Gospel Messages

I love The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for many reasons.  For todays post, this is one of the many reasons I love the church. 

The leaders of the church keep up with the advances in technology and now for all those bloggers, FB users and YouTube fans, the church has created ways of sharing your beliefs.

Here is a snippit from an email I received today:

"The Church has recently developed two online gospel resources that may be helpful to members: Mormon Messages and Topic Pages. Mormon Messages are short videos featuring the Church's basic beliefs, inspiring stories, and messages of hope (see "The Christmas Spirit" on the LDS.org home page). Topic Pages are Web pages that explain specific gospel topics in a compelling, inviting, and easy-to-understand manner (see the Christmas topic page).

Both of these new resources are designed to be easy to share with friends and family via e-mail, Facebook, or other social media Web sites."

So dear friends,
 
if you are interested in getting updates on Mormon Messages and Topic Pages and have not yet received an email, register for an LDS account at LDS.org and continue or begin sharing!
 
Merry Christmas!
 
Click here for inspirational Christmas messages.
 
Finding the Spirit of Christmas,
Nessa

Small Feet, Big Shoes

Coral likes to wear my high heels.  Yesterday, we found her in these. 

(She's also started taking her clothes off on a daily basis.  Doesn't she know it is December?)

Then I began to wonder,

"Whose shoes will she fill?"

"Whose shoes will she want to fill?"

"Whose shoes will she feel she has to fill?"

We'll just have to wait for her to grow up before we find out.

***

"Lack of Sleep" is my enemy.  I'm not the person I want to be- I doubt myself, I am grumpy with my children and My Hubby, and I just feel like everything is falling apart.

I haven't had much sleep lately.  And last night . . .  was the worst of all the nights I have had recently.

Coral has been sick and last night she was up EVERY half hour. 

I tried cuddling her in my bed, but she kept kicking her feet and crying in frustration (in my awakened state today- I think she didn't like the legs on her jammies).  I rocked her and held her upright so she could breath.  Then I'd jerk awake due to my head falling.  So, I'd put her in her bed only to have her climb in mine again 30 minutes later.

I was a walking zombie and almost fell over a few times.

BUT as I held her and rocked her, I looked at her beautiful face.  It is perfect. 

I love her eyes.  Her eyelashes are more than an inch long.

I love her lips.  They curl up perfectly at the top and create a cute, little heart.

She's angelic when she is sleeping.

When she is awake, I get this:

And it makes me laugh and laugh.

I'm grateful Heavenly Father surprised us with this active, little spirit.

Oh, and I did manage to get all of my dishes done along with my laundry.  You can't get the best of me "Lack of Sleep!"

Trying Hard Each Day,

Nessa

Fa La, Merry and All That Other Stuff

I look forward to every evening. 

This year someone has chosen our family for "The 12 Days of Christmas" and every night they drop off a piece for a manger scene.  I LOVE it and it brightens my day.

***

We had a magic family moment the other night.  We all sat down and played a game together and EVERYONE had fun.  Green Gators- a game I bought when I was a consultant for Discovery Toys.  Great toys.  Educational toys.

Players must describe their card without saying the word.

Daniel had bells and he said, "Some people ring these to get money."

I think he has seen too many Salvation Army Bell-ringers.

***

Merry Christmas.

To read my tangent about this holiday season, click here.

Nessa

Children's Swear Words

While driving, I tell my kids we are going to grandma's house.

Daniel asks me if I am staying with them and when I reply yes, he says, "Awww Mom!  Why can't you just go somewhere?!"  (He meant somewhere away from grandma's house.)

I'm a little hurt and ask why he doesn't want me to stay and he says that when I am not there Grandma gives them ALL of her attention.

Yes, I am an attention stealer.

****

At the grocery store, an older gentleman was "flirting" with Coral while waiting in line to check out.

She gets an evil glint in her eye, looks right at him and loudly says, "Poop Head!"

No I did not turn around to see his response.

****

This is the pose I received after telling Coral it was time to go to bed.  It's pretty common.

Day of Disaster

1.  On the way out the door for school, Coral broke my favorite miniature musical snow globe on my dining room table.

2.  After lunch, Coral stepped on and broke another of my Christmas decorations.

3.  While setting up the Christmas tree, we discovered only 1 out of 4 strands worked.  Two were brand new from the after Christmas sell last year.

4.  A piece of my favorite stocking holder broke off.

I thought putting up the Christmas tree and decorations would get me ready for the holidays.

It didn't, but reading stories to my kids before bed time sure did.  Those are my favorite moments.  Especially reading "The Stinky Cheese Man."

New Kind of Meaning

This afternoon Daniel's stomach was very round from his delicious lunch of

PB&J and whatever else Hubby fed the children while I was away attending

a baby blessing.

I asked Daniel about his tummy.

He replied, "I want to be a cop when I grow up with a big stomach. . . .  That would be goosey!"

I laughed and he laughed.  Then we decided we'd make goosey our word for fun.

****

While walking into church this afternoon, Coral ran up and grabbed my hand.  Then she insisted Daniel link arms with her on the other side.

Right then, I decided she is the spice in our family that completes the recipe.

While we drive in the car, she will sing.  While I get ready in the morning, she will sing.

She is such a happy girl and full of life UNTIL she doesn't get her way.

****

And tomorrow begins another school week.  I am looking forward to Christmas Break and time to be with my kids ALL DAY long.

Just Thinking

I have a question.

Do I get my son's kindergarten teacher a Christmas gift?  Is it the nice thing to do?  Is is sucking up?  Do we need to suck up?  And can we even afford to purchase her one?  I'm stressing over this one little question.

In other thoughts . . .

I've decided I LOVE Kohl's.  In the past few years, we haven't been too fond of one another, but now I don't think I could type love big enough to describe how much I love Kohl's right now.  But here are a few reasons.

1.  Kohl's Cash- for every $50 you spend, you get $10.  Thanks to my mom's Kohl's Cash, I now have some new clothes. 

AND

I have gone down a size in clothing!

2.  My friend Grace informed me of Kohl's $10 gift sent via snail mail.  I got one along with a 15% off card. 

I went to Kohl's and bought my husband his Christmas present.  It's original price was around $30, it was 50% off, I used my $10 gift along with my 15% off and spent a little over $6.00 and saved around $24!!!!

I'm a happy woman.

ThankSpewing

Thanksgiving Day was clear with no signs of spewing.

The yummy feast was held in a church building and included my family (minus my sister- sniff) and my Aunt Cindy's family (minus her son and his wife- sniff). 

I was brought back to my childhood days with all of the fun and laughter and let's not forget volleyball.  Skills may have dwindled, but the trash talk has gotten better!

Thanksgiving Spread.  (My mouth is watering.)

The Family in our "Cozy Area" for viewing Black Friday ads.

BINGO!  Yes, I was a winner.  Finally!  I won something.

Little girls hiding under the table.

Carlo and I after a friendly game of one-on-one b-ball.  We quit before either of us won. 

No, we are not nice- it was taking too long to make a basket!

Thanksgiving was over. 

Black Friday went great.  Thanks Mom and Dad for braving the lines.

Saturday . . . DUN, DUN, DUN DUN . . . .

I was sick.

Saturday evening . . .

Carlo was sick.

And then Daniel . . .

Began spewing.

I thought we were all through, so I sent Daniel to school on Monday.

The school called.  He spewed in class.  But he made it to the toilet.  Whew.

Yet another sick day.

So, I pulled out my Christmas dishes for some cheer.  It's like I have new dishes all over again.  I love them.

Merry Christmas!