Black Friday

They say that the term "Black Friday" originates from the idea that this is when the big stores finally reach a profit for the year and get out of the red. In an effort to keep people employed (for fear that these stores would close), I wanted to do my part..... HA! Actually, it's an EXTREMELY special tradition that even if I had nothing I needed to purchase, I would find a way to participate.

Because Kohls moved into town and desired to up the anty with their opening time, this year and last year have begun earlier than ever before. This picture was taken when we left our house en route to Kohls.......
Yeah, that's early..... Mom arrived at our home promptly at 3:30 am..... (Poor thing, she couldn't take an Ambien last night as is necessary for her to use to get to sleep - (an Ambien taken with 4 hours to sleep....yeah, that wouldn't be pretty....) so, she got very little sleep).

Despite all of my efforts at organization, wouldn't you know I left the house without my purse (dumb-dumb!), but at least by going back I remembered to grab my cell phone too (what did we do without those things on these days in the past!). No worries, because Kohls really wasn't my store to shop at, so when I arrived, I hopped in line to save a spot (before it quickly wrapped around the store) and we were out of there by 4:45. Michele and Mom arrived at Shopko just as they opened, and I, for the first time, waited an extended time outside of a store before opening. This place was 6am-opening Target, so I waited outside for an hour and 15 minutes in sub-freezing temps. Don't worry - I had a Thermacare patch on my neck, keeping that area warm, about 5 layers on my body, two sets of gloves, and an ear warmer - as well as my ipod filling my head with Christmas music and all of my ads to make more concise strategies for the rest of the day. It was very cold - and a bit long, but Mom and Michele arrived for the last 15 minutes prior to opening and we did did just fine.

There was a bit of a disturbing moment as the doors of Target opened. There had been peace as the line extended backwards all the way to the opening of Gateway mall. But, then, there started to be a gathering of folks waiting across the street in the parking lot - vultures, ready to walk straight in as the door opened vs. waiting in line. The "line folks" did NOT take too kindly to this occurrence and some shouting with unfortunate expletives was used as a group chant began "WAIT IN LINE!". I do think that the ONE Target employee as well as angry line members managed to keep the vultures at bay, but, while I don't condone the anger expressed by the line-goers, was aghast at the audacity of these folks that wanted to cheat the system. One family was trying to use their very-pregnant daughter as their excuse as to why they should just walk in..... I could give me reasons why this is a ludicrous argument, but really not worth it. I think for many, Black Friday is a bit of a game, and in any game, "cheaters" just aren't any fun.

All that said, I was unaffected by these folks and victorious in my Target pursuits. I have a Target Card, and as a result, get 10% off total purchases when I spend a certain amount of money. I had saved this coupon for this very day, knowing there were many items that were needed for Christmas that weren't likely to go on sale, and I might as well just save the 10%. Michele and Mom planned on using it as well. We quickly filled our carts, even wandered a bit in our sleep-deprivation stupor - and then gathered in line -straight on towards the registers- near the jewelry area. It is a sad thing to see folks lined all the way around for those registers to the right, when you can go straight on in lines from certain locations. Oh well.....

We got up to the register pretty quick - Michele had done her transaction and went to get the car, when my transaction "froze the register". The wonderfully capable "Mandy the Manager" was quick on the scene (no sarcasm implied, she was great) and told us it would be a couple of minutes and she would offset the wait with an additional $3 off. No worries, we didn't have a pending store necessary to run to next, so we were okay. When it started to reach ten minutes wait time, she returned and told us we could take her "team discount of 10%" as an additional savings. ALRIGHTY! That was a huge savings for us as we had really piled the carts between the three of us - so, there you go, Hollie. You asked if there were any killer deals - 20% off everything purchases at Target made the deal of the day.

Here are pictures of "breakfast" after Target- note the clock saying 7:34-


From there, we hit a peaceful Toys R Us, the mall and finally Costco before returning to our house to organize and distribute our loot. The final picture of me is taken in the dressing room of Sports Authority. Please, no lectures on how unsanitary the floor might be to lay on - when you are that tired - it just doesn't matter, folks!!!!

Special thanks to my wonderful hubby who took care of the kids! Next year, I believe he and Travis will be taking on the "midnight opening" of the Woodburn outlets, so they are already excited for that. What a fun day - such fun memories - hope your Friday, however you spent it, was special as well!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Thanksgiving Day isn’t currently over, but so far it is receiving “the best Thanksgiving Day ever” award. What a wonderful day full of all of the attributes I long for when I envision this holiday far in advance. Here are some things that have happened that have made this holiday extra special:

- The “first words out of her mouth greeting to me” of HAPPY THANKSGIVING and a hug from little Ellie
- Waking up to the smell of cinnamon rolls and having breakfast completely made by Michele
- Watching the Macy’s Day parade with the whole family, marking off our BINGO sheets with marker pens
- Having the Whites join us for the entire day – for all of the festivities and having them just completely fit in as part of the family
- Truly the tastiest Thanksgiving meal we’ve made thus far – which is saying a lot, as we’ve had a lot of great meals
- Brayden saying this to Grandpa after being asked: “Do you know where I was when your mom was born?” [Fighting in…] the Civil War! Good one, Brayden!
- The first ever Flag Football game after dinner. SO MUCH FUN! The Ducks played the Beavers – and it ended with “a tie in order for some pie”. I am proud of everyone for being great sports and contributing to the game- particularly with their smiles. (I will admit that the player that really shined – hmmm, that would be me….reception for a touchdown, blocked pass, and an interception – I’m pretty proud of myself if you can’t tell)
- We’re about to start watching the ASU/USC game and we’ll look over the Black Friday ads during halftime. What a wonderfully cozy day-----practically perfect…….

Happy Day Before Thanksgiving!

Traditionally, this has been one of my favorite days of the year - especially every other year when it means Michele and I are hanging out together, making Thanksgiving treats and attending Mikayla's pre-school Harvest Party (this year, Kindergarten).

