I don't care what we do.  I just want cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory for dessert."

So many choices!

We also went to the Carolina Hurricanes game.  My first professional hockey experience.  It was totally cool especially when the other team pulled their goalie at the end.  Also...they served coffee with Bailey's which was pretty delicious :) and kept me warm.

Thursday, November 14

Thursday I was thankful for lozenges.  My cold started with a sore throat Wednesday night and got fierce Thursday.  Lozenges were my best friend.

Friday, November 15

Friday...Friday I was thankful for a lot of things.  I was thankful for my brother.  Random I know, but I was thankful that he has such an awesome girlfriend.  Who just happened to come stay with us for a long weekend.  I was also thankful for her (Emily is her name) adventurous spirit.  And I was thankful for Billy.  Let me explain...

Emily came to stay with us for a long weekend.  Emily is a die hard UNC basketball fan.  

***sidenote: I did not know this before her arrival.*** 

 So on Thursday night when she said she was the biggest UNC fan I thought that Friday we could go check out the stadium.  She about peed her pants right in my living room just at the idea of going to see the stadium.  So Friday afternoon we drove over to UNC.  A few obstacles stood in our way that we were not prepared for.  One Vice-President Biden was on campus so security was incredibly tight.  Two it was game day and the stadium was not open to the public.  All doors locked no matter how many sad faces you pressed against them.  However, with our determination and Emily's no fear attitude and I quote, "Molly if we get arrested run I'll take one for the team!" we were not only in the stadium but on the court within an hour.

Pictures to prove it!

Thanks to a sweet old man Billy who told us we had 30 seconds and that if anyone asked us we knew him, we got to walk through the tunnel the team comes out of and stand on the court.  Emily thought she was going to throw up.  I even got excited and I could care less about UNC basketball.  It pretty much made Emily's year.

Saturday, November 16

Saturday I was thankful for another gorgeous fall day.  Emily and I planned on going to the Duke vs. Miami football game.  We never imagined we would go in short sleeve shirts and not need the hot chocolate and Rum Chata to stay warm!  It was damn near 75 degrees at kick off.  The game was awesome and Duke actually pulled out a win.  I shouldn't say actually, they are quite good this year.  I think it might have something to do with the Sports Medicine Fellow they have this year, but who knows! :)

Yes Emily did wear a Nebraska shirt to the game.  I offered her plenty of Duke gear but she was determined to get on TV wearing her Go Big Red shirt.  And no we didn't realize we both posed the exact same way!  We're losers.

Sunday, November 17
Sunday I was thankful for good conversation.  Emily and I stayed up waaaay past our bedtimes talking and I loved every minute of it.  As I said here I love Emily.  We get along so well.  She fits perfectly into our family.  I would probably disown my brother if they ever broke up (kidding Ben).

Monday, November 18
Monday I was thankful for Tom and free basketball tickets.  Tom has been working like a mad man lately.  Right now football and basketball are in season so it is quite crazy.  Last week he was in California for basketball and tomorrow he leaves for Alabama for football.  Needless to say he is exhausted.  But Monday he was such a trooper and took me to the Duke Men's Basketball game.  He may or may not have had to slam a whiskey coke just to stay awake before we left.  Late in the afternoon he got a text from someone saying there were two extra tickets for the game and did he want them.  He texted me to see if I wanted to go and of course I said YES!  Tickets are impossible to come by so when the opportunity presents itself for free ones you better jump on it quickly.  The seats were way at the tippity top of the stadium, but for the last 2 minutes Tom used his all access pass to get us where he gets to sit when he works the games.

 A pic of where our original seats were.  Yep!  WAAAAY up there!

 Ok, our new seats were pretty sweet.

After the game was over.

Tuesday, November 19

Tuesday I was thankful for a co-worker with keys.  I got myself locked out of work.  I had to sit and wait for an hour.  Thankfully my co-worker who was coming in to Train at 5:30 had keys.  I'm an idiot.  Pretty sure my boss is regretting the decision to hire me....hopefully not.

Wednesday, November 20

Yesterday!  Yay we are finally getting caught up!  Yesterday I was thankful for movie night.  Tom and I put everything else aside last night to just relax and watch a movie.  And let's be honest I didn't really have anything to put aside...it was all Tom putting his work aside for one night to spend it with me and an ok movie.  It was pretty nice snuggling on the couch.  I soaked in every moment knowing they are pretty rare this year.  Also he liked it when I used my 1-900 voice and whispered in his ear but we won't go into those details.  This is a PG-13 blog :)

Hugs and Kisses to you all!

