Jill Victoria

J-ill Vic-tor-i-a C-ole/ jl vk-tôr-, -tr- kl \ n. A girl becoming a woman who is constantly growing into herself day by day. Believes in personal freedoms, less government, God, Jesus, miracles and true love. Open-minded. One who believes in the paranormal, dressing her best every day, and that she is blessed in many ways. Also has a playful nature and sarcastic sense of humor and some wit to her. Enjoys writing, reading, traveling, being with friends and family, a good story and improving things around her. Crafty, funny, polite, well-spoken, accomplished, intelligent and loyal. Loves heels, nice clothing at a good price, and wearing cute bras and panties. Fond of spending time online or in a comfy chair with a book. Known as a frequent Tweeter and Facebooker. Found in the suburbs, her husband’s arms and on this blog.

How do you define yourself?

As I’ve grown, I’ve really marveled at the different qualities I have that make me… me. I love to see the small quirks and traits that make up my personality, just as much as I like to see the small quirks that other people have.

I’m going to list five things that I think make me different than other people. I’d be interested to see what others think their three unique traits are.

1) I’m the queen of multitasking! I can watch TV, read, and hold a conversation all at the same time. Even now, I’m blogging, chatting, uploading pictures and listening to music at the same time!

2) I can’t be scared. I have nerves of steel. The only things I’m afraid of are dolls, clowns and storms.

3) I’m loyal to a fault. I’m the type where you can dismiss me, throw me aside and treat me like dirt, but I’ll still be there for you later when you need me. I’m just empathetic that way.

4) I am an extremely picky eater. I won’t touch any ground meat, onions, peppers, certain parts of chicken, ham, bacon strips, turnip greens, food items that I can’t identify…

5) I’m good at picking up on songs. I can hear it a couple of times all the way through and sing along with it the next time I hear it.

What makes you who you are?

Everyone has their traditions, especially around the holiday season.

My personal traditions with my family have always been special to me. Part of Christmas is participating in these traditions, and helping them grow.

Traditions have changed with the years. One tradition that we used to follow at Thanksgiving was taking a walk in the woods at my GranMar and GrandDaddy’s house after digesting. We’d also walk up the road to visit family friends. That tradition faded as it became harder for my grandparents to walk that far. I miss it.

During the Lighting of the Great Tree at the Macy’s in Atlanta, my family and I would also light our indoor tree and the outdoor one my dad would put up every year. That was the mark of Christmas beginning in my childhood.

An evolved tradition happens on Christmas Eve. Used to, GranMar would fix spaghetti and we’d all eat that on Christmas Eve. Then we’d watch The Grinch on TV and open gifts from each other. Santa would bring more to open in the morning.

Now we all go with other family members up to The Varsity in Atlanta on Christmas Eve to eat there. We meet and will give gifts to those we won’t see again for a few months. It’s a fun tradition. In fact, I can’t go to The Varsity during the year without thinking of Christmas Eve.

Other traditions I hold dear for the holidays is decorating the house, my GranMar’s elf hiding game (she has five little elves that she displays somewhere silly every year. we all compete to find them), visiting Santa Claus, watching A Muppet Christmas Carol (my personal tradition I started) on Christmas Eve, driving to see people’s Christmas lights displayed, opening gifts on Christmas Eve from each other, and Santa coming on Christmas morning.

One of my favorite long-standing traditions is tomorrow: the McDonough Christmas parade. My family has gone every year in my memory, along with my godparents and their sons. We bring food (usually pizza and chicken tenders) and watch the parade. My dad will actually be participating in it this year, marching with his Marine Corp League.

Now I’m married and have new traditions to start and to participate in. Both of David’s sides of the family do the “white elephant” type gift exchanges. Except they actually bring gifts people want and fight for!

It’s these things that really bring a special meaning to Christmas for me. I look forward to these little events every year, and I bask in the warm fuzzies they give me. Now I’m a new member of a family, and David as well. My brother Matthew also brought a new member along in Susan. I can’t wait for Matthew and Susan, as well as David and I, to start our own traditions, and to carry them over to our children one day!

What are your Christmas traditions?

I’m so excited that it’s Christmas time! To me, Thanksgiving starts the holiday season. In fact, David and I put up our Christmas tree when we got home from the in-law’s house Thanksgiving night. I put the finishing touches on last night. Just the outside decor to worry about now!

This Christmas will be bittersweet. It will be my first Christmas away from my childhood home and parents. Thinking of starting new routines and traditions with David is exciting, but I hate to think of not waking up at my parent’s house Christmas morning.

Two days after Christmas day, Matthew leaves for Iraq. He will be there for a year, with a break in June or July, hopefully. My sister-in-law, Susan, left to go back to South Korea. We’re all having a hard time seeing her go. She called me from Texas crying. I wish I had known Sunday would be the last I saw her.

