The Excitement

I don't know if it's simply because of the season. Maybe it's because it's the ultimate shoppers
dream. Two words: Black Friday! I am seriously so excited. I've been working so hard this month to stick to our budget and have a little extra for shopping. The funniest part?...I'm not even after anything in particular. I just love to go. I love getting up early, pulling on something warm and comfortable without even bothering about it being cute (in the past I've worn some things that normally I wouldn't be caught dead in), standing in the lines waiting for the doors to open, the shoving and pushing (and yes, getting shoved and pushed), running to some "great" deal, standing in line again to check out...it goes on. And it all sounds crazy. The first year we were married I dragged Steve with me to Kohl's. Shortly (and yes I mean shortly) after entering the doors, I sent Steve to stand in line to check out. He thought I was crazy since I didn't have everything I wanted. So, when I pointed to the end of the line which was already wrapped around to the back of the store, he realized what I had just gotten him in to. I think he vowed to never go again. Thank goodness for the Krispy Kreme's we got on the way home...it cheered him up. However, now I stick with my mom and sisters as shopping partners. It's great! I really don't know why, but I am getting so excited about it. Crazy, I know!

I Know Him!

"Santa is coming...I know him!" -Buddy the Elf
I saw this quote on a pillow last week and couldn't stop laughing about it. It made me want to watch that movie this week, and I have...a couple of times. Every time that part comes, I hold my breath and wait to laugh. I don't know why it's so funny...maybe it's how excited Buddy gets because he knows someone "important".
Important. I've thought about this a lot since that day last week. I know a lot of important people in my life. I get excited, too, when I hear about these people and I want to shout, "I know him/her!" Like my friend who sang a beautiful song at our Enrichment the other night; or my sister who makes beautiful quilts; or another friend who has written a book on dating your spouse (it's called "How to Date Your Spouse")...the list could go on and on and on, but you get the idea.
As I've thought about it more, I've realized, I don't really get excited because of how important they are, rather, because they are important people AND nice. One of my favorite quotes (besides Buddy's) is: It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice! That's what these people are. Nice! And, although I know a lot of people that may not seem to do important things, they are important to me because they are nice (of course, there are other reasons they are important to me)! Like my sister that I can call up and ask for advise on a lot of issues, or another sister that is always willing to watch my kids, or my mom who is just the best at everything.
It doesn't take a lot to be nice; we were all little once and had moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandparents, etc. that would remind us: "Play nice", "Be nice to the doggy", "Be nice to your sister", "Use nice words". Again I could keep going, but won't.

The song that my friend sang the other night was "I Know That My Redeemer Lives." Not only was it beautiful, but the Spirit was so strong. I Know Him! I know that He lives. This brings so much JOY to my life.
As the holidays quickly approach, I hope that I can help my children to KNOW Jesus Christ, that we can find JOY in our home regardless what we "get" for Christmas. Yes, Jesus Christ is important, but, when it all comes down to it, it's because He was nice...everything He did for us! What a blessing it is to have this time of year to remind us of Him. I hope that I can take the spirit of Christmas and drag it out all year long. What a JOY it is to KNOW Him!

Lessons Taught/ Lessons Learned

As a parent of a toddler, I know that it's not too early to start teaching some valuable life lessons. We recently had a Family Home Evening (we used the new Nursery Manual...if you don't have one and you have little kids...get one! It's amazing!!!) on sharing. I wasn't sure how my two-year-old would respond, or if he would really learn anything from it, but we decided to give it a shot. It turns out, he did learn something. He still struggles and has to be reminded, but that's part of the learning process. Last week, we got a visit from "A's" little cousins. While they were squirming around on the floor, "A" took his beloved train and "shared" it with the little boy. I was kind of shocked that he did it all on his own. "A" has also been pretty good at sharing his snacks with me, also without a prompting, and shares his toys with his little sister (he always makes sure she has a car, a boat, even a book when he's playing...he even shares his hats...see my other blog). As I watch him share with others, I have realized how much joy this has brought me. Not only because he is sharing, but he also learned something from Family Home Evening and the lesson wasn't all in vain!

