Today is National Hairstylist Appreciation Day.......
Tomorrow is May Day....
Friday is Sibling Appreciation Day.....
Saturday is National Relationship Renewal Day....
Sunday is Cinco de Mayo....

I have spent this morning chatting with Emmaly. She and
her Trent are moving out of their Utah apartment today.
They are going to live with Trent's parents while they are
getting the new business started. I am so thankful that his
parents are so wonderful. Emmaly is feeling good about being
there. I am so thankful for the Keppners.

I start my new job tomorrow, so I am cleaning today.
I made the kids banana muffins.
I have been asked by some friends and my married girl,
to post my menus. So I will try to post my weekly dinner
menus. I think it is so helpful to have a plan.
This week our menu has looked like this:
Sunday ~ Enchilada Casserole
Monday ~ Burros
Tuesday ~ Asian Chicken Salad ( Applebee's recipe)
Wednesday ~ Stir Fried Rice
Thursday ~ Pork Green Chili w/ Black beans
Friday ~ Pasta w/ meat balls
Saturday ~ hot dogs & potato salad

Now I am off to clean clean clean!!!

Today is National Hairball Awareness Day....

I have worked for Synergy Home Care for two days this past week.
For a couple that is delightful. I wondered after the first day, 'what am
I to learn from such a short experience'. (I put in my resignation after
two days so I could start working for Discover)
So on day two with Mr. & Mrs. Guy,
I tried to be very in tune with what I was to learn.
I cleaned, and then Mrs. Guy went to lunch with her friends. Mr Guy and
I cleaned out closets and moved patio furniture ( we also chased a
rabbit out of the yard...fun stuff) They Guy's are wonderful.
But all the cleaning and packing was now done, they were ready to
take their trip back east to their summer home.
So I asked Mr. Guy what I should do now.
He made me a fried egg sandwich. And as we eat lunch,
he taught me about finance.
(I have since writen down what he told me and I went to the library,
I am reading 'Women & Money" by Suze Orman.)
I will admit that I have known nothing about finances.
I go from month to month doing the doggy paddle in the sea of debt crap.
I can say I am no closer to financial success now than I was 20 years ago.
Then came Mr. Guy (he is in his mid 70's).
He just started talking to me, I didn't ask for the lesson,
he didn't know I live in a cloud of financial polution.
He taught me about the stock market ( not alot, just enough to
get me started). He told me the most inportant part is to
pay my self first. To me this has never made sence. How do
you pay yourself first when you know there would not be
enough $$$ even before that. But he spelled it out.
You put $25.00, $50.00, what ever, in your savings acount every
month or every paycheck. If you work for a company that you
can buy stock through, have them take out the $ for one share
of stock from each paycheck each time you get paid.
The trick is you can not touch this $.
When you have it saved up, to lets say $1000.00.
Get an investment broker who you can trust ( Edward Jones ect)
Mr Guy gave me his stock choices. (He took out the news paper and
circled the ones he invests in, then he showed me on the financial
channel what other opions are)
( I feel like this page of the news paper he gave me is priceless).
He has been investing with them for years and
he says with a smile, "they make me money".
He has more invested than the three he gave me. But those are
the ones he said are his basics.
I asked him lots of questions, like "How do you live, month to month"
He said he worked for the same company for 32 years. He had a good
retirement program. He also has a great insurance plan. ( his wife has
alot of physical problems) They don't have to worry about money,
I saw that they have PLENTY. They have a great life.
They are in controle of their money.
And although I feel as though Carl and I have lost twenty years of
controle. I think, and Mr Guy agrees, that we still can do what it
takes to have a future.
Both my wonderful sister in law Wendi, and Suze Orman say we
need to start by writing down what we want, what our pasions are,
what our dreams are. We need to set goals. I think I am ready to start!

Jean Harper sent this to me.
Food for thought...

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (Regarding the attacks on Sept. 11). Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"
In light of recent events...terrorist s attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide).
We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers,
their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they WILL think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Just thought Iwould share.