This is the year with Michele, and it has been a splendid day - however, it was a little hampered by the 2:30 bedtime I had last night because I procrastinated a four hour project until 10pm. (Note to self: begin the "Giving Tree" labels a little bit earlier in 2008.....) But, even that was pretty cozy. Kids were strewn all over the living room, the fire was going, the "Home for the Holidays" candle burning (I LOVE THAT SMELL!), and I just kept hitting play to reruns that had been DVR'd, only able to listen as I was staring at the computer---

Michele is currently working on cinnamon rolls for tomorrow morning. She kind of has a bee in her bonnet today in the kitchen, it's been quite a while that she's been limited to the confines of the trailer kitchen, so she's been perfecting pie crusts and punching yeast-risen dough all over the place. I made toffee (yes, it took two attempts), a raspberry cheesecake, and a new cookie recipe - we'll see how it goes over. Fun stuff......

Mikayla - showing off her classroom to her cousins-


Kids and dogs in the kitchen - a treasure to have them all there, but as you can see from the mixer and finger licking, there was only so much help to be had from them......
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Yes, a day indeed that I have been most thankful for!

In Search of the Giving Tree

One of the most rewarding activities of the Christmas Season is my involvement with about a dozen women who come together to organize and distribute presents for our Christmas Giving Tree at out church. Despite the frustrations and time alloted, it is an amazing thing to see these women I value as friends give of their hearts to care so much about families in need.

This year, Lisa and I voluteered to pick out the tree. We got to go to my family friend's, Sharon's, tree farm with Michele and her kids as well as they were already down for Thanksgiving. It was a quick trip, but very festive. What a way to get in the mood of thankfulness!

A Couple of Questions 90

Can you believe this rain? I know we need it, and actually, it really has been a bit cozy, but I am very thankful that Thanksgiving looks like it will be rain-free and clear skies..... (Jodi, any snow this morning?)-

1. What are your Thanksgiving/Weekend plans?

2. What are things that you have found have made the holiday season better for you (tips, ideas, traditions, stress-relievers)?

Stay dry everyone!

Odds and Ends

I just haven't felt super motivated to blog lately. Perhaps because I have to wrench my computer away from my daughter whenever I want to use it. Perhaps, because, quite honestly, I'm still grieving just a bit. I've shared the Duck highs on these blog posts and Thursday was a day dreams were dashed. I feel a little silly saying all this, as I know a lot of you readers out there aren't avid Duck/sports fans, but then again, I just read an article by the sports columnist of the RG, and he summed up our feelings to a T. Based on that, and chit-chat among other like-minded fans, I know John and I aren't alone. I am just super sad for Dennis Dixon, the whole team, and the Cinderella-dream-come-true-that-was-so-close-to-reality that was this season. Sigh..... OK, enough about that.

Heather, way late, but thanks for the sweet comment on the "twins" post - way late, but Michele just told me you commented - as I commented back in response, "right back at ya - and we didn't know how good we had it at Briggs".

Really cute story currently being quoted to me by Michele:
"While driving down to Aunt Stephanie's, Traig asked me in sincerity, "Mom, how come Santa lives at the North Pole and not the South Pole, - the South Pole is bigger." We discussed this to be true and determined Santa must have a good reason. Following a lengthy pause, Traig sheepishly admits, "Well, Mom, when I did the GOOGLE EARTH, I didn't see any castles where Santa lives." Well, what did you see? "Just a lot of white". He followed this up by asking me if perhaps Santa lives under the earth, like in the Santa Clause movies and whether or not there's a real pole to mark the location.

He may be a kid of science, but he still believes...... so adorable........

Stolen from Heather's Blog.....

This was too fun to not bring on over to my blog too- Thanks Heather!!!!

Jeff Foxworthy on The Northwest

You might be from the Northwest if...

1. You know the state flower (Mildew).
2. You feel guilty throwing aluminum cans or paper in the trash.
3. You use the statement "sun break" and know what it means.
4. You know more than 10 ways to order coffee.
5. You know more people who own boats than air conditioners.
6. You feel overdressed wearing a suit to a nice restaurant.
7. You stand on a deserted corner in the rain waiting for the "WALK" signal.
8. You consider that if it has no snow or has not recently erupted, it's not a real mountain.
9. You can taste the difference between Starbucks, Seattle's Best, and Veneto's.
10. You know the difference between Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon.
11. You know how to pronounce Sequim, Puyallup, Issaquah, Oregon, Yakima and Willamette.
12. You consider swimming an indoor sport.
13. You can tell the difference between Japanese, Chinese and Thai food.
14. In winter, you go to work in the dark and come home in the dark while only working eight-hour days.
15. You never go camping without waterproof matches and a poncho.
16. You are not fazed by "Today's forecast: showers followed by rain,"and "Tomorrow's forecast: rain followed by showers."
17. You have no concept of humidity without precipitation.
18. You know that Boring is a town in Oregon and not just a state of mind.
19. You can point to at least two volcanoes, even if you cannot see through the cloud cover.
20. You notice, "The mountain is out" when it is a pretty day and you can actually see it.
21. You put on your shorts when the temperature gets above 50, but still wear your hiking boots and parka.
22. You switch to your sandals when it gets about 60, but keep the socks on.
23. You have actually used your mountain bike on a mountain.
24. You think people who use umbrellas are either wimps or tourists.
25. You buy new sunglasses every year, because you cannot find the old ones after such a long time.
26. You measure distance in hours.
27. You often switch from "heat" to "a/c" in the same day.
28. You design your kid's Halloween costume to fit under a raincoat.
29. You know all the important seasons: Almost Winter, winter, Still Raining (Spring), Road Construction (Summer), Deer & Elk season (Fall).
30. You understood these jokes and will probably forward them.

Very Sad....

The game started so well - the Ducks looked magnificent! Just awesome and Dennis Dixon, VERY Heismann worthy. And, then - BIG SIGH!!! - he twisted his knee again. The fans, the sideline, the team, they all seem to be in a state of shock, and playing like it too. We're currently down 13 points. Oh man, to see the tears stream down Dixon's face when he is having the season of a lifetime and has everything going for him..... very, very sad.

