It's Beginning to Look Alot like Christmas..at work!

Here's a few pictures of some of the decorating for Christmas at work (you KNEW there'd be penguins somewhere, didn't you!) But while everything is becoming decorated and beautiful on the outside, on the inside my heart has been broken. Not one of those little cracks you can squeeze back together and slip some super glue in - one of those deep breaks in half that you don't know if it can ever be put back together. I don't want to talk about it, I'm not going to facebook about it, but as you go along beautifying your world for the holidays, if you think of it, please say a little prayer for me. Thanks for joining me in this blogging experience this year - I really have enjoyed opening up my life (not that it's sooo adventurous!) and letting you all get a peak inside! Even if it's just one little sprig of holly, decorate your corner of the world this Christmas!

O Christmas Tree!

Yesterday while Mal and I were at her shower, we sent Tanner and Patrick on an errand. We usually try to go as a family to pick out the Christmas tree, but this year, Barry and Brit are traveling and everyone's just so busy, so the honor fell to Tanner and Patrick. I think they did a good job. don't you. One fault of my mine that Tanner did not inherit is indecisiveness. It takes me a much longer time to pick out a tree than Tanner, so rest assured this process did not take up his whole Saturday afternoon! Soft needles, short enough for me to decorate, not too bushy for the size hole in the living room, and best of all - FABULOUS SMELL! I LOVE the way Christmas trees smell. Thanks, boys - let the decorating begin!

Happy day after Thanksgiving. I'm sure your day yesterday was very similar to ours. Here's a few pictures to see how we did it.

There were potatoes to peel.

And more potatoes to peel - Jim has a special peeler!

Lots of potatoes to wash!

Gravy to stir!

Turkey to carve!

Another turkey to carve!

Food to eat!

Towers to build.

Family to embrace.

And necklaces to make.

A good time was had by all.

Best made plans??

Let me just start out by saying, "everything's ok, mom!" Those are the words we like to hear whenever someone is getting ready to tell us something happened that's not so great, eh? Well, today was like any other "every other Wednesday" when I travel over to Bloomington to work with a quadriplegic gentleman and a couple others with handicaps. I heard the forecast this a.m. and wondered briefly if I should call and re-schedule, but quickly dismissed that little whisper from deep down and called myself a "woos". Anyway, I decided that I would go on over, the freezing rain would then hit (according to the time table on the internet), I would work all day over there, then by the time I was done the temperature would have risen and it would only be raining out before it turned to snow this evening. Again, all planned by the weather channel hour by hour - I do love to plan! Anyway, about 25 minutes into my trip (I was driving slower than normal because it was a little slippery), I was about to cross the river when a van that was coming from the other direction must have hit a patch of ice and began to fishtail - big time. From lane to lane I watched this van, my dad's advice playing in my head "don't slam on your brakes", so I slowed as best I could - pieces of bumpers were flying off this van into the air as it hit the guardrail and went from lane to lane. I believe my words at that time were just "Oh Jesus!" (the best prayer my brain could leak out at that moment) as I watched this van coming straight at me. Apparently God filled in the blanks from my little prayer and just in time, the van made it back into the right lane. I watched in my rear view mirror to see if they stopped or came back for any of their parts, but they didn't (probably were in some shock themselves!), so I slowly drove on - kinda shaky at this point. But still, I pushed down my now 2nd thought about re-scheduling today. I drove even slower now as I motored on towards Bloomington, thinking, "why didn't I at least go the highway?" When I was about halfway there, my phone rang and it was my oldest son, Barry. He wondered what I was doing today, as the roads were so bad in some spots and they were even having to leave the fields because of the ice. Ok! Third time must be a charm or when I get it or whatever, but at that point, I FINALLY decide to listen to my inner voice, pay attention to the signs, and override my "drive for perfection" and turn around. All is well - my plans for today have changed drastically, and I am now going to Bloomington one day next week to catch up with my peeps over there - point to all this story? Well, first of all, I wanted to recount it to remind myself of God's goodness to me this a.m. (not just in keeping me safe, but in sending sign after sign until I listened!), and because I want to encourage all of you (and myself) to try to override the training of our minds and listen to our inner voices - we really were created with some wisdom - we just have to learn to pay attention to it sometimes! Tomorrow (and today) I'm thankful I'm still here - there's more for me to do before I pass on, so I'm thankful that van made it back to her lane (and I'm glad she didn't wreck either!). Have a nice turkey day tomorrow - be thankful for time with your family and friends - and listen carefully for your inner voice - it might save you some trouble and some heartache! Happy Thanksgiving!

It's Coming!

Sorry for the lapse of time since my last post. It's getting crazy and crazier around here - at least in the world where I live! Thanksgiving, Christmas decorating, wedding showers, wedding planning and meetings and handiwork to prepare, Christmas shopping, November and December birthdays - I could go on and on, but what would be the point - you all have the same experiences happening, so you know the truth - our world now moves too fast - at a pace our bodies were not designed to embrace. It saddens me greatly because I find that most of us don't take the time we need for our own health - emotional and physical. We don't take care of our bodies, and we don't pay attention to our spiritual needs, and we don't take the time to fraternize with others for our emotional health. Enough said - you know who you are - pay attention to what your body (and your emotions) are whispering to you this holiday season. On to the fun of the season! I LOVE absolutely ADORE simply cannot wait for the holidays! They are my most favorite time of the year. It's not long enough! I can't take it all in or get enough of it! In fact, I've posted a couple of older "holiday" pictures, just to remind you of what's to come! The holiday movies, the dinners, the shopping for just the exact present you know someone will love! The crisp air - the surprise of it all! And the lights! Oh my goodness - I am CAPTIVATED by the lights! They twinkle, they sparkle, the blink on and off! It's an amazing sight to behold! And yet, when you set aside all of that, it is also the most holy, reverent and humbling time of the year. Oh, I know - who knows when Christ was really born - but this is the time we set aside each year to honor that He was born - it's rather irrelevant, I think, to argue about the exact date. The important thing to remember is that He came. And none of us will ever be the same.

