The Logan Log

Day 239: Let It All Out

2012-02-19T19:19:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Someone in Relief Society today said that her mindset regarding how she says her prayers has changed since being married. She said she grew up saying, "It's time to say a prayer.", but when she got married her husband's family taught her that you don't just say a prayer, you "say prayer." She said that prayer isn't just "a something" you do, it's your time to communicate with God and that it should be treated as such.
I like this thought and it makes me reflect a little more about how my prayers are. Are they just "a something" I do, or are they my way of really communicating with God? I'm going to try to change my mindset too and make sure that I don't just say "a prayer" but that I really take the time to pray to my Heavenly Father.

Ha ha:
Here I was sitting at my computer getting ready to write this post and I paused for a second and asked Clinton, "Do I have anything funny to write about from today?" and a little burp slipped out. I waited for his response and he started frantically waving the air away from him in disgust...I guess my burp stunk a little.
I started laughing and promptly started typing.

Day 238: Pain In Two of My Organs

2012-02-19T18:53:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Can I just say how thankful I am for pain relievers?? Take THAT cramps! :)

Ha ha:
Though this was NOT funny at the time, Clinton and I were watching "Water for Elephants" and there is a part in the movie where an elephant is basically being beaten. Many of you may know I love elephants and I love animals in general and I DON'T love seeing them hurt. Well, anyway I literally started bawling and shaking on the couch. Clinton turned to me and asked what was the matter. I told him I couldn't watch it anymore and he said, "It's not real honey, nor is it based on a true story. It's ok, you don't need to cry." Sobbing, I said, "I guess (sob) you're right but it's still (choking back sobs) so sad!"
It was kinda embarrassing at the time, but my intense crying just means I have a tender heart, right?

Day 237: Quality Time Vs. Wast of Time

2012-02-19T18:33:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Clinton and I had a great date night with our friends Scott and Chelsey. We went to Sobelmans for dinner (they claim to have Milwaukee's best burger...and we thought they were actually quite good), Leon's Frozen Custard for dessert (they have Milwaukee's best custard, I think) and then we went back to the Carver's place to watch a movie (America's WORST movie...Cowboys Vs. Aliens...I just kept wondering where the three little guys from Mystery Science Theater were).

It was so much fun to hangout with our friends! Chelsey and I were talking about how grateful we are for the friendships we've made here and how we feel so blessed to be here together with our friends. Our friendships have made our time here in Milwaukee so much better!

Ha ha:
While we watched Cowboys Vs. Aliens we made fun of it the ENTIRE time. It was one of the longest, stupidest movies I've ever seen. Anyway, right after it finished I got up to go to the bathroom and heard Scott suggest we watch the deleted scenes. I shouted out, "I think the was the problem; they didn't delete any scenes!"

Day 236: Historic Events

2012-02-16T22:07:00.000-06:00

Aha:

Today's "aha" moment came to me early on and I knew exactly what blessing-in-my-life I wanted to write about. Today is my mom's birthday and I wanted to throw her a virtual shout-out.

Mom, I love you so much and am so grateful for you in my life! There are so many people out there who long for the type of relationship with their moms like me and my siblings have with you; we are the luckiest kids! You are so caring, faithful, talented, wise, funny, loving and giving. I know you pray for me and my little family everyday and I want you to know I pray for you too. Thank you so much for all you have done for me and taught me in my life so far. You are a wonderful example of all that is good and I hope that by the time I'm your age, I've grown up to be just like you. :)

Happy birthday you beautiful lady!

Ha ha:

I developed a terrible habit/obsession with finding split ends in my hair and cutting them off with a pair of what ever's sharp/"cutty" nearby. During one of today's searches I came across this:

Not sure if you can see it, but there is a black hair right in the middle amongst all the very blond hair.

A black hair?? Treating it like a stray hair found in my food, I pulled on it and it didn't budge. I started to panic a little. In all my years of messing with my hair to find split ends, make small braids, style it or whatnot, I have NEVER seen a hair color other than blond! Does this confirm that I'm getting old? Is this what blond hair does before it goes gray? Am I an alien? What does this mean universe? Oh, what's that you say Google? It's perfectly normal? And that people with naturally different shades of color in their hair are found to be more attractive to the general public?* Ok, phew! I mean, I thought so, but phew nonetheless!

*The italicized sentence was not scientifically, statistically or in any other way reported or found to be true but was included to make the writer feel better about herself.

Day 235: It's About Time!

2012-02-15T20:29:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I received a phone call from Clinton today while I was work and I knew right away it was something serious....because he almost never calls me at work. :) Anyway, he said he got his scores from his boards and not only did he pass but he scored way above his expectations!! He was so happy and I was ecstatic! His score opens the door for great residency programs for him and more options for our future! Congratulations you smart man you! You deserve this!

Ha ha:
I make a terrible slip of the tongue at work today. Here goes...
I went downstairs to the mailroom and noticed that the little mailbox they have usually filled with candy had a little clock in it too.
Me: What's this clock for?
Mail Lady (ML): Oh, it's a clock I don't want anymore. You want it?
Me: Oh, no. I'm all clocked up. Clocked up, not knocked up!
(Awkward laugh by all parties)
(I'd love to say that that was the worst of it, but I just had to open my mouth again.)
Me: No, we have plenty of cocks...clocks in our office. Um...(laughing)...I think that's what they call a Freudian slip!
I just started laughing and walked away. I don't think they heard it, but I know what I said and had to get out of there.

Day 234: Lucky

2012-02-14T20:54:00.001-06:00

Aha:
I came downstairs this morning, still all warm and fuzzy from our fantastic Valentine's Day celebration last night, and found this on the kitchen table.

Daffodils are my favorite flower

My eyes instantly became teary and I kept saying, "Oh, my gosh" over and over each time I read something sweet in the card Clinton'd left me. I feel so very loved!

Thank you, you sweet boy!!

Ha ha:
My family has a tradition that if you can't find just the right greeting card at the store, you make do with what you can find--even if it means rewriting one that's already preprinted.
Anyway, a couple days ago I tried finding the card for Clinton and not only did they not have what I was looking for, they were completely sold out of Valentine's Day cards to begin with! So...I improvised.

The answer is "yes"...he loved it!

Day 233: "F" as in Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T21:49:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I received a text from Clinton today while I was at work asking me if I wanted to "avoid the crowds and celebrate Valentine's tonight". So, we went to Meritage in Milwaukee.

Clinton got the Indian Lamb Kabobs and I had Pumpkin Gnocchi. We had some Mushroom Bread Pudding as an appetizer and it all was delicious!

After dinner we went to Yo Mama's for some frozen yogurt and then came home and watched some old Who's Line Is It Anyway clips.

After watching for a while Clinton went upstairs for a minute and came down with a giant frosted red velvet cupcake and sang me "Happy Valentine's Day to you". We split it and ate it while watching episodes of 30 Rock.

What a great Valentine's Day! Love you Honey and looking forward to many more Valentine's with you!

Ha ha:
I had a pretty bad headache at work this morning and suffered horribly from slurred speech. Please enjoy the below examples.
(Trying to spell someone's name over the phone):
Me: G as in Boy. (laughing)
She: What? What's happening here?
Me: I'm sorry. I mean G as in Goat.
She: (Laughing) I would have said G as in Girl since you'd said boy originally.
Both: (Laughing)

I tried saying "We'll have to do it in March and not February" but it came out as "We'll have to do it Farch."

Oh, dear!

Day 232: A Taste of Sweetness

2012-02-13T21:13:00.000-06:00

Aha:
And now for an installment of Brief Moments of Gratitude with Danielle Logan:
Almost nothing better than taking a nap after church!

Ha ha:
The other day I saw Clinton holding Peter like a baby in his arms whilst spoon-feeding him the leftover milk from his cereal bowl and saying, "Who's the hungry bub?" Ha ha!

Day 231: For Better or Worse

2012-02-12T21:02:00.000-06:00

Aha:
While I went to The Vow with my friend Kelli, my husband went grocery shopping. (insert huge smile) If there's one thing I consistently despise doing it's grocery shopping. What a pleasure it was going to a chic flick with Kelli and then coming home to bags of groceries that I didn't have to shop for!!

Ha ha:
As I started putting away the groceries I noticed that lots of the items on the list I'd given Clinton were not in the bags but there were lots of "extras" instead.
Me: Oh, I love you. You tried so hard.
He: Well, maybe you should go next time. (said in a jokingly sarcastic way)
Me: Didn't you see (insert missing item) on the list?
He: No.
Me: Did you look on the back?
He: There was a back to the list?
Oh, dear. We make a great team!! Thanks for making me laugh everyday H.B.!!

Day 230: A Couple of Pics

2012-02-12T20:20:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I was sent this pic of me and my friend Kim at our cookie decorating party on Thursday.

This pic just made me smile thinking about the great friendships I have made here. It's crazy to think that you move to a place and know nobody but before long you build some of the best friendships of your life. Love you my Wisconsin ladies!

Ha ha:
I kid you not. I was walking down the hallway at work when I saw Dr. Ditty come out of the bathroom, scratch his bum and then pick a wedgie. Funniest thing I've seen in a while.

Day 229: No Need to Sugar-Coat It

2012-02-10T23:05:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the chance to go over to my gal pal, Jenna's, house on Thursday for a much-needed GNO. We sat around her table and decorated/ate Valentine's Day frosted sugar cookies. It was so much fun to get together with women who all know you and still love you anyway! Thanks ladies! I had a great time!

Ha ha:
Here's my laughable attempt at being "artsy".

I think I'll leave the crafty bakery skills to my sister Daya.

Day 228: That's Amore

2012-02-10T22:12:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I love finding pleasure in the seemingly-insignificant parts of my day. Wednesday was an especially busy day for me and so a frozen pizza became the default choice for dinner. However this pizza was no ordinary pizza. This pizza was unbelievable!

If you haven't tried this pizza--go to the store and buy some today! Not only did it save me some precious time in my evening, but it saved my wallet ($5) and my waistline (560 calories for half of the whole pizza)! Deeeeeeeeee-licious!

Ha ha:
Is this really the 3rd time I've blogged about food this week? Eesh, I need to find a new obsession!

Day 227: Proceed with Caution

2012-02-07T21:14:00.000-06:00

Aha:

This may seem insignificant but to me anything regarding food is always significant, anyway today I decided to pull my sandwiches off the sandwich-maker a moment earlier than usual (yes, I have one under my desk that I use everyday to make grilled cheese sandwiches). A second later, someone came into the office that needed me to escort them over to the hospital--a 5 minute round trip. Had I waited to pull them off, I would have lost track of time and my perfect sandwiches would have been WAY overdone!

Ha ha:

Here's a reason why one should look before they bite:

I was distractedly staring at some documents on my computer screen and totally took a bite out of my sticker!

Day 226: I Like to Eat, Eat, Eat Chocolate and Bananas

2012-02-07T18:35:00.000-06:00

Aha:
A couple weeks ago I noticed a friend of mine post of FB that she had been eating lots of lava cake. I commented that it was my favorite dessert and the next thing I knew this "sweet" friend of mine invited me over to her house to enjoy some with her. So, yesterday I went over to her place after work and we got to visit for an hour and eat the BEST DESSERT EVER!!
Thanks so much Sarah for thinking of me and for making me my all-time favorite dessert!!! It was great getting to know you better and I look forward to doing this again soon!

Ha ha:
As I was walking up the front steps into work this morning I noticed a banana on the ground. There were two women shuffling up the steps a little bit ahead of me and I thought I'd pick it up, try to catch up and see if it belonged to one of them (although, my first thought was, Mmmm, banana). When I got inside they had both split (no pun intended) into different directions and I was unable to return the banana to its rightful owner (ok, maybe I didn't try that hard to catch up, but that's beside the point).
I had two options:
1. Throw the perfectly good sidewalk banana away
2. Eat the perfectly good sidewalk banana

After a couple moment's reflection, I decided to go with option #2. That's right. I ate a banana I found on the sidewalk and I enjoyed every last bite.

Day 225: A Little Different

2012-02-07T11:18:00.000-06:00

Aha:

The lesson in Relief Society was on President Uchtdorf's talk back in September titled, Forget Me Not. As I mentioned in my blogpost back then, this is by far my favorite talk! It's amazing!

Anyway, after listing the principle "Be Happy Now", the teacher asked for comments on how we can be happy now without waiting for "our golden ticket to happiness". One of my friends said, "Not to be a downer, but you can't rely on 'it'll get better' because it may not. It might be better, it might be different, but it can always be good."

I thought this was a great way to look at life. Things could be better--they could change--but no matter what, with a positive attitude, things can always be good.

Ha ha:

Whilst hanging out with friends during the Super Bowl, Clinton spent a good deal of his time swapping ghost stories with Richard. They were sort freaking each other out and laughing about it when Richard's wife said she wanted to take a picture. All conversations ceased and we posed for the below picture.

It wasn't until looking at this picture that Richard nervously laughed and said, "Uh, Clinton? Look at this." (Notice the ghost orb floating between Clinton and Richard? Spooky/really hilarious!)

The innocent girls (no ghost orbs here!)

Day 224: If the Ferris Wheel's a'Rockin'...

2012-02-06T21:21:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Friday night Clinton asked if I wanted to go to Chicago for the day on Saturday. Totally excited by his spontaneity, I said, "Heck yes, I do!", and so we went!
I took him to Navy Pier and we went to a 3D moving called, Flying Monsters, walked through all the fun shops, got some Garrett's Popcorn (carmel w/pecans...uh...yum!), walked through the indoor gardens, rode the giant ferris wheel (found out it's 150 feet hight) and found a really cool stained glass exhibit. Anyhoo, here are some pics from the day (compliments of Clinton's new lens)...

Here's my hottie GQ husband! This was an "accidental" picture but I LOVE it!!

Ha ha:

Clinton kep taking pictures of me and after a while I'd had enough, so I started making both silly and "sexy" poses. When I looked at the pictures I laughed out loud. Apparently, I don't "do" sexy very well, but I'm sure the giant coat and earmuffs didn't really help either. Ha!

Ha ha!

Day 223: Work (Over) Load

2012-02-06T13:34:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had a rather frustrating day at work with a lot of extra work being given me that I really had no idea how to do. I'm thankful however for a brief spiritual nudge reminding me that everything was going to be fine and for help from my coworkers. One even met up with me to have some candy and let me vent for a while, so thanks guys!

