I was working away from home the last week of school before Christmas break. Mike sent me this picture on the last day of high school after finals for the holidays. Buddy needs a phone apparently.
Making doggie biscuits.
I made homemade bread for the first time for our Christmas dinner. I have made it in the bread maker countless times but this was HOMEMADE; like I had to knead and everything.
I am on my way to becoming Ree Drummond, yo.
Here is the simple recipe.
My mom got me drunk on Christmas Eve.
It’s okay, I needed to get drunk.
I’ll explain in a hot minute.
Here is the recipe so you can get your mom drunk the next major holiday.
I always feel like, somebody’s watching me.
Actually, this little angel has a past. It was the first decoration my mom and dad bought as a newly married couple.
Ella said, “what is that creepy doll doing in the window”. I said, “watching you”.
This picture is my happy place; my dad has been making his famous Christmas Eve spaghetti and meatballs for as long as I can remember. We estimated the last time we got to celebrate Christmas Eve with my parents AT their home was 12 years ago. The whole night, I just drank it all in.
That wasn’t the only thing I drank.
This picture was totally unplanned. Normally every year, I like to take a picture of the two girls at the top of the stairs waiting to see what Santa brought them. But when I turned around to take the picture, this is what met me.
I could not love a picture more.
When your 16-year-old gets this excited about dry hairspray, you know you are doing something right.
Ella clung to this box for a solid five minutes (that’s good for an eight-year-old).
She said, “MOM! This is the doll that was on the bottom shelf! With the ones that we can’t afford!”
Blink. Blink.
Buddy’s first Christmas was pretty awesome. Just like the whole, they’d rather play with the box than the gift theory, my puppy would rather be with me than with all of the chaos behind him.
This dog doesn’t get ANY attention.
Christmas Day.
We blew my parent’s dog, Tink’s mind on Christmas night.
There’s a box? With food in it?? Just waiting for you to open it when one gets hungry???
Then George Michael died, dammit.
Photo courtesy of George Saldivar/Jen Evers
Spending the day with these beautiful people helped me cope.
This baby doll ate your soul for breakfast.
So I mentioned I needed a drink earlier. I spent most of our two weeks off with some “health issues” that eventually landed me in the emergency room.
Which landed me with what is called an “event monitor”. I have to wear a heart monitor (I HATE IT) until the end of January because I was having heart palpitations and crap.
After some preliminary tests, amazing doctors and said heart monitor (STILL HATE IT), it was suggested that I am having anxiety attacks.
Oh and here is the kicker: coffee makes it worse.
F.
M.
L.
So I am an asshole again.
Or still.
Photo courtesy of Kristy Sickles
Finding this picture of Ella is helping me cope.
On New Year’s Eve, we were stranded (said in the most lovingly way possible) at our home because apparently, our home was where “it was at”. *
*20 teenagers in our basement
So whilst waiting for 2016 to end, we had a completely unplanned John Hughes movie marathon.
Ferris Bueller, Sixteen Candles, Only the Lonely (a John Hughes production, duh).
The above is Buddy and Ella watching Ferris Bueller.
It is one of her favorites but we are starting to realize that Buddy is also a huge Hughes fan.
I’m not kidding.
Mike and I started jokingly calling Buddy “John Hughes”, “Mr. Hughes”, “John” and occasionally Uncle Buck for fun.
Because we believe our dog is John Hughes re-incarnated.
No wonder my heart is racing.
We decided to go to IKEA on the last day of winter break. It falling on a Monday for some reason made me think it wouldn’t be busy.
This was the line at 11:30 a.m.
And I had no coffee in my system.
Or Swedish meatballs.
Here’s to hoping a celebrity doesn’t die in the first two weeks of January.
GIVE US A MONTH, WILL YA??
A Grace Full Life 
One Thing – I NEED TO MEET BUDDY.
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He wants to meet you too.
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Love all the pictures. Looks like a great Christmas for the most part. So sorry about the panic attacks! Anything to do with your heart is scary. Add no coffe and oh my! Your homemade bread looks delicious! A basement full of kids would give me heart palpitations?. We just got an IKEA and I’m afraid it is going to be that busy for several months! Happy New Year!!
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Maybe wait a bit to go to your IKEA. Or go really early or really late. The middle is ROUGH.
Happy New Year, Renee!
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I love how you documented your holiday season.
Sorry to hear about your health issues. That’s one thing we can all do without.
Buddy!!!!
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Buddy is helping, that is for sure. 🙂
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Sorry to hear about the heart palpitations and anxiety 😦 The end of 2016 seemed to be a kind of crappy end of a year for anyone. But on a happy note, those stockings are HUGE – and awesome!
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Hobby Lobby. Best 10 bucks I ever spent.