XO XO,

Molly 

Thankfulness November 1, 2013

For the past few years I've seen many friends post something, through social media, they are thankful for each day in the month of November.  I've always thought what a neat idea it was, but my procrastination / lateness continually got in the way and I never got to it.  This year however I remembered and it's still November 1!!!!  So I'm getting on the bandwagon.  Each day for the month I am going to post something I am thankful for.  Some may be serious...others not so much.  We'll see where it goes :)

So Day 1:
Today I am thankful for pictures.  Earlier today I caught myself looking through all my old photos and so many memories came flooding back.  Pictures...snippets of time caught.  It's amazing to me how one picture can elicit so many different memories from people.

For example, this photo of the Hawaii Helicopters brochure.  If you asked anyone in my family they would probably have memories of the beautiful scenery we were flying over.  Or maybe how it was neat that when we flew near the waterfall it seemed like it was raining.  But for me, this photo reminds me of how I was experiencing my first bout of motion sickness.  This photo is the brochure I was staring at trying to focus on one thing and breathe so I wouldn't throw up.

The following photos are photos I love.  Photos that I will cherish forever.  Photos that bring back so many memories.

My Uncle Ed and Me.  Uncle Ed was my Dad's Dad's Twin brother.  He was a very special man.  I love that he was on the trike with me.

This photo actually makes me mad.  But mad is a memory so I think it's allowed.  This photo was taken in Michigan.  My parents drove to Iowa City and picked me up from college and drove us to the University of Michigan where my brother was playing soccer against them.  We were excited to actually get to see one of my bothers games.  The coaches saw that we were there and said "hi" to us.  Then the game started and finished and my brother never played a second of the game.  Assholes.  This picture was taken after the game.  Our smiles are super fake.

My first picture with my first nephew Tyler.  He's pretty much the coolest kid ever.  I love this picture :) 

This is Tom in the tub with Tyler.  I remember walking in to the bathroom and loving the fact that Tom was actually in the tub with him.  I knew then that Tom would be a great Dad.

Tom and I couldn't get away for a honeymoon after our wedding so over the following Easter we took a little time and drove down to stay at Casa De Lieving :)  My Aunt and Uncle live in Sarasota, Florida and opened their house up to us.  They weren't even there at the beginning!  Tom thought it was awesome that they had a big fork and spoon like the parents in "Everybody Loves Raymond" and one night took them off the wall and tried using them :)

This picture was also taken on our "honeymoon" in Florida.  One night we got together with my cousin Annie and her family who live nearby.  Of course this picture is cute of Hayden and Cooper and Tom and the ice cream cone that is as big as Hayden's head, but the backstory is what really makes this story a good memory.  As I was taking the picture my cousin Annie was quietly asking me if Tom always had cankles or if it was just the sunburn because she was concerned for my future children!  HAHA!!!! Tom had gotten super sunburnt the day before and his ankles got suuuuper swollen.  It was hilarious!!!

This picture makes me laugh because it was the first time my brother had been on a motorcycle and also Tom was not to excited about having a dude on the back of his bike.  I'm pretty sure they never left the neighborhood!

This is at Tom's white coat ceremony before starting medical school.  Tom was pissed I was making him take this picture!

 

This is the day after Tom and I got engaged.  Our first full Mullin family photo!

One of the first pictures we took of Rocky.  When we first got him all he did was lay around.  He didn't know what to do with toys.  Poor baby. 

Tom and I took a motorcycle ride to the Blue Ridge Mountains.  Tom is peeing in the picture not looking out over the scenery :)

 This is the Father / Daughter dance at our wedding.  I can tell you exactly what my Dad is saying in this picture, "Is it ok if we just stand here at look at the slideshow?"  We had a slideshow going behind the dancing of when I was little and also one of Tom when he was little.  My Dad wanted to watch it instead of dance :)

 Tom and my first picture EVER!  Not to shabby that it was in Jamaica :)

I love this picture.  My Mom, her parents and me screaming!  Also I love the teddy bear that my Mom is holding.  It was this little green bear that we always snuck in my Dad's suitcase when he had to travel.

My Dear Uncle Bruce (Boogie).  The last picture I have with him before the Alzheimer's really took over :(  I can see it a bit in this photo but I still love it.

