A little disappointed

Well I just got done with the book "The Christmas List" and loved it! I got it a little late from the library because it was so high in demand and even though it isn't Christmas time it was still a great book! Here is a brief summary of the book from the author, Richard Paul Evans


Dear Reader,
When I was in seventh grade, my English teacher, Mrs. Johnson, gave our class the intriguing (if somewhat macabre) assignment of writing our own obituaries. Oddly, I don't remember much of what I wrote about my life, but I do remember how I died: in first place on the final lap of the Daytona 500. At the time, I hadn't considered writing as an occupation, a field with a remarkably low on-the-job casualty rate.
What intrigues me most about Mrs. Johnson's assignment is the opportunity she gave us to confront our own legacy. How do we want to be remembered? That question has motivated our species since the beginning of time: from building pyramids to putting our names on skyscrapers.
As I began to write this book, I had two objectives: First, I wanted to explore what could happen if someone read their obituary before they died and saw, firsthand, what the world really thought of them. Their legacy.
Second, I wanted to write a Christmas story of true redemption. One of my family's holiday traditions is to see a local production of Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol. I don't know how many times I've seen it (perhaps a dozen), but it still thrills me to see the change that comes over Ebenezer Scrooge as he transforms from a dull, tight-fisted miser into a penitent, "giddy-as-aschoolboy" man with love in his heart. I always leave the show with a smile on my face and a resolve to be a better person. That's what I wanted to share with you, my dear readers, this Christmas -- a holiday tale to warm your season, your homes, and your hearts.
Merry Christmas --Richard Paul Evans

This got me thinking that it would be a neat project to have students write their own obituaries and I had been looking for something to do with "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" and "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens" and I think it will fit perfectly.

And that leads to the title of the post. I keep a reading journal where I give brief summaries of the books I read so that way I can remember them and use them as future recommendations for my students. I had one that I loved and then filled it up and of course couldn't find one similar so I went to Barnes and Noble and now have on that does the job but I digress.... I was reading through my journal and in the last year have only read 35 books. For some people that may be enough but a few summers ago I read 20 in one summer so that is why I am disappointed. I do have a rather large stack of books here from the library and since I have to give those back maybe I will read them more quickly and get my numbers back up!

The Worst Chore (maybe)

So my least favorite chore (as I am living at my parent's house) is putting away my clothes. I don't know what it is but I hate it. I also hated it during college and I think it will continue throughout my life. I really don't know what I am going to do when I have my kids' clothes to put away as well. I don't know if it is because I don't feel like I have enough room for everything so I have to stuff them in to places and that is just annoying or what.

What brought this all on was today I decided I was getting sick of my laundry basket sitting in the middle of my room with clean clothes waiting to be put away and then all my dirty clothes piling up in the corner, so I put my clothes away. After I was done, which MAYBE took 5 minutes I put all my dirty clothes in my laundry basket and guess what, it is almost full again. So here was go on another cycle and it just seems like it is never ending!

I am really thinking about if I ever get to build a house, putting my laundry room INSIDE my closet, that way it is all right there and I really don't have to do much. One can always dream.....

He makes me laugh

Today Luke and Layton were here at the house because Jennifer had to work and Jason and Dad were stripping tobacco. Luke decided that he wanted to make cupcakes which turned into me making cupcakes. I finally got them done and the icing didn't turn out how I expected. I was thinking buttercream icing should be white and that would be perfect because Luke wanted to decorate them like baseballs. Well anyways it's not white, it is yellow, so we didn't decorate them but they turned out ok. Luke was having one so of course Layton wanted one as well. Jason said no icing at first so I handed Layton a cupcake but was upset that his didn't have any icing. How he even knew Luke's had it on I don't know. So Jason said he could have a little so I put a little on and Layton was happy......for the moment. He went downstairs and ate his cupcake but pretty soon was back by my side saying "More" I looked down and he had eaten the parts of the cupcake that had icing on them but nothing else. He wanted icing on all the other parts of the cupcake! I wish I would have taken a picture or the cupcake so you could see how careful he was to not eat any part that didn't have icing on it! He is too smart for his own good already!

