This new year of 2008 is really making me feel old...ha! It marks the ten year anniversary since I graduated from high school...wow...I know some of you are thinking - oh, you're still in your youth! But, I just officially feel old...I'm also starting to get bags under my eyes - nooooooooooooooo!

You know what is strange? I used to be really big about saying "Happy Holidays" to people - keeping in mind they might not celebrate Christmas. I was saying this since about six or seven years ago - until now. Now, that everyone is aware of how "Happy Holidays" is more P.C. - it makes me not WANT to say it anymore. Isn't that weird? Now, I make sure and say "Merry Christmas" - because that is what I believe in. Does that mean I'm no longer P.C.?

This world recently lost a great man...an architect...my grandpa...Sam Mobley. The buildings he designed will fortunately stay on this earth - but his spirit has been lifted up to the heavens. He spent the first three years of his career as a set designer for Univeral Studios. Out in Hollywood, he met the love of his life - Margaret Ralstin. They moved back to Wichita, KS to settle down and start a family. Sam continued his architecture dream and designed many homes and buildings in Wichita. He had two daughters, one being my mother.

My "American Doll Posse" consists of a group of women known as "The Smythes." They are the girls that I have grown up with...since elementary school - wow!...we have always been a very strong group of friends. Our freshman year of high school, we're talking early 90's here, we decided that we were just as close as a family - and we needed to give ourselves a name. I'm not sure how we decided on "Smythes" - but it just kind of stuck.