Responsibility

Apparently, I am an adult. I look like an adult, and my driver's license and voter's registration say I am an adult, but I don't really feel like one. I do have a lot of responsibility now, but I still feel like a kid.

I actually have a new responsibility. I am kind of excited, and nervous all at the same time. I received a calling at church. In my church, we all pitch in to run the organization. None of us are paid for the work; it is a form of service for us. Our callings can change from time to time. This time I have been called to Primary. This means I will be teaching Sunday school to five 8-9 year old girls. (I actually have seven girls, but I am told that two of them rarely come.) I am looking forward to it, but I don't start with that class until 2008. For the next three weeks I'll be substituting for the 5 year olds.

I am excited to start working with my girls. I'll have to spend some time getting to know them so I will know how to structure my lessons. I've been told they are all good girls, but are starting to "realize things" like playing with each other's hair, and chatting during Sharing Time. I doubt it will be a serious issue. I am sure that if I can connect with the girls and give them a chance to be themselves in class, they'll behave. I know a couple of the girls, but the rest of them are new to me. (I feel so old... The last time I saw these girls, they were still in diapers!!)


**Update on Primary: They decided to keep me with the five year olds. My class moved on to a new teacher at the New Year, and I have a new group of kids who are four turning five. They are adorable and quite a handful, but very smart.

Bored, bored, bored!!

Where, oh where have all my customers gone?
Where, oh where can they be?

Last year before Christmas was our busiest time ever. This year, it is dead. No customers. Seriously I had one customer all day. All it seems we're getting are complaints. People are mean and cranky during the holidays. I thought Christmas was about love, friendship, peace, and giving. Apparently it is about how I am supposed to read people's minds and know somehow that they don't want a personal checking account, they'd rather have a trust!! Or, I am supposed to know that a customer's check won't clear the bank it is coming from, and stop them from cashing their check. And I also am supposed to control the US mail and the time it takes for people to receive their checks and debit cards.

Thank heaven I am off tomorrow!! I think I will go home tonight and go to bed and not get out until Thursday...

Revenge of the Bank Customers

What a day!! Today was so slow. There were hardly any customers needing personal bankers today. I only opened one checking account!! I did get two credit cards though, so the day wasn't too bad. But I was so bored. I checked my work and personal email about 100 times. (Yes, I am allowed to check my personal email. I am very lucky that way.) I was happy to even get spam mail so I could delete it for something to do. 'Tis the season for people to be Christmas shopping...

Anyway, we had a rather clever visitor today. We must have upset someone fairly recently who decided to get even. We usually just get yelled at or threatened. (Most of the threats are just customers who says they will close their account if you don't do what they want. 99% of those people should close their accounts.) But today, our visitor, possibly a customer, did something rather unusual. They shut off our water. That's right, no water. No water fountain, no hand washing, and no visits to the little banker's room.

It happened fairly close to opening time. We had water one minute, and the next, we didn't. We hadn't even had a customer inside to yell at us yet. Maybe it was someone who went through the drive through, or who was upset over the weekend. Who knows? Anyway, we didn't know what was going on, so we called the company that fixes everything for us, and they sent out our two regular techs.

They made it to the bank about half-way through the day, and walked all around, inside and out, trying to find our problem. When they walked in, they realized we had another issue. None of us had turned on the heater. We were all cold, and we all thought the heat had been turned on, but none of us realized we weren't hearing, smelling, or feeling any heat (we must've been delirious from dehydration...). So they turned on the heater, and we quickly felt much better. Then they called the City of Lewisville to make sure the city hadn't cut off our water for some reason. They hadn't. Apparently our bank pays its bills, which is good for us, but it didn't explain why we didn't have water.

The lady from the city asked our two techs to walk to our neighboring businesses to see if they had lost water, or if we were an isolated problem. Everyone had water except us. (Which was good, because I was starting to need the little banker's room. My assistant manager had had a giant coke for breakfast, so she was very relieved when it was time for her lunch break and she could visit a neighbor's facilities.) Our techs walked around our banking center one more time, and noticed the valve or pipe or whatever it is that controls our water supply had been turned off. All they had to do was turn it back on. We felt so silly. But now we have the mystery of the Banking Center Water Stopper. We don't know who he/she is, or why they would do such a thing. We joked we must've upset a rather clever customer, but we don't know if this is true. We even joked that it was a particular customer who comes in every day just to harass us. We have taken to giving him a hard time back, so he will take a hint and do business elsewhere. Even my managers no longer speak to him. He doesn't speak enough English to cuss us out or threaten us in a language we can understand, so we can't kick him out... yet... But he is our scapegoat for everything that goes wrong. If the fax machine breaks, or something goes missing, or the water gets turned off, we say, "Oh Mr. So-and-so did it."

We were very grateful to our rescuers, who gave us back our water. We will just have to watch and see if anything else odd goes wrong...

So Much Fun!!

Today was another great day. It started out not so hot... I had to go to the courthouse to officially file for divorce. Everyone was super nice and helpful. I got the documents filed fairly quickly, and that was the end of the not so nice part of my day.

Then, I met my Aunt Mar for lunch. She was Christmas shopping and I showed up just in time for the salesperson to talk her into a gift for me!! I am so excited. Even though I know what I am getting, it's going to be great!! I'll give you a hint... It's super soft and smells great!!

At lunch we called my sister, Karen, and chatted for a while. Karen wasn't actually aware for a large part of the conversation that she was on speaker phone with me and Aunt Mar. It was funny. Poor Karen. I didn't do it on purpose... at first. But I realized she hadn't figured out Aunt Mar was talking too, so we just kept up the charade for a while. We had a very yummy lunch and I was sorry when it was over.

But then, I came home, and there was a package for me!! Some clothes I'd ordered online had arrived!! I am usually hesitant to order clothes online, but I've had a little luck with this store. This time, I even got shoes. They all fit and are so cute!! I am so excited!!!

I have been searching for a pair of the perfect red heels. I am super picky, and had wanted them to be opened toed. But I just couldn't find what I wanted, though I have searched everywhere. I thought I'd peek at what this store had to offer in shoes, and lo and behold, they had nearly perfect red heels!! They weren't too tall or too flat, and I like the white trim. They're only draw back is that they weren't open toed. I will have to keep looking for those. But in the meantime, I am thrilled with my new red shoes!!

A More Relaxing Day

Today was a much better day than yesterday. I got more time to relax, worked on laundry, and didn't lose any dogs. Well not yet, anyway...