Ha ha:
"Nothing calms a troubled soul like candy"
--Anonymous (actually, that was me that said that, but "anonymous" sounds so much classier!)

Day 222: Here's the Story

2012-02-02T20:49:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the responsibility to remind Dr. Simpatico about something important today and almost nearly forgot to do so until 5 minutes before the end of the work day! Whew! So thankful for the little "spiritual nudge"; I would have been toast without it!
Moral of the story? If you get a prompting...follow it!

Ha ha:
I have been meaning to blog about this for a while now, but I keep forgetting so here goes.
I don't know how it is in your house, but in the Logan Home whoever reads scriptures--the other one has to say prayer. Well, both of us prefer to read and we'll usually "fight" over who gets to. A few weeks ago we were both sure that it was "our turn" to read and wouldn't concede to saying prayers so we both picked up our scriptures and started reading out loud, at different parts of the scriptures, at the same exact time. This went for several verses before we both just started laughing. Honestly, I don't even remember who said prayer that night!

Day 221: Can You Hear Me Now?

2012-02-01T20:57:00.002-06:00

Aha:

A few weeks ago I realized that I was becoming rather lazy in saying my prayers. I'd get into bed, read my scriptures, turn out my light, turn on my fan and THEN roll onto my side to say my prayers/fall asleep--not a good system for heartfelt prayers. Anyway, I made a commitment with the Lord during sacrament meeting to be better about saying my prayers and asked for a "spiritual nudge" if I started to climb into bed without saying my prayers first. Sure enough, last night as I was preparing to jump into bed and rest my weary head, I had a little reminder from the spirit to kneel beside my bed to say my prayers. I promptly knelt down and was able to enjoy a few moments of reflection and connection with my Heavenly Father. :)

Ha ha:

My cold is passing (yippee!) but my ears are still rather plugged--here's an example from today.

There are two docs in our office who know very little about computers and require a lot of extra help from the assistants whenever a computer issue arises. One of my coworkers came back from such an occurrence rolling her eyes. When asked what was wrong she said, "Oh, it's just Casper's junky shoes again." "What?", I asked. "What do his shoes have to do with anything?".

"No," she replied, "not his shoes--it's technical issues again."

"Oh, that makes much more sense."

Ha!

Day 220: Name Them One By One

2012-01-31T20:58:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Here is a small, but sincere list of blessings from today--
1. I woke up right before my alarm went off and was wide awake for my first day back to work after a great vacation.
2. I made it through my first day back to work after a great vacation! (So hard to go back to work!)
3. I was asked to make a change to the calendar by The Intimidator and right after was pulled away from my desk before I could make the change. I totally forgot about it until a few minutes later when I had a little prompting reminding me to make the change. Phew!
4. I walked home from work in 52 degree weather and saw that most of the snow has melted!!!
5. One of my students didn't show up for her lesson, so I had a nice little unexpected break between dinner and my next student.
6. I had a little extra time this evening to snuggle with Clinton and Petey! So nice!

Ha ha:
My coworker just told me that while I was away from my desk a couple weeks ago Dr. Ditty came by and asked if her to "give Denise (aka, me) this paperwork" he had. He had no idea what my name was! Denise-Danielle--whatever they both start with "D"!
This reminded me of the time that he came up to me and said, "Hey..." (long pause while he looked at my name badge)..."uh...(another stare)...can you take care of this for me?" Ha ha! Even looking at my badge he didn't know my name and I've worked there for 2 years! Ha!

Day 219: Hairy Situations

2012-01-30T21:19:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Last night I took some cold medicine around 10pm and was asleep within 30 minutes. I woke up this morning at 8:30am. Not sure, but I think my body really needed some rest! :) I think the best part of all this though was waking up to Peter spooning me. That little boy was by my head all night long. I asked Clinton if he had pulled him up during the night and he said that he had come up on his own. (Awwww!) I felt so loved!! I laid in bed for another half hour and snuggled my pup. It was fantastic!
Just like yesterday, Peter has been on our laps anytime we sit down. Even as I sit here typing he is sprawled across my lap with his chin on my arm. I doubt it's comfortable for him, and I know it isn't for me but neither of us is complaining. :)

Ha ha:
Ladies--remember those days in high school when you were so bored with whatever the teacher was saying that you'd pull out a pair of scissors and cut away your split ends? (Please don't tell me I'm the only one who did that.) Well, today while I was waiting for Clinton in the car I happened to glance down and see a split end. In a desperate attempt to get rid of it without ripping it from my scalp, I reached into the arm rest and pulled out a pair of nail clippers and hacked off the end. Feeling totally satisfied I continued this process until Clinton came back and asked, "What are you doing?" I told him I was trimming my ends and he just shook his head side-to-side and said, "Girls."
Oh, the things we do for beauty! Ha!

Day 218: Happy to See Us

2012-01-30T16:45:00.002-06:00

Aha:
Coming home after a great trip is always a little sad, but coming home to a pup that is as excited to see you are you are to see him is always great! When we walked through the door Peter went crazy. He jumped into my arms and gave me tons of kisses. Then he ran out into the living room and jumped up on Clinton's lap. He was a ball of excited energy and he brought us all of his toys to play with until he got so tired he passed out on our laps.
Anytime one of us sits down Peter is right up on our laps. He is so happy to have us back and we're happy to be back too.

Ha ha:
During my Skype session with my sister and her kids last night, Clinton joined in so the kids could visit with him too. I asked my niece to share some jokes with Clinton. All of her jokes were essentially the same thing, but one in particular really had us laughing.
They went a little something like this:
Niece: Knock, knock.
Us: Who's there?
Niece: __________(fill in with any object)
Us: ________ who?
Niece: (holding up a drawing of the object coming out of a pair of pants and a speech bubble that said, "Hello, my name is _____ pants!")
She'd start laughing and would get up again and again to recreate her joke with some new object. The one that really had us in stitches/really concerned was "Banana Pants". Let's just say we were all glad there was a speech bubble on that one!

Day 217: Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures

2012-01-30T16:29:00.001-06:00

Aha:
This should come as no surprise, but I SOMEHOW contracted a cold during our trip. Fortunately for me, we were able to buy some cold meds and I felt almost as good as new and was able to enjoy our last day and a wonderful afternoon at the Clear Water Beach. Here is a little list of the blessings I/we experienced on Saturday.

Cold meds
A WARM day at the beach (coming from the Pacific NW, this is basically unheard of)
I was craving some beef jerky and happened across a little store that had some for super cheap! (not a common occurrence in a touristy area)
Got to sit in the sun and feel oh-so-toasty warm while munching on my beef jerky
Got to walk hand-in-hand with my HB for a few hours while we soaked up some sun

Ha! It was a little windy, as evidenced by Clinton's hair.

Ha ha:
On our way out of town we saw this car repair shop and promptly began laughing.

"Waxin' Willys"

As many of you may guess, our minds went straight to something much less manly and much more...metrosexual. I think Willy should have thought this through a bit more.

Day 216: Some Fresh Oranges and a Couple of Old Prunes

2012-01-30T16:00:00.001-06:00

Aha:
I told Clinton before we left Wisconsin that while we were in Florida I wanted to pick real Florida oranges. So, we hopped in the car and drove up the road a ways to a U-Pick farm. We had a blast picking oranges together and it was so nice to have some down time during our trip too.

I think this is what you call "double picking".

Ha ha:

We went to the grocery store to see if they had some fresh Florida oranges...ya know, in Florida, and found these instead.

After dinner we came back out to our car to find this. We're pretty sure these were from the elderly couple having dinner across the way from us. I thought this was too funny not to share.

Day 215: Aren't You Only Supposed to Get Wet on the Rides??

2012-01-30T15:38:00.001-06:00

On the ferry boat on our way to the Magic Kingdom

Aha:
While Clinton was in line to watch the Country Bear Jamboree, I took a trip to the loo. There were seagulls flying everywhere in the hopes of getting some spare food and I was nervous they were going to poop on me so I walked looking up instead of down. And it's a good thing too! Right as I was about to walk to my right I noticed a seagull above me starting to poo, I quickly jumped to my left. As I jumped, a man walking in my direction saw me leap and did the same thing. In the exact spot where we both would have been landed a giant splat of seagull poo. I looked at the man, he looked back at me and at the same time we both said, "Phew. The was really close!"

Here I am trying to get a shot of us on the teacups...oh, and I'm also trying not to puke. :)

Ha ha:

Clinton and I were standing in line to go to the Monsters Inc Laugh Floor (this was my favourite part of the Magic Kingdom--hilarious!!) and the room was super crowded with other people waiting to go in. We were sardined in next to this other couple and all was good until I heard the man beside me sneeze and say, "Uh...uh...uh...". I turned in time to see a three inch snot string hanging from his nose and connecting with his right hand. I turned back to Clinton and said, "Oh, my gosh! Oh, my gosh! That guy's got a giant snot string hanging from his nose (gag, gag)!" One wouldn't know it was possible but I managed to squeeze in even closer to Clinton. (shudder)

A few hours later we were sitting on the ground in front of the castle waiting to watch a musical production with Mickey and the gang. I was talking with Clinton when all of a sudden the man standing up next to me turned my way and sneezed. right. on. me. To add insult to injury, he did it again, only this time I felt it too. That's right. I was totally sneezed on by a stranger and had physical evidence in the form of spray on my face. I turned to Clinton in pure disgust and he just started laughing. Really? (Shuh-der!!)

Day 214: Paying...A Compliment

2012-01-30T15:08:00.000-06:00

Aha:

EPCOT! We had an AMAZING time walking around the park today. The weather was unbelievable and seeing all of the cool exhibits for all of the different countries was a blast. We finished the day off with fireworks and a light display. FANTASTIC!

When we walked up to purchase our tickets the lady behind the counter asked if we'd ever been here before. We told her this was our first visit...about 20 minutes later we'd heard about her grandchildren, her health (dental and physical), her family, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and how they work with patients/families at Disney World and just how wonderful the parks at Disney are--I'm thinking, how's about you give us a chance to get inside those pearly gates to see for ourselves??--and then her eyes welled up and she talked about how she hoped that we too could experience our own "Happily Ever After" moment.

Suddenly my heart changed a little bit and I truly began to feel the Disney spirit. This lady, who was a complete and total stranger 20 minutes ago, had opened her heart to us and I knew her wish for us to find happiness extended beyond the attractions and festivities of Disney. What a sweet lady and what a wonderful way to start our adventure!

Here we are in EPCOT's Mexico with our favorite, Donald Duck.

In Morocco, we went to a delicious restaurant. The atmosphere was so cool and the food was great!

The grounds were absolutely beautiful as the sun was setting

I think this next pic was during/after the fireworks. So much fun!!

Ha ha:
I got a picture with my favourite Disney princess, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)! Yes, I think I was the only adult in line, but who cares, right? Anyway, as I approached her, she turned to me, took a graceful bow and said (in her princess voice), "Oh my! Aren't you a beautiful princess? And what a lovely...(stroking my shirt)...outfit you're wearing." Ha!

Day 213: Flori-DUH

2012-01-30T14:53:00.000-06:00

Aha:

Clinton and I hopped onto a plane bright and early (or shall I say, dark and way too early??) and headed to sunny and WARM Florida!!

It has been quite a while since we've taken a vacation and to be honest, I keep feeling like we're on our honeymoon! :) It feels fantastic to be with my honey and I'm LOVING every second of it!

View from the plane of the sun rising

Here we are...for some reason Clinton thought he should hold up his bag of pretzels.

View of the Gulf

Here's our awesome condo (2600 sq.ft., 2 full baths, 3 bedrooms, fully equipped kitchen...for $65/night!)

My dad grew up in Florida and his favorite dessert is Key Lime Pie, so we found a great restaurant, called Bahama Breeze, and they had the best Key Lime Pie we've ever tasted! Also, they had an amazing cuban sandwich that I've now decided is my favorite!

It took us about 4 minutes to finish off this little beauty.

Ha ha:
While Clinton and I were sitting in the Ft. Lauderdale Airport we had about 3 hours to people watch and here's what we saw...

An older man that was dressed like a woman (heels, tank-top dress, make-up and all).
A BUNCH of old people, obviously a bunch of snowbirds. :)
A mother yelling at her child, "NO! You can't have a donut and if you ask again you're not going to get dinner either!"
Two different men that looked like crazy people while talking on their phones because they refused to hold their phones with their hand and used their almost-invisible bluetooth instead. Why??
A bird scavenging for scraps and then crapping on the floor (yes, we are still inside for this).

All in all this was rather entertaining, but we were so glad to finally make it to our AMAZING villa and I'll post more soon!

Day 212: Is This A Test?

2012-01-23T21:45:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Seeing the smile on my husband's face as he walked out from his boards exam was THE BEST part of my day! What a huge relief that he's done (this exam was seven months in the making) and even better, that he feels good about it! Oh, what a wonderful blessing!!! Congratulations, H.B.!!! I am so proud of you! LOVE YOU!

Ha ha:
Today at work, Dr. Simpatico came up to me and asked if I could help him with something. He pointed to a box I had on my desk that had an image of three arrows in a circle, like the Recycle symbol, and while running his finger over the circular shape asked, "If I wanted to do something like this (circle, circle)...?"
"Recycle?", I asked.
He started laughing, "No. Make this symbol on the computer, could you help me with that?"
Me: (laughing), "Oh, of course!"
He: (laughing), "Recycle. You are very funny!"
He passed by my desk a couple minutes later, shook his head side-to-side and started laughing again. Then he saw my supervisor, pointed to me and told her I was "the funny lady".
I totally thought he wanted to recycle. Ha ha!

Day 211: I've Still Got IT

2012-01-22T21:26:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I have been singing for how many years now? and I still deal with nerves! It probably would have helped if I had actually practiced my song before this morning :/, but as I started to sing this morning in church I simply couldn't catch my breath. I quickly said a little prayer that my nerves would calm down and sure enough after a few stumbly phrases my nerves relaxed and I was able to get the words and notes out without much interference.
I'm thankful that the Lord heard my urgent plea for help and sent peace and comfort to my panicked soul!

