Isn't it amazing how much we anticipate the holidays and before we know it, one of them has come and gone? Such is the case with Thanksgiving. This year was a little different for us as for the past 6 years or so I've always gone to Alabama to be with Brent's family on Thanksgiving. This year Brent's parents are on a fabulous trip to China so we didn't go to Alabama this year. Also Brent worked at Opryland over the holiday so we did things I little differently this year and I went to Chattanooga to enjoy an amazing Thanksgiving at my parents. We had a great time - my grandparents, aunt, cousin, sister, brother in law, niece, nephews, and my sisters in-laws were all there.

This is not really an original Hot Topic, it's more of a follow-up from last week's Hot Topic regarding the bail out plan. I was recently reading some information on Dave Ramsey's website, wanting to read his opinions on the bail out plan. I knew he would be passionate about this mess especially since at the center of the issue sits some of the largest credit card companies and mortgage lenders. If you know Dave, you know he is passionate about his hate for credit card companies in particular. I really like this article that he has written entitled, "You Fix You!" Basically he says don't look to congress to fix your problems. So you may only $12,000 a year, figure it out. That's not congress fault. That's YOUR fault. Fix it.

Please take some time over the next few days and read Dave's article. I PROMISE Dave Ramsey is not paying me to write Hot Topic Tuesdays - PROMISE. It just so happens that his business has single handedly changed mine and Brent's lives.

When something impacts me so heavily in a positive way, I have to share it and quickly become passionate about it. Any of my closest friends can attest to that - including my brother in law and sister in law who went through Financial Peace University this past year. They are now completely debt free and the last time I checked, they're just a few short years from paying off their mortgage that is just under 3 years old! Impressive?? ABSOLUTELY. But more importantly it's a testament to dedication and hard work as well as what can be done when we're debt-free.

Read on and feel free to comment after reading the article...

http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/cms/you_fix_you_11043.htmlc

OK so I really do love Thanksgiving - promise, but this year I jumped a little ahead of Thanksgiving and have moved right into Christmas. I love this time of year. We had so many wonderful memories of Christmas growing up and even now as an adult, it is fabulous. Brent is wonderful in that he understands my wacky passion for Christmas and even lets me have this holiday. Those of you who are married know that one of the hardest parts of the holidays is sharing the time among all your families. Thankfully my in-laws are understanding, but more importantly my husband understands and I get to spend actual Christmas morning (which usually starts as earl at 6am at my sister's house) with my family!

Anyway, I put up our decorations this weekend. I even rearranged the apartment to "uncover" our fireplace. If you've visited us in Nashville, you will recall that our TV was sitting on the hearth of the fireplace. Well no longer. I figured out a way to run the cable across the floor so we could have our TV on a different wall. Yes, it is very redneck apartment living, but hey - when else in your life can you get away with a cable running across the living room floor and it is totally acceptable?!

So the house is decorated for Christmas. I even bought some frames for a few Christmas scrapbook pages to hang on the walls for decorations. It's a really neat idea AND gives me an excuse to showcase my hard work with my pages.

I am headed to Chattanooga this week for Thanksgiving - staying with Mom and Dad a few days then with Brittany so we do our annual cookie extravaganza on Saturday - 4 years running now! Brent's working Thursday through Sunday at Opryland - 35 hours total!!! He will be one pooped turkey, but he's really excited about it. (Really...promise)

Oh yeah by the way, I got the boot off last week! I went to the doctor and he said I am free from the boot! I've been "weaning" myself off of it the past few days. Today is my first full day without it. Hopefully the foot will be "reconditioned" for the big shopping day on Friday.

GOBBLE GOBBLE!!

I'm doing two Friday Funnies today after seeing this comic. You see while I have never had the undercooked turkey, somewhere long ago I was unsuccessful at proving to my family that I can cook so I'm always assigned the green beans. So this second Friday Funnies is dedicated to my family.

How to tell when you're Mom's favorite...