I stopped by the bank and checked on my loans. They still look good, but we're going to cut it close for one customer. It's kind of her fault. She asked for a rush closing, but is dragging her feet on returning certain documents... I called her today to explain how desperately we needed her documents, and she said she bring them to my co-worker tomorrow. We'll see how it goes.

I then went to Petland and Wal-Mart to purchase collars and tags (among other necessities) for my puppies. If they do get away, now they have their names and my phone numbers on their collars. Hopefully (heaven forbid I lose them again), if I do lose them, someone will find them and be kind enough to return them to me. I was actually kind of hurt yesterday while I was running madly through my neighborhood. I was calling to my dogs, frantic, and no one stopped to help me, even though there were a few people on various streets just standing and chatting. I guess their conversations were more important than the crazy lady running around in black pants and brown shoes calling out "Maggie, Maia!!".

Anyway, today has been much more calm. The dogs love their new "necklaces" and are so cute in them. I just have to get used to all the jingling...

Panic

Today is technically my first day of vacation. I have a lot to accomplish this week before I go back to work on Friday. But I thought I would take one day to just hang out, relax, read, and watch one of my favorite tv shows that is only on during the daytime.

The tv show, Crossing Jordan, airs at 1 and 2 pm central on A&E. Around 1:30, the dogs and I were chasing each other around the couch with Crossing Jordan in the background. Suddenly, Maggie had to go outside. There was no time to wait, and I turned to grab my jacket and shoes. It was already too late; there was a little gift on the floor next to the back door. I opened the back door to let her out, and Maia raced out with her too. I thought I could quickly clean up and then go out back with the dogs. I was gravely mistaken. It took less than sixty seconds for me to clean up and run outside. My dogs were gone.

My parents built their fence high off the ground to avoid termites. I've never understood the logic, because the posts are wooden and are stuck in the ground and attached to the fence. They're what holds it up. Surely if a termite can get into the post, it can travel from the post to the fence. But whatever, it wasn't my fence. It's just been a matter of inconvenience for me, as Maia occasionally slips under the gate. Maggie sometimes follows. They've never gone farther than a block away, and usually "go home" when they are told. I usually stand next to the gate to prevent the escape attempts, and the dogs have been behaving lately. Maia would still escape, but not leave the driveway.

But this time, I was lax in my supervision. I wasn't there to warn them. I wasn't there to call them home. I ran out the back gate, expecting to see them in the alley. They weren't there.

I ran down the block, to the farthest place they'd run before. They weren't there either.

I ran between houses, calling frantically to my dogs. I didn't see so much as a slip of a tail in a bush. In utter panic, I ran back to the house. After all, I had taught them the command, "Go home". They knew where home was. Maybe they'd gone back. They hadn't.

I raced inside the house, grabbed my purse and keys, and jumped in my car. I remembered that Princess knew the sounds of our cars, and would know who was home by the sound of the engine. Maggie loves car rides, and I know she also recognizes the sound of my car. She knows it by sight too. I hoped she'd hear or see the car and want to go for a car ride. It was a trick my mom used sometimes when Princess ran away.

My imagination is far too vivid, and my panic was only rising as I drove all through the neighborhood, to every place we had walked, through alleys and streets they hadn't ever seen. We live so close to three very busy streets. I prayed they wouldn't make it to one of them, especially not 3040. There's no way they could possibly survive trying to cross 3040.

I drove through the next neighborhood. There's a park I've taken them to, near a woody creek. Princess would run there, but my dogs don't like water. I didn't think they'd be there, but it was worth a shot. They weren't there.

I came out of that neighborhood onto 3040. I looked left. I looked right. No sign of the dogs. At least I hadn't seen any bodies in the streets. I took 3040 to Morris to reenter my neighborhood from the back. I know how fast and far dogs can run. I was about to start weaving through my neighborhood again, when I saw the mailman. I stopped my car, practically in the middle of the street, two blocks from my house. I ran to the mailman.

"Excuse me, sir, but have you seen two little beagles?"

"Two little puppies?"

"Yeah," it was all I could do not to cry and impair my vision.

"Yeah, they're over on Larkspur, two streets back," he said. Larkspur!! That's my street!!

"Thank you!" I shouted and ran back to my car, hoping they hadn't moved on before I got back.

They hadn't. They weren't at my house, but across the street, tails wagging, and sniffing around. I stopped my car in front of my house, so grateful to see them alive. I had been driving around for an hour. My hour of sheer panic was nearly over. I just had to get them to come to me. I got out of my car and knelt in the street with my arms wide open. "Maia, Maggie," I called. They ran right to me, tails wagging. Maia was full of kisses and jumped into my arms. But Maggie knew she had been bad, and wouldn't come close enough for me to grab her. So, I used my original plan. I threw Maia into the car through the open window and said, "Maggie, do you want to go for a car ride?"

It worked. She jumped right in. I drove through the neighborhood one more time. I'd promised Maggie a car ride, and I wasn't going to let her think she'd been tricked. I knew I ought to punish her somehow, but I didn't know how to do it so she'd understand what she was being punished for. I was so grateful to have her back, I didn't have it in my heart to be angry. I waved my thanks at the mailman as we passed. When we got back to the house, I had a dilemma. I could carry Maia in, but not Maggie. Not at the same time, anyway. So I shut Maggie in the car and let Maia into the house. I gave her a treat and grabbed one for Maggie so I could distract her as I tried to pick her up. I didn't need to. As soon as she saw the treat, she was mine. Maggie jumped out of the car, and ran straight for the front door of my house. I let her in and gave her her treat.

I'd missed the better part of both episodes of Crossing Jordan, but I didn't care. My dogs were home, safe.

Maggie's punishment turned out to be lots of hugs and kisses from her mommy. She doesn't like to cuddle on someone else's terms. Maia, on the other hand, ate it up. Now, exhausted from their adventure, the two rascals are sleeping behind my chair as I type this. And I am so incredibly relieved and grateful.

Gratitude Blowout

Today is the last day of November, and the last day of my gratitude postings. (I may still let you know what I'm grateful for, it just isn't the month's theme anymore!) I thought I'd do big blow out since I have been busy this week and not posting.

• I am grateful that my grandmother is healing. My dad called me earlier this week to let me know she'd had a minor stroke. But it sounds like she is doing much better, and I am so very thankful. I love my grandparents very much, and am just not ready to lose either of them yet.
• I am grateful for Barnes and Noble, and Barnesandnoble.com!! I have been reading another series, this time a detective series, and they have been tracking the books for me. They are the Detective Kathleen Mallory series by Carol O'Connell. I love mysteries, and the best part is, the violence is limited, and the romance is almost non-existent. I love it!!
• I am grateful for the little break we had from the cold weather this week. The past few days have been fairly pleasant weather-wise.
  
