Ok, so you probably noticed there's
no title to this posting.
It's because I couldn't think of a
suitable one for what I want
to talk about.
Yesterday was payday Friday, so we
went and got our gourmet dinner
of
Costco
polish
dogs.
Yummo!
After that we felt compelled
to walk around the store.
No, not to look at what
we wanted to buy.
But to walk off the
calories. :)
As we are walking we ran into
a gal we lived near, before
we moved to our current home
over 6 years ago.
Let me start off by saying
that I really have mixed emotions
about her.
She was kind of like the leader
of the cool clique at church.
She was the one who correlated
the weekend parties at everyone's
houses. If you were "in" with her
then you were "in" with everyone
else in the ward.
You know the type of girl.
The snotty high school girl
who controls everyone's
popularity.
That was her.
And I've always wanted to be popular.
Oh, and did I mention she's stick thin?
Something I've always wanted also.
So you can understand when I tell
you that she makes me insecure.
Well there she was, with 2 of her
4 children in tow.
"It's the Shuler family!" could be heard
from the seafood display, the beautiful
crabs and lobster tails.
I dreaded seeing her. There she was, in
all her glory. Skinnier than I remembered
her, a little boy I later learned was the same
age as Tommy. And a cute little girl
about 14 months old. Snot. Not the baby. The mama.
We exchanged pleasantries and parted ways.
[sigh]
So I had been feeling really great about
my weight loss. Hey, I've lost 50 pounds, and
I feel thinner today even.
But as soon as I get around her, I feel like
the largest person, the tallest, fattest,
ugliest woman in the world.
I know I'm not.
Just feels that way.
I'm so glad high school is over.
I'm so glad I don't have to choose to be
around toxic people like her anymore.
I choose to be around people that make me
feel good about myself. Like my mom, my husband,
my children, Lefty, and Carrot. There are more in my
life that are positive to be around, and those are
the ones I flock to. Like Calamity Jane. What a trooper.
Major surgery, infection from the surgery, bed
rest hell, and still she manages to have a good
sense of humor and joke her way through her trial.
Gotta love people like that.
I love you. I love life. I love the fact that
since I'm using my C-PAP machine for my apnea
I've been losing weight. It's just falling off me.
I didn't realize how much weight and sleep are
so linked. But they are.
So here's to a new year, a healthier me, and a
more organized, peaceful home.
Cheers!

How to line up the columns

Okay, so I absolutely love what the last
post was all about, my son.
What I don't love?
How random the columns and pictures
are lining up
(or not, as the case may be)
Any thoughts?
I need help.
I am not a gifted blogger.
Maybe it's because I'm too
impatient to actually take the time
to read and learn about how to do
the things I want done.
I just want someone to tell me
how to do it.
I was just reading a blog which I stalk
frequently. In it Lefty says that she's
impatient.
I sense a theme.
Oh, did I tell you?
She's my sister.
Guess it runs in my family.
The impatience.
Maybe it's just a woman thing.
But then, maybe it's just
a
Christensen DNA thing.
My brothers aren't much
better for patience than
us sisters.
So my quest in getting my mojo
back is working.
I have finally finished taking down
all the Christmas decorations.
Ok, so they're not in the right part
of the garage yet.
But they're off the mantle.
I mean the Santa collection.
It's down.
Finally.
Ryan will be so happy.
He doesn't really like Christmas anyway,
but that's a topic for another day.
So I have my house, one room
at a time
getting decluttered
and beautified.
Thank you Carrot! You're the best!
Thank you Lefty for always
understanding the words that
I'm trying to come up with
now that my brain is
turning 40 in March.
Yes, I said it.
I turn 40 in 2 1/2 months.
Yikes. And I'm still not
skinny.
But getting there.
I'm wearing a pair of jeans
that I haven't ever worn yet.
Do you ever go to the store,
looking for pants that you
really like, knowing that
you'll fit into them soon,
so you buy them anyway?
Well, normally I don't.
This time I did.
Two years ago.
I put them on today
expecting them to be tight
and not be able to reach
the gap between the
buttons and zipper
as usual.
Imagine my surprise and joy
when I not only bridged
the gap
but
zipped
and
buttoned
all the way
and closed
and it didn't muffin me.
:)
Oh the joys in life.
Ok, I'm gonna go to Costco
for dinner now and have a
hot dog.
:)

Will's baptism

Saturday, January 9th,
will go down in the history books
as one that Will is never going to forget! :)

He was finally able to get baptised,
after having not one, but two baptism dates
go by and him not get baptised.



