A Love Story

***EDITED: I posted this earlier and decided I wanted to learn a bit more about Kurt Warner. Apparently this version of Kurt and Brenda Warner's meeting isn't exactly how things happened. So while it's a sweet story, I thought I'd post the real thing as well!

When they met, Kurt was a university student and Brenda was a divorced single mom living on food stamps. In his autobiography "Keep Your Head Up," Kurt describes his and Brenda's first encounter when a teammate at the University of Northern Iowa talked him into going to a country-music club in Cedar Falls, Iowa. There was an instant connection, but Brenda didn't know whether it would last. Not only was she a single mom, but one of her two children, her son Zachary, had significant medical problems. He was blinded and brain-injured when accidentally dropped to the floor by her first husband. Kurt was not turned aside by the children or Zachary's condition and he and Brenda forged a relationship that resulted in their marrying four years later. Kurt's celebrated job at a grocery store took place in 1994 after he got a pink-slip from the Green Bay Packers. He returned to Cedar Falls and worked nights stocking shelves for $5.50 an hour. He rose to fame by throwing an amazing 41 touchdowns for the Rams, bringing them to a 13-3 record and to memorable victory in Super Bowl XXXIV. He's become known for his commitment to his family, his clean-kid lifestyle, and his Christian faith. He and Brenda now live in St. Louis with their four children Zachary, Kade, Jesse, and Jada Jo. He is the founder of the First Things First Foundation.

I'm not a huge football fan. The Diva Husband doesn't watch any sports, with rare exception. So we're not really taking sides in this whole Super Bowl thingy. If asked, I say I'm cheering for Pittsburgh, out of loyalty to my fellow Miamian, Big Ben.

But then my IRL friend and fellow blogger, The Music Man, had to go and share this story about Kurtis and Brenda. Now my loyalties are divided!

In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the asking for a carry out at check register 4. Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand, a distant smile caught his eye, the new check out girl was beautiful.

She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love. Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card, BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road.

Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again,outside of work. She simply said it wasn't possible. He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn't afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.

That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, let's take the kidswith us." She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed. Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children.

She had an older daughter who was just cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair, he was born a paraplegic with Down Syndrome. Kurtis said to Brenda, "I still don't understand why the kids can't come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities. Just like her first husband and father of her children did.

That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the rest room, he picked him up out of his chair, took him, brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and spend the rest of her life with.

A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children and since then they have added two more kids. So what happened to the stock boy and check out girl?

Mr. & Mrs. Kurt Warner now live in Phoenix, Arizona, where he plays Quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals.

Wow. Just Wow.

Still Here.

Very Busy.

Back Soon.

Enjoy this, published originally on 1/12/07.

I've been so remiss in my postings as of late! One of my resolutions (more on those later) is to write more, so thus begins the writing. It seems an unwritten requirement of blog ownership that one must have a "100 things" list, so here goes...