• I am grateful for a couple of my friends who are trying to reteach me to socialize. It's been a long time since I could go hang out whenever I wanted, and luckily for me, my friends are very patient. I've kind of become ultra-private and closed off, but this blog and my friends are helping me to express myself and rejoin the realm of normal humanity.
• I am super excited and grateful to have a few days off. I am on vacation technically starting tomorrow through Thursday. I'm really looking forward to the time off, but I'm having a little difficulty with two of my loans, so I'll probably have to drop in at the bank a couple of times this week to check on them.
  

I am so glad I took this time to think about what I was grateful for. Even if I couldn't post everyday, I thought about what I was thankful for. That kind of mindset is very helpful and cheering. Even after a really rough day at home or work, I'm still happy, because I am recognizing my blessings. Life is good, and can only get better.

Saturday and Sunday

Sorry I missed my gratitude posting yesterday. I came into some really bad news, and I just couldn't find it in me to be grateful for anything.

But now I am grateful for that news. It has given me the opportunity to enlighten someone who was lacking some very vital information. She now has the ability to make her decisions with a full knowledge of what she is getting herself into. I am also grateful to understand her better. She's made some situations in my life make more sense. What I learned still hurts, more deeply than I thought was still possible, but it just might help me to start healing.

Today I am grateful for good music. I especially love Christmas music, as it seems the whole world is suddenly in tune (no pun intended) with the knowledge that Christ is their Savior. On the way to church, I was listening to the album 'Wintersong' by Sarah McLachlan. One of her songs was asking what could she have given the baby Jesus, and she answers herself, "I will give my heart". That line really touched me.

Day 23

I am grateful for Thanksgiving leftovers. I had a very yummy lunch today of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, and of course blackberry pie!!

I am grateful for good co-workers who can laugh with me when I might not be in the best of moods.

I am grateful for an excellent manager who pushes me to be my best with friendship and encouragement. There are many ways I am lacking, but you'll never hear her yelling at me. She treats me with kindness and patience. Those are much better motivators than fear and intimidation. I love being able to work with a manager like Michelle.

I am grateful God gave me a sense of humor. It may be a little twisted by my life experiences, but it keeps me floating.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!! I hope you all had wonderful holidays filled with fun, (yummy) food, and family. I sure did. I had so much fun at my dad's. It was just the two of us, and very cozy. He made the meal (he's a former chef... only Aunt Mar can cook better than him!!), and I brought the pie. I also found a new flavor of sparkling cider. It was pomengranite apple. It was very yummy. We watched the Cowboy game, which was really more of a stomping, enjoyed a movie, and then Dad got out Fallon's Wii. (Thanks Fallon, for sharing, even though you weren't there...) He taught me to play tennis (and stomped me!!) and golf (we tied!!). I had such a blast!!

Today I am thankful for many things. I am thankful for a dad who would go to so much trouble, just for me. I am thankful for an aunt who would take time out of her busy life to come up with the perfect pie recipe for me to surprise my dad with. I am thankful for my sister who always makes me laugh, especially exactly when I need it.

And now for the pie. It was blackberry. My aunt came to visit me for lunch last week, and I told her my plan to surprise my dad with cherry pie, as I was under the impression that cherry pie was his favorite. Lucky for me, Aunt Mar remembered that Dad's favorite pie is actually blackberry. She promised to figure out just what she does to make her famous blackberry pie (she's a marvelous cook, and does things by memory and instinct, so she often doesn't have an exact recipe) and let me know. And even though she was helping her children get through their various activities while packing for their Thanksgiving vacation, she took the time to come up with the blackberry pie recipe for me. It was my first time making a berry pie, and the filling broke through the edges to bubble out a bit, but it tasted divine. I think I have a new favorite pie... Thanks Aunt Mar!! Dad loved the surprise, and I think he really appreciated that you would remember his favorite pie after all these years.

Day 21

I am grateful for today for many reasons. My sister is on her way to spend the holiday with our grandparents and other extended family. I wish I could join them, but I am excited for some quality time with my dad.

One bad thing about trying to surprise Dad with pie is that he was already prepared. He bought a few... so I am only making one pie. Store bought pies are okay, but there's nothing like homemade. My aunt sent me the recipe, and I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

I am grateful for blankets, jeans, socks, sweatshirts, gloves, and all other items I can wear or cozy into as the temperature rapidly drops. Every time I step outside today, it seems to be 10 degrees colder. Oh yeah, I am grateful for hot chocolate with cinnamon too!

I am grateful for my puppies who provide a welcome distraction today. They are CRAZY, but adorable. Maia especially seems in tune with my moods. I've never had a pet so uncannily aware of me, or (seem to) try to comfort me before. Maggie too is becoming more aware of my moods, or maybe it's just competition. The dogs compete for everything, whether they need to or not. I tell them there's a reason God gave me two hands... It's because He knew I'd have two dogs. I don't think they quite believe my logic...

Goodbye

Our Darling Friend Jasmine passed away last night in her sleep. We love her and miss her very much, but we are grateful to know she is in a better place. I am sure she is without her pain and confusion, perched on a tree in heaven whistling her heart out. She'll only stop to ask passing angels, "What are you doing?"

Day 20

Okay, so I have been super busy and have slacked off again... So now I have three days of gratitude to make up.

1. I am grateful that a loan booked for a customer I thought I'd lost. After the initial application, I never heard from him again, but they closed yesterday, and I still got credit for it!! It happens sometimes, and it now means I just might barely make my loan goal. Or be just under, but that is okay, because this quarter has been rough. I'll take what I can get.
2. I am grateful for a good support staff in my bank. I've had a couple of difficult customers and/or situations this week, but I've been able to take care of almost everything because of the network I have to reach out to.
   
3. I get two days off in the middle of the week this week!!!! My regular day off is usually Wednesday, and since Thursday is a holiday, I get two days off in a row!!! Yay me!!!!
   

Day 17

I am again, grateful Saturdays are half days. And I'm still super happy to be at my old desk. I enjoyed my day at work immensely, and was extremely pleased to step outside to beautiful weather and gorgeous sunshine. It was a nice break from the frigid temperatures we've been enduring lately. (Cold for Texas, I mean...)

I am also grateful for good books. I love to read, and I am currently reading a mystery by Mary Higgins Clark. She's one of my favorite mystery authors, and I've discovered I like her daughter's mysteries too. I like how the two differ. Mary Higgins Clark's books are about different women in different circumstances, and Carol Higgins Clark's books are more detective-novel like. So back to my book, "On the Street Where You Live". I'll let you know how it goes. I just started, but so far, so good.