Ha ha:
1. I visited with a woman after church ended who was visiting our ward from the stake. She kindly complimented me on my song and said that while I was singing she and her friend were having a debate about how old I was.
What is she, a laurel? (young women ages 16-18)
No, she's gotta be a miamaid. (young women ages 14-15)
No, she looks too poised to be a young woman, I think she's an adult. Could be married.
No, I say she's a teenager.
Apparently this conversation went back and forth, unnoticed by me, for the duration of my song. She said that it wasn't until Sunday School when she saw a ring on my finger that she turned to her friend and said, "Ha! I was right. She is an adult, and married too!"
That's the third time this week that someone thought I was under the age of 18! I guess that's a good thing?

2. During church I found myself having some tender feelings for my poor studying husband back home and thought it would be nice to send him a quick little text to let him know I was thinking about him...
Me: I sure love you HB! I'm very proud of you! You are amazing!
He: Are you drunk?
Hmm, that didn't go over quite like I was thinking it would...

Day 210: I Just Called to Say, "I'm REALLY Stressed!!!"

2012-01-22T19:29:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My sister made a New Year's resolution to keep in better touch with her family that live out of state and we now Skype every Sunday evening. I look forward to it every week! Anyway, this got me thinking about the other members of my family that live far away (every one) and especially Clinton's family who I'm lucky if I get to see them once a year! I decided that I'm going to use my sister's idea and contact them on a much more regular basis.
I called my mother-in-law and we visited for about 2 hours before my father-in-law came on the line and we visited for a while too! It was wonderful and I felt so much more connected with them. I felt like I wasn't a bad daughter-in-law anymore cause I was able to take some initiative and visit with two people who mean so much to me and who have given me one of their best gifts--Clinton. I went to bed with a big smile on my face and am really looking forward to next week's visit!!

Ha ha:
Clinton takes his boards tomorrow. He's been stressed and I've been stressed enough for the both of us! I didn't quite realize how stressed I was until yesterday morning when our neighbors started their 4th at-least-an-hour-but-usually-much-longer band practice this week. Don't get me wrong, they are actually quite good, but when your walls start shaking and you can't have a moment of quiet in your own home--it can really grate on a person. Well, anyway I was upstairs talking with Clinton about maybe creating a practice schedule with our neighbors so we could have some more quiet. I could feel a wave of emotion building up and the next thing I knew I was crying. I finished with a weak, "I just...(sob)...want...(sob)...them to...shut up" before leaving the room embarrassed and going into the bathroom to cry it out for another 10 minutes.
Yikes, I can't wait till his boards are OVER!!!

Day 209: My Snap Was All Over The Place

2012-01-20T22:58:00.000-06:00

Aha:
As I was getting ready to get into the car and drive to work (yes, I realize I only live 3 blocks from work, but when it's 30 degrees below freezing those 3 blocks feel like 3000!), I thought I should just walk. Already running a little late, I changed back into my boots and headed out the door. It wasn't until it was time to leave work that I realized just how glad I was that I actually had walked. We received about 3 inches of snow during the work day, the parking lot was totally backed up and the roads were super slippery. Sure, my walk home was a little chilly, but I made it home in one piece (and I didn't have to scrape ice off my windshields either)!!

Ha ha:
My coworker and I were talking about how the crotch of certain pairs of pants make a snapping sound when we walk (After receiving many questioning looks from friends and family when I originally expressed concern/frustration to them that my pants made a snapping sound when I walked, I looked it up online to prove it was a real thing and found that urbandictionary.com calls it "cracklin' crotch"--LOL). I got up to show her that the pair I wore today did said snapping. As I sat back down she said, "I like those pants on you. I think they're cute."
My other coworker thought she'd be funny and said, "Well, I don't. I think they're ugly."
So I jokingly replied, "Oh, yeah? Well, I think YOU'RE ugly!"
We all started laughing.
We sounded like a bunch of five-year-olds!

Day 208: Couldn't Sleep But I Can ALWAYS Eat

2012-01-19T21:33:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I slept for a total of about 2 hours last night (after I finally took a sleeping pill around 3am) and still managed to get out of bed by 645 this morning AND I made it through an entire workday to boot! But now I'm beat.

Ha ha:
Part of the reason I couldn't sleep last night was because I had this crazy intense hunger (must be from all of the diarrhea--oh my I don't know when to stop, but neither do my bowels, ba-dun-chh!). Anyway, I couldn't take it anymore so at 2am I got out of bed and had a piece of bread, sliced up an apple cause I didn't have the energy to repeatedly bite into it and visited with Clinton who was still up studying while I ate my apple.
Overall, I felt like my restless night went rather well, but I don't hope for another one any time soon.
***
I asked Clinton if my post was any good or if I should just wait till tomorrow when I was thinking a little more clearly.
He: Uh, just wait till tomorrow.
Me: Really? Not even my diarrhea joke?
He: (shaking his head side-to-side) Unh-uh. It's crap.
Ha! Get it?

Day 207: We Were Both Looking for Boxes This Morning, but for Two VERY Different Reasons

2012-01-18T21:06:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Some might wonder why I'm posting--my period started today!--as a blessing (or why I'd even post something so personal in the first place-ha!). The reason it's a blessing is because I was due to start next Tuesday and that's the day that Clinton and I take our fun-filled, long over due trip to Florida and now I won't be bloated or have diarrhea and terrible cramps during my vacation! I'll get it all over with beforehand. Yay!

Ha ha:
I had the pleasure of participating in another one of Clinton's sleep conversing this morning while I was getting ready for work:
He: (sits up, checks his phone for the time and then looks at me with sleepy eyes) Where did you put that box?
Me: What box?
He: (pointing at the floor with a rather floppy wrist) You know.
Me: No, I don't know.
He: (still confused) The box.
Me: What box?
He: (again, with the floppy-writsted pointing at the floor) The box for the program.
Me: I don't know what you're talking about. I think you're still asleep, Honey.
He: (falling back onto his pillow and closing his eyes) No. I need to just gather my thoughts. (he was out again in seconds)
Ha!

Day 206: Special Thanks

2012-01-17T20:42:00.003-06:00

Aha:

I received a very special gift in the mail this afternoon from a blogging buddy of mine in sunny Florida.

It made me feel very special and warm! Thanks Sara, it's absolutely adorable!! Would it be too much trouble to ask that you also send some sunshine and about 50 extra degrees?

Ha ha:
I sent an email to someone at another institution regarding a conference call with one of our docs (who happens to have an unusual last name that is hard to say and spell, so I included an extra helpful blurb about how to say his name phonetically) and closed with my name at the bottom. I got a reply to my email that went a little something like this:
"Thanks Daniele, the pronunciation of his name was most helpful!"
Don't get why it's funny? She spelled my name wrong while thanking me for helping her with someone else's. Ha! (Alright, maybe it's not that funny, but it's my blog, so deal with it!)

Day 205: I Upped My Level, Up Yours!

2012-01-16T21:24:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Nothing really significant really sticks out, other than I didn't die today. I guess that's a good blessing. What, did you get in an accident or something? You might wonder. Or, did you choke on a carrot and have to have the Heimlich maneuver? Although I've had to have it a couple times before after norking a carrot, no, I didn't choke. The answer is I exercised. (see below)

Ha ha:
I upgraded to level 2 of the 30-Day Shred, 'nough said, right? Here're a few things I said while working out...
Oh, man, I HATE this one.
Seriously?
What are you laughing at Jillian?
I want to die.
Shut-up!
You've got to be kidding me!
How much longer is this?
I'm so weak!
Encourage me Clinton!
Owie.
You can do it, Dani.
Maybe not.
(grunt, grunt, grunt)
I am so outta shape.
This isn't natural.
Who thinks up this stuff?
(gasp, gasp, gasp for air)
How many more reps?
(loud grunt)
Oh, thank HEAVENS it's over!

But over all I think it went rather well!

Day 204: This Got My Attention

2012-01-15T21:29:00.001-06:00

Aha:
The lesson in Relief Society today was from "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: George Albert Smith". There is a quote from it that I'd like to share as one of my new favorites:

I want to say that at this particular period of our lives we need to exercise charity, not only in imparting of our substance to those who are in need, but we need to have charity for the weaknesses and failures and mistakes of our Father’s children.

This quote is part of a speech shared with the saints during the years of the Great Depression.
I don't really know that there's much else I need to say about this quote other than I think being charitable with the weaknesses, failures and mistakes of ALL of God's children (that includes you and me) is probably the best, most poignant piece of advice I can think of. I think if we all spent a little bit more time being kind, forgiving and understanding/tolerant of others and ourselves, that there could be a whole lot more unity and love in this world.

Ha ha:
I was Skype-ing with my sister's kids and towards the end of our conversation (right at their bedtime) they started to get rather silly. Here's how the last part of our conversation went:
Niece: Aunt Dani, how do you get a boy's attention?
Me: I dunno. Is this a joke?
Niece: You whack him with a stick! (laughter)
Me: (laughter)
My nephew wanted to get in on the laughs so he quickly asked:
Nephew: Aunt Dani, how do you get Uncle Clinton's attention?
Me: (laughing) I'll tell you when you're older. :)

Day 203: Push and Pull

2012-01-14T23:19:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I've been trying to get back into exercising since it had been about 8 months since my last work out. I've been doing Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred (also available at Target or Walmart for about $10) followed by Rodney Yee's Ultimate Power Yoga (also available at Target or Walmart for about $14); total work out time is about 45 minutes. Today, the thought of exercise made me want to fall over dead. Is that not the saddest thing you've ever heard? I'd rather die than exercise? What is wrong with me?
Anyway, I put on my exercise clothes and headed downstairs to begrudgingly start. I turned to Clinton and said, "Don't let me back out. I need to do this but really don't want to." I paused for a moment and then said, "I don't think I'm going to...", in the middle of my defeated phrase I looked up and saw that he'd already turned on the TV and selected my exercise for me. I had to do it now.
Most wives might take offense when their husband turns on an exercise video for them and tells them they have to do it (and I would be if I hadn't asked him to), but I was so thankful! I took away his "Fart in a Can" and completed both of my videos!! I feel good knowing they're done and I'm thankful for my husband who pushed me to complete a goal and wouldn't let me give up!

Ha ha:
After I finished my workout I ran upstairs to show Clinton something I was never able to do, even as a more-flexible kid--from a standing position, bend over and put my palms flat on the floor while keeping my legs straight--a full forward bend!
He asked, "Oh, is that it?"
"Yes!", I replied.
"Good job," he said, "but can you put your leg behind your head?"
I tried but was not quite flexible enough yet.
"Let me try." he said. And as he spoke he pulled his left leg and put it behind his head. What the?!
I challenged him to try his right leg and up it went too! I don't know if I should be offended, impressed or in stitches. It probably was one of the funniest looking things I've seen in a while. :)

Day 202: What If I Were You and You Were Me?

2012-01-13T18:04:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Having a rather intense hankering for some soda I made a quick trip down to the hospital cafeteria (prices are still expensive, but at least I'm paying for more than just a sip of soda!). Anyway, after I'd paid what I worked 10 minutes to afford, I made my way back to my office.
As I was leaving the dining room I saw a really cute black woman, sitting by herself and preparing her meal. She glanced up at me and flashed a really beautiful smile. I smiled back. I continued past her but stopped and said, "You're hair is adorable!" It took her a second to realize I'd paid her a compliment.
She turned back to me, smiled again and said, "Thank you!" After another quick pause, she repeated, "Thank you."
I have no idea what her circumstance is but being a family member at a children's hospital is almost never a cause for celebration. I felt like I really made her day by complimenting her--and that feeling made my day!
While I made my reflective trip back to the office, I couldn't help but think of this quote:

Ha ha:
I ran upstairs to kiss Clinton goodbye and to have prayer before I left for work. He's been going to bed REALLY late so by the time I come in to say "I'm leaving" he's still in really deep sleep. Makes for some rather funny interactions. Like this one from today:
Me: 'K, bye Honey, I gotta go.
He: (Opens his eyes really big, with a completely confused look on his face) What?!
Me: I have to go.
He: (Sounding like I'm telling him I'm leaving him...for good) What? Why?!
Me: I have to go to work. Love ya.
He: (Scrunching his eyebrows) I'm you and you're me?
Me: (Laughing) I think you're still asleep. Love you!
I told him about this when I got home from work and he started laughing and then said, "Boy, I really am funny!" Oh, he's just so humble. :)

Day 201: It's Karm-plicated

2012-01-12T18:46:00.000-06:00

Aha:
You know how every once and a while you have those trips to the bathroom where you think, I need to go to the bathroom. I think I'll get up and mosey on over to relieve myself.? However, as soon as you get headed to the bathroom you start to panic thinking, Oh my gosh! I HAVE to go to the bathroom and I don't know if I'm going to make it!! Well, I had one of those experiences today. I realized I had to go and the moment I realized it--the urgency to go intensified to the point of HOPING I would make it to the bathroom! I literally was walking down the hallway at working thinking, It's gonna happen. I'm actually going to poo my pants at work! How am I ever going to show my face here again? I'm going to lose my job, we won't have any money and I'm going to be known as "The Girl Who Pooped Her Pants"!
Well, fortunately, there is a God and I prayed like I never prayed before and I made it to the bathroom! I even had time to wipe down the seat before sitting! A true, modern-day miracle!

Ha ha:
Clinton bought me some enormous apples (no, that is not an innuendo for "boob job"). They are delicious (Golden Delicious...apples, that is). Anyway, right after I had taken two bites Peter started crying for me to feed him. I took myself and my giant apple over to the bin where we keep his food. I must have done something very bad today because karma crept in and my apple fell out of my hands and into the dog food. I turned around to see Clinton smiling and shaking his head side to side. I reached into the bag, took the kibble that was stuck to it and tossed it to Peter as I assessed my barely chewed apple.
I could just rinse it off. Although, I should probably get a new one. I mean, what would people think of me if they knew I'd eaten an apple that fell into dog food?
I walked over to the sink, turned on the faucet and rinsed my apple. After another moment of inspection I took a bite. And then another and another until all that was left of that giant dog-food-fallen apple was the core...Don't judge me.
***
Just after finishing the above, Clinton took his pen and wrote on my forearm. "Hey!", I said, "What was that for?" He laughed, and then I laughed because karma snuck in on him too. As he was laughing he went to triumphantly click the cap on his highlighter, only it wasn't there and ended up drawing on himself instead! Ha ha! Serves him right, the turkey!

