Great Depths of Gratitude

Some days one must take count of one's blessings. Musn't one?

Family
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Jesus Christ, Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost

Friends
Revelation
Ability to Choose
Happiness
Peace
Comfort
Understanding
Guidance
Laughter
Light
Conversion
Delight
Optimism
Respect
Joy
Laughter of Children
First smile of a baby
Inside jokes
Sincere complements
WWW
RRR
SSS
TTT
Mom O
Dad O
Mom V
Dad V
Grandparents!!!!!
Humor
Graduation
Last day of School
Lasagna
Chocolate
Pizza
Good book
Good movies
Beautiful hikes/walks
Walking
Moving
Tasting
Seeing
Hearing
Touching
Words
Wisdom
Scriptures
Love
Pioneers
Contentment
There are many more.  I just don't think you'd want to spend the entire next week reading them all. :)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

 

 

Now and R and S three years ago. The three wise men were standing behind them in the first photo. :)  Thank you, Cherry (their CTR teacher).

Goal: Become a Frugalista

New Years is just around the corner.  One of my many goals is to become a Frugalista [froo-gal-ee-sta] as in decidedly wise and economical in all purchases.  I know I have claimed this title before, but I think it was an error.  But now . . .

This challenge will be fabulous for me. I have been reading several frugalista blogs on coupon clipping, deal hopping, and such. I plan on becoming a fabulous haggler. I have oodles of food storage that needs to be used--it is my goal to use it soon.

an old picture of me

I think I am finally up for it. I would love your advice on how you frugalize.

Oh and if you see me making unnecessary purchases--please fake a serious case of hiccups so I remember my goal. My bank book and I thank you.

Here is what it looks like--sort of.  The middle one is the one that is the closest to how it looks as far as I can tell.

A $72 Learning Experience

 Tonight W got home a little early (yay). So I rushed across the street to get my hair cut. I was hoping the young Chinese guy would be there to cut it, but it was an older Chinese guy (with 3 little girls--although they were not there).

I had determined prior to going there that I was going to make my hair go blond.  Blond like the middle one [2009], although I would have settled for the albino-ish 2010 look.  I was so excited.

The hair sample book was propped open and I pointed delightedly to the blondest samples and I said, "I want this." I got a magazine, opened to several different lovely blond pictures and said, "This is what I want." I told everyone in the salon that I was going blond.  They all nodded at me--sensing my excitement and joy at finally accomplishing a life long goal.  Blondness.

It all started when I was little and my cousins Michelle and Nicole were around.  Their hair looked fabulous. Nicole specifically had the most darling blond-ish curls now and then and I was wracked with jealousy.

So I am sitting there, he puts the blue stuff on and I'm thinking. Baby blue--it is a good sign--it will be lighter in no time. I am going to be [school-girl giggle] gorgeous.

I go to get it rinsed. Apparently the color didn't stick so they added more. I think they thought they were being sneaky and because it was my first time hair dying at a salon.  But I knew. Even if I couldn't understand a single solitary word they were saying to each other.

So I get to the mirror and my hair is . . . darker than my original hair color-- 2004 Reese-ish.  And I'm like, "I asked for blond."

The guy said, "Beautifur color, right?" (All his "L"s turned to "R"s, as it happens with some Chinese people).

Me: "Uh--I asked for blond."

Him, "It is brond."

Me: "This, is not blond. This is dark brown." (When reading this, I want all readers to understand my voice was even and not grouchy--but firm).

Him: {nothing--just the blare of two blow dryers on my head)}

The Chinese-speaking Vietnamese owner came over.

Me: I asked for blond.

Her: It is brond.

Me: No this is brown.


She got the color sample book. I showed her the sample I asked for. She pulled out the insert and compares the hair.

Her: They are same.

Me: They are not the same.  This one is the one I wanted. See?

I pointed to the hair sample and to the word next to it--"Blonde #9"

Me: Not Brown.

I pointed to the hair sample that was the most similar to my current hair and to the big bold word "Medium Brown" right next to it.

The owner excused herself to help someone else leave.  It was one of the people that I had bragged to about getting blond hair--she had come for a haircut but ended up getting a pedicure. I turned to her for reassurance that I had in fact asked for blonde. She nodded and hurried out the door.  My thoughts screamed to her, "That's right. Leave before it's too late!!!"

