Christ: The Real Gift of Christmas

How to Have a More Worshipful Christmas

• Replace some holiday decorations in your home with reminders of Christ.
• Politely decline requests that will take you away from family.
• Play more Christmas music.
• Donate gently used items to a thrift store.
• Go Christmas caroling.
• Avoid mad rush shopping times.
• Say thank you as often as possible.
• Schedule a night to help another person or family.
• Call someone you normally wouldn't to wish him or her a Merry Christmas.
• Delegate some holiday preparations to children or other family members.
• Trim the gift list.
• Simplify a traditional activity.
• Find quiet time to pray.
• Write down great memories as they happen.
• Set and stick to a holiday budget.
• Forgive a grudge.
• For more ideas go here.
  

Sneak Peek...

Drop me a note if you want a Christmas card!

Up Close and Personal

Watching and listening to the Nets next plays...

Christy and Charlie Fruits-Charlie was in basketball heaven!

Shan and Jeff

Nets coach and player...nice size difference!

On November 27 Jeff and I went to the Sacramento Kings game with friends and family. We had a great view and had tons of fun! The Kings rocked the house against the New Jersey Nets. The Nets coach was a little crazy on the court, but I suppose thats why he was fired 3 days later... oh and the fact they hadn't won the last seventeen games.

Missing the hubby...

Jeff is in Alabama for 11 days for a mission companion's wedding. Bring on the chocolate, the shopping and the HGTV channel...

Conference Buns

Jeff and I were really excited to watch Conference a few weeks ago. We love listening to the talks and feeling inspired to do better and be better and serve more. I decided this time that I would try making some of Tammy Scott's famous cinnamon rolls, and try to make it a "semi-annual" tradition when we watch General Conference to have them. These are homemade delicious wannabe Cinnabons that melt in your mouth and should only be eaten every six months because they are so sweet and you can really get carried away with eating them all! Thanks Tammy for your delicious recipe and all your help with getting the ingredients! It is a pretty intense recipe, but well worth all the effort! If you want the recipe, let me know.

Bye Bye Summer

Summer is over and fall is here! The air is turning crisp and I am getting the urge to bake...or at least attempt it again. Maybe this year my cookies will turn out? Probably not.

School started on August 31 and ever since then life has been a blur. Jeff is taking 15 units and I am taking 12. He is working 4am to 9am at UPS and then going to school and I am working 8am to 3pm and then going to school. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday nights are class and Wednesday night is mutual. Wooo what a load...but I can honestly say I LOVE IT! I am 29 units away from my BA in Child Development, which I am aiming for next Fall to graduate with Jeff. My house has never been cleaner and my health has never been so...healthy! I am sleeping better than a baby and working harder than most adults (ok...maybe not so much).

I would be lying if I told you it was all because of me that I have been so happy and energetic. I am really putting every day in the Lord's hands. There is no way I could do what I am doing without the Lord's help. He has blessed me with things I didn't even know I needed. He has blessed me with confidence in my educational abilities, He has given me opportunities for my self esteem to increase, He has calmed my fears and brought balance to my life, He has quieted my anxieties, He has brought opportunities for growth in ways I never would have imagined, He has stifled my temper. I am trying not to let harsh judgments or cruel criticism linger in my thoughts, I am focusing on the things that matter most, I am a better driver, I am a happier person, I am truly becoming the person that the Lord wants me to be. I am setting goals and accomplishing them, I am reading scriptures every night and finding similarities with me and Nephi, I am talking to my Savior and my Eternal Father in a very real way and asking for help with my faults and weaknesses and every day life. Surviving this semester has meant sacrificing my time and hobbies and really focusing only on the things that have an eternal consequence- my family, the gospel and my schooling. When there happens to be a night that I don't have something going on, I find myself feeling unproductive. There is always work to be done and I have learned this in a very few short months. Whether it is serving others or serving the Lord, we should always be anxiously engaged in a good cause.

I am grateful for the lessons I learn when I don't even expect them. Life is good and I am happy.

Oregon

We went to Brookings, Oregon at the end of August to pick up my grandma in her motor home. It was a quick weekend trip and our last trip of the Summer. We had a lot of fun and the weather was beautiful.

Summer Grillin'

I was so excited to finally make a decent meal that included meat that wasn't chicken. I actually used the BBQ for the first time and the meat came out tender and delicious. It was pork loin that I marinated and grilled for about 12 minutes. I thought I would document this moment, just in case it never happens again!

Yummmyyy!

Summer fun in Seattle

Jeff and I flew to Seattle on Saturday a few weeks ago to check out downtown and have a fun day trip before school started. Jeff's mom went with us too (thats how we got to fly...thanks Stephanie!). We checked out the World famous "Pikes Market" and went to the Space Needle. The fresh flowers at the market were gorgeous and the people watching was a lot of fun.