Day 200: All Done and Unintended Pun

2012-01-11T20:44:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I have been diligently working my butt off to finish up a bunch of stuff on my desk I've been too busy to finish. Well, today a little miracle occurred and I was able to not only start on my stack, but I was able to FINISH it too!!! Don't get me wrong, I still have plenty to do at work, but now I won't have that physical reminder of how far behind I was! "Today [I] celebrate, but tomorrow [I] go back to work!"

Ha ha:
There I was sitting at my computer innocently going about my work, which happened to be verifying references, when all of a sudden I came across this one.

I read it aloud to my coworkers and we all promptly started laughing. One asked, "Where are you finding these?" Another said, "That's really funny." Patient OUTCOMES?? Really? Not sure if the authors that that through? Or they did but had diarrhea on the brain and just chose the title as "urgently" as the could.
One coworker wondered why any author would choose that title and I said, "Most would not find this so funny. The article is intended for mature readers. I'm just not one."

Day 199: Skids and Snuggles

2012-01-10T21:20:00.000-06:00

Aha:
It's the small and simple things, right? Well, today I had the special pleasure of being able to come home with no responsibilities and was thus able to lay on the couch and read a book! What's even better than that?--a nap on the couch whilst snuggling with my pup. This evening was amazing!

Ha ha:
I was sitting at my desk and could hear that my coworker was talking on the phone a few feet away from me. When she finished her call she turned to us and announced, "Well, it's official: I have skids in my undies." Baffled at her blunt declaration, I said, "What? You have skids in your undies??" "No!", she said, "I've scared off my neighbors. They're selling their house."
BIG difference!

Day 198: The Ins and "Outs" of Life

2012-01-09T21:37:00.000-06:00

Aha:
To the friends who have checked on me, sent me words of hope and encouragement, given me hugs and kept me in their prayers--this one's for you. You each brightened my day and I hope to be able to return the favor soon.

Thank you and love you all! P.S. I'm doing much better! :)

Ha ha:
I bought Clinton "Fart in a Can" for his stocking on Christmas. He loves to play with it, especially while I exercise. Here's a little clip I "squeaked" in for your viewing pleasure. I'm sure it will really "blow" your mind. No, no, it's going to be a real "gas"! No "pressure" to watch it and I won't be offended if you decide to "pass", but I'm sure you'll be "relieved" if you "do".

Day 197: Leakage

2012-01-08T21:19:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I am so thankful for good, understanding friends. I had a bit of a rough day today and ended up crying with a couple of those good friends at church. I also received a rather encouraging text from a friend last night. I'm so thankful for people who are patient with me and are willing to "mourn with me when I mourn" and "comfort me when I stand in need of comfort". Thank you.

Ha ha:
As I said above, today was not the best day for laughing, but I'll be darned if I don't find something from today that I can laugh about. Turns out, on my way home from church while I was still crying, I needed a tissue, or a napkin or anything. I searched desperately and would have just used my dress if it hadn't belonged to my great grandma. I opened the little box between the two front seats and spotted (no pun intended) one of my "female emergency" supplies. I quickly tore open the wrapper, pulled on the string, discarded the applicator and dabbed my eyes. I tell you, those things really are absorbent!

Day 196: Sweepin' the Clouds Away

2012-01-08T00:16:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had a realization the other day while I was washing the dishes. I don't know why it came to me then, especially since I don't really mind washing dishes, but I just got to thinking that there is no point in really getting upset over much in life. I only have the one. Do I want to spend it complaining when something doesn't go my way? Do I want to spend it getting mad when someone says something dumb or doesn't do what they said they would? Do I want to spend my life in a bad mood? No!
I'm not sure how I'm going to stay consistent in this, because after all, I am human--an emotional human--but I feel like I was given a special moment of insight. I feel like I've been given a second chance to make some changes and improvements in my life and the way that I think. What am I going to make of my life? I want it to be a happy one! So, I've decided to let some things go and let other things go when they come. Life is too short to be annoyed with it. The people in my life are too special to take for granted. My desire to be happy is more important than "being right".
I don't know, I know I'll still struggle and get upset, but I really hope that those times just become fewer and farther between. If I can have some successes in that, then I'll feel like I am doing better. This mindset over the last couple days has helped me out of a couple pickles already and THAT makes me happy!

Ha ha:
I decided to use some hair color I had laying around to tint my eyebrows; the color was "Light Golden Blonde" but looked dark brown when wet. Anyway, I put it on and straightened up my living room while it processed and Clinton studied on the couch. He happened to glance up at me at one point and with a questioning look asked, "Uh, what's going on with your eyebrows?" Thinking of the time that my Alzheimered grandpa surprised us all with a good (but unintended) laugh by using black shoe polish on his very white eyebrows (looked very much like Bert from Sesame Street, but much bushier)--I told him I was trying the same thing. After taking another, longer look he hesitantly declared, "I don't know that that's a good idea. That can't turn out well." I started laughing and told him I was joking--he sighed a big sigh of relief.
Really? How could he possibly have thought I was serious?? What kind of girl does he take me for? I may be quirky, but it'll take another 50 years and a diagnosis of dementia before I think that lathering shoe polish on my brows enhances my appearance!

Day 195: The Gospel of Puke

2012-01-06T20:52:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 10 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Things about the Gospel:

Tithing, I can't afford to NOT pay it!
Visiting Teaching
The Scriptures
General Conference
President Uchtdorf (not only is he handsome to look at, but he writes the most wonderful talks!)
Temple Covenants
The Holy Ghost
The Atonement
Focus on the Family
Eternal Families

Ha ha:

Who has two thumbs and used them to shovel copious amounts of food into her face today?...THIS girl! I felt like the hungry, hungry caterpillar, or the little engine that could but shouldn't. Here is my intake for today--again, this is more sad than funny.

4 egg whites, 2 giant mugs of hot cocoa, 2 apples, 2 grilled cheese sandwiches, a giant salad, a large handful of cheerios, a couple mini Reese peanut butter cups, some Nacho Cheese Doritos, a handful of carmel puffs (like carmel corn but with corn puffs instead--supremely delicious), a bite of a lemon square and a berry kringle, about 1/2 slice of peanut butter pie (made with cool whip and an Oreo crust--don't get me started on how amazing it is), some blueberries; 1 1/2 bread sticks, 2 plates of salad and 2 bowls of chicken gnocchi soup from Olive Garden, an Andes mint, and an ice cream cone from McDonalds.

I believe the answer to all of your questions is "no".

No, I'm not pregnant.

No, I'm not on my period or PMS-ing.

No, I was not trying to induce a diabetic coma.

No, I was not in an eating contest.

No, I'm not proud of myself.

and finally

No, I'm not hungry right now. Although, ask me again in 5 minutes and that answer may very well change. :)

Day 194: Some People Eat to Live, but I Live to Eat!

2012-01-05T21:26:00.002-06:00

Aha:
Day 9 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Foods (Oh dear! Where do I begin??):

Pancakes, Scrambled Egg Whites and Hash Browns (I also enjoy a giant bowl or two of cereal)
Salads of any sort
Stuffed Mushrooms
Subway Footlong
Fruits/Veggies
Homemade Bread
French Fries and a Burger
Dark, DARK chocolate
McDonalds' Ice Cream Cones
Any sort of steak or roast
The list could literally go on and on. Should I be worried that this, of all the lists I've made thus far, was the easiest to write?

Ha ha:

I don't know if this is funny or just really sad, but I finished working out for the first time in probably 8 months and I can barely move my arms...or legs.

I'm not kidding.

But I don't need to worry too much--you know what they say, the second day's always worse than the first!...Oh, crap!

193: Here's One Invention I Missed...Earplugs!!

2012-01-04T21:37:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 8 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Modern Inventions:

Computers/Skype/Internet
Cars
Airplanes
Cell phones
Medicine
Cameras/Camcorders
GPS
Contact lenses/my shell
Antibacterial hand gel (Santa sets me up every Christmas for the next year!)
Household appliances (indoor plumbing included)

Ha ha:
I was woken up around 3am this morning with the following question from my sleeping husband: "Oh, man! Are you tired?"
I replied, "Yes, I'm pretty tired."
He finished with, "Ugh, me too!"
So glad he woke me up so he could discover we were both tired, although the fact that we were both sound asleep should have given it away...LOL!

Day 192: Subway, Eat...Here Often?

2012-01-03T20:22:00.003-06:00

Aha:
Day 7 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Places on Earth:

The Portland Temple
My home
Portland, Oregon (with my fam)
Grande Prairie, Alberta (with my husband's fam)
Disneyland/world
Banff, Alberta
Columbia River Gorge
Vancouver, British Columbia (lived there the first 6 months of our marriage and we hope to end up there after graduation...for good!)
Beauty Supply stores
Subway Restaurants

Ha ha:

I stayed home sick from work again today. After being cooped up in my house for 3 days, and feeling a little better, I couldn't take the solitude much longer. I got in the car and drove to Subway for dinner. When my sandwich was passed to the toppings person, without looking at me, he looked at my sandwich and said, "I know this sandwich. Your boyfriend (aka, my husband, Clinton) was in here yesterday wasn't he?" I laughed sheepishly and said, "Uh, yah."

Here's to hoping that I feel well enough tomorrow to not have to grace Subway with our apparently well-known presence. :)

Day 191: Peter x2 and I've Got the Flu

2012-01-02T21:22:00.000-06:00

Aha:
This happened the other day but I forgot to blog about it.
I was sitting on the couch, reading a book, and all the dogs were laying on the floor around me. I noticed the sound of Peter gnawing away on a bone and realized I'd been hearing it for the last hour or so. I started to think that that was a pretty long time and that I should check on him, but he was just below me on the floor and I figured he was fine. I ignored the feeling for a second, rationalizing that all was well. The feeling came again and so I listened.
I sat up and saw that his bone was pushed to the side, but he was still intensely chewing on something. I picked up his bone and saw that the end had been pulled off. I lifted up his chin and saw that a huge chunk (yet small enough to swallowed and choked on) was floating around dangerously in his mouth. I reached inside and pulled it out (much to his dismay, but to my relief).
I don't know that he would have for sure choked on it but I'm so glad I didn't have to find out.

Day 6 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Things about today (I have the flu, so this will be a little skewed):

My heating pad
My neck pillow
Excedrine Migrane
Today was a holiday day at work, so I didn't miss pay
Liquids
Peanut butter toast
I didn't have to put on make up
I didn't have to fix my hair
Extra snuggles from Peter
Netflix

Ha ha:

Here's the scenario: My house is a disaster cause I've not felt well enough to clean. There're dishes in the sink, blankets all over the living room and I'm passed out on one of them. The doorbell rings and it's our landlord (also named Peter), come to fix the leaking faucet on our tub.

If you know me at all, you'll know why this is funny, and if you don't know me, you should know that I would never let someone see my house messy--let alone me dead on the couch.

Day 190: Naturally, That's Funny

2012-01-01T19:16:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Day 5 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Things about Nature:

Sunsets/sunrises
Waterfalls
Wildflowers
Trees (especially during the fall)
Warm weather
Thunder and Lightning (I used to be absolutely terrified of it, but living in the Midwest I seem to have gotten used to it and can now enjoy it--unless it's right outside my door and then I still don't like it.)
Mountains
Daffodils (my favorite flower)
Smell of fresh rain
Fresh fruit/vegetables from a garden

Ha ha:

1. Clinton was asked today if we were new in the ward...Uh, we've been here for 2.5 years!

2. While driving our 80-year-old friend home from church she turned to me and said, "I need to ask you a question." After a silent 15 seconds or so I sarcastically replied, "Is this an out loud question or am I supposed to just guess?" She told me I was sassy and we all had a good laugh!

Day 189: Not So Silent

2011-12-31T21:50:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 4 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful:
Deceased People:

My Grandma Conklin (I must give an extra special shout-out for her. I became so close with her over the last few years and am so thankful that I came to know her as a friend.)
My Grandpa Conklin, he was always very generous.
My Grandma Duff, she could never just sit still (always had to be cleaning or bleaching something), but she would drop anything for a hug.
My Papa Duff, he had some pretty crazy stories from his youth but he had the cutest smile. He baptized me when I turned 8 and came to my graduation just months after my grandma passed away. If any of us kids had any major event happening they would travel from several states away to be there.
President Gordon B. Hinckley, I never got to meet him, but his testimony and sense of humor really touched me.
Jesus Christ, although I believe Him to be risen, He had died at one point. He is the supreme example of what I hope to be like someday. He literally saved my eternal life and continues to advocate on my behalf each day.
My high school friend, Kelsey Harrington. She was killed by a drunk driver at 14, but she still managed to teach me that death is not the end, but a part of the journey.
Walt Disney, sure he made tons of money off the commercialism of Disney, but his movies are a favorite in my home and his theme parks truly are magical!
Joseph Smith, for restoring the gospel of Jesus Christ and for translating the Book of Mormon. Both of these things have brought peace and hope into my life.
Mary. For her willingness to be obedient to the Lord and for bearing and raising the Son of God.

Ha ha:

Can't think of anything really good for today, so I guess this'll have to suffice.

While I was writing this post all of the dogs were passed out around me. The big one sat up suddenly and started licking an itch on her inner leg. As she reached down to lick she simultaneously farted. I started to chuckle...that is until I got a whiff. Not so funny after all. (shudder)

Day 188: The People Who Put Up with Me

2011-12-30T17:10:00.001-06:00

Aha:
As I was getting ready to walk out the door this morning my nose started running. Feeling a bit annoyed, I ran to the table to grab a Kleenex. Good thing I did too, because right beside the box was my work badge. I think this is one of the only times I'll say I'm thankful for a runny nose!
Day 3 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful!
Living People

My husband
My parents (+ in-laws, Clinton's Gma and Gma & Gpa Wilson)
My siblings (+ in-laws)
My nieces and nephews (+ in-laws)
My adoption friends/support group (Amber, Emily, Christy, Carrie, Jaime, Jenni)
My coworkers (including Marilyn-who works in another office but is a great friend/coworker)
My best friend Krystal (a total rock and wonderful example)
My gal pals (near and far)
Brett Running (one of my previous residents who was in school for acupuncture and encouraged me to try it--totally changed my life for the better!)
My OB! She's amazing!

Ha ha:

Conversation between Clinton and I when I called him this afternoon from work.

Me: Hi, are you coming to get me still?

He: Yah, that's fine, but when we get home I'll need to finish studying.

Me: Oh, don't worry about it then. Just finish your studying and I'll walk home.

He: Are you sure?

