My BROWS look BAD

Ok, Ladies, if MY BROWS look bad... so do yours :)


I guess we need another WAX NIGHT!

Here is how it goes:

YOU PLAN THE NIGHT- INVITE YOUR GIRLFRIENDS/SISTERS/MOMS/STRANGERS AT THE STORE WITH UNI-BROWS/ANYONE YOU KNOW

(Last time, when Jenni did it- she had a Craft Night at her house- so everyone could come with their projects, work on them, eat some treats and get in line for their Brows or whatever else. You could also do a movie night- or just a hang out- whatever works. Don't feel like you need to do anything exciting- no decorations, nothing fancy, just looking good while hanging out)

I BRING ALL OF MY WAXING FUN

AND WE ALL LEAVE MORE BEAUTIFUL

If you HOST A PARTY and have AT LEAST 3 OTHER GUESTS WHO GET WAXED - I WILL DO YOUR FACIAL WAXING FOR FREE!!

SO, LET'S HAVE A GIRLS NIGHT!! I had so much fun last time at Jenni's house, and I think I have worked out some kinks to fit you all in better this time :)

Let me know IF/WHEN you want to SCHEDULE your PARTY!

Prices:
Brows-$8
Lip or Chin- $5
Full Face- $15
Legs or Bikini- call me

So to Honor Him

This year JT and I have been listening to Josh Groban's Christmas Album. And we have been LOVING "Little Drummer Boy".

Every time I listen to it I close me eyes and smile.

I love to picture a quiet manger in the middle of the night. I imagine a very young very sweet and very exhausted Mary snuggling a tiny newborn. I picture her happy in the stable and grateful that she wasn't surrounded by strangers in a crowded Inn during this precious moment. Thankful for her loving Husband who I am sure made her as comfortable as he possibly could, and felt sorrow that he could not give her and the Baby more that night. I am sure she was overwhelmed with the daunting challenge of raising the Son of God. And of course having known that according to Isaiah He would be "despised and rejected" and that He would be "a man of many sorrows". (It is unthinkable to imagine the heartache I would feel if my own son were despised and rejected.) And then to be "wounded for Our transgressions". Poor Mary. She must have been holding Him so tight that night. Protecting Him for as long as she could, until He would be called upon to be Her protector and Savior.

And right when my heart almost breaks for Mary I see the Humble shepherds outside of the manger. They must have been hesitant to interrupt such a beautiful moment, but then anxious to see and kneel before their King. I picture Mary being happy and gentle and understanding that she would always have to share Her Baby Boy. And grateful for the few that would not be there to despise Him, but to worship and Love Him.

And then of course- in the back of the crowd is this fictitious Little Drummer Boy. (don't worry, I have read Luke enough to know he wasn't really there :)

I love hearing Josh Groban sing about this boy. Being desirous to come and see the Baby. And the comfort in the realization that they were both Poor. I can see him nervously asking if he can play for the baby. And the thing I love about this song is how it builds. How I can literally hear the drummer boy get confident and excited as he drums on his little drum. The genuine desire to play his "BEST for Him." And my favorite part- is when he belts out the phrase "So to HONOR Him".

I get the chills every time.

How did this Little Drummer Boy know to give his Best for the Baby King? Who was poor, and alone in a manger. There was no throne, or crown, there was not even a cradle. And yet he, and the shepherds, and later the wise men all knew that they would come to Honor Him.


I am so thankful for this time of year. For beautiful music that inspires me and helps me to imagine what it would have been like to be there. Would I have been one of those in the crowded Inn? So grateful for a nice bed, and unwilling to congratulate the new mother in the manger outside? Would I have been looking for a Star to lead me to my Savior? Would I have been worthy and humble enough to see and hear the Angels?

Would I have Played My BEST for Him? So to HONOR Him?

I hope that I would have. I hope that I will. I hope that I will start this New Year, just like the New Star and look towards Him, point towards Him, and reflect His Light. I hope that I will be humble like the shepherds, and faithful like the wise men. I hope that I will be as selfless as Joseph (I wish we knew more about him, he must have been so special). And that I will be like Mary- and protect Him. Protect His name in my home, protect His Gospel wherever I go, protect His children that He has allowed me to raise.

And I hope that I will be like that Little Drummer Boy. Using my gifts and talents to the Best of my abilities to Honor Him.

Merry Christmas



P.S.
Because you HAVE to close your eyes and LISTEN to the Song too! (this is a link, so click here and listen to Josh with your eyes closed)

Happy Birthday to ME

When I was little I remember my mom was ALWAYS the FIRST to say Happy Birthday. And she would ALWAYS say
"I remember the Day you were born... I WAS THERE"
Which always made us smile because OF COURSE she was there!

