Sometimes, no, usually ALL THE TIME I need motivation to get my house cleaned. It's not that I don't like a clean house, because really I do. It's just that I have 3 fierce tornadoes that stop over here every night. And seriously, when they all come home from school, that is exactly what it looks like. An F-5 has just ripped through.
Today, I had 2 different sets of visitors set to come to our house. The first set was to come in the morning, and the last set not until almost bedtime. Great motivation to get/keep the house clean.
I really do love a clean house, and I really like having people come over because it totally motivates me to get my butt in gear and clean. And organize. And put crap away.
So, That's what I'm grateful for today! Visitors who motivate me to clean.
Cause seriously, you can't have the entire neighborhood talking about what piggies you are now can you?

My cousin's husband works with Jefe and I have known her husband since high school. They just hit their 1 year mark of being out of law school. Oh. I remember. Boy. Do I remember. I have to say that I hope I NEVER forget. The whole law school experience is what has made me who I am today. Without a doubt. It is a life changing event... If you do it on your own without parents footing the bill!
She was a grade younger than me in school, but we were always pals. The nice thing was that we all had our own friends, but if we needed each other, we were there for each other. It was a nice way to go through school. It has been wonderful to reconnect with her. Even nicer to have someone who completely gets what it means to have a husband with the demanding career that they both have. I am not complaining AT ALL. I am so proud of Jefe and the things he has accomplished. He amazes me, constantly. I just like having someone to talk to about "the firm" and all that - that means. And, not only that, but its nice to be able to talk with someone who has known me for my entire life... there is no pretending involved. We can just be ourselves...There is such freedom in being able to say what we really think without worrying about it then being repeated to 900+ people in the neighborhood. Seriously. The old saying: "Blood runs thicker than water" really is true. I know she has my back... and I've got hers. That's what it means to be family... and its even nicer when you are also friends.
Anyway.
I am thankful today that I have been able to reconnect with my cousin!

My house is decorated.
I know.
Shock.
There are still a few boxes of things that I can't find... but Jefe and the kids did the tree, and I got the nativities out and all the other paraphernalia and have attempted to get the house decorated. I think it looks good. It feels good, and I know that the kids (more specifically Thing 3) are ecstatic that I have finally gotten my act together enough to get this task done.
Here is something that I have realized. I hate to decorate. That's why my house is so plain.
I wish that I could just click on my mouse, and drop and drag where I want all my decorations to be. And then, when its time to put them all away, all I had to do was hit ctrl/alt/delete and everything would be back just the way its supposed to. I hate decorating and I really hate having to put it all away. If someone would invent something like that... I would SO buy it!
Anyway.
I am thankful that my house is decorated for Christmas...
Christmas is in the air and its getting exciting around here!

On a Monday!
Seeing how it was Black Friday this past weekend, and I was attempting with Jefe to do some shopping (which only lasted about 2 hours and then we went home)... I neglected Random 10 Friday.
So, here it is, in all its Random Glory and Festive Christmas Spirit!

1. Christmas Eve/ Sarajevo 12/24 - Trans-Siberian Orchestra
2. Peace - Norah Jones
3. Winter Wonderland - Pat Green
4. Christmastime - Smashing Pumpkins
5. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus - John Cougar Mellencamp
6. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow - Michael Buble (oh. his voice is like butter! yum!)
7. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear - MercyMe
8. I Saw Three Ships - Sting
9. Christmas Song (Live) - Dave Matthews Band
10.Santa Claus is Coming to Town - Jackson 5