Oh BOY!!!!

I am feeling much better today - so on to a much more lighthearted post. My thoughts are not far from two of my best friends both dealing with close friends who are suffering tremendously. However, a meeting with Lindsay (see post from a week ago) helped to put my thoughts in a much clearer perspective.

So, there must come a time in every mom-of-a-boy's life in which she has to say, "I so don't relate - and here you go, "Dad" - this one is all yours". That is definitely the place I am after Sunday night in which John took Brayden to a Duck basketbal game after receiving excellent tickets (it was there second game in a row to go to for free - huge shout of thanks out there to Steve and Doug for donating the tickets).

The seats on Sunday night were about 5 feet from the cheerleading squad - and well, perhaps you can see where we might be going with this one. Here were some priceless quotes from Brayden that John reported later that evening-

"Phooo, I don’t need to watch the game, I’m just gonna watch the pretty girls." (YIKES!)

Upon watching them (closely) doing a routine, he gave a whistle like sound and said, "Look at them shake it!"

And finally, Daddy and him spoke about which game they liked better - John said he enjoyed the Sunday night game and Brayden agreed saying, "It was a better game and a better view......"

You know, John reported all of this and I still don't get it. What is it about pretty girls that turns a guy weird? But, apparently, we can chalk my boy now among the list of "guys" who possess this mystery within them..... I guess there is a partial bit of relief that he's following the mainstream road ahead...., but I can't help but ache a bit for the loss of innocence he's experiencing...... Sigh. I am just so thankful he has John as a Dad that will help him navigate through-

A Highly Emotional Day

The day began at 3:45am for me. My body has recently decided to adopt a routine of waking myself up at exactly that time to have to go to the bathroom. Lovely. Usually, I fall back asleep, but this time my shoulders were aching (elliptical machine), and about 15 minutes later, my Glo-Lamp, which Traig had been messing with, decided to have its alarm go off. Another lovely......

I laid in bed another hour, unsuccessfully finding sleep again, and finally decided to get up and just start my day. I got some of my "to-do's" crossed off very early this morning, and for that, I was feeling highly productive, but by 8am, I was feeling like a walking zombie. Unlike my sister, I am a huge woose about not getting my necessary sleep each night, and therefore highly affected by inadequacies in that department. I went ahead and decided to take a nap after dropping off Mikayla, knowing I didn't have to be anywhere until helping in Brayden's class at 11.

Sleep came fast, but only lasted an hour (which is probably best for tonight....), because John had called on my cell phone. Alrighty then, I called him back and (here's where the emotional high comes in....) he announced that we'd just been confirmed to exchange our "Marriott Unit" for one in Maui the week of April 7th-11th - a trip we've been wanting to make happen for three years. Not only that, but the unit that opened up (miraculously) is big enough to house Travis and Steph as well - and is in the newer tower. Pretty much, it is as good as it gets, and that is extrememly rare in this game of "timeshare exchange".

So, I woke up in a hurry, giddy as can be - trying desperately to hold my tongue when I saw Brayden (we wanted to share it with them together tonite). My emotional tank that had been running on empty, really filled up.

Then, the low came. I was IM'ing a close friend of mine when all of a sudden she announced that a close friend of hers (long distance - and someone I've only met a couple of times), was just diagnosed with MS last night. Devastating news. She's 40, with three small children - the diagnosis was totally unexpected. My heart sank. I think, maybe even more so, because MS is one of those very scary diseases that I have spent time worrying about. It has such random symptoms that can tend to mirror many of the problems I have because of my neck. So, of course, I do wonder- and worry. I know I'm not alone on that one either - another one of my friends considers getting MS and burning up in a fire her two top fears in life. And there you go, this friend of a friend was just given that blow. As this gal told my friend today - "It was a day I woke up and realized the rest of my life will never be the same...." If the diagnosis of MS doesn't scare you, certainly any day that you experience that feeling would.....

I was dwelling on this news and sharing with Michele on the phone when all of a sudden my son comes up to me looking red-faced, tears rolling out of his eyes, and alternately hitting me and motioning towards his throat in a panic. My little boy was choking on a tortilla chip right before my eyes. I went ahead and did the motions of the Heimlich, thinking it all felt "way too pretend to be real" and then he burped and started coughing - and then started bawling. If it weren't for one of his buddies being in the same room and Mikayla's propensity to absorb the emotions of others, I would have been bawling too. Heck, I still feel like doing it right now.

This friend of a friend with MS, I'll call her Carol for now, she no longer gets to have that same carefree thrill of a vacation announcement as I did today. Sure, there will be wonderful things to come in her life, absolutely, no doubt, but now she wears this label and will, I'm sure, be remided constantly of its existence in her life. - And, I would suspect, if the same thing happened with her son, she would worry that someday, she might not be physically capable of saving him. Just a couple of months ago, I stood outside my neighbor's house (my age) as she confided in me that the day before she had been diagnosed with Lupus. Oh wow - kind of made my sore neck feel like pretty petty stuff..... In each of their situations, they were just handed "life sentences". What this will look like in each of their lives, it's too early to tell, but it's a "for the rest of their life" reality. The truth is, at one point or another, we're all going to be handed those sentences. My dad's came when he tearfully told my mom after his mom's death, "I'm an orphan now". My friend, Amy, though it has been gradual, will probably only have a handful of days in her future without pain and fatigue. Perhaps it's the day your spouse strayed, left for good, or died, or the day the test results came back postive. We may not know what it will look like, but we know it will come. Because it's a scary, fallen world, with no promises of anything but death. Days like today remind me that it has to be more than a week in Maui that I set my hopes upon, it needs to be on the One who IS in control and the One who offers HOPE for a world beyone this one...... A promise with absolute guarantees..... . Lord God, how we need you.......

