When does it end?!

This time last week I had ALL of my laundry done. I thought to myself, Finally, I can relax. But alas, it is not to be. There is no rest of the weary.

My darn kids insist on still wearing clothes everyday.

I will be going through their closets later this week, so make a DI run.

Nineteen Minutes - A Review

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I got off to a rough start with this book. It took me 2 months to get to page 50. Then I put it down. It actually took the desire to read another book to get me to pick it up again and get through it so I could move on.
I guess it was me, not the book, because once I picked it up again, I laid in bed all day reading it till I was finished.
This is one of those books that you have to experience along with the characters. It left me wanting to shelter my children from the world, from bullies, from the popular crowds, my girls from abusive, controlling boyfriends. And it made me want to teach them they everyone has value, even if they're different from you.

My only dissappointments? I could've done without all of the F bombs and gratuitous sex scenes. And I was disappointed that we only heard recounts of the shooting from witness, that we didn't actually get to experience it for ourselves. I wanted action. I wanted blood and carnage and fear and suspence. I was disappointed that we only got to read about the aftermath, as heartwrenching as it was.

View all my reviews >>

Random Sherisms--!Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano!

You didn't know I knew Spanish, did you? Yeah, well, it helps that the song says it over and over again. I also know "Dame su dinero." I used to be a bill collector, and I called Puerto Rico, on occasion. So, Denae, if you ever defaulted on your gym membership, it was me calling you to collect.

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Can you believe its Christmas Eve? I can't. I have very vivid memories of last Christmas Eve. Like it was yesterday. Cuz it really feels like it was. I guess it doesn't help that I spend four month of the year sick in bed..although those were the slowest months of the year. Speaking of which, after my ablation treatment, I felt horrible for a week. But, slowly and surely I'm starting to feel back to normal. Thanks for asking.

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I think I'm finally all ready for Christmas. I've started early, going shopping in Park City with my Mom and sister sometime in November, before Thanksgiving. Since then, I keep "needing" last minutes thing. I've spent way more and bought "more" last minute gifts than the "real" ones. Anyone else do that? I don't need a price limit, I need a time limit. BUT, if I do that, I will deliberately avoid doing it until after the dead line. I can't help but rebel when there is a schedule. It makes me crazy.

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Which leads me to my next topic of conversation. Cleaning. If you know me at all, I HATE, hate, hate cleaning. Well, I must be nesting or something because I have been cleaning like a mad woman this week. The only cleanliness standard I have all year, is that Santa doesn't visit messy houses. Plus, my husband has been gone to watch the bowl games this week, so I have stayed up until 3 every night getting stuff done. I have cleaned out my closet, my pantry, my laundry room, my children's rooms..... you get the idea.

AND, I made a great discovery this week. I have had my Kirby vacuum for over 8 years. And yesterday, I discovered it has a sweeper attachment. Last night at 10:00, I was in sweeping heaven! I swept my entire house, it's like getting a new toy on Christmas! Oh wait......

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I miss C. He went to the Vegas bowl and rooted for BYU. Then he drove to San Diego to go to the Poinsettia bowl and rooted for Utah. Yeah, we're like that around here. We're not die hard BYU or Utah fans. I mean we went to Weber, for goodness sakes. Well, mostly. I also went to SLCC. Yep, classy, I know.

Anyway, I miss him. A lot. He gets home this afternoon, just in time for Christmas Eve festivities. I'm excited for him to get home.

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Here's my question for you? Do you do more stuff for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? When is your big dinner? This has been our quandary for the past 11 years. My family does a big to do on Christmas Eve. I love all of the excited leading up to the big day, and then staying in my pajamas and playing with my toys all day on Christmas. But C's family does their big thing on Christmas day and orders pizza for Christmas Eve.
I'm getting to the point that I would rather just do our own thing with my own little family and visit the extended family another day.

So, what do you do?

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This is my tune. I love this song. Hence, the Spanish theme.
The video is lame, but listen to the song:

Wordless Wednesday

Merry Christmas!

Our Christmas Card

The Month in Pictures

I have lots and lots of pictures to catch up on. I really should wait until next week and throw Christmas in there with it, but I guess I'll have to do another Christmas post.

Nov 15,16--TJ and Peter's Karate Belt Test:



Nov 19--TJ lost his first tooth!

Before:

After:

Then a week later, he lost a second one.


Nov 26--Thanksgiving:

My SIL has a really cool Nikon Whisper 2000 or whatever the fancy names of those camera are. So she took pictures, and gave them to me.

C's grandpa carved the turkey.

Dec 3--Ice skating at the Gallivan center with Santa Claus:

Dec 5--KJ's baptism:

This is what the road looked like on the way to the church. Some of our family members got there late and missed the baptism because of the blizzard.

Our family

This is KJ and her friend that got baptized the same day.

Isn't she Beautiful?

Dec 10--KJ and Peter's Singing Recital:

Dec 15--Neighborhood Book Club Christmas Party:

Wordless Wednesday

Give, oh Give away?

So, my 500th post is coming up.  And I'm thinking bout doing another giveaway.  And it's Christmas and I'm feeling generous.  

Thing is....I don't have much to give.

So.....anybody wanna donate something for my giveaway?  I know there are many of you out there who are uper talented and crafty.

Anyone?  anyone?  Bueller?

Well, if you're interested...email me: sherthelove (at) yahoo (cot) com

Thank you!!

Talk Back Tue..er..Monday--The Thing about Driving in the Snow

I posted this last year about this same time, right here.  And since we've has sooo much snow this past week, I've had similar thoughts about it.  I LOVE driving in the snow.  Really!  Do you know it was -4 in Wolf creek last week?  Bbbbuuuurrrrrhhhhh!!

I like it.

