Picture Perfect Christmas

Look at what greeted me Christmas morning!!!:



It's a Nikon D60, and I was so NOT expecting this baby! I seriously cried. I don't remember ever doing that over a gift (over spilt milk, sure, but not over a gift!). Hubby totally surprised me there.

I've taken a batch of pictures, and OH. MY. GOSH., do they look good. I don't know how I survived with my old camera. And even though I know it is totally the camera's doing, my self-esteem has raised a little anyway. I can take awesome pictures!

A normal human being would've taken SCADS of photos by now, but, alas, not me. I got hit with a stomach flu the 26th that put me in the ER, and then in bed for 2 days. I seriously slept 21 of 24 hours yesterday. I'm pretty sure I was dreaming about using my new camera, but there's not much to show for it.

But here's one I took even as the forces of evil germs were gathering within me, plotting to separate me from my new camera.



And here's one of our Christmas tree, which got put up on December 21st--I kid you not. It will be staying with us until the end of February.

Today Betty brings you two of her current passions rolled into one: Christmas and Twilight spoofs. Enjoy!

Why NOT to store dead bodies in your freezer

So we're on about day 237 of having our appliances in the middle of our kitchen. Basically, I just avoid the whole scene, because my hair stands straight up on end when I walk into the room. So, imagine my surprise when I am forced to go in there for some reason, and I see a pool of leaking liquid coming out of my freezer.

(notice that I did go so far as to throw a few napkins on the goo before running screaming down the street)


Evidently, the fridge had died sometime the day before. DIED. Everything perishable ruined. Naturally, I'd just been shopping the day before. I think I mourn the thin mint ice cream the most. I had a beautiful future planned for the two of us. Sigh.

We have had that fridge for 11.5 years and were planning on replacing it soon. Not THIS soon, of course, but soon enough that it doesn't really make sense to toss money at it for repairs. (And I know a shopping opportunity when I see one!) So we hustled off to replace it. Did you know that most places do not have refrigerators in stock on the premises? Something about not enough space, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. We need a fridge NOW, people. Our children need to put COLD milk on their cereal. And Momma has thin mint ice cream on her mind. Sigh.

The soonest we could get the fridge we wanted was early next week. So we sucked it up and agreed to wait. Not 24 hours after ordering it, the factory calls to say that it's on backorder and it'll be another week. DID I NOT MENTION THAT WE NEED COLD--NOW??? Oh my.

So, here's my lesson for you: If you ever plan on replacing your fridge, do it NOW, before your current one dies. You'll thank me later.

Groovy, Man

Here's me finally remembering to post about this little project I L-O-V-E. I saw it done in my favorite catalog/website CB2 (www.CB2.com), so I bought the frame from them and went to town in PhotoShop (back when I had it. which I do again now, thanks to my recent 29th birthday).



That will have a prominent spot in the new family room. It makes me feel so cool. I just may take up wearing white vinyl go-go boots.

2 noteworthy phenomena:

First of all, it is December 2nd, and it's 58 degrees. And it's been like that for WEEKS, with no end in sight. How much do I love global warming?

Second of all, this is what my house looks like:





(The first one who says that's what my house always looks like gets kicked off the island. Even tho you're right.)

We are replacing the floors in our basement and on most of our main floor. In preparation for that glorious event, Hubby and Shnookie1 have ripped up the old ones. Unfortunately, the installation has been delayed more than a week. Soooo, we are living in crazy-making chaos while we wait, wait, wait.

Stay tuned for pics of the new floors! Hooray!!

When the Spirit Moves You...

I have sharing time in Primary this week....err....tomorrow. (It's only 10:00 am, so I'm getting a head start. No procrastinating here, huh-uh, no way.)

Primary is the childrens' organization in the LDS church. During 2/3 of our Sunday meeting time, the kids meet together...like Sunday School. Sharing time is when one lucky adult gets to teach all of them together. I'm pretty sure that's the official definition. hehe

So I'm looking online for something to steal, err inspire me, and--wonders of wonders--I get totally side-tracked. I found this cute site called "Overheard in the Ward." (www.overheardintheward.com) Naturally, I must share with you something I read there, so that we both may be inspired and edified:


GAS THERAPY

CTR 5 teacher: What is something you love to do? Something that makes you happier than anything else?

5-year-old: Farting.


Now I have to get back to working this into my sharing time. Don't you wish you were in my ward??

Let the Twilight frenzy begin

I have a teenage daughter. She has devoured all of the Twilight books. She and her Edward-loving friends have been looking forward to the movie. Me?? Not so much. I have read all the books and actually quite enjoyed them. Part of the reason is that they far surpassed my expectations, which warms my cockles because the writer is a BYU graduate. I'm very proud of her. (No doubt she lives for my approval and this is the best news she's heard all year. #1 selling book? Eh. A movie contract? Yawn. Erin Black's thumbs up? WAHOO!!)

Reading my niece-in-law, Brittney's blog post about the movie today reminded me that my expectations for the movie are pretty low. And this time I highly doubt I'll be proven terribly wrong. I was able to get through the cheesy lines in the book by reading them really fast. Not possible in a movie. Just the trailer has caused me some queasiness. The SPOOF on the trailer, however, deserves an Oscar. It has made me laugh out loud more than once. If you haven't seen it, you simply must:


I love the part where he runs after the hot girl saying "I'm immortal!"
Now that's good cinema.