1. I was born in Northern Wisconsin.
2. My father was Air Force, so we moved. A lot.
3. As a result of #2, I was in 6 different schools between kindergarten and 6th grade.
4. We were always stationed in the U.S.
5. I have one brother, three years younger.
6. Even though he is only three years younger and at least three inches taller, he will always be my "baby brother".
7. I attended Catholic schools from 6th-12th grade.
8. I marched in the Orange Bowl Parade with my high school marching band when I was a freshman, and was on national television because of my "end of row" position.
9. I nearly tripped over the cameraman, which I'm sure would've made for more entertaining television.
10. I only joined the high school marching band because they were going to Florida to march in the parade. I played the cymbals my freshman year because you couldn't carry a piano in the band.
11. I ended up studying music in college. My major instrument was percussion.
12. I am a very proud Miami University graduate.
13. That is in Ohio. As we like to say, Miami was a University before Florida was a state.
14. I am, and always will be a Miami Redskin. None of this Redhawk business for me.
15. I graduated from college in the same major I began college.
16. I taught high school band and choir for five years.
17. I attended graduate school at two different Catholic Universities.
18. I currently work at one of them.
19. I met my husband online.
20. "You've Got Mail" is one of my favorite movies.
21. We've been together for nearly 10 years and married for nearly 8.
22. We have two sons.
23. I was bulimic for over 10 years.
24. I've been recovered for almost 3 years.
25. I no longer and never will own a scale.
26. I love to cook and recently became the proud owner of a pasta attachment for my Kitchen-Aid mixer. Stay tuned for my maiden voyage into the world of homemade pasta.
27. Unfortunately for me, my husband isn't a "foodie". Left to his own devices, he would eat the same darn thing every single night.
28. My goodness, 100 is a larger number than I thought....
29. I love sushi, but only if my brother is there to order. I never know what to pick.
30. My favorite types of food are Thai and Ethiopian.
31. I've heard all of the jokes about Ethiopian food.
32. I love to travel.
33. My husband does not.
34. My best friend lives in Georgia.
35. Thanks to the miracle of instant messaging, we "talk" nearly every day.
36. I love to sing and often do.
37. I would love to be able to sing like Frederica von Stade.
38. Or Kristen Chenoweth.
39. Or Barbara Streisand.
40. I've been reading since I was four, and at any given moment have about three books going.
41. One of my current picks is a reference book called "Food Lover's Companion". A must for the library of any foodie.
42. My Georgia friend introduced me to the world of blogs. She told me about the QC Report and it was all downhill from there! ;)
43. Two other blogs I read daily are May December and Monogram Momma.
44. I am a very crafty person and could go broke in Michael's.
45. My dream job is to be a stay-at-home mom.
46. It's still a long way to 100...
47. I didn't get my driver's license until I was 17 and a senior in high school.
48. I passed my test on the first try.
49. My first car (in 1986) was a 1970 Ford Station Wagon. It was HUGE (and brown). I drove it until one day my father was driving behind me and noticed that the back end of the car shimmied. It was discovered that the chassis had a horizontal crack and the back of the car was physically separated from the front.
50. I once learned how to drive a manual transmission. When my mother took me out to practice, we were at a stop light in the middle of town, on a slight incline. When the light turned green, all I could do was cry, because I was sure if I took my foot off the break to shift and go, I would roll into the car behind me.
51. I haven't driven a stick shift since.
52. I love my TiVo. I very rarely watch a show at the time it actually airs.
53. I adore the show "What Not to Wear". I want to go shopping with Stacy and Clinton.
54. My parents have been married for 38 years.
55. The women in my family tend to live into their nineties. Both of my grandmothers are still alive at 92 and 86. My 92 year old (almost 93) grandmother lived by herself until three months ago and my 86 year old grandmother still lives by herself, as do her older and younger sister (88 and 84, respectively). Their mother (my great-grandmother) lived alone until age 92 and died at 94.
56. My grandfathers died at 61 and 75.
57. I have few regrets. One I do have is that I never tried Greek Life in college.
58. I love M&M candies. My nephews call them "chocolate beans".
59. I am a diet coke-aholic.
60. I'm very proud of the fact that we never let my 6 year old son have soda and now he chooses not to have it on his own.
61. I wish I had his discipline. ;)
62. I'm very proud of my ethnic background and wish that we had been raised with more elements and traditions.
63. I am the only one in the family who still makes my Grandma's Finnish Pulla (Coffee Bread).
64. I do it the way she did, mixing and kneading by hand, and grinding the whole cardamom with mortar and pestle.
65. My favorite Christmas gift was my Grandma's ceramic cardamom jar.
66. My mother has always given me good advice.
67. I wanted to take French in high school and she told me that Spanish would be more useful.
68. She was right. I worked for 6 summers as a counselor at Culver Summer Camps and it really came in handy.
69. Not to mention I married a Mexican.
70. She "forced" me to take typing in high school.
71. I can type 80-100 wpm.
72. My father also gives good advice.
73. He always told me to keep my resume updated and read the job listings every Sunday.
74. Which is how I got my current job.
75. I've been here for nearly 8 years and am very happy.
76. I am a registered Republican, but vote the issues.
77. I didn't cast a vote for governor this year because I didn't feel either candidate was qualified.
78. As a general rule, I don't discuss politics.
79. Washington DC is one of my favorite cities, but more for the historical aspects.
80. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy "The West Wing" on television.
81. I taught at the high school that Martin Sheen attended.
82. I once spoke to his answering machine when I was doing a phone-a-thon fundraiser for the school.
83. He didn't call back.
84. I love doing crossword puzzles.
85. I really love to play Scrabble and Boggle.
86. I remember things. Consequently, I am a font of useless knowledge.
87. I am very good at Trivial Pursuit.
88. I am a terrible housekeeper.
89. I have a large house.
90. One of my resolutions is to focus on one room at a time.
91. I love Martha Stewart and will eventually purchase her "Homekeeping Handbook".
92. I hope it will help.
93. I love playing the "Harry Potter" video games with my son.
94. In fact, I'm kind of a Harry Potter freak.
95. If I won the lottery, I would donate money to my high school and college.
96. My husband thinks I'm crazy because he doesn't feel loyalties like I do.
97. I wear my heart on my sleeve and tend towards emotion.
98. I collect inspirational/motivational quotes. My students used to call me the "Quote Queen".
99. My favorite time in life so far (other than the present) was the time I spent at Culver. I lived vicariously through my campers.
100. My faith and family are the most important things in my life.

