12 months of Christmas

Unfortunately, this Christmas was a little stressful - some because of our last minute trip to Salt Lake over Thanksgiving and then I wasn't as organized as I like to be - I didn't even get the "holiday" cards off until today (I figure if they're gone before the 1st I'm good - technically, that's still the holiday season, right?) Anyway, this year I just couldn't wait for the season to be over - I just didn't get to enjoy it all that much. Today, I was reading over a great article that had a 12 days before Christmas advent calendar with a short scripture reading and then a "task" to do each day. Each task focused on the REAL meaning of Christmas - serving others, remembering Christ, etc. I thought - I would LOVE to have the Christmas spirit throughout the year so I am modifying the advent to be the 12 months of Christmas - maybe if I start 'preparing' now for next season I'll actually be ready and unstressed when it rolls around again - can't hurt! I'll try to remember to post each month's reading and task for any of you wanting to do it with me!

Blessings to you in the New Year!

BTE and AT - an "Aha" moment

Joey has this quote at the end of his email signature.  I just saw it today.

"How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book."

-Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Reading, 1854

Instantly, realization washed over me that I had unknowingly slid from Before Twilight (BTE) to After Twilight (AT).  Life will never be the same... (-;

Maybe I should play the lottery after all!

So, last Friday I finally hooked up with my girlfriend Becky to go out on a girl's night to Chipotle and the movies - she hadn't seen Twilight yet (gasp!) and I couldn't let that go any longer - Joey was very generous to let me go as Carissa had been off and on puking for a couple of days.  So far the rest of us had escaped...tick...tick...tick...

I was ecstatic to get some adult girltime so I ignored that little "uncomfortable" feeling I'd had in the car while coming home from Christmas shopping with Ethan.  After all, I had kinda missed lunch, I thought, nothing that a little Chipotle can't cure!  Whoo hoo! (-:

Dinner was awesome - lot's of girl talk - but I could only finish half my burrito and barely that.  Just a little queasy no big deal.  Becky asked if I wanted to skip the movie - No way!  I'd been looking forward to seeing Edward..er the movie (again (-;) as much as the girl time! (no offense Becky) So off we went...

Movie starts - only about 5 other people in the theater - Great! No screaming teenagers to listen to this time...I wiggle uncomfortably through the first half - determined to stay - Man this movie is even better the second time - finally, I decide the bathroom sounds like a good idea - I start at a walk - that gets quicker - Uh Oh - please let me make it - I made it just in time to the trash can right outside the theater door - I look around quickly - NO ONE saw me? I can't believe my luck - Quicky, I jettison myself across the hallway (bathrooms were directly across from us (lucky again) -  I make it just to the next trash can behind the 3 foot protruding partition at the entrance of the bathroom hall - No one in this hallway either??  - I see the ladies room door - What?  No one in here either? - In the stall...Ew, this feels like morning sickness all over again...instant relief... If I knew that all it took to feel better was to throw up - I think that I wouldn't have fought it so long.

So what are the odds - Friday night at the movie theater - making it to two trashcans, down two hallways to hit the empty restroom - and THEN get to feel better and watch the rest of the movie, too???  I'm feelin' pretty lucky right now!

BONUS - I missed a part of the movie so I have an excuse to go again!!! How do you buy a lottery ticket again? (-:

Still working out the kinks

I'm still getting the hang of this.  Will probably need a tutoring session from Becky to make it really great.  My tech savvy-ness is majorly lacking these days - I can't even blame it on the PC anymore. 

Time to get on the wagon!

Well, my friend Becky has bugged me and bugged me that I need to blog...and since we're headed to Germany, far away from all our friends and family, I have finally acquiesced that she is right! (not the first time either!).  This isn't the first time that I was late to the gate and then felt very tech challenged so bear with me while I get my bearings and learn how to fully utilize the wonder of the internet.