Make-up Gratitude

My last post was on Monday, so that means I owe four days of gratitude.

1. Tuesday: I am grateful that Tuesday is over. It can never come back. It was a rotten, frustrating day at work, and I survived.
   
2. Wednesday: I was extremely grateful to have a day off after Tuesday. I was also grateful that my doctor wasn't concerned about the scar on my finger festering over the weekend. He thinks a little neosporin will do the trick, but he said if it continues to be a problem it'll be simple enough to remove it. (I told Mom it was just a coincidence it festered at the same time Jasmine was getting sick, but you know moms...At least I know she cares!) I was also happy that my doctor's office is near my dad's apartment. Dad happened to call just as I was leaving, so I got to go have dinner with him and his family. I love spending time with my little sister!! She is so cute and smart.
3. Thursday: My Aunt Mar came to visit!!! She brought me some yummy soup and we got to have a short lunch together in our tiny break room. It was so nice to see her, but I think my co-workers are trying to organize a trade: me for her... Also, I was grateful that Angela started working as our new teller supervisor. She transferred in from another banking center. She is so nice!! Plus, I am excited to get to know her better. We went to teller training together, and since we lived close, we carpooled. I was so sad that I might never get to see her again, and now, two years later, we work together!! I think she's doing a great job. In the past two days, I've had triple the amount of teller referrals (which we rely heavily on to make our goals).
   
4. Friday: Today, I am grateful that we got a third personal banker. Her name is Dianca (I'm not sure on the spelling but it sounds like Bianca, just with a D), and she too is extremely nice. We were super busy today, and with the extra help, the day ran so much more smoothly. Plus, I got my old desk back (yay!!) so I can make faces at the tellers again. I love my desk. It's a little more private and not so noisy there. I can concentrate better. I also had the pleasure of running in to an old friend, Alex, whom I haven't seen since my freshman year of high school. But nothing tops this: I met Brad from Five Times August today!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love his music!! I scoured several local Wal-Marts and one in South Carolina until I found his most recent cd this last summer. Anyway, he was standing in the teller line, and I just wasn't sure if it was him, but I took a deep breath and walked up and said, "Are you Brad?" and he replied, "Yeah..." I told him I was a huge fan and we got to chat for a few moments until I was called away by another customer. He was super nice. I am normally extremely shy, so this was a very brave act for me. I didn't really realize I was so nervous until I walked away and almost fell down from shaking so hard. I hope he didn't notice... If you want to check out his music, his website is fivetimesaugust.com.
   

So today was a pleasant end to a long work week. I am looking forward to next week when we'll have a bit more time off.

I get to spend Thanksgiving with my dad. I'm not to thrilled about spending the day watching football, but I am excited for the quality time. Plus, dad's cooking could almost rival Aunt Mar's... It'll be just the two of us since Tracey is taking her daughters to visit family in Missouri.

I am off Wednesday (just by pure luck), and I plan on practicing a couple of pie recipes, and whatever turns out best, I will bring to surprise Dad. (I'm not saying what kind, just in case he reads this...) Aunt Mar is going to help me figure one of them out. I'll let you know how it goes next week. I love to cook, especially if it involves learning a new recipe. I'll have to make an extra pie and leave it for my mom. I know she's disappointed I won't be spending the holiday with her and her friend. I'm open to suggestions, if anybody wants to recommend a favorite pie recipe...

Jasmine

Our family is blessed to have an adorable feathered friend named Jasmine. She is normally a beautiful, intelligent bird, and we have enjoyed her time with us very much. I love hearing her whistle or sing to herself. She's even learned to say Maggie and Maia!! She is normally very talkative, and would say things like, "I love you pretty bird", and "Hi Jasmine", and our favorite, "What are you doing?"

Sadly, Jasmine is not doing very well right now. She is a very sick little bird. Her speech is going and she has very little balance. She startles at the slightest movement, and almost seems to have reverted back to a baby bird. My mom took her to the vet last week to discover one of two possibilities. Jasmine has either some how been exposed to a toxin, probably through the paint on one of her toys (though they are all bought from well known pet stores) or she has a rare virus that she would have been born with, and is just now manifesting itself. The vet is sending off her blood work today to determine which of these possibilities is the real one.

The best thing would be for Jasmine to have been exposed to the toxin. She can be treated for that and may make very close to a full recovery. If it is the virus, she can have medicine that may slow it down, but she will never recover. In fact, her time with us may be very short if this is the case.

This picture is one I took of her today. We realized that none of us had taken a picture of Jasmine while she was healthy, and my mom wanted something to remember her by if she doesn't recover. I have to confess the picture is doctored. I wanted to remember Jasmine when she was healthy, so I used the makeover tool on my picture editor the remove the scratches and food from her face. She can't hold her balance, as I said, and eating has become a very messy ordeal for her. She has taken a few falls and has scratched her face in the process. I don't know if you can tell from this picture, but one thing I did not remove was the blue ring around her eye. The blue ring signifies dehydration. With Jasmine's balancing problems, it's almost impossible for her to drink. I thought her eyes looked better this morning, so maybe it's a good sign...

We are all very worried about her, especially my mom, as Jasmine is her special pet. I hope for my mom's sake, and Jasmine's that she is treatable. I miss her cute little personality very much.

Veteran's Day

Today is Veteran's Day, and I am very grateful.

Obviously, I am grateful for the extra day off from work, but that is not why I am thankful for Veterans.

Those who have served and are serving in this country's armed forces have my undying gratitude. They gave up their time, friends, family, lives, and sometimes parts of themselves not only to keep us safe but to help others in the world who were not strong enough to defend themselves.

Where would we be without our veterans? Just think of the world wars... Can you imagine a world run by the Nazis? I shudder to think of it. What about the Civil War or the Revolutionary War? We have some amazing freedoms today thanks to those brave men and woman.

Today, I am concerned about our country's apparent lack of patriotism. They mock our government and protest our battles. I may not agree with all of the decisions that have been made, but I have nothing but the utmost respect for our leaders and those who serve this country. Soldiers must never be greeted with anything less that a heartfelt thank you. It never fails to bring tears to my eyes to see Veterans remembered, or hear our National Anthem. I love this country. I love our freedoms. I am so grateful that there are people who were and are willing to stand up and defend it.

Missionaries

I am grateful for missionaries. I have always loved the missionaries, ever since I was a little girl. Some of my favorite memories are from having missionaries over for dinner. I loved cooking for them in the singles' ward (and once they figured out I could cook, I had constant requests...). It was the least I could do to show my support for them as they labored on God's errands. They all have such a beautiful spirit about them. It's refreshing to feel these young men and women's faith, and to see the joy shining from their faces. I LOVE missionary stories. I can never get enough of them.

