No, I didn't really participate in Black Friday. I slept in until 8:0 this morning and then got up and did some laundry and few other little things. I watched "Silver Bells" (one of my favorites) and ended up crying at the end of it. For some reason I felt so homesick for the Christmases that have been.
I was waiting for Mike to come home after he went into the church for a couple of hours. Then he ended up taking Akram (the husband of our Egyptian couple) to Best Buy so he could buy a GPS - which he didn't do because he thought they were too expensive. After taking Akram home, Mike came back to the house and we had a decision to make.
He had gotten a call from a mom with 4 kids who was living in a motel room. She was crying and saying she didn't have any money to buy food. Well, we weren't about to give her money, so we decided to go to the 99 Cent Store and buy her a few things she could cook in the microwave in the room. Also picked up some cereal and juice. We went to the motel and took the food to her room. Her two youngest children (2 & 3 year old little girls) were with her. Apparently the older 2 girls stayed with friends. We talked with her and found out she has a heart condition and has a pacemaker and is on disability. Her check is supposed to come next Tuesday. She has family in Arizona and Virginia and they have said she can come back to live with them, so we encouraged her to do that. It's so hard to know if people are telling you the truth. We have been taken by some and then others have been legitimate. We also encouraged her to come to church Sunday. However, we left it up to her to call if she was coming so we could get a ride for her. We'll see if she follows through.
I took Mike home and then went out to do some shopping. I went to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Ross, Dollar Tree, Family Christian Store, Wal-Mart and Kohls. The crowds didn't seem awful, but there was some standing in line. But how the stores have been ravaged and I was surprised how picked over things are already. Think I'm going to try some online shopping. I was exhausted and I was only out for 4 hours.
Now I'm home once again relaxing and trying to come up with a plan for the rest of my holiday shopping. My goal is to be done by Friday the 13th. Haha! :)
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
The day started off by sleeping in ... until 7:30. :) Got up and made Mike some waffles for breakfast. Then I made deviled eggs and whipped up my sweet potato casserole. Watched some of the Macy's Parade and road my bike.
We left to go up to Ramona to Mike's sister at 1:15 and got there about 40 minutes later. We were supposed to eat at 2:00, but everything wasn't ready. Mike read Psalm 100 and we all shared what we were thankful for and then prayed for the meal and ate.
It was strange because there were only 8 of us this year. It's the first year we all fit around one table.
After dinner Mike and Joe (Mike's sister's husband) fell asleep. While the women cleaned up ... sound typical? :)
At 4:30 Hannah (our niece) and her new hubby John had to leave to make a 4 hours drive to his folks. About a half hour after they left Hannah's sister Courtney and her boyfriend Jake arrived for dessert and 15 minutes after that Mike's brother Rod and his wife and 2 kids came for dessert.
At one point Mike and I broke away and Face Timed with Heidi and Zach.
Rod's kids wanted to watch "Despicable Me", so we did. At 7:00 Mike's mom wanted to leave to go home. She had been there since Monday. We were going to take her home, but since Rod & Amy came they live closer to her so they took her home.
We all ended up leaving at 7:15.
Now we're home and it seems so weird to have spent a holiday without any of our kids. Sometimes I don't like that they're all grown up. Sometimes it would be nice to go back and re-live some of those days when they were little. Sigh
Today I'm thankful for the electronics that allow us to keep in touch with family who lives so far away.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
BURNING CALORIES
Just in case you consume too many calories on Thanksgiving (or any day), try these:
* Fidgeting can burn up to 350 calories a day.
* Light-headed: Thinking for one hour burns about 1/15 of a gram of fat.
* Laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day will burn about four pounds of fat in a year.
* Maintaining good posture can burn up to 350 calories each day.
However, stay away from this:
* A person can gain 15 pounds each year just by adding one can of soda a day to their diet.
Today I am thankful for a 4-day weekend which I fully intend to enjoy!
* Fidgeting can burn up to 350 calories a day.
* Light-headed: Thinking for one hour burns about 1/15 of a gram of fat.
* Laughing for 10 to 15 minutes a day will burn about four pounds of fat in a year.
* Maintaining good posture can burn up to 350 calories each day.
However, stay away from this:
* A person can gain 15 pounds each year just by adding one can of soda a day to their diet.
Today I am thankful for a 4-day weekend which I fully intend to enjoy!
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
A LATE START TO A GOOD DAY
My day started at what I thought was 4:30 AM. I heard Mike get up to put the dog out and when he came back to bed I thought it had to be around 4:30; close to gettin' up time. I asked him what time it was, but before he could answer I looked at my alarm clock and it was almost 6:00. What?!!! I usually leave the house around 6:15. Whoops!!!
