Wednesday, November 26, 2008

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREA TERRY GAZAWAY

Today is my only sister in laws birthday and I am so glad that I get to tribute her! She definately deserves a shout out! Not only did she marry my brother, but she also is the mother of 3 of the most adorable children EVER!


Andrea married my brother when I was on my mission so I came home to a sister! Andrea is a VERY talented hair stylist and I love getting beautified by her.

I feel bad for people because they don't take the time to get to know her because she is so quiet when she doesn't know you, but when you actually listen to her, she has a lot to add to a conversation. Andrea loves shopping, decorating, spending time with her friends, eating out and date nights with her hubby and bunco.

She is such a great Mom and always has a clean and tidy house with clean and tidy kids. She has patience... this can be shown by her sunbeam calling in primary :)

I am so happy to have Andrea as a 8 yr addition to our family! We love you Andrea thanks for putting up with us!
HAPPY, HAPPY Birthday!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thoughtful Tuesday: A LOT on my mind...

I am sad that I fell behind in my many post entries.. there are birthdays and tributes that I missed and I promise they are coming... just wait and see.. better late than never. I could give many excuses but none are good enough... the ones I love deserve more!
Here is a few things on my mind...

Congrats to my best friend Ry Guy for popping the question to Sherri and getting engaged! It's been a Big year for him... turning 30 and getting engaged all at once! WOWZERS!

For the holidays I went back to work at Supersonic Car wash as a cashier (haven't worked there in 6 years, since I left to watch Jill's kids when Emily was first diagnosed). I have learned great things already from this experience.

  1. I miss being around people and having face to face interaction

  2. I don't like high school-like drama as a 30 yr old

  3. I am dang good at selling pre-paid car wash certificates

  4. It helps pay the bills

  5. I love that half of the employees are my relatives and I get to see them 3 days a week!

I had so much fun helping Megan Parish with her Sadie Hawkins group's dinner and even more fun laughing and sitting on the kitchen floor with Amber making bets of who was going to be a couple one day...YEE HAW!

Val, Mike and Emerson are back in town and it has been fun to spend time at Auntie Kay's again (2 times this week already!)


I am a fan of the Twilight books and don't think that they are evil, however I do believe that they are very adult material. I did go see the movie and loved it. Wasn't a big fan of some that they cast for the movie but by the end I didn't care.. I wish I could watch the second movie NOW!

I love the biggest looser on TV and cry to it every week.. however the last 2 weeks I have wanted to say VERY BAD words at Vickie and Heva and think that they are very evil and wish they would get kicked off... I don't like pot stir-ers on TV series or in real life and people that don't show integrity and are cruel to those who don't deserve it make me FURIOUS! However, I do believe that Amy made her own bed and now has to lie in it. It never pays to not follow your heart and do something out of peer pressure or to make yourself more popular, you will always fall. Would I ever try out for biggest looser is something people ask me a lot? Is that a fat joke? hhahah My answer to that question is... I really don't know if I could bear to "bare myself" in a sports bra on public television every week.. LOL I don't even wear those at the gym or around my own house for that matter!! All I have to say about this show in conclusion.. I think it is absolutely fantastic that they help these groups of people gain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy perspective.. I do however wish Vickie and Heva would gain some weight and be gone for good! Did I just say that out loud?!

The holidays... This year the holidays are feeling a little gloomy for me this is why..

  1. I work all the eves 14 hour shifts and all the days of the actual holidays 10 hour shifts

  2. It always feels a little lonely when you are single and you wonder where you fit in

  3. I will miss all the traditions with my family. Christmas Eve with brothers family and opening Pj's together, breakfast at Grandpa-ma's with table fairy gifts, and lunch/games at Grandpa-ma's with our huge family.

  4. However I will say that with the economy the way it is, I am VERY thankful to have a job.

Christmas decorations. Oh how I love Christmas! How I love to decorate, cook, have smelly candles or cinnamon sticks cooking on the stove. It feels like a home when all these elements are in place. With 6 strangers as roommates sometimes the home element is lost... so glad for holiday times when I can bring the feeling to my house with the wonderful spirit of Christmas present! What a glorious time of year... I CAN'T WAIT!

The most important things on my mind are the people in my life who are going through extra rough challenges. The medical concerns with family and friends, money struggles, spiritual struggles, job worries, loneliness, and stress. Life has a way of sometimes getting the best of us and sometimes making us feel so down trodden! To all of you out there who may be experiencing one or all of the things I am praying for you! Please know that the Lord is aware of you. That trials will be but for a moment but when we endure them well, we will be blessed above anything that we can imagine. My quote of the year that I have sitting right infront of my desk at all times is by one of my hero's President Gordon B. Hinckley,

"In all of living, have much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

I HEART IMPROV STUFF

Sometimes in life you need a good laugh... I don't know I thought this was pretty comical and wanted to share! The things that you find on YOU TUBE! I LOVE improv stuff.. hope you agree!! :)

Thursday, November 13, 2008

THREE GREAT REASONS WHY I LOVE NOVEMBER 14th....