Politics and Voting

During my last 2 years of teaching, I had the opportunity to teach 8th grade Civics. To be honest, I was very nervous about this. When I was offered the job, I told the principal that I would do better with the younger grades and I didn't have any experience with jr high or the subject matter. He was quick to remind me that my emphasis was in Social Studies and then assured me that I would do just fine. As I prepared for my first year, I realized that it was an election year and I needed to do more "investigating" of the candidates and even the whole political process than I had ever done before. Don't get me wrong, I have voted in every election possible, but I didn't get really deep into, if you know what I mean.

As I taught these 8th graders, I learned a lot about myself and a lot about why people vote the way they do (or at least have the view points that they have). Obviously, the way we are brought up plays a huge part in our thinking; but I also realized how much of a role that "other" people contribute to this...mainly celebrities. Ah, yes...celebrities. It would drive me crazy to hear that a student liked one candidate over another simply because their favorite celebrity liked him/her. It was kind of tricky to get them to learn to think for themselves. And, yes, sadly, some didn't care to.

So, when we talked about our constitutional right to vote, it didn't surprise me that a lot of them wanted the right; yet, they didn't want to care. That year, it became my personal goal to get them to take an interest in what could and would effect their lives...even at the "know-it-all" ages of 13 & 14. I guess I became a little passionate about politics that year, and I'm glad I did. Each election that comes, I think about my ancestors who didn't have the right to vote, to have a say in things that would affect their lives. I find so much joy in having that privilege! I will never forfeit that right that my female ancestors fought for. Even if the elections don't go the way I want, at least I will have joy knowing that I exercised my freedom, privilege and right to vote!

Music

Two of my sisters recently added Christmas music to their blogs because they get excited about the holiday season. I agree with them and find that the music brings a lot of joy to my life. Not just Christmas music, but a lot of music. I love to watch my kids get excited and dance to it. It always brings a smile to my face!
So, with that, I have added Christmas music to both of my blogs. Enjoy! There's only 2 months of it!

A Green Thumb

The past few weeks I've been going outside when I can to clean up the yard and to get it ready for winter. This past year I haven't been able to spend as much time working in the flowerbeds (it got kind of hard in the last trimester of my pregnancy). So, I was kind of sad to be pulling out all my hard work, but also relieved to get rid of all the dead stuff.
Whenever I spend time working out in the yard, I always think of my sweet, wonderful mother who has the best green-thumb I know! The flowers in her yard are always gorgeous. I know she always spends a lot of time planting, weeding and watering/feeding them. Then there is my dad. I have never seen a greener, weed-free yard than his. He, too, spends a lot of time making it look luscious. So, with that combination, my parents always have a beautiful looking yard, even though they are quick to point out the dead spots and weeds (and believe me, there are usually none). It really is no wonder why I wanted to have our wedding reception there.
So, back to the green thumb...yesterday I collected all of the houseplants to water and feed. I don't have many, but I try to have a few live plants in the house (I'm not a fan of the fake stuff, although I do have some fake flowers and autumn leaves right now). Again, I thought of my parents and the huge, massive plants they have in their house. There is just something about having a living thing (besides your kids) that you take care of in your home.
Now, I realize my parents didn't just pick this "green-thumb" knowledge up along the way (although I know you can gain a lot from experience). They both grew up in homes that had just as beautiful yards as they have now. Both sets of grandparents all have beautiful yards and flower beds. Even at their age. I wish I could say that I have the same green-thumb because it's in the genes, but let's face it, I don't. I am always calling up my parents to ask them questions about plants, flowers, grass, etc. Maybe one day I'll get it figured out.
So, my point is this, I have always found joy in the beauty of flowers, grass and plants. I love to see the beauty of the earth displayed around a house. It just makes a home inviting.

(This picture is from our wedding and the best one I could find of my parents backyard. Several years later, it looks even better.)