Happy Christmas Eve!

Well, we got all our wrapping done last night. Mark likes to wrap more than I do really. It's nice to have it all under the tree.

I think I mentioned that this year we did NOT get a real tree....which I was SO happy about because I think that: (A) real trees are too expensive; (B) they're too much trouble since you have to water them; (C) their needles are annoying. But anyway, just due to lack of time Mark didn't press it this year so he "allowed" my olllllld tired 6ft fakey to go up. I personally am okay with it even though it's pretty small. I elevated it by using a box so that helps. Here's an idea of what we're working with here:



Tonight we'll be at Vineyard's Christmas Eve Service, Mark will be playing with the worship team as well. We're thinking we'll actually go eat some mexican food too after, IF our favorite is open. Some friends from church - their daughters are having a birthday party for Jesus. So we'll be going by their house for a bit as well.


I'll leave you with a pic from some of the ladies of Accounting in our cheesey hats from yesterday:



Happy Christmas Eve to You!!

A Sleepy Saturday

I'm typing this as I think about a nice, hour long winter's nap. The problem is that it will turn into 2 hours and I'll wake up in my own drool feeling groggy and wishing I hadn't taken a nap at all.

It's the month of December so I figured I should post something. Here's some pics from our Vegas trip - this is our room at the Signature MGM Grand - LOVED this place.

It had a resort feel and was just wonderful all around. A perfect place to relax! A non-gaming hotel so we didn't have to hear the noisy machines day and night. :)

Here are a few more:

At The Venetian.....

I'm sort of realizing we need a new camera because unless all is still and the moment is just right, some pics turn out kind of fuzzy.

We basically took in all the sights we could, and ate at all the recommended buffets. The Spice Merchant and Bellagio had to have been the two best mega-buffets. I can't even count how many alaskan crab legs Mark ate that week. And we met two Brits while eating at the Bellagio that were HILARIOUS. I could have sat and listened to them talk for hours. They were so enamored with our right to bear arms, so they told us they had spent an afternoon at a shooting range.

It was great, I want to go back. There is the "ick" side to Vegas, but if you choose not to focus on it it's all good.

Last but not least, here are some pics from the Cirque Beatles Show, "Love."

I Almost Forgot.....

....that I have a blog! :) ha. I just hate being on the computer at all after getting home from work all day, so I don't get on and update or ANYTHING. So I thought I'd do that real quick while I take a quick break.

This weekend will be the last weekend before all the holiday craziness begins. Thjs year I'm takin it easy like Sunday morning because to me, the holidays should not equal so much extra work, cash and stress.

I can't believe I turn 29 on Wednesday!!!!!!!! Weird feeling. I'll get over it pretty quickly. Then, we're off to Vegas!

Hope to post some fun pics soon!

Happy Weekend!

Unconditional Acceptance

I got this as an email, but thought I'd share it here too. A great reminder of how we need to love people.

Breakfast at McDonald's

I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed mycollege degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wishevery human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.' The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and documenttheir reactions.I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So, I thought this would be a piece of cake, literally.

Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch...an overwhelming feeling of panic welled upinside of me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched foracceptance. He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyedgentleman was his salvation. As I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buysomething. He just wanted to be warm). Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached outand embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me,judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two morebreakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen asa resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.' I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this foryou. God is here working through me to give you hope.'

I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me,Honey, to give me hope.' We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only becauseof the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love.

I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story inhand. I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?' I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings andbeing part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student.

I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn: UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE. Much love and compassion is sent to each and every person who may read this and learn how to LOVE PEOPLE AND USE THINGS - NOT LOVE THINGS AND USE PEOPLE.

Dora for Halloween?

So, I'm thinking about being Dora the Explorer for Halloween. Our theme for the costumes at work that day are cartoon characters, and that's a character I think I can put together for pretty cheap. I'm anti-shorts though, so I may have to find some orange capris, or wear leggings underneath. ha!

Female Sportscasters....are they necessary?

Soooooo I'm usually all about women advancing in their chosen profession, whatever that may be, as long as they are able to do it without exploiting their sexuality. Do female sportscasters do this? Are they ALL knowledgable about sports in general? Is there some new quota for every sports channel to have 1 female for every 4 men?

I don't know about you, but when I watch my football on Saturday, I don't need to see Jane Smith on the sidelines trying to act like she knows what she's talking about. Some of the ladies are professional and you can tell know their stuff. They aren't trying to just giggle their way through it - Lisa Salter for example. However, SO many of them ask the players and coaches the most idiotic questions.

Until these ladies start learning something about the game of football, I'm going to just mute the t.v. until the game is back in play. Get back with me when they get their act together.

Gray Hair

I've now found FOUR gray hairs within the last month. I'm like, "what?" This shouldn't be happening yet. I'm not even 30 yet. I am reminded though that my Mom started going gray at 31 or 32; and my Grandmother started going gray in her early 20's. Ahhh the joy of genes. I'm not completely convinced that its' genes though, I think maybe it's stress from work.

Oh well, I guess I'll just go back to dyeing my hair when it gets bad enough. I am thankful, though, there are much worse things than this!! It just knocks on the ol' vanity issue a bit I guess.

OU/tx

Tomorrow is the big game and I'm excited!!! I don't get the same adrenaline rush while watching OU games on TV in KS, as I do from watching them on TV IN Oklahoma....I think it's b/c on game days in Oklahoma there's all the fellow OU fans out and about wherever you go - the grocery store, Walgreen's, restaurants, whatever. There are a good amount of OU fans here, but I don't feel the same feeling of comaraderie when I'm out and about here. :)

All I know is OU's going to the National Championship this year and texas is just one more team in our way. Done and done.

BOOMER SOONER BABY!!

Car Wreck

Well, I got a call this morning while at work at about 8:30am. I answer and Mark says, "I just wanted to let you know I was in a wreck this morning." I thought by the sound of his voice that it was probably his fault, but after asking if he was alright, I learned that someone rear ended him while he was parked at a stoplight (he drives the Honda). And of course he had a bunch of hot breakfast food in the car (he was on his way to a Doctor's office taking them a full meal) that went flying everywhere. Awesome.

My poor Honda has been in it's share of fender benders and major door dings. I'll never forget the MONTH it was in the body shop back in 2005 when a lady backed into me in at a post office. Classically it was in a parking lot so no ticket could be given. But luckily it was a fleet vehicle of the Chamber of Commerce so their insurance company had to pony up. AND, while my Honda was in that body shop (of which I will not mention the name - it's in OKC though) for a month, one of their workers STOLE my brand new bluetooth piece that I had accidentally left in the car without realizing it. I was so mad, but I couldn't prove it, so I just had to take it and like it. It makes me mad again just typing it.

So, at least Mark's okay. It sounds like the trunk is all scrunched in. I'll get to see what it looks like tonight after work.

Some Favorite Pics from the Summer

Blog O' My Heart

So, On THE Way To Where I'm Going was my first choice, but alas, it was already taken. :) I'm taking this step to get the heck out of myspace, and use this as a way to share/stay connected instead! If there's one thing I love, it's taking a moment in my day and reading a few of my favorite blogs. Hopefully, I will stay faithful in keeping this updated.

Have a great Sunday!