I am so proud of my husband - tonight he did his second stand-up performance in front of a paying crowd at Zanies right here in Nashville. He did a phenomenal job and I cannot tell you how impressed I am at his improvements. Some of you may recall that Brent did his first performance at Zanies back in September . We had a few friends, family and co-workers come out to watch that show, but this time we kept it pretty quiet and no one really knew that he was performing tonight.

He's done so much preparing since September knowing he had a second chance to make a lasting impression. Since September, he took a few more writing classes and meets regularly with a few other comedians. Monday and Tuesday night of this week he went to two different open mic nights at some local clubs - all of this in preparation for tonight's big performance. Our good friend Jimmy says Brent's preparation for comedy is a lot like preparing for a race - you have to condition yourself to be able to perform at the best of your ability without wanting to give up.

Tonight went beautifully! I know many of you may think I am biased, but I am actually one of Brent's toughest critics only because I want him to be the best at what he does. I can honestly say tonight he was the #1 performer out of all the comedians. He has worked on his delivery of his jokes and he will even tell you that it takes a lot for me to laugh at him. Tonight at one point I was crying laughing. He has done a great job developing his material. If you have ever seen him on stage, be it for comedy or delivering a speech, you know that he is a natural on that stage. Where as most people are a nervous wreck, Brent does a great job keeping his cool and owning the stage. Tonight it all came together for him: owning the stage AND delivering the material. That combination was incredible and so exciting for me to witness.

We will have a video in a few weeks that was taped live tonight and I cannot wait to have it posted. Brent did an amazing job delivering all of his material and after hearing the replay, I'm pretty sure he got the most laughs out of any of the other six performers.

Who knows what's next for Brent but I'm pretty sure he can check off "successfully perform stand-up comedy."

Here are a few pics from the evening...

"Live" On stage at Zanies

2 of Brent's fellow comedians he's met along the way. Kendra is on the left - she is one funny gal and Jennifer Bass on the right. Both of these girls are pretty dang funny which is hard to come by as females in the comedy world. Be on the look out for upcoming shows by either one of these talented ladies!


At the end of the show, all of the people attending the comedy class were invited back on stage. Check out the guy on the far far right (kind of blurred). When Kendra came up on the stage for this part, this guy tried to lick her face and she gave him a PRICELESS look.

Brent and Daniel - he's a recent college graduate and tried comedy for the first time. He's a pretty funny guy and is part of Brent's weekly comedy writing team.

This was the headliner act - Keither Alberstadt He was really funny!
He is currently writing material for SNL.

I have been thinking about this whole "bail out plan" that is in the works by the United States government and I have decided that I am going to go to D.C. with my hand out and ask for some help paying off my debt. You see, I have student loans that I do not want to pay on anymore. I am going to just stop paying them in hopes that the government's bail out plan will help me. I mean, it appears that others are going to D.C. presenting their financial woes and it appears it has been working because every day on the news we are hearing of a new business or sector that needs help from the bail out plan. In my defense, if I go under then it will affect SOOO many others: Brent, Fletcher, Fiona, our apartment complex, our mortgage, my family. I think it's a good defense - if the government doesn't bail me out, thousands will perish....


oh. Sorry. Back to reality.


I have been listening to all the statistics on this wonderful bail out plan that is in the works. First it was established to help Americans in mortgage crisis. Now that it has been approved, Paulson is flipping the switch and proposing we help the auto industry. Granted, GM, Ford and Chrysler employ over 240,000 people. That is a LOT of people and that is not even taking into consideration all of the other industries affected by the auto industry.

I have a good friend working for a very large tire company right here in Nashville. We were discussing that their business is doing extremely poor right now. I heard a representative (VP I think) from Ford on Good Morning America this morning. I've decided these guys are in the unrealistic fog that I was in when I started writing this post. This VP was trying to paint a rosy picture and brag that Ford is finally opening its first car manufacturing plant in the U.S. which is basically in response to Honda opening a plant right here in the ol' U.S of A. (Indiana to be exact). Seriously?