I began shivering. I cannot decide if it is because I felt so angry or if it is because I was actually freezing.  I asked for my coat.

I waited until he was done blow drying (they are really good at styling).
  
Me: Well, it is not blond. I asked for this color [pointing back to the sample].

Him: It does not come out that coror. It come out yerrow. The coror next to the hair. See? Yerrow.

Me: Really? {I nodded a little because I knew this guy was telling a terrible lie and because I was fairly certain he was pointing to the mixture instructions}.  It is still not what I asked for.

Him: You go home. If your husband doesn't like it come back and I'll change it for free.

Me: He wanted me to try blond too.

Him: Just see what he says.

I nodded again, unconvinced, feeling a lump raising in my throat. Then I thrust my money into his hand (he looked like a kid on Christmas morning). I fled back home until I reached W and then cried an eighth of a cup of tears.

Part of me is thinking, this is a good thing, right?  Now you won't have to do too much upkeep because it is much closer to your natural color than blond.  Think of all the money you'll save.

But the other part of me is hyperventilating and crying out, "But I wanted to blo-ha-ha-ond." (The ha-ha in the middle of the word blond is my other part crying.)

This morning I looked at my hair. It is almost a dark brown-red with purple-ish highlights.  Yeesh.

What would you do if you were me?

Pondering about Christmas

My mind has been pondering Mary, the mother of Jesus and the very unique individual she was.  After having an angel appear to her I imagine her going to visit her cousin Elizabeth, both to enjoy Elizabeth's company, but also to read all the prophecies about Jesus Christ that she could so she would know what she needed to teach him and what to expect.  I can imagine her hands gently touching the manuscripts and her mind racing while reading about her son and realizing there would be great joy and sorrow.  Then I imagine her talking with Elizabeth and both of them rejoicing in the great goodness of the Lord.


How she and Joseph must have talked after they were wed.  How, when in the stable, the scriptures they'd read made sense and they must have smiled and nodded at each other with a happy peace that this was the way it needed to be.

None of my guesses are scriptural, but it helps to me think of these individuals on a more personal level.

S lost her first tooth

S lost her first tooth yesterday during the playgroup at our house.  About five minutes after she pulled it from her mouth she lost it.  Finding a tooth that is a centimeter-ish long is not an easy thing to do--anywhere. 

So this morning she looked under her pillow and found $1 with a note that said something like:

Congratulations you lost your first tooth. I know I'll be visiting your house a lot through the next few years.  I haven't found your tooth yet. I know you wanted to show it to your class, but for now show them the place where the tooth used to be.
Hugs, the Tooth Fairy

She was soooo excited this morning when she found the note under her pillow. She was smiling all the way to school and stopped to tell the crossing guard in the middle of the street that she lost her tooth.

Dear Church Moments

Yesterday one of the funniest Sacrament Meetings moments happened. W got up to give his testimony, on his way he gave me the very pointed see-I'm-going-up-there-before-you look, which I love and cherish, especially after he had taken two steps and T shouted at the top of his lungs, "I have to go BATHROOM!"

Moment over. Maybe next time, dear.

Yes, I know W is a sweetie for taking T with him to bear his testimony. We had a good chuckle about it later.

Paging Type A Personality

 

I used to think I was a healthy balance between the type A personality and the type B personality, but recently my type B has been really overbearing and my type A personality has gone into hiding.  I sent type B out to find type A, but Type B just sat at the computer and watched a season's worth of some random television show. [Thanks a lot Type B].

It's not that type B doesn't have a spot in my heart, it is just spread out across the entire thing lately insomuch that my type A is huddled in a corner in a fetal position rocking back forth repeating, "It's going to be okay. It's going to be okay." 

Yeesh.  Sometimes I would like to tell my type B to take a hike, but it just sits on the couch eating a cupcake or five.  I tell her scoot or else and she looks at my face and just bursts out laughing in a mocking tone.

Com'mon type B, give a girl a break.  I don't mind you visiting, but this residence is driving me slightly insane.

It is time I turned from a sit back and watch the flowers grow person to a doggedly determined person that allows nothing to stand in her way--least of all a cluttered house.   My kids will have piano lessons. My house will be clutter-free.  I will fix meals that are tasty, daily.  I will have a consistent schedule with the kids.  I will throw away that annoying hula hoop I heard go by my door when my kids are supposed to be asleep.

