Resolutions

'Tis the season to make promises that we do not intend to keep. We have been discussing what will be on our list this year.

Mine will definitely hold journaling. I've been doing good so far. It is hard to believe I have that much to say. I printed out a journal jar of questions to help me out....just in case I couldn't find anything to talk about. I haven't used them yet. Which totally surprises me.

Other things on the list is that Dan is training for a marathon at the end of May or beginning of June. The 'Fitness People' suggest that he not necessarily diet but to make sure he follows the Food Pyramid. Whatever that is:) So we are trying a whole bunch of different recipes and things that are supposed to be good for you. I guess the people who invented the Food Pyramid didn't have taste buds. But we should be fine. We can improvise.

I am hoping to blog more. I might start using the questions from the journal jar. I just don't lead that interesting of a life. But, I do have some great memories from when I was young and stupid. Maybe not as good as my friend Natalie....but we'll see.

I guess we will see if by midnight we will come up with anymore lame ideas to make us feel like failures by the end of the year. What is funny is that I know I made resolutions last year...I just don't know what they were. Hmm. Now that I have this in writing, I might have to follow through on some:)

Happy New Year!!!

Journal

I started a journal for the first time in my life this week. I think it is funny that I write in it as if it were my blog. I read through one entry last night and realized that I had said things as if I was expecting people to comment. I guess if anyone does respond that is when I need to worry :)

ONE FOOT!!!!

I am so happy we got all our Christmas shopping done early. We have been stranded at home for three days in a row. (I have a friend that is working on way more than that...but she lives at a higher elevation:) Lucky her!! We measured three times yesterday. The first was about 8am. It was only about four inches. And one of those inches was all ice. Then about 1pm we had 7 inches. We were so excited. Then the blizzard hit. Twelve inches by 4pm. I am from Oregon and I don't remember seeing this much snow so near the valley floor. The weatherman said on Sunday night that Salem has seen the last of the snow and Monday was going to be the 'Great Thaw'. RIGHT!! We have had a few tragedies.....I was meaning to cut down our arborvitae about three feet a few weeks ago. No need any more. At least they are hanging down. It will make it easier to trim. Our pool dome is down too. I had been watching it for a few days. I knew it needed to come down.....but I had to wait for the ice and snow to melt off it a bit before I could even try. It never happened. It has now collapsed and I fear that swimming in the rain will never be the same again. BUT....I will not complain. This is exactly what I wanted for Christmas. WHITE. LOVING IT:)

Expenses

Seriously....is it just me or do things only seem to break down around Christmas time? Three weeks ago our dishwasher decided to not drain anymore. So after a very long search and looking for the best dishwasher for our household we bought one. No one seems to want to fix the old one. Which is weird.....it was only about 8 years old. Not like 25. Now that we have the new one installed....I realize how much I miss the old one. Did you know that you HAVE to use jet dry with all the new ones. They won't run without it. But not even that.....we have to wash the dishes before we put them in. Our old one could sit with crusted food on it for days and we never had to worry about food getting stuck. Seems like technology isn't advancing in the kitchen much.
Four days ago we woke up to a very cold house. It seems that our furnace decided to have sympathy pains for the dishwasher. Of course this one is 25 years old and to order parts for it you have to special order them and they are very expensive. So now we have to replace the furnace. Luckily we have a wood stove and a small supply of wood. Otherwise we might have to dig snow caves to stay warm. Why is it that the heaters always seem to break during the heavy winter storms. And the A/C during 11o degree weather? So now.....thousands of dollars later, it is Christmas time. Boy am I glad I only have one child to spoil. And she appreciates the heat and a machine that cleans dishes for her.

Let it snow, Let it snow, Let it snow

I know that most of my friends are going crazy about this snow. But, I am so excited about it. Of course I don't have children at home driving me crazy. We were supposed to go to Spokane and visit my brother....but this winter weather is keeping us put. My brother got 24" of snow in 24 hours. As much as I would have loved to be there when it fell....I don't want to go there now that it has fallen. That is ok with me. I have enough hot chocolate and marshmallows to last me the next month. Just in case my hopes and dreams come true and we get snowed in a little more. :)

Great Story!

