I love Google. Andrea suggested today that I google, "Maren needs..." in the hopes of finding some entertaining blog material. According to Google, here are the things I need most:
Maren needs her hair washed and combed .
Maren needs to get on!
Maren needs a big sister.
Maren needs to do more work in laying out the Bush administration part of her argument.
Maren needs 35 people to show up for her .
Maren needs someone more active, but i'll never give up.
Maren needs a sugar momma!
Maren needs our help.
Maren needs a nickname badly.
Maren needs to shut down the entire cell phone network of Chicago
Maren needs a kidney transplant.
Happy Birthday Isaac! He turned 25 this weekend, and here are 25 things about him...
1. He always wants to do the right thing while making others think the opposite about him.
2. He has the best smile.
3. He loves old Nintendo games.
4. He loves his Primary kids.
5. His staples: popcorn…just popcorn.
6. He is always loyal to his brothers.
7. He has terrible handwriting.
8. He always wants to spend time with his niece and nephew…flying kites, playing at Chick-a- laylay, just goofing around.
9. He speaks Spanish.
10. He would prefer to wear the same shirt every day for the rest of his life.
11. He is very forgiving.
12. He is the smartest and wittiest person I know.
13. His feet look like they came straight out of The Hobbit.
14. He will rarely compromise.
15. His pet peeve is listening to people chew with their mouth open.
16. He smells good and showers two or more times a day.
17. He loves literature and will read anything at least once.
18. He is the fourth of five sons.
19. He must have control over the length of his hair and believes that no one can make him cut it.
20. He is a skilled cartoonist.
21. He loves playing Magic.
22. He hates having a cell phone.
23. He is an excellent speaker and teacher.
24. He makes up goofy songs and can’t stop singing them (i.e. a little song he wrote about James Brown).
25. He is happiest when everyone around him is laughing.
Today was a snow day! Coincidentally, I already had the day off of work, and Isaac had no classes (too bad, since all classes were cancelled anyway). We had a great time doing...not much of anything. We took a few pictures to prove to ourselves that there was snow in 2007!
I started Weight Watchers with Andrea this week. So far, it is going well. I am excited about the difference I already feel in my mood and my health. Last night, however, we got a little too ambitious. We tried to make onion rings with Eggbeaters and Fiber One cereal. It was about as good as it sounds. Abby even came out of bed to tell us that she couldn't sleep because of the awful smell.
Attending Grandpa's funeral last month reminded me of the amazing man that I am blessed to call my grandfather. Countless people approached us to tell us just how much he had touched their lives. He has always been an unassuming, kind, and faithful man who was quick to tell me that I was so special to him. It was not until I lived close to him that I realized what a righteous and positive influence he has been on me, not only through his role as a grandfather but also as a loving father to my dad. As I am growing up and building a family of my own, I realize what a blessing it is to be given such a legacy of love and faithfulness from my grandfather. You are right Grandpa, all days are good days. I love you.
This morning, I was reading MSN, where people all over the country wrote about all of the things they are thankful for. I was very surprised to find that nearly every entry mentioned a gratitude for loving family members and for a loving God.
I, too, am grateful to have a loving family. I am blessed to have a kind and understanding husband who loves me through everything and will stop at nothing to make me laugh. I am grateful for a newly-cultivated relationship with Ryan and Andrea, something that blesses me every day. I am grateful for parents that are unceasingly loving and supportive of me (particularly while we have been working on the nativity). I am grateful for all of my siblings, nephews, and niece, for their love, and for the power of eternal relationships. Most of all, I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who continues to bless me every day.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am playing a violin duet in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. I practiced with Ann Smith today (who is an excellent violinist), and although we really only played for a few minutes, it was pretty emotional for me. I pull out the violin from time to time, but I really have missed it. There's something about it. I think I can express more emotion and feeling on the violin than I can on the piano. Whether you listen, sing, or play, music really can add something so special to your home.
Both Andrea and I have made the observation recently that Isaac is a changed man. When we were first married, he had quite a kid phobia. I'll never forget the sight of Isaac hyperventilating when Michelle put her newborn on his chest. Lately, things are different. Abby and Ethan are two of his best buds. In fact, he will hold a conversation with Abby for several minutes before conceding that she can out-talk him (and everyone else). Just this weekend, he was letting Ethan climb all over him. This is not the same Isaac that dreaded the ambiguous and ever-ominous "kid germs." He's a cool uncle now!
(Please, no comments on fatherhood)
Isaac's dad came into town this weekend. I haven't seen him since our wedding, so it has been fun to catch up. Because he wanted to revisit all of the great places in the area, we ran all over the metroplex this weekend. We've been to Downtown Fort Worth, Downtown Dallas, the Stockyards, the Botanic Gardens, the mustang statues in Los Colinas, the longhorn statues in Dallas, and the Galleria. I forgot how fun it is to be a tourist in my own town!
Today, we got pictures of Sweet Baby Jake! Every time I see a picture, he just gets cuter. He'll definitely be a heartbreaker!
Friday night, I got to scrapbook with Andrea. I figured out why she does so much scrapbooking; it's because she is so much fun to scrapbook with that everyone wants to scrapbook with her. Due in large part to her instruction, I have finally created a page that looks good! I think I know what the appeal is to it all. I love documenting the memories I have with Isaac. Someday, our kids will look at the goofy pictures of their father and laugh about the silly poses that he made and how young he looked. I thought about making a scrapbook when I was in college, but now I have the motivation of journaling my memories with my sweetheart. It's so fun! A lot of warm feelings come with going through great pictures and having great conversation until late at night. I love it!
Today, I went to a job interview at Compass Bank. Wow, there is a whole other world out there! I really enjoy helping people with their finances and am perfectly content working in banking for the rest of my career, especially now that I know that there are places out there that will treat me much better than Texas Trust does. She told me that they will make their decision by next Friday, so I have my fingers crossed. If I don't get this job, at least I know that I should be looking more diligently than I am now. It is definitely time for a change!
One of the many endearing things about Isaac is that he prides himself on making me laugh, especially during the times when I think I can't. He's my funny man.
He has been channeling his funny bone for yet another great purpose. Although he has done this his whole life, lately he has been very focused on cartooning. Today, he spoke with one of the editors of the UTA Newspaper about having a daily cartoon in the fall! The comic will be named "Cannon Fodder." We all dream about getting paid for what we love to do. Andrea gets paid to teach scrapbooking, Isaac gets paid to cartoon, and I get paid to do banking...oh wait.
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