Our "baby"

Rachelle found a website where you can get two people's pictures and they make your baby out of it. This is the one she made for Blake and me. It isn't that ugly here, but Rachelle says that in the big screen, it is deformed and hideous!!

The funny thing is, Glade kinda looks like that a little bit....

Something I needed right now...

I have a quote book that I have had since I was in Texas about ten years ago. When I come across a story or quote I love, I write it down in this book. It comes in handy when you are sad, or when you have a lesson to plan for relief society. I was looking through my book this morning and this story caught my eye. I was in my first year of seminary when my teacher gave us this story around Christmastime. When I read it, it still brings tears to my eyes.

The Gift

We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly eating and talking. Suddenly Erik squealed with glee and said, "Hi there." He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be-shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on lose wrists, "Hi there, baby; Hi there big boy. I see ya, buster," the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, "What do we do?" Erik continued to laugh and answer, "Hi. Hi there." Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, "Do you know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo!" Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embaressed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. "Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik," I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby "pick-me-up" position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man's. Suddenly, a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love relationship. Erik, in an act of total trust, love, and submission, laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed and I saw tears hover between his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two being had ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm, commanding voice, "You take care of this baby." Somehow I managed, "Iwill," from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest unwillingly, longingly, as though he were in pain. I recieved my baby, and the man said, "God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift." I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, "My God, my God, forgive me." I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgement; a child who saw a soul and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, "Are you willing to share your son for a moment when I shared mine for all eternity?" The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, "To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become little children."

I am amazed everytime I read this story. I know that if I had been placed in the same position as this mother, I would have done the same thing she had done. Especially now that we live in a world full of fear and distrust. I always keep my foot in the cart when we go to the store so no one can snag it. However, maybe that is our problem. We are taught to love our neighbors, and forgive those who have sinned against us. If I truly was a forgiving person, and if I truly loved my neighbors, I wouldn't be so untrusting of people. I am not showing that I want to be perfect as Christ was. And this leads to the closing line for this blog:

"Live so that...those who know YOU but don't know HIM, will want to know HIM because they know YOU."

-Gordon B. Hinckley (2002)

Life sucks

So, this morning I was woken up by my phone ringing. I didn't recognize the number so I ignored the call so it would just go to voicemail. I fell back asleep happy that I started my new job tomorrow and all of our money issues would be no more.

Well, the voicemail was left and I listened to it. It was my new employer calling! I figured I got the days wrong about when I started and she wanted me there today instead of tomorrow.

How wrong I was. The company in Salt Lake wants everyone to downsize. And since I was their new hire, it was just easier to let me go since I hadn't started yet. So, I am now unemployed and it was the perfect job. 40 hours a week at $9 an hour. It solved our money problems and life was good.

So now, I am looking for more work, and i don't care what it is anymore. So if anyone hears of anything, please let me know!!

Yesterday...

As I read the blogs of some of the people I know, I realized that they were all mostly reminiscing yesterday's 7th anniversary. I hadn't thought about it since last year, and did not realize it was already September 11th again. It seems like so long ago that it happened.

I was in ninth grade in Wichita Falls, TX when the twin towers and the Pentagon were attacked. It was one of those slow days at school where nothing much is happening and that is perfectly fine with you. I was in my theatre class, doing my monologue in the black box, when a person from the front office came down and said that my mom had called the school and I needed to call her back immediately. My teacher let me stop with my monologue so I could call her.

I get her on the phone and she doesn't sound like herself. She tells me that terrorists have attacked New York and Washington DC. The only thought that ran though my head at the time had nothing to do with New York. See, my dad was training in Washington DC to join the State Department for a tour of duty. I could feel the blood rush out of my head and I started to shake. My mom says that the Pentagon was hit and she hasn't been able to get my dad on the phone all day. The last thing we had heard was my dad was supposed to be training there that day. My mom asked if I wanted to leave school, and I told her no. I didn't think it would be good if I was at home just worrying. At least at school I had something else to concentrate on.

I got off the phone, and told my class what had happened. We were all in shock. And since we were in the black box, we didn't hear any of the announcements the office was making. So even though this had happened two or three hours ago, we hadn't heard a thing.

Class got out and we all walked sullenly to our next classes. I had Tennis, so I didn't hear the next announcements either. After that was JROTC, and we had PT that day, so we didn't hear anything then either. And my mom didn't call again, which made me think the worst.

I got home from school and there was a message from my dad on the answering maching. He had gone to training in Virginia instead of the Pentagon as a last minute change of plans, and he was ok. I called my mom, and she had just gotten off the phone with my dad, so we were both relieved.

I will never forget that day. It was tragic for the entire country, and it should never have happened, but it did. So many lives were lost that day, but it was not in vain.

I will never have the same fondness for the memory of December 7th, as I do September 11th. Both days our country was attacked, but I was only alive for one of them. It will always hit me harder.

I am so proud of what our men and women in the armed forces are doing all around the world. Without them, we would not have freedom, we would not have democracy, and we would not be able to remember days like yesterday with the respect it deserves.

God Bless America, and the heroes that defend her.

Age of Reckoning

Today, I preordered the new Warhammer Game for the PC. It plays identically to WOW, but you actually play in the Warhammer world. The game is fantastic!!

Below are some of the artwork from the video game (which I thought were the coolest and looked the best).

My list

I saw this on Sister Sanchez's blog and it looked like fun. I did a list like this when I was in High School. The ones I have done are highlighted in Green.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch (All the time)
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name (when I got married)
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style (the words "cool beans" in Germany)
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one (in a video game)
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment (it's a work in progress)
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss (Just to my kids)
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hotel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Known CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas :)

This past weekend, Blake, Darryl, Nathan, and Rachelle had a Warhammer weekend in Las Vegas. I would have gone, but I gave my ticket to Nathan, and our hotel room only was booked for 4 people, so Glade and I stayed home. It was definitely boring and hard to sleep, but Blake had a lot of fun.

They ate at Hooters, and went to see the Shark exhibit (pics below also). Nathan also got in a little trouble with a bust of a woman ;).

And because Blake was gone all weekend, I didn't sleep very well, but Rachelle brought down Twilight for me to read. So I stayed up till six every morning just reading. She wanted to get my opinion on it, so I read it and I LOVE it. Since she only brought the first one, I went out and bought all four. I finished them today and now that they are over I want to read them again. They are corny and childish but I love them anyway.

Glade was pretty good this weekend without Blake, but we were both sick, so it was kind of a long weekend. She had a fever and a runny nose and she got better before I did, so that also stunk a little. But I am so glad that she loves to play by herself. I don't think I could have lasted if I had to play all day long.

All in all, everyone had a GREAT time. Here are a few of the pictures from the Grand Tournament this year:

He wanted to kiss it
No words...
The three brothers (too bad Curtis couldn't come too)
Darryl and Rachelle
Darryl and Rachelle 2

They found Steve's killer!!
The view from the room (yes, that's piles of trash)
Nathan and his WOMAN
The sharks
Sharks
Darryl and his army
Tomb Kings

Nathan and his army
Blake and his army
This is Lord Croak (he is a beast)
This is a wooden Necron army! I have never seen one like this before and it is freakin sweet
Constipated or just thinking really hard??


Dragon 1
Army
Some gorgeous High Elves
A beautiful board and army
The coolest dwarves ever. They are fashioned after Rome

Blake again
Blake's army in a fight
Darryl's army
Blake's army and board
Dragon 2 (I think this one looks better. But two games into the tournament, he fell off his legs, so Blake played with just the base and it's legs because the dragon could go "invisible")