Atticus Hudson

Here's Atticus with his mommy.

Here's Atticus with his new birthday toy and book from Grandma Nola.

Here's Atticus with his new "shaker" toy from Aunt Debbie.

"Maybe I can drink this - or better yet, blow it like a horn?"

"Yay! My grandma's reading me my favorite book!"

This is my great nephew, Atticus Hudson. He is my niece, Amy's, son. He will be one year old on Friday. Isn't he adorable? It's amazing to me how much we learn, change, and grow in that first year of life. He's walking, crawling, talking, eating solid food, responding to what people say to him - it's amazing. I remember how thrilled and surprised I was with every little new thing my children were able to accomplish when they were this age. Enjoy every minute - it seems like you just blink your eyes and they're all grown up!

Guess what!

Guess what this is? Give up? It's a "potato bag". Hmmmm. I've seen them all over, heard about them, and finally, at a craft sale last Saturday, I bought one. Truth is, I was thinking about giving it as a gift (sorry mom!) but decided to keep it myself. Curiosity just got the best of me and I had to try it. I don't know how it works. I don't know for sure what it does. All I know is you put 4 washed, dried, unbaked potatoes in it, then put them in the microwave for about 10 minutes, and voila! When you eat them, it tastes like you baked them slowly for an hour and a half in your oven - they are fabulous! Your kitchen's not heated up; you don't have to wait for dinner forever and a day; you can do 4 at a time - it's amazing. Doesn't take much to excite this old girl, does it? You laugh - have you tried one?

Laughing at ourselves!

I hate that phrase, "as you get older" - however, it is so often fitting, so I can't help but use it - mainly for myself as I am noticing the changes that come "as I get older". I had the distinct privilege to get to be in the presence of a couple of women on Saturday, who are a little older than me and are just great women. We went to a couple of holiday craft sales, hit a couple of stores looking for Christmas things - just ran around a little. These women have been good friends (and customers) to me over the years. During the course of the day, at one point I was in the back seat of the car when I heard one lady in the front say "I wonder if I have any pecans in the freezer". The other lady said nothing. Again the first lady said, "I wonder if I have any pecans in the freezer". The second lady said "what do you need them for?". "I need them for the salad tonight". "You keep them in the freezer?" "Yes - it keeps them fresh". "Why do you keep your coupons in the freezer?" I laughed so hard - I think my friends could be on one of those Hallmark cards, don't you? There were many more laughs later in the evening as my cousin and I later tried to enlighten these ladies on the subjects of texting, voice mail, and ultimately facebook. But the main point to this story is, again, that we ended up laughing - which is, I think, about the best medicine around! Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves - I laugh at myself all the time - especially as I "get older"!

P.S. I'd post these girls' pictures, but then you'd know for sure who they are (as if you haven't figured that out already) - they're a hoot - love you girls! Thanks for a fun day out!

Tis the season

It's begun! All the excitement (and chaos) that comes with the end of the year. The holidays, the business plans for next year, the business plans to close out this year, the gift giving and buying, the baking, the decorating, but most importantly the holding close of those you hold dear and the remembrance of what this season is all about - starting with being thankful. In all the busyness that this season brings to our lives, may we all take the time necessary to enjoy the company of our families and friends and to give thanks to God for all that we have here in America. So make a choice - set your intention right now to make sure you give out extra hugs and indulge in what's most important this season.

Blowing winds

I came home last week with a little bit of a cold that seemed to grow over the weekend and is now hopefully subsiding. That's my excuse for not blogging recently! Anyway, the winds of change are blowing like blasting tornadoes through my group. Loss of relationships, change (and possible change) of employment and all the ramifications of those adjustments - whew! It makes my head spin and I'm on the sideline of most of it, just watching (and praying). Change is inevitable - it's necessary for us to grow. It takes wisdom to know when it's time to make a change or even accept a change. Unfortunately, most of time, it is unsettling and sometimes painful, even when it is for the best. Here's hoping that all these current changes lead to a better situation for all of us. Have some sense about you, kids, as you maneuver through all these wandering paths of change. Remember to hang on to those who care for you and are supportive of you. Remain true to yourselves, learn from your mistakes. Stay extremely close to the author and finisher of your faith. I love you all.

Home again!

Maya, Mal, Alicia, Alexa, and Shanna.

Mal and Jesse.

Cheyanne and Jesse (as Yoda!)

Shanna and Cheyanne.

Lana, Maya, Jesse, Shanna, Alexa, Alicia, Mal and Cheyanne.

Salt River Canyon.

Salt River Canyon.

Salt River Canyon.

Salt River Canyon.

Salt River Canyon.

Mal and I arrived safely back home on Wednesday - just in time for both of us to nap about 2 hours, take a shower and both of us go to work - whew! What a whirlwind trip. But it was very nice to get away - the resort was wonderful - the weather was gorgeous - the scenery was beautiful - getting to see old friends was delightful - and spending time with my daughter was priceless. Here are a few pictures - I'll post more in the days to come. Here are some scenery pics and some of our friends. Oh yeah - these pictures were taken with my newer camera - congrats to me!