One of these years, my whole family will be together for Christmas!

I wrote my letter to Santa. I hope he gets my change of address notice.

It’s that time of year again! Christmas time is upon us and I’m very excited to spend my first Christmas as a wife in my new family!!

I have always either written to Santa or told him while on his lap what I wanted for Christmas. I’m pretty sure that Santa has internet access up at the North Pole, so I decided to spare him some leg pain and write on my blog what I’d like this year:

*Disclaimer*
It’s just a wish list. Doesn’t mean I expect it all!*

Dear Santa,

I’ve been pretty good this year, plus I got married and took on a whole new role in life! I have a very sweet and wonderful husband that God set up for me. I’m sure you and He are pretty tight, so you knew that.

What I’d like this year for Christmas, if you can swing it, is:

* A Coach purse. I like this one in particular at Macy’s.

* More of these comfy Pure Beech Sateen Sheet sets in Butter, Taupe and Fern. Even one set would be great!

* An iPod touch 8GB.

* One or two of these storage ottomans.

* Gift cards to Dots, Lowes and Target.

* This nice, simple end table.

* Measuring spoons, cups and new tongs for my kitchen.

* Pandora charms.

* Flameless candles of various sizes.

* This red toss pillow.

* Some nice decorations for the house.

* Two 6×9 photo frames.

* Angels and Demons on DVD

* Dexter Seasons on DVD

* Clips for keeping food items, like bread or other opened food packages, closed

* A garlic press

* Anything left on the wedding registry

That’s all I have on my wish list. It’s just a list of wants, not demands. I’d be happy spending Christmas with my husband and families and friends. The one and only thing I want most of all is my family and friends safe and happy, especially my brother Matthew. He’s about to go to Iraq for a year. He’ll leave two days after Christmas. I’m glad I’ll have him here this year.

Merry Christmas, Santa!

Love,
Jill

P.S. I’ve had a change of address. I’m sure you can find it. We have two fireplaces to choose from

It’s my first Thanksgiving as a wife and official part of David’s family, and him part of mine. That in itself is reason enough to give thanks.

The first part of the day was spent at my grandparents’ house with my parents, Aunt Donna and my grandmother’s first cousin. My brother Matthew and his wife Susan left at 6:00 this morning for Texas to visit Susan’s family.

David and I ate well and visited with my family. We had to eat and run (which is better than staying to eat again, as my GranMar says) to make it to round two at my in-law’s house. My mother-in-law’s side of the family is all present at the house right now, which is fun. There are a lot of people around my age here, so the atmosphere is light and fun.

I am pleasantly full and very glad to count my blessings as I sit with family. God has given me many things in my life. I have a husband who loves me with a selfless and unconditional love, family who also loves and supports me and my husband, wonderful friends, a house and all my wants and needs met.

I also live in a country that gives me freedoms. I may not agree with the people in charge of our government right now, but I’m thankful for the men and women brave enough to found this country and for the men and women who are brave enough now to defend it. We as Americans take a lot for granted, including even the freedom to write and read blogs like mine.

I’m very thankful for the wedding I just had. Looking at pictures from that day with not sides of the family made me once again so happy that David and I had the most perfect wedding we could have hoped for! I first entered the Hazlehurst House when I was 14 and knew then I wanted to get married there I never thought it would happen, especially as perfect and wonderful and memorable as it was. I’d be happy marrying David in a gutter, but marrying him in the lovely setting we had made the day seem complete.

When I reflect on all my life holds and will bring, I can’t help but to feel my heart fill up with love and happiness. I love my life and all the people, experiences, memories and things it has brought me!

I should also note that I’m extremely thankful that both sides of my family are sane and don’t hold Jerry Springer worthy throw downs on holidays. Or any day.

I realized that the blog I wrote yesterday didn’t post for some reason. Instead of going back and trying to recreate it, I will just make this post instead.

I tend to take a lot for granted in life. This past year has really taught me differently. I have been given a lot of blessings in just the past few months, and I definitely have plenty to be thankful for.

The greatest thing I am thankful for is my family. I’ve been blessed to grow my family by leaps and bounds this year! Marrying David has doubled the size of those I call kin.

I consider myself very lucky, blessed and thankful for everyone you see in that picture, and for those who aren’t in it. Family is one of the best things a person can be a part of, if that family is a God centered one. Thankfully, that’s what my family is.

I’m so grateful to have people who support and love me, and who I am able to give my love and support to in return. Being part of a family like mine and a family like David’s is a true blessing. All my life I knew that I’d have to find a man to marry who was as focused and involved with his family as I am with mine. It’s hard to find people these days who are interested in their families, and not searching for the nearest exit when it comes to family get-togethers.

