look into my life

I thought I would give you a *special edition glimpse of my life recently.

I took some coins to the bank. I thought about how embarrassing it would be if I dropped them everywhere. I got them to the desk. The coin counter was broken. I dropped them everywhere. It was embarrassing.

I dropped my phone into the tub while giving the three year old who pees his bed almost every morning a bath. I was sad. It was broken for most of the day. It miraculously started working when I took it to US Cellular to see what to do about my broken phone. He did the same thing I did, but it worked. I was too happy to be embarrassed.

I am reading I Am America (and so can you) by Stephen Colbert. It is very politically INcorrect, and very funny.

I had a peppermint hot WHITE chocolate at Starbucks and it was indescribable. (OK, I probably could describe it but just know that it was really good.)

*There is nothing really special about this edition.

home for christmas

Mmm.. Christmas. Seriously, can I hang on to this reflective, loving, giving, relaxing feeling for the whole year? My guess is that I will lose it piece by piece starting tomorrow when I am heading back to my apartment. Don’t worry, I will always have it in some aspect or regain it other moments as given/needed.

I’m pretty sure that you can’t beat Christmas service small-church style. I just realized it sounds as though I am promoting rivalry in churches but I’m not. Just know that I love the Christmas Eve service at my church. Watching the kids I used to baby-sit sing in the choir or become part of the nativity (actually, a lot of them are now spectators and too old to even be in the service) and listening to kindergartners recite their piece has a sort of magic. I did miss the trumpet this year as the entire congregation sang Joy to the World to end the service. It may have been made up for in the fact that “baby Jesus” was screaming during “Silent Night” and most other songs. If not that, then maybe when one of the children fell off the boat/stage after reciting a well rehearsed piece. (It is a boat but when you flip it over- it becomes stairs. Genius.)

One last comment/thought that I stole from the newspaper:
“Probably the reason we all go haywire at Christmas time with the endless unrestrained and often silly buying of gifts is that we don’t quite know how to put our love into words.” –Harlan Miller

the book thief by markus zusak

It is Christmas Eve! I feel like there is some blogger rule somewhere stating that I should write about Christmasy things, but instead I must write a book review since I've talked about this book a few times already.

The Book Thief came recommended to me by my cousin Bailey. It is a young adult novel, but everyone should read it (as you can read in this review). I am afraid, now being finished, that I will forget about how Markus Zusak wrote the book. His humor and his creativity, his mastermind descriptions. The power of love in a world demanding hate. The weight of words. This book is about death. Soaked in it, narrated by it. Yet it is hopeful and inspiring. Using the power of words- to show the power of Hitler's, and also of love's.

One of my favorite parts: (p. 307 hardcover, please remember that death is the narrator of the story.)

***A Small Piece of Truth***
I do not carry a sickle or scythe.
I only wear a hooded black robe when it's cold.
And I don't have those skull-like facial features you seem to enjoy pinning on me from a distance.
You want to know what I truly look like?
I'll help you out. Find yourself a mirror while I continue.

Also (p. 520-521)- I was going to write down the entire page and a half as I did in my journal, but it also might ruin some of the book (I don't like to know ANYTHING that happens when I read/watch a movie/etc.) but I was going to include it because of the beauty of the way it is written. Just read the book and take note (the whole way through, and this page) of the way he writes.

overcoming excitement

The season! It may have taken me a little bit to feel the season but now I am feeling it. Maybe that isn't entirely true, I have thought some about how it must have been hard for God to come down and be human as well as 100% God. Immanuel.. a baby. Everything. Anyway, also thinking that even though the world tries to say "Happy Holidays"- it isn't possible to take Jesus out of it. (That sentence needs grammatical help, sorry. Jess- help!) He is the love, and the giving, and the happiness that Christmas brings about. It fits perfectly.

On a separate note, I received the ultimate Starbucks gift from the family that I work for. I also felt like a "pretty good" sitter today (opposed to my usual feeling of "piss poor" sitter) before I even received the gift. Pictures of why are found below.

*Note: I didn't mean to unpost this. I need to pray for patience.. especially when it comes to dial-up modems. And all other things.

Above- It's a Christmas tree. See the star and trunk?

The basket within the wreath they gave me earlier.

christmas is soon. goody.

I have some Christmas memories to share. You should stop reading if you still believe in Santa. I don't want to ruin what appears to be very good lying.

-My brother and I used to beg my mom for a real tree. One where you couldn't see the wire sticking through and you hoped that all the squirrels were out by the time you got it in your living room. She bought us spray-on pine smell.

-My dad would tell us that he saw Rudolph's nose way up in the sky and then spend minutes outside explaining exactly where to look.

-Santa came to our house Christmas Eve (to take a little off his work load). I learned later that my mom put the presents under the tree as we waited for her in the car to go to Christmas Eve service at my church (which I love). My dad would always pretend to be in a hurry and say "go stick your head in the door and tell your mom to hurry up. Don't go in though, there isn't time." So we'd scare her because she'd think we were coming in. Moral of the story- my dad used us! But it's funny... so power to him. (You can use people so long as it is for the sake of being funny).

-I may or may not have believed in Santa until I was in 4th grade and all the sudden he had the same handwriting as my dad.

-One year I said we should leave the carrots for Santa and the cookies for the reindeer as I didn't think Santa needed more cookies. That Christmas Eve there was only a nibble gone from the cookies and a note talking about needing a diet. I felt bad.

-I should apologize to my parents for all the times I told them that Santa accidentally got me the wrong thing (like the cheaper version of the ballerina doll.) Whoops! They try so hard! I didn't mean to be a jerk. Probably not back then, anyway.

love actually like

I watched love actually the other day with a (fun) group of people. It made me think about love (imagine that) or at least "liking." It seems that you always do the opposite of what you want to do. In the movie, Hugh Grant moves one of his employees to a new location because really he wants to be with her. So instead of seeing her every day, he moves her so he can't. Also it makes you act weird. One of my favorite parts is when he sees her and does a two handed wave and then the second she passes he says "WHAT?" to himself and feels dumb because he just waved at her with two hands. (I can't find a clip) It is one of my favorite parts because of its truth. I'm glad it's not just me.

This is also a good part. Watch out for some cursing.
Some dance moves to learn.

Maybe I just love Hugh Grant...

my day

I'm sure you are all wondering about what my day was like today. So I'll share.

I slept in. Sleeping is really great. I enjoy it. Especially with my heated blanket since my roommate is part eskimo and sleeps with the window open and I used to put my snowpants and mittens on to stop the shivering under 400 covers. I told her she should go here for her honeymoon.

I went to Borders. I don't think I should be allowed in there anymore because I could spend all day in there, and maybe all of my money. First I was in line with a book on my Christmas list and decided I better put it back. So then I went to the Religion section and went crazy. I'm excited about the purchases, but when I was at Starbucks reading my book from the library it was quite wonderful. I am reading The Book Thief, which my cooler 7th grade cousin suggested to me. I am really enjoying this book. It is about the a girl in Germany during the Holocaust, and I am pretty sure there were two boys speaking German at another table- I think that is cool. I can disappear into this book without the actual German in the background, but you have to admit that it is neat.

Then I hung out with people I really like. I laughed lots and threw in some dance moves. So you know it was a good day..