In 2008, be it resolved to...

1. Avoid carrot sticks. Anyone who puts carrots on a holiday buffet table knows nothing of the Christmas spirit. In fact, if you see carrots, leave immediately. Go next door, where they're serving rum balls.

2. Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. Like fine single-malt scotch, it's rare. In fact, it's even rarer than single-malt scotch. You can't find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It's not as if you're going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It's a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It's later than you think. It's Christmas!

3. If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy. Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on. Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes. Fill it with gravy . Eat the volcano. Repeat.

4. As for mashed potatoes, always ask if they're made with skim milk or whole milk. If it's skim, pass. Why bother? It's like buying a sports car with an automatic transmission.

5. Do not have a snack before going to a party in an effort to control your eating. The whole point of going to a Christmas party is to eat other people's food for free. Lots of it. Hello?

6. Under no circumstances should you exercise between now and New Year's. You can do that in January when you have nothing else to do. This is the time for long naps, which you'll need after circling the buffet table while carrying a 10-pound plate of food and that vat of eggnog.

7. If you come across something really good at a buffet table, like frosted Christmas cookies in the shape and size of Santa, position yourself near them and don't budge. Have as many as you can before becoming the center of attention. They're like a beautiful pair of shoes. If you leave them behind, you're never going to see them again.

8. Same for pies. Apple. Pumpkin. Mincemeat. Have a slice of each. Or if you don't like mincemeat, have two apples and one pumpkin. Always have three. When else do you get to have more than one dessert? Labor Day?

9. Did someone mention fruitcake? Granted, it's loaded with the mandatory celebratory calories, but avoid it at all cost. I mean, have some standards.

10. One final tip: If you don't feel terrible when you leave the party or get up from the table, you haven't been paying attention. Re-read tips; start over, but hurry, January is just around the corner.

Remember this motto to live by:

"Life should *not* be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, martini in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, 'WOO HOO what a ride!'"

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

another pic

with nana and her grandbaby

ABC Fun

Found this on Sarah's blog from a few years ago...

A is for age: 30 (gulp)
B is for birthday: October 15
C is for career: Customer Service for a test publishing company
D is for your dad's name: David
E is for essential items to bring to a party: Camera
F is for favorite song at the moment: Home by Daughtry
G is for favorite game: Apples to Apples
H is for hometown: Schaumburg
I is for instruments you play: flute, piano, oboe and handbells
J is for jam or jelly you like: strawberry or grape
K is for kids: no kiddos yet...but i like connor for a boy and liliana for a girl
L is for living arrangements: apartment with hubby
M is for mom's name: Nancy
N is for name of your crush: Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Ty Pennington
O is for overnight hospital stays: for my thyroid removal and follow up radiation treatment
P is for phobias: Bugs!
Q is for quotes you like: We put the fun in disfunctional!
R is for relationship that lasted the longest: Husband, married for a little over 7, together for almost 10 and have known each other for almost 18 years!
Best friends w/April since we were in kindegarten
S is for sexual preference: I'll take anything ;)
T is for time you wake up: between 6-7am
U is for underwear: Yes, i wear underwears!
V is for vegetable you love: Broccoli w/cheese
W is for weekend plans: celebrating mil's and gmas birthdays
X is for x-rays you've had: teeth (a couple times) and chest (during surgery)
Y is for yummy food you make: fudge, fruit pizza
Z is for zodiac sign: Libra

Busy weekend

Tomorrow, we are heading out to the inlaws to celebrate mil's birthday. Then, we're heading back towards home and going out to dinner with grandma and the family. Grandma is 90 on Sunday...so it's dinner tomorrow night and church on Sunday. We'll have cake and coffee after church on Sunday!

Then, a half day at work on Monday and it's partying for New year's with my friends marcy and nancy. Dh is going to cook us spaghetti!! I'm looking foward to it!!!

Crockpot Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

6 cups apples, sliced
4-6 ounces 100% apple juice
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup dry quick cooking oats
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup whole-wheat flour
4 tablespoons trans-fat free butter spread
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4-1/2 cup chopped toffee bits


Directions:
Combine apples and apple juice in crockpot sprayed with non-fat cooking spray. Use a teaspoon to spoon peanut butter over apples. Combine remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours

Picture fun...Part 2!

here's one of my cousin and her hubbie!

Picture fun!

I've been playing with Microsoft Digital Image Suite...thought that I would share some of my "creations"

Bored...

It's so quiet around work this week.  We thought that we were going to be slammed with getting everything in before the end of year, but it seems like we're in a good position.  

I'm actually bored and fighting to stay awake.  It was nice the first day, but now I'm fighting to stay awake!

What's yours Theme Song?

Your Karaoke Theme Song is "Since U Been Gone"

You are a very expressive and genuine person. You're not so emotional that you wear your heart on your sleeve - but you're not afraid to show how you're truly feeling. Whether you're singing along in the car or singing on stage, your favorite songs make you get a little carried away. You're definitely the type most likely to dream of becoming a rock star! You might also sing: "Livin' La Vida Loca," "I Will Survive," or "Hollaback Girl" Stay away from people who sing: "I'll Make Love to You"

What's Your Karaoke Theme Song?

Recipe for my Personality

The Recipe For Jenn

3 parts Understanding 2 parts Intellect 1 part Moxie Splash of Mania Finish off with a little umbrella and straw

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Blog 2008!

In November, I participated in NaBlPoMo, where you had to post every day in the month of November.

I'm going out on a limb here....in 2008, I'm going to attempt and post EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Anyone care to join me?

Merry Christmas to all my blogger friends!

I realize that it's the day after, but I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas, no matter how you spent it!  

Last week I was in a holiday funk.  We had some friends who are in the midst of a little bit of bad luck and it was difficult getting into the spirit of Christmas because of their current struggles.  Thursday and Friday, I finished up the last of my shopping and frankly, I'm ok with it.  I'm not a big shopper, who needs to start in June...that's just not me.  I make out a list and I am able to get it done in just a few hours.  