Here are some of my favorite memories:

AGE 8:
Turning 8 when my oldest brother turned 16, so he was able to Baptize me. pretty cool.

Asking for a watch and opening up a present that was an empty box and wanting to cry- until my brother realized he had forgotten to put the watch IN the box.


Age 9:
Asking for "music" since I knew how cool that was. (Being 1986 Big "Boom Boxes" were the thing) My brother gave me "Wierd Al Yankovich"....


Age 10:
My FIRST Crimper! Yep, I remember being in the 4th/5th grade class split and being SO cool because I could Crimp my hair!


High School:
Waking up to go to Seminary- not knowing that my family had changed ALL of the clocks in the house to an HOUR EARLIER. We then went to my friend's house (the Merrill's) and had Heart Shaped Waffles with a bunch of my friends BEFORE SEMINARY!
(Yep, they were all crazy enough to wake up an hour early to have breakfast! I THINK that was sophomore year... I don't know)

Showing up at school to strangers saying Happy Birthday to me... and then seeing Posters with Pictures of me all over the school saying to wish me a Happy Birthday (I think this was my 16th)
I had good friends and a great mom, huh?


The Mission:
A SURPRISE P-Day Birthday Party at the "park" in Downtown Antananarivo. My companions Blind Folded me and took me in a taxi and through the crazy streets to the park where the rest of the missionaries were. :)(you have all heard me say that I LOVED ALL of my companions! I was so blessed)

Age 25:
Crying because I felt SO OLD (because I thought I should be married with 10 kids by 25! lol. SO glad I was NOT married yet!) - to a guy that could not understand WHY I thought 25 was old!! (yeah, he was right)

Age 30:
(kind of going to tear-up with this one)
Holding hands with Heidi as we crossed the Finish Line for my first 10k! What a wonderful present to myself! I don't know WHERE I got the idea that it would be cool to run a 10k on my 30th Birthday- but it was the perfect way to start out my 30's!
(p.s. Kristin COULD have held hands like a dork with me and Heidi but she was too fast for me!lol)

Age 32:
Woke up to Macie's sweet smile.
Kicked my butt at the gym.
Then we took the kids Downtown to Macy's and got their pictures with Santa Clause! They were adorable! Then we walked around, looking at the train, riding the Carousel, and eating THE MOST DELICIOUS APPLE FRITTER at Top Pot Dougnuts.
And after a Heavenly dinner of Papa John's pizza (scary how much I love it!) Jt and the kids gave me presents and even BAKED ME A CAKE!
Then when it couldn't get much better, some girlfriends sent me a bunch of Sweet messages (DITR), and lots of facebook Love!



So- I don't know if I could pick a FAVORITE BIRTHDAY- but I can say that each year gets better and better. I can't believe how HAPPY I am. I feel SO BLESSED to have the best friends, a wonderful family (extended included!), and so many happy memories.

Happy Birthday to ME!

The Great Stocking Dilemma

Here it is- The great 6 year dilemma of the Christmas Stocking.

(This is a 6 year dilemma because TODAY is our 6th ANNIVERSARY!!-- Making it 6 years that I have struggled with this problem)

THE CHRISTMAS STOCKING DILEMMA

I try to not be this person- but sometimes I am. The person who wants things to be just right- and if they aren't just right- then I will just WAIT to do it until it can be just right.

Examples:
I will not go to Disneyland with my kids until I can afford to pay for it all in cash- and be able to buy the toys I want and stay in the cool hotel.
(which is why I am not planning this trip for at least two more years, this isn't about money- it is about doing it right)

I will not put socks on that don't match. I would rather have barefoot, cold feet than two different socks on. (not because of the matchy thing- it is a texture thing-- don't ask)

I would rather NOT have Christmas Lights on my house than to have funky lights flipped different directions.


SO-
The issue with the Stockings:

I have SEARCHED the internet, every Holiday store, every possible sale for "the RIGHT Christmas Stockings"

Christmas Stockings are difficult. They are kind of like the centerpiece of the Christmas Decorations. (ok, I just reread this- and realized that OF COURSE- Your Nativity is the Centerpiece of Christmas...)Anyways, Your tree changes every year (at least it SHOULD- accept for all of you Fake Tree People), other decorations are more subtle, you can even change WHERE in the house you place your other decorations. (Ugly Angel can go on that shelf over there this year) But the STOCKINGS are HUNG by the CHIMNEY with CARE.

