Don't blog here anymore....

My newest blog is actually: http://uglylemonerd.wordpress.com

I moved.

I decided to give word press another go!:) This time on their turf so I don't have to deal with all the code.:)

http://sunshinebabe81.wordpress.com/

People

Ya know. I've tried. I really have. But people suck. I'm tired of being everythign to everyone else. I need people to listen to me too. I need to be able to express how I feel. And I don't need guilt trips because I don't feel the same way that you do about things/people. It's OKAY for me to have an opinion of my own. 

*Brad, Aly & I are fine, I'm just having issues with other people*

Got this in an email

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and
had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in
order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss
certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she
would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young
woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.

'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.

'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried
with a fork in my right hand.'

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing g quite what to
say.

That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked.

'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from
that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love
and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending
socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main
course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep
your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was
coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something
wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand
and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell
them: 'Keep your fork ..the best is yet to come.'

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged d the young woman
good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her
before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp
of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like
than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge.
She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw
the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and
over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and
over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had
with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the
fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could
not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not
be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind
you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare
jewel , indeed . They make you smile and encourage you to succeed Cherish
the time you have , and the memories you share ... being friends with
someone is not an opportunity but a sweet responsibility.

Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND even if it means sending back to
the person who sent it to you.

And keep your fork.=

A day in the life...

So I've cooked and cleaned all day.:) Go me. Aly and i made candy, and we dinked around doing not much.:)

Knitting-wise:
I'm working on a library bag.:) I refuse to pay .50 for a plastic bag there. And I always forgot to grab my own bags.... so i decided if I made one, MAYBE I'd remember. Or Aly will.:) I don't have the camera by me, or I'd show ya.:) I haven't had a real chance to look around and get into ravelry yet. I'm hoping to start.
I'm eyeing the addi's even more than before. Especially now that I've done my sales tax stuff, and seen how much of a profit IL has been this year. I deserve something nice for all my hard work.

Exercise-wise:
I've been doing my 30 minutes of walking and about 100 leg lifts a day. Each side. Inner and outer thighs. They hate me.:)

Family-wise: 
B's dad has surgery on the 17th. We are hoping to be able to go, but it might just be B. We 
spent NYD with them, so we could do Christmas. I'm just going to leave it at YEAH. It was the usual.  Brad is actually home tonight! Woohoo! We're having dinner at a normal time, and all together for the evening. He gets off at 6. :)

Dinner-wise:
Having scalloped potatoes & ham, peas, lettuce, and bread and butter (hey I can only be so creative in a day*L*)

Business-wise:
It's going good. I got the sales tax stuff done. All by myself this year, and it was SCARY. But I got it done. Now I just need to write a check and mail it to the state. But we made a BIG profit over what we made last year.:) 

It's sick....

It's sick to be this excited about something isn't it? I've been waiting to get into ravelry for what seems like forever. :)

Found you!
You signed up on December 17, 2007
You are #71671 on the list.
580 people are ahead of you in line.
5644 people are behind you in line.
92% of the list has been invited so far

Randomness

Ya know B & I were watching the funniest commercials of the year on tbs. And we got to talking about how stupid that is. We hate the darn things, and use 
the dvr whenever possible so that we don't have to watch them and when we can't do that, we complain about them. And yet every year we watch the funniest commercials.... and what is 
wrong with that picture?*LOL*

She's such a sweetie!

We got a package tonight! And Aly couldn't wait to open it! I tried holding her off but she was
way too excited! (So was i!*L*)




Look at all the goodies Jessica & her sweet family sent us! Brad about tackled me for the chocolates!*L* The ornaments are already hanging on our tree! Ana's in a special place in the front! Isn't that snowman adorable? I'm in love! I {heart} snowmen! and the nativity is so 
sweet! Aly wants to hurry and take a picture in the morning to put in the angel frame! *L* 
We are so blessed by your friendship Jessica! Thank you so much! I hope your box isn't a complete disappointment! I ran out of room in the box!

Will the Christ Child come?

I got this in my email this morning, and it made me cry, I thought I'd share it with all of you....

Will the Christ Child Come?
Written by Gaye Willis
One Christmas we had an interesting experience that I would like to share.
Halfway through December we were doing the regular evening things when there
was a knock at the door. We opened it to find a small package with a beautiful
ceramic lamb inside. We looked at the calendar and realized that the 12 days
of Christmas were beginning! We waited excitedly for the next night's surprise
and only then, with the gift of a matching shepherd, did we realize that
the lamb was part of a nativity set.