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Tell me more about this “dry hairspray!” And I want you to do my stocking next year. Your friends are HOT. 😉
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I will totally stuff your stocking.
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Heh heh. Heh.
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🙂
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I am so glad you are OK! Or at least, OKish. Honestly, at this point I’m just really freaking happy when people I care about are alive. So, that.
And some of your pictures made me teary, even though I don’t actually know any of you. (Internet friends are REAL, dammit!) Your girls on the stairs and your dad making spaghetti.
I am wishing you whatever it is you need to have less anxiety in the coming year. I wish that for us all. And hoping that means you keep on writing here.
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Internet friends ARE real, dammit.
Amen, friend. Amen.
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Aw, oh no! As an avid coffee drinker, and someone with occassional heart palpitations and an anxiety disorder, I feel you! Sometimes the thought of drinking coffee anytime other than right after I wake up can trigger my anxiety, but a lot of living with this nonsense is talking yourself down. I’m constantly reminding myself that drinking coffee won’t affect anything, and if I need a cup then I need a cup. But yeah, in general I can’t drink as much as I want. I guess what I’m trying to say is that it gets better? You’ll learn your limits, and can start having coffee again regularly I’m sure 🙂
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I am over the “addiction” part so I am a little apprehensive about starting again. But MAN I do miss it.
Also, there is half-caff……so may wean into that.
It is good to know I am not alone. 🙂
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Your photos are always the best. I’m so coming for a visit. Don’t you shut the blinds and pretend not to hear me. I’m sorry you had an event and don’t they always say stress in some form or another! I miss coffee too. I kiss my husband in the mornings just so I can suck the coffee vapors from his mouth. Don’t tell him. He thinks he’s the stuff now that he’s in his 40s. I’m just using him for his coffee.
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PLEASE COME. Then I will come south to you. Maybe even this winter, because winter.
I would use my husband for coffee too.
Only he doesn’t drink coffee, so that doesn’t even make sense.
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What’s awesome about that is you do not have to smell the coffee brewing. It’s torture. And my man will drink it at all times of day. My house smells like a Starbucks.
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I KNOW. I cannot imagine. Every time I pass a Starbucks and smell it, I want to run inside and DRINK ALL OF THE COFFEE.
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Well, I suppose if you were going to have an attack, the anxiety one was the one to go with? Please tell me they said chocolate would help…please…I need that for you! Be well my friend! ?
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P.S. That doll would give even a creepy monkey a run for its money (provided the monkey has any money)
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I thought of you immediately when seeing that doll.
I swear that wasn’t an insult.
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Chocolate ALWAYS helps.
Thank you, friend. 🙂
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It took me a full 45 minutes to find you. For some reason you have not been visiting my email box. I resubscribed immediately upon landing here. I searched for Kari blog on some site and after about 10 pages…there you were!!! I’ve missed your crazy humor and you got a dog! After all this time I come read and you are still talking about Hughes LOL. Have you seen the new season of Gilmore Girls?? I thought of you the minute I saw it. You must surely think I’m crazy and some weird fan of your blog. What the heck…you make me laugh so I would I not love you!! I’m thrilled you had such a wonderful Christmas and wow those are some big stockings! Enough. I am SO sorry you are having anxiety attacks. You know I have them. I’ve told you before. Did they give you any meds or just tell you to calm down and breathe. Yeah, like that works all the time. I hope they don’t last. Well, until next time 🙂 xoxo
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I HAVE MISSED MY DEBBIE!!!
I switched from Blogger to WordPress which might be the reason you lost me.
I am so glad you are back. 🙂
And you need to read my post about the new Gilmore Girls…search for it in the search bar!
SO MANY THINGS!!
I hope you don’t lose me again.
I miss your comments.
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Dear Kari,
Those stockings are amazing. I’m still trying to cram 50 things into a stocking the size of a dime. 😉 That bread looks amazing, I might be drooling over here. Especially since I haven’t had real bread in several years. Gluten-free is a pain. I am so sorry that you are struggling with anxiety attacks. I had my first real panic attack last year and it was scary! No coffee…I can identify. I can’t drink coffee anymore either, gives me extreme heart issues. But, I do love dandelion tea from the Republic of Tea. It is the next best thing. 😉 Hugs, well wishes and Happy New Year! Valerie
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I love those stockings too! Hobby Lobby!
Oh friend, I cannot imagine my life without bread. Although I bet I could see my hips again.
I will try that dandelion tea!!
Hugs to you too. 🙂
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It was a bummer of an end to the year. When I heard about George’s death I tried to shrug it off but I couldn’t. Here was this brilliant man who had so many problems. You wish that people that bring you such joy with their music could also find some peace and happiness. Sadly it wasn’t meant to be for George. Let’s hope he has found it now.
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Amen to that, friend.
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