Well, it didn't take me long to hop out of bed. I quickly jumped in and out of the shower, got dressed, did my hair and make-up and had a very quick breakfast before heading out the door at 6:45. I had to stop at the bank on my way to work to make a deposit too. Fortunately the traffic wasn't bad and I got to work by 7:30.
The morning went by quickly and soon it was 11:00. About 8 of us from the department I work in went to lunch at Chipotle. Lunch was on the company. Right next door was Yogurtland and someone suggested going there afterwards ... so we did. Yogurtland has different flavors of frozen yogurt and you put as much as you want in a cup and you're charged according to the weight. I didn't get a lot, but enjoyed a little chocolate, peanut butter and coconut. This too was on the company. :)
From there we drove down the street to a Salvation Army church to volunteer. We spent the next 3 hours decorating their church for them. It was a lot of fun.
However, there was one girl (Michelle) in our group of 8 who was helping put up several of the nativity's and she said she would just hand me the pieces because she didn't have a clue how to set a nativity up. She didn't know about the shepherds or the wise men. The nativity we were setting up was in a glass display case that didn't have enough room to put everything on one shelf because the figurines were large. So I told her we'd put the shepherds and sheep near Jesus, Mary & Joseph and that we'd put the wise men and camels on the lower shelf since they didn't come right away. Her response was, "Really? But the shepherds were there?" So I briefly told her about the angels in the sky making their announcement to the shepherds, but that it took the wise men two years as they followed the star.
After we were all done for the day, my friend (and supervisor) Sharon and I were talking with Michelle and complimenting each other on all the good decorating, and Sharon mentioned about the 3 gifts of the wise men - gold, frankincense and myrrh. Michelle asked what frankincense and myrrh were. We were able to share with her that the gold symbolized Jesus as king, the frankincense His priesthood and the myrrh symbolized His death. I told her that the reason Jesus was born was so He could die for our sins.
Michelle told us that she didn't go to church, but I have to tell you that I am dumbstruck that she knew nothing about the nativity. NOTHING! This is America, people! This should not be!
After leaving the Salvation Army I decided to stop by our church on my way home and take down the Fall decorations so we could be ready to "deck the halls" Sunday after church. I was kinda in the mood to decorate for Christmas, but knew I needed to wait. Then I came home and relaxed and will be heading to bed soon ... but checking my alarm first. :)
Today I'm thankful for the opportunity to plant a seed. I am praying that God uses today to speak to Michelle's heart. I am also praying about how God might want to use me.
Well, it didn't take me long to hop out of bed. I quickly jumped in and out of the shower, got dressed, did my hair and make-up and had a very quick breakfast before heading out the door at 6:45. I had to stop at the bank on my way to work to make a deposit too. Fortunately the traffic wasn't bad and I got to work by 7:30.
The morning went by quickly and soon it was 11:00. About 8 of us from the department I work in went to lunch at Chipotle. Lunch was on the company. Right next door was Yogurtland and someone suggested going there afterwards ... so we did. Yogurtland has different flavors of frozen yogurt and you put as much as you want in a cup and you're charged according to the weight. I didn't get a lot, but enjoyed a little chocolate, peanut butter and coconut. This too was on the company. :)
From there we drove down the street to a Salvation Army church to volunteer. We spent the next 3 hours decorating their church for them. It was a lot of fun.
However, there was one girl (Michelle) in our group of 8 who was helping put up several of the nativity's and she said she would just hand me the pieces because she didn't have a clue how to set a nativity up. She didn't know about the shepherds or the wise men. The nativity we were setting up was in a glass display case that didn't have enough room to put everything on one shelf because the figurines were large. So I told her we'd put the shepherds and sheep near Jesus, Mary & Joseph and that we'd put the wise men and camels on the lower shelf since they didn't come right away. Her response was, "Really? But the shepherds were there?" So I briefly told her about the angels in the sky making their announcement to the shepherds, but that it took the wise men two years as they followed the star.
After we were all done for the day, my friend (and supervisor) Sharon and I were talking with Michelle and complimenting each other on all the good decorating, and Sharon mentioned about the 3 gifts of the wise men - gold, frankincense and myrrh. Michelle asked what frankincense and myrrh were. We were able to share with her that the gold symbolized Jesus as king, the frankincense His priesthood and the myrrh symbolized His death. I told her that the reason Jesus was born was so He could die for our sins.
Michelle told us that she didn't go to church, but I have to tell you that I am dumbstruck that she knew nothing about the nativity. NOTHING! This is America, people! This should not be!