A Little Rant Session

My nerves are a bit raw right now, so bear with me. Just a few moments ago, Brayden came in announcing that he spilled his entire bowl of grape nuts all over the floor (with milk) and didn't know how to clean it up. We had a little discussion about it being either him or myself that had to to do the hard work - so, he better get on it. Then, I walk in to find he's virtually incompetent and I find myself getting resentful thinking, "I might as well just do it myself".

I don't think I necessarily walk around with a chip on my shoulder, but that sentiment quoted above does rear it's ugly head in various places in my life. I tend to be someone who likes order, control, planning, and organization (at least in certain areas), so when I find myself in scenarios where there's something that needs to be done, and it's not being done right (or at all), I get this nasty little voice in my head screaming, "Can't anybody else handle this sort of stuff? Why does it have to be me? I guess if I don't set it up it will never get done!" And, then, I begrudgingly attempt to handle the task. Nasty, huh?

However, I think there is a part of me that gravitates towards these situations because, deep down, I like to be the one in charge. I like things the way I like them, and perhaps, it is actually more preferred for me to take care of all of the details and chores to have things the time I want them, the way I want them, and in my own comfortable fashion.

I mention all of this right now, when, after reading the 10 emails in my inbox I discover that on Friday, November 30th, everything is hitting the fan. (It's a Monday, Michele just reminded me). All these extra-curricular activities that we have carefully scheduled the kids to a be a part of are all converging simultaneously. Brayden has an indoor soccer game, and now, apparently a cast party for the musical he's in. Mikayla has a dress reahearsal for the Choir concert she'll be performing in at the same time. And, then, to top it off, we, along with the Whites, Schillings, and Mom and Dad will be attending the Camp Harlow Auction (adults only). So, I am clueless how all of this is going to work out. See, there you go - I'm not in charge of planning it all and this is what happens.....

Forgive the attitude, once again - it has been a splendid weekend. I have got so much accomplished in Christmas planning, read great books, and have watched the Ducks announced as #2 in the nation. But, as I have mentioned in the past, when I do to much selfish lounging, I can end up being very self-centered and not at all very godly - so, there you have it.

Thanks for letting me rant.....

Yes, It's True!

These morsels of information came from a Safeway catalog insert in our paper-

-Six year olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only average about 60 daily laughs.

-Frank Baum named "Oz" after a file cabinet in his office. One file was named A to N, the other O to Z.

-All polar bears are left-handed.

-Reindeer like to eat bananas.

-Rochester, NY, averages 94 inches of snow annually and is considered the snowiest city in the U.S.

-Nearly 80 million Christmas trees are planted every year; the average acre holds about 2000 trees.

-The microwave was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

-During the Christmas season, more than 1.76 billion candy canes will be made.

All Is Well.....

I'm sitting on our (new) couches feeling just about as content as it gets. Ellie is softly petting Sydney, who just made a nest for herself on the beanbag, Michele is reading the latest Kristen Heitzmann book, "Echoes", I just finished the third novel in Lori Wick's "Kensington Chronicles" (her old stuff, which in my opinion is definitely her best stuff), and John is lounging on the couch next to me watching "GameDay".

Whether or not it is because we are twins, or simply best friends, or just family - there is and has always been a feeling of "all is right in the world" when Michele and I have the opportunity to spend time and be together. I'm actually not describing it accurately - I'm not referring to a false optimism about life, but rather a feeling of contentment. Perhaps then the flipside could be considered, most every experience in my life is made that much better if Michele is in my company - and therefore, without her around, there is a bit of a feeling of loss that she can't be going through it with me.

I suppose this is a dangerous thing to address as I've struggled with being judged over this very issue all my life. Michele and I have always been close. We've always desired the same pursuits and activities - even things that I did that she didn't or vice versa - were not intended to be done alone - it's just one of us made the cut and the other didn't (i.e. her going further in high school volleyball or softball, my being on the high school dance team). At one point in our lives, Michele actually pondered Mormonism - once again, something I too dealt with, but just not to the same extent.

During our senior year in high school, either as a result of succumbing to the social pressure we felt from every angle to be "individuals", or perhaps our need to test our relationship ourselves, Michele and I pursued friendships with two individuals that we began referring to as our "best friends". She spent time hanging out with Dana, and her friend, Shari, and I spent great amounts of time with my friend, Jaime (wow, a whole post could be written regarding the lessons learned and pain involved in that friendship.....). Despite the fact that we had had 95% of our classes together and were co-valedictorians, Michele and I chose to march with those two ladies rather than ourselves at graduation. It was a mutually understood decision for us both - just the way we wanted it to be. And, as I look back now, a decision that reflected exactly how disorienting and manipulative your high school years can be. Those friendships that were so important at the time have yielded exactly zero conversations for either one of us in the last 15 years. Yes, valuable relationships to be sure......

The weekend that Michele met Michael, I met a guy named Dave - and we both fell for these men instantaneously and completely. What a beautiful gift God gave us that weekend (on so many levels - it was truly a re-dedication weekend for both of us in terms of our Christian walk) to discover that God would give us men so unique to the very small differences between us that we would not overlap in our desires for the same guy. Obviously, Michele married Michael and I did not marry Dave, but to realize, on that weekend, that God would solve such a potential problem for us was a beautiful thing indeed.

Obviously, our husbands have had to do a lot of adjusting in our dependency on each other and the depth of our friendship. We've all had to compromise, for sure, but I think it is now safe to say - 15 years into Michele's marriage, nearly 12 into ours, that the husbands have had little to complain about for quite some time, and do indeed see our relationship as a very big positive in all of our relationships.

When I began writing this post, I had no intention of spewing forth details about Michele and I's friendship, but that is where my typing has gone, so there you go. Michele is here this weekend - we've had a marvelous time doing pretty much nothing together which is sometimes all that we ever hope to do together. To say life is good right now seems like such an understatement - at this moment, all is well in the world.......... sigh.............

