Things I'm Grateful for this week...and always

• Doctors (who know what they’re doing)
• Pain Medicine (it works like magic)
• Blood Banks (GIVE BLOOD, it saves lives-it saved mine)
• A flexible job and caring boss (love my dad)
• Medical benefits through UPS (my drug benefit saved me $2,789.10 on my new medicine and my hospital stay was FREE)
• Drugs (not the street ones…the doctor ones that make me feel better and keep me alive)
• The most supportive and understanding husband, family and friends

This week has been a rough one. I have Crohn’s disease, which is a chronic disease that affects my intestines and lines them with ulcers, resulting in severe abdominal pain and many other not so fun things. I went to the hospital last Wednesday very weak with a dangerously low blood count. I ended up staying five days and getting a blood transfusion. My hemoglobin was a 6.7 and normal ranges from 11-15. I am now a firm supporter of giving blood, and while I can’t donate my own blood, I urge everyone who can to donate blood. My health issues continue to remind me of how blessed I am each day and what a wonderful support system I have around me. Thank you for the visits, the prayers and the sincere get well wishes.

The Best is Yet to Be

"The past is to be learned from but not lived in. We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes. And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future. Some of you may wonder: Is there any future for me? What does a new year or a new semester, a new major or a new romance, a new job or a new home hold for me? Will I be safe? Will life be sound? Can I trust in the Lord and in the future? Or would it be better to look back, to go back, to stay in the past? I call out, Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the "high priest of good things to come." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

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.