Cheesy Broccoli Soup

I had a funny story to write. At least, it's funny in our house because it involves gas. But I think I'll give the short version because there are other things going on here. The short version is that I made a new dinner for the family to try. It was a cheesy chicken broccoli crock pot dish. Well, then next day, Parker was pretty convinced he needed to stay home from school because of extra stink in the bathroom and slightly looser stool. Anyway, I just asked if it smelled like dinner. And he thought about it and said, "YES! How did you know?" And I just said that is what cheesy broccoli soup does to everyone. He not only thinks I'm wise, but terribly hilarious (I think he even had tears in his eyes during this discussion.) He went to school, but wouldn't eat leftovers the next day. THAT will teach me to open my big mouth.
The other news here is that we have joined the unemployment ranks for the first time in our lives together. You can imagine this involves a lot of mixed emotions. We've told the kids and they have the usual, but odd kid concerns. Things like, "do we have to sell my toys?" But truly, we are okay. We've pointed out that we have a good family, great friends and that we belong to a church that will always be there for us both spiritually and temporally. Having never gone through this before, we really don't know what they need to hear, so if you have any advice that would be great. Another blessing is that we have been trying to get our house in order. We have been working on getting debt free for awhile. Thanks to Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. We have some concerns, but overall, we feel we have been doing our part and the Lord will be watching out for us.
We have already had some wonderful friends step in with help. Sometimes, kindness overwhelms me. It's not like I believe this world is unkind, but sometimes, there are just moments of such generosity and love that words cannot convey the experience. I have felt like this before, first when I got baptized after four years of being partially active in the church. I think everyone who had anything to do with me during that four years showed up to show their love for me and I think that has always impressed my mom too. Then, when you get married, people are super generous. It's like they are grateful someone was willing to marry you or their grateful you married someone who was almost a menace to society. I don't know, but it is a bit surprising and touching. I experienced this love and support again when I was called to the Relief Society Presidency years ago. I had a lot of learning and growing to do, but the sisters in the ward overlooked every flaw it seemed and welcomed me. Especially the dear older sisters of the ward. They have so much life experience, skills, and things to teach, yet they were so loving. They always had a kind word for me. I'm expressing it poorly, but those older sisters in the ward were awesome. And I know their names, I'm just protecting the innocent. Now, I am already experiencing this love again. Part of it comes directly from our friends, after all, because that's what friends are for. But part of their love also comes from the savior through them and we can feel that too.
So, what's the bottom line? We are grateful. We are loved. We are blessed. And truth be told, we are a little worried. We would love to have you pray for us. But just having each of you in our lives brings a ton of comfort. I suspect that you don't know how awesome you all are, but there is a reason we call you friends. Thank you!

Don't do it!

Okay, so, I was going to change the look of the blog and then write. After all, it's no longer Christmas. But I made some HUGE errors while trying to do this, and have lost the cute things my kids used to say, which of course, I hadn't written down anywhere else. And that led me to thoughts of my new years resolution, which is to eliminate the occasional swear word that has mysteriously crept back into my not-quite-daily usage. Some of you are so far past this kind of goal. And I thought I was too. But I must have been pushed over the edge sometime in the past year, because, well, I'm having occasional vocabulary issues. Now please, you know I'm not dropping the F bomb or anything like that, but some of the borderline ones are back. Unfortunately, there has been some positive reinforcement from hubbie who always asks concernedly, "Are you okay? Is everything alright?" Well, No, thanks for asking. My mom used to say something like, "You are highly educated and really smart. Surely you can come up with better words to use." Of course, this was directed at my brother, because, well, let's face it, I'm smarter than him and learned not to say those things in front of her. But now I hear those words directed at me.
Anyway, I do have other, loftier goals. I still need my passport. That got put on hold when I got the perm. No good pictures=no passport photo. Plus, these days, with homeland security and all that, I'm pretty sure if you get one of your parents birth places wrong, you'll be denied a passport. So, I need to borrow some white out.
I've been considering giving up soda, but I think I'll wait for Lent. And I've been thinking every time I eat out, I should make myself order a salad. Again, that maybe a better idea for Lent. When is that anyway???
I am planning on being out of debt, except the house, this year.
But mostly, my goal can be summed up by this quote. "The master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his information and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence at whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him, he is always doing both."-James Michener