Something special

I have had a severe lack of inspiration for blogging. Ideas only come when I am feeling sentimental. I have not felt warm and fuzzy in weeks.

Christmas was beautiful because special things did occur.

Of course we performed the entire nativity with my in-laws on Christmas eve. The Spirit was evermore present through the biting cold and drizzling rain because my husband built a bonfire in front of the manger.

My family was far more generous with the kids than was prudent for them. They definitely "gave of their essence". They really have a lot of love for the kids, and I appreciate that. My sister cooked breakfast for all of us and it was delicious.

You could not miss, however, the underlying sadness that every one was experiencing. Every one had some other hardship weighing heavily on their minds. Whether it was their health, or the health of a child or most noticeably the lack of finances... everybody was sad.

My birthday was celebrated over and over in so many generous and thoughtful ways... but that never changed the fact that I turned thirty.

After the first of the year, finances for everybody went from bad to catastrophic in some cases. Sadness abounds.

There is however, opposition in all things. To prove this, I got one unexpected and awesome birthday present yesterday.

(muchos thank-yous to two fantastic friends - Briana and Alecia and one wonderful husband)

They gave me a ticket to WICKED for my birthday. How awesome is that?!


This may be THE story about seeing "opposition" in all things.

I think it is only fair to also mention that Sarah generously told me that if she had Costco coupons - she would give them ALL to me. I know she meant it.
And Kristi did not tell me that I am crazy, even though she had ample evidence to the contrary.
Lily also offered to watch my kids if I had to go back to work, even though she has five of her own.

Mom so generously gave me a new pair of shoes that I cannot decide which ones to pick and have to go back to the store when I have "slept on it"
The frontrunner:


Tita taught JJ to drink from a straw. We were so giddy that we took a picture (with Lily's camera) He then promptly refused to return the lemonade to it's rightful owner.

My sister may finally get a job she loves.

Guero is cleaning up our beautiful backyard so that it can be returned to it's glorious state.

I am savoring every last drop of a free tank of gas that he won in a raffle.

I am now the proud owner of enough diapers to last at least a month.

Even though I am fairly certain that most of my friends would never spend this much on shoes... These are the cutest baby shoes I have ever seen, and it surprised me that I got some amount of joy from just looking at them... and attempting not to look at the price... which I cannot match.
Very cutest baby shoes

I have a testimony that while everything going on in the universe seems chaotic and out of control at the moment, it is in control... just not mine.