Today is Bus Drivers Day.....
May I just say how much I love my friends.
There is Lynn who is an inspiration to all.
Kristan who makes everything good.
Denise who is so giving and real.
Becki who is so in tune.
Wendi who is so perceptive.
There are so many others, and all of them
touch my life and help me want to be a
better person. I am grateful to them all.
My girls and I got our hair done last night.
I love it!!! I always feel so much better with
a new do!
The windows of Heaven are pouring out on me!
I not only got one job offer today, but two!!
I am so happy!
And the repair man came and fixed my a/c.
I have clean, cool air!!! I am so happy.

Today is Earth Day....
or Arbor Day....
I think they both stand for the same ideas.
Today is going to be a great day.
I just feel it.
I got to see the photos from my Emmaly and Trent's wedding last night.
Wow, they are so beautiful. I cried. The wedding was so nice. We had hick ups,
but it all turned out so nice. I will learn to post photos to my blog and other
sights today, and I will share.
I owe Jamie Harper great and wonderful things for being so fabulous with
these pictures. She is very very talented. I thank her!
We are planning our Summer break, any great ideas for the family who
is staying home this summer?
I think we will plant a herb today, does that coutnt for arbor day?

Today is Paul Revere Day...
It has been a busy week for me.
I spent Wednesday taking a first aid and a cpr class all day.
The guy that instructed was great. I think my knee is bruised
from trying to revive so many lifeless bodies. My TB test
came back great!!
Thursday was early release.... so we had
lots of little girls at our house! They had a great time.
I never let the kids have friends over, I am always at work.
So this was a nice treat.
My Visiting Teachers came over. I would love to spend more time
with them, I would love to get to know them.
I feel like we do not get to know enough people.
I went to an interview today, that led to an orientation. I guess
they liked me. They called all my references, and the gal at
the front desk said, congrats you got the job, as I left.
I am not 100% for sure yet, but it is nice to have a job
work around my schedule. I have been offered two other
positions elsewhere, but the hours did not let me be the
mommy. This new one does not pay well, but they will work
with my hours. I will continue to look. But money is money at
this point. So... as I left the orientation(in Sun City) I turned onto
bell road. There an old man tried to smash into my huge van.
I did not think, let him hit you, as my honey would have said to me.
No I swerved. I hit the curb. I blew my tire on BELL road, at 3:30
in the afternoon. I could not believe it. My dear honey came to my
rescue, so did a sheriff. They fixed me up and I headed home.
Only to find that Sara's car broke down today also.
And when I got home I found that the wonderful job the
Chas Roberts A/C guy did (it took 3 days just to get him out
to my house, that is three appointments!) on my a/c was crapola.
My air is not working any more!!!
They will call me 30 minutes before they come on Sunday.
That is all she would tell me. I am so disappointed.
Lets see, car#1, car#2 and a/c.
That is three things, I hope that is all that is headed my way.
I will think lovely thoughts and send the universe my hopes and wishes.
Then all will be well with my world.
Tomorrow is Yo Yo Day... or... National Cow Chip Day...
Ups and downs or a doo doo toss. I hope the day goes well for all!

Today is Moment of Laughter Day...
Sometimes I think we loose touch of true reality.
And sometimes we loose touch for a long time. I think
I need to constantly be reminded of what is important
and what I truly want out of life. Or else I forget, I get
consumed with the rat race. I need to remember what
I am doing here, what things are important.
I took time today to have lunch with a good friend, to
spend time with my husband, I listened to my daughters
dreams and creativity, I walked my other daughter
through the steps of chicken crepe from hundreds of
miles away, and I virtual bowled with my younger kids.
I think I did about two hundred other things too.
I will get a new job soon, then I will need to do other things.
But today I did things that were really important.
It hit 99 degrees outside today. It hit 90 degrees in my
house. The repair man comes between 9 and 11 tomorrow
morning. I can not tell you how happy I will be!!!
Tomorrow is also Income Tax Day.... Please use enough
postage!!!