Jeff and Shanna in the city

Space NeedleMt. Rainer from the first class window

Summer Fun

Melissa Burk (aka Beekers) and her boyfriend David invited us to go boating at Camp Far West Lake a few weeks ago. It was beautiful, we got there just as the sun was setting. A little chilly, but we still got in the water and went swimming.

We had quite the adventure. It all started when a police officer was going really slow behind us. We pulled over thinking we were going to get a speeding ticket and then the cop went around us. A couple feet ahead we ran into this:

Moral of the picture?
DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE


Once we got to the lake, Melissa and I were chillin' in the truck while the guys did all the hard work (ya know, getting the boat unhooked and putting fuel in it, stuff they actually enjoy) and then... we had a killer mud wasp attack! The wasp almost ate Melissa alive so I did what I had to do to save us and I threw the beach towel out the window (the wasp was on the towel). The boys didn't think it was as life threatening as we did, but then again they didn't see the wasp. It was a close call but we lived to tell about it... thankfully.

Then we went on the lake with David's speed boat and had lots of fun going so fast that we all had tears in our eyes. Beekers actually went so fast that David fell off the boat and this was her reaction...
and here is David waiting to be picked up...
and it turns out David just jumped off the boat to get a reaction from Melissa, silly boy!

We went swimming in the lake and almost got sucked up by an octopus, and then found out it was just seaweed. Almost another life threatening moment (but again the boys didn't seem to think so)!

Doobs+Beekers

Jeff loved being on the water and was very excited when he got to drive the boat.

Melissa and David

We had a great time! Can we do it again...maybe with a tube that has all the plugs!? Love ya Beekers!

Insulin Pump Update

I have been approved for the insulin pump and it is in the mail-it should be here by Tuesday!! After that I have to go to training to learn how to use it. I am so excited that I have accomplished a long time goal of mine... I'll update more as I learn how to use it.

Flowers...

Flowers at work really brighten a girls day...especially when they are hand delivered from her husband for no specific reason other than to say "I love you."

4th of July

We have a 4th of July tradition, we go to Rancho Cordova's free concert and fireworks at Haggin Park. It was a lot of fun and just like last year, my cousin Miranda, was in the Guitar Hero competition. She got second place in the finals, which she was happy about because she couldn't use the first place prize anyway.Way to go Miranda!

Miranda on the right in the Guitar Hero competition.

Yes, that is really how lame I am, we have matching Old Navy shirts.

Waiting for the concert to start.

As tradition, we rode on the "Gravitron" but this year it was called "Starship 2000." As you can see, I was not a fan and this year may be the end of that tradition.

The afternoon and evening were a lot of fun and the fireworks were fantastic. I'm grateful to live in a free country where I can worship how, where and what I want. It is truly the land of the free because of the brave. Thanks to all those who serve our country and make a difference in our world. Hope you had a fun 4th too!

Class of 2009

A week after we went to Jen's promotion we went to Steph's high school graduation. Steph is such a crazy girl with a lot of spunk and attitude! She has so many talents and skills. Right now she is signed up to start at American River College in the fall where she can explore her options and get a feel for what she wants to do when she "grows up." We love you Steph!

8th Grade PROMOTION

Jeff and I went to Jen's 8th grade promotion last month. This is the big "good bye middle school hello high school" ceremony. For the most part it was great to be there and support Jen and realize she isn't a little girl anymore. We are ten years apart and sometimes I have a problem with remembering that she has to grow up, or maybe I just don't want her to grow up. The real entertaining part was seeing all the other parents with their balloons and flowers and gifts and tears. Some parents were pretty ridiculous- come on its 8th grade, it's not like the kids have a real choice in completing middle school. But I guess thats something I won't understand until I have a kid growing up.

Jen's Birthday

My sister turned 14 on June 8. This means high school is just around the corner and dances have begun. We went to Red Robin for her birthday and then to grandma's house for cake and ice cream. She is such a great sister, even if she does tease me endlessly about my blog! Thanks for laughing at all my corny jokes and still lovin' me! Love ya Jen.

May 30, 2009

Sacramento Temple

Jeff's youngest brother, Rob, got married on May 30 to Beth Durant. The wedding brought family from out of town and a lot of fun!

Rob and Beth Cardenaz

Brothers

COUSINS...

Brianna and Michael Bell

Jeff and Ryan

Steven and Bradley

Shanna and Hannah Banana

White Water Rafting

We had a blast with the Davis family on Saturday. They called at 7:00am and invited us last minute to go white water rafting down the American River. It was supposed to be 95 degrees but the temperature ended up being only 85 and windy...but we still had a lot of fun. The boat didn't flip and we all lived to tell about it! It was a great family activity and we hope to go again.