Some of My New Favorite Things

No, it's not going to be a nostalgic, thankful list - rather, as prompted by Heather (who I had a dream that I was with last night =) ), a list of new favorite products or recommendations.....

HAIR CARE:

Clairol Nice and Easy Root Touch Up- For only about $6, you can use this product to delay another round of coloring that costs at least 10 times that. I have tried two different colors that I knew weren't perfect matches, but both worked well and blended just fine. It only lasts about a month, but so worth it for me.

John Frieda Luminous Color Glaze- a product you use in the shower after conditioning that is like a temporary coloring as well. It can actually stain your hands a bit, so you know it has some good effects on your hair. The red really is fun for me.....

HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS:

Method Hand Soap - I LOVE the Cinnamon Bark smell and Hollyberry smell - almost better than a candle

FOOD/BEVERAGE

Marie Calendars Ready-Made pie crusts - in the freezer section. If you are making pumpkin pie off of the Libby's Can label - a double recipe fits perfectly in three of these pie shells....

Oregon Chai Tea - in the tea and coffee section. Michele turned me onto this. If you use one part of this, one part milk, one part French Vanilla Liquid Coffeemate (can be Sugar or Fat Free) and one part water (perhaps a little less of last two ingredients), you have yourself one tasty, creamy drink - not quite overtaking Russian Tea for me, but a worthy contender

Leonardo's Take and Bake Pizza from WinCo - actually my family's favorite take and bake. I think it might have something to do with the garlic butter they smear all over the crust to begin with...... mmmmmmm

WinCo's Bakey Cinnamon Raisin Bagels - very soft, which is what I like, and choc-full of raisins

MUSIC

Michael W. Smith's New Christmas Album (It's a Wonderful Christmas?) - I'm not quite ready to recommend purchasing the whole album, although it is nice, you might be better off downloading a couple of the songs. The first track for sure (I've already cried a couple times listening to it) and certainly the one that he does with Mandissa. It is beautiful music as it is all down with a full orchestra, so it almost has a Disney dramatic soundtrack element to it.....

Josh Groban's Album - If you love the sound of Josh Groban, you'll probably like this. I can't say I was blown away, but probably because I wasn't expecting a sound that bordered on kind of an opera-like sound, but his "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with sound bites of real military families speaking is pretty touching......

BEST NEW TV SHOW OF THE SEASON

Hands down, for John and I, "Chuck". We sit in our bean bags up in front of the coffee table - all of our snacks ready - and just ENJOY.... We are constantly trading smiles back and forth - we love Monday nights and we love CHUCK!

I think that's it for me. I'll probably think of more and put them into the comments. In the meantime - contribute away! I'd love to hear what's "doing it" for you all............

My New Friend, Lindsay

When I was a college student, there was a program through our church called, "Naomi's Wealth". In a nutshell, it involved younger women being paired with older woman so that they could share their "wisdom". The idea didn't appeal to me in the SLIGHTEST - I already had a mom and didn't want some older woman telling me how I should run my life differently. I kind of had that attitude towards being personally mentored in general - only a tiny handful of women in my life had earned the respect from me that I would want to model my life after theirs. Sadly, I never really got to enter into a mentor relationship with any of them - at least not for any length of time.

One of those woman's name was Laurie. She was basically a half generation above me - less than 15 years older, for sure - and I admired her tremendously. She had become a widow, leaving her with three young kiddos, and then later married someone I admired who had helped lead our college group - and now they have two more young children - my kids' ages. Laurie was (is- she moved so I don't get to run into her anymore) down-to-earth, transparent, fun, and above all, constantly seeking the Lord. I learned so much from her testimony as well as nearly every conversation I had with her. I had the opportunity to be part of a Bible Study with her for one sweet year, but then, shortly after, their family moved.

Fast forward to September of this year. I recieved a phone call from the Director of Womens' ministy and was asked to call her back. I've got to admit I always feel a bit of nervousness at that as I worry about how I might end up being challenged by her to do something out of my comfort zone. In this case, she asked if I would consider being a mentor to a college-aged gal. I said "yes" because God has put the collegians on both of John and I's heart lately, and felt like this might be a good start. However, I still admit, there was some major concern over what kind of individual I might be paired with - whether or not we'd hit it off or have anything in common at all, and of course, how they would perceive me - as I had certainly had strong feelings about the whole thing when I was their age.

So, the day came when I got in the mail the letter telling me the name of the student I was to meet with. Imagine my shock when I actually recognized the name - Lindsay - daughter of the above mentioned "Laurie". Wow, God is good. It is so totally wild to me that we could end up going full-circle, although me being considered the "mentor" still cracks me up regarding my "wisdom to share". But, one thing I do having going for me, is that I do love talking, and God has taught me a lot, so, hopefully, that just might be enough......

At ten this morning, Lindsay and I met at Full City. Though we have met before (with Laurie), it's been a long time. I can't tell you how happy I was leaving our meeting..... I adore Lindsay and feel like I went back in time 14 years (the difference in our ages), upon talking to her. She is in leadership positions all over the place within the collegiate ministry, so our meeting time isn't destined to be all about teaching or Bible Studies, but rather friendship and prayer requests - just perfect as far as I am concerned.

Jodi was talking in her blog about the amazing feeling of meeting with someone you know so well, but rarely get to see and getting right to the "meat" of it (being a vegetarian - she didn't use that phrase, but I think that was her point). I so agree, but also have to add my feelings of more-or-less meeting someone for the first time, and still being able to dive deep. I think that is a sure-fire sign that a great friendship is beginning, and I couldn't be more delighted......

A Couple of Questions 89

I'd really like to make it to 100 questions, but I've got to admit, right now the creative juices aren't flowing. Hence, the reasoning behind question #1.

