My Rant of the Day

Today I was driving home from the grocery store and I pulled up behind a big dump truck filled to overflowing with rocks. On the back of the truck was displayed a large caution sign that read: "CAUTION! Stay 200 ft back. Not responsible for broken windshields." I stared at this sign in wonder. How can a person post a sign on their truck and assume that passes off the responsibility for them to purchase a cover for their truck? You hear of stories all the time where a rock falls off a truck and ends up crashing through some one's window and killing the driver. And I have personally experienced trying to dodge rocks the size of beach balls bouncing along the freeways. Posting a sign like that is like putting up a sign that says: "I'm an underage driver with no road experience, but I'm not responsible for any negligent driving. Just stay two blocks away from my vehicle."
Okay, maybe that's a little extreme. It just drives me nuts that our society is quickly coming to the conclusion that the written word can get them out of any legal difficulties. What happened to good old integrity? But it was probably begun by all those really dumb law-suits by people with no common sense that force iron manufacturers to exclaim: "Don't iron clothes while wearing them!" Or ceiling fans that warn you not to throw your baby into the ceiling fan. Or another favorite: a can of peanuts that has a nut allergy warning!?!?! As entertaining as reading these things can be, it doesn't bode very well for the intelligence of out culture.
I can just picture the Day of Judgement when someone says: "HEY! I don't have to suffer for all the stupid and wrong things I did my whole life! I signed a waiver!!!"

Gratitude

10 Things I'm Thankful For

1-Nuts; I love Almonds, Pecans, Peanuts, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Sunflower seeds...etc. I probably wouldn't have survived the first week of November if it hadn't been for nuts. Besides, you can't make Chocolate Pecan Pie without pecans!

2-New Carpet that's soft on my poor feet. Plus it's fun to blow carpet fuzz around with Evelyn.

3-New Dishwasher that has a steam clean feature. Take THAT hard water!

4-Evelyn is starting to interact with people at church. She steals their kids' toys, and brings them back to me--but she doesn't run down the isle! AND she went to nursery yesterday!!!

5-Lots of Christmas decorations! And Christmas music! And staring at the glowing Christmas tree while snuggling with that certain someone.

6-Those sweet moments of motherhood, like when Evelyn just wants to snuggle with mommy, or when she wants her mommy to eat another helping of cake, or when she pleads: "Momma, temple, GO!! Please, Please, Please!!!"

7-"The Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens, and the movie "Scrooge" with Albert Finney. They always make me happy. But also for the opportunity to go on a date with Michael to Jim Carrey's new "Christmas Carol."

8- Watching snowfall while holding hands, Running in the snow, Rolling in snow, and Sculpting George Washington praying at Valley Forge in snow. Then drinking Stephan's Hot Chocolate (Hazelnut or Chocolate Mint are the best! --Though the peanut butter cup also has a special place in my heart.)

9-Coming home from choir or shopping or visiting teaching and finding my house clean and fresh Mike's Best in the World Cookies cooling on the rack. BEST HUSBAND EVER!

10-Conference Edition of the Ensign. Buy it; read it; love it; cry lots.

I thought I'd write a little Thanksgiving entry. I really could have gone on forever, especially since Michael and I have been keeping a blessings basket through the month. But I figured you wouldn't want to hear over and over again how hot Michael is. :D

Hmmm...maybe I SHOULD screw that into the wall...

So I was lounging comfortably; enjoying my Christmas decorations when I heard a CRASH from Evelyn's bedroom where she had been playing. The said crash was followed by Evelyn's cry of distress. I ran into her room to discover that she had unbalanced her dresser by opening all the drawers and it had tipped over. Did I pick up my child and inspect her for wounds? Did I comfort her and tell her that the dresser was not out to get her? Yes. But only after I grabbed the camera. What a great mom!

Look at that sad face! By the way, she wasn't hurt. She was bemoaning the fact that her kitty was stuck in the drawers. I rescued Kitty and she went off to play happy as can be!

Exercise time!

Daddy was doing his exercises and since Evelyn is copying everything he does right now, she did her own exercises. I'm just sad I missed the original push ups she did. But these ones were cute too.

Daddy's home!

Michael got home from his ten day business trip in Atlanta! One down; who-knows-how-many to go! Since then, life has been great! We've decorated for Christmas, made cookies and officially wrote the obituary for my diet, and even church went well! No dead Evelyns!