Saturday, we headed into the city to spend Christmas with my side of the family.  My BIL made awesome pizzas...YUM!  We opened up gifts with my parents, grandparents, sister and her family.  The kids were so excited about presents and were able to quickly tell which presents belong to them!  

Sunday, I had stopped by Grandma's to deliver her Christmas gift.   Later that evening, dh and I went out to the movies and saw National Treasure...GOOD!  After we got home, we finished wrapping Christmas gifts for the inlaws.

We got up on Christmas Eve and headed out to Plainfield...spent the afternoon with my inlaws, just relaxing and enjoying the peace and quiet!  Later in the evening, we went over to dh's aunt and uncle's house and had Christmas with them.   I drank a little too much (me like white russians!) and sang along with American Idol on playstation.  All in all, it was a fun night!

Yesterday, we woke up at Bill's parents and ate breakfast before heading downstairs for presents.  I got the game called Apples to Apples, a new flatware set, some CDs and DVDs, some gift cards!

I can't believe that it's over so fast.  This Friday, we have our last performance of our cantata and Saturday and Sunday will be birthday celebration weekend with Grandma and MIL!  Fun fun fun!!

Musical Monday...part two...

Just because I can't decide!!

Maverick: "She's lost that loving feeling."
Goose: "She's lo..."
[catches up]
Goose: "No she hasn't."
Maverick: "Yes she has."
Goose: [objecting] "She's not lost that lo..."
Maverick: Goose, she's lost it man.
[walks off]
Goose: [to Mav] Come on!
[to himself]
Goose: Aw sh... I hate it when she does that.

Musical Monday: At the Movies

OMG!!

Talk about feeling old. I'm "borrowing" this from Sarah's blog.

The Stacy Ferguson in this video...


Is the same as this one!!



I'll be up in the gym working on my fitness!!

scrapbook for the nephew

Here is my christmas present for my 3 year old nephew...still have a few more pages left to do!!

more layouts of my christmas present...

part 2...

wait there's more...

part 3

last one...

enjoy!!

Advent Devotional; December 8-14th

December 14
The Prophets of Advent - Isaiah
Kenneth L. Samuel
We often think that radical change cannot occur without great upheaval. In the minds of sixth and seventh-century Hebrews, the paradigm for social change was the violence and subjugation imposed on them by their belligerent neighbors, the Assyrians and the Babylonians. But the prophet Isaiah was sent to speak to the people about the advent of another kind of radical social change. Isaiah’s vision of revolution would not be marked by
aggression, dislocation or intimidation. The tone of this revolution would be set by the “Anointed One”—the one sent by God to usher in the radical revelation of God’s new
order. What would this revolutionist emissary need to stop the old order and begin the new? A mighty army? Military prowess? A commanding presence? Jesus, the greatest revolutionary humanity has ever known, had none of these. In fact, his spirit was so humble and his manner so meek that “he would not break a bruised reed nor extinguish a smoldering wick.” Still, the revolution he inspired refuses to die and will never be defeated. It is a revolution that grows by the forces of faith and conquers through the supremacy of selfless love.
Prayer: God grant us the power of faith, so that we may accomplish radical changes in
your Name. Amen.
A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice. Isaiah 42:3

December 13
The Prophets of Advent - Jeremiah
Kenneth L. Samuel
Seventh-century prophet Jeremiah heralded news from God that the people of his day
did not want to hear. The Word of the Lord is like surgery: before it can cure us, it must
first cut us. Jeremiah’s contemporaries had grown so complacent and cocky in their
spiritual iniquities and social injustices that they refused to deal soberly with the advent of
God’s judgment. They thought that if they denied it, it would not come to pass. Advent gives each of us a chance to prepare for new seasons in God’s reign. But our resistance to change can force us into dangerous denial and retreat. Deeply afflicted by the intransigence of his culture, Jeremiah retreated into his own denial. He thought that by denying his vocation to speak in the name of the Lord, he could absolve himself of all responsibility and live a carefree life. He did not realize that the price we pay for denying the calling of God upon our lives is our own health and wholeness. It was the “fire in his bones” that burned him back into his prophetic role as herald of God’s new season. The seasons of God cannot be averted and the calling of God cannot be ignored. The only questions are: Are we prepared for the changes? Are we willing to act as the change agents of the stillspeaking God?
Prayer: Lord, in this season of Advent, prepare us for the seasons ahead; and make us
faithful heralds of your unfolding Grace, through your Son, who was, is, and is yet to
come. Amen.
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my
heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed I cannot.
Jeremiah 20:9 (NIV)
December 12
Be a Star
Donna Schaper
She didn’t get to be an angel in the pageant, she had to be a star. Her mother talked her into the role she had to play. Her mother was also overjoyed that, when the play was over,
she had loved being a star. How had the turn happened? “The angels had to sing. I just had to stand there and shine.” Sometimes fire is more light than heat. Sometimes it just shines, and in its shine, we find our unexpected joy. Often when we do get what we thought we wanted, we don’t like it. Often, also, when we don’t get what we wanted, we find that what we get is great. Serendipity abounds and so does the shining.Light 12, Darkness 11, and the game continues.The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
Prayer: O God, let us be a part of the shining light.Amen.