After leaving the Salvation Army I decided to stop by our church on my way home and take down the Fall decorations so we could be ready to "deck the halls" Sunday after church. I was kinda in the mood to decorate for Christmas, but knew I needed to wait. Then I came home and relaxed and will be heading to bed soon ... but checking my alarm first. :)
Today I'm thankful for the opportunity to plant a seed. I am praying that God uses today to speak to Michelle's heart. I am also praying about how God might want to use me.
Monday, November 25, 2013
NOT MUCH TODAY
Not much to report today. It's quite a bit chillier here today, but it did get warmer by noon so we could sit outside to eat. Traffic seemed lighter this morning and even this afternoon, so maybe a lot of people have taken the week off.
Tomorrow will be a half day of work and the afternoon will be devoted to volunteering at the Salvation Army with some other company employees. Not sure what we'll be doing yet. Then today we were told we could leave 3 hours early Wednesday ... and still get paid!
Today I'm thankful for my warm house and the creature comforts we have; not as much as others maybe, but enough for us. :)
Tomorrow will be a half day of work and the afternoon will be devoted to volunteering at the Salvation Army with some other company employees. Not sure what we'll be doing yet. Then today we were told we could leave 3 hours early Wednesday ... and still get paid!
Today I'm thankful for my warm house and the creature comforts we have; not as much as others maybe, but enough for us. :)
Sunday, November 24, 2013
IN THE TRENCHES
In the trenches is exactly how I felt after being in the Toddler Room during church today! Wow! I had 3 little boys: one 2 year old and two 3 year olds. The first problem was when the mom of the 2 year old and one of the 3 year olds came into the room and then left and then came back and then left again. The two year old was NOT happy that mom left ... either time. And he didn't just cry; he screamed!
When I couldn't console him, I decided I would take them outside to the playground. Just right outside the door awaited my reprieve. :) Thank goodness for San Diego climate. Although a little cool, it was a beautiful morning! So I let them run and play. I really wanted to be able at some point to sit them down and read a story, but that wasn't going to happen. In fact, it may not happen for awhile.
You see, these kids - the 3 I had and the 2 the other teacher had in another room - are not "church" kids and their parents are not "church" parents and the children aren't disciplined in any way. So sad really, but it makes it extremely challenging for the childcare giver / teacher. When Margrit (the other teacher) and I debriefed afterwards she said it correctly - "We are truly in a mission field." Oh yeah.
Let's just hope we can all keep our sanity as we are in the trenches week after week. There are 3 other ladies in the church who are rotating through this ministry, so that's good.
While I've been in the children's area I have been noting several improvements that need to take place - both cosmetically and for safety purposes. You see, our church hasn't had children in quite awhile and it's been just recently that we've had children. We are very thankful. But I'm afraid the children's area has been neglected and needs some sprucing. The other ladies and I will be getting together soon to discuss and brainstorm. In the meantime, I sent our Deacons an email to give them a heads-up of my observations. Hoping we can get some things taken care of soon.
We had a new family visit our church today and a single mom and her two children come back for the 2nd week.
After church, Mike and one of the other men delivered the last Thanksgiving food box. Then we went to get something to eat at one of the malls. Saw that the movie based on Max Lucado's book, "The Christmas Candle" is showing there. Would like to see it sometime, but don't know when.
Came home and put on my jammies. Always feels good to relax. Started watching a new Hallmark movie, "Window Wonderland", but just couldn't get interested. I'm disappointed in this year's Hallmark movies. There's only one new one that I've liked and that was "The Christmas Ornament" with Kelly Martin.
Well, only 3 days of work this week. I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight. I'm tired already and it's only 6:00.
Today I'm thankful for the growth we are seeing at our church. It's a hard work, but God will do it because it's HIS church, not ours.
When I couldn't console him, I decided I would take them outside to the playground. Just right outside the door awaited my reprieve. :) Thank goodness for San Diego climate. Although a little cool, it was a beautiful morning! So I let them run and play. I really wanted to be able at some point to sit them down and read a story, but that wasn't going to happen. In fact, it may not happen for awhile.
You see, these kids - the 3 I had and the 2 the other teacher had in another room - are not "church" kids and their parents are not "church" parents and the children aren't disciplined in any way. So sad really, but it makes it extremely challenging for the childcare giver / teacher. When Margrit (the other teacher) and I debriefed afterwards she said it correctly - "We are truly in a mission field." Oh yeah.
Let's just hope we can all keep our sanity as we are in the trenches week after week. There are 3 other ladies in the church who are rotating through this ministry, so that's good.