This morning I woke the kids up just a little early so that we could be at the "Tuesday Morning" store less than a mile away at 7am in order to snag a gift item that is perfect for a friend of mine. I've never shopped there before, so when I went in with the ad last week looking for the item, the saleslady kindly explained to me that that is part of the merchandise that arrives Tuesday morning - hence the name of the store. So, I didn't know what to expect this morning when I showed up, but thought I should arrive upon opening at 7am just in case. Sure enough, there were about ten people out front, and at the point that I snagged my item, there were only two left. Actually, only one left, because the kids and I decided that "said item" would probably be a very cozy thing to have in our home as well. This made the trip very worth it for the kids.

We spend the next twenty minutes eating orange juice, chocolate milk and doughnuts at the Market of Choice before it was necessary to pick up our neighbor and head to school. While I don't believe we will be doing much more Christmas shopping in this fashion, I think it is something the kids will agree was very fun and memorable.

So, on to my lame questions......

1. Do you have an idea for a question? (please....)

2. What Broadway-style show would you most like to see? (Does not have to be currently running)

It's Been this Kind of Weekend.....

Yes, indeed - a cozy weekend for sure. I spent Friday and early Saturday at Michele's - doing all the sorts of things I love doing there - sorting through catalogs, reading classic Lori Wick books, organizing paperwork. The kids had pulled out the Christmas music and were dancing in the living room, and Traig even persuaded me to play a little "Ty" on PS2 - yup, just what I had in mind.

Saturday, of course, brought us back to Autzen, my last home game for the season (my ticket for the Civil War always goes to Michael when they play at Autzen) - and I couldn't have asked for a better game to end it on. Sunday brought an additional hour to savor in the mood of the season. I love Sundays in November the best - I love reading the paper - about the Ducks, as well as scouring the ads for early Christmas deals.

While I can't say the house looks like I had an extra hour to work with it - the amount of ground I made in "preparing for the season" both tangibly and literally - was very big. A wonderful weekend for sure......

Final Exam

Couldn't help but post this - Michael sent it to me and I just kept smiling.....



At Penn State University, there were four sophomores taking chemistry and all of them had earned an 'A' so far. These four friends were so confident that the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and have a big party. They had a great time but, after all the hearty partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn't make it back to State College until early Monday morning.

Rather than taking the final then, they decided that after the final they would explain to their professor why they missed it. They said that they visited friends but on the way back they had a flat tire. As a result, they missed the final. The professor agreed they could make up the final the next day.

The guys were excited and relieved. They studied that night for the exam. The Professor placed them in separate rooms and gave them a test booklet. They quickly answered the first problem worth 5 points. Cool, they thought! Each one in separate rooms, thinking this was going to be easy..

....then they turned the page. On the second page was written...




For 95 points:

Which tire went flat? _________

Brayden's Essay

We had our parent conference with Brayden's teacher yesterday. No new surprises - we are dealing with the same compliments and same "need for improvements" as we have been for the last four years. We walked away smiling at our son, very pleased with his teacher, and motivated once again to pull out the handwriting book and work with Brayden on paying attention to directions and details.......

One of the projects he's been working on this last month is a five paragraph auto-biography. Brayden still has a long way to go in understanding the technical aspects of how to write paragraphs and proper sentence structure and flow - but the content made me forget all of that and brought tears to my eyes. Here's what he wrote - I think you will notice he definitely has some themes going on.....



I am Brayden Riley. I love my small family and for my free time I would play video games of watch tv. When I grow up I am going to be a professional football player for the Colts.

I love my family. They are really nice. I never want to trade them. They take me a lot of places and give me a lot of surprises. They are the coolest. My dad loves watching me play football. He throws me the ball and catches my throws. My mom gives me a lot of advice and truly helps me when I am sad. She helps me with my homework.

I would want to be a super star and sing for the Lord. It will rock! I love Him so much and once I die I am going to have the most fun in the whole wide world.

When I grow up I want to play for the Oregon Ducks. I would play with Dennis Dixon and Jonathon Stuart. I would like to play quarterback or running back. I would help make them number one in the nation. It would help them so much.

I have a great small family. My goal is to play for Indianappolis with Peyton Manning. I also want to sing for the Lord. When I grow up I am going to play for the Ducks and Dennis Dixon.

Trick or Treat!

Today was a really wonderful day. After watching the annual dress-up "Today Show" - and totally smiling - and then working out while watching "Regis and Kelly" dress up as Troy and Sharpay from High School Musical - it was a very fun morning. I then dinked around a bit, taking advantage of two great coupons in two different bookstores, while having Michele periodically call me to have me listen to the Christmas music being played on the FISH radio station for the day in her neck of the woods. So cozy. Just as I'd hoped, I was able to take it all in.

I will admit, the blood pressure did a little peaking around 5pm, that time right before any event that I end up hosting where, no matter how much preparation and pre-planning, I'm still not quite ready enough, and neither are the kids. Throw in a few phone calls and early arrivals, and I find myself thinking, "how could I avoid this next year?". But, it still all worked out. And, I don't think any amount of pre-preparation is going to solve the problem of keeping the kids still to take a picture when all their friends are gathered around and they are itching to collect the candy from every neighbor within a mile's radius!

I love our little block of streets because it is often ignored on Halloween. There are a few upscale neighborhoods nearby that are the "automatic choices" for kids/parents so people generally avoid this area. That makes for a wonderful time for our little party to cruise the streets at our own pace and not worry about cars or crowds.

This year, I think we all agreed that Adam stole the show. He definitely embraced his cowboy costume and was loving the trick-or-treating experience - so fun to watch. Brayden and Jackson as boxer and mini-boxer were pretty cute as well.

Back at the house, we engaged the kids in a little Halloween Twister (you'd think they'd be exhausted for as much as they'd walked, but apparently that sugar rush brought on a second wind......). The last picture shows Amy in a mask ready to freak Adam and the girls out. She decided it might not end well and took off the mask before he saw her, but I thought it was a cool picture, nonetheless..........

Hope you all had an evening of fun memories and more treats than tricks!!!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Am I Happy Enough?

I just read Jodi's blog, so it's funny that this would end up being the title of mine.