Me: Yes. I'll just walk so you can finish up.

He: Are you going to be upset?

Me: No. It's okay, really.

He: Is this a trick? Are you saying you're fine but are actually mad?

Me: I promise. See you soon.

He: (hesitant)...Ok...bye...

After hanging up, I thought, Oh dear. I must have really put him through the ringer a few times if thinks my saying "I'm fine" is a trick!!

Ladies, I'm sure we've all done this before. Let's perhaps be a little easier on the poor chaps we call our husbands, huh? LOL!

Day 187: I am a Material and Giggly Girl

2011-12-29T21:22:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Day 2 of 10 of 100 things for which I'm grateful!
Material Possessions:

Computer
Cell phone (with texting, scriptures, video and regular camera abilities)
Piano/microphone
Car (even though it's a FORD)
My baby blanket (yes...it made it to the list)
My wedding ring
My orthotics (makes wearing cute shoes possible again!)
Cute clothes and shoes/styling stuff in general (hair tools and make-up)
Popcorn popper
My EMU boots (only thing that keeps my piggies warm)

Ha ha:

I had the giggles SO BAD at work today. I'm not really sure why, or where it all came from, but there was an embarrassing amount of time in which I could not stop laughing. It all started when my coworker mentioned how cold it was in the room. Not sure if it was the way she said it, or because I agreed or what, but either way I found it to be hysterical.

At first I kept the giggles to myself. Biting my lip and blowing air through my nose seemed to work for a moment, but I simply couldn't keep it in. Finally I just started laughing out loud (out of the middle of nowhere). Some might think as I did, that this would suppress the urge to keep laughing, but it didn't. It made it worse. So much worse that my coworker had to ask what was happening. Through short bursts of laughter I managed to apologize and tell her that I (duh) had the giggles.

Work resumed and I tried my hardest to keep the giggles to a minimum--that is until one of my other coworkers came into the room. I swear, all she did was look at me and I busted up laughing! Oh man, even now, I am laughing thinking about it! Quickly, I tried to excuse myself and told her I had the giggles. She sorta laughed at that, and I REALLY laughed at that! (This was getting to be rather obnoxious and embarrassing by now.) She told me not worry about it.

I think I could have been fine, but she began telling a story about how her commute went this morning after our bout of freezing rain (I totally fell on my hands and knees on the way to work BTW). All she had to do was say, "I'm serious..." and the laughter started again. Laughing to the point of not being able to speak, I began fanning myself and mouthed the words "I'm so sorry". She started laughing too, telling me that she loves getting the giggles--that didn't help me stop either. What was she trying to do, make me laugh even harder?? All I could do at this point was envision all the times I'd had the giggles and couldn't stop. I had to get out of there!

After a 30 minute walk I finally calmed down. I have no idea where that came from or when it will come again, but one thing is for certain--I'm wearing Depends to work tomorrow!

(just kidding...I didn't actually pee my pants, but who knows what the future brings?)

Day 186: #9?

2011-12-29T20:54:00.000-06:00

Aha:
So, I was actually reading my Ensign the other day and came across an article called, "The Choice to be Grateful" by Henry B. Eyring. At the end was an activity that I thought was worth trying; it focused on helping us see how much we have to be thankful for. The rules state to list 100 things, and to make it easier, break them into groups of 10.
Here is Day 1 of 10 in listing 100 things for which I'm grateful!
Physical Abilities:

I have one eye I can still see out of!
I can sing fairly well.
I have a high level of endurance.
I can catch something tossed to me (most of the time), even though I don't have depth perception.
I can cut, color and style hair.
I give really good back massages!
I'm not afraid to say "Hello" to strangers or talk to someone who may seem lonely.
I can play the piano, although I need to practice more!
I can make others laugh.
I can listen really well and empathize too.

Ha ha:
We have a saying in our house that we say when we are making an obvious point: You know what I mean? It's a phrase we began saying when Clinton pointed out one day how it annoys him when people say it. Naturally, it turned into a "regular" at our place. Now that this bit of background's been shared, here's my Ha ha.
Clinton has been eating all of our Christmas desserts--to my, sorta, dismay. So, yesterday (while he was looking through the cupboards complaining that there was nothing good to eat) he begrudgingly told me he'd saved me a piece of pumpkin pie.
Me: You can have it, but I'll want a bite. (Pausing) You know what I mean?
He just started laughing, "Of course I know what you mean! Why would anyone not know what that means?"
Ok, after re-reading this, it doesn't seem that funny. Perhaps this is one of those, "You had to be there" moments. Oh well!

Day 185: My Turns and Returns

2011-12-27T22:07:00.000-06:00

Aha:
1. The dogs let me sleep in till 845 this morning!
2. While I was waiting in line for a "quick" return at Walmart, Clinton saved us some extra time and got the few groceries we needed. We left the store and made it just in time to the theater to see the new Muppet movie (highly recommended, by the way).
3. Last night, just before bed, I was sitting with Petey on the couch. I told him it was time to go to bed but he wouldn't budge. I picked him up and he just let his body drag across me. I slid him up to my chest (like holding a baby over your shoulder to burp) and he snuggled me. I was in heaven. He doesn't typically let me hold him like that for very long (not since he was a pup) and I no longer cared that it was way past my bedtime. I held him there for as long as he let me. It was wonderful!

Ha ha:
Was trying on some Jessica Simpson heels at Boston Store while I was out with Clinton. Her heels are surprisingly comfortable--that is, if you try on the right size. Anyway, Clinton bought me these for Christmas but I needed to make sure I had the right size.

I tried on another more-platform pair (see link above), but in a size too big. I began to tell Clinton how comfortable they were, but as soon as I said "comfortable" I rolled my left ankle. I put the shoe back on and proceeded to roll my right ankle.

Yes, nothing says comfort like ace bandages and tennis shoes. I think I'll stick with the pair he got me...much safer. :)

Day 184: Clinton

2011-12-26T22:59:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I mentioned to Clinton yesterday that I've not really had a chance to sleep in during my break because of our friend's dogs. I'm used to Peter sleeping in till we get up, but these other two are not as lazy--any sound from us that could be mistaken for us getting out of bed and these dogs are up and moving around. Don't get me wrong, they are super sweet, but my sleep has been a bit disturbed to say the least. Anywho, I heard the dogs start to get up around 7 this morning. The last thing I remember is Clinton shushing them.
A few moments later I opened my eyes, totally surprised at how rested I felt despite being woken early again. I glanced at my watch and saw that it was 830 and Clinton and the dogs were downstairs! That sweet boy of mine got up with them and kept them downstairs so I could sleep (having brought Peter back up to bed with me so we could snuggle). What a sweet gift!! Thank you, H.B.!!!

Ha ha:
1. We are watching a friend's dogs (yes, that's dogS) for 2.5 weeks (yes, that's 2.5 weeks...I'm working on earning my celestial glory). Anyway, I came downstairs this morning and found a tiny turdlet on my couch. I yelled up to Clinton, "Honey, there's a piece of poo on my couch!" His response? "It wasn't me." I couldn't help but laugh.
2. My friends from Oregon, who now live in Wisconsin, came down for a visit today. We took them to the Betty Brinn Children's Museum so their two-year-old could run around and play (although we adults had a great time too). Anyway, we found this mirror and I asked Clinton, "Does this mirror make my butt look big?" Ha!

3. Clinton has been playing his new cello every spare moment since yesterday morning. I ran upstairs to ask him a question and this is what I found.

Here I was thinking that only kids go to bed with their new favorite toy, not Clinton!

Most people spoon with another person, not Clinton!

Day 183: Christmas Sayings

2011-12-26T21:51:00.001-06:00

Aha:

Here are two signs their five-year-old made for us: "From Kailey, Love you!"

"Kailey, Mom and Dad Welcome You Sister Logan and Brother Logan"

A family in our ward invited us over for Christmas dinner. We ate and had a really nice time getting to know them better. The wife asked if we would like to watch "Joy to the World" with them and I'm so glad we did. It felt so great to watch a movie about the birth of Jesus Christ on the day it's celebrated.
Sitting there in their living room, I felt such a wonderful feeling of gratitude and peace as I heard the scripture passages read and saw them reenacted. Snippets of some of my favorite Christmas songs (sung by the Mo-Tabs) were interjected throughout the film too.
I am so thankful to have had this Christmas to think more about Jesus. I feel like I have come to know Him a little better and I especially feel like I want to get to know Him more.

Ha ha:
WARNING: There is a swear coming up.
It was my turn to make breakfast for the two of us and Eggs Benedict was the meal of choice. I had my eggs poaching, my english muffins a'toastin' and my hollandaise sauce a-cookin'. Feeling like I had everything running rather smoothly, that is until I got a little distracted by some mold on my newly purchased muffins. I worked to tear it out and completely forgot all about my sauce. I ran to the pan in a hurry and saw brown bubbles coming out of the top--it was burning. "Dammit!" I shouted. (Really, Dani??) Clinton let out a laugh in the living room while I stirred and stirred as fast as I could, realizing it was OK after all.
Nothing says "Merry Christmas" on a Sunday like an unnecessary swear! Sheesh!

Day 182: Christmas Eve Miracles

2011-12-26T21:28:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Woke up to the smell of breakfast cooking!! Sweet Clinton made me pancakes and hash browns--a real Christmas ~~miracle~~ treat!! Thanks, H.B.!

Ha ha:
Clinton and I went to the mall. He parked the car and said he needed to run in quickly. I had another errand that I wanted to take care of so I told him I'd come back and pick him up. Right before he left he said, "Now be careful. There are a lot of crazy drivers on the road today." I reassured him and he went inside.
The parking lot was FULL of cars and I was waiting for a lady to move from behind my space. I noticed that she was a ways away from me and I thought I had plenty of room to back out and slide in beside her. I looked behind me and there was plenty of space. I put the car in reverse and slowly backed out of my space...CRUNCH! Well, crap! I wasn't paying attention when we parked (and apparently when I was backing out) and our space was a straight space on the very far end of a diagonally-angled row. When I pulled out at a sharp angle to slide in beside the lady behind me I ran right into the parked car beside me. Stupid, I know.
I called Clinton in a panic and he came out, looked the other car over and reassured me that I had caused no damage, thank goodness (I was going about 1/2 mile/hour after all).
I share this because of the irony. He had mentioned the crazy drivers on the road...I had no idea I was one of them!

Day 181: Chri-stmas Memories

2011-12-23T23:47:00.000-06:00

Aha:
We had some special visitors this evening. Clinton answered the door and asked me to come there. As I approached the door I saw two little faces and heard two little voices singing, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". They handed us a bag of homemade toffee (delicious and gone by the way) and a poinsettia plant! What a wonderful Christmas surprise!! Thanks Browns for thinking of us!

Ha ha:
Clinton reminded me of one of my favorite stories from our past this afternoon. I'll share...
A couple Christmas seasons ago, we were out and about driving around on some errands. As is typical year round but especially at Christmastime, I had the song, "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" (the Bing Crosby version) stuck in my head. It seemed to be playing on and on inside my brain but I was managing to keep it to myself while carrying a conversation with Clinton. Well suddenly, unbeknownst to me, I sang the backup singers' "Chri-stmas" part of the song (see the link above and start at :33 to hear what I'm referring to). Clinton turned to me and said, "Where the heck did that come from? What was that?" I was confused, because to me, it made perfect sense--I had been singing the whole thing in my head after all! Anyway, once we realized he was missing the majority of the song and how I must have sounded like a total crazy person, we both had a great laugh! Now, whenever we hear that song we emphasize the "Chri-stmas" part and start laughing. :)

Day 180: You Deserve a Great Day

2011-12-22T21:14:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Clinton completed his last exam of the "Big Three" rotations today!! He said it went well and was the "easiest" thus far! Pediatrics, Medicine and Surgery are OVER!!!!! This is a day for celebration! I am so thankful that the second half of 3rd year will be much less time consuming and enjoyable for him (and me)! Yippee! Hooray! Hallelujah!

Ha ha:
Ya know how I mentioned celebration above? What was Clinton's idea of celebrating?--a trip to McDonalds!...well, it was cheap, I guess that sums up my feelings about the place. I do love their ice cream cones though! Perhaps we'll do some more exciting celebrating during this Christmas break...we'll see. :)

Day 179: Music to my Ears

2011-12-22T21:01:00.000-06:00

Aha:
These last two weeks have been crazy busy! I have been so exhausted but had too much to do to be able to go to bed early. Well, apparently, last night my body had had enough and I dropped into bed at about 845 and was asleep not long after. I am sad, but SO THANKFUL that my plans for that evening--although I had been looking forward to a movie night with my girlfriends--got postponed and I could have a good night's sleep! (sound of angels singing)

Ha ha:
I started recording my voice students' lessons so they have something to practice with each week. I got everything set up for my second student and began warm-ups. We warmed-up for about 15 minutes before I got up to turn off the recording for processing. Feeling rather pleased with my set up, I reached down to stop it and realized...I never turned it on. :( Do! (re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do...ha ha!)

Day 178: Eye Owe You One

2011-12-22T20:49:00.000-06:00

Holy Crow have I been busy!! These next couple posts will be sha-ort or I'll feel too overwhelmed to write!

Aha:
Thankful for a good coworker who's also a good friend! She drove 15 minutes out of her way to drop me off at my friend's house so I could hurry and get her dogs picked up and back to my place before my client arrived! Thanks, Lissa! You were an absolute time-saver!!

Ha ha:
While I was blow-drying my client's hair I was also running my fingers through her hair. Well, on the last stroke my finger went right into her eye. I apologized and she said, "That's OK. I was thinking of getting rid of it anyway." We laughed and her eye was fine. Phew!
Can't imagine what it would be like to have one's eye poked out!! ;)
(For those of you who don't know, one of mine was poked out when I was little, so I know exactly what that would be like ;)

Day 177: From Sad to Glad

2011-12-19T21:14:00.000-06:00

Aha:
While I was visiting teaching one of my sisters, she told me that she was trying to find scriptures that made her want to celebrate Christmas. She's not been a fan of celebrating Christmas since her mom died nearly 40 years ago. I told her I'd share some of my favorites, but I'm wondering if anyone has any they would recommend. I don't know that they need to specifically be about Christmas (I would think any scripture about Christ would do since He is the reason we celebrate Christmas), but if you feel like sharing something that may spark her desires to celebrate the season, I'd love for you to share.
As I've said before, Christmas is my favorite time of the year and knowing there is someone out there, of my own faith, that doesn't want to celebrate it is rather saddening. Meeting with her though has made me think of some of my favorite things about celebrating:
Decorating, Singing Christmas Songs, Listening to Christmas Songs, Food, Goodies, Stronger Love for Mankind, Increased Charity, Kinder Words Spoken to Strangers, Christmas Lights, Reminders of Christ All Around, Giving Gifts, Getting Gifts, Time Off From Work, Time with Family, Nativities, Closeness to Christ and an All Around Increase of the Spirit of Christ in My Heart and My Home.