Ford is JUST now realizing that its MASSIVE gas guzzling SUV are not moving off the lots. That Americans are not buying Ford tanks. When asked about the million dollar signing bonuses handed out just last year to top level executives at Ford, the VP did not really have a great response. So you're telling me that less than 12 months after dolling out millions in bonuses, you're going to the government with your hands out asking for money to keep you afloat? Give me a break!

Think about where we were 1 year ago - gas prices were rising, economy was on the "down slope" - if you are smart enough to run a multi-million dollar business such as Ford, you cannot tell me you were not smart enough to plan for upcoming "rainy days" in our economy. My good friend started talking about the down slope of the economy about a year ago and he doesn't work for Ford. He's a "running beast" and probably one of the smartest people I know when it comes to the economy. Please TELL me that Ford has some "beasts" that could have made these same predictions? If not, please call my friend the beast, I'm sure he would do a MUCH better job forecasting the future of your company.

As with most "hot topics" it is difficult to determine which side of the fence you sit on when it comes to the bail out plan. The original plan was to help the failing mortgage business, but now efforts are being refocused to the automotive industry.
Which one is more deserving? Which one will help our economy?
I know that I have made a plethora of financial mistakes, but no one bailed me out. I struggled through the painful ordeal, but I came out on the other side making smarter, wiser decisions with my finances. In fact, I would probably add it to my list of "things I'm passionate about."

Why do we as Americans fall into the lies that society tells us that we have to paint a fake picture that everything is ok with our lives by buying stuff? I know so many people struggling, living pay check to pay check all because they got in over their head. (And no, this isn't a paid endorsement for Dave Ramsey.)
The fact that so many Americans are in foreclosure proves that something has to change. Should we be able to walk up with our hands out and ask for money to bail us out of our crisis? I personally do not think that is the answer.
Are you really a stronger person in the end if you have taken a hand out vs working through the hard ships? I believe it has been proven time and time again that those business and individuals that can make it through the financial hardships on their own, end up stronger than before their crisis.
In all actually, I do not know how the money for the bail out plan should be used. I know we have a problem in our economy. I know something has to be done, but at what point do we as Americans stand up and say NO we do not want our country digging deeper and deeper into debt, owing more money to other countries than ever imaginable.
What do you think? Why do you think that way?
I'll end this Hot Topic today with a verse for you to ponder...

"To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what they have will be taken away."
Matthew 25:29

So I got in trouble for not taking pictures again this past weekend, but I made another trip to Chattanooga!
I feel like I'm there just about every other weekend, but it's always fun. Saturday it took me FOUR hours to get to Chattanooga thanks to the interstate being closed to just one lane. Once I finally arrived, I met up with the UTC girls (that has grown from just 6 of us to 8 in the past few months with the addition of Ada Luv and Emma Bear).
Sunday was all about my dad as we had an awesome meal for his birthday and enjoyed time together.

Oh and I'm excited to welcome my mom to the blogging business. She's just started a blog to support her cake business - Tiers of Joy. I can imagine that all the amazing cakes she's made over the past few months/year will be uploaded to there as soon as she figures out how to do it.

Brent's been working his hiney off as he's taken on a little part-time adventure, I mean, job, working at Opryland in the valet parking. There are SO many wonderful perks to this job, but unfortunately he works mostly on the weekends so he wasn't able to go with me to Chattanooga this time.

It was a beautiful drive over Monteagle this weekend - I only wish I had pulled over and taken some photos. The colors are MUCH more gorgeous than here in Nashville, unfortunately.

Hope everyone has a great week.

I've been contemplating if I would type my thoughts on the election this week. I thought about not doing it as I know I have plenty of friends and family who have a wide variety of views and beliefs when it comes to politics. Many think religion and politics are "off limits" when it comes to mixed company. For me, it is all about the way you approach it and present your ideas. I think everyone has to come to the conversation with an open mind. Plus, why have a blog if you can't use it as an outlet to write about your feelings. (I know it might not be NEARLY as exciting as pictures of what Brent and I have done this weekend, or cakes I've made. You don't have to read it, but it sure felt good to write it.)

