Guitar Hero

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!

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.

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.

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?

Missing Church

I hate missing church. I can honestly say that I have been to church consistently for most of my life. I will make every effort to attend at least Sacrament Meeting, no matter where I am. I'm not boasting. I just absolutely love to go. I love the people, the lessons, the feeling, the choir, the bishop, the RS president... everything. When I miss church my whole week suffers.

Two weeks ago I was sick. It was the pits. I had just enough energy to drive my kids to church and then back home again. I slept nearly all day. When I was awake I was dizzy. I'm not very good at being sick. I'm a miserable person to be around. And I missed church. The week following was tough, but I got through it. And I was very happy to be back at church last Sunday.

Yesterday I picked my kids up from the airport after their trip to their dad's for Thanksgiving. My eldest looked like he was about to faint. His symptoms were similar to what I had been through two weeks ago. The only difference is that he also had a fever.

Today is his birthday. And he spent it in bed with a sore throat and a fever. And we both missed church. Poor kid - what a yucky birthday!

Well, at least I've got the General Conference cd's now. Maybe the two of us can listen to a session together. Hey! I might have to miss work tomorrow! Darn.

Men vs Women

I'm not a feminist. I believe there are inherent differences in men and women and I'm very comfortable with that. It's not a mystery to me that most men are stronger than most women. I'm also comfortable with that. I'm a small woman, so it's okay if I admit that there are things I can't do that a big strong man can!

HOWEVER...

I have also learned that I can do a lot of things I never thought I'd be able to do without a man's help. I can paint the house. I can make simple repairs to the dryer. I can move furniture. I can change a light fixture. I can change a tire on my car. I can move the fridge and mop behind it and then move it back without scratching the floor. I can even replace a toilet! (Okay, I admit, I had help from my brothers with the toilet.)

So here I am in my "girl power" state of mind. I go to the boys' gym to help them move and work all day. I'm even praised that I know how to use a power drill, and they took my picture to prove it to everyone else!

And THEN...! Here's the email thread between me and the owner/coach of the gymnastics club:

Hello All,
We did not have enough time and help to set up the equipment in the new gym. The team practices on Monday and Wednesday have been canceled.
Thank you,
A~

A~,
I'm sorry it didn't get finished! Is there anything else we can all do to help get things settled this week? Please let us know!
S~

S~,
We need more men help.
Thanks,
A~

I know, I shouldn't be offended. Actually, my first reaction was to laugh right out loud. Sheesh! I know he was refering to the hard manual labor of getting the spring-board floor put together. But come on, I can screw a few boards together just as well as the next MAN can!

The Great and Spacious Building

A week ago I got a phone call from a very good friend. He told me about an incident that happend to him at the hospital where he works. He works night shifts, so he often brings his scriptures with him to the hospital so that he can study during slow times. One night recently he was chatting with a new employee who started to ask him about his religious beliefs. They stepped into an empty room and he pulled his scriptures from his backpack. He said that their conversation felt like he was back on his mission and that it was the first time he's really felt like himself in a long time, as his current life situation has been really challenging for him. By the time they were ready to get back to work he said that his friend expressed interest in going to church with him and possibly letting the missionaries come teach him. My friend was ecstatic! It was really a tender mercy from the Lord that He gave my friend an opportunity to bear his testimony and have such a positive experience.

Then, as they were walking out of the room where they had been discussing religion, my friend noticed a group of co-workers standing around the security monitors giggling. He walked over to them, curious as to what was so funny and realized they had been watching HIM on the security feed. They began to taunt him and laugh at him, asking "are you going to convert everyone to be a Mormon now?" And proceded to say rude things to him. My friend was deflated, to say the least. He walked away feeling dejected, his mood from just moments before completely altered.

He had just experienced a modern-day version of 1 Nephi, chapter 8. Here's how Lehi describes it (v. 24-28):

And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.

And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.

And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.

And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.

And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.

When I shared my thoughts with my friend he gasped out loud. "I hadn't even thought of that!" Remember Lehi's reaction to those in the building? "...and we heeded them not." What happened to those people? Later, in chapter 11, Nephi asks an angel for the interpretation of his father's dream and is shown the same vision. Here's what he wrote in verses 35 and 36:

And the multitude of the earth was gathered together; and I beheld that they were in a large and spacious building, like unto the building which my father saw. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Behold the world and the wisdom thereof; yea, behold the house of Israel hath gathered together to fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Two days ago I was driving my sons to cub scouts. I stopped at a red light and glanced in the rear-view mirror. The driver behind me had her hand up, giving me a rude finger gesture. I was baffled. Had I unknowingly offended her? I couldn't remember doing anything out of the ordinary with my driving, so I had no idea what could have warrented such a thing. Then I peeked in the mirror again. She was glaring at my bumber! And then it hit me. My license plate says "LDS... Standing for Something" and right below it there is a "Yes on 8" bumper sticker. (For those of you not in California, Propostition 8 protects traditional marriage.) Wow, I thought. Are people really so angry over my personal views?

And then yesterday I was told that the "Yes on 8" lawn sign at my mother's house was defaced with a black permanent marker.

Could these experiences prove the beginning of a great seperation of "the wheat from the tears"? Perhaps the Second Coming of the Lord isn't as far away as it seems.