COUSINS!!!  You have no idea how long it took to get all of us rallied together for this photo!  Ben was getting a bit antsy :) 

Grandpa, Me, Uncle Ed.  One of my All Time Favorite Pictures EVER! 

MY ALL TIME FAVORITE PICTURE EVER.  This is my Grandma and me at my preschool graduation.

While going through my pictures I found these three.  All of me with my Aunt Sandy.  Basically the same pose.  Pretty cool.

I remember thinking I was pretty cool getting to wear makeup for my dance photo. 

 This photo represents life growing up.  Dad coming home late from having conferences and Ben and I in our Brace Face T-shirts ready for bed.  My cross-bite and cowlick are out of control!

My cousin Sarah, Ben and I in Mexico staying at Casa Bruce.  We were waving "hi" to Uncle Bruce (Boogie) for this picture. 

I was in swim team.  I sucked at swim team.  This photo represents the best color ribbon I EVER received.  Yellow.  Brown was my usual color.  Pretty sure those are like 9 & 10th place. 

These photos were taken in an airport in one of those booths.  It was either Mother's Day or my Mom's birthday.  These pictures were her present.  Probably the best present ever.  Seriously how awesome!

My cousin Sarah, my Grandma, and I.  I like this photo because I know it was taken in Florida at my Aunt and Uncle's house.  I like knowing that my grandma made it there. 

Ben and I obviously were both having bad hair day's on this picture day :)

Love this photo.  At any wedding you could always find me dancing on my Dad's feet :)  Also this was one of my favorite dresses because when you spun around it twirled out. 

Ahh...so many memories.

XO XO,

Molly

How Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Smells, and Exclamation Perfume all go together. Also another Donkey Picture.

The sense of smell really is quite extraordinary.  Although I would much rather lose my sense of smell before losing my sight or hearing, to be able to smell is much more than actually smelling things.  Did you know you only really taste salt and the other tastes you think you are tasting are actually the smells?  (I'm pretty sure this is accurate but don't quote me.)  Smells can also transform a simple task into a long lost memory.  For example, maybe every time you bake chocolate chip cookies and smell them in the oven you are transported back in time to your grandmother's kitchen.  Or maybe every time you smell coconut your transported back to a beach with tanning oil.  Who knows?!?  Often these types of memories sneak up on us.

Well yesterday as I was busily working checking facebook for the 77th time a smell snuck into my office that transported me back to my elementary school days.  The maintenance guy was using Goo-Gone to get some sticky stuff off a cabinet.  Now you may be wondering what Goo-Gone could possibly remind me of from elementary school, but alas that is the craziness of how our sense of smell triggers these memories.

When I was little I was in love with the book / movie "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (the original not the creepy one with Johnny Depp).  I pretty much wanted to be Violet (the girl who turns into the blueberry) just so I could go to a place where I could lick the wallpaper and eat the marshmallow flowers.  As you'll remember she always was chewing gum...

So to really follow in Violet's footsteps I decided I would chew gum and often thought it would be cool to stick it behind my ear.  Then of course I would forget about it and shower with it back there and sleep with it back there and wake up and guess what?!?  It would be stuck all over my hair.  The first few times this happened my mom got out the Goo-Gone and was gentle and almost felt bad for me.  After it continued to happen my Dad just cut the gum out of my hair and my Mom would yell, "GET THE GOO-GONE!"  and would more or less rip the gum out of my hair.  Then to punish me she would make me go to school smelling like Goo-Gone because of course I still had to make it to the bus stop and there was no time to take a shower.  I would usually try and mask the smell with some perfume like "Exclamation" which I'm pretty sure you can still buy at Wal-Greens.  Let's just say the two smells together did nothing for my popularity at school which was pretty much already nonexistent.

Now I do take some responsibility for this, but seriously why did they keep giving me gum?  I literally got gum stuck in my hair at least once a month for years (this may be a slight exaggeration but not by much).

So yesterday, when the awful Goo-Gone smell crept its way into my office I was transported back to those hectic mornings getting gum ripped from my hair trying to make it to the bus without anyone noticing that it was me that smelled.


XO XO,
Smelly Molly

Where's Molly????

My mom sent me this picture recently.  Can you find me???

 Nope not the one that looks confused or the one with the creepy eyes.

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There I am!