My goodness. That's quite an undertaking! Hope you enjoy.

Reruns

Originally posted on June 25, 2008...

Found on many blogs, Mrs. Decker's among them.

***

I am from books and potato fields, wallpaper paste and Norwegian painting.

I am from base housing and farmhouses, brick homes on the Cape and brick homes in subdivisions.

I am from the peonies and bird houses, hostas, roses and pine strewn forests.

I am from creamed herring on New Year's, octegenarian and nonegenarian women, from Hilja and Tuulikki, Alvin and Eugene, Justina and Sylvia.

I am from stubbornness and short legs.

From quiet Finns and sitting in the garage watching the thunderstorms.

I am from Schubert's "Ave Maria" and "Yes, Sister Mary Heliadora", May Crownings and "Remember, O Most Gracious Virgin Mary".

I am from Wisconsin and Germany, Bohemia and Finland, Switzerland and Minnesota, from pulla and kolaches.

From the saunas of Ely, Minnesota and the pride of the U.S. Air Force.

I am from painters and nurses, teachers and factory workers, and and a library janitor smarter than all of us put together.

I am from letters to a young mother from a father in Alaska and photos sent to proud family members hundreds of miles away, unconditional love and a German Mother's Medal stolen from the Nazis by my Great-Uncle during WWII.

I am love and life, music and silence, joys and sorrows, friendship and passion.

And me.

***

I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______.
I am from the _______ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail).
I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail)
I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name).
I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one).From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another).
I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it).
Further description.I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family).From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member).
I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).

Don't worry about following form exactly. Can't wait to read everyone's!

Who are you?

Three Years

A lot can happen in three years. Three years ago, the Diva Family was a happy little dog-less family of three. Well, two of us were happy. Mommy was very, very uncomfortable.

And very, very pregnant!

Yes, three years ago today, The Manimal made his entrance. I went to the hospital at 7:30 in the morning, after a sleepless night of contractions and lower back pain. He didn't seem to want to make his appearance, though, and kept moving up and down, fooling the Diva Doctors and making them wonder if the boy would EVER come out.

He eventually decided to make his very vocal appearance, and has been making himself known ever since. He keeps us all on our toes and just about the time we want to spank his bottom, he smiles and cuddles sweetly.