December 11
The Fire in Our Bones
Donna Schaper
Someone I’d never met said, “Well, you always used to bring the portable microphone to the rally.” Part of me was offended. Another part of me was honored: My church always used to give more than it could afford. What a bargain: To be able to give more than you can afford. It releases the fire shut in our bones. In many third world countries, people offer you a piece of jewelry for a price that is a third of the price you would pay in the United States. First they gave us a ridiculously low price. Then we (sometimes) bargain them down. Sometimes I like to pay the U.S. price. It releases the fire shut in my bones.
Prayer: Let us show that another economy is possible. Amen.
...there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones: I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot. Jeremiah 20:9

December 10
Light One Candle
Donna Schaper
There is a beautiful story recounted every Christmas in the forests of Provence in southern France. It’s about the four shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see the child. One brought eggs, another bread and cheese, the third brought wine. And the fourth brought nothing at all. People called him L’Enchante. The first three shepherds chatted with Mary and Joseph, commenting on how well Mary looked, how cozy was the cave and how handsome Joseph was in it. What a beautiful starlit night! Finally someone asked, “Where is L’Enchante?” They searched high and low, up and down, inside and out. Finally, someone peeked through the blanket hung up against the crib into the crèche. And there kneeling at the crib was L’Enchante. He stayed the entire night in adoration. Another response, beyond silence and action, to the call from the wild is enchantment. Simple enchantment. It is what we can see in just one candle.
Prayer: Let us find a little enchantment in one candle. Amen.
. . . and the life was the light of all people. John 1:4

December 9
Christmas People
Donna Schaper
There is an eternal rift between the Christmas “quick” people and the Christmas “slow”
people. The quick people put up their tree the day after Thanksgiving, mail their cards,
and savor an entire month of the holiday, prepared and pretty. The Christmas slow people
are more classical in their approach: they celebrate Advent. They are not upset that we
don’t sing Christmas carols until Christmas. The tree goes up close to the actual day; the cards may not get out until February. These are the crock pot Christmas keepers; the others are the frying pan type. Some of us are bi—we like Christmas so much that we do a both/and. We fill up the whole month with slow preparations. We keep the fire going all night long. We take the long way home.
Prayer: Help us, O God, to set the world on fire, one stick at a time. Amen.
Go forth and set the world on fire. St. Ignatius of Loyola

December 8
Flame
Donna Schaper
The word “flame” has a bad rap. Many relate it to people who either dress or behave ostentatiously. Humility might be its opposite: here we dress and behave invisibly,
without calling attention to ourselves. Oddly, this text advises a combination. It calls
us to flame humbly. The admonition for a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline, is a
delightful combination of quiet and noise. As we await Advent, we might try dancing this fire
dance. We might find a way to speak powerfully and quietly at the same time. We might practice “infant” behaviors.
Prayer: Fan into flame the smoldering ashes of our spirits and let us be a vigorous
flame, not just in short Advent but in long time. Amen.
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God... For God did not give us
a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline. II Timothy 1:6-7

Advent Devotional: December 3rd - December 7th

I've been slacking off...so I'm posting them all at once!

December 7
The Baby Grew Up
Martin B. Cobenhaver
This passage is a reminder of who it is we await in this season. During Advent we tend to focus our anticipation on the sweet baby Jesus because, as every parent knows, we can see in an infant almost anything we want to see. And, besides, everyone loves a baby. This passage, however, reminds us of the mission of God’s anointed one, the Messiah.
When we read this passage during Advent it is a reminder that the baby grew up. He taught,
he challenged, he provoked, he healed, he liberated. We are never very good at letting babies grow up to the point where they have their own ideas and confront us with their own lives. A baby tends to turn things upside down and can be a bit of a challenge to have around. In the case of the baby Jesus, that is nothing compared to the ways in which the adult Jesus can disrupt and challenge us. Is it any wonder, then, that when Jesus read this passage at his home synagogue in Nazareth and said that the prophet was talking about him, the people who had known him since he was a baby chased him out of town?
Prayer: O God, as I anticipate the birth of the babe in Bethlehem, never let me forget that he grew up. In this season may I be better prepared to follow him as teacher,Savior and Lord. Amen.
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent
me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty
to the captives, and release to the prisoners. Isaiah 61:1

December 6
We Will Be Changed
Martin B. Copenhaver

The prophet declares that when the Messiah comes all of God’s people will be changed That is the promise. It is also the challenge. Most of us resist change. A woman gave her mother a sampler with the inscription, “Prayer changes things.” When she asked her mother why she never hung it up, her mother confessed, “I don’t really want things to change.” We may want things better, but not really different. We want a fresh start, but without having to give up
old ways. We want to be free from anxiety, but without giving up our need to control things. We want the world to be at peace, but we don’t want to change our old way of acting in the world to achieve peace. We want to help those in need, but without having to give anything up. Who really wants to change? Only those who recognize that the one we await, Jesus
Christ, brings change and that we not only have to undergo change to receive his promises, change is itself the promise. We will be new people. And that is not bad news. Actually, it is the Good News.
Prayer: God of transformation, help me to embrace the change you bring in my life.
Help me to await change, not as the disrupter of peace, but as the bearer of peace, not
as a source of discomfort, but as the way to surer comfort. Amen.
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever. They are the
shoot that I planted, the work of my hands, so that I might be glorified. Isaiah 60:21

December 5
The Challenges of Waiting
Martin B. Copenhaver
Advent is a season devoted to waiting. It is a time when we celebrate waiting, honor those
who waited for the coming of the Messiah, and seek to learn something about how we might join them in waiting for the Spirit of Christ to be born again in our midst. But waiting is difficult for most of us. In this era of instant gratification, as the world is put in fast forward, even our limited capacity to wait has diminished still further. It seems as if, among all the things we no longer have time for, we no longer have time to wait. As challenging as it can be to wait, however, certainly it is preferable to the alternative. Those who have ceased to wait generally are those who live without hope. When all that you see around you is all there is to be, then there is no need to wait. But there is also no hope of progress, movement, revelation or transformation. To wait is to be open to the future. To wait is to be open to God.
Prayer: God, you know that I can find it challenging to wait. So teach my heart to
wait. Or, to put it another way, please give me the gift of hope. Amen.
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light
to you by night; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your
glory. Your sun shall no more go down, or your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will
be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended. Isaiah 60:19-20