There you go Type A--have a gallon of "five hour energy."  We'll get through this and usher type B to her vacation resort somewhere in the Caribbean.  We can do this dearie.  Don't worry.  Here, here is a wheat grass smoothie. Yum. We're so [gag] healthy.   This will be great. I am in charge here. I can do this. I can do this.

Please tell me I am not the only one that feels like this some of the time.

T's decision on potty training

T and I have been talking extensively about potty training.

Today for example, he was wearing his diaper and I said, "You know T, you really should use the toilet instead of a diaper."

He looked at me and said, "But it is so bo-ing {boring}."

I got him several new pairs of exciting underwear just for his learning experience. I said very enthusiastically, "T how about some of this fun underwear."

He said firmly, "No. Diaper."

Oh dear. It looks like I have my work cut out for me. Suggestions anyone?

W got hit by a car

Before you call us in an absolute panic, know that he didn't get hurt more than a few little bruises and stiff muscles.

What happened was that he was crossing the road in front of our house on his roller blades and the car came (though W thought his light was green)and hit W, but like the time he got hit in UT he had the foresight to push himself up off the car, then he rolled off the side.

He told the driver not to worry about it because he was fine.

Personally I think that he has a lot of guardian angels watching over him! I am so dearly thankful that he was not hurt. I love W very very much!

Don't forget, look both ways before crossing the street.

This pretty much made my day.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/80entLldZOg

A Cold

What is it about the common cold that makes one feel so uncommonly ill and crotchety?
It's not just about a few aches and pains it shows plainly on the blotched faces of one sniffling eventually blowing into a tissue for momentary relief.

Maybe it is that scratchy cough that happens whenever . . . you breathe. You know, that one that keeps your spouse awake and comes at just the proper moment to wake up your kids the moment before they delve off into deep sleep?

Maybe it is the hot flashes and chills that come as cry-less tears fill your eyes. Or the fact that one cannot become comfortable in one's bed because of the stuffy nose that refuses to be blown and cuts off the breath one attempts to take forcing one to open ones mouth and enter the risk of snoring.

Perhaps it is the sore throat and halitosis thereby accompanying it, causing one to squint in pain as one sips a beverage or swallows a bit of food.

Perhaps it is the circumstantial guilt that slides into place with things like, "Perhaps I should have washed my hands better?"  "It's because I ate out that one night, isn't it."  "I knew I shouldn't have eaten that m&m off the floor even though it was only there for five seconds."  "I know that lady sneezed on me on purpose--I'd never do that--achooooo. Beg your pardon [excuse-ious face]."

Could it be just the over all uncomfortability of the whole nasty business?

Be what it may, it undoubtedly makes one happy for the times one does not have a cold and makes one long for those cold-less times to return instantaneously. 

Okay, thanks for reading.  Colds just make me . . . sick. It's not pleasant, but we're all on the mend.

Plymouth Part 2

 Plymouth is a beautiful place.  It is drenched with history both sad and happy.  We saw a beautiful rainbow over the cape.  We saw the Mayflower, but we did not go on it (I went on two years ago).  We saw my ancestor's grave site. 

It was glorious to take a few days to soak in the beauties. Thank you dearly, Mom and Dad! Love you!

Gillette Castle

 
Gillette Castle was a very interesting place.  The guy that built it made a cool 1900's $3 Million playing Sherlock Holmes.  He added several nick-knacks that were of course essential--rock awnings with rock teeth hanging off them, fake door handles, and as a bit of frosting on the cake he added in his will that his house should not be sold to a "blithering sap-head."

It was so much fun, sadly I left my favorite camera at home and had to use my fall-back camera phone.  

The leaves were glorious and golden.  The children were running all over the place. The air was very crisp and glorious. The leaves were flying off the trees and rushing above and across the parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plan of Happiness

Tonight we talked a little about the Plan of Happiness and S got really excited about it and said, "How old was I in Heaven?"

I answered honestly, "I don't know. I haven't really thought of that before."

R said, "You were probably ten."

S replied, "Maybe I was seven."

T echoed, "Seven."

"Maybe," was all I could muster.

Definitely need to study the scriptures some more. :)