Today, little man, you are three. No matter what you say, you won't be four until next year. Today we celebrate with a birthday cake and presents. Again, only YOUR presents, not your cousin's. Her birthday was last week and you probably wouldn't be interested in a Sharpay doll from HSM3. We'll enjoy (well, you and SS#1 will enjoy) a birthday dinner at Mickey D's, where we'll even let you play BEFORE you eat your cheeseburger! And while you and your brother play, we'll watch and marvel that you have grown right before our eyes; how it seems like only yesterday you were wailing ALL.THE.TIME. And now, you just talk ALL.THE.TIME.

And we love you ALL.THE.TIME.

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!

Dear Sasha and Malia

It must be difficult growing up in the public eye. Children, after all, are not Republican or Democrat. They're just children.

Here's a lovely letter from the two most recent First Daughters to the two newest.

Sweet advice, and the sentiment is universal: Enjoy the ride.

Rush to Judgment

I'd just like to start out with a quick little prayer that Diva Papa and Diva Nana don't disown me after this post. The Diva Grands have a long and honorable history of voting Republican. Very Republican. Very. Very. Republican.

That being said, I've mentioned before that I didn't vote for Barack Obama as President. I didn't vote for him as Illinois Senator either, but that's another election.

I did, however, watch the Inauguration today. It was pretty cool, sitting in the dining hall at Diva U. with probably 300 students, watching history in the making. He is, after all the President of the United States of America, not just the President of the Democrats, so I'll give him all the respect due a man of his office.

Besides, I'm an event coordinator by profession and a Presidential Inauguration? Is one wicked cool event. So although Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi made me want to hurl, I could even chalk it up to professional development if I felt the need to justify my viewing.

Which I don't.

But the fact that I watched (and was impressed by) the Inauguration isn't really the point here.

On the way back to my office, I flipped on the radio to a local talk radio station. It's got a reputation for being the "conservative" station in the Windy City, and the normal show on in that particular time slot is Rush Limbaugh.

Now I realize that a good percentage of his comments are designed to elicit interest from listeners. And don't forget that I agree with a lot of his positions. But today, I was so irritated by his running commentary on the Inauguration, that I turned it off in a huff.

It's probably no surprise to anyone that Rush Limbaugh didn't vote for President Obama. And everyone is entitled to their own opinions. And the man makes his living being a bit outspoken. But seriously, Obama won the election fair and square. And while you certainly don't have to be happy that he won, sometimes it's better to follow a mother's advice.

If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Bad form, Rush. Bad form.

Survey Says?

Hey there fellow bloggers...

I'm interested in your opinions about blogging platforms. Especially those of you using platforms other than Blogger.

Did any of you start with Blogger and switch? Why? What are you using now?

Any Blogger folks considering switching? Why? To what?

Just curious!

Just a Taste

I love food. I love to cook. I love to watch Food Network. I'm a certified, self-proclaimed foodie.

My neighbor sells Tastefully Simple products, which is a dangerous thing when you're a foodie with time limitations. If you're not familiar with their products, the company has this to say:

"We offer a wide selection of convenient, easy-to-prepare gourmet foods designed to help people spend less time in the kitchen and more time enjoying the rest of their lives. Our products are sold by independent Tastefully Simple consultants primarily at home taste-testing parties nationwide."

Now I'm all about supporting folks with home-based businesses, but I'm not a big fan of hosting the parties. The drawback is that I don't get the benefits of hosting parties, like the free product! ;)

But now, we live in the technological age. I can host a party without leaving my warm home. Which is no small feat as today's high temperature is NEGATIVE THREE degrees Fahrenheit.

Enter the Online Party! And now for the shameless plug...if you're interested in purchasing some Tastefully Simple products, why not do it from the coziness of your home? You can shop and order online and it will be shipped directly to you! Can't get any easier than that! :) Drop me an email if you'd like an invite!

Some of my faves...