December 4
Christmas as a Surprise Party
Martin B. Copenhaver
In a way it is unfortunate that we always celebrate Christmas on the same day of the year, because that makes the coming of Christ seem almost predictable. But Christmas is more like a surprise party. For centuries God’s people awaited the coming of the promised one. Then, when it happened, most people missed it. They were watching the ceremonial gates and he snuck in the servants’ entrance. God is always sneaking into our lives when we least expect it, and where we least expect as well, even at the darkest time of year, in a forgotten corner, as a baby with milk on his breath. We never know when the Spirit of Christ will appear and so we never know when the party is about to begin. A bumper sticker warns, “Jesus is coming, so look busy.” As we await the coming of Jesus, however, we are not to look busy, we are to be busy with the Lord’s work. Even though Christmas is a surprise party,
we are still expected to prepare for it.
Prayer: O God of surprises, may I have an eye for the unexpected places you may turn up in this season, in places as unlikely as a baby born in a forgotten corner of the world. And since you always seem to appear when and where we least expect it, may I be ready to see you and celebrate your presence at any moment. Amen.
Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your
borders; you shall call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise. Isaiah 60:18

December 3
Different Kinds of Waiting
Martin B. Copenhaver

We often associate waiting with passivity and, indeed, some waiting is passive. But also there is active waiting, expectant waiting. A girl who stands on a street corner waiting for the bus to arrive will experience one kind of waiting, a passive waiting. That same girl on the same corner hearing the sound of a parade that is just out of sight will also wait, but it will be a different kind of waiting, full of expectation, a waiting on tiptoe. A fisherman may find it burdensome to wait for spring to arrive and fishing season to begin, but once he is fishing, he does not find it a burden to wait for the trout to rise to his fly, and in some ways the waiting itself is delicious. The difference is that one kind of waiting is passive and the other is active. In the dead of winter the fisherman can do nothing but passively wait for time to pass. At the pool of his favorite trout stream, however, a fisherman’s waiting is filled with accomplishing all the many things he must do, all injected with a sense of anticipation. Obviously, our Advent waiting is to be more like this, full of expectation, a waiting on tiptoe.

Prayer: O God, who waits for us ever more faithfully than we wait for you, may our waiting for you in this season be full of a sense of eager anticipation. May we wait actively, on tiptoe, for the fulfillment of your promises. Amen.
For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord
will arise upon you, and the glory will appear over you. Isaiah 60:2

Advent Devotional - December 2nd

December 2 A Promise Already Fulfilled
Martin B. Copenhaver
Here, as the prophet Isaiah anticipates the coming of God’s anointed one, the Messiah, he speaks in the present tense, as if the promise has been fulfilled already. It is a remarkable statement of trust. The prophet is affirming that when we wait for one of God’s promises to be fulfilled we can speak of it as if it is already accomplished. This confidence is based on two things we know about God: God cannot lie and God has the power to make good on God’s promises. So when God has promised something, it is as good as done. The coming of God’s anointed one first was a promise fulfilled in the heart of the prophet, awaiting fulfillment in history. When we await the coming of Jesus in Advent the order is reversed: the promise of the coming of God’s anointed one has already been fulfilled in history and awaits fulfillment in our hearts. Arise, shine for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.Isaiah 60:1

Prayer: O promise-making, promise-keeping God, help me in this season to rest in your
promises with the confidence of one who sees them as promises already fulfilled in the
birth we anticipate. Amen.

Whateva!

This is a riot!!

more layouts..

a few more...enjoy!!

Scrapbook Layouts

Here are a few...Enjoy!

another scrap layout...

here is one...enjoy!!

Another Monday...

and I wanna be in bed...blech...

Christmas Letter

So, I was looking around at various church websites to get some ideas in regards to expanding ours and I came upon a sermon. One sermon was talking about the story of Jesus' birth and in it was a humorous Christmas letter. I can't help but share...ENJOY!

Dec. 25, 0001

It’s been quite a year for us. Maybe you’ve heard the news already through an angelic visitation (does that happen to everyone or just to us?), but we have a baby boy who’s just celebrating his first birthday. Things didn’t quite work out the way we hoped—Mary got pregnant before our wedding day and I almost called the whole thing off. But this guy Gabriel (he said he was an angel) convinced me this was part of God’s plan, so we stayed together and eventually tied the knot.

The timing could have been better: just when Mary was ready to deliver, the Emperor decided the whole world should be registered (more unnecessary government bureaucracy if you ask me), so we had to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Old Bessie (our donkey) has a few miles on her, so we were pretty nervous about the long trip, but it had to be done. Poor Mary was really uncomfortable in her ninth month, and then—wouldn’t you know?—so many people had come back home to Bethlehem that we couldn’t find a place to stay. Guess I should have called ahead for reservations, but we were pretty busy praising God and trying to wallpaper the nursery. At least we knew it would be a boy!

I knocked on the doors of all my old classmates (it was great to see all of you again, by the way), but no one had an extra couch. We finally had to settle for a stable, and let me tell you it made Motel 6 look like a palace. I will say the ox and ass were a welcome change from Grandpa Zach’s snoring. Don’t tell Grandma, but we had to use a manger for a crib when Jesus was born. Just when we thought things were settling down, a pack of local shepherds showed up and---you guessed it---more angels. Then there was a lot of singing (woke Jesus up, just when we had gotten him to sleep) and then the shepherds went out telling everybody about our baby. Mary kept hoping no one would come and visit us while we were still in that stable that smelled to high heaven. A few weeks later we made the 10-mile trip to Jerusalem so Jesus could be presented at the Temple, and I have to say Simeon and Anna did a beautiful job giving him a blessing. Finally I got back to work at the carpenter shop in Galilee, and there were a lot of orders waiting—you all know how crazy Passover can be.

