Playing Catch-Up

It's been a looooooong time folks! I've been reading some of your blogs though, just not taking the time to write on my own - to like the 2 or 3 of you who read this! Ha!

It's been an interesting past month. I decided to stop the Masters degree for now. Given the state of the economy (or lack thereof really), we decided it's not really the time to be getting into debt. We've been faithful to stay out of it, so we really don't want to step back into it - especially during a depression. Yes, depression, I said it. Soon they will announce we're in a depression - just like they announced we are in a recession and had been for a year. Yeah, like we didn't all know that.

Anyway, so I've decided to take up canning! We'll see how I do. I joined an organics fruit/veggie club where I get a big basketful of food every other Saturday. I'm going to try to can most of it with a pressure canner. I'm borrowing my dad's to see how it goes and then I'll buy my own. There are a few reasons to start canning. If I told you the main one though, you'd think I'm crazy, so I'll just keep it to myself for now....

We're also entering the world of macs. We ordered our first iMac today and we get it next week. I'm excited, and also a bit nervous of course since I've never used one and don't know how it all operates. Yikes - I think Apple tutors you though, so I may need to do that if I feel completely clueless.

So how's that for a little update? Not too exciting. We're having some friends come visit from Alaska for the week. We're going to show them things they haven't seen in awhile. Things like dirt, the sun, light, just the basics. It's dark where they live most of the day, but they get a little bit of dusk during the day. Then in the summer it's mostly light all day and some dusk at night. Weird, huh? I think that'd be hard to get used to.

Has it been that long?

Wow, it's January already! I'm so sad December is over. It's absolutely my favorite month ever. I just love everything associated with it - the traditions, decorating, food, family, shopping, adopting families/people, telling others the Reason for the season, and so on. Thank you Father for sending your Son! The countdown is on - 11 more months until Christmas time.... :(

Sean and I also started P90X on January 1. It's a good workout, but I really like the food program that goes along with it. It's kind of like having your own personal chef telling you what to eat (except I get to cook it!). Not all of the food is the best, but I'm surprised by the versatility of it. We've been doing it a week now and I'm already starting to feel some progress! We took some "before" pictures. yikes...... A word of advice, don't take a picture of yourself in a bikini in the middle of winter, right before bed. But, we printed them out and they're gonna hang on the mirror as a little motivation. I think I'll put mine down in the corner so I don't have to see it as much!

The kids had a great Christmas - less presents, which was good and less stressful for them. Grant's birthday is next Tuesday. We're celebrating it on Sunday with his friends at Makutu's Island. He's super excited about that. It's a huge indoor play place with trees to climb in and slides and ladders and tunnels, etc. He can't stop talking about it. It's hard to believe he's going to be 4 though, and then Lauren's 2 just a couple of months later. Weird.

Here are a few pics of Christmas...

Tahoe

So Sean and I get another weekend by ourselves! Thanks again Aramark! We are headed to Tahoe this time, a place I've never been. I've always wanted to go there because I hear it's beautiful and the skiing is amazing. So we booked a little extra time to stay on Sunday to get in some skiing, etc, except there's no snow there. Yep, they are actually getting it while we are leaving. It's supposed to snow on Sunday, so hopefully our flight will get out on time.

We're excited to spend some time by ourselves. I plan on reading and sleeping. I'm looking forward to the quiet. Hopefully my parents are NOT looking forward to quiet, but a rambunctious fun time with the kids! What I'm not looking forward to, or maybe I'm just not quite prepared for it, is the cold. The high in Tahoe for Friday is 47 - ok, I can deal with that, it was 47 when I got up this morning (although it got up to 70s). But the high for Saturday and Sunday is 26. Um, that's cold. When was the last time I saw 26? Hmmm, I'm seriously not too sure. I guess I'll have to stick the thinsulate in my leather coat. Do you people who live in that weather wear long underwear all of the time? I do believe my blood has thinned. How quickly I forget winter.

Zoolights

We had our annual trip to Zoolights. Zoolights is great - it's where the Phoenix Zoo puts lights on everything. It's pretty amazing. They have camel rides and such as well. There is one area there where these trees light up and are coordinated with some music. The kids loved it. They were out dancing to it. I videotaped them, but it was too dark to see what's going on.

Here are some pics

The lights

Aunt Aileen - Or Eeen, as Lauren calls her

Our good friends -- Nate and Kristen

pictures

I realize I haven't posted many pictures recently. Heck, I only had 2 blogs for the month of November! 3 with this one I guess. Soooooo, like everyone else we had some Thanksgiving. I hosted it at my home for the first time. I cooked 2 turkeys. One we did in the oven (the big one, thankfully) and it was done in time for all 26 guests. The other we decided to fry. Well, we had to wait forever for the oil to heat up, so that became our turkey dessert. I think it was better that way anyway because everyone wanted to watch it go in and see how it was done. The overall concensus is that it was more moist, but my thought was - how much money did I just spend on all of that oil? I personally don't know that it's worth it. Maybe if you fried up the whole neighborhood's turkeys........

Anyway, here are some pics since I haven't shared any recently.The turkey going in and then coming out. It was a big deal folks.

We had a crazy rain downpour with hail. It looked like snow! There was a LOT of it.Sean with his "Christmas ball." It's a wad of lights that don't work, but we needed the rest of the lights to finish the roof line! He's a little embarassed about that...The finished product.Our family, although it's a blurry picture.Lauren during light hanging. It was a little chilly and she wanted to wear a hat.I can't get those silly crocs off of her. Annoying.

Grant's hanging out with Aileen and Lauren is taking a nap. Sean is in Tucson for business. Ahhhhhh. I am going to do this before I get to work on my assignment do this week for school. Yes school. I've got one class down and 11 to go until I receive my MBA. Then what? Ah, that's the question. Let me know your ideas!

So while I'm sitting here thinking, chewing on some Bit-O-Honeys, let me ask you a question. What is your favorite candy? I mean anything - jelly beans, twizzlers, snickers, homemade toffee (yum), starburst, etc. What do you just love to eat when you have a candy craving? I have a few faves. Bit-O-Honey is definitely one of them - although I don't have them often. My mom makes the best toffee, which we have at Christmas. I love Twizzlers though. They really do make this mouth happy. They are low-fat, easy to eat, etc. How about you?

so sue me

Yeah, I haven't blogged in awhile. I've been avoiding some things I guess. Mainly, I guess all of the politics and the election. Oh, we're doing good here, I've just come to some realizations. I won't share them all, but the main one is that God's in control. Am I just realizing that? No, but I've been reminded of that. Also, these are exciting times we live in! The first African-American (well, half anyway....) will be President in a couple of months - I'm proud that Americans have gotten over themselves and race isn't an issue. I'm sad that some seem to think if you didn't vote for him, then you're a racist. That is a weird presumption to make. Still trying to understand that one anyway. Maybe if you didn't vote for him then you simply don't agree with his agenda? Seems like a simpler presumption to make....

I think God put him in charge for a specific purpose. Without sounding like I'm a conspiracy theorist, I believe our world's getting ready to become "one." As exciting as that sounds, it signals we're closer to the "end" than ever before. Since he's being touted as the world's president (that in itself shows you something), the world may be coming together for peace, one currency, etc. - we're ushering in a new era here folks. And it's exciting! We need to be praying. We need to be telling others about Christ. We need to be praying, praying, praying - can't stress that one enough.