New Years Double [part one]

Well it is official I haven't blogged in about a month.. WOW there is a lot to catch you up on, but first we are going to get through the next couple of days.  Yes, I said WE!  I need all the support I can get.  I know I have talked about it and you know about it, but tomorrow I embark on a goal that I set for myself 6 months ago.  I am going to run the New Years Double.  I will run a Half Marathon in the morning and MY FIRST FULL marathon on New Years Day.  The best part is at the end of this double marathon I will have 2 medals  that I put into a HUGE CHALLENGE PLATE!!!  I am most excited about this bling!

WOW.  It has been a great year!  I can not believe I am actually about to do this.  I am sitting in my hotel room in Allen and have laid my clothes out, done my 30 minute stretching routine, and have synced all of my favorite running songs to my iPod.  I am stressed beyond belief!  NOT, however, for tomorrow's race, but Tuesday's race.  26.2 miles!   I can not wait to put that sticker on the back of my car.  And I can not wait to say that I have completed the hardest goal I have ever put my mind to, thus far in my life.  

There are 2 things I am worried/nervous/anxious about.  

1.  I am nervous that I will run too slow.  I have done some pace training, but I am a slow runner.  They give you a 6 hour time limit, but if you are not at 13.1 miles at 3 hours, then you are stopped, THEN, if you are not at 75% of the course in 4.5 hours then you are stopped.  My goal is to finish and not get stopped. 
2. I am worried that after my half marathon tomorrow I will be too sore or pull something in my race and not be able to complete the marathon on Tuesday.  (however, even if I am limping, I WILL start this race!) (and even if I am hurt, I most likely will not say anything about it!) The weather tomorrow is 90% rain and 41`!!  Anyone wanna run with me!??  I didn't think so. I am nuts.  

Southern Girl Swap: Fancy Little Things; Christmas Traditions

Today is the day!!!  Go check out the BLOG HOP Page and read all of our blogs.  Comment on them, Follow them, and then tweet us at #southerngirlswap for a chance to win a Christmas Surprise from Starbucks!

Catherine Sims is writing on my wall today.  She is a long time friend from college and has a wonderful blog about life over at TheFancyLittleThings.blogspot.com  - Go read her blog!!!

I’m so excited to be participating in my first ever blog hop!  All of the other bloggers who are participating are so fun and I highly recommend that you check follow them!  We’ve decided to talk about our own personal Christmas traditions.  I can’t say that my family has had a lot of specific traditions over the years.  Nothing compared to my husband’s family.  My Christmas tree is currently covered in 50% pretty color coordinated ornaments and 50% ornaments that he has collected since birth.    

Although I made fun of his “special” ornaments the moment that I saw them, I think it’s cute that he has a story for each one so I’ve gotten him an ornament each year of our marriage.  We will definitely keep up this tradition when we have children of our own, but I’ve decided that we’ll have two different trees in the future.  One “pretty” tree covered in sparkles and feathers and perfectly matching decorations and one “traditional” family tree that we’ll use for our gifts.
As for my family traditions, we have two that we’ve done over the years that I think are fairly unique.  Like most families we used to read the real Christmas story, the story of the birth of Jesus, on Christmas Eve but we would also read one of my favorite books of all time, “Cajun Night Before Christmas.” 
My mother was born in New Orleans and most of her family still lives in Southern Louisiana so we always got a kick out of reading this version of the story and laughed at how so many of her family members really talk that way.  I will definitely get a copy of this for myself!

The next tradition is one of my favorites!  Every year my mom wraps a note in a random box that is not size appropriate that says “Roses are red, violets are blue, an (insert ornament type) is holding something for you. 









 Once I open the note I go to the Christmas tree where everyone laughs at me while I try to find the one of hundreds of ornaments that has my gift on it.  This is always reserved for the piece of jewelry that my Dad gets for me each year.  Somehow in the midst of opening gifts I always forget about it until I open it so I’m super excited when I see it!
So there you have it, my favorite traditions!  I’m sure the list will expand one day when I have kids of my own but for now I’m happy with the fancy little things that have stuck with us through the years.

Merry Christmas!

Don't forget to comment, follow, and tweet so that Abby (CharmedBliss), Me (The Fancy Little Things), and YOU! Can win the GIVEAWAY!!! Announced a week from today at our Blog Hop Page!  Enjoy the Blog Hop and don't forget to spread the word!!