I don’t have time to tell you about a bunch of wise men who came along later, because right now we’re packing again---this time to go to Egypt. It looks like we may need to hide out for awhile thanks to Herod and his administration. The good news is we were able to trade in Bessie for a hybrid—much better mileage and plenty of room for the baby in back. If things continue this way for us, I think somebody should write a book!

Love, Joseph, Mary and Jesus

The story of Christmas is a divine comedy.

today's layouts

Here are the ones I did today!

Friday layouts

Here are the ones I did yesterday...

12/01/07 Advent Devotional

December 1
Invitation
Quinn G. Caldwell
What if John was laughing when he said, “the kingdom of heaven has come near”?
What if what he meant by that wasn’t that the end of time, with fire and judgment
and your ultimate doom, was at hand? What if what he meant was that God’s realm,
God’s biggest dream, God’s fondest hope for us and all that we might become was drawing so close that it was about to break through into this time and place? Would it sound different to you? Would you live differently because of it? Would you understand why the people went to the desert to be dunked underwater by a wild man? What if “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” isn’t so much a threat as an invitation worth accepting?

Prayer: Come, God, come. Break into our world. Transform it. Transform me, that I
might be the way of the Lord, and that through my life, your creation might come a
step closer to the completion you dream of for it and for me. Amen.
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent,
for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah
spoke when he said,
“The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.’” Matthew 3:1-3

TGIF!!

I can't believe it's the weekend already. So not complaining but still hard to believe!

Anyone else watch Dancing with the Stars! I'm so SO SO excited that Helio and Julianne won. I would have been upset if Marie Osmond won...because she would have won on her popularity alone. I can't wait till next season.

Anyone of my listeners know how to dance ballroom dances? Although I am a major chicken, I kinda would like to learn some of them...It would be fun...I think. LOL

Here is a little video of their final dances...including the freestyle dance!!

Advent Devotional...Day 8

November 30
OfWindows and Doors
Quinn G. Caldwell

When we were young, if I walked through the living room and accidentally blocked
her view while my sister was watching TV, she would snarl from the couch, “You’d
make a better door than a window.” Not so with John the Baptist. Of course, it
could have gone differently than it did: John had had a miraculous birth, was full of the Holy Spirit, had the respect of the people and the fear of their leaders. He could have proclaimed himself history’s goal, and the people would have followed him. Instead, he made of his words, his actions, and his life windows through which the people could see the Realm of God and the coming Messiah. Are there ways in which you—or your church—have been acting as if you, and not Jesus, are the end toward which history is tending? As Advent nears, how might you be more like a window through which the world can see the coming Christ?

Prayer: O God, in you I have become great indeed. Help me to remember that the greatness with which you have gifted me is for your service alone. Make me transparent for the Gospel, a window through which all who meet me glimpse your goodness. Amen. As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the messiah, John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” Luke 3:15-16

more homecoming

a night out at the bluecat...

homecoming layout

another layout...

Advent Devotional...7

Odd Things

Quinn G. Caldwell

John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. Mark 1:4-8

Camel hair, locusts, the desert: make no mistake, John the Baptist was a distinctly odd man. Then again, prophets tend to be at least a little bit odd, for the God for whom they speak tends to do some pretty odd things--like entering history as a human being. So we Christians do a lot of odd things of our own. We sprinkle water on ourselves and call it salvation, we share meals and believe that God sits at table with us, we proclaim that the poorest and most broken are dearest of all, we seek to create peace amid war, we proclaim that our flawed and broken churches are the very body of God in the world. Make no mistake: these are not things that the world considers normal. And yet they are the stuff we are made of, the signs we're known by. They are the way God continues to speak to God's odd people.

Prayer: O loving creator of all things, help me to live as St. Paul urged: help me to be in this world but not of it. By the grace of my baptism, make me odd to every way of the world that is not yours. Give me the strength to live less as a product of this world, more as a citizen of your coming realm, and so let me participate in your turning the one into the other. Amen.

Scrapbook Page

Jess challenged me to do a page a day...almost forgot today's!!

Say Merry Christmas!

Twas the month before Christmas
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a " Holiday ".

Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.

Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace

The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree"
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say

Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !*

To Speak up or stay silent

let me first say that 95% of the time i enjoy my job...it's not *stressful* and the higher ups don't expect you to be perfect. If you make a mistakes, they don't scold you for it, but they help you to fix it.

now, some of the people i work with really drive me crazy. they constantly complain, stating that they have the most work out of all us and that nobody cares. UGH! first off, we ALL have heavy loads...sometimes more than others. but, i don't know how many times i've offered to help her and i get nothing. i hate the fact that this person is being SUCH a martyr...do i say something to my boss??? the negative attiude this person provides can really stress me out!

Advent Devotional...Day Six

All Things are Possible

Quinn G. Caldwell

"Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord... he will be filled with the Holy Spirit." Luke 1:13-15

An angel comes to Zechariah and announces an unexpected thing: he and Elizabeth, here in their old age--what some might call their declining years--are to have a son, a miracle of a boy, filled with the Holy Spirit, born for the rejoicing of the people and the purposes of God. Understandably, he responds with disbelief. But what is unexpected for Zechariah is nothing new for the God that caused creation to spring into being at a word, who birthed the whole people of Israel from barren Abraham and Sarah. Much has been made of "the decline of the mainline churches" in recent years. The membership numbers do point in an unhappy direction, and many have come to expect an equally unhappy future. But our God is the God of unexpected things in surprising places, the one who makes new life to spring unexpectedly from old bodies. And we are a people learning to expect the unexpected.

Prayer: Come, God, come. Open me to your Spirit moving in me and in my church. Teach me to expect the new life--the miracles--you are nurturing even now in the deep places of my life. Amen.