Bountiful Beer Bread Mix

Garlic Garlic

Pine Nut and Basil Pesto Mix

Blushing Cosmo Drink Mix

Nana's Apple Cake Mix

Loss

"At the temple, there is a poem called 'Loss' carved into the stone. It has three words, but the poet has scratched them out. You cannot read loss, only feel it."

--Memoirs of a Geisha

In my first year of teaching, there was an eighth grader in our marching band (middle schoolers could march with the HS group). He played the French Horn and was one of eleven children in his family. Eleven. In one family.

I couldn't fathom having THAT many children in a home and we got to talking one day. He was explaining the logistics of having that many kids in a relatively modest home. With mom staying home to take care of the kids. And all of them in Catholic schools. When I asked how they did it, his response was simple.

"God will provide."

The family had great faith in their God. True faith that if He brought them to it, He would bring them through it. Over the years, I had the good fortune to teach five of those eleven children and get to know and work with two of the most dedicated parents I'd ever met. The family's faith in God permeated everything they did. Everything.

They need to rely on that faith now more than ever.

Last Friday, that French Horn player, now aged 30, had a massive heart attack, from which he never recovered. Monday morning, he passed away. Thirty years old. He was in graduate school, studying secondary education and Latin.

Although I hadn't had contact with his family in nearly 12 years, a piece of me is gone.

He was the type of kid who was really smart and very funny, with a wise-beyond-his-years, dry sense of humor. Good musician because he played with his heart. Loved drama and band. And his sisters, although you'd never get him to admit it in public.

One spring, as we were preparing for graduation, and playing "Pomp and Circumstance" for the forty-seventh time, I had a brainstorm. I ran a contest for the most creative lyrics to P&C. He won. I've done 19 Commencement Ceremonies since I've been working at Diva U. and I think of him every time.

When asked about the eleven children in his family, he told us that they wanted to have twelve. "You know, like the twelve apostles?"

He was drum major his senior year. Took his leadership role just seriously enough, but had fun too. And just when things were going well, he'd do something to frustrate the bejeezus out of the teachers. Just to keep us on our toes.

An all-around good kid.

I learned so much more from my students than they ever learned from me. I do trust that God knew what He was doing when He took Jacob. But that does not mean that I do not keenly feel the loss. I pray that his family's incredible faith will carry them through this incredible loss.

Rest in peace, dear boy. Rest in peace.

Pie Jesu, qui tollis peccata mundi,

Dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei,

Dona eis requiem.

Sempiternam.

Mommy Giveaway

By now, if you've read my blog for any length of time, you know my youngest, The Manimal, is...well...strong-willed.

That is to say that he...well...does his own thing. A lot. Often, this means, if I say "go left", he hears "go right". If I say "peas", he hears "popsicles". When he was small enough to actually strap into a cart, he liked to play the "drop it" game. I can't count the number of times I picked up his bottle/sippy cup/toy/you name it!
Now that he's older, the boy HATES to be forced into a cart, and his 40+ pounds gets a bit heavy on my hip.

One of the amazing tools in my arsenal has been the Take-Along Tether.
Jennifer Spencer, a friend of the Diva Sister-in-Law is the brains behind this incredible invention. A mom and occupational therapist, she knows what she's talking about! And guess what? She's GIVING ONE AWAY! :)

Go check out her website, and enter your email addy on the "Contact Us" Page and at the end of January, she's doing a random drawing for one! Winner or not, they also make fabulous "new baby" gifts. AND you'll be doing your part to support a "mompreneur"!

Fun Giveaway!

Stop by The Russo Corner for a faboo beauty product giveaway!

Seventy Six Trombones

Well, he actually plays the bass clarinet, and he's not exactly Professor Harold Hill, but I'd like to introduce you to a new IRL blogging friend of mine, The Music Man. His wife is my dear friend Heather, who blogs at Finding Me in the Madness and is the Green Queen, of The Green Queen & The Salt Fiend fame.

