Tuesday Tunes

"Jesus Is My Friend"

I found this video on my friend's blog and couldn't help myself!

This Christmas I will...

I found a couple of quotes at www.lds.org about the true meaning of Christmas, something I think I've missed this year.

"For each of you may this be a merry Christmas. But more importantly, I wish for each of you a time, perhaps only an hour, spent in silent meditation and quiet reflection on the wonder and the majesty of this, the Son of God. Our joy at this season is because He came into the world. The peace that comes from Him, His infinite love which each of us may feel, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude for that which He freely gave us at so great a cost to Himself—these are of the true essence of Christmas." --Gordon B. Hinckley

"Christmas is more than trees and twinkling lights, more than toys and gifts and baubles of a hundred varieties. It is love. It is the love of the Son of God for all mankind. It reaches out beyond our power to comprehend. It is magnificent and beautiful." --Gordon B. Hinckley

And so, I will forgive myself, for taking the easy way out and buying a real tree instead of spending several hours putting up my gigantic artificial tree that I love so much. I will forgive myself for not putting all of my ornaments on the tree, and sticking with a sort of "Charlie Brown" look. I will forgive myself, for not putting out all of my decorations. And I'll forgive myself for not wrapping any of our presents, because this year we shopped together. I'll worry less, that I should have done more.

And this Christmas, instead of complaining that I have to drive in the snow, I'll be grateful to have a car that works well with a heater that works very well. And when I go to work on Christmas, while everyone else is at home opening presents, playing with presents, or spending time with family, I'll remember that there are many who are unemployed this Christmas. So I'll be grateful, because I still have a job.

Tonight when Heavenly gets home and complains again about how busy he was at work, I'll listen to him, and be grateful for such a wonderful husband who works so hard.

And before we go to bed tonight, we'll curl up in a blanket with some hot chocolate and read about the Savior's birth. And we can both be grateful for Heavenly Father's gentle reminder of what this season is really about.

What Heavenly's excited about...

For those of you who know Heavenly, you know he's a huge super hero fan. I think he's become even more of one, since my nephews are so excited about them and always looking to him as their source of everything super.

Check out the sneak preview for the newest Marvel comic to meet the big screen.

X-Men Origins Wolverine

The weather outside is frightful!

We woke up to a blanket of snow, about 5 inches of snow had fallen overnight. Brrr!! After a slippery slide down the steep hill by our house, and my little anxiety attack/freak out at the bottom, Heavenly took the wheel and finished driving. He's not working today. We're going to decorate our Christmas tree, clean up the kitchen, make Christmas sugar cookies and then probably drink some hot chocolate and play the Wii.

I'm grateful for a warm refuge from the snow, and someone to share it with.

How I'm feeling...

Dixie Chicks
Not Ready To Make Nice

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

On the road of life...

take frequent bathroom breaks!

An angel among us

I just finished reading an email from my friend "Red" who is currently volunteering for about a month and a half in Uganda Africa. She's working at an orphanage/school teaching english. On the map you an also see Tanzania, where she worked for 2 months last year in another orphanage. This girl is the most amazing person I know! Every day off was spent working overtime to save money and earn enough leave to go on the trip. Not only did she pay her way to get there, she also bought Christmas presents and supplies for the little children.

This is either her third or fourth service mission this year alone, volunteering with OpSmile to help those in third world countries receive new faces and a new lease on life. As if that's not cool enough, in January before she comes home, she is headed to Rwanda to go gorilla trekking. Honestly, I can't even begin to tell you all how lucky I am to know her, or how lucky we all are that there are people like her. I just wanted to give her props for being such an amazing woman!

Don't lick it if you don't know where it's been!

Here's an example of what not to do if you find a suspicious white powder on something!

http://www.kutv.com/content/news/topnews/story.aspx?content_id=8e01ae93-15f3-459c-ab5b-f375e675537e

I worked in a credit union, but even before working there I was well aware of how disgustingly dirty money is! Even if the person giving it to you is relatively clean, who's to say he didn't get it form a store who got it from a stripper paying for groceries, who got it from a filthy man paying for a stripper?

Thanks to Karen for pointing out the great story!

I'm better than you!

Here is my husband Heavenly Hunk and my adorable, fireball of a nephew Mashuga. As you can see they just fit, like pieces of a puzzle. They're both superheroes searching for their powers. Apparently Heavenly Father told both of them that someday He will even turn each of them into He-Man.

Mashuga was playing on the computer at my parents' house on Thanksgiving. Heavenly asked if he could play. Mashuga said (without taking his eyes off the screen or missing a beat) "No, it's too hard for you. It's hard for me and I'm better than you." So, with all the maturity of a 26 year old boy, Heavenly responded, "Fine, then you can't play my X-Box! It's too hard for you. It's hard for me and I'm better than you!"

It was hard enough not to laugh at the story alone, but Heavenly's pouting face put me over the edge! Heavenly admitted it made him a little sad that Mashuga wouldn't let him play with him. I don't think he knew how to react, his little friend had never talked to him like that before.

Can you consider licorice a bribe?

It's been several months, but this is still a funny story.

I was driving to work around 5AM when red and blue flashing lights appeared in my rear view mirror. I knew I was speeding when I passed the patrol car but didn't think he'd have time to turn on me. I was right, and I was wrong. It wasn't who I expected, the short bald sergeant I'd seen parked on the side of the road. And clearly when the deputy poked his head inside my window I wasn't who he expected either.

"You dork!" was all he said. I feigned innocence but knew I'd been caught. I'd been driving 83mph in a 60mph zone. I guess I'd forgotten I was no longer on the freeway. "That's it, you owe me licorice!" And with that I was on my way.

I went to work by way of Walmart and bought a package of the softest Red Vine licorice I could find, then threw in a bag of Reese's Pieces to sweeten the deal.

Bah Humbug!

Perhaps it's the warm weather, or the lack of snow. Perhaps it's the fact that Christmas music has been playing in stores and on the radio since just after Halloween. Or maybe it's that for our 2nd Christmas together and the 2nd year in a row I'll be stuck in a dark, 20'x12' dispatch room for 12 hours. Yes, I'll be answering calls of people who are fighting with their loved ones, instead of loving and enjoying them where I so desperately long to be. The Christmas spirit isn't coming easily for me this year. I've contemplated not even putting up a tree. (Don't worry Mom, I'll put one up!!)

Should I take the 3 hours and put up my lovely but monstrous artificial tree? Or give myself and my husband a break and buy a much smaller real tree? It's still early, so I'll keep shopping for presents and doing holiday activities that only come around this time of year. And as much as I dread driving in it, I'll hope for snow to bring with it the Christmas spirit!