Advent Devotional...Day Five

The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward all. Luke 2:14



William Green

All flesh. What part of "all" don't we get? God's embrace isn't for some flesh, but all flesh. We'll never meet a person whom God doesn't love. And yet we continue to construct walls that divide us--walls built on gender, race, class, religion, sexual orientation, and whatever else that distinguishes us from one another. Advent is a good time to look again at the "walls" that divide us. We can't celebrate the coming of Jesus without letting them crumble. What are these walls for you? Consider some "walls" that, at first, may not be obvious. Isn't tolerance a wall when it's a substitute for respect? Isn't being nice a wall when it's avoidance of difference? Isn't good will a wall when it's limited to conviviality and agreement?

Glory to God is peace on earth, good will toward all--and the angels are not going to take care of it for us. This is not a matter of following rules but of honoring relationships--with strangers as well as kin, with enemies as well as allies. When we honor others as ourselves, then, and only then, can we celebrate Christmas, finding in Jesus the love that welcomes us all, and brings us to our best.

Prayer: "Born all people to deliver, born a child, you came to reign! Born to rule on earth forever, come, be known to us again." Amen.

Music Monday

Borrowing this from Jess...here is my favorite disco song!!

Advent Devotional - Day Three

Your troubles will not overwhelm you... the hard trials that come will not hurt you. Isaiah 43:2

The church is always tempted to give easy answers to hard questions. Jesus did not say he was the answer. He said he was the way (John 14:6). As Maya Angelou put it in one of her poems, "When I say 'I am a Christian'/I'm not shouting 'I am saved.'/I'm whispering 'I get lost'/ That is why I chose this way.... " Faith is not the absence of doubt--or of heartache--but the willingness to be honest about it. A good way to prepare for the coming of Christ is to acknowledge heartache and doubt. In a Christmas card, stables glow, the cows don't smell, and it always looks soft for the baby Jesus. But Jesus was born in a real stable. There was no room in a more pleasant place. And so with us. Jesus becomes real, not simply amid warmth and happiness, but during hard times. And what turns out to matter more than answers is the assurance that we're not alone, there's nothing so strange about us--and we're on the right way.

Prayer: "Redeemer come! I open wide my heart to you; here, Christ abide! Let me your inner presence feel; your grace and love in me reveal." Amen.

freerice.com

http://freerice.com/

For each word you get right, they donate 10 grains of rice through the United Nations to help end world hunger!

I donated 110 grains of rice...with a little help from an online dictionary though!

I'm Ready for Christmas!!

Now that Thanksgiving has passed and we're eating turkey leftovers...

I AM READY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!

I don't believe in getting any Christmas decorations out until Thanksgiving has passed.

I've updated my blogger page and myspace to get in the holiday spirit.

One month from today is Christmas Eve...YIKES!!!

Advent Devotional - Day Two

Fear not, for behold I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. Luke 2:10

Seventy-six times from the beginning to the end of the Bible we find the words, "Fear not!" Almost always this accompanies great blessing, as at the birth of Christ and on Easter morning. Along with so many others in Scripture, the shepherds and those first at the empty tomb come upon something wonderful--and are told not to be afraid.

How often fear and joy work together in our lives. Something especially good happens to us--and we wonder when the other shoe will drop. Someone says the 'yes' we've wanted to hear, and we wonder whether we can really believe it.

Perhaps it's like the story of the boy who loved Mister Rogers and Captain Kangaroo. He was thrilled when Mister Rogers announced that the two would finally meet. But when that day finally came, after a minute of watching his two heroes together, he quietly left the room. Puzzled, his father followed him and asked why. "What is it? Is something wrong?" The boy looked up and said, "It's too good. It's just too good."

Are we prepared to believe there's such a thing as something too good not to be true? In the spirit of Advent, let's get ready!

Prayer: "Born all people to deliver, born a child, you came to reign! Born to rule on earth forever, come, be known to us again." Amen.

Devotional Day 1 - Expecting the Unexpected

Expecting the Unexpected

William Green

My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. Isaiah 55:8.

What do you expect? More of the same? Do you worry about the worst--or anticipate the best? Or do you just quit thinking about it? Advent is about getting ready for good news. This means repentance: turning from our ways to God's ways, giving up reliance on ourselves alone. This is an act of hope. It's a joy not a job because it involves something to look forward to! It's anticipation: expecting that goodness and mercy far greater than our own are waiting to be born anew for us and in the world. This "good news" seems unrealistic. But God's ways are not our ways. And God's love is stronger than the toughest trouble, surpassing what we can figure out. When we demand that life fit our rational expectations we put ourselves in charge: instead of trusting God, we play God. Whether what we face is beautiful or ugly, tragic or fortunate--or anywhere in between--all this is the grist of grace, the cradle of Christ... the means whereby love again becomes real for us. We can expect to be surprised.

Prayer: "Come, O long expected Jesus, born to set all people free; from our fears and sins release us; grant us your true liberty." Amen.

Advent Devotional

I'm getting these daily devotionals starting today all the way until Christmas Eve. I'll be sharing them here for my wonderful audience! :)

Black Friday

It's black friday and I am staying home! LOL No way am I going to be out in the stores..especially being so close to woodfield. I'm been doing some browsing online for stuff...maybe I'll buy a few things. We'll see...

anyone shopping today?

Joke from my nephew...

"What does the smoked turkey say?"
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"cough cough....gobble gobble....cough cough"

Grateful Friday

I'm SO VERY grateful for yesterday.

I'm grateful that my grandmother finally got to meet her "granddaughter-in-law". My cousin met his wife while they were in basic in California. She was sent over to Korea before my cousin was, so she didn't get a chance to get home when he came home for a graduation celebration. They were married in Hawaii last summer and Gma wasn't strong enough for the trip. When my other cousin got married this summer, she wasn't able to get time away from the military. My sister and I (along with our families) hadn't gotten a chance to meet her either, so I was looking foward to it as well.