Each night we grew more excited to see what piece we would receive.
Each was exquisitely beautiful. The kids kept trying to catch the givers
as we slowly built the scene at the manger and began to focus on Christ's birth.

On Christmas Eve, all the pieces were in place, all but the Baby Jesus.
My 12-year-old son really wanted to catch our benefactors and began
to devise all kinds of ways to trap them. He ate dinner in the minivan,
watching and waiting, but no one came. Finally, we called him in to go through
our family's Christmas Eve traditions. But before the kids went to bed, we
checked the front step - - no Baby Jesus! We began to worry that my son
had scared them off. My husband suggested that maybe they dropped the Jesus
and there wouldn't be anything coming. Somehow, something was missing that Christmas Eve.

There was a feeling that things weren't complete. The kids went to bed and before
I went to bed, I again checked to see if the Jesus had come - - no, the doorstep was empty.
In our family, the kids can open their stockings when they want to, but they have to wait
to open any presents until Dad wakes up. So one by one they woke up very early and I
also woke up to watch them. Even before they opened their stockings, each child
checked to see if perhaps during the night the Baby Jesus had come.

Missing that piece of the set seemed to have an odd effect. At least it changed
my focus. I knew there were presents under the tree for me and I was excited
to watch the children open their gifts, but first on my mind was the feeling of
waiting for the ceramic Christ Child. We had opened just about all of the presents
when one of the children found one more for me buried deep beneath the limbs of the tree.

He handed me a small package from my former visiting teaching companion.
This sister was somewhat less-active in the church. I had been her visiting teacher
for a couple of years and then, when she was asked to be a visiting teacher, she requested
to go with me. I had learned over time they didn't have much for Christmas, so that
their focus was on the children. It sounded like she didn't get many gifts to open,
so I had always given her a small package -- new dish towels, the next year's Relief
Society lesson manual -- not much, but something for her to open.

I was touched when at church on the day before Christmas, she had given me this
small package, saying it was just a token of her love and appreciation. As I took
off the bow, I remembered my friendship with her and was filled with gratitude for
knowing her and for her kindness and sacrifice in this giving me a gift. But as the
paper fell away, I began to tremble and cry. There in the small brown box was
the Baby Jesus! He had come!

I realized on that Christmas Day, that Christ will come into our lives in ways that
we don't expect. The spirit of Christ comes into our hearts as we serve one another.
We had waited and watched for Him to come, expecting the dramatic "knock at the door
and scurrying of feet" but He came in a small, simple package that represented service,
friendship, gratitude and love.

This experience taught me that the beginning of the true spirit of Christmas
comes as we open our hearts and actively focus on the Savior. But we will most
likely find Him in the small and simple acts of love, friendship and service that we
give to each other. This Christmas I want to feel again the joy of knowing that Christ
is in our home. I want to focus on loving and serving. More than that, I want to open
my heart to Him all year that I may see Him again.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins."
Matthew 1:21 NIV



May the spirit of Christ be with you and yours
this Christmas and always. . .

Today

Exercise:
Walked for 30 minutes
trudged into the park through the snow, sledding for 2 hours, trudged out of park through snow
50 inner leg lifts on each side
50 outter leg lifts on each side

I didn't get any knitting done.... did get my package sent out though!:) I am in a knitting slump... it's hard to knit for anyone when you don't feel like anyone will appreciate the hard work. Well other than Aly & Brad. They are always amazed and impressed, but I don't know how many hats they need.*L*

::::::MEMES::::::

Tina's Tuesdays
Have you....
Finished your Christmas shopping? Yep!

Sent out all your holiday greeting cards? Yeah, unless we get one from someone I didn't already send one to!

Decorated your house with holiday decorations? The inside! We don't have much outside

Tuesday Twosome
Shopped early for presents or are still procrastinating: shopped early

“Bah Humbug” or “Jingle Bells…”: Jingle Bells

Buy presents because you enjoy giving or because you feel obligated: A little of both.

Enjoy all the holiday cheer or “Enough already. Give me my present.” Enjoy all the Holiday cheer

Open presents on Christmas Eve or wait until Christmas morning: Christmas Morning