Yeah, you heard me right. I like driving in the snow.

Ok, don't get me wrong, I hate driving among other stupid people who don't know how to drive in the snow.

I'm sure it helps that now that I have a 4 wheel drive, I'm feeling a little more confident out there on the slick roads.

I think the immature kid in me comes out when I drive after/during a snow storm. If there's not much traffic on the road, I like to drive as far to the edge of the road as possible, where the plow hasn't come, and slosh through the virgin snow banks. I like to make my own tracks.

And when I turn a corner, I like to gun the gas a little bit, so I kinda fishtail.

I get all giddy when the car starts to slip a little bit.

There is a huge part of me that wants to go to the church parking lot and do doughnuts. I resist, because, you know, I'm 30ish and I need to behave myself, and act mature. But I really want to.

Also, after a huge rain storm and there are big puddles on the shoulder of the road, I just can't resist driving straight through them. I just can't help myself. There is something about that huge splash on both sides of the car that just brings me pure joy.

It's the little things in life that make me happy!

(Thanks to google for all the pictures)

Solitude

Language... has created the word "loneliness" to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word "solitude" to express the glory of being alone. - Paul Tillich

Don't you love that quote?  My visiting teacher sent it to me yesterday.  It's perfect for what I'm going through right now.  I really wish I'd know about it before I produced my CD "Solitude."  It perfectly explains the reasoning being the title of my song Solitude.  I called it that because if those few precious moments that I do have as a mother, to sit down and write. 

Yesterday, I was lonely.  I sat on my butt all day, watching basically nothing on TV.  Just flipping through the channels all day.  I completely wasted the day away doing absolutely nothing.

Today, instead of wallowing is self pity and loneliness, I decided to get up, and actually take a shower and make myself worth something.   There's nothing like getting cleaned up to make you feel better.  And I decided to enjoy my solitude.

I went to the movies.  And know, that's not much, but at least I got out.  And on my way out, I helped a guy and his son in the hotel parking lot jump start their truck.  All the while, I tried keeping my distance, because of course, I am still radioactive.  It felt good to help someone else besides myself for a change. 

Then, I went to the theater, and saw New Moon.  I took extra care to find a seat a good distance from other people.  It wasn't too hard, because I deliberately went to the first showing of the day. 

Then, I came back to the hotel, and got all of my  Christmas presents wrapped, while I watched Julie & Julia. 

I know it seems like all I'm doing is watching movies, but I feel productive.

Honestly, as much as I'm enjoying my solitude, I am definitely looking forward to going home tomorrow.  I miss C.   And I miss my monkeys.

Chronicles of my Radioactive Experience: Day 1

Well, I wasn't exactly bitten by a radioactive spider, or infected by a giant Gamma Ray, but I did take a giant radioactive horse pill this morning. I wanted to take the vile it came in home, but they wouldn't let me. Something about it being......well....radioactive. And no, I don't glow in the dark.

The thing is I don't feel so super right now. They said there is a small chance of side effect, sore throat being one of them. The other? Racing heart and heat intolerance. Yeah, I already had that. I thought that was why I was doing this thing to begin with. I guess the radiology department didn't get the memo that I have record breaking hormone levels in my thyroid.

No, I feel sick. Nauseous. I have a hunch that it has something to do with the fact that I had to fast (no food, or drink) before my little "procedure." And for the past week, I've been on a very special "iodine-free" diet, in which I basically only got to eat fruits and veggies. Add that to the fact that my symptoms have returned with a vengeance (namely metabolism in hyper drive) and I feel like I am starving to death.

And anyone who knows me well, knows how important food is to me. My all time favorite past time is eating. And not just for sport either. Me and not eating don't go well together. You see, for years (probably ever since I first got pregnant with KJ) I get nauseous if I have an empty stomach. Fast Sunday for me, usually means skipping breakfast. I can only stand to skip one meal. Anything beyond not eating for more than an hour or so, and the slight queasiness, turns into full fledged nausea. I mean dry heaving (because there's nothing in my stomach to throw up) nausea. Then comes the headaches, dizziness, irritability. Then my emotions come into play, and I'm bawling like a baby for no reason.

At this point, I'm really hoping to die, and be put out of my misery.

I actually was allowed to eat at 3:00. But, you go that long feeling that miserable and your appetite goes out the window. So, I drank a bottle of water, ate some snap peas, and called it good.

I'd really like to eat some pasta (I brought some to cook) but they aren't going to allow me to eat "normal" food again for 24 hours.

I really might starve to death before tomorrow. And if I don't starve to death, I just might die of boredom.

Entertain me, please?

Wordless Wednesday

This is my subliminal message.

Talk Back Tuesday--Christmas Spelling

This is a re-post..originally posted last Christmas (2008), but for the sake of this contest..I'm posting it again. Is that cheating? In my defense, our decorating experience this year, is pretty much exactly the same.

Thanks to my overactive, over excited children, we decorated for Christmas over the weekend. Friday, we put up the new Christmas tree. KJ was so excited she was hounding me all day. I made the kids help me clean out the toy room first. We took 6 boxes of old toys (including all my baby toys) to the DI. It feels sooo good to clean stuff out.

Then we got out the Christmas crap and started decorating. I think the tree looks pretty good. Although, I'll be honest, it seems a little small compared to our mondo Griswald tree from last year. I'll learn to love it, I suppose. But, part of me wonders if I should've bought the 12 foot tree, instead.

KJ put up the nativity scene. I love this set. I can't remember what it's called...Olive Tree or something, but they are beautiful.

Sup.

I found these cute little blocks. And it's taken me a while to figure out what their supposed to spell. Can you help me figure it out?

What could this possible have to do with Christmas?

Or this?

Oh, I get it!