Anyway, the Music Man decided that since H. refers to him as such, he should have his own "notes". Get it? Notes? Hahahahahaha....he's a band geek, so it's all good! ;)

Anyway, check out his new blog. Definitely, as I told him, a "man blog", complete with football picks and other sports mentions, but he's OK. Go give him some bloggy props.

After you check out his blog, go cheer for my bloggy buddy, Denise. She's celebrating her 200th post (Yay, Denise!) and has a fun giveaway.

Cereal Serial

This morning I stopped by the grocery store on my way to work to pick up some milk and bread. The milk was a loss leader at $1.99/gallon and the bread was on sale for 4 loaves for $5. Living in a house of boys, we go through a LOT of milk and bread. Usually 2-3 gallons and a loaf a week.

We also go through a lot of cereal. All three of them eat it almost every morning. DH can down half a box in one sitting and SS#1 is running a close second. The Manimal mostly likes to pick the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms.

I hadn't planned on buying any today, but it was on sale too. Four boxes for $10. Around here, that's a pretty doggone good deal.

And then I saw the sign:

"When you buy four boxes, the cost is $6"

SIX DOLLARS?

Be still my heart.

I had to find a clerk to double check my amazing find. I mean, it was like I was the only one seeing this bargain. Surely my little family can't be the only one that inhales cereal (or picks the marshmallows out of the Lucky Charms) like it's their last meal.

Sure enough, four for $6! I bought eight boxes. Then I stopped after work and bought eight more.

I figure it should last a month if I'm lucky. Stay tuned!

Major Award!

Well, it's not exactly a glowing leg lamp, but it takes up so much less room and I don't have to be concerned about what the neighbors will think! ;)

Apparently, new potatoes masquerading as black beans are pretty funny to folks other than me, because I'm the Featured Post over at Worth a Thousand Words!

Thanks for the shout-out, Chris! :)

Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit

Or not.

While we were visiting the Diva Grandparents, we decided to cover all the bases with regard to New Year's meals. The traditional meal in my family for New Year's Eve is crab legs, and we had a lovely salad and an obscene amount of Alaskan King Crab Legs--delish!

On January 1st, we ate a traditional German/Bohemian New Year meal of Roast Pork and Sauerkraut--yum!

And finally, in celebration of my boys' Mexican heritage, we had homemade beef tamales on January 2nd! Although neither of the Diva Grandparents have a drop of Hispanic blood in their veins, they both love Mexican food, and requested black beans with queso fresco as a side dish. Easy enough, right?

We purchased a couple of cans of "frijoles negros" from one of my favorite grocery stores, Aldi.
I've used these beans before and they're totally yummy. I'd purchased the queso fresco at a local Mexican grocer and thought I was all set...As you can see, we opened the cans to find either the biggest, whitest black beans ever grown, or papas blancas--the common white potato!
Sweet Son #1 was just as miffed as we were! So much for Frijoles Negros con Queso...we had to go with standard pinto beans! Tasty, but not what we were hoping for.

On the plus side, we got to stun the Aldi District Manager with bean cans full of potatoes! Quite the New Year surprise for her!

Hard as Nails

One of my favorite things to do is give myself a manicure. I love making my nails look pretty, and doing it myself not only saves money, but is a great stress reliever.

Apparently, it's a hobby many bloggers share! Sasha found such an interest, that she invited us to become "Manicure Mommas" and created a new blog. I've got a post there that highlights the "bargain" part of my hobby! :)

Check it out here.

Pass in Review

Every year at this time I'm amazed at how quickly the previous year has passed. 2008 into 2009 is no exception. As so many bloggers have been known to do, I've swiped the following from another blogger, my dear Heather (who stole them from someone else!). I have, however, put my own twist on them! ;)

My 2008 Blog Year looked like this...