Bonus: The Chanukah Song - Adam Sandler

I had to teach today at church. I teach the 12 & 13 year old girls (its called Young Women's and this particular age group is referred to as the Beehives... don't ask me why, cause I don't know), and it seems that I always get more out of the lessons than the girls do. I mean, I am sure that the girls get stuff out of the lessons (at least I hope so), but it just seems that the lessons I have to teach are just what Heavenly Father needs ME to hear at that particular time. The lesson this week was on Optimism... when I told Thing 1 what our lesson was on, she said "Well mom. This is just for you, cause you have been a major grump lately!"
Jeeze.
Thanks.
But, she was right. I have been. This lesson was interesting because it just sort of came together for me... I was going to share all the tacky stories in the lesson, but then I got to wondering some things. First, I did a thesaurus check just to see how many synonyms there are for the words Cheerful and happy. Over 40. Then I started looking up scriptures with the word references of cheerful and happy and the various synonyms... it was so interesting to me. Cheerful/cheerfulness had 24, happy/happiness had 48, Attitude had 5, glad/gladness 161, Joy 235, Delight 74, Pleasure 81, Enjoyment 22, Good Cheer 13, Content 85, Peace 366, Hope/Hopefulness 140, Rejoice/rejoicing 283, Comfort 131, and Encourage/ment 9.
(Are you even still reading this?)
Add all those reference numbers up and it comes to 1,685 references to being happy/cheerful or something similar. That really made me think. I know that I didn't even make a dent in all the synonyms there are for those words, and yet with just what I found there were 1,685 references to being optimistic. It must be important to The Lord for us to be happy and to CHOOSE to be happy for him to reference it that many times. Now, that was just the verses in the scriptures that reference that... not the actual amount of times the words were used...
(are you still with me?)
It was profound for me to realize that PEACE had been referenced in 366 verses in the scriptures. I told the girls that if they chose to be happy their end result would be PEACE. You can't feel peace when you are grumpy and sad. You can only feel PEACE when you choose to be happy. I really had to think on that for a while. I realized that God already knows how I/we will behave or act when things are going well for us. But, what he wants to understand or know is how we will act or behave when things aren't going just the way WE want them to. How will we choose to feel/act? That is the REAL test! I realized that I probably wasn't passing the test very well, because I have been such a grump... but its like I told the girls. It's all up to us how we choose to behave, or see our lives. We can sit around asking ourselves "Why me?" or we can ask ourselves "Why not me?" and then further "What can I learn from this to make me better?" I challenged the girls to change their attitudes and start asking themselves the 2nd questions.
Choose to be happy, cause it was important enough to The Lord for him to reference it 1,685 times in the scriptures.
So, today I am thankful for these little moments that God gives me to show me how I can be better.

I'm grateful today that we were able to go see the lights on Temple Square tonight (along with every other person in the entire state) and get ourselves in a festive mood.
Every year when we go, I forget just how beautiful it is, and am always surprised by the beauty of the Reflecting pool.
You can see the temple and the lights reflecting off the water and there are tons of little candles floating in the pool... its stunning.
So, tonight, I am grateful that I could take the Things to see this beautiful sight!
I think, actually, that they were more excited to go up to Jefe's office and drink hot chocolate than they were at seeing the lights. It was quite the sight from up in his office, looking down on the lights. What a fun tradition!

For sure I have now heard everything. Really. This one takes the cake... Hands down. It wins... in all categories!
Click HERE to read it. If you have a sensitive stomach, or an easy gag reflex, then maybe you should pass on this one! (You have been warned! Don't get mad if you get grossed out!)
My parents told me about this... at Thanksgiving dinner. They kindly waited until we were through eating; which was good, 'cause I would've definitely lost my appetite!
Ick. Ick. Double triple Ick!

Today is Islandmom's birthday. I'm grateful that she is my sister. She may be younger, by birth, but in reality she is much wiser than I could ever hope to be.
So, Happy Birthday Islandmom! I am so glad you were born, and further that you are not only my sister, but also my wise, wise friend.

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." —Buddha

Happy Thanksgiving people! Enjoy your time with Aunt Petunia, Uncle Festus and Cousin Leroy! It's the one time of year that it is perfectly acceptable to stuff yourselves into oblivion, take a nap and then start all over again! I know I will... I've been doing a little jumping exercises to get "mah belly ready!"
Just a tip that my sis, ima10cow, gave me... if you push down hard on your stomach, then jump up and down, it forces the food to get all compacted and you can eat more! (i know. gross. she said she learned that from some Polynesian girls once... i wonder if it works?!)
Anyway.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Don't forget to remember the many reasons we all have to be thankful...

I am thankful for 2 things today.
First, that I got to go out to eat with my sister and my Mom to one of my favorite restaurants... The Rio Grande Cafe. It's is awesome Mexican food, and I have never had anything there that I haven't liked!