Evelyn is especially happy her daddy is home. She once again refuses to have anything to do with me, and daddy gets to change all her diapers! YAY!

Has your BRAIN been with your HEAD all day?

Some things you just take for granted that your children already know. I guess if I think about it, I realize that babies right out of the womb don't know anything, but by the time they're almost two, you think they pick up on some of those common sense sort of things.
For instance, today I was cleaning the toilets (a miracle, I know) and Evelyn was watching me fascinated. Then, out of nowhere, she leaned down and licked the toilet bowl! GROSS!!!! I never before thought to caution my child: "Evelyn, if you ever want to go anywhere in life, don't lick the toilet."

Static and bad hair days!

We got new carpet! It makes life so much fun! I love picking up my keys and getting zapped, or looking in the mirror and seeing my hair that I spent 30 minutes doing is looking like I just put my finger in an outlet. I had no idea of all the joys of new carpet! Evelyn and I have fun chasing each other around and shocking each other, and then I have to kiss all the places she got shocked and make them better. But I can never get her to kiss my "ouchies", she just laughs and shocks me again.

Evelyn has been especially susceptible to static-y hair. Observe:

Hurray for Static Electricity!

The Cleanse of Doom!

This week I am experimenting with my will-power. My sister's doctor said that autoimmune diseases (such as arthritis and allergies and diabetes and so forth) are spurred by the digestive system and a low amount of the good bacterias like probiotics. He told her about this way to cleanse your digestive system and hit the re-set button.
Day 1-2 you eat only raw fruits, veggies, and nuts.
Day 3-5 you eat a nauseating concoction of squeezed lemons, real maple syrup and cayenne pepper. That's it. Just this suicidal lemonade.
Day 6-7 just when you're ready to swear off all healthy foods and get on a pure chocolate cake diet, you get more fruits and veggies and nuts. YAY!
I'm on the part of the nasty lemonade. I think I'd rather be anorexic. Why the junk would you want to feel like you're starving to death and then pour burning, foul acid down your throat for nutrition? Anyway, I'm questioning whether this whole thing is worth it.
The upside is even though it may not cure me of my arthritis or allergies, I may actually see my pre-pregnancy weight again. And I'm appreciating chocolate more. You never do appreciate what you have until you lose it. :)That's why I picked November to do it. It reminds me of all my November experiences growing up. My mother always had way too much fun thinking of horrible ways to teach us to be truly "grateful." We would give up white bread, red meats, sugar, our Christmas presents...all with the hope of making good citizens of us or something like that. I think all I ever really learned was how to eat what I wanted when Mom wasn't around. And to skip Thanksgiving and go straight to Christmas. Now THERE's a holiday that teaches gratitude. :D

Reflections

As many of you know, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis. It's been a...difficult adjustment to say the least. But I have had some really amazing experiences with it as well. Last night I was reading in the scriptures and I came across a couple chapters that talk of how the Lord chasteneth his people because he loves them. This made me stop and reflect on all the trials I have had and what I have learned from them. It was easy to think of things I've learned from trials that are past and over, no matter how difficult they were at the time. But it was more difficult to see what I've learned and how I've grown with this arthritis. Maybe I haven't been humble enough.
The miracle came after I pondered a while and things started coming to my mind. I was amazed at the ways I have been blessed and the things I've experienced and learned. I have discovered that my life is as good as it is BECAUSE of the Arthritis. For instance: I am a better mother than I would have been without the arthritis. Sure it makes things difficult, but I have to prioritize what I can do because I can only do so much, so I have to make sure the important things get done first. It has strengthened my marriage. I appreciate Michael so much more for what he does for me, that I can't do for myself. I also appreciate the things I CAN do, because I've experienced losing the ability to do them: simple things like buttoning buttons, opening cans, wearing shoes, and lifting Evelyn out of her crib. Most importantly, I have learned of God's love for me. I know He is there for me and has strengthened me countless times.
I never would have thought of bad health as a blessing before. It reminds me of Liberty Jail and how they call it the "Temple Prison." We really do learn the most from our hardest trials. It is our price to get acquainted with God, and if you think about it that way, it's so much easier to accept His will.
Thank you to everyone who has helped me during my hard times and encouraged me when I have been down. It's been hard learning to accept being on the receiving end of service, but I can't express how much your service has been appreciated.