It used to be that my all time favorite day/time of the year was either Christmas Day or my birthday. Those days were the pinacles of all happiness - promising festivities and merriment of utmost delight. However, as time has gone on, my favorite days to anticipate have shifted backward in the calendar year. This is, of course, because I now realize that my happiest times are in expectation of those "peak" days. Perhaps Thanksgiving - with the Macy's Day parade, family time, "great shopping day" and a month of excitement in celebration of Christmas.

However, now, one of the days I most look forward to is Halloween. It is the "kick-off" holiday, at the height of my favorite season of the year. Autumn in all of its brilliance, crystal blue skies, my grass covered in crimson leaves - and kids - SO excited, to dress up, greet the neighbors, and "just be giddy". I love to bake at this time of year, to make the big pot of chili, and cornbread, and have excuses to make lots of pies and goodies.

So, as Halloween is tomorrow, I'm asking myself, am I now aware that TOMORROW is one of the days I anticipate more than any other for the rest of the year? Am I soaking in this time of year, am I happy? Happy like I always think I should be when I think about this time of year in May or July, etc?

I feel like I have to ask myself these questions because too often, I think, the "Martha" side of me scurries around just crossing things off lists, making advanced plans on the calendar, and robotically going through the motions of each day. Yesterday, the day wasn't too busy, so I decided to make a new recipe of sugar cookies (I think a new favorite), and as a result of quite a silly jack-o-lantern story, ended up carving two pumpkins. It was a happy day - I was savoring the experiences (and too many of the cookies!).

So, as I embark upon these very fun days ahead, I hope I have the foresight enough to check myself as to whether I'm soaking it all in just as I hope I would when thinking about this time of year when it's not this time of year (boy, that's a mouth-full!) I feel like I have been blessed with a very abundant life, the least I can do is fully appreciate it.............

Our Annual Lone Pine Adventure

On Sunday, an absolutely brilliant autumn day, we ventured out again for our "now-annual" Lone Pine Corn Maze Adventure with the Whites. With the help of John's i-phone, which we used to take a picture of the map at the front of the maze, we cruised through the massive attraction in about a half hour. This time the kids did their own walking as well - they are growing up, that's for sure.

Along the way, we met some folks who apparently never made their way out - the kids were sweet enough to pose with them. We also stopped at the cow train to let the kids take a wild ride.

In typical Riley fashion, we cruised through the experience in total efficiency. It cracks me up how fast we can get through something - once again, why Disneyland with the Rileys can truly be an adventure as we just don't lag around much. It was a great morning with the Whites - part of why I love this season so much!

Battlefront

I've had a pit in my stomach all week long.
I've been unsettled- knowing that it was inevitable.
I knew it wasn't going to be easy, pehaps the hardest battle we've had to face.
So, there John and I sat, forced to be closer together than we would have chosen.
Occasionally one of us would stand up and yell - or scream.
It was almost impossible to try to listen to each other.
My hands shook, my heart raced - I actually fought tears.
You could cut the tension with a knife.
I knew he was struggling in the same way.
And yet, we still slapped at each other.
Yes, it did turn out to be just as hard as we thought it would be,
but, in the end the victory was ours
- to share -
with the other 59,000 people surrounding us.


Alright, I know the above sounds overly dramatic, and I almost feel like I should apologize for the intensity of it all. The whole thing is a bit of a mystery to me, this love for a game - a passion that can affect my emotions in such a powerful way. It's unlike anything else that I can compare it to. It is just a game, just a sport - nothing that I believe God takes an active interest in (outside of His interest in each individual player/coach) - so it's not a matter of faith or praying or anything eternal. It is not a relationship that I can talk it though, or just communicate, in fact it is completely out of my control (outside of contributing to a decibel level equaling that of a jet take-off). It is an extremely temporary activity, in the grand scheme of things. But, somehow, to John and I, it has become something of high significance to us - at least as far as the entertainment facet of our life. Our comments, feelings, and actions almost identically mirrored each other today - as they have pertaining to this game all week.

I believe it will be the best and most memorable game we will have ever watched. Never have we witnessed a match-up of such high rankings, and the ramifications are huge. It is a conflicting thing for me to want something so bad and know that I could be let down, and try to deal with how to sort through that. Do I believe we can make this thing happen, only to be so let down, do I be a pessimist (which is just not me right now), or, as it was today, do I simply hold my breath for 3 and a half hours, hoping beyond hope? Today, the hope was realized, final score: 24-17, UO over the Mighty USC Trojans......

The Whites and us crunched the leaves loudly as we returned to our vehicle, and I commented that I wanted to absorb every possible sense - it was a perfect football day made even sweeter by the joy our kids experienced carving pumpkins and playing backyard touch football with Grandpa and Grandma back at home. I will remember today for a very long time -

How Brayden Greeted Daddy this Morning-

Usually John leaves for work before the kids get to see him. However, this morning, John got to peek in on Brayden while he was in the shower and say "good-bye". This was Brayden's response to him:

"Roses are red,
Violets are blue
I can't wait
to hang out with you"

Ahhhhhhh........What a way to start a Friday!

A Couple of Questions 88

Halloween is less than a week away. I find myself thankful for our school district that has had the foresight to give the days following Halloween off for the kids (parent conferences). Good thinking. We will do another chili feed this year, following an early set-off for trick or treating. I think I will plan a kids' Halloween party next year when Halloween actually lands on a Friday and the Schillings can join us. This year, I won't try to be Martha Stewart to any grand degree...... So, on to the Halloween related questions-

1. What are your plans for Halloween and if you have kids, what are they dressing up as if they are dressing up?

2. What was your favorite Halloween costume?

Trip with Grandpa to Enchanted Forest

Aren't Grandpas the greatest? Way back when, when I hosted a party for the Michigan game, Dad had agreed to take the kids. Mom was out of town, so it was all up to him. They had originally planned to do some fishing, but when Dad offered to take the kids to Enchanted Forest there was no question what their preference was....... Clearly, by the pictures, they had a fantastic time. Thank you again, Dad!