I ran into my friend's mom at church today. He's serving currently in the Singapore mission, and is in Malaysia. It's a predominantly Muslim area, and they aren't allowed to go tracting. They go "man-hunting" instead. They walk from house to house and rattle the gates. If a woman comes to the door they have to politely greet her and leave. If a man comes to the door, they have to ask if he is Christian, and if he says no, again they have to move on. They aren't allowed to approach the Muslims, but they can teach them if the Muslim comes to them of their own accord. Sister Clark told a story that really touched me today. She said that one day, Travis and his companion were in a government "planned housing" district. It was little more than a slum and laid out in rows. They were "man-hunting" in row S, with little luck, when a little boy walked by and said, "You guys should really try row R". So, the young men decided to take inspiration from wherever they could get it, and headed towards row R. As they approached, they saw a man who walked right up to them and asked, "Do you represent Jesus Christ?" The missionaries said, yes they did, and the man said, "We have been waiting for you for a long time. Will you please come back and teach my family?" The missionaries followed him to his apartment, where there was not only his family, but also two other families waiting to learn about Jesus Christ.

That story and others like it are a beautiful testament to me of my Heavenly Father's love for His children, and helps my own faith grow. It's still bringing tears to my eyes as I remember Sister Clark's story. I so grateful she shared it with me. I am so proud of Travis, and grateful that he and countless others will stand up and answer the Lord's call.

Saturdays

I am grateful for Saturdays. Saturdays are only a half day at work, so I can go home and spend the afternoon with my puppies or my friends. Sometimes I get to read a good book, or get some much needed r&r. Often, I use the time to finish chores I can't seem to get to during the week. Plus, the best thing about Saturdays is that if I work on a Saturday, I get a full day off during the week!! I love breaking up my weeks that way. I work a couple of days, have a day off, work a couple more, then I have another day off!!

Government Holidays

After a day like today, I am grateful that we have government holidays like Veterans Day to allow us to take a break from work. I am definitely looking forward to the time off.

I am also grateful for the lovely weather we've been having. It is cool, but not cold (even if I am!!) and I love watching my dogs play in the falling leaves. It's just too bad we don't get all the colors the northern states do. I miss the red, yellow, and orange trees...

The thing I am most grateful for today is Quarterly Bonuses!! I don't get it until the 15th, but I am definitely looking forward to it. My poor car is in need of yet more repairs... So now I can have it fixed!!

Friends

I am grateful for my friends. They are a source of laughter and support, which I really appreciate now. We tease each other back and forth, and it makes the day go by lighter, and more quickly. It keeps me from getting down on myself if I don't make my daily goal, and it also keeps me from going crazy with our current lack of customer volume. I am also grateful that by next Thursday, we will be fully staffed!! My days of being the only seller on the floor are nearly over!!

Day 7

I am grateful for days off. I didn't have to work today, and the weather is just perfect. It's so nice to relax and take time to hang out with my puppies. Plus, I made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (my favorite, yum!). I am also grateful for friends with cooking tips. I had a friend tell me to bake my cookies for slightly less time that the recipe recommends, then let them set on the cookie sheet. She said it makes them soft and melty even the next day, like they were fresh from the oven. So far, so good!! I have tons, and if you want some, come on over!! (That is if my mom will let me share, once she discovers the surprise!)

Mmmmmmm.... Somebody better come help me eat these. Or I will!!



It took forever (and one escape attempt) to get them to pose!! But it was worth it. Aren't they absolutely adorable? I am so grateful for these crazy kiddos.

Cold and More Gratitude

I am soooo cold!! I have been freezing for about a week. I can't figure out why though. Our weather has just finally cooled off. It has been a pleasant high 60's-mid 70's for a week or two, and yet I am freezing. Today was much colder, and so was I. I don't have a fever, but I can't seem to get warm. So I am grateful for hot chocolate and my warm fuzzy blanket.

I bought my blanket as one of those impulse buys that I am forever trying to ignore. But it was such a soft blanket and only $7, and today I am very happy I gave in to temptation. :)

I am also grateful that Robert is on vacation. Wait, keep reading. It's not what it sounds... I am very grateful to have Robert as a co-worker. He has been very supportive and is a good example for me to learn from. He is charismatic and driven, and most of our customers like him very much. But just like last August when he went on vacation, it seems like the mortgage customers are flocking to my desk. I had 3 applications on Saturday, one yesterday, and two more scheduled for later this week!! It never rains, but it pours, and it seems to pour mortgages when Robert is on vacation. Sorry, buddy, and thanks... :)

I am most especially grateful for the time change today. I always love "falling back", and relish in the extra hour of sleep I get over the weekend. I do struggle a little to get my body to go to bed earlier than it is used to, but today it was worth it. I left work a little before six. The sun was already below the horizon, but it's rays still colored some of the low lying clouds. It was the most beautiful shade of red-orange that I have seen in a very long time. I was grateful to be blessed with such a magnificent view as I drove home (luckily headed west) from work. I am also grateful I managed to keep enough attention on the road to make it home safely.

Gratitude...

Is the key to humility. I've been thinking about humility lately, and I don't really know why. Maybe it was triggered by my Aunt's post about different cultures' views of humility. Somehow I connected the two virtues into one. Here's my train of thought:

We are taught to be humble, but we are not stopped from earning riches and gaining success - as long as it is for the greater good of man. How do we remain humble if we do in fact gain fame, riches and/or glory? Gratitude. True gratitude stops us short. It reminds us why we are, how we are, and who helped us to be so.

Maybe everyone already knows this, but it came as sort of an epiphany to me today. (And I am grateful.)