He flashed his megawatt smile
and it hasn't really left yet!

Poor thing though, after he had gone all the way under,
his foot popped up. So he's part of the
twice dunked club,
like his mama and his daddy.
My dad forgot my middle name, he was so nervous.

What they don't prepare you for
is the flood gate of emotions
that comes unleashed when you see your child
walking into the font with your husband,
about to perform one of the most sacred
ordinances Heavenly Father gives us.

Will already is such a missionary,
wanting to tell everyone who will
listen that he was recently baptised.
I just love my little convert!

The Frustrated Mommy

Well how could I let this one pass up?
I just HAD to blog it. :)
So yesterday, Sunday, I'm going about
my typical tantrum day, complaining
that no one but me ever cleans up
after themself, does the dishes,
etc., etc. You know, WHINING. There,
I said it. I'm a whiner.
Sorry, Mom.
I did it all muttering under
my breath, though, so I thought
that no one heard.
How wrong I was!
A little later my son, Tommy,
comes to me and presents this
picture he's made of me.
"Here you go, Mommy. I drew
a picture of you being
frustrated."
Can we say that a picture
says a thousand words?
My Michelangelo can.
Look at the picture and tell
me what you see? Yep, me too.
I guess I need to check myself
better and not vocalize my
thoughts! :)
Enjoy!!!

O Christmas Tree

Well, we FINALLY got our tree tonight!
I guess it pays off to wait, we got such a deal for it! :)
I even had a very kind man pull over
and help me put it on the roof of my van!
while his daughter waited inside his truck,
watching and smiling at her hero Daddy for
helping this crazy lady with 3 kids in tow!)
We had fun bringing it home; Ryan beat us
home just by a few minutes.
He helped me take it off the roof,
trimmed it, and even put it in the tree stand
and put it in the corner!
Talk about going the extra mile,
that man of mine.
So we're decorating the tree
and we hear a knock on the door
and 2 mens voices caroling.
I opened the door and there were
2 brothers from our ward singing while holding
a plate of cookies, no,
actually two plates of cookies.
How sweet of them.
We had fun visiting with them and then they left
to go and bring joy to someone else.
And our tree looks beautiful! And like 3 adorable
kids put it together. :) which they did!
Merry, merry Christmas everyone.

Emma's wedding plans

Emma is planning her wedding.
I know, it's early still,
but a girl has to plan these things when she's little,
so she can be prepared! :)
Let me explain.
I am working on scanning family pictures and
am now scanning our wedding pictures. Emma
saw one of Ryan and I outside the temple in our
wedding clothes and she looked at me, shock and
disbelief in her face and said, "Uh! (think
a grunt of disgust) I thought I was going to
marry him! Why did you do that, mommy?"
I thought I was going to fall over!
Five minutes later she informed me that it's
okay I married her daddy,
she
will
marry...
Tommy
Her 5 year old brother.
And we don't live in the south!

yet another cute pic of this author as a child

Hey, I've got to milk it while I can...I ain't gettin'
any younger, you know! Just call it my mid-life crisis,
since I'll be 40 in March and, let's face it, I am not
going to wait for a mid-life crisis for 50!
Come on, people!!! Who wants to live to be 100 anyway? :)
So you're probably wondering why I'm posting
this particular picture.
Well, because it's my favorite of myself as a toddler.
I love that dress, wish Emma had one just like it.
I could make one just like it, but those feathers
would be a mess!!!

So it's of me and my Dad's dad, Grandpa Tommy.
He was my buddy. We would have dates from their
Queen Anne home in Seattle, take the bus to the
Seattle Center. Once there we'd go to Orange Julius
and get an orange julius and a hot dog.
Then we'd dance with the dancers.
Sometimes they were ballroom,
they were folk. Always it was F-U-N!!!.
But then we'd go home.
Grandma wasn't thrilled we were so late and
missed dinner hour and so the food got cold/tough,
whatever.
But we knew we had the best thing of all: memories made.
Chicken does NOT trump memories, ever!
especially hers, sorry Grandma.)