'dis'sed

Dismayed. Disgruntled. Disgusted. Disappointed. I am even feeling a bit irritated.

Finding it a bit hard to retain the spirit of love and gratitude that comes with the holidays.

I was asked to be in charge of our ward's Christmas party. 350 people. $500 budget. I have had sign-up sheets going around the ward for the past couple weeks and even a plea in today's ward bulletin for help with the food. Just asking people to bring a pot of chili.

I can't get enough volunteers.

This party has occupied my every free moment for the last 3 weeks. I have lost sleep at night stressing over it. I have prayed and worked. Plotted and planned. Made phone calls and organized. And I can't even get 17 people to agree to bring a lousy pot of chili?

Sorry to be so negative. Tomorrow I will grow a new attitude but for the moment, I am going to wallow in a few moments of self-pity.

Count Your Blessings

name them one by one...

1) I finished one major Christmas project this morning - YEA! Gifts for 9 families done.

2) I don't work in any of those stores that are making their employees work at 10 pm or midnight for Black Friday. For that matter, I'm glad I don't work in a grocery store that makes their employees work until 2 pm. Plan ahead people - buy your groceries ahead of time so these poor employees don't have to work.

3) I got to teach seminary yesterday.

4) We are not heading out of town for a soccer tournament.

5) We have tickets to Hale Center Theater tomorrow night.

6) Everyone chipped in this morning to help clean the house without complaint.

7) Great kids, fantastic husband, good health, home, ....

8) My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

my fave

Tonight is my favorite holiday. It's Pie Night!

What?!? You don't celebrate Pie Night? Well, you should. Everyone should. At least everyone who loves pie, that is.

My extended family started Pie Night years ago. We decided we were too full after turkey to truly enjoy the pie. Also, you have that pesky problem of in-laws wanting their time too so you don't always get Thanksgiving with everyone. Not to mention that this is the first year in about 9 or 10 years that we are not going out of town on Thanksgiving for a soccer tournament so usually we weren't really able to celebrate on Thanksgiving day. So, voila! We created Pie Night and it solved all the problems.

Everyone is available on Thanksgiving Eve so we all get together and eat soup, scones, and PIE! Yum! After that, turkey is so anti-climatic.

Dawnette is hosting it for their friends in Texas since she and her family can't be here. I've even had ward members tell me they now hold Pie Night. Good for them! Best holiday of the year!

musings

*I get the most random emails - everything from dating sites for senior citizens to info on obtaining my GED. What? Nothing like those boosts to my self-esteem.

*I don't hate cooking for my family. I just hate that most of the time, someone doesn't like it. I guess with 7 people in the family, odds are that I can't please everyone but still...

*I don't know anyone who doesn't feel like they are the busiest person on earth. What have we gotten ourselves involved in? Once in a while, it would be nice to go back to the days of spending the evenings sitting on your front porch watching people stroll by leisurely.

*It seems a fine line between starting Christmas too early (Really? Christmas decor on sale in the stores before Halloween is even over?) and appearing Scroogelike. My kids are so adamant about not starting Christmas too early that they don't even want to attend a Christmas concert with me on Friday because it is "still Thanksgiving weekend".

100 Life Goals (and counting)

Years and years and years (since I am now officially old - just ask my children) ago I made a list of 100 life goals. I guess it was my bucket list. Who knew that 100 would not be sufficient?

A few more:

1) Serve a mission (or three) with Kevin
2) Go to the Sacred Grove
3) Memorize 20 of my favorite scriptures
4) Watch the AFI's 100 Best Movies
5) Hike the Grand Canyon
6) Go to Paris, France
7) Study the conference talks of Elder Neal A. Maxwell
8) Become more proficient at Power Point presentations

a temple-going person

Alec loves going to the temple to do baptisms. He has been going at 4:10 am twice a month for years. He is usually so excited about going that I don't have to wake him. Often, when I awake at 3:30 am, he is already up, dressed, and ready to go. He hates it when it's not his week to go and usually argues with me about it - he is always sure it is his turn.

I had to laugh this past week because McKayla drove he and Shanley to the temple on Tuesday morning. As Alec was leaving the baptistry, he ran into Pres. Haight (the temple president). Pres. Haight shook Alec's hand and told him to come back. Alec got really excited and said, "Really?"

Alec definitely took Pres. Haight seriously because Wednesday after school Alec dressed in his suit and demanded that we take him to the temple. We couldn't persuade him otherwise so I dropped him off at the temple by himself and hoped he'd be okay until I could send McKayla back for him later.

I blame Pres. Haight.

just kidding.

I am actually thrilled that Alec desires to be in the temple so much! I don't know that he understands what is going on there but I do know he feels the Spirit and wants to be there.

grace in motion

NOT!

I certainly would never be described as graceful. Especially if you had seen me yesterday.

I was delivering pizzas to a high school classroom with an assistant principal when I tripped going up the stairs. I went down hard with my big toe and my palm taking the brunt of it.

You see, I like to display my klutziness to others.

The good news of the day was that the assistant principal was carrying the pizzas - thank goodness!

The big toe is really swollen and attractive today - maybe I can trip over it a few more times as I navigate the crowded halls of the middle school all day today with Shanley. You know, display my grace to a few more people.