Winter Break

It's almost over, Winter Break, and I can't believe it!!  It has flown by in a blur!  I have been blessed to spend lots of time with family and friends and I have had a blast.  Now that my family is all a little older, the spirit of sharing has really been felt in our home this past Christmas Season.  We have shared many memories, presents, time, talents, laughs, love, the flu, etc.  We had a very merry Christmas and we are so truly blessed.  Here is a lightning fast update of my life the past month.  I watched Twilight at the drive-ins with friends, spent Christmas with the extended Garner Family, both my brothers are now officially taller than me, made gingerbread houses, relaxed, went to a masquerade party for new years, sat on the floor seats at the suns game, cleaned up over 70 rolls of toilet paper after being T.P.'d (not cool), worked away the break at my new job, and spend time with G-ma and G-pa Loveland who are visiting for a few days!! 

New Year, New Dreams

I have had fun the past few weeks reminiscing on the year 2008.  It was a fun year, but I have BIG plans for the new year.  Just recently my friends and I found these cute wooden signs at the Dollar Store.  We decided to each buy one and make a night of sanding and painting them.  The sign I bought says "Dream" and I of course, painted it orange - my new favorite color!!  This is a year of dreams!!  Last week in my ward, my Bishop gave us 10 goals to work on as a ward and encouraged us to write down a list of personal goals.  As I sat and contemplated this new year, I realized I have many plans, ambitions, and DREAMS!!  I am going at this year with a running start...literally!  :) 

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree!!

OH… Christmas Tree!!! So, our family couldn’t decide on a real Christmas tree this year. They were too fat, too short, too dead, too brown, too full, too open, too expensive, you name it!! So we gave in, and bought a fake tree to quickly end our search for the perfect tree. Well, that perfect tree sat in a box (actually 2 boxes) in the kitchen for a few days before I decided to tackle the project myself in order to have it up before the quickly approaching holiday passed us by. So at 11 am on reading day, I pulled out all 200 pounds of contents and began putting our perfect tree together. Well, I think I could have grown a real 10 foot Christmas tree in the time it took me to set this one up. 4 hours later, and all my Christmas Cheer depleted, it was finished!! Oh (sigh) Christmas Tree!! In the end, the only reading I did on reading day was the 1 page of useless instructions for our perfectly fake Christmas tree! My next project of the day was our outdoor Christmas lights!! Yep, once again, I tackled it on my own! Only 2 hours and one small electrical shock later, the house looked festive! It is finally… "beginning to look a lot like Christmas!!" Despite the drawbacks of the day, I ended my day making peppernuts with the family while watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas!! All in all, I still LOVE Christmas!!

Arizona Sunsets

In this season to be thankful, I thought I would share just one of the thousands of things that I am grateful for... Arizona Sunsets!!  I was walking around my neighborhood the other day and could not believe the amazing colors that were in the sky!  It was absolutely amazing!  One of the best things about living here in Arizona is the brilliant sunsets!  I have never seen one quite like ours anywhere else (that's not saying much since I haven't traveled to very many places)!  Yet, I believe that we must have some of the most colorful sunsets!  This picture does not even do the real thing justice.  I love how the pinks, purples, and oranges run through the entire sky!  It was a sight I couldn't let pass without thanking my Heavenly Father for!  In my scripture study, I recently came across this verse. D&C 59:18 "Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart."  This sunset definitely gladdened my heart!  I am so thankful for Arizona sunsets!

I Love Quotes!!

"To do well does not mean everything will always turn out well. The key is to remember that faith and obedience are still the answers, even when things go wrong, perhaps especially when things go wrong." --David E. Sorensen

"No matter what your past has been, you have a spotless future." --Hugh B Brown

"If we are in tune with the Spirit, if we are seeking the Lord and His guidance, if our direction is to return to our Father in Heaven, the sweet moments will come. And we will treasure them, for we have become instruments in the hands of God" --Bonnie D. Parkin

"We must not lose hope. Hope is an anchor to the souls of men. Satan would have us cast away that anchor. In this way he can bring discouragement and surrender. But we must not lose hope. The Lord is pleased with every effort, even the tiny, daily ones in which we strive to be more like Him. Though we may see that we have far to go on the road to perfection, we must not give up hope." --Ezra Taft Benson

"A friend is more concerned about helping people than getting credit. A friend cares. A friend loves. A friend listens. And a friend reaches out."--President Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 2001

"There is a divine purpose in the adversities we encounter every day.  They prepare, they purge, they purify, and thus they bless." --James E. Faust