Oops!

I had said that I would post more pictures of some of the presents that I made for Christmas and have never done it so here they are. I didn't get pictures of two though. Pat and I took pictures of things on the farm and spelled out his sister and brother's last name and put them in a picture frame.

This is what I made Jennifer. She had a Mom calendar last year where each person had their own column of what they had planned. I decided to make her one that she can use all year and every year. The slots ended up being a little small so hopefully none of them have too much to do on any day!

This is what I made Lora (hopefully she doesn't read this tonight or tomorrow). We haven't had Christmas yet but we are meeting this weekend when I am down at Rio! She also just got a full-time job so we will have something to celebrate!!!

Well I think that is all, I need to get packed so I can leave right after school tomorrow. Hope everyone has a good weekend!

One more thing checked off!

Yesterday Jennifer, Michelle, Katie and I went to David's Bridal to find the bridemaids dresses. While I wasn't too impressed with the help we got, the lady was actually horrible that helped us, but we found a dress we all liked! So that is one more thing that we don't have to worry about! Now it is getting them all ordered and the shoes to go with them which has turned into quite the ordeal. I would like the girls to wear nice flip-flops with the dresses because anyone that knows me knows that I wear flip-flops all the time and that is my thing. I am wearing flip-flops with my dress and that is something I would like us all to have uniform. Sadly my sister's don't agree with me. Maybe once they see how they look they will change their minds. Plus it's not like it is going to be Old Navy flip-flops they are going to be nicer ones. We shall see!

I hope I Remember

As I am sitting here watching Mr. Deeds I was searching through some blogs and found one that featured a link that intrigued me. Project Life is a goal to take a picture everyday of something in your life and then journal about it. There is a kit that goes along with it to easily to store the pictures and slip in the journaling. I would love to do this for Pat's and mine first year together. I think is would be a great way to preserve our memories. I have really been lacking in taking pictures lately and maybe this would be a way to motivate me more. Now all I need is that camera.....

He's pretty much AMAZING!!

So Pat got his wisdom teeth taken out Wednesday and did pretty well with it. He was groggy for the next day and a half and not swelling (or so he told me). Well anyways the reason he is so amazing is because during one of my blog "strolling" sessions, I came upon this coffee table that I really liked! It was actually one from Pottery Barn that cost $399 but this lady came up with plans and made it for $30. Just to share my great find, I sent the link to Pat with the message "Here is what you can use all your new tools on!" I really didn't expect him to build the thing in the near future or at all honestly. The next day Pat calls and asks what wood I want it built out of because he is going to go buy all the supplies. About 2 hours later I get a picture on my phone of a brand new coffee table! How wonderful is he!!

It's coming together

Well last time I talked about the wedding I was worrying about the invitations and bridesmaid dresses. This week I think we got both resolved. After talking to Aunt Elaine she thinks she will be able to make the folders that we want to use and then we will just order the inserts from a printer. That should save us money! Now it is just making all of them in time so that I can still HAND address all the envelopes. We do have a guest list with almost all of the addresses compiled so that is one step we don't have to worry about! Since not many people read this I will post the template that we are trying to use....

As far as the bridesmaid dresses Michelle and Jennifer made plans to go shopping on Saturday but Jennifer works Friday night and Luke has his first basketball game that day so that wasn't going to work. We are hoping to go sometime on Sunday now, so hopefully that will work out!

We are now underway figuring out our programs and some more in way of decorations! We are getting closer! I can't wait!!

Hmm..

Well Pat is getting ready to leave later today and we are faced with the same old questions, "What should we do today?" Yesterday we drove home from Columbus, played Rock Band and beat it and then watched the OSU game with the Clarke's. So now we don't know what to do with ourselves today. Pat has a Woodbury's Outfitters gift card from Christmas that he would like to use so we will probably head in there but then after that who knows? I do have a room and closet that need some major rehauling but I don't think that is on his list of priorities to do before he leaves. Oh well, maybe one day soon!