I'm grateful that Grandma is still thriving. Her physical body may be working against her, but her mental state is excellent. A few months ago, I wondered if she would be able to make it to this day or make it to her 90th birthday, which is next month. I know that not everyone is as lucky as I am, so I know that my time with her is limited. She could last another 10 years or she could be gone next year.

Not to mention it was my husband's "bird day" yesterday...that's what my nephew said..LOL

Thankful Thursday

What a wonderful day we had! A few bumps along the road, but I am thankful that we were all able to get together.

I got to my parents around 11:30...Mom and Dad did an awesome job getting the house together. I helped preparing a few of the dishes for cooking. Around 12:00 my sister, BIl and the boys arrived. Dad brought Grandma over about 1:00...we have discovered a new way for her to get up the stairs, since that is such a struggle for her. BIL brought over one of his lounge chairs that they used last week. She sits in the chair and they carry her in that way.

Shortly after, my aunt and uncle showed up with all of their family. My poor uncle was in pain with kidney stones. I left around 2:00 to pick up Bill from work. When we got back, I discovered that my aunt and uncle left along with my cousin and her husband to take uncle to the ER. Heather and her hubby came back so they could enjoy the dinner w/us. My mom said a wonderful prayer that almost made me cry, I was choking back the tears.

We had tons of food, lots of fun!! My aunt and uncle came back later and while the stone was still there, he was feeling better because of good pain medicine. After dinner, we did pics with the whole family and then had dessert...there were 3 or 4 pies, strawberry pretzel salad AND birthday cake!

Wonderful day!

Wednesday's post...a little late

This so reminds me of my nephew...cute kid...but he dances just like this!!

Tunes Tuesday: Our Song (Taylor Swift)

Thanksgiving Menu

We're having Thanksgiving at my mom's this year...about 20 people will be there! WOW!

Turkey
Ham
Stuffing
Spinach
Corn Casserole
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes (with marshmallows)
Strawberry Pretzel Salad
Bread
Pie

Birthday cake (for dh's birthday, since it's on Thanksgiving!)

Who will be there: Mom, Dad, Bill, me, Kathy, Phil, nephews, aunt, uncle, cousin and her husband, cousin and his wife, cousin, grandma, bob, joy, jess and her husband (friends of cousin)...WOWSER!

Hopefully...

This cough syrup will FINALLY get rid of my cough. There's nothing worse than coughing so hard that
a) you feel like you are coughing up a left lung
b) you cough so hard, that when you are done, you begin to see stars
c) you cough so hard, you start to wet your pants (OMG!)

I've been sick on and off since September...whether it's been a cold or allergies or whatever, it's annoying. My poor husband is ready to send me to the moon. I don't have a nice delicate cough, I have a barking cough...ugh

Doctor gave me a prescription for robotussin with codeine...good night jenn!

Happy Monday!!

Music Sunday...

Here are some of my favorites...some are happy...some are sad...but I love them all!

STAY
Sugarland

I've been sitting here staring at the clock on the wall
And I've been laying here praying, praying she won't call
It's just another call from home
And you'll get it and be gone
And I'll be crying

And I'll be begging you, baby
Beg you not to leave
But I'll be left here waiting
With my Heart on my sleeve
Oh, for the next time we'll be here
Seems like a million years
And I think I'm dying

What do I have to do to make you see
She can't love you like me?

Why don't you stay
I'm down on my knees
I'm so tired of being lonely
Don't I give you what you need
When she calls you to go
There is one thing you should know
We don't have to live this way
Baby, why don't you stay

You keep telling me, baby
There will come a time
When you will leave her arms
And forever be in mine
But I don't think that's the truth
And I don't like being used and I'm tired of waiting
It's too much pain to have to bear
To love a man you have to share

Why don't you stay
I'm down on my knees
I'm so tired of being lonely
Don't I give you what you need
When she calls you to go
There is one thing you should know
We don't have to live this way
Baby, why don't you stay

I can't take it any longer
But my will is getting stronger
And I think I know just what I have to do
I can't waste another minute
After all that I've put in it
I've given you my best
Why does she get the best of you
So next time you find you wanna leave her bed for mine

Why don't you stay
I'm up off my knees
I'm so tired of being lonely
You can't give me what I need
When she begs you not to go
There is one thing you should know
I don't have to live this way
Baby, why don't you stay, yeah

READY SET...DON'T GO.
Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus

She's gotta do what she's gotta do
And I've gotta like it or not
She's got dreams too big for this town
And she needs to give 'em a shot
Whatever they are

Looks like she's all ready to leave
Nothing left to pack
There ain't no room for me in that car
Even if she asked me to tag along
God I gotta be strong

She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life
As ready as she's ever been
Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes
The prize is hers to win
She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that
open road
Baby get ready
Get set
Don't go

She says things are fallen into place
Feels like they're fallen apart
I painted this big ol' smile on my face
To hide my broken heart
If only she knew
This is where I don't say what I want so bad to say
This is where I want to but I won't get in the way
Of her and her dreams
And spreadin' her wings

She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life
As ready as she's ever been
Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes
The prize is hers to win
She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that
open road
Baby get ready
Get set
Don't go

She's at the startin' line of the rest of her life
As ready as she's ever been
Got the hunger and the stars in her eyes
The prize is hers to win
She's waitin' on my blessings before she hits that
open road
Baby get ready
Get set
Please don't go

Don't go
Don't go
She's gotta do what she's gotta do
She's gotta do what she's gotta do

Saturday plans

Well, today is big nephew's birthday. I can't believe he is 7 years old. His Transformers presents are wrapped, just waiting for Uncle Bill to get home! I'm looking forward to his party and seeing the boys again! :) I'll try and post a pic or two of the birthday boy later next week!