Ha ha:
There was one of those crazy tacky and ultra sexual BOD commercials on during a commercial break. Clinton and I were making fun of it the whole time. A few moments later I hear Clinton say (like they do in the commercial), "Hot BOD" to himself. I laughed out loud and told him I was going to blog about him singing the "Hot BOD" song. He turned to me and asked, "What hot dog song?". Once I clarified, we had a pretty good laugh over that one.

Day 176: Hot and Cold

2011-12-19T18:52:00.000-06:00

Aha:
There was a scripture shared in Sunday School from Revelation 3: 15-16 that I had never really noticed or thought of before.

15 I know thy ^aworks, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

16 So then because thou art ^alukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will ^bspue thee out of my mouth.

The teacher went on to clarify that the Lord is asking for our all or nothing. He said this scripture makes him think, "What am I lukewarm with? Where do I have room for improvement" This got me thinking too.
I know full-well that the Lord is not expecting me to be perfect, if He were I'd be screwed, but I do know that He wants me to put forth my best efforts. That is something I can control and something I can evaluate from time to time. Where am I lukewarm? Where am I cold?
Anyway, I thought this was a neat thought and decided to share it. Hope it made you think too. :)

Ha ha:
Hope this doesn't offend anyone, but I thought it was too funny not to share!

A friend of mine posted the following on FaceBook:
Ok, so I just can't stop thinking about this John Tesh sax album my brother and sister in law sent us, "Sax on the Beach". Chad and I came up with a boat load more choice album titles that will thrill audiences for years to come: Casual Sax, Elevator Sax, Dirty Sax, Cyber Sax, Phone Sax .
I couldn't help but pass this up (as I was getting ready for church, mind you) so I posted the following:
Let's not forget other classics such as: I Want to Sax You Up, Let's Talk About Sax, Last Friday Night (I Played my Saxophone), I'm Too Saxy, and I'm Bringing Saxy Back.
Then she posted:
Unprotected Sax, Premarital sax, Sax-ually Transmitted Diseases. . . Oh man, this is just TOO EASY
Then another posted:
Our favorite is Sax by the Fire...the cover is just a sax and a fireplace! :)

Ha ha!

Day 175: Singing and Seniors

2011-12-18T20:25:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the chance to go caroling at a retirement center nearby with some other ward members. There were only 5 of us to start and only 5 people to sing for, but it felt great nonetheless. I loved watching the residents' eyes light up and their lips starting to move along with the words when one of their favorites came up. I don't know, there's just something special about singing that can really bring people together. By the end of our half hour, 2 other families showed up to sing and another resident came by to listen. We had a really nice thing going on!
When all the singing was done, we visited with them for another half hour or so. I even learned that one of the ladies I visited used to be a member of our church! Small world!
Anyway, I just was grateful that I got out of my bed, postponed my bathroom cleaning till later, and got out the door to go sing. It made me forget my troubles for a while and helped me to focus on others. I love this time of year!!

Ha ha:
One of the ladies I spoke with said she really enjoyed hearing us sing. I thanked her and asked if she was a singer herself. She said, "Oh no. I don't sing, but I listen and appreciate very well! Every performer needs an audience or they'd have no one to perform for!" I told her that was very true. She started to reply about something, but right as she did, a little drop of spit flew from her mouth and landed softly on my lip...needless to say I got a little distracted and don't remember anything else from the rest of that conversation.

Day 174: Crack Me Up

2011-12-18T20:08:00.000-06:00

Aha/Ha ha:
Clinton and I went to the Nutcracker for the first time on Friday. We were both afraid that ballet was going to be so boring, but we actually really enjoyed it.
This could come across wrong, so I will clarify that I share this story not to make fun, but to show that it is possible to find humor in all things and that doing so can make a rough situation less rough.
There was a group of special needs adults sitting behind us. There was one point during the show when some dancers were doing some rather amazing moves. Everyone in the audience was totally in awe, but this one lady behind us kept chuckling at all the wrong moments. Some people turned around, obviously annoyed, but we felt that if she thought something was funny we could too! We had paid good money for our seats and probably had a right to be annoyed, but we chose to chuckle along with her instead, albeit a bit quieter than she.
Thanks for the extra laughs, we had no idea the Nutcracker would be so entertaining!

Day 173: Quotes and Quips

2011-12-15T21:32:00.000-06:00

Aha:

I hope I'm one of the stable few.

Ha ha:
1. Many of you may know that my favorite restaurant is IHOP (classy, I know). Well, lately I've noticed a lot of coupons for IHOP in the mail. As I found another, I shouted up to Clinton, "I have IHOP coupons coming out the wazoo!" His response? "Well, you're not going to be able to hop too high with a problem like that!" Ha ha!

2. I was making, ahem, pancakes for dinner (and eggs and hash browns...I'm not a total pancake junky). Clinton came down just as I was flipping my last pancake and I don't remember exactly what I was saying, but I think I was complimenting myself on how well my dinner was turning out and said something like, "I'm really good at making..." right as I was saying this, I flipped my pancake and it landed on the edge of the pan. "Fudge!!" I cried. Clinton, always-on-his-toes-with-a-quick-quip-Clinton, responds, "Oh, fudge? I'd love if you made some fudge. You should make some tonight!"
He, of course, laughed at himself, and I laughed right along with him. :)

Day 172: Innkeepers and Landlords

2011-12-14T20:49:00.001-06:00

Aha:

Ha ha:
The other day I was getting ready for bed in the bathroom and heard the tub faucet running. This has been happening a lot lately so I shouted out to Clinton to please email our landlord so he'd know he was paying for wasted water. Thinking I was rather smart, I suggested, "It's probably just a washer that needs to be replaced." I noticed the pun right as I said it out loud and started laughing. "A washer in the tub! Get it?!" He didn't think it was as funny as I did, but probably only because he didn't think of it first. :)

Day 171: Cross your Teas and Dot Your I's

2011-12-13T21:39:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I made a bit of a mistake and scheduled an incompatible room for a rather important meeting for this upcoming Thursday. In my defense, this wouldn't have happened if we didn't get bumped from our regularly scheduled room by the Department Chair at the last minute, but that's a whole other rant that Dr. Forgetful will be addressing soon so this doesn't happen again. Anyway, fortunately this was caught today instead of the morning of, so there's yippee #1. #2, is that one of the only rooms available (which if I'm not mistaken was not available when I had to scheduled the incompatible room) was now open. #3 the A/V people for all 3 institutions were able to work out the teleconference in advance so no technical difficulties will/should occur. #4 yippee, and perhaps the best of them all, I was able to save face on this one and blame it on information I had been given by someone else. Turns out, they had given me the right info, but I had misunderstood--something I didn't realize till AFTER meeting with Dr. Forgetful and the A/V people. Few-ee!
(Just so you don't think poorly of me, I did admit this to the A/V guy and will tell Dr. Forgetful about it tomorrow, now that I've found a room and all is well. :)

Ha ha:
You know how most tea bags come with that tag and string attached to it? Well, I don't like how it gets soggy hanging off the side of my mug, so I usually tear the tag/string off. However, this time I went a little too slowly and ended up with...

Moral of the story: Tear quickly!

Day 170: Crazy

2011-12-12T21:35:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I feel so much better today. After several prayers and apologies I feel like I'm in control again and can conquer the pre-menstraul witch. I tend to struggle with my emotions around the arrival of Aunt Flo and this cycle has been no exception. But I am so grateful for my patient and understanding husband! He truly is the love of my forever and I am so thankful that he sees past my temporary bouts of crazy. :) Love you H.B.!

Ha ha:
The moment I saw Clinton this afternoon his first words to me were, "Are you feeling back to normal today?" Ha!!
Ya...my hormones have been that bad.

Day 169: Weaknesses

2011-12-11T21:22:00.001-06:00

Aha:
Our lesson in Relief Society was on making temples of our modern day prisons, in other words, turning the trials of our life that feel like prisons into opportunities for us to learn and grow closer to the Lord. The teacher played this clip by Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, called Men's Hearts Shall Fail Them. The whole clip was wonderful, but this is my absolute favorite part:
"To the individual who is weak in the heart, fearful in the heart--be patient with yourself. Perfection comes not in this life, but in the next life. Don't demand things that are unreasonable but demand of yourself improvement. As you let the Lord help you through that, He will make the difference."
I needed this reminder today and I need it now as I type. There are times in my life when I am so hard on myself and I doubt I'll ever become who I know I should be. I don't feel worthy of God's blessings because I'm nowhere near perfect. However, this quote has reminded me that I don't need to be perfect. I don't need to be so hard on myself when I doubt or struggle or don't understand why I'm going through my trials. I need to be patient with these weaknesses and focus on improving as best I can, and sometimes that might not seem like much, or enough...but the fact that I'm trying at all is what matters. I don't always know how to let the Lord help me through trials, but I am so grateful that if I'm trying, he'll make up the difference.

Ha ha:
There were some treats set out by the teacher after her lesson on the front table. She had made bags of white chocolate popcorn. I grabbed one bag and began munching while I visited with a friend. Without really looking, I grabbed another bag for Clinton before leaving the room. When I found him in the gym I told him I had a treat for him and reached into my purse for the bag of popcorn, but what I pulled out was a snickerdoodle instead! I must have had the most confused look on my face, because every bag that was on the table had popcorn in it. (A recipe for the popcorn was even sent out from a recap of the lesson.) I have no idea where that cookie came from...but I'm not really complaining. They are my favorite after all!
On a side note: Clinton did not get to keep the treat. Snickerdoodles are my weakness. My tasty, tasty weakness.

168: Wise Men and Not so Wise Men

2011-12-11T20:48:00.001-06:00

Aha:
As Clinton and I were driving home after getting McDonald's ice cream cones, we passed by a neighborhood church. Outside, walking along the sidewalk, were three wise men holding a map of some sort and pointing up at the sky. At first, I thought to sort of make fun that they were acting while no one was looking, but then I thought...I'm looking.
It really was a neat moment for me to see these men portraying the wise men on the corner of a busy street. They were out acting in the cold but appeared to truly be searching for the way to the Son of God. I have no idea if they were rehearsing or if that was their performance, but it affected me nonetheless. I needed that reminder to be earnestly seeking Jesus Christ.
There are signs all around that point to Him (especially at Christmas) but there are times when wisdom is required to find Him. Times of doubt, times of trial, times of loneliness, times of pain, times of pondering, and times of hopelessness. There is no physical map that leads to Jesus Christ but He is possible to find through prayer, scripture study, service and love.
I did not realize how desperately I needed to find Him until this brief glimpse into history on the corner of a busy road, but how grateful I am to have witnessed it for myself--three wise men actively seeking the new born babe.

Ha ha:
We went to dinner with some friends at the local Applebees. Now, I don't know about you, but I've never really thought they were known for superb service--and tonight was no exception. Anytime any of us asked a question our server had to check with someone else, or just didn't know the answer altogether. Sure, he may have been new, so we'll give him that, and he did refill our drinks regularly, but when our food was brought out to the table it wasn't our server that brought it. It must have been bussers or another server, but either way, they had no idea what was going on. This is literally what happened.
We see our food coming
The servers approach our table
They look at each other dumbfoundedly
We look at each other skeptically
One of the servers grabs a plate and looks at it with a confused look on their face
We start to say what we ordered, to help with delivery
The plate-distributing server mumbles in a bored, yet exasperated way, "I don't know where any of this goes!"
We exchange glances and desperately try to hold back the laughter

Another great date at Applebees. :)

Day 167: Dates

2011-12-10T22:33:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I have been so busy and have had hardly any time with Clinton, it seems. He was on call which means he could have been gone till the wee hours of Saturday morning. However, I said a little prayer that, if at all possible, he could come home early so we could have a date. I got a text at 5:38pm from him saying he was on his way home! Yippee!! (direct quote from my response to his text)

Ha ha:
The Intimidator was talking to my coworker about some scheduling issues. He wanted Dr. Simpatico to attend a conference one a date that would conflict with his clinical duties. She pointed this out and The Intimidator said, "Don't worry about it. We'll find coverage." Overhearing this I calmly replied, "Don't worry about it--I'll cover."
This got a pretty good laugh...even from The Intimidator!

Day 166: Christmastime is Here

2011-12-08T21:23:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I have been SO BUSY that I've hardly had time to enjoy this Christmas season. Yes, I know there is still a bit of time before the big man comes down the chimney, but when you long for Christmas like I do you want to soak in as much as possible while it's still in style. So tonight, while I made breakfast for dinner, I blasted Christmas songs from Pandora and my pancakes have never tasted better!
It felt so good to actually make some time to celebrate and sing along with Anne Murray, Elvis and The Bing. I even got to do some Christmas shopping online (not that I got anything, but the gift juices are flowing...that didn't sound right)! To top it all off, as I was coming back from the kitchen I happened to glance at my nativity scene and spotted the little baby Jesus. This quick sighting actually made me pause for a moment to think about Him. Amongst all the chaos of my busy week I stopped to think about the Son of God. What a wonderful little gift that was to me.

Ha ha:
I found this quote and thought it was hilarious!
I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six. Mother took me to see him in a department store and he asked for my autograph.
Shirley Temple

Day 165: Toe the Line

2011-12-07T21:40:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My dad had a routine follow-up appointment today to observe the healing of a wound on his foot. I received a text from my mom stating that my dad was going in for emergency surgery and that I should pray for him and her. Of course, I began to immediately panic and worry about my dad's health and my mom's ability to cope with it all. I said a quick prayer and waited for more info.
Turns out my dad got an infection and it spread to the bones in his large toe and part of the foot, although at this point I don't know how much. His toe was amputated and there may have also been some of his foot removed as well. He'll be in the hospital for about a week to avoid any further chance of infection.
I guess the "aha" in this situation is that the infection was caught early enough before it spread further into his body or his bloodstream. This could have been really, REALLY serious, but I am so grateful for attentive doctors and good timing. I hope and pray that everything turns out well.
If you don't mind keeping my dad (and my mom) in your prayers I'd really appreciate it!