#SouthernGirlSwap

Gosser Mafia's Call Me Maybe!

Here it is!!  The Official Releasing of the Video!!!  Hope you enjoy it!

blah... the giveaway.

Okay Guys I am so disappointed!  haha I had 35 blog views (not including those of you that view my blog on Google Reader) and I had only 1 comment during the week of the giveaway.  Now in a week we are trying this again with the  SOUTHERN SWAP BLOG HOP! and I need you all to participate out there in the blogosphere! However, there is ONE winner!!!  

Ms. Raygan Sylvester!  Congratulations on winning and thanks for posting and tweeting my blog!  You will be receiving a nice treat in the mail later this week!   For all of you other slackers... ;) Just Joking!  Please keep reading and enjoying my blog posts!    

Back to Basics GIVEAWAY!

I thought today that I would reminisce on the beginnings of CharmedBliss.  The good ole' Cupcake Days!!!  I am going to do a cupcake giveaway with this one (see if this giveaway stuff really works)!  So here is how we play.   1. Post a comment on your favorite cupcake 2. Follow me (If you aren't already following) 3. Tweet my blog link www.charmedbliss.blogspot.com and your favorite cupcake  **don't forget to tag me in the tweet @abby_turner 4. The winner will be drawn on Sunday and will win.....  An Armful of Lily and Laura bracelets - because I every time I see fun colors it reminds me a cute cupcakes and how delicate and yummy they are!!!!

Here we go!!! 

 Which one is your favorite?! I think I will have the Cinnamon Pumpkin Cupcake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting and the Pumpkin Coffee Cake Crumble on the top!!!  YUM!

The Negative

What is film used for?  It is a tiny ribbon of amber material that captures an image forever.  I recently found photo negatives of my mom when she was a child.  Now I am not saying that was FOREVER.. but it was a long time.  The negatives still have the pictures that were imprinted on them nearly 50 years ago.  That's how our thoughts and our minds are.  That is how humans operate.  We hear something, see something, or act on something - and suddenly we begin to imitate that.  Just look at babies.  They aren't smart at 10 months old and just know that the two syllables ma-ma and dada mean Mommy and Daddy.  They are imitating you repeating it over and over to them.  They are wanting that approval from you.  Imitation is the highest form of flattery - but can also be the highest form of destruction.  

God has been teaching me a lot lately about myself and who I am becoming.  There are people that I surround myself with, TV shows that I watch, and things that I read that are not pure and virtuous. They are things that are bringing me down.  If you have noticed - I haven't been blogging about my relationship with my Savior lately.  It has been about me.  It has been about what I am doing.  Not about what the Lord is teaching me or doing in or around me.  

This morning my mom brought a magazine in my room.  It is the recent issue of self.  I buy women's health, shape, and self to make myself feel athletic.  Being athletic is one of the things I strive to be one day in my life, yet I know I will never achieve.  I buy these magazines because the front cover "motivates" me to look like that - yet it is virtually unattainable.  These models are models because they are genetically born with a perfect metabolism, a great bone structure, and they were found at the perfect time.  Okay - maybe they aren't born perfect and have eating disorders and tons of problems - but looking at them, not only makes me insecure, it makes me wish I was them and become unsatisfied with how God made ME.  

But what is one thing that these magazine have in common.  Here is the breakdown of what is inside of them:

I have been praying about it - but as all immature people say, "It's not going to effect me!  I am a bigger person than this - I am a Christian and I can read and watch and talk like this and not be effected." 

20% Nutrition

5% Recipes

35% Workout Routines/Articles

40% Relationship and Sex Advice.

Now out of those things... I want most of all the Workout Routine portion - but am I getting any of that out of these magazines?  No.  I am getting more information about sex and ungodly relationships than anything!  That is ridiculous!  Why am I filling my mind with things like this when the Bible EXPLICITLY warns me about this:

Mark 7:20-23 says:

²⁰ He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. ²¹ For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,²² adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³ All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

What you behold you become.  Your life is like a piece of photographic film.  

The eyes are the window of the soul.  

Things that you see go into your eyes make an impression on your soul.  The things that you focus on long enough you eventually take on the characteristics of what you are looking like.

