I think the greatest gift of this year would have to be my little niece to have her here with us at Christmas time and not in a hospital or with her Heavenly Father is a great gift...
A true miracle who was supposed to be born in this month who is now a thriving beautiful baby.
I entered her in a contest called everyday hero's and its the best giveaway I ever won {for someone else} look at these pictures they made me cry.
Beautiful.
Thankful for my sister and her example courage and strength.
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and on a more superficial level.....these would be fun gifts too...
Yeah i know I take pride in the fact that I've never owned a cell phone, never texted but this is pretty ....and the main reason oh my gosh when my sister loaned her's to M on a trip home I didn't hear from him pretty much the whole way home.... he watched a movie! That in itself would be worth the extra bill!!
This because its so pretty I already have a Bosch for the last 14 years but the motor is slowly losing power..... but if I did get one I'd get a red one
A dyson vacuum cause our central vac is in the shop and I hate bringing the snake upstairs every time and yeah. I love to vacuum I love straight lines hearing all the junk suck up yeah I think I may be ocd......
I need new plates and these look pretty ...
....and my remote starter on my burb needs fixed imagine having to actually use the key to open your door WHO DOES THAT anymore ha ha!! j/k But it would be nice to have it back....
I'm liking this shirt too paired with a cardigan and some boots.... from downeast basics my favorite store on earth since '95 lol! small addiction probably...
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Everybody needs to laugh so here are some jokes for you....don't know about you but I feel a little stressed! Trying to get everything done!
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Why does Santa always go down the chimney?
Because it soots him!
What do snowmen eat for breakfast?
Snowflakes.
Why does Santa like to work in his garden?
Because he likes to hoe, hoe, hoe!
What do you call someone who doesn't believe in Father Christmas?
A rebel without a Claus!
What's red & white and red & white and red & white?
Santa rolling down a hill!
What nationality is Santa Claus?
North Polish!
What does Santa get if he gets stuck in a chimney?
Claustrophobic!
What would you call Father Christmas if he became a detective?
Santa Clues!
Where do elves go to vote?
The North Poll.
-------------------------------------------------------------one of my favorite stories
Hero at the Grocery Store
By Stephenie Meyer Ensign 2006
By Stephenie Meyer Ensign 2006
I was part of one not long ago at the grocery store. I hope I never forget it, though the memory is bittersweet.
I had been shopping for almost an hour by the time I got to the checkout lines. My two youngest sons were with me, the four-year-old refusing to hold onto the cart, the two-year-old trying to climb out of the basket and jump down to play with his brother. Both got progressively whinier and louder as I tried to keep them under control, so I was looking for the fastest lane possible. I had two choices. In the first line were three customers, and they all had just a few purchases. In the second line was only one man, a harried young father with his own crying baby, but his cart was overflowing with groceries.
I quickly looked over the three-person line again. The woman in the front was very elderly, white haired and rail thin, and her hands were shaking as she tried unsuccessfully to unlatch her big purse. In the other line, the young father was throwing his food onto the conveyor belt with superhuman speed. I got in line behind him.
It was the right choice. I was able to start unloading my groceries before the elderly woman was even finished paying. My four-year-old was pulling candy from the shelf, and my little one was trying to help by lobbing cans of soup at me. I felt I couldn’t get out of the store fast enough.
And then, over the sound of the store’s cheery holiday music, I heard the checker in the other line talking loudly, too loudly. I glanced over as my hands kept working.
“No, I’m sorry,” the checker was almost shouting at the old woman, who didn’t seem to understand. “That card won’t work. You are past your limit. Do you have another way to pay?” The tiny old woman blinked at the checker with a confused expression. Not only were her hands shaking now, but her shoulders too. The teenage bagger rolled her eyes and sighed.
As I caught a soup can just before it hit my face, I thought to myself: “Boy, did I choose the right line! Those three are going to be there forever.” My mood was positively smug as my checker began scanning my food.
But the smiling woman directly in line behind the elderly lady had a different reaction. Quietly, with no fanfare, she moved to the older woman’s side and ran her own credit card through the reader.
“Merry Christmas,” she said softly, still smiling.
And then everyone was quiet. Even my rowdy children paused, feeling the change in the atmosphere.
It took a minute for the older woman to understand what had happened. The checker, her face thoughtful, hesitated with the receipt in her hand, not sure whom to give it to. The smiling woman took it and tucked it into the elderly woman’s bag.
“I can’t accept …” the older woman began to protest, with tears forming in her eyes.
The smiling woman interrupted her. “I can afford to do it. What I can’t afford is not to do it.”
“Let me help you out,” the suddenly respectful bagger insisted, taking the basket and also taking the old woman’s arm, the way she might have helped her own grandmother.
I watched the checker in my line pause before she pressed the total key to dab at the corner of her eyes with a tissue.
Paying for my groceries and gathering my children, I made it out of the store before the smiling woman. I had made the right choice of lanes, it seemed.
But as I walked out into the bright December sunshine, I was not thinking about my luck but about what I could not afford.
I could not afford my current, self-absorbed frame of mind.
I could not afford to have my children learn lessons of compassion only from strangers.
I could not afford to be so distant from the spirit of Christ at any time of the year—especially during this great season of giving.
I could not afford to let another stranger, another brother or sister, cross my path in need of help without doing something about it.
And that is why I hope never to forget the Christmas hero in the grocery store. The next time I have a chance to be that kind of a hero, I can’t afford to miss it.