Brayden was the solo rider on the Log Ride, and had a blast!
No kids, the structure isn't actually edible - Brayden, stop licking that!
See, I'm telling you, there is some interest growing towards theatrical arts with these kiddos....

Rebooting

For whatever reason, I carry a tremendous amount of tension in my shoulders. The way they are constantly locked up is really quite pathetic. If I were a good girl, I would be religous in my efforts to do all of the physical therapy exercises I was assigned two years ago, but as is often the case, when I stopped seeing my therapist, the accountability was over, and so was the regiment of extra work I had to do. Of course, Mom does an amazing job of putting things where they are supposed to be, but my muscles are constantly fighting her. Unfortunately, even using the elliptical machine at the gym works my shoulders which then gives them even more reason to tighten up.

Invariably, this tension leads to knots and the knots lead to headaches - and sometimes the headaches lead to worse. I have become quite a pro in assessing how to address each symptom, whether or not Icy Hot will do the trick, when a Therma Care neck heat patch would be a good idea (can't tell you how wonderful those things are at cold soccer or football games!), when over the counter pain reliever will work, when a migraine medication is necessary, or something even stronger. When I am considering an ice pack or the second "something stronger", it is a good bet that that the only thing that will alleviate/cure the problem is what I call "rebooting".

Such was the case nearly two weeks ago, the Thursday prior to the Women of Faith conference. I will admit, the whole week had me quite wound up. Between organizing babysitting, hotel arrangements, driving arrangements, tickets, and a family reunion I had built it up in my mind that I would be stressed- and self-fulfilled that prophecy. (And, no, I wasn't the sole person responsible for all those things, I just stressed like I was). At around 1:00, I realized I was in familiar headache territory (where I'm at at about that time 75% of my days), but by 2:00, was recognizing this headache wasn't responding. So, I turned to my attempts to "reboot".

For me, if I can get my body to fully fall asleep, even for just a short amount of time, for whatever reason, 99% of the time, I will wake up with the headache gone. Hence, the term, "rebooting". Sounds easy enough, but when you know you have to fall asleep, and you are dealing with pain - sometimes, not so easy. Knowing the state I was in, I tried to make arrangements to have Brayden's transport to his game delegated, and John able to take Mikayla to a birthday party. Then, I turned to the couch. And rolled over on the couch, and tried to snuggle up with blankets, and warm packs - and, and, and - for 4 hours. No sleep, no luck. The really, really sad thing was that Michele and the kids were supposed to arrive at 7:30 and I desperately wanted to be "okay" when I saw them. Instead, at 6:30, I was feeling absolutely miserable and my house was trashed as the kids were given free reign while mommy tried to fall asleep.

So, I got up. I tried to straighten the house (it had been a record three weeks since we'd seen Michele and the cousins), and tried to straighten myself up enough to not scare the kids. Eventually, they came, I embraced them, and ten minutes later, nearly in tears, had to resign myself to retreating to the dark cave of our room, where there was little noise, light, and movement. This is when I describe the headaches as migraines - though they are rooted in tension headaches, when they bloom into nauseousness, flushes of heat mixed with chills and the intense survival instinct to lay perfectly still....... I think I can give them that title.

I think by about 9pm, I was asleep. By 6 am, I was absolutely normal again - full of energy, no pain, ready to take on the day (albeit with a little trepidation of overdoing it) and certainly ready to make up lost ground with Michele and the kids. (We had been so excited about just having time to ourselves Thursday night and taking it easy together). Amazing how that whole rebooting thing works.

It does have me thinking about the potential application this might have for other areas of our lives. How many nights have I stayed up dwelling on something, only to see it in a new light as dawn emerges? Or, in a broader application, how many times has God desired that we just give up, surrender all control to something, and release unto Him? Something that we have fought with all of our arsenal of power, but is clearly beyond us - and something only God has control over.

Hmmm, pretty deep thoughts for a morning in which Michele's cell accidentally dialed our number at 4:30 am, startling both John and I fully awake - worried about what such a phone call would mean..... (The answer to the mystery became obvious some five minutes later when my phone signalled a message had been left and it revealed sound effects of Michele getting ready to go work out - yes, she really does wake up to work out at 4:30 am.......!). I never did get back to sleep, but have accomplished quite a bit since then! As for now- time to turn the computer over to Mikayla, and -sigh- apply some Icy Hot......

#5 in the Rankings!

I had to put that little tribute to the Ducks in my title. I want to believe we can take USC this next weekend and continue moving up, but for here and now, for this week, we are #5 in the nation - and that is pretty cool!

Funny story from church this morning, when we sat down I became uncomfortably aware of John's cologne smell. I don't know how it was possible, but the smell just intensified the longer I sat there. I really didn't want to hurt John's feelings (I've never dealt with this problem with him before), but I kept thinking, "I can't believe I helped picked this cologne out, it smells really cheap and nothing like I would expect John to wear". Finally, 10 minutes into service, I suggested to John that he went a little heavy on the cologne. He said it was just one squirt like always, and that basically, "it wasn't him". He darted his eyes to the elderly gentleman sitting a seat away from him and then I realized, nope, it wasn't my honey. As precious as this old guy and his wife seated next to him were - (three seats away from me), I was nearly nauseous by the time service ended. I am a pretty scent-sensitive person. The only relief I had was that it wasn't my husband causing the congregation this misery......

At noon, our family, including Syd, headed over to Skinner's Butte Park to meet up with our buddy, Steve, who bless his heart, works with the 5 of us crazies to come up with a family portrait that we can send out to everyone that makes us look like we love each other. (That was the family talk on the way, "Kids, smile to show everyone how much we love being together!"). Steve seemed pretty impressed with what he was looking at, we can't wait to see them. If they turn with fun smiles, we can thank Sydney, we were having a good crack-up laughing at her being held by me in a strangle hold and Steve trying hard to get her to look at him.

So, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, Steve! Your talents are such a gift to this family!