However, in this election, especially most recently, I have realized I was rather passionate about our next president. So that is my disclaimer for the following...Remember...I am "open minded." I've considered all that has been laid on the table.

I think as republicans, we were extremely disappointed in our candidate and as the campaign continued, we faced a harsh reality that the likelihood of a republican president in '09 looked very bleak. I have been trying to face this reality for a few weeks now. Especially as Palin entered in the picture, especially as the media continued to support Obama so heavily and as Obama gained such celebrity status, I knew McCain was going to have to fight very hard to have a chance.

I heard a great conversation discussing why we as republicans didn't feel as if McCain was a great candidate and it's largely due to the fact that his core beliefs were not right in line with most conservative, republican opinions. In one of the last debates, the abortion and gay marriage topic came up. These are both huge topics for republicans, but McCain lacked the passion that we wanted to see in these issues. Once I heard this point, I realized that the speaker was spot on with his point and that many republicans would agree.

Today I received a lovely email from RockTheVote. Because Brent and I moved to Nashville, we had to re-register so we used RockTheVote's website to do so. I was very impressed with the fact they had all the forms and addresses for the different voting precincts, they even sent us follow-up emails over the past few months to make sure we remembered to actually mail the form. I was impressed.
That is - until today. Which is what made me finally decide to blog about the election...so hold onto your panties, here begins my ranting.

You see, in this great email from RockTheVote, it was filled with excitement that we had the largest turnout of young voters this year. And I agree, that is very exciting, but not surprising if you look at how our society, especially "young" voters, react to celebrities. Think Paris Hilton. She did absolutely nothing to gain her celebrity status, but yet Americans became fascinated with her. Much like Obama. Think about it: Where did Obama come from? Where was this guy just 3-4 years ago? Who had ever heard of him? What was he doing? Why haven't people stopped to think about that?

Oh heck, here's part of the email...

"Dear Rebecca,You did it. Yesterday, more young people voted than have ever voted in American history. 24 million young voters... You picked our next president...

President-Elect Obama did precisely that. He responded to your concerns and questions. He found you on the Internet. He organized on your campuses and in your communities. And he won because of you. I don’t say any of this because President-Elect Obama is a Democrat, but because he ran a campaign as a democrat, with a small “d.” He ran a campaign that reached out to the young and the traditionally disenfranchised, he organized one-on-one and across the nation, and he talked to and with us about the issues we care about. He ran a campaign based on the democratic premise that our country is run by the people and for the people. ..."

I probably would not have usually written back, but since Tuesday night when I had a horrible thump in my stomach as ABCnews announced Obama as our president, I've realized how frustrating this is. I was really disappointed that RockTheVote so blatantly wrote their support of Obama. Had I known this, you better believe we wouldn't have used their site to register. I was mostly frustrated in this email because the author automatically assumed because I was a young voter, I chose Obama for our president. I of course quickly responded and corrected her. I also threw in that most of my young friends were not Obama supporters. Then I signed my name and said, "a republican, with a little r" mainly because when I think about how I would define myself, I doubt very seriously I would say, Becca, a sports fan, likes to scrapbook, a republican, dog lover...

There are so many young people that I work with that support Obama. The problem with that is that I work for a company that offers medicare. HELLO - haven't you been listening: Obama plans to eliminate Medicare, offering universal friggin insurance! Meaning, in just a few short years, there may be no more "company that offers medicare."

