A Thankful Heart

I am Thankful for...
*a healthy mom, who has recovered nicely from 2 hip replacement surgeries. Ardell felt so good, that she prepared a large and very tasty Thanksgiving meal.
*the opportunity to serve my dad and help my mom and sisters take care of him in the last bit of his life. It is something that I really struggle with. I have to work on having a good attitude, to remember that this is a blessing, and some days I am just trying not to gag. I am learning a lot about myself in the process.
*a good job, with wonderful, funny co-workers and AMAZING bosses. Wow, am I lucky.
*the gospel, My Savior, Heavenly Father, and the Holy Ghost without which I might have had a complete breakdown about 7 times.
*my friends who amaze me almost daily with how caring, funny, inspiring, and completely crazy they all are.
*my immediate family: parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, and all of the in-laws. Each year I appreciate them more and more. I have always said it is hard to be the youngest by 12 years, but that is more than made up for by the people who are apart of my family. Not a day goes by that I don't talk, email, or text someone in my family. We have such a great time together. I am also lucky enough to have THE cutest nieces and nephews they are too funny!
*my education and the opportunity to be able to get more education.
*my blog. I have discovered that it is great therapy for me!
*my many purses...and all the purses I will own in the future.
*yahoo music and yahoo music videos...it keeps me going at work!
*my favorite lamp

Below are some fun pictures from my Thanksgiving day. I hope you enjoy!

Lucky Number 113

The 9th Annual Taste of Utah Charity Dinner for Cystic Fibrosis was on Saturday night. I was lucky enough, along with some cute friends, to volunteer at the dinner. I was excited for 2 reasons: first, I truly enjoy doing volunteer work, there is nothing more freeing. Second: The best restaurants in Salt Lake would be there and you could try a "taste" from them all!

I attended a training the weekend before to learn what I needed to do...and let me tell you...I think I was asleep! My friends and I were assigned to Registration, then mailman, then checkout. As we were getting ready for the people to arrive (the people who had paid at least $50 a plate to come and were planning on spending a lot more at the auction) we were reviewing the instructions and the "script" we were to say. I should have studied harder. The first guests arrived and...I forgot half the stuff I needed to tell them! No worries, I laughed it off with Heather (pictured above)...it only got worse. During the rush of getting guests checked in and getting their credit card information (to pay for the silent and live auction items they would purchase) we were also letting people know their bid numbers. Well needless to say in all the confusion, I assigned a guest bid number 113...and then right as they walked away I turned to Heather to see her writing down bid number 113 for her guest...that had also just walked away! We started laughing and Heather ran after her guest and switched him numbers. Seriously, it was a little chaotic, but we had some great laughs.

Besides the mix up with the bid numbers we also got our pictures taken with Frank Layden, former coach of the Utah Jazz. I know you are all jealous! I will post the picture as soon as I get it signed! Yep, he gave us his card so we could mail him the picture for him to sign!

We all decided that next year, we want to be guests...and not volunteers!

CORROLLA

Let me start by saying...CORROLLA has a lot of patience with me. Some of you have heard and been around for my adventures with CORROLLA, but the latest one...well it is the cream of the crop.

It was a typical Tuesday morning, CORROLLA and I were driving into the parking garage listening to our favorite radio station X96, the Radio from HELL show. Let me pause and give some vital information, our parking garages have been on the blitz with the ARM's up because no one's cards worked to let them in...and it had been going on for about a week now. There usually was a guy standing there waving you in the garage. Okay, back to TUESDAY. I pull up and make eye contact with the guy to see if I need to stop or if it is status quo, he smiles and makes no motion to stop me...so I proceed following the car in front of me...and then...

CRASH &#*@#*#&$#(@*&$@#!!!!

Yep, the parking garage arm came and smacked CORROLLA on the roof.

Seriously, I think this could only happen to me and CORROLLA...we have such bad luck sometimes. For some odd reason I was pretty emotional that day (I think I wasn't fully awake yet), so while I was holding back tears I dealt with the parking garage guys...and CORROLLA got her picture taken. The claim is still not resolved and I am going to have to follow up.

I share this because I am positive that I am not the only person wondering if this ever has happened to anyone...now we know!

Apron, Apron, APRON!

I FINISHED my APRON! I am super excited. It is super cute...although it does need to be ironed and starched a bit. Yes, it does match my the pillows on my bed...and NO it wasn't planned. I am now taking orders for future aprons...the price is negotiable.

Halloween!

Ardell, she can be so crazy sometimes...I guess that is where I got it. She heard on the news that you should give nutritional treats for Halloween, so trick-o-treaters got a string cheese with their candy! Too cute!
I am so proud of my mom! As many of you know she had 2 hip replacement surgeries this year. Well on Halloween she walked across the living room with only the help of her cane. She usually needs to rely on her walker to help her keep the weight off the hips. She is doing so well! She has mentioned several times that this is the first time in 4 years she hasn't been in constant pain. Modern medicine is such a blessing. Oh, and for the record she had about 70 kids come...she likes to keep track.
I went to my ward's Halloween party, pretty much the best party of the year. As you can see...I am not very creative. In my defense...I really LOVE my scrubs. They are so comfortable!
It just so happens that Xena Princess Warrior was in attendance...and we're friends. I know you are jealous.

Is It TOO Early?

I just made my first Christmas card of the season. Do you think it is TOO early?

I DON'T! These Christmas cards take FOREVER! My brain can only come up with so many cute ideas in one sitting...and I have ADD so all the cards have to be different. I will be lucky if I get 20 - 25 made before Christmas.

Anyone want to get together to make Christmas Cards?

Follow UP

Book Review

Looking for a good book to read? Let me recommend "Ellen Foster" by Kaye Gibbons. It is a short quick book that will tug at your emotions. There were tears in my eyes, and if you know me, this is rare occurrence with any media.

If you read it let me know, I would love to discuss it with you!

Kaleiescopes Are Cool or Creepy Co-workers

I was at a Benefit Fair in Heber for work on Monday. My table was right next to the "feel good" employee assistance table. They were giving away stress reliever toys, one of which was a KALEIDeSCOPE! Imagine my delight! I am now the proud owner of a toy kaleidescope.

Tuesday, back at the office, I was looking through my KALEIDeSCOPE enjoying a little break, when ALL OF A SUDDEN I hear giggling in the next cubicle over. CHAY has a smirk on his face. If you know CHAY, this means TROUBLE. So after running through all the questions with him to try and determine why he is smirking...(What do I have a big black ring around my eye now?) he finally admits what he did. He took pictures of me with his phone while I wasn't paying attention because of the aforementioned "Stress Reliever KALEIDeSCOPE" break. AND he is holding the pictures hostage.

Now you tell me are KALEIDeSCOPES secret tools of CREEPY EVIL people?

Crafty Crafterson

I spent most of the day yesterday doing crafty things and I loved it!

I also, for the first time ever, made some fun Halloween cards...this one is my favorite. I LOVE SPARKLES! I purchased this sparkle paper in Arizona while shopping with my super cool friend JILL.

SPARKLES Rule...and so do women working towards becoming Domestic Goddesses...and I my book that means being a card maker.

(p.s. no worries if you are not a card maker...just use a different book on what qualifies you as a Domestic Goddess!)