U is for Unexpected gifts......

Okay so usually I'm not one of those people to go bragging about the gifts that I got for Christmas, but there's one gift in particular that I'm kind of excited about and wanted to share. My sister bought her husband a new ipod for Christmas, so she in turn got his old one and they were trying to sell hers. I've wanted an mp3 player for a while and this seemed just as good. Well my mom surprised me completely and bought the ipod for me for Christmas. I was actually really surprised by it. While opening Christmas presents I even told her that she must've confused someone else's gift with mine because it was a itunes gift card, but she said it was for me (after saying "oh you shouldn't have opened that one yet").

While I'm not the biggest person on music or anything I do enjoy a good book (don't get me wrong I love music I just don't have to be listening to it all the time to feel alive). I've always gone to the library to borrow books on tape there but I haven't been able to in a while because where I live the house is so open that everyone would hear (whether or not they wanted to). That and I've been terribly busy, and my cd player is on the fritz so it's kind of annoying to get into the first chapter of a book and it suddenly decides to stop working. But now I can listen to a book while I'm sewing or cleaning and not have to worry about anything.

I've already got a few classics that I haven't read in a long time on my ipod as well as a few new ones, but they'll have to wait until I get my reading done for school first (oh priorities).

Thought you might like to hear this

Just hit pause on the music below and hear what this 13yr old boy has to say about God's son. I heard this this morning from a friend and I had to share.

T is for Time and Thought......

I can't believe that there's only a week before Christmas and then another week until the new year. Time is such an abstract concept for me sometimes (I think I get that from my Dad, 15 minutes usually means an hour and an hour is like 4 hours, i love you Daddy!). It's hard for me to think about plans beyound a week and how that actually effects what I should be doing during this week. I try to be a good steward by planning trips to get everything that I need done at once so I'm not wasting gas by taking several trips to get what I need. I'm even worse when it comes to having other people involved with future plans and communicating everything that they need to know (or maybe would just like to know) with regards to our plans.


I was talking to a co-worker of mine today (yes another story about work and kids, how unpredictable), and we got onto the topic of children and their manners (or lack there of). Parents are so busy running around trying to take care of things NOW and not considering how it's affecting their childrens future. The results in children learning poor management and planning in their lives and a constant need to be moving and doing all the time.

Some of my most precious moments as a child are the ones that aren't so busy. I can remember distinctly the feeling of lying on my bed with the sun shining on me with absolutely nothing to do. I was gloriously bored. I can't remember when the last time was that I felt that. I've got a list of things to keep me busy now that's at least a century long (if lists were measured in time). Wouldn't it be nice if we took the time to just be with out family, friends and selves? Try it this holiday and see if you don't enjoy yourself a little more.

S is for Sick, Snow, Salary, and Singing......

I've been dreadfully sick this past week. I was so sick I was referred to as the tissue monster by a few. I finally feel like I'm getting toward the end of it though!!! It's been a busy couple of weeks working on Christmas projects with my kids at work and trying to keep up with the Christmas stuff at home as well. I finished my class at school in Art History II and I will be starting my last class tomorrow (after this one I have my degree!). I'm both excited and apprehensive about the class I start tomorrow. It's called Culturally Diverse Literature and it sounds really interesting, but it's an on-line class and I'm not always the most discipline with school work so hopefully I'll be able to stay on the ball with this class and not get behind at all.


Walking inside this evening from running errands was the first time that I actually felt like looking forward to winter! I've felt kind of saddened by the coldest thus far but while walking in I could almost sense the snow. I got really excited and felt the urge to go for a walk in the cold and blowing wind. The moon was shining and the clouds moving fast. In less than a minute there were snow flurries blowing around everywhere. It won't amount to anything on the ground but being there when it first started was very exciting! I can't wait to see the creek freeze over and snow piled high around the banks (picture below is from last year). I know I'm supposed to be an adult and not like these sort of things, but honestly I get just as excited about going sledding and snowball fights as my kids at work do. I can't wait!

Some exciting news for me at work is that I'm going to be starting in a new full time position where I work after the first of the year! Yay, my first big kid job where I'll be getting a Salary and Health Insurance. My cup is overflowing with the goodness of God. I'll be working with a wonderful woman and some amazing Pre-K kids that I've been blessed to get to know over the last few months. This means that I won't be seeing my school age kids as much and that saddens me, because they are so creative and interesting to get to know. I know that the teachers that are still with them care about them a lot and will continue to be there for them.

Last night, our family on my mom's side gets together almost every year to go down to this small little church (hardly bigger then my parents bedroom and living room combined) called 'The Woods' and sings. Usually Symphony sings, Melody plays something Mom plays a piano piece, her sister and children do lost and my grandparents will play a piano duet. This year we went but it was a bit different. Symphony's in Texas, Melody was sick, David had to work and Grandma wasn't feeling well. We had the gathering and Mom, Lauryl and Lauren sang and played and I SANG! I never sing in front of people, unless it's worship or fun with friends who I don't care if they hear me sing. Singing in front of a large group of people that you don't know a song that you only just learned the day before is a bit of a scary thing for me. I sang but I was a shaky nervous wreck the entire time. Just a few reminders for myself:

- Don't sing a song you don't know very well in front of a group of people
- Don't agree to sing a song you don't know very well in front of a group of people you don't know when asked the day before (okay the week before but we didn't get to practice until the day before)
- Don't agree to sing a song you don't know very well in front of a group of people you don't know when asked the week before and you have the sniffles
- Relax! It's not worth getting nervous over.