I had been shopping for almost an hour by the time I got to the checkout lines. My two youngest sons were with me, the four-year-old refusing to hold onto the cart, the two-year-old trying to climb out of the basket and jump down to play with his brother. Both got progressively whinier and louder as I tried to keep them under control, so I was looking for the fastest lane possible. I had two choices. In the first line were three customers, and they all had just a few purchases. In the second line was only one man, a harried young father with his own crying baby, but his cart was overflowing with groceries.
I quickly looked over the three-person line again. The woman in the front was very elderly, white haired and rail thin, and her hands were shaking as she tried unsuccessfully to unlatch her big purse. In the other line, the young father was throwing his food onto the conveyor belt with superhuman speed. I got in line behind him.
It was the right choice. I was able to start unloading my groceries before the elderly woman was even finished paying. My four-year-old was pulling candy from the shelf, and my little one was trying to help by lobbing cans of soup at me. I felt I couldn’t get out of the store fast enough.
And then, over the sound of the store’s cheery holiday music, I heard the checker in the other line talking loudly, too loudly. I glanced over as my hands kept working.
“No, I’m sorry,” the checker was almost shouting at the old woman, who didn’t seem to understand. “That card won’t work. You are past your limit. Do you have another way to pay?” The tiny old woman blinked at the checker with a confused expression. Not only were her hands shaking now, but her shoulders too. The teenage bagger rolled her eyes and sighed.
As I caught a soup can just before it hit my face, I thought to myself: “Boy, did I choose the right line! Those three are going to be there forever.” My mood was positively smug as my checker began scanning my food.
But the smiling woman directly in line behind the elderly lady had a different reaction. Quietly, with no fanfare, she moved to the older woman’s side and ran her own credit card through the reader.
“Merry Christmas,” she said softly, still smiling.
And then everyone was quiet. Even my rowdy children paused, feeling the change in the atmosphere.
It took a minute for the older woman to understand what had happened. The checker, her face thoughtful, hesitated with the receipt in her hand, not sure whom to give it to. The smiling woman took it and tucked it into the elderly woman’s bag.
“I can’t accept …” the older woman began to protest, with tears forming in her eyes.
The smiling woman interrupted her. “I can afford to do it. What I can’t afford is not to do it.”
“Let me help you out,” the suddenly respectful bagger insisted, taking the basket and also taking the old woman’s arm, the way she might have helped her own grandmother.
I watched the checker in my line pause before she pressed the total key to dab at the corner of her eyes with a tissue.
Paying for my groceries and gathering my children, I made it out of the store before the smiling woman. I had made the right choice of lanes, it seemed.
But as I walked out into the bright December sunshine, I was not thinking about my luck but about what I could not afford.
I could not afford my current, self-absorbed frame of mind.
I could not afford to have my children learn lessons of compassion only from strangers.
I could not afford to be so distant from the spirit of Christ at any time of the year—especially during this great season of giving.
I could not afford to let another stranger, another brother or sister, cross my path in need of help without doing something about it.
And that is why I hope never to forget the Christmas hero in the grocery store. The next time I have a chance to be that kind of a hero, I can’t afford to miss it.
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I hope we can all look for opportunities to be "that kind of a Hero" we really can't afford to pass up the opportunities to show our children and others first hand what it means to have the Spirit of Christ {mas} not only at Christmas but all year around. To help others, to look for opportunities to serve and to feel the awesome feeling of helping somebody else... a feeling far greater then any wrapped gift.
Have a great CHRISTMAS...
from our house to yours....
7 comments:
That was a great story, thanks for sharing it! I just had a good chat with someone about Dysons and she is determined to get one, even as a senior on a fixed income. Anyone who has had one is amazed/disgusted what the others leave behind. Oh, the exciting life of a SAHM! And although I have heard many switching from KitchenAid to Bosch, I have never known anyone to switch the other way. They are a lot prettier though. Merry Christmas!
That's the only reason I would ever switch only because it looks prettier but that isn't a good reason.... I'll stick with my Bosch who's been with me since I got married haha! is solid, reliable and does the job! kind of like Darren j/k! Just started sounding like that was what I was talking about blah blah anyway! I agree!
I love those dishes, they are pretty much exactly what I want to switch to when it's time to get new ones.
On a more important note, I hope that you all have a very wonderful Christmas. I love you guys so much!
Haha!!oh Christal not only a cell phone an iPhone. I laugh because of that and what your kids are getting. Your getting soft my friend, never say never.(I think you only said never about the wii).
I also have a red kitchen aid, but would rather have a Bosch, mine doesn't do large batches of bread. Plus it's hard to keep it red and shiny.
Also why do you need a remote starter I think a garage us better.:)
So happy you niece will be with you. That truly is the best gift ever.
Just so you know I love ya, I just have to give you a hard time. See you soon!!!
P.S. I want a dyson so bad also. I am a little OCD when it comes to vacuuming.
I am going to copy and print that story and add it to the Christmas binder.
Wow. Love the first photo on this post! Who is the artist? That picture sure says a thousand words.
You have a FUN Christmas list Christal. ; D You would REALLY love a cell phone. Seriously. It sure took us a long time to get one too......but we've never looked back since. And it's pretty plain jane too. We don't have any of the bells and whistles that other folks do...like internet, games or movies on their phones. Just a simple call me and I call you. I don't even text on mine. HA ha. But it sure comes in handy to be able to call Dean or the kids whenever I need to. And with all the plans and options out there your bill wouldn't be that high either....if you didn't want it to be. Lot's of free phone offers plus family plans. We call each other on our three phones for free..... unlimited. Have I sold you yet on one? ; D
Anyway....
Love your thoughts as always. Merry Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas to your family!
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