My Aunt has a tradition of posting something she is grateful for everyday of November. So, I am stealing yet another of her glorious ideas, and though I am a little late, I will post my gratitude this month too. As I said, I am a little behind, so I will make it up (in no particular order):

1. I am grateful to have a job. It is a good job (though stressful) and I am surrounded by people who care about me, and I care about them. I have a good management team, and am motivated by my desire to help my little work-family be successful. It's much better than being motivated by fear or anger. I've never worked for a better team, and though I complain (a lot), I love it (most of the time).
2. I am grateful for my puppies. They are dorks and they drive me crazy, but they always make me smile. They are always surprising me with moments of intelligence, affection, and adorableness. When it seems that all is dark and I cannot go on, they make me laugh, and I survive another day. They are my furry little angels.
3. I am grateful for my sister. We didn't get along very well while we were growing up. I thought she was annoying, and I wasn't very nice to her. But now, I see my sister as my best friend. She is incredibly intelligent and spiritual. She and I share advice back and forth, trying to lift each other up, and laugh at how funny our lives can be sometimes. (Especially hers... She can't even manage to blow her nose without some sort of adventure!) She always knows just when to call or text message me, to bring me cheer or save me from some awful company.
4. I am grateful for my Aunt and Uncle. They are a great example to me of what a marriage should be. I love to watch them interact with their children. My Aunt is especially full of life, love and charity, and I am so grateful to share her name. It tells me that someday, I might be like her, and that is all I have ever wanted from my life. I am grateful that my Uncle is a good husband and father, who honors his priesthood. I wish that I had had the maturity to realize how important it was to have in my home when it was there. I wish I had been more supportive and grateful then. Sadly, I did not learn this lesson until it was too late, and though I no longer have access to the priesthood in my home, I have my Uncle, who is always willing to serve. (#4 I guess is also a statement on my gratitude for the priesthood...)
5. I am grateful for this world. It may be a difficult time for the many peoples and countries, but it is still a beautiful world. I love every cloud, tree, butterfly, and flower. Its endless beauty reminds me that there is a Father in Heaven, for there is no way any of these small miracles could exist without Him.
   

I could go on forever about the things I am grateful for, but there are 25 more days left to express them. (I don't want to run out, though I doubt I could...) There is something to be said for counting your blessings. It always lightens my load and reminds me of all the reasons I have to be happy.

A Difficult Day

Today was a rather difficult day for me, and many I know. Work was slow and disappointing. I took a late lunch and decided to run across the street for a sandwich.

I was in the center turn lane getting ready to turn into the parking lot, when I saw them. There were four, maybe five motorcycle cops leading a hearse at their usual funeral speed. I was pretty sure I had enough time to get across all three lanes before they reached me, but out of respect for the person at the moment unknown to me, I decided to wait. A second, half thought of trying to beat four cops across traffic might not be such a good idea also flitted through my head. Funerals always make me sad. The police officer closest to me waved his thanks as he passed. I'm sure we were thinking along the same lines...

I wasn't paying attention at first, because like I said, funerals make me sad. Then, it suddenly dawned on me that I work not two minutes from our stake center, and my heart almost stopped. I had a friend in high school who's sister was in a very serious car accident a couple of weeks ago, and I wondered if it was her funeral procession I was watching. Her brother and I weren't that close- mostly we had common friends, and didn't hang out except for when they were all together, so I wasn't keeping up on the latest news. I felt I should stay out of the family's way since I didn't know them that well. My heart sunk lower and lower as the procession grew longer and longer. Who else but a Mormon would have such a long procession?

The procession finally passed, and I had to get through the rest of my day. As soon as I got home, I went to her family's website that was being updated by their bishop. Sure enough, it was her friends and family I had watched on their way to the internment. I was suddenly very glad I had chosen to let them pass, and overwhelmed with sorrow at the same time. I know our church teaches that families are forever, and I know that this family will one day be whole, and I know they know it too. But I also know the agony they are feeling at the sudden loss of one so young, bright, and dear. I know how they must miss her right now, and my heart goes out to the family. I pray they will be comforted and strengthened at this time and know how much we all care for them.

The Mad World of Donuts

Every year on Halloween, my Aunt Mar makes homemade donuts and invites all her friends and family to come and enjoy them. She really goes all out - decorating, cooking, and socializing with her neighbors. I got to join in this year. When I arrived at her house around 7:30 this evening, I found her street lined with cars and seemingly hundreds of people rushing to her door. People had been coming in and out of her house since 3:30 this afternoon. Her house (which is a little on the large side) was packed with people, spilling into both the front and backyards. Children, teens, and parents chatted and munched on her delicious delights. I got to help fry and sugar as we tried to keep the donut plate full. We failed miserably!! We would get a small pile of donuts built up, and turn our backs for just a second to make some more, and when we turned back, all the donuts were gone! I could say, "I guess that means the donuts were good," but I know they were. I got to try one fresh out of the fryer. It was so sweet and literally melted in my mouth. Yummmmmmmm.... I mentioned to Uncle Jonathan that if they couldn't sell their house, Aunt Mar could always open a donut shop. I chuckled when I later heard others make similar comments. One young girl even volunteered to help!!

She had other goodies set out as well, including an assortment of nuts, m&m's, vegetables, chips, crackers, and monster toes (mini sausages). She had cleverly arranged five large carrots in the vegetable dip to resemble monster fingers too. They had dry ice creating a lovely Halloween fog, and some of the young men had a lot of fun (maybe too much fun?) playing with the dry ice. In the end, we estimated we'd gone through at least 500 donuts!! Poor Aunt Mar didn't even get one!! By the time the guests stopped coming, and Aunt Mar could take a break, she was all donuted out. I don't blame her, she'd only been making them all day long!!

This is Uncle Jonathan pouring the dry ice in the sink. ( Ashton really enjoyed that...)
You can see our empty donut plates, and all the endless mounds of sugar.

Thanks, Aunt Mar, for all your hard work. It turned out to be a wonderful (and delicious) Halloween.

Halloween At The Bank, Day 2

Today was day 2 of our Halloween celebration. Today we were supposed to dress in our jammies. It was so much fun!! Erin, one of our former associates (Friday was her last day - she is moving to Colorado - wish I could go too!!), came and brought homemade goodies for our customers. She's also the one responsible for all the fun decorations. What will we do without her? Most of our customers were in good moods, so even though we were super busy, I really enjoyed my day. Plus Robert came to visit on his day off so we could see his rockstar wig, and talked a few people into actually posing for me today.

Robert wanted to look like he was working...

Adriana posed with her super star glasses...

Amy was sooo cute in her jumper...

Robert even got me to pose!!

Halloween At The Bank, Day 1

We decided to celebrate Halloween for two days at the bank, so people who weren't working one day would be able to dress up on the other. Today was day one, and we were supposed to dress up as doctors and patients. Nobody really wanted to pose for the camera, except for Michelle and Chaunessy, and I accidentally deleted their picture!! It was so cute. Chaun had a "black eye" and a "bloody scrape" on her forehead, and Michelle was standing behind her pretending to strangle her. I was soooo bummed when I realized I'd deleted the picture!! I did get a couple of the banking center, and I took pictures of my wounds too. It was so interesting, customers didn't seem to realize we were in costume. But most of them seemed very concerned about me and I was touched as I explained it was only makeup for our Halloween theme.

Jack wasn't too thrilled about being in the picture, so if he asks, it's really a picture of Denis (in the background) who was our gunshot victim. Amy looked pretty gruesome too. Most of our tellers dressed up as doctors or nurses. They looked great!!