Not only did my family grow with marrying David, but I also gained a sister-in-law and another soon-to-be sister-in-law! Times are so exciting! My brother got married just a little over a month after I did and my brother-in-law will get married in July of next year. More people to add to this family, and who are also involved with family life.

God has definitely been good to me.

Starting tomorrow I’m going to write a blog per day and dedicate it to something I’m thankful for this year.

And there has been a LOT to be thankful for in the past 11 months! It will be hard to narrow it down to four different things.

It’s amazing how blessed my life is. Sometimes it’s hard to believe how lucky I really am.

My family has gained another member.

Yesterday, my baby brother Matthew married a wonderful girl named Susan. It was a small, close family and friends ceremony at Salem Baptist Church in McDonough. Matthew and Susan were married in the same (original building) chapel as our parents. I know that made it even more special. My dad and GrandDaddy both made toasts.

It’s hard to believe my brother is married and I now have a sister-in-law! I’m so happy for both Matthew and Susan!

In January of 2011, Matt and Susan will have a traditional ceremony to which everyone they want to invite will be asked to come to. Susan wants to have their re-commitment ceremony at the Hazelhurst House, too. I think it would be great if they did! I know I loved every second of my wedding day there.

This time of the year just became even more special. Two wedding in just six weeks and two new and fantastically wonderful people were added to the family.

I can’t help but marvel at how blessed and wonderful my life and family are. I have never lacked anything I needed and I have certainly obtained my fair share of the things I’ve wanted. Loving family, loving husband, new loving in-laws and family, new sister-in-law, great friends, a house, working cars, an education, health, happiness and adventures! I was able to have the wedding of my dreams and marry my best friend, just as I had hoped for my whole life. I’m a newly wed who was fortunate and blessed enough to end up in a house with room to spare.

I have gone and done and experienced more than I ever thought I would in my lifetime. If I have done what I’ve done now, it’s hard to think of what there is to come!

Since it’s so close to Thanksgiving, it’s nice to think of all the wonderful things I’ve been blessed with that I am so truly thankful for.

I really love autumn! Though autumn in Georgia can be confusing. One day can be sunny, cool and have a crisp feel to the air; the next it can be muggy and rainy. But despite that, I love how fall looks and feels. I marvel at the beautiful colors the trees turn. I just wish they had turned in time for the wedding. Still, I get to enjoy them now. Or rather, what’s left of them now.

I think I’ve finally settled into a new routine for life. Things are still hectic feeling at times for me. It’s not easy to change a whole life routine. And I miss being in my lifetime home. Though my new home with my husband is a wonderful place to be! I’m so happy!

I’ve been having a great time with my parents, brother and soon-to-be sister-in-law, Susan. Yesterday I tooke Susan up to Atlanta to a place called Natalie’s for her to try one her dream wedding dress. She looked absolutely gorgeous in it! I’m so glad that Matthew found someone like her to marry.

Susan and I had lunch together at Salsa, since it was right down the road from Natalie’s. It was great to get some girl time with her.

Last Thursday David and I finally got the pictures with Ashley done. We were supposed to have done them in August originally. I’m pleased with the ones she did. As a Christmas gift to my parents, David, Matthew, Susan and I are paying for Ashley to do family photos of the six of us this coming Sunday. I’m really looking forward to it!

I’m also looking forward to Thursday. Matthew and Susan will be getting married in a small, family ceremony at Salem Baptist. They’ll get married in the same chapel as my parents. I’m so excited for them! In January of 2011, after Matthew is back from Iraq, they will have a traditional wedding. Susan really wants to have it at the Hazlehurst House, too. She loved the pictures from the website and from my wedding. I really hope it works out for them to do it that way.

John and Yoly set their wedding date for July 31st of next year. From what they have discussed, it should be a great wedding! I’m just glad that both John and Yoly’s as well as Matthew and Susan’s weddings are both happening locally. I love to travel, but not for two weddings!

Next week is my last week of classes for this block. I’m debating taking a semester break and trying to get the house and my finances more organized. But then, it could be bad for me. I am just now getting into a routine that involves school. Should I deviate from that routine now, or stick it out? I’m really not sure what to do.

I can’t believe that next week is Thanksgiving! I’m looking forward to spending my first holiday season with David as my husband and us both being part of each other’s families. That is one of my favorite parts of being married: family. It’s important for both of us to be involved with family. I just wish Matthew and Susan would be here for the holiday. They leave Thanksgiving morning for Texas to spend time with Susan’s family.

Things in life sure do change quickly. It’s like seasons in Georgia, sudden and never knowing when it might happen!