Right there- the mantle- the middle of the Living Room. You hang up your Stockings every year. Which means there is no Freedom to Change Styles. Luckily I did not buy them when we were Newly Weds. I would have bought plain red and white stockings and then added Felt Green Lettering with our names on them BECAUSE that is what I HAD GROWING UP. Now, mom, before you get all offended, I LOVE THOSE STOCKINGS. (I love the picture of Beth and me in our bare bums just out of the bath tub admiring the long line of stockings over the fire place) But the point is- that was MY FAMILY'S TRADITION, not JT's, and not OURS.

If I would have bought them two years later- I would have bought the Pottery Barn ones with Snowflakes that I like and paid the extra money for them to be personalized with our names on them. Therefore spending WAY too much money, and then I would have discovered the next year (when it would be time to buy Blake's) that they would discontinue that line of Stockings leaving me with 3 matching and a new one for Blake!

(as we know by now, I CAN NOT do the NOT MATCHING thing)

THEN if I bought them that year, I would realize how much my style would have changed. I would have bought the crazy sassy ones I saw at Pier 1 with high heals and sparkles and crazy colors. I would have loved that they were unconventional and crazy.

But then I would have had ANOTHER BABY! And I would have gone back to Pier 1 and tried to buy a 5th one in that style and found that they have changed their designs too and don't have the same line. And if they did have one close enough to appear match- it would still look like Macie was our After Thought child!

SO I have still NEVER BOUGHT Christmas Stockings.
I have never seen the PERFECT STOCKING that really matches my style. That isn't going to go out of style by the next Christmas.
But that isn't the ONLY PROBLEM...
(because I DID see the PERFECT STOCKINGS the other day for $30 each!! And could not BARE to spend $150 on STOCKINGS!!)
But the other problem is: I have never known HOW MANY TO BUY.

Do I just buy 5? WHAT IF we have ANOTHER CHILD IN 5 YEARS? Am I suppose to buy EXTRAS JUST IN CASE??- and then have the Monogrammed with the names they MIGHT be?? (maybe this is why my mom used Green Felt)

WHAT IF I BUY THOSE PERFECT BUT EXPENSIVE ONES AND CHANGE MY MIND AND DECIDE I LOVE THE VICTORIAN STYLE INSTEAD? (I can't even write that without cringing and laughing a little, that will never happen)

WHAT IF I BUY HEALS AND SPARKLEY STOCKINGS AND BLAKE IS TOO EMBARRASSED TO EVER HAVE FRIENDS OVER TO OUR HOUSE BECAUSE OF OUR STOCKINGS AND HE BECOMES FRIENDLESS BECAUSE OF ME?? (ok, I actually already ruled out the sparkly ones)

so, here we are, 6 Christmases together and No Stockings.

oh, maybe I should just SEW them.... I never thought of that...
just kidding

I Just ReRead this and realized that I am DEFINITELY MISSING THE REAL MEANING OF CHRISTMAS!! WHERE IS THAT CHARLIE BROWN SPECIAL WHEN YOU NEED IT???

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!
WHAT?! IT's DECEMBER??
Oh well, better late than never!




Riley LOVED digging in the guts and pulling out the seeds. She is SO NOT MY DAUGHTER!





This is how I dig in pumpkins! I am NOT a GUTS kind of girl. Ask my little sister, I think I convinced her to dig out all of the guts in my pumpkins growing up! I should have thought of gloves as a kid!






I DO like the CARVING part. I am really proud of this little lady. You can't tell, but she has Hi-Lights that Glow in the dark, and the longest false eye lashes I have ever seen on a pumpkin. Yeah, she's a cutie.


JT carved the kids because I was working on mine. This is how we do things. He does the Yucky Stuff. Then he helps the kids do theirs while I work on mine :) Oh, and I take the pictures.





What is on my kids' faces?? OH, that. They went into the Bathroom together with the markers they had for "painting" the pumpkins... and ended up making faces on each other! Thank goodness for Washable Markers!!




TRUNK OR TREAT!
This is Riley as a princess. Why is this my only pic? You know why, I am lame.


Macie was our other princess! Not a great pic either. Once again. I am lame.




I didn't even get one of Blake at the Trunk or Treat party?? Don't act surprised- I am lame!


So here we are.
Riley was a Princess
Macie was, of course, a Princess.
Blake was an Astronaut.
Jt was dressed as The World's Best Dad :)
Katie- was just happy to be dressed and all in one piece and to have at least blogged it a few months later!