My story was that I was in a car accident and hit my head on the steering wheel. Then the airbag deployed.

A Little Early Halloween Celebration

Today I got to spend the evening with my Aunt Mar and her family. Their ward was having its annual Trunk or Treat for the kids, and I was supposed to come. I misunderstood the date, and thought I couldn't go. I found out about a half hour before it started that I could go, but it was in Frisco, and I live in Flower Mound, and I was totally unprepared to go anywhere. So I threw on some clothes and make-up and ran out the door. I thought I'd miss the dinner, but get to see the kids go from car to car for the trick or treating. For some odd reason, traffic just past The Colony going into Frisco was just about at a stand still until my turn off. Lucky me!! Anyway, I got to the Trunk or Treat just in time for people to start leaving!! I did, however, get to spend some time with my aunt, uncle and cousins. They invited some friends over to play Imaginiff. We had a blast with the Tolberts and their cute girls. I knew Br. Tolbert from when I was a teenager, so it was easy to relax and enjoy the evening.

My Aunt's family tradition is to make her children's costumes. Nathan had to work, so I didn't get to see him dress up, but Emily went as a cleaning lady, Megan was her basket of dirty laundry, and Ashton was a washing machine. That's right, a washing machine. My aunt is so creative and clever. They all turned out so cute!!

Fallon's Birthday

Today is my baby sister's 6th birthday. Happy Birthday, Fallon!!

It's a very long story, but this is actually the first time I've gotten to celebrate Fallon's birthday with her. I met my dad early in the afternoon and got to spend some good quality time with him. We haven't done that in such a long time, and it was really nice to be able to hang out and talk, just the two of us. We hooked up with Fallon, Tracey, Stormy, Stormy's baby Lexi, and Judy, Fallon's grandma for bowling around 5:30. I am officially the world's worst bowler!! But I had a lot of fun hanging out with Fallon and watching her open her presents (not to mention the yummy cookie cake!!). She's so sweet and cute, and fun to be around. Thanks, Fallon, for letting me spend some of your birthday with you.

Dreams

Last night I had the strangest dream. It was awful, and I can't get it out of my head.

It happened in sequences that were all broken but connected.

Scene one: I was teaching Sunday School to some young women from the ward I grew up in. I'd grown up with their older sisters and brothers; they were only a couple of years younger than I was. Two of them stood out to me. They were sisters/cousins Ashley and Laren (Ashley was Laren's cousin, but because of her family's situation, Laren's family adopted her). I remember Ashley causing some sort of problem and I asked her to settle down so I could finish the lesson. We ended up arguing and I kicked her out of class. I remember feeling horrible about it because I knew Ashley had real problems with her behavior, and I knew she felt abandoned by her first family, and later (though at the point in my dream it hadn't happened yet) her second. In real life, Ashley caused so many problems for her adopted family, they had to send her back to her biological mother. But in my dream, I knew it was about to happen.

Scene two: After class I saw Ashley's adopted mother in the foyer, and apologized for what happened. Marcella told me it was alright and she understood Ashley could be a handful. I could see the illness etched in Marcella's face, and felt worse for adding to her difficulties, especially when I knew she only had days left. In the back of my mind, I realized I was dreaming, and wondered why I would dream of begging Marcella for forgiveness and have her give it to me. I told myself it was what my subconscious mind needed to hear.

Scene three: I was in the chapel of the Lewisville (really it's in Flower Mound) building, and it was packed. I was in one of the overflows sitting behind Sister Whitley. She was looking around for a hymn book, and I realized we were at Marcella's funeral. I was at the funeral alone, though when it actually happened, I went with Patrick. (Marcella died of cancer the year after I graduated from high school.) I looked up and saw sitting next to the pianist, Sister Whitley's son Aaron. I couldn't hold back the tears as I realized his time too was short, and quickly gave her my hymn book. It was the least I could do. Through my tears, I saw my friend Chris looking back at me. He could see I was in pain, so he came back to sit with me. He didn't say anything, but reached his arm out to allow me to rest my head on his shoulder. I knew I would decide he was too young for me and that soon he would leave for his mission and I would never see him again. I knew part of my decision was because my mom didn't like his family, and I could also see the future that would really happen. I knew I would choose Eric, even though I could see that ending too (and in my dream I hadn't met Eric yet). Even though I knew I would hurt him, I laid my head on Chris's shoulder and cried.

My alarm went off at that point, so I don't know how the dream ended. Maybe that was the end. I always dream vividly, but this was so real. It was like I had traveled back in time five years, and could clearly see my future. There was nothing I could do to change it.

I never really interacted with the main characters of my dreams in real life. Those I was close too, (or antagonized by) were either in the periphery or non-existent. In real life, Laren's older sister was in my grade at school and absolutely tortured me, especially in high school. We made up when her mom got sick, because I could see how much she had changed and matured. I'm sorry she lost her mother at such a young age, but it made her grow up. I suppose I was begging for Marcella's forgiveness in my dream, because I always hated not getting along with Andrea. I loved Marcella, and hated the thought she might see me as Andrea did.

Aaron was one of the dearest friends I ever had. Sister Whitley used to babysit me after school, and even though Aaron was three years older than I was, he always hung out with me. He was the closest thing I ever had to a brother, and he had a heart condition that made it difficult for him to have a normal life. When I got to college, I saw him less and less, even though he was supposed to have transferred to my school. He couldn't, because he kept getting worse. He finally got a heart transplant the fall after Marcella died. I was so relieved because I thought surely now, his life would be better. But by that time I was engaged and wrapped up in planning my wedding, and didn't make an effort to see him as I should have. It hurt me when his family didn't come to the wedding, but understood quickly why they couldn't come. Aaron had been diagnosed with throat cancer and died two months after I got married. I didn't even find out he had been sick until the day before his funeral. I was living in San Antonio at the time, so I couldn't even come back for that. I never got to say good-bye.

Chris and I had known each other for a long time, but he was a year younger than I was, and I hung out with the group that was a year or two older than me at church, so we didn't really become friends until they all left for college. He was always my favorite of his family, but I never really thought of him as anything but a chum. I was pretty sure he was hanging out with me because he liked my then best friend, Summer.

So now I am left with the vivid memory of my dream and don't really understand it. It has forced some severely painful memories to the surface. I haven't thought of any of those people in a while. So why would I dream about them now, and why would I be forced to relive some incredibly difficult points in my life and theirs?

Ummm, am I in the Twilight Zone?