Ha ha:
My mom said that my dad meant to ask if he could take his toe home with him but didn't get a chance before the anesthetics kicked in (no pun intended). She asked why he'd want it and he jokingly replied, "So I can turn it into a necklace."
So grateful for a dad that can keep a healthy sense of humor in stressful times! Love you Dad!

Day 164: Eye'm Starting to Get It

2011-12-06T22:13:00.000-06:00

Aha:
There's a tradition here in the Midwest called "St. Nick". It is on the eve of December 5th that St. Nicholas visits the children and fills their stockings with treats. Well, my coworker brought that spirit into our office today and it was...a real treat! We were each given a stocking filled with candy and the counters had been festified!
Anyway, this got me thinking about this quote:
When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ~G.K. Chesterton
I am so thankful to God for not only filling my stockings with legs, but for filling my life with so many wonderful people, a well-functioning body, my prosthetic lens (see Ha ha below), my job, my sense of humor, my testimony, my Savior and all the other many blessings He's made possible in my life. What a wonderful time of year this is, a time when I can more frequently be reminded of my blessings and a time when I can speak more frequently and hear others speak so reverently of Jesus Christ!

Ha ha:
Ran into a friend of ours tonight. We waved at him and my first thought was, we're on his blind side (he has a prosthetic lens too!) so he can't see us. Clinton shouted out to him and he turned towards us, and with a totally surprised look on his face said, "Oh hey! I didn't even see you, you were on my blind side." "I knew it!", I said. I guess it takes one to know one. Thanks for making me feel more "normal" Matt!

Day 163: Two Birds

2011-12-05T22:12:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I traveled back to Wisconsin today from my brief trip in Oregon. What a blessing it was to be able to go back home and fill up on hopefully enough hugs, kisses and laughter to last me till January! Each time I landed at an airport one of the stewardesses would welcome us to that particular city and then end with "Happy Holidays". This statement, usually so generic and overused, felt so right and good to me; I had just had a wonderful visit with my family, I was on my way back home to my husband and pup, and it made me think of The Reason for the Season as well. What a wonderful time of year--when people are so willing to wish others happiness! I think I'm going figure out a way to do this beyond the holidays without it sounding weird. Perhaps instead of "Have a good day", I can say "Hope your day finds you happy" or "Smile you later" or "Grin evening"...or perhaps sticking with "good day" is best and then I'll just finish with a big smile. :)

Ha ha:
I asked Clinton if there was anything funny from today that I could write on my blog and he jokingly threw his hand down, shook his head and said, "Uh-uh. This day was a bore."
I got my laugh. Killed two birds with one stone with one quick comment--Thank you, Honey!

Day 162: Below All Things

2011-12-05T21:51:00.000-06:00

Aha:
The lesson in Relief Society was on "The Condescension of Christ". The teacher asked why that was important to us and I replied with something that kinda surprised myself. I said that because of His humility in condescending below his power and ability to save himself, He provided the perfect example of how to love and serve others more than ourselves, in order to redeem mankind--it is now our turn to condescend below our own pride and love and serve our fellowman, in order to be like Christ.
It just was interesting to think about.

Ha ha:
My mom, sister, brother and I were visiting. As is not uncommon in our family, the topic soon turned to bathroom stories. Our sides were splitting as the stories progressed and the time passed (no pun intended). I'll share one quick one.
My parents used to have a pull chain toilet. Ya know, those ones you only see in the movies? Well, when I was about nine-years-old I used the bathroom (#1 only) and flushed the toilet. Anyway, someone must have #2'd prior to my visit and clogged the toilet. Well, unlike more modern toilets, this toilet had a serious flow of water, which was great when it was going down the toilet, but this time it came spilling rapidly OUT of the toilet and onto the floor where it then traveled down the floor vent into the bathroom and hallway below. It was like it all happened in slow motion but there was nothing I could do to stop it. Needless to say I totally panicked, ran downstairs to call my sister (who told me to turn off the water, something I'd not known to do), grabbed a bunch of towels and promptly started sopping up toilet water--upstairs and downstairs. I cleaned for what seemed like forever and refused to flush that toilet for the longest time!

Day 161: And What to my Wondering Eyes!

2011-12-04T16:35:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had a chance to sing with my mom and sisters at "The Festival of Nativities". Each of us girls sang a solo and then we sang a few songs all together. It felt so good to sing together again, and especially songs about Jesus' birth. Have a mentioned how much I LOVE Christmas? And when I get to combine my other love of--music--with Christmas?...awesome!!
What a treat it was for me to walk around the building and see all of the thousands of nativities there! I actually decided that nativities are my "new collectible" and have been slowly gaining them for the last couple years. I just love having that physical reminder of the reality of Christ's birth; how humble the circumstance but how beautiful too.

Ha ha:
My sister was working next to my two-year-old nephew at the kitchen sink. She was cleaning a cookie sheet and decided to bang it against the sink several times in a row to get off the excess water...and surprise him. I wasn't watching but heard her start laughing. I asked what was so funny and she told me to "watch Sammy". I got where I could see him and she did it again; each time she banged the pan, no matter how quickly, his eyelids blinked right in time with it. Who knew eyelids could flutter so insinctly? Too cute!

Day 160: Last Visit and Last Laugh with Grandma

2011-12-04T15:50:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the opportunity to dress my grandma before her cremation. I was honestly nervous and didn't feel comfortable touching her so I asked if I could hold her clothes while everyone else moved her. However as we began dressing her I knew I would regret it if I chickened-out. I made myself touch her and it was a wonderful experience. I fully realized I was touching a body that no longer housed my grandma's spirit, but it was that body that even made it possible for me to know her spirit. It was a complete and total honor for me to dress her. I was able to hold her hands and stroke her hair, something I was unable to do before she died.
There was a wonderfully calm spirit in that room and I gained a strengthened testimony that our bodies truly are a holy temple for our spirits.
Again, how wonderful to have experienced this and how wonderful to know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, Grandma will again be reunited with her body, made perfect and whole.

Ha ha:
Before we went in to dress Grandma, my sister mentioned that although she wasn't nervous to dress Grandma, she would freak-out if Grandma sat up or burped (as has been known to happen). We kinda laughed and the care-taker overheard and said, "I do this stuff all the time, but if she were to sit up or burp I'd freak right out too!"

Day 159: Good Investments

2011-12-02T12:44:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My scripture reading last night randomly consisted of the prophesy of Christ's birth. I had had a very long day (had been up for about 22 hours) and thought about passing on my scriptures for the night, but I'm so glad I didn't. I only read a few versus, but it was such a peaceful experience to lay in my bed, snuggling my Grandma's mourning pup, and read about the miraculous event of His birth. The Earth even had to know how special He was to display so many signs of His coming. No light in the heavens could be kept from shining brightly the day the Light of the World came into it.
Reading such a wonderful account filled my heart with joy and I am so thankful that regardless of how tired I was, I picked up my scriptures anyway!

Ha ha:
I attending a very long, and oh-so boring seminar at work yesterday regarding investments. After two years of employment each employee is REQUIRED to participate in a mandatory retirement investment program (I'm bored just writing about this). Anyway, one of the representatives, from the FOUR companies that spoke, got up to give his schpeel and the moment he opened his mouth to speak, totally burped. It was a quieter one, but it was a burp nonetheless!
I'd like to say that hearing the burp made the 90 minutes of my time worth it, but sadly it did not. It was funny though.

158: From the Bottom of my Heart

2011-11-30T22:16:00.000-06:00

Aha:
First of all, thank you for your well wishes and prayers on my, and my family's behalf. We are so happy for Grandma and Grandpa and are moving in the right direction in having our happiness for them overpower our grief.
My "aha" for today came all throughout the day. I received many kind words from friends, a plane ride home to be with my family this weekend and a nice, relaxed evening with my husband (who was on call and very easily could have been kept at the hospital). These kind and tender mercies are a testimony to me that the Lord knows who I am and what I need. I am so thankful for Him!

Ha ha:
Last year we took Peter to Just Like Home Dog Hotel while we were away for Christmas. The owners were great and Peter actually slept on the couch with one of them. Too funny. Anyway, while we were gone I received this picture in my email. It warmed my little heart. I came across it today and thought I'd share it with you. Isn't he adorable?!

Day 157: Grandma Dearest

2011-11-30T18:08:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I'm not really sure how to write this but, I lost someone very near and dear to my little heart yesterday--my Grandma Conklin. She's been without my grandpa for six years and her body's been hurting for so long, so it's a good thing for her, but very sad for me. I have been writing her weekly for over three years and now I don't know what to do with all of my stamps I have left.
As I was mourning all evening, I kept thinking how if it weren't for the love of Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for all mankind, I wouldn't be able to see her again. But fortunately for me, he DID come to this earth and loved us so much that I will see her again!
I will miss her like crazy but I am so happy that she is with my grandpa again and all of her other loved ones who've gone on before her.
I love you Grandma! You are an amazing lady and I'll see you later.

Ha ha:
You may think this in poor-taste, however my grandma would think it hilarious. In my last letter to her (Sunday) I included this joke.

Three men died and were taken by God to the top of a cliff. God said to them that since they had been such great outstanding citizens of Earth that they would be given one chance to become anything that they desired.

The first man ran to the edge of the cliff, jumped into the air and shouted, "I want to be an eagle." Instantly he was changed into an eagle and soared off into the sunset.

The second man ran to the edge of the cliff, jumped into the air and shouted, "I want to be an owl." Instantly he was changed into an owl and soared off into the sunset.

The third man ran towards the edge of the cliff, tripped on a rock, and shouted, "Oh crap ..." :)

Day 156: Deer Redeemer

2011-11-28T21:21:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves. ~Eric Sevareid

I came across this quote and thought it was great! I don't know if it refers to being more charitable and kind or if it's specifically referring to Christ, but because those kind of go hand-in-hand I thought this would be great to share. Not only is this quote a great reminder to be more selfless, it brought to my mind how Christ came to this earth for everyone besides himself. He is the Son of God, yet he was born in the most humble of circumstances; He is our Advocate with the Father, yet he was mocked and hated; He is the Savior of Mankind, yet he was crucified for our sakes. He lived a perfect, selfless life and He did it for everyone human who ever has or ever will live on this earth--that includes you and me! I am so grateful for Him and for His willingness to put aside His own desires and drink the bitter cup on my behalf.
I think I can try a little harder to emulate His love for others this Christmas season, and can hopefully carry it through the rest of the year too.

Ha ha:
Clinton told me that on his way home from work he saw our neighbor's Great Dane on the sidewalk and thought it was a deer, so he slowed down. I started laughing and he said, "What? It was dark outside!"
I thought it was hilarious!

Day 155: Lessons

2011-11-27T21:36:00.000-06:00

Aha:
1. My lesson went better than I could have hoped for. It was based off of a talk given in the April 2011 General Conference by Carl B. Pratt of the Seventy, titled "The Lord's Richest Blessings". The talk is about the blessings that come from paying our tithing. This was a great topic for me, because if I have a testimony of anything, it's of tithing. I had the opportunity to reflect on the blessings that have come into my life because of paying my tithing. Here are just a very few:
Employment, money to buy what we need, peace of mind, increased faith, trust in the Lord that if I do what He asks I'll be blessed, a good-working car, generosity of others towards us, an ability to help others, food storage, testimony and the necessities of life.
My list could go on and on.
2. Christmas moment: When I came home from choir practice this afternoon, Clinton had already turned on our Christmas lights (I love coming home to our decorations all being on). We have a string of stars in our front window and as I saw them gleaming, I couldn't help but think about the star that led the wise men to the baby Jesus. I loved realizing that I had a symbol of that star in my window and that my little stars are showing others that I'm a believer!

Ha ha:
I sent out a mass email to some members of my ward inquiring if anyone wanted to participate in the Christmas Sacrament program in a couple weeks. Moments after sending the text, I got a call from my sister's mother-in-law wanting to know what I was talking about. I told her I must have sent it by mistake and apologized. We laughed a moment and then she asked, "Who is this?" This time I laughed. I told her who I was and told her that even though I'd sent the request to her by mistake, it was still good if she'd like to travel cross-country to sing in our ward. She declined.

Day 154: Reflections, Reminders and Reviews

2011-11-26T21:08:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I set up our nativity today and lingered a little while on each character as I placed them "in there place" near the manger. I thought a little about what my role would have been and figured I'd probably have been among the shepherds; drawn to the boy after the appearance of a heavenly angel and amazed at the meager circumstances in which He was born, poor to the things of the world, but rich in faith to follow Him. I feel like I don't have much to offer, but I know He loves me and I would hope that, like the shepherds, I would sacrifice anything just to see Him.

Ha ha:
1. I got a text from a friend of mine in the ward asking me to teach her lesson in Primary tomorrow. It wasn't until she asked that I remembered I was supposed to teach in Relief Society tomorrow! I have never been so happy to have someone ask me to sub before! Phew! Potential crisis averted! Now, let's just hope and pray my lesson goes well!
2. Clinton and I had free movie tickets so we went to see Hugo in 3D. The movie was pretty long and didn't make much sense, but according to Clinton, the cinematography was great. Anyway, as I was getting restless in my seat a little girl down the row from us "whispered" to her mom, "Is this almost over?" It was hilarious because Clinton and I were thinking the same thing!

Day 153: What's in a Name?

2011-11-26T20:36:00.000-06:00

Aha:
We began decorating for my FAVORITE holiday last night! I LOVE Christmas! It was so great to open up my ornaments and to enjoy the sweet memories that came with each one. We've received some as gifts (one set was from our wedding), we given some to each other (including "Our First Christmas"), picked some out during our first Christmas and have acquired many more over the last 8 Christmases together. I love that this time of year opens so many hearts to think more of mankind than themselves. I love that I get to have reminders of Jesus all around me, all the time; whether it's a song on the radio, a nativity in a yard, or well wishes of "Merry Christmas!"
This is a wonderful time of year, and I'd like to make this Christmas more about Christ. I'm going to try and list something each day that has either reminded me of Him, has helped me to feel closer to Him, or has increased my testimony of His divinity. Feel free to leave your thoughts and hopefully we can each have a more meaningful Christmas together!