I love all types of Christmas stories. This one really stuck out to me this year. I hope it touches your hearts as well. :)...........

The Least of These
By Richard M. Siddoway

We married in August and settled into a small apartment near the university where both of us went to school. We each had a year until graduation and scrimped and struggled through the autumn quarter. Now Christmas was approaching and we had little money between us to squander on Christmas gifts.

We walked through the department stores of Salt Lake arm in arm with the confidence of better days ahead. My bride paused before a winter coat, caressing it with her eyes and fingers. Together we looked at the price tag—seventy-five dollars. Tuition for a quarter was eighty-five dollars. We both knew the coat was out of the question. Her old coat, seam-split and stained, would have to do for another year.

We agreed to spend no more than five dollars apiece in shopping for each other. While my wife drove the car to do her shopping, I walked the half dozen blocks to the Grand Central drugstore to see how far I could stretch five dollars. After considerable searching, I selected a paperback novel my wife had commented about and a small box of candy. Together they came to $4.75. As I approached the checkout stand, I was met with a long line of shoppers, each trying to pay as quickly as possible and get on with the bustle of the season. No one was smiling.

I waited perhaps a half an hour, and only three people were ahead of me in the line when I became aware that the line had grounded to a halt. The clerk was having an animated discussion with an elderly customer.

“Sir,” barked the clerk, “the price of insulin has gone up. I’m sorry, but we have no control over that. You need four more dollars.”

“But it has been the same price ever since my wife started taking it. I have no more money. She needs the medication.” The man’s neck was turning red and he was obviously uncomfortable with the situation. “I must have the insulin. I must.”

The man standing behind him put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Come on, pop, you’re holding up the line.”

The lady in front of me grew more agitated. The dozen or so people behind me began craning their necks to see what was holding up the line. Suddenly I stepped out of line, reached into my pocket, withdrew my wallet, and handed five dollars to the old man. “Merry Christmas,” I said.

He hesitated a moment, then his blue eyes grew moist as he took the money. “God bless you, my son.”

I turned and walked back into the store aisles. I counted the money I had remaining in my wallet—four dollars. I replaced the box of candy and got back in line to pay for the novel.

Snow was falling in soft white feathery flakes as I walked up the hill toward our apartment. I turned in our driveway and saw an envelope stuck in our screen door. I removed it and found written on the front of the envelope simply, “Matthew 25:40.”

I opened the door, stepped inside, and turned on the light. I ripped open the end of the envelope and withdrew a hundred-dollar bill. There was no other message.

It was only after I had purchased the winter coat for my wife that I took time to get out my Bible and read the scripture written on the envelope: “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

To this day I have no idea who blessed our lives that Christmas.

Christmas season

I always struggle around Christmas. I have this very strong desire to make the season about Christ. And celebrating His birth. But then my heathen upbringing pops into my mind and all I can think about is thousands of presents under the tree Christmas morning. This Christmas is just like all the others. Except this time we have a young impressionable person in our home. Just baptized into the church. This would be her first Christmas with a religion. Thus the struggle begins. Her being our first "child" figure....we want to spoil her and make a Christmas to remember with lots of gifts. Yet celebrating Christ would also be a Christmas to remember. I heard once that someone celebrated by giving just three gifts to the children....because that is how many Christ received. I would love to hear other options and traditions. Either way, it will be an amazing holiday.

Blog to you soon......

Winter Holidays

Why is it that we only seem to spend time with our extended families during the Holiday season? We always spend the Saturday after Thanksgiving with the Pippert's. All of Dan's seven siblings come with their children, and now they are coming with their children. We probably had close to 100 people there this weekend. It was amazing. We always bring leftovers so everyone has something to snack on and there is always too much food. We have so much fun with them. And the funny thing is....we all live within 20 minutes of eachother. This is the ONLY time of year that we see them. Why is that? Are our lives too busy that we don't have time to spend with family? Or is it that we are subconsciously keeping ourselves away from them so that we don't hate them? Makes you wonder doesn't it?

Blog to you soon.....