I can't believe that Thursday is Thanksgiving. Time is going by WAY TOO FAST!! This December is going to fly by with all of the church happenings and family happenings. 5 days after Christmas is GE's (grandma) 90th birthday, so we're trying to figure out what to do for her. Probably a little luncheon thing @ church, but that's up to Mom and Dad!

I'm looking forward to all the yummy food @ Thanksgiving...mom is making it this year, so I know it's going to be good! :)

Installing Husband

Dear Tech Support,
Last year I upgraded from Boyfriend 5.0 to Husband 1.0 and noticed a
distinct slow down in overall system performance -- particularly in the
flower and jewelry applications, which operated flawlessly under Boyfriend
5.0.

In addition, Husband 1.0 uninstalled many other valuable programs, such as
Romance 9.5 and Personal Attention 6.5 and then installed undesirable
programs such as NFL 5.0, NBA 3.0, and Golf Clubs 4.1.

Conversation 8.0 no longer runs, and Housecleaning 2.6 simply crashes the
system. I've tried running Nagging 5.3 to fix these problems, but to no
avail.

What can I do?
Signed, Desperate
-------------------------------------

Dear Desperate:

First keep in mind, Boyfriend 5.0 is an Entertainment Package, while Husband
1.0 is an Operating System. Please enter the command: "I Thought You Loved
Me.exe" and try to download Tears 6.2 and don't forget to install the Guilt
3.0 update.
If that application works as designed, Husband 1.0 should then
automatically run the applications Jewelry 2.0 and Flowers 3.5.

But remember, overuse of the above application can cause Husband 1.0 to
default to Grumpy Silence 2.5, Happy Hour 7.0 or Beer 6.1. Beer 6.1 is a
very bad program that will download the Snoring Loudly Beta.

Whatever you do, DO NOT install Mother-in-law 1.0 (it runs a virus in the
background that will eventually seize control of all your system
resources).

Also, do not attempt to reinstall the Boyfriend 5.0 program. These are
unsupported applications and will crash Husband 1.0 .

In summary, Husband 1.0 is a great program, but it does have limited
memory and cannot learn new applications quickly. You might consider buying
additional software to improve memory and performance. We recommend Food
3.0 and Hot Lingerie 7.7.

Good Luck, Tech Support

Prayers for justice

This is a prayer request for a friend who's dealing with some major issues at the moment. I don't really feel comfortable sharing all the details but T's life and career have been jeoparized in this whole process. God, please grant her the justice that she so greatly deserves!

Best Sign seen in a Grocery Store...

This was sent to me, I thought it was cute and funny!

A Little Prayer to Remember

Especially when times are tough....

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

I think that says it all.

From this....to this....

Happy 7th birthday to one of the world's greatest nephews!!

Honoring our Veterans

Although my company didn't honor you by granting me a day off, I wanted to express my thanks and graditude for all of our veterans that have served, are serving, or plan to serve one day soon. Also, thanks to their families as they are also part of the military as well! You are ALL brave strong souls and we shouldn't just have one day to remember all of you!

Jenn

God is Still Speaking

Essentially, that is our motto of the church. In some publicity that came out recently, here are a few slogans that I thought were cool (and a little funny)


1. Our Faith is over 2000 years old...our thinking is not.

2. If you think getting up Sunday morning is hard, try raising from the dead.

3. If Jesus embraced Lepers, Prostitutes, & Convicts, shouldn't we?

Something to think and ponder about, eh??

Have a great week everyone!

Nice quiet Saturday and almost got us a kitty!!

For once, it was nice not having to go anywhere today! Well, I did have to go to get an oil change done. Afterwards, I headed over to Country Donuts and bought breakfast for me and mom.

We are looking for a kitty cat! We stopped at a pet store as they were having an adoption fair yesterday. I fell in love with two (well, actually I fell in love with all of them, but Bill told me I couldn't take them all home). We went back to the store after Bill got out of work. Sophie was a shy little kitty, but she was SO adorable and after a few minutes she warmed up to me. Bill grew up with cats and his mother bred cats, so this was nothing from him. As it turns out, the company that foster her, doesn't believe in declawing and Bill does...so sadly, we couldn't take her home. There were some other issues as well, and as sweet as she was, we weren't sure that this was the safest place for her. She had been an outside cat and will fight to get back outside, and will scratch at the windows and doors to get out. Being in a apartment AND on the third floor, we were nervous if she would be scratching the screen that with enough determination, that she would get out the window. Plus, we're in an apartment and don't want to lose our deposit.

Oh well, we will keep looking!! :) And it's all his fault that I now love cats!!

Dh's Birthday gift...

Since he couldn't wait until his actual birthday...we bought it a few weeks early! He's in 7th heaven!!

what i'm thankful for...

last week during sunday school, i had the kids tell me some thing that they were thankful for.  The list was too cute not to share...mind you...they are in kindergarten and first grade!

• my stuff that I have
• my fish
• food & family
• people who love me
• my hungriness (probably not a word, but we went with it)
• my gameboy
• that i have a place to live
• clothes
• everything!
• my dog
• my brothers
• coloring
• my sister
• water
• juices
• trees
• air
• best friends
• people
• pizzas
• teachers
• eating
• llamas (again, we don't ask, just list!)

Detentions = Hugging????

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21661718/

I think that this is CRAZY!  This poor girl was hugging her friend to say good-bye for the weekend and they give her a detention.  I saw this story this morning on the Today Show and I can't believe how far our society has gone.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the need to "control" public displays of affection...but do these morons realize that if they forbid it...that worse will happen OUTSIDE of school?!?!?  

Hug away sister, I'll sit in detention with ya!

Posters Part 2....

Motivational Posters

How Well Do you know your states?

You Know Your States

You got 10/10 correct. You've got a pretty good handle on US geography. There's a good chance you've visited at least a dozen of the fifty states.

How Well Do You Know Your States?