January--Best laid plans for NaBloPoYear ended quickly!
February--Our first family Disney trip, Mr. Snottyfacepants and Leap Year.
March--Went to "Lost Vegas" for a conference.
April--Short on posting but long on randomness.
May--Monkey Business and simplicity.
June--Memes and memories.
July--Summertime and the living is....
August--Busy-ness and Facebook.
September--Politics...and it was still two months before the election!
October--Wet stuff and a really.hungry.dog.
November--300th Post and NaBloPoMo...almost!
December--Christmas prep and fun surprises!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?


2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
None for 2008, but for 2009 I'll be reading the entire Bible (yikes!) with a group of other women, and also focusing on getting into shape (more on that later)!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
My dear Heather...to sweet Mia, the Look-Alike!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
My paternal grandma, may she rest in peace.

5. What countries did you visit?
Well, I could follow Heather's lead and give you my list of Epcot countries, but really just the good ole USA!

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
I'd like to have some stability in my personal life and a stronger relationship with Jesus and my dear friends.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 2nd. Long story.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Reconnecting with some old and dear friends, and frankly, surviving.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not being where we wanted to be financially, because it affects nearly every part of our lives.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Minor surgery this summer. So far, so good!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
How about best gift? My GPS--woo-hoo!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
Sweet Son #1, most of the time. He's an amazing big brother! :)

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Sigh. Can't really go into detail. But the economy stinks.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Bills, bills, bills.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Getting really, really, really in shape.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Hmm...only one? "Stand in the Rain" by Superchic(k) and "You Never Let Go" by Matt Redman

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder?
Happier.

ii. thinner or fatter?
Fatter

iii. richer or poorer?
Poorer

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Worrying. I certainly could've put more in His hands!

20. How did you spend Christmas in 2008?
At home, relaxing, then left on the 27th for a wonderful week in Ohio.

21. What was the best book you read?
I read a ton, so narrowing it is tough. My small group read "Velvet Elvis" by Rob Bell. I highly recommend it!

22. What did you want and get?
My very own GPS!

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I worked. And I turned 39, with which I was strangely OK!

24. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Classic and a bit preppy. This does NOT in any way mean that I ALWAYS dressed that way! :)

34. What kept you sane?
My family and friends.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
The election fascinated me this year, more so than in any other year.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The mudslinging. And not just between candidates. The viciousness between voters was ridiculous.

37. Who did you miss?
Lots of friends and family who live far in miles but are close in heart.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
So many new friends at church.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
That God takes care of me and loves me, with all of my faults and flaws.

40. BONUS YUPPIE QUESTION What were your best meals of the year?
Home-cooked? Diva Nana's Leg of Lamb. Restaurant? Panasia Asian Bistro, hands down. Unfortunately, it's in Roswell, GA and I, sadly, am not.

Hope your 2008 is full of memories and your 2009 is beautiful and bright!

Happy New Year!

Wowza! It's been a long time since I went a week without a blog post!

I can 'splain, though. :) We've been spending some vacay time with Diva Nana and Diva Papa. We're having an absolutely marvelous time, and getting to reconnect with some old friends while we're here. More on that later!

The Manimal and SS#1 are thrilled with their "haul" from DN and DP. The Manimal has been playing NON-STOP with Thomas the Train (don't get me started on the Thomas racket...a post for another day!). Sweet Son #1, while he loves the Legos (oy...more of the deadly little bricks!), has really been having a blast with DN and DP's Wii Fit. Have to say, I'm enjoying it myself and if I had an extra $500, one of those would be going home with us! :)

Meanwhile, we had some tasty crab legs to ring in the New Year (a sort of Diva family tradition) and will be enjoying homemade tamales tonight--Diva Nana and Diva Papa love them, so I decided to make them the other day. Nana made the beef and we searched all over town for the masa preparada. We FINALLY found it! Can't wait to try them tonight! :)

Well, I'm off to have SS#1 beat me soundly in bowling! Hope you and yours are enjoying a wonderful kickoff to the New Year! More later!