What is the likelihood that three of the most IMPORTANT people in your life celebrate the same Birthday!?

Well, the planets aligned three different years in celebration of the births of 3 ALL-STARS!
JER, KIMBERLY AND PAT



The first birthday that I am going to tribute today is JEREMY D WHITING (aka Jer Bear) and that is because he is turning the BIG 3-0 TODAY! Jer was a big part of me from age 12 to when I left on my mission. I feel like I pretty much spent most of my life with him. He can make me laugh more than just about anyone. He is loved by all, he has overcome so much adversity in his life and he is most likely the most AMAZING school teacher to ever live.
Next to my Mom and Grandmother I would have to say Jer is my biggest cheerleader, my best friend and someone I love more than life! A big chunk of the happiest, funnest, most memorable times of my life include Jer in them. He is the biggest teddy bear and would do anything for anyone unless someone treated me poorly and then he put on the boxing gloves! He just lives too far away from me now seeing him 1-2 times a year is simply not enough!
As you can see, I DEFINITELY celebrate this boys birth!

The second important reason that today is so great would be none other than my Brother Patrick Neal, Fat Pat Neal, Trick, Patter-rick, whatever you may want to call him!

Pat and I have a love/hate relationship. We love to be on opposing sides of issues. Yet, we have a deep love for each other that shines through in the things that we do for one another. Although growing up Pat and I were like oil and water we have become great friends. I love my brother and really respect how hard he works and how successful he has become. He loves to tease, rough house and do anything that is related to sports. His bark is definitely bigger than his bite.. deep down he is such a SOFTY! He is one of the most Loyal people I know and when you get into his heart.. he will do whatever it takes to help you and support you through any situation.
Pat I love you! I am so glad that you were born! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

And the third great reason today is such a FABULOUS DAY is my AUNT KIMMIE or Kimbadarling! I have so many sweet memories with this woman!! She is the funnest person to hang out with, do crafty things with, shop with (she is the one who taught me to SHOP.. shame on her!)and chat for hours with! My teenage years were so much richer because I had Kimmie in them! She would pick me up and I would just hang with her day in and day out. We loved to go to Hardee's and get mushroom Swiss burgers, she introduced me to CREST drinks, the dollar store, big lots, etc. Kim also has a mother heart and loves to take care of people. She works really hard to be a great friend and is so talented in fashion and decorating. She has tons of fun stories and is so fun to be around. She is always looking for things to get involved in and can do a million things at once. Most importantly, even though I rarely get to see her, when we are together again it is like no time has past! Oh how I love you Kimbadarling!

As you can see, these three are glorious reasons to celebrate today!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Pat, Kim and Jer!!!!

Sunday, November 2, 2008

Sunday Sampler: Prophetic Vision of Elder Maxwell

A friend of mine shared this with me on Facebook and it touched me how right on to our times it was, although it was spoken in 1979! Oh how I love Elder Maxwell and the truth he taught and the seer that he was. Today as a lot of us are fasting for the many issues going on in our nation and the election at hand, I thought this was powerful and true doctrine to think on.
I hope you learn from it as I did...

Elder Neal A. Maxwell- Apostle for The Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints

19262004

"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had ‘never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions."Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us,let us not then complain of the heat.“…there is occurring a discounting of religiously based opinions. There may even be a covert and subtle disqualification of some for certain offices in some situations, in an ironic irreligious test for office. If people, however, are not permitted to advocate, to assert, and to bring to bear, in every legitimate way, the opinions and views they hold which grow out of their religious convictions, what manner of men and women would we be?“If we let come into being a secular church which is shorn of traditional and divine values, where shall we go for inspiration in the crises of tomorrow? Can we appeal to the rightness of a specific regulation to sustain us in our hour of need? Will we be able to seek shelter under a First Amendment which by then may have been twisted to favor irreligion? Will we be able to rely for counterforce on value education aided in school systems which are increasingly secularized? And if our governments and schools were to fail us, would we be able to fall back upon and rely upon the institution of the family, when so many secular movements seek to shred it?It may well be that as our time comes to “suffer shame for his name” (Acts 5:41), some of that special stress will grow out of that portion of discipleship which involves citizenship.”
Neal A. Maxwell, “A More Determined Discipleship,” Ensign, Feb 1979, 69–73