Waking up Wednesday morning and facing realization that we have Obama, I know so many young people that are extremely excited about our next president. That we have made history. And don't get me wrong, I think the fact that we have a black president is great. We have really started moving forward, becoming more progressive in our beliefs. That "change is a comin'" or whatever the heck the dang slogan is. But has ANYONE been LISTENING to what Obama has been saying? Has ANYONE REALLY heard HOW he is going to change the U.S.?
Has ANYONE thought about why SO many foreign countries were so supportive of Barack Hussein Obama? because I don't ever recall so many other countries taking such special interest in supporting a presidential candidate. Sure, maybe it's because our economy has hit rock bottom, but seriously. Ironically, for those who think Obama will turn around our country, the stock market made the largest drop EVER in history post-election. hm...are we still so sure that Obama can single handedly turn it around?
Has ANYONE thought about how much it will cost our country to offer universal health care AND college educations to everyone in the U.S.? WAKE UP people
What about taxes? If you get my dad started about taxes, you'll be there for a while and he's extremely passionate about the fact that we pay so much in taxes as it is. I can only imagine his thoughts on Obama's tax plan.

I think stepping back and thinking about the person that could possibly be our president for the next 8 years, I am mostly saddened at the fact that the decision to elect him president will very likely not affect most of us in the next 8 years, but will very likely affect our children and those of us who will be around after Obama is out of office. By then, hopefully we'll have a republican president again, but I'm sure the media will start to blame the failing economy on THAT republican president.

Through it all, however. I can say the most reassuring thing is that we always know that God is in control. Just like our every day lives, we might not always understand why our lives take us down the paths we take, or the people we meet, but we know that ultimately God is in control!

"Show me the path where I should walk; Oh Lord; point out the right road for me to follow." - Psalm 25:4

I know I've stepped on toes. I am not apologizing for my opinion, but apologizing if I offended you directly.
I'd love to hear comments - anonymous or not. I will be surprised if there aren't any because I know the majority of my friends and readers have opinions, be it with mine or against mine. Remember, I am open-minded. Promise.

from foxnews.com

We took a quick trip to Chatty this past weekend. We had quite a bit to accomplish in 1 1/2 days, but we did it and it wasn't stressful! Friday we stayed with our bestest buddies the Moncriefs. Saturday morning we visited my mom and dad then headed to my nephew's football game. This was a biggy - his team is #1 in the league, playing the one team that had beat them this season. All they needed to do was beat this team and they made it to the playoffs. It was a great game - my nephew's team went back and forth with the other team, but in the end he won!! We were so excited and it was so much fun. Here are a few pictures...

I thought it was really funny how involved the moms got in the game. In fact, in the 4th quarter they got in trouble for being too close to the sidelines and the referee stopped the game and had them all move back at least 15 feet from the sidelines.

And of course the rest of the cheering crowd for my nephew...

And our most proud moment - we had to pay to get into the football game but didn't have cash in our wallets, just our huge bag of coinage. Live Like No One Else...

After the game, we met up with Brent's family for a little "R & L" or for those "non Chattanooga" people, Rib and Loin. It's one of those places you don't think you'll miss when you move away, but it's amazing barbecue - CHEAP.

Here are a few great pictures from our Whitaker lunch...

Our final stop for the Chatty visit was to the Crane's house for the UTC get together/Halloween party. We had a wonderful time and got to meet the newest member to the UTC group: Owen. Little Owen is 7 weeks old and the newest of the 4 new babies to our group. We joked at how much the dynamics of this get together had changed due to the addition of so many little ones. It was so much fun to see all the little ones in their costumes - the Cranes did a great job hosting the fun and even had a little contest for the costumes.

Funniest...Scariest...Cutest and Best Overall.

What's so funny about this is that we usually take a big group shot of all the couples but as you can see by the looks of my photo collection, priorities have definitely changed as the baby boom spread very quickly through our group this past year.


Here are all the cuties...

Nolan - "Scariest"

Ada Luv - The Baby Bumble Bee...

The Newest Tiger - Owen

And our fabulous hosts: Le Chef Melissa and her scrumptious Emma "Bear" temporarily a Lobster

Needless to say, we had a great time! Thank you to the Cranes for hosting another fabulous get together. And Happy Anniversary to the Garzas who weren't able to join us as they were celebrating their anniversary.