Okay, here's the deal. I was scheduled off on Saturday, and sick on Monday, so after last Friday, today was my first day back at work. So basically two days in a row, I ended up opening a checking account for a new customer with a strange fascination for me. This guy was way more into me than the first one. But he was the same age (I am guessing) as my uncle. (BTW, Aunt Mar, how old is Uncle Steve?) He really was embarrassing me with his overt flirting, and never caught on that I wasn't interested. I told him 3 times that I am not allowed to date my customers (which isn't exactly true, but Michelle has always told us if there's a customer who is bothering us for a date and won't give up, she'll back us up if he complains), and he kept coming up with something else we could go do. He wanted to take me dancing (country style), bowling, or out to shoot pool. I think he wanted to take me to a bar and get me drunk or something because he asked if I drank. I proudly said, "No, I have never even tasted a drop; I don't even smoke." So then he told me that he also rarely drinks, and he's down to about a pack of cigarettes a day. What a winner!!

At first, it wasn't so bad, he told me I was really pretty, and I accepted the compliment happily. I guess that was my downfall. I am too nice!! But this guy wouldn't let up!! He kept complaining to Michelle that he was late for work and couldn't wait for a personal banker to open his account, and then when he got to my desk, he wouldn't leave!! He spent an hour and a half opening one checking account! He told me my glasses made me look like a lawyer, like a hot young prosecutor. (That's it, where are my grannie glasses?) He showed me pictures of his three year old son (who is actually really cute-he must look like his mom), and was far too excited when I gave him my business card as I finally ushered him out the door. I really didn't want to give him the card, but I was afraid I'd never get rid of him if he didn't think there'd be some future contact. (The other pb's have strict instructions that I am not there if he calls...)

Michelle, Robert and I were joking that I'm not allowed to wear make-up or do my hair anymore. (I straightened it, curled the ends, and wore it down. Even I thought it looked too good this morning while I was getting ready for work.) But then, Robert said, "Michelle, I don't think that's such a good idea. How else are we supposed to get credit cards?" Gee, thanks Robert. Watch me come over and help next time you have a psycho customer...

An interesting day at work

Yes, that's right folks, working at a bank can be interesting.

Today started out as another typical stressful yet boring day. We as a banking center were short of our quarterly goal for credit cards by 16 cards this morning. (Tomorrow is the last day of the quarter.) We as personal bankers have been working our tails off the last few weeks trying to close our credit card gap, so we were pretty excited to get down to 16. Other banking centers began volunteering their help last night, and with their help and a little elbow grease from me and a TON from Robert, we ended the day ONE credit card short of our goal. Wooohooo!! That means that tomorrow if ANYONE gets a credit card, our banking center makes its goal and funds for a bonus. Let me tell you, we personal bankers were pretty enthusiastic when we walked out of work (an hour late) today. We are wiped out, exhausted, and frustrated by the lack of customer volume, but very excited that our hard work is going to pay off. If of 18 people working tomorrow, NO ONE gets a credit card, then we really don't deserve to fund. But it's a Saturday, so we'll be busy, plus with Robert working, well there's just no way we won't get it.

Now for the interesting part. Michelle (my manager) thought she'd given us a young man's information to open a checking account and he came in to cash his check today. Well, somehow, it slipped by all three of us, and the account was never opened. So I sat him down to go ahead and set him up. He was easy to talk to and as we were chatting he somehow got out of me that I am getting a divorce. He was shocked. (Or he was at least he was a very good actor...) Anyway, he kept saying, "I can't believe anybody'd be willing to give up a girl as pretty as you." I said, "Well, really, I left him," to which he replied, "If I had a girl as pretty as you I'd never let that happen." He kept trying to flirt; to see if I'd be interested I guess in possibly going out. But as my divorce isn't final yet, that's a definite no. Plus even though he himself was pretty good looking, I wasn't attracted to him. (I could smell his cologne from across my desk! Yuck!!) I was trying to be polite and I guess he thought he was embarrassing me. I told him I just hadn't flirted in a really long time, but thanks for the ego booster. It really was an ego booster. It made me feel really good that somebody (besides my super supportive family members) thought I was pretty. It totally trumped all the stress I've had this week.

The other fantabulous part of my day was I got to see an old friend. Ben, one of our former pb's who got promoted last fall came by for a visit. I hadn't seen him since our big divisional meeting last January. It was exciting to catch up. He is doing well in his new position and I am very glad for him. He was very supportive of me when I was a teller and especially when I was a new pb. If it weren't for him and Luci, I don't know how I would have survived the transition from teller to pb.

Now that I think about it, I guess today was pretty darn interesting. It was just as tough but much more fun that most other days. It's the rare days like today that make me remember why I do what I do.

September is the month of birthdays...

September seems to be filled with birthdays. Today is my puppy's second birthday. Bring on the terrible two's!! (Actually please don't, Maia is crazy enough already!)


My dogs are the closest things I have to children, so I try to get them a little something special for their birthdays. Of course, I have to get something for the other dog too. They just don't seem to understand the concept of birthday gifts for the birthday girl.



I got them some Greenies and Pigs' Ears, which are special treats they get rarely. They were pretty excited.












Happy Birthday, Maia! I love you!!

My Almost Birthday

Happy would've been birthday to me!! I was supposed to be born on September 22, 1983, but I guess I got tired of waiting. I have always been like that; anxious to get to the next stage of my life. Anyway, it really worked out nicely though. I was born September 12 instead. I am the oldest grandchild on both sides of my family, and the coolest thing about my birthday (besides being born in the best month of the year!!) is that I was born smack-dab in between my grandparents' anniversaries. My mom's parents married on September 11, and my dad's parents married on Sept 13. Pretty nifty anniversary present, huh?

Happy actual birthday to Jason!!

My first Happy Birthday Shout Out!!

Every once in a while, a person may find themselves lucky enough to cross paths with an angel on earth. I have been feeling recently like I have been blessed enough to be related to a whole family of them. Today is a very special day for my darling cousin Emily. Today she turns 15.

Emily, I don't think I have words to express how I feel about you. I have always felt that you are a special young woman, who somehow radiates peace, joy, and happiness. You are an incredible example to me. I have worried about you and your brother, knowing what you could learn of the world as you enter high school. But I have learned especially in the last few months not only how strongly rooted in your faith you are (I can see it in your eyes), but how your spirit touches those around you. I know you will have a profound impact on those you meet, brightening their lives, as they get to know you. Thank you for allowing me to be apart of your life. I love every minute I have been lucky enough to share with you.










Emily has grown from an absolutely adorable (and extremely precocious) little girl into one of the most lovely young women I know. And how can she not? What can I say, it's in our genes!!