Second, I am SO thankful that we have been saving all year long for Christmas! So now that the season is upon us, there isn't all the stress and sense of doom. Doom, because we are trying to figure out how to squeeze blood from an orange...
I can't tell you what a sense of relief it is to have that money saved! Seriously. It was a dedicated savings account that earned 4% and each paycheck we set it up so that the bank would just automatically withdraw the set amount into the dedicated savings account!!
I LOVE THAT!!
I got to withdraw that money today... And Oh! What a GLORIOUS feeling.

Tonight, I am grateful that I can now feel my little baby kicking inside of me. Every time I feel her kicking away I find myself touching my stomach and thinking to myself "Well hello there little one!" It's amazing! This life growing inside of me. So, tonight I am thankful that I can feel her kicking and moving around inside me.

"...that's fine - just be aware that I may die. Really. Because every person who reads without commenting kills off another little piece of my SOUL. I just wanted you to know. So you can, you know, have a clear conscience at my funeral. Which might be soon. No pressure though." - navel gazing at its finest

I borrowed this from a blog that I like to read on a regular basis. When I read this, I was all AMEN SISTAH! AMEN!
So. Really people. Do you want my death on your head???
Just kidding. Not really. OK. I am. not really. Just kidding.

This same blog author also did a post recently about being a little over the top about checking her comments. I sat and laughed as I read that post because that is SO me. I will write something that I find humorous, and then proceed to call Jefe and ask him to read the blog. Then my sisters, and casually ask if they have checked my blog lately. That's code for "please look and tell me just how totally funny you think I am!
Seriously.
I am MAJOR O.C.D. about checking my stats... how many people have looked at my blog today? (not very many since I don't have it linked to my name, or have my blogger profile up... But, you never know. A miracle may happen and people may become clairvoyant and just KNOW that I have a blog and what it's address is...)
The thing is... I am also a total and complete freak about who I let look at my blog. I have photos up of my cute Things, and I totally do not want some weird freak in like Germany or Singapore looking at my cute Things! So, even though I KNOW there are only like 5 of you that look at my blog, I am still a total freaker about checking my my stats and my comments, (which are always a big fat ZERO) just to see if anyone has become clairvoyant, you know??
Not that I am complaining or anything (OK I am) This blog is my version of therapy. It's cheaper, and more convenient... and I don't have to lie on that stupid couch or look at dumb ink blots!

WTH???
Check out THIS link. You have got to be freaking kidding me!!
I now think that I have seriously heard EVERYTHING.
Everything. There is nothing left to shock me.
Well. O.K.
Probably there is, but lets not try people. Ok?

You know its going to be a long day when by 7:00 am you are super grumpy and are just plain SICK OF YOURSELF!
It's those freaking cats, I'm telling you! This is why cats suck!

Today I am grateful for the internet. I know that is such a silly thing to be grateful for, but seriously, I am. I mean, how in the Sam Hill did we ever survive life without it? Seriously, HOW?
IF there was no Internet, then there would be no email, there would be no Google (gasp!) and no allrecipes.com. The ONLY way to cook! I made potato soup from there tonight that had like 400+ reviews and 4+ stars... and family went GA-GA! It was soo freaking easy and made a ton and was oh. so. good.
So, yeah. The internet. I'm really thankful for it! How 'bout you?

I hate cats.
Really. I hate them. Despise them. I think they are Gross with a capital G.
I really really REALLY hate cats.
And, thats all I have to say about that!

Today, I am grateful that I get to have 2 turkey dinners. 1 cooked by me, and the other cooked by my MIL. I heart turkey, and turkey dinners! They are soo yummy. My mouth starts watering around Halloween for turkey and stuffing and sweet potatoes and everything else that goes along with it! Oh sweet joy! Oh rapture!
I am grateful that I get to have 2 Thanksgiving dinners.

I'm grateful tonight that I can go to bed and have a fresh start tomorrow.
I have been a grump today...
I am sorry. I don't know why everything has been bugging me today. Sheesh. Even I bug myself.
So, tonight, I am thankful that I can now go to bed and have a fresh start tomorrow!