Check this out:

This is a perfect "secular" example of this idea.  Old married couples look like each other the more they age.  What they focused on for 10-20-50 years are the characteristics they are beginning to embody.  

This is my favorite one! haha

So I pose the question:

Only you can be honest with yourself. Don't wait the 47 days to New Years to make a change.  make a change now.  

The change might be hard.  It might involve changing your friend group, not watching the shows you watch, and it might even involve you meeting new people.  But it also means...

You get more time with you Heavenly Father!  And that is ALWAYS a good thing!

I want to let you know what sparked this blog post.  It was a video that I watched several nights ago of one of my friends Dorothy Shepherd and her wedding that took place a few months ago.  (Click on the picture to watch the video)

It reminded me of the relationship, the man, and the love that I want to share and reciprocate one day.  It is a love that stems from Jesus - a love that can only be found if you seek HIM out and cultivate that relationship day in and day out.  

blog hop

go check out my blog hop page at the top of my page!   It's happening in a few short weeks!! And the best part - we are having a prize drawing!   How can you win?

1. Read our blogs (listed on the blog hop)

2. Comment on your favorite (or several favorite)

3. Tweet #SouthernSwapBlogHop and put a link to the Blog Hop in the tweet

>> http://charmedbliss.blogspot.com/p/blog-hop.html

4. Check back to the Blog Hop Page to see if you won!!  

We are going to set you and your favorite Blogger up with a special Christmas Treat to get you ready for Christmas time!!

Looking forward to the Blog Hop on December 2

A Marathon of Information....

I have been working at UCA and making my self quite at home.  I absolutely love the people that I work with and wanted to show you what we do at work.  Last week I made sure that Josh, the photog media guy, was fully aware of my Baylor Pride!  He was late to work (like I'm never late ha) and so I sticky noted his whole computer face!  And even drew some nice drawings on some of them!  Oh how I will miss this place... But I will be so happy to return to Baylor... to my family!
















I was driving last week, I really don't remember where we were going, but Baylor was in my lap and usually he puts his head down and sleeps, but in this instance - you can see how he has turned around and faced me and just watched me drive... obviously he was very tired as his eyes are half open. hehe

My sister was Sleeping Beauty in the school play and was absolutely adorable. She played the best little princess and I have to say I am very impressed at her acting skills.  So the baby of the family can dance, sing, and now she can act - what can't she do??  She can't do sports ;) haha - naa she could probably do that too.

She even had her first stage kiss!  It was a funny one too.  The prince went to kiss her lips and went for the forehead at the last minute and then she took matters into her own hands.  I would say she takes after me:)  Taking matters into her own hands - sounds like it came straight from my book of secrets hehe

After the play - we went to iHop and I had a hole in my tire.  So I promptly called AAA (thanks GrandMary and Papa) and had them come change my tire.  The guy was so nice!  He even taught me how to change it.  He said that it is as easy as pushing a few buttons, and of course picking up the tire, jacking up my car, and unscrewing the lug nuts! ha But the dinner at iHop was the best!  I had dinner with this cutie pie!  Little Miss Brynlee.  She wanted a happy face on her pancake so I got the honors of putting the yogurt hair on it! She was so very happy and a bit overwhelmed (that half-smile) when it came out - but she ate a lot of it, and to my surprise - did not like the whipped cream!  Who doesn't like whipped cream!  I know I LOVE it! 

Some more pictures from the play. Proud Sisters!

Proud Grandmothers!!!

(Molly Turner and Marianne Gosser)

Last Friday was Senior night at NLR - Alex (my cousin) is Number 24!  I was so proud of him!  I can't believe he is already a senior and graduating.  In fact, this Wednesday he is officially signing to play baseball with the University of Arkansas.  And one of my favorite parts of being home this semester has been getting to see him play football (and of course seeing my sisters in the play and dominate Tiger Tunes) but it is also been fun hanging out with my family.  Aunt Leigh Anna and I have a ritual of watching Revenge together every Sunday night - in fact - we are already planning Skype dates while watching it when I am in Waco!  Needless to say I love my family and we always have a great time together!!!

Have a blessed Monday!   I am preparing a Blog Hop for December - if you read my blog and want to be apart of it - please let me know!  I am sending out the information this week!