Thanks to my cousin (or perhaps his wife), I now have the greatest picture of my 93-yr-old grandmother I will ever own. ROCK ON GRAMMA!
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Thank you Jo Jo
Yesterday I went to the bank with a great big smile planted on my mug. In fact, it appeared there Wednesday night and it's still there! Here's why...
In December of 2005 I received a cashier's check for a LARGE amount of money. I didn't believe it was even real. I took it to the bank and they confirmed it was a real check. I was baffled. It came with a typed letter stating: "This is a real cashier's check from someone who loves you. Merry Christmas! Love, Jo Jo the Elf". I felt confused, but grateful, nonetheless.
In December of 2006 I opened another envelope with the same typed letter and another cashier's check for the same amount of money. I was shocked! I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be the receiver of so much! This time I knew it was a real check and immediately I went to the bank.
In December of 2007 I started to wonder if I could be so lucky. I would go to the mail box with anticipation, but never felt sad when it wasn't there. I knew it would be too prideful to hope for a third year in a row. And then one day, there it was. I opened the envelope not believing I could be so blessed for the third year in a row. When I saw the typed letter with the same exact words, I began to cry. No, I bawled like a baby.
Last month I had a huge monitary disappointment. A program for struggling early childhood educators (called CARES - Comprehensive Approaches to Raising Educational Standards) exists to provide money for teachers to enrich their education. This year I qualified for the highest amount of money. All year I have been taking the required administration courses at the local colleges and actively participating in the local chapter of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). But because of a glitch in the system (and possibly the economic crisis), CARES decided not to award me any money this year. I was very disappointed and frankly a little worried about how I would make ends meet this year. But when I prayed about it, I felt reassurance that things would work out. I couldn't figure it out on paper how that would be possible, but in my heart I knew it was true.
Two days ago when I got an envelope from the same bank as the previous 3 years, I opened it without thinking. The typed letter sat in one hand, the check in the other for several moments before it dawned on me that for the FOURTH year in a row I was to be on the receiving end of so much charity. Now that my boys are old enough to appreciate what money really means, I decided to let them in on the gift. I walked into their room with a great big grin on my face and showed them the check. (My eldest knew right away what it was; I had to explain the numbers to my youngest.) High fives and hugs went all the way around. And then my youngest said, "Mommy, does this mean Santa can come this year afterall?" Through my happy tears I told him that Santa would have come anyway, even if the money hadn't come this year. But that thanks to our annonymous benefactor, we won't have to worry as much.
The thing is, both my kids know who Santa really is (but we like to pretend anyway). I guess that's why my youngest felt so worried. He remembered that I had told them the money we were expecting from CARES didn't come this year, and that we'd have to be extra careful with how much we spend for a while. Translation: fewer trips to MacDonalds, and no more Blockbuster movies for a while. This actually made my youngest cry at first, but we had a good talk about being more frugal, and I thought he felt better afterward. I never actually said anything about a smaller Christmas (that I can recall, at least), so this made his response to the money all the more touching for me.
My eldest's response: "Can we split the money equally between the three of us?" *grin*
So thank you Jo Jo the Elf. Whoever you are.
In December of 2005 I received a cashier's check for a LARGE amount of money. I didn't believe it was even real. I took it to the bank and they confirmed it was a real check. I was baffled. It came with a typed letter stating: "This is a real cashier's check from someone who loves you. Merry Christmas! Love, Jo Jo the Elf". I felt confused, but grateful, nonetheless.
In December of 2006 I opened another envelope with the same typed letter and another cashier's check for the same amount of money. I was shocked! I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be the receiver of so much! This time I knew it was a real check and immediately I went to the bank.
In December of 2007 I started to wonder if I could be so lucky. I would go to the mail box with anticipation, but never felt sad when it wasn't there. I knew it would be too prideful to hope for a third year in a row. And then one day, there it was. I opened the envelope not believing I could be so blessed for the third year in a row. When I saw the typed letter with the same exact words, I began to cry. No, I bawled like a baby.
Last month I had a huge monitary disappointment. A program for struggling early childhood educators (called CARES - Comprehensive Approaches to Raising Educational Standards) exists to provide money for teachers to enrich their education. This year I qualified for the highest amount of money. All year I have been taking the required administration courses at the local colleges and actively participating in the local chapter of NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). But because of a glitch in the system (and possibly the economic crisis), CARES decided not to award me any money this year. I was very disappointed and frankly a little worried about how I would make ends meet this year. But when I prayed about it, I felt reassurance that things would work out. I couldn't figure it out on paper how that would be possible, but in my heart I knew it was true.
Two days ago when I got an envelope from the same bank as the previous 3 years, I opened it without thinking. The typed letter sat in one hand, the check in the other for several moments before it dawned on me that for the FOURTH year in a row I was to be on the receiving end of so much charity. Now that my boys are old enough to appreciate what money really means, I decided to let them in on the gift. I walked into their room with a great big grin on my face and showed them the check. (My eldest knew right away what it was; I had to explain the numbers to my youngest.) High fives and hugs went all the way around. And then my youngest said, "Mommy, does this mean Santa can come this year afterall?" Through my happy tears I told him that Santa would have come anyway, even if the money hadn't come this year. But that thanks to our annonymous benefactor, we won't have to worry as much.