I Do Not Have the Taste Buds of a College Student Anymore

Last night Tom had to work.  I was being lazy (surprise surprise) and didn't feel like making myself anything special for dinner.  I looked in the fridge and the pantry and didn't see anything that looked good.  I lowered my standards and looked again and found tucked waaay back in the back of the pantry a box of Tuna Helper.  The last time I remember buying Tuna Helper was in Virginia, so we've honestly probably had it since then.  I decided it was time to part ways with the Tuna Helper and whipped it up.

Now I remember in college thinking any kind of "Helper" meal was fancy and delish.  Last night however, I realized it is neither of those things.  The Tuna Helper literally looked like the crap I was blowing out my nose a few weeks ago.  The taste??? Bland and Blander.  I tried to doctor it up with some spices but then it just became a mess of garlic salt and chili pepper.  And no, I don't know why I thought chili pepper would help.  It was an act of desperation.

As I was gagging down my dinner I started thinking about other food items I used to love, but now think are gross.

•  Spaghetti-O's - Used to be a special day when we got Spaghetti-O's.  Now, they taste like ketchup with soggy noodles and dog food.
• Hershey's plain chocolate - Used to be the best chocolate.  Now, unless smashed between graham crackers and roasted marshmallows, smells like feet.
• Pizza Rolls - Used to be the best snack after school.  Now, as stated yesterday, taste like poison.
• Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup (or any canned soup for that matter) - Used to warm my soul, now tastes like chemicals and salt.
• Powdered Parmesan Cheese (you know the kind in the green container) - Used to cover my pizza slices in it, now tastes like shredded up paper.

Not all food items from my childhood / college life are on the bad list.  Ramen, Oatmeal Cream Pies, and Fruit Snacks will always be my friend :)

Is this normal???  Does anyone else have foods they used to love and now can't stand?  Does this taste thing correlate to money?  Like because Tuna Helper was all I could afford I thought it was delicious, but now because I can buy food that is not on the 10 for $10 list it is gross?  HELP!!!


XO XO,
MUCUS (i mean tuna helper) EATER

Rewrite: Fa La La La La

I feel like I cheated myself and you.  I can write a better Christmas Memories post than what I gave here.  See normally I write my posts at work where I have tons of time to think about what I want to write, but last week work was sooo busy I didn't have time.  So I had to write the post at home with dogs barking, husbands cleaning, and oven timers dinging.  Needless to say, I basically typed a few sentences and threw some pictures on to make it cute and clicked publish.  I can do better.  Sorry to my family who I cheated, we really had some wonderfully strict traditions that got completely short changed.  Hopefully this captures how it really was a little bit better.  If you'd like a soundtrack to go along with this post click here!

Twas the night

Before Christmas

When all through the farm-house

Not a creature was stirring

Not even a...well...I was, cause you see I was sick.  I probably ate too many pieces of pie or too many of Aunt Carole's sticky buns.

The stockings sheets and blankets all hung

around the house with care

In hopes That no children

would see what was there

The children were nestled

All safe in their bed, floor, sleeping bags, couch, wherever there was room really (god-forbid the creepy bear rug in grandma & grandpa's basement)

While visions of sugarplums

Danced in their heads

And grandma in her kerchief

And grandpa snoring away, 

Had just settled down

For a long winters nap

When all of a sudden

There arose such a grumble

I sprang from my bed

To run to the bathroom (uh-oh!)

Away to the bathroom

I flew like a flash

Tore open the door

And threw up the toilet seat

As I walked back to bed

rubbing my aching head

I heard a faint noise 

Not snoring, or breathing

Or any such thing.

When what To my wandering ears

Should hear

But a jingle & jangle

coming from near

I closed my eyes tight

to concentrate with all my might

And heard it again...

jingle, jangle, jingle

And got a little tingle

Could it be???

Could it be Santa?

As I fell back to sleep

I didn't make a peep

I would wait until morning

To see if anyone else heard it.

Ok we're done with the rhyming for now.

When my eyes finally popped open in the morning, I quickly asked Ben & Sarah (of course they were already awake) if they'd heard anything.  A jingle or a jangle???  They looked at me kind of crazy and both said, "No".  I ran to find my Dad, and he too said, "No".  It had only been me. I was the only one who heard Santa.

We gathered around the table (all 18 of us if my math and memory serve me right) where a grapefruit with a cherry awaited each of us.  We ate and ate, the kids eating quickly and the adults eating as slow as possible.  We had sticky buns, eggs, sausage patties, bacon, toast, juice, and the dreaded coffee.

See, the rule in the Cornwell house was (and still is) that no one was allowed to open presents, let alone see the presents until after Christmas breakfast.  