Ha ha:
For the last couple weeks Clinton noticed that one of the surgeons has been calling him "Clifton". While they were observing the resident complete a stitch, the surgeon began to tell the resident to do a certain type of stitch but the resident had forgotten how to do it. He turned to Clinton and said, "They forget so quickly, don't they Clifton? How quickly they forget." All "Clifton" could do was nod his head and say, "Yes." Ha!

Day 152: A Couple Things for Which I'm Thankful

2011-11-24T23:58:00.001-06:00

Aha:
I'm thankful I remembered at 11pm that I have to get out the door by 9:30am tomorrow to get my mustache waxed (no, this unfortunately is NOT Clinton writing...).
I should clarify...it's not really that bad, I just would prefer there be nothing there at all. :)

Ha ha:
If you have not had the pleasure of enjoying a Costco pumpkin pie, then I feel sad for you. I was introduced to them today and ate more than what would probably be considered "socially-acceptable". In fact, at 10:30pm I saw a piece sitting out and couldn't help but help myself to half of another piece. I feel so ashamed...and yet, so satisfied at the same time.
I can't wait to do it all again tomorrow!!

Day 151: Aha, and Then Some

2011-11-24T23:43:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had soooooo much to do at work yesterday and had no idea how I was going to possibly get it all done before the holiday. Fortunately for me, one of my coworkers was free to help--and help me she did. I enlisted her help on two major projects and because of her willingness to serve, I was able to leave at the end of the day feeling excited (and stress-free) for the Thanksgiving holiday! Thanks, Michelle!

Sorta Ha ha, but also sorta Aha:
One of my projects was a GIANT mailer. I had to merge a word document with an excel spreadsheet but I was having a really hard time figuring out how to do some reformatting. After about an hour of attempts I was literally making my last click to exit and accidentally clicked on something; the box that opened was EXACTLY what I had been looking for for the last hour! I cheered out loud and "raised the roof" (something I usually guffaw, but in this instance it seemed completely appropriate). What a miracle!...finding the box that is, not my roof-raising!

Day 150: So Close and Yet, So Far

2011-11-22T20:56:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I had the nerve-wracking pleasure of escorting our new section chief around to meet other section chiefs all over campus today. I was so nervous that I wouldn't know what to say, or that I'd get lost (even though I mapped it all out yesterday), or that I'd mix up appointments--but everything went so smoothly! He is the nicest guy, I think I'll nickname him Dr. Simpatico! Anyway, he was very complimentary about some of the things I had prepared ahead of time for his meetings and said he was impressed I would "spoil" him so.
I had started out so nervous, but after just a couple of moments with him I felt like I'd known him for years and all my fears disappeared! I am so excited to work with him!

Ha ha:
1. While driving this evening, Clinton and I came up behind a car that had its left blinker on but was way over in the middle of our lane and about 10 feet back from the stop line. Clinton chuckled and said, "Man, what's with this?" I replied that they are probably just a typically-terrible Wisconsin driver. As I'm saying this the light turns green and the car started slowly creeping through the intersection. We both started laughing and while doing so I noticed a "Student Driver" sign on the top of the car and laughed even harder. I pointed it out to Clinton and he said, "You just noticed that?" I laughed even harder after realizing that's why he'd thought it was funny all along and I had been totally clueless!
2. Conversation between Clinton and I:
He to me: Keep your pantaloons in one piece.
Me: That's not how the saying goes.
He: That's how I say it.
Me: Well, you're saying it wrong, it's "Keep your panties from bunching".
He: That's not it either...it's "Don't get your panties in a bunch"; which come to think of it is a rather funny saying, don't you think?
Me: (laughing) Could you imagine what that might look like in tight pants?! (laughter)

Day 149: Confections and Confessions

2011-11-21T22:01:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I was trying to think of something from today and this little moment popped into my brain...
As Clinton and I were getting ready to purchase our groceries he asked, "Do we have enough sugar at home for the cranberry sauce?" I chuckled and said, "Um, yah; I've got about 300lbs in the basement. I think we can get away with not buying any today."
Yeehaw for food storage!!

Ha ha:
Total stranger did a double-take at me while walking down the hallway at work. She turned around for the 3rd time and said, "You look a lot like someone I used to work with. I had to look to make sure it wasn't her." To which I promptly replied, "She must be pretty cute then!" The great thing for me is she responded with "Yep!"
Either I just got a compliment or was hit on...I'm hoping for the first.

Day 148: Full of It

2011-11-20T22:28:00.001-06:00

Aha:
There was a talk given in church today that was based on the talk given by President Hinckley in the April 1978 General Conference, titled "Be Not Faithless". The speaker did a great job and I really enjoyed two thoughts she had and thought I'd write them here:
1. We need to have a lot more trust and do less worrying--knowing that the Lord will make the best choices for our family.
2. Unless we do what He teaches, we do not demonstrate faith in Him.
I don't really know what else I could add to these...other than they are totally applicable to my life and as I strive to abide by their counsel I feel peace and reassurance that the Lord knows me and loves me and will direct my steps down the path He would have me take. Even if I feel like I don't know where I'm going.

Ha ha:
Conversation between Clinton and I today...
He: You should go make some cookies.
Me: Nah, if you want some, why not make them together?
He: Never mind, I don't want them that bad.
Me: Alright.
He: No, you should make some and I'll bake them.
Me: Alright.
He: No, I don't need cookies, never mind.
Me: Alright.
He: (comes out into the kitchen and starts pulling out dishes)
Me: What are you doing?
He: Making cookies.
Me: You are bipolar with your cookie-baking decisions.
He: Yeah.
Me: You're washing the dishes from making them, right?
He: No, I made dinner, so it's you're turn.
Me: Putting tin foil on cookie sheets and pouring frozen fish sticks and french fries on them does not constitute "making dinner".
He: It's more than you did.
Me: What? I washed the dishes that were already in the sink, turned on the oven and washed dinner dishes. You wash them.
He: (laughing) You turned on the oven? Wowee! (laughter)
Me: (trying to defend myself, but not getting anywhere)...(laughter)

Ya know, reading this over...I think I did end up with the short end of the stick! That punk! I'll get him next time!

Day 147: Puffed Up

2011-11-20T14:35:00.000-06:00

Aha:
Clinton was off of work by the time I got home from the Relief Society activity around 1:30pm. I was super excited to have the afternoon with him, but quickly became disappointed when he fell asleep on the couch shortly after I arrived. He eventually moved upstairs, leaving me alone to wallow. However, the Lord blessed me. Instead of becoming upset that Clinton had "ruined" my day by sleeping away time we could have had together, I thoroughly enjoyed the time we did have once he woke up. I had a little moment to reflect and decide if I wanted to be upset and ruin the time we had so I could get an apology (even one that wasn't necessarily deserved), or I could let him sleep and just really enjoy him later in the day. The latter was decided and I am oh-so-glad! We had a great little date night.

Ha ha:
As I was unloading my crockpot from the backseat of my car my friend, who was riding in the back, asked if the bag of Peanut Puffs was supposed to go with my soup. A little too quickly, and forcefully, I shouted, "No! Those are mine!!!"
I guess this won't be too funny to people who haven't enjoyed the peanut-y goodness of Peanut Puffs, but if you could imagine having to share your last bite of cake with your significant other when you REALLY wanted it for yourself. That's what sharing Peanut Puffs is like. Ya get me?

Day 146: Cars

2011-11-19T14:16:00.000-06:00

Aha:
My friend's car was stolen and she was having a pretty rough day. I went and bought the chocolaty-ist ice cream I could find and we visited for about 2 hours. I went there hoping to help her feel better, but I'm the one who came away totally uplifted! We barely talked about her car (which, thankfully was found and will only need a few repairs) but it was so nice to just visit about a bunch of random things!
I'm sure it would be wrong to say it, but if anything, her stolen car brought us closer! Glad all is well Emily!

Ha ha:
As we were waiting to leave the Taco Bell parking lot (I know, you're jealous of our date nights), the car coming through the drive-thru just started honking like crazy at us! It's not like we could move anywhere! Anyway, I turn to look at the driver (it was dark outside) and he's got his arms thrown up in the air like, "Would you move your car?!" I'm glaring back at him; Clinton's saying, "Sheesh, it's not like we can go anywhere, could you just wait?"; and they continue honking. I can see that the passenger is laughing...I strain a little further and I can see that it's our friends! Those punks! We had a good laugh about it--us because of how totally appalled we had been at these "rude people", and they because I apparently looked totally P.O.'d. Oh, what fun!

Day 145: One-Liners

2011-11-17T22:02:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I was having a conversation with someone that turned gossipy very quickly. Even though I did not get out of it right away, the spirit helped me recognize where the conversation was headed and I said some quick, positive, comments to veer it another way. It didn't work perfectly, and I could have done more to change the subject, but I am grateful for this learning experience and will hopefully be better prepared to end it the next time this happens!

Ha ha:
1. I don't remember why, but my coworker asked what color my pee was, just as our phone tech approached my desk.
2. One of our psychologists entered the room right as I stated, "Oh, Oprah doesn't know anything!"
3. During a conversation about how Clinton looks a lot like Harry Potter, I said the following:
"Yeah, but when he took his shirt off I was like, gross!...Harry Potter, not Clinton!"

Day 144: L.O.L.

2011-11-16T22:20:00.000-06:00

Aha:
The Lord has blessed me with an ability to notice lots of funny things in the last couple days. Laughter is the best medicine!!
If you need some laughs, feel free to join me by reading on!

Ha ha:
1. I answered the phone at work today and there was a call for one of our brain tumor specialists.
Caller: Hi is Dr. So-and-so there?
Me: No actually; he's got brain tumor clinic.
Caller: What?!
Me: It's Wednesday, he's in brain tumor clinic.
Caller: Oh, my gosh! I didn't hear you say "clinic" and here I was thinking the worst! Oh, my gosh! I'm so glad to hear he's okay and well! Oh, my gosh!
Me: (laughing) That is too funny! (laughter)
Caller: (laughter) If he's alive and well, just let him know I called then. (laughter)
2. Our new section chief came through the office yesterday. He passed by my desk, and pointed at me with a quizzical look on his face, like he was trying to remember something. Don't ask me why, but I thought he was making reference to the last time he had come through and I gave him some dark chocolate after hearing he liked it...anyway, when nothing came out of his mouth I shouted, "dark chocolate!" To which he said, "Danielle". I guess he was just trying to remember my name.
3. Last night before falling asleep I realized my phone wasn't by me. I got out of bed and headed downstairs to see if I'd left it in the kitchen. When I couldn't easily see it I thought I might have left it in the car. Not wanting to go all the way back upstairs to get my robe, I slipped my coat over my upper half, threw on some shoes and was totally prepared to go outside in, basically, my underwear and some shoes. Luckily, I felt my phone in my coat pocket and didn't have to go outside. As I was taking off my coat and shoes I laughed out loud at how that would have looked if anyone saw me, and cried a little when I realized how lazy I was that I'd rather go outside in my underwear than walk upstairs to put on some clothes!

Day 143: Visiting Teacher

2011-11-15T21:56:00.002-06:00

Aha:
I got to have a wonderful visit with my visiting teacher today. It was nice to get to know her better and to feel the love and care she has for me. Without realizing it, an hour passed before she looked down and said, "Well, I guess I could give you the lesson now". :)
I think this is one of the very few times I've really felt "visited" and I know the Lord sent just the right person my way.

Ha ha:
During my visit with my visiting teacher she asked how things were progressing with the adoption and I filled her in on everything we've experienced so far, but finished by saying that although the road is a very long one, we feel that the Lord is in control and all things will happen in His own time. We continued to chat and she asked if she could share a lesson, to which I obliged. Anyway, her lesson was from a conference talk on the Abrahamic Covenant by Russell M. Nelson. She was listing some of the blessings involved with this covenant and when she got to, "Certain lands would be inherited by his posterity", she paused and said, "Wow, to think that that is still waiting to be fulfilled after all those thousands of years!" I nodded and then she sheepishly said, "Oh, that's not something you probably want to hear when you're waiting on the Lord's time for adoption!"
We both busted up laughing!

Day 142: Holy Flip!

2011-11-14T22:00:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I rarely drive to work since I live so close to it, but when I do drive I always make an "illegal" turn into the parking lot to avoid traffic on campus. Today, as I was getting ready to turn, I looked up at the last second and saw a cop sitting about 25 feet in front of me (facing my way), just beyond where I was about to turn. I quickly flipped on my blinker and went back into traffic--avoiding what would have been an inevitable ticket.
I'm not saying I will stop making that turn (it literally saves about 3-5 minutes), but I will always make sure there're no coppers waiting to nab me! So thankful I took that extra second to survey the scene!!!

Ha ha:
Mormons have the funniest "curse" words. Tonight, while Clinton was playing a game I overheard him say, "Aw, flip!" Then a second later, "Flim, flam, flip!"
So much better than the alternative!! Although, sometimes a good ol' fashioned "hell" or "damn" is totally appropriate!

Day 141: "Personal" Revelation

2011-11-13T22:07:00.000-06:00

Aha:
The topic in Sacrament Meeting today was on prayer. One of the speakers referenced "prayer" from the Bible Dictionary.
As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part (Matt. 7:7–11). Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other. The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Blessings require some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings.
I thought the part about making our prayers a correspondence with God in order to make our will match His for us, was brilliant. I knew this of course, but the reminder was what I needed to hear today.

Ha ha:
I wore a dress today that has a tendency to be a bit static-y. Anyway, I used the restroom and just as I was about to walk out of my stall I happened to notice something just didn't feel quite right. I felt around my bum and my skirt was totally balled up around my rump. Eesh! I am so glad I paid attention to that little moment of discomfort; it saved me from a moment of BIG discomfort!!

Day 140: Mulling it Over

2011-11-12T22:22:00.000-06:00

Aha:
I am grateful the Lord has placed wonderful people in my life. I am thankful that I have friends and family that love me and accept me regardless of my flaws.
I had a wonderful conversation with a friend of mine tonight that really made me realize that friendships last and grow when honesty, empathy and love abound. I feel so blessed to have such friends and confidants in my life.

Ha ha:
Clinton and I went to the outlet mall today to get into the Christmas spirit. While I was waiting for him to pick me up I saw the mullet of all mullets and snapped a pic before it sprouted legs and ran away...

(shudder)