The thing is, both my kids know who Santa really is (but we like to pretend anyway). I guess that's why my youngest felt so worried. He remembered that I had told them the money we were expecting from CARES didn't come this year, and that we'd have to be extra careful with how much we spend for a while. Translation: fewer trips to MacDonalds, and no more Blockbuster movies for a while. This actually made my youngest cry at first, but we had a good talk about being more frugal, and I thought he felt better afterward. I never actually said anything about a smaller Christmas (that I can recall, at least), so this made his response to the money all the more touching for me.
My eldest's response: "Can we split the money equally between the three of us?" *grin*
So thank you Jo Jo the Elf. Whoever you are.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
For Goodness Snakes
Hopefully I'm not going to get sued for using this title for my post since it's the name of the company I used for my son's birthday party today. Here are some of the pictures I took. I didn't ever have the guts to actually hold one of these little gems, but even the most timid child eventually had a snake around his neck by the end of their visit.
Friday, December 5, 2008
What I love about Christmas
I love Christmas more than any other time of the year. And that includes my birthday!
I love the cold weather (what do I know about "cold" -- I live in the bay area!)
I love the shopping (although this year I'm not doing much of that -- and I say that every year)
I love Christmas In The Park and the outdoor ice skating rink in downtown San Jose
I love getting Christmas cards
I love choosing, buying, and putting up the Christmas Tree
I love decorating the house with Nativity Scenes and lights and snow globes
I love watching old Christmas movies in my pj's with a big bowl of buttered air-popped popcorn in my lap
I love sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows and whipped cream
I love drinking egg nog (with milk, of course)
I love singing Christmas carols
I love listening to Christmas music -- especially the old classics and the one my sister wrote
I love opening presents
I love watching my kids open presents
I love the words: "is that ALL?" after the presents are all opened
I love the crumpled up wrapping paper strewn all over the floor
I love the smell of real pine needles
I love the baking and the eating of Christmas dinner and Christmas treats
I love eating home-made Chex party mix and my dad's "grog"
I love playing games with my family until all hours of the night at mom's house
I love watching my sisters-in-law knit together while the siblings play the games
I love seeing out-of-town friends and family
I love the way the kids at school look when they hand me a Christmas card or present
I love time off work -- although this year there will be fewer days :(
I love walking out of my mom's house late at night and breathing the crisp, cool Sunnyvale air that reminds me of this time of year
I love believing in Santa, if only for one night every year
I love surprises in my stocking at mom's house
I love hearing the church choir and the Primary children sing Christmas hymns at church
I love church the Sunday after Christmas when everyone in the congregation has the chance to share their favorite hymn, scripture, or testimony
I love sharing Christmas memories with my brothers and sisters, and even breaking out all those old Christmas morning videos dad took every year while we were kids
I love wearing sweaters and funny-looking toe socks
I love retelling the story of the birth of our Savior
I love the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
I love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert
I love looking for the "pickle" in mom's Christmas tree
I love the excitement that surrounds this time of year and wish it would last just a bit longer
What do you love?
I love the cold weather (what do I know about "cold" -- I live in the bay area!)
I love the shopping (although this year I'm not doing much of that -- and I say that every year)
I love Christmas In The Park and the outdoor ice skating rink in downtown San Jose
I love getting Christmas cards
I love choosing, buying, and putting up the Christmas Tree
I love decorating the house with Nativity Scenes and lights and snow globes
I love watching old Christmas movies in my pj's with a big bowl of buttered air-popped popcorn in my lap
I love sipping hot cocoa with marshmallows and whipped cream
I love drinking egg nog (with milk, of course)
I love singing Christmas carols
I love listening to Christmas music -- especially the old classics and the one my sister wrote
I love opening presents
I love watching my kids open presents
I love the words: "is that ALL?" after the presents are all opened
I love the crumpled up wrapping paper strewn all over the floor
I love the smell of real pine needles
I love the baking and the eating of Christmas dinner and Christmas treats
I love eating home-made Chex party mix and my dad's "grog"
I love playing games with my family until all hours of the night at mom's house
I love watching my sisters-in-law knit together while the siblings play the games
I love seeing out-of-town friends and family
I love the way the kids at school look when they hand me a Christmas card or present
I love time off work -- although this year there will be fewer days :(
I love walking out of my mom's house late at night and breathing the crisp, cool Sunnyvale air that reminds me of this time of year
I love believing in Santa, if only for one night every year
I love surprises in my stocking at mom's house
I love hearing the church choir and the Primary children sing Christmas hymns at church
I love church the Sunday after Christmas when everyone in the congregation has the chance to share their favorite hymn, scripture, or testimony
I love sharing Christmas memories with my brothers and sisters, and even breaking out all those old Christmas morning videos dad took every year while we were kids
I love wearing sweaters and funny-looking toe socks
I love retelling the story of the birth of our Savior
I love the First Presidency Christmas Devotional
I love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas concert
I love looking for the "pickle" in mom's Christmas tree
I love the excitement that surrounds this time of year and wish it would last just a bit longer
What do you love?
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