While I've been in the children's area I have been noting several improvements that need to take place - both cosmetically and for safety purposes. You see, our church hasn't had children in quite awhile and it's been just recently that we've had children. We are very thankful. But I'm afraid the children's area has been neglected and needs some sprucing. The other ladies and I will be getting together soon to discuss and brainstorm. In the meantime, I sent our Deacons an email to give them a heads-up of my observations. Hoping we can get some things taken care of soon.
We had a new family visit our church today and a single mom and her two children come back for the 2nd week.
After church, Mike and one of the other men delivered the last Thanksgiving food box. Then we went to get something to eat at one of the malls. Saw that the movie based on Max Lucado's book, "The Christmas Candle" is showing there. Would like to see it sometime, but don't know when.
Came home and put on my jammies. Always feels good to relax. Started watching a new Hallmark movie, "Window Wonderland", but just couldn't get interested. I'm disappointed in this year's Hallmark movies. There's only one new one that I've liked and that was "The Christmas Ornament" with Kelly Martin.
Well, only 3 days of work this week. I won't have any trouble sleeping tonight. I'm tired already and it's only 6:00.
Today I'm thankful for the growth we are seeing at our church. It's a hard work, but God will do it because it's HIS church, not ours.
Saturday, November 23, 2013
RANDOM THOUGHTS
I didn't end up going to the Block Party this morning. I wasn't feeling well. :(
The good news is I'm better. :)
A couple of night's ago Mike wasn't feeling well. :(
I think I might have gotten whatever he had. :(
A bug perhaps. :(
Slept in and it felt great. :)
It's been a chilly day. :(
After I got up I did some laundry. :)
Decided it would be a good idea to wash the bedding. :)
Then I balanced the checkbook and reconciled the bank statement. :)
It all balanced! :)
Read a little this afternoon. :)
Went to Wal-Mart and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. :)
Not just the decorations and gift displays. :)
The crowds! :(
Ordered a Christmas tree online. :)
Going with an artificial pre-lit this year. :)
Going to miss my kids this year. :(
Saw a picture of Andy & Mackenzie's house decorated with lights. :)
Andy did a good job. :)
I should think about getting our lights out too. :)
Didn't decorate for Fall/Thanksgiving this year. :(
It's too late now. :(
So I'll concentrate on Christmas. :)
Need to prep some stuff for Sunday morning. :)
Watching Gift of the Magi (2010). :)
Haven't been real impressed with this year's Hallmark Christmas movies. :(
One of the stupidest, in my opinion, was Catch a Christmas Star (2013). I couldn't even watch it all. :(
Watched A Town Without Christmas (2001) this afternoon. :)
A little cheesy, but I did like it. :)
Think we'll have hamburgers for dinner tonight. :)
Mike needs to get home and cook them on the grill. :)
Not feeling tired because I slept in this morning. :)
Hope that doesn't mean I'll stay up too late. :(
Today I'm thankful for my health (even when I feel sick or am actually sick). :)
The good news is I'm better. :)
A couple of night's ago Mike wasn't feeling well. :(
I think I might have gotten whatever he had. :(
A bug perhaps. :(
Slept in and it felt great. :)
It's been a chilly day. :(
After I got up I did some laundry. :)
Decided it would be a good idea to wash the bedding. :)
Then I balanced the checkbook and reconciled the bank statement. :)
It all balanced! :)
Read a little this afternoon. :)
Went to Wal-Mart and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. :)
Not just the decorations and gift displays. :)
The crowds! :(
Ordered a Christmas tree online. :)
Going with an artificial pre-lit this year. :)
Going to miss my kids this year. :(
Saw a picture of Andy & Mackenzie's house decorated with lights. :)
Andy did a good job. :)
I should think about getting our lights out too. :)
Didn't decorate for Fall/Thanksgiving this year. :(
It's too late now. :(
So I'll concentrate on Christmas. :)
Need to prep some stuff for Sunday morning. :)
Watching Gift of the Magi (2010). :)
Haven't been real impressed with this year's Hallmark Christmas movies. :(
One of the stupidest, in my opinion, was Catch a Christmas Star (2013). I couldn't even watch it all. :(
Watched A Town Without Christmas (2001) this afternoon. :)
A little cheesy, but I did like it. :)
Think we'll have hamburgers for dinner tonight. :)
Mike needs to get home and cook them on the grill. :)
Not feeling tired because I slept in this morning. :)
Hope that doesn't mean I'll stay up too late. :(
Today I'm thankful for my health (even when I feel sick or am actually sick). :)
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