Survived the Snowtorious B.I.G.!

As I was driving to work yesterday I turned on the radio to hear all about a blizzard warning that was going into effect at 3:00pm. Upon arriving at work everyone was freaking out about it and they convinced the owners we needed to go home early for our safety. So we "worked" until 2:30 and all headed home to make sure we were safely in before the "worst storm in the past 7 years" hit. Dave got home at 5 for similar reasons.

Periodically throughout the night we would stick our head out the back door to see how bad it had gotten. Nothing. We went to bed figuring it would hit us over night, or early morning. I woke up and still... Nothing. Well, maybe 2 inches of powder, but nothing earth shattering. And the roads were already plowed. So we headed out to work and school.

I was a little disappointed it wasn't worse. Not that I wanted it to be so bad that our power was out or anything. But I was hoping to have a snow day so I could bake a peach pie and crescent rolls for Thanksgiving. Maybe clean the house a bit, just get ready for the holiday. Since I don't have the day after Thanksgiving off work, I was already feeling a little gipped, and thought having Wednesday off would some how make up for it.

As a word of gratitude during this holiday season: I'm so grateful for my best friend and husband Dave, our families, our beautiful home, that we can rent out our basement apartment, my awesome job, that Dave will be done with school next year, enough snow in the mountains that we can go snowshoeing Saturday and for so many more blessings that are too numerous to list.

Christmas is in the Air!

I swear the holidays start sooner and sooner each year! This year it's mostly my fault, I've started a few Christmas projects that hopefully will be completed by Christmas... we'll see what I can get done by then! One's for Dave (which I can't disclose at this time, since he has a tendency to find his gifts and use them prior to Christmas). The other will be a new robe for me. I have looked for one in the stores, but haven't been impressed with the prices or options. In the end it's going to be far cheaper to make one than it would have been to buy one that I really liked. Hopefully it turns out!

We're not doing major Christmas gifts this year, since we went to North Carolina, so I've actually completed my shopping already! Well, except something for the Plastow side's exchange. I'm not sure what we're going to do this year (in the past we've drawn  names to buy for), and as soon as we've figured that out I'll take care of that one. Oh... and two stinking white elephant gifts for my work Christmas party. I hate white elephant gifts, they really are crap, and I just don't want to spend $20 buying something nobody will want, let alone buying two pieces of crap nobody will want. Oh the joy of the mandatory holiday party!

Dave has spent the past month or more working on a project to create an outdoor company and put together all the needed paper products for the company as well as a guide to explain how the logo and brand should be used. He finally completed the project and it looked absolutely awesome! His teacher said he could see how much time Dave had spent on it, with all the details in the paper work, embossing, and binding. If he doesn't get an A, I might have to find the teacher and give him a piece of my mind!

I have two vacation days left this year. They're just burning a hole in my pocket! I want to use them at least once a week, but I also could save them, as they roll over and can be used next year. I keep telling myself I'll get Thanksgiving off in a few weeks, and I'll be taking a half day on the Friday after. I can survive two more weeks without time off, or at least that's what I keep telling myself.

Gospel Doctrine: Rough & Rewarding

For the past year I've taught the Old Testament class at church. We have people from all walks of life, that contribute all kinds of perspective. It always makes for an interesting hour, and I almost always walk away saying to myself, that's definitely not what I prepared, but it's what the people needed to discuss!

There are a few frequent contributors that at first I had difficulty figuring out how to handle the comments for. All of them are older (70 - 80's), and are pretty set in their ways. Some are crazy funny scientific comments about how there was a layer of water circling the atmosphere before the flood which is why it could rain for so long during the 40 day flood.

One gentleman in particular always asks very blunt extreme questions. I've had such a hard time trying to figure out how to answer him, and not end up being offended when he asked on my second week "What's the point of this lesson? It seems like you're just giving a history." (sometimes you can't understand the true depth of the doctrine until you understand the history behind it)

Sunday I finely got to the point where I could say "it doesn't matter what he thinks, if I'm testifying of the truth and backing it up with Scripture and doctrine, that's the best I can do." He had several questions this Sunday, I answered to the best of my ability and class members chimed in to back me up. The lesson was an over all success.

After class this gentleman took me aside and thanked me for such a great lesson. He continued to tell me he always appreciates how I take time to answer his questions and don't just shoot him down. He then explained about his years of inactivity and how he's only come back to church recently when his wife passed away. 

This conversation really made me think! I had no idea the struggles he had gone through, nor did I realize his questions were genuine. Although week after week it felt like he was playing the devil's advocate and just giving me a rough time, he was truly looking for answers. I'm grateful for the patience I was given until I was given the understanding. I hope I can always be patient with those around me. 

Baby's first Glamor Shots!

My sisters and I got a little carried away at the family dinner on Sunday with our niece, Andrea. She was so mellow with all her costume changes!

Oh man! We thought we were just hilarious... hopefully she thinks so too when she's old enough to look at these!

Reflections on the After-life

My Aunt Debbie (Dad's side) died this morning. She wasn't really old, nor was she in particularly bad health. She just went to sleep the night prior feeling under the weather, and didn't wake up in the morning. I suppose it's a peaceful way to go, but it's still a big surprise and hard on the family.

She was always kind to me as a child, crocheting Barbie clothes that matched the ones she had made for her daughter, buying us nail polish and lipstick (my first tube and it was candy apple red). She would take us shopping and didn't care if we completely destroyed the bedroom with toys and games.

I didn't really have a relationship with her as an adult, although she did make it out to my wedding two years ago and met Dave. I know she went through some tough times, and she made it through. It makes me wish Dave and I would have driven the 5 hours to visit her when we were in North Carolina a few weeks ago, and build some sort of adult relationship.

My Dad's side of the family is communicational-ly challenged. They're the kind of people that speak their minds, see their opinion as the truth, and are easily taken in offense. Some of them are manipulative, even though they don't see themselves as such. Although I never knew Debbie to cause any drama, I'm sure she experienced it, being a member of the family.

My Aunt's death has brought all kinds of questions to my mind. Does she see everything clearly now that she's dead (free of drama, manipulation, etc)? Will she have to work through forgiving her family for the drama, or will it all be wiped clean by the atonement? If she learns new info about family members previous manipulation or drama, will it upset her? Or will she be completely at a different level of mentality that it won't even offend her.

I know in the resurrection we still have our attributes and tendencies, and we are still learning and growing. But... do we have to work through this kind of situation? Not that it's important to my eternal salvation, but what I've been thinking about today.