We even go as far as hanging sheets and blankets up to cover the entrances to the room where the unwrapped presents / stockings are.  I remember once barely touching one of the sheets and my cousin Keith telling me my presents were going to disappear if I touched the sheet.

Christmas breakfast also included reading the Christmas Story from The Bible.  Normally, either Uncle Rod or Uncle Boogie would read the story, but I do remember Annie and Ben also reading it.  Before we could even begin reading the story all the adults had to have a fresh cup of coffee.  Then in the middle someone would want more coffee, and at the end of the story the coffee pot would inevitably be empty and we would have to wait for a whole new pot to be brewed before we could line up for presents.  As kids we would literally watch each drop of coffee being made.

Finally it was time to line up.  Yes, that's right.  We had to line up from youngest to oldest to run through the sheets to find where Santa had laid our stocking.  The excitement and energy in the little farm-house was overflowing.  We would run in and tear through our stockings.  We would usually find some random nuts, socks, toothpaste and toothbrush from Santa in our stockings (it was weird how one year the toothbrushes all said Dr.'s Kinser & Langwith on them, but we didn't question it).  We then would normally have one unwrapped present laying next to our stocking from Santa.

After all the Santa gifts had been found, the task of distributing the other gifts began.  Gifts were passed out to each person, and then again youngest to oldest everyone would open one gift and everyone else would watch.  There was usually some clue written on the outside of the present that you would have to read aloud and try to guess what was inside.

For example..."to keep your tootsie's warm" would equal socks.

This would go on for hours.  Pretty much the best hours of my childhood.  

The thing about Christmas in my family was, tradition.  Even today, as an adult, I get sad if traditions aren't followed or are broken.  Because you know what???  It meant / means something, and I would be willing to bet it means something to all of you too.

During this crazy time of year, please take time to enjoy your family, reminisce about family traditions, and tell those people in your life that you love them.

But I heard him exclaim

As he drove out of sight

Happy christmas to all

And to all a goodnight

XO XO,

Merrier Molly

Fa La La La La

Growing up, there were very strict Christmas day traditions.  Often we were at my mom's parent's house (grandma & grandpa Cornwell) in Deer Creek, Illinois with EVERYONE.  To my child-like eyes it seemed like the house would bust if one more person came in.  Aunts & Uncles, Cousins, EVERYONE!  We would sleep on the floor, or God-forbid the basement on the creepy bear rug and hope to not get stepped on.  When we woke up there would be sheets and blankets hung from the ceiling to cover the room where Santa had delivered the presents.

We weren't allowed in the room until after the looongest meal of the year Christmas breakfast, after the adults had a bazillion cups of coffee (they would always have to have just one more and the coffee pot would always be empty so we'd have to wait for a whole new pot to be brewed) and after the Christmas Story was read from The Bible.  After much anticipation all the kids would line up youngest to oldest to run into the room where the presents and tree were.

Ben & I (and Uncle Larry in the top pic.) carrying on the tradition as we were older!

It was the best Christmas madness ever.  Still to this day, I don't really feel like I've had Christmas unless all traditions have been followed.

Here are some pictures of Christmases past:

 Even the dogs get in on the Christmas Dinner!

 The Christmas before I transferred to The University of Iowa!

 Decorating for Christmas for the first time in my own house (Virginia)!

 My Dad never put Christmas lights on the outside of the house because he said he didn't want to put holes in the house.  What's the first thing I do when I have a house of my own???  Lights on the outside!

 Dad & Uncle Larry preparing the Christmas Breakfast!

 You never can be quite sure what will happen on Christmas morning!  Your Dad might wear a Santa apron and your Aunt might wear a sweatshirt that says Fa La La La La!

 Grandma (My mom) gives the Dog's presents too!

 Our first official Christmas Card as a family!

 This is normal right?!?  Ben headed to a crazy Christmas party.

 Look how thrilled Tom is.  We got engaged the day before.  Should I be worried?!?

 Our very first "Charlie Brown" Christmas Tree.

 Finally a BIG tree for us!

 When my parents finally gave in and realized, "It's all about Molly!"

 My first time skiing (down the driveway!)

Tom is such an angel...isn't this just precious?!?

 Tom's famous "Kissing Cousin's Picture"

 Seriously how cute are these boys!  What happened?!?  Just kidding Paula, you know I love them all! :)

He really wanted to be a construction man when he grew up!

XO XO,

Merry Molly