Today was National Licorice Day......
The Tax Return Fairy came to bring my children a treasure today!
I am not big on giving gifts if it is not a holiday.
Carl is, he loves to give treasures. He searches and hides things
for just the right occasion. He has become very skilled in bargain
shopping. And he finds the most wonderful things at unbelievable
prices. Not just that, but he finds things that are so right for
each person. He is wonderful.
Tomorrow is Sunday. And although Friday is my favorite day
of the week ( the looking forward to the weekend thing I think)
I love Sundays. They are so relaxing. Church at 2 in the afternoon
is not my favorite thing, but other than the late meetings, I love it.
I love the time spent with my family. We are spending it with
extended family tomorrow. My nephew has turned 16, and we
will be going to church with them! I love being with family,
seeing my kids bonding with cousins.
I love being around people I know love me as much as I love them.
Sundays are good.
Tomorrow is "Blame Someone Else Day" .... I don't like the sound
of that one. Lets skip it, Monday is "Moment of Laughter Day"....
I like that one. I hope your Sunday is wonderful!

Today is National Siblings Day......

I was asked to teach a class in enrichment tonight.
The class is on 30 minute meals. I wish I was this
prepared all the time. I have five meals and a desert
planned and prepped for demo. We will be sampling
three of these menu choices. I love doing this.
I would love to share recipes and meal ideas with everyone.
Like I made this for dinner, it cost this much and it took
this long, can I have your recipe for that. You know,
just sharing.

Every day is should be celebrated! Every celebration should have great food!

So on national siblings day, call your brothers and sisters, and eat something yummy!

Today is National Chicken Little Awareness Day
And as my children have pointed out, the sky has not fallen.
And we did eat chicken for dinner.....so we are all aware!

Isn't it nice to know that no matter how life changes our path,
that we can still keep in contact with those we love.
I love the cell phone and e-mail and blogs. I can catch up
with everyone. Even in the middle of the night or in the
middle of no where.

My kids are doing the aims testing this week. I don't like these
silly tests. I think they make our teachers a bit stir crazy, and
they give our kids big anxiety. It just seems like a bad thing
all the way around.

I took dinner into a friend in my ward today. They just had a
new baby. She was so tiny and darling. I about barfed that she
is three days old and mom is in her jeans again. But I felt much
better when I knew that I would be sleeping all night long and
baby and mom would be wide awake, bonding at 3am!

Our scouts have a web site. This is so awsome. We can check
their calendar, make sure we have all of our forms in, and they
even post homework so the boys will get all their requirements
done on time. Hip Hip HOORA

I am thankful for all the great examples around me. From the leaders of the church, to the children in my home. The examples they set are so wonderful. We watched the movie Enchanted over the weekend. I want to be more like Giselle. Always possitive, always delightful. I know real people like that. I have sister in laws like that. They are wonderful. I am thankful for the great examples in my life.

Why is it that the things you want to do, do not pay what you want them to pay?
There is a charming little quilting store, that I would love to spend all my time
and someone elses money at. It is hiring. I don't know if they want to hire me,
but they only want to pay my half of what I need an hour. It is charming.
I love everyting about it.
Then there is the long-term elderly care home, the job description was perfect.
Office, phone, staff management. The people there were awfull. I would not
work with them if they payed me $20. an hour. In fact, I am going to write to the
companies head quarters and tell them what I have seen and heard today.
I like nothing about them.
And the job hunt goes on!

A door closes and a window opens.
How thankful I am for lovely weather now that the windows are opening.
I can not tell you how nice it was to spend time with the kids last week for
spring break. I adore falling more in love with them as they grow.
And I love who they are becoming.
Jessette gave Megan all her funky socks the other day.
And although that sound insignificant, it is huge. Jessette has been a sock freak
(I use that word with love and a cheere of uniqueness) forever.
For her to give some away because they were not her lets me know she is maturing.
Just a little thing perhaps, but big to the mom.
I have posted loads of resumes and have had many interviews. Some interviews
for jobs I would have loved, but did not get.
Some interviews for jobs I have been offered
and do not want. I have another this morning, I want this one. I hope I get it.
My fingers are crossed.
I did our taxes on April Fools day. I hope that does not bring on bad luck.
I chatted with Emmaly yesturday as she and Trent traveled back to Provo
from Idaho. I love to listen to them chat with each other. Like, bestfriends!
They make me happy!
Here is to National Kick Butt Day, everyone enjoy!!!

Today is National Kick Butt Day