Sunday

It's only just after 5pm and I have done lots today.

I started by saying bye to my mom who had a sleep over with us last night and headed back to Niles. Brandie and I went to "Thesis Anonymous" where someone of us got together to challenge each other to get finished. Had a nice talk to a professor over an unfinished class and that was that.

I then went to get a case for my GPS. I was going to go to Best Buy but was really not excited about that since there is no football on today I figured all men who needed a testosterone boost were going to be at Best Buy to stand next to big speakers and look at gigantic televisions. I was going to go then saw a man freezing holding a "closing soon" sign for Circut City. I ended up getting something that works for a bit cheaper than I thought it was going to be and not having to go to Best Buy. I then went to Target and Babies R Us to get some things for baby Mendoza. Those gift registeries are so annoying. Nothing is in the isles they say it is in and I think that some of the stuff was clearance so it was gone. I got what I could and then moved on. I went to the Scuba store next. Confused as to what I would be doing in a scuba store in the dead of winter? Well I had some things for Toys For Tots that didn't make it for Christmas. I tried, but a few days before Christmas isn't good enough. I only had heard on the news the week before that they had so little presents so I went and bought some but as I said got there too late. I called the man to see if he could still use them and he said of course and to drop them off at his work.... the scuba store. I pray that the right kids get those toys and that next year I can help in more ways than just giving. Continuing with the errands I went to Bath and Body Works. I neve buy myself anything from there, but I had a gift card so I got lots of $1 lotions to give as gifts. That was a lot of errands, and I could have gone a few more places but I refrained.

Now I must go get some dinner, shower and do some thesis work. I must finish, I must!

Blogging...

So I am totally whining here but I want to share by blogging crisis. Well it's not quite a crisis but the problems I have seen so far. There are probably easy solutions to these issues but I am going to list them and hopefully figure them out shortly.

--First, I found out how to put a pretty back ground on my blog, but then the header that advertises the blogger website totally clashes!!

--Why do I have to make a list of people I follow, a list of people I like to look at their blogs, and a list of people on the side of my blog. Can't it all be the same? I can't remember where I put everyone because I thought it was only one thing.

--Why can't the blog go all the way across the website? I guess because everyone else has cool decorations. OK people, I'm new, I will get there!!!!!!

--I must balance pictures and no pictures in my blogs. I don't want to look like a scrap book, but do remember, it's by blog and I can put pictures if I want to. But I do want my blog friends to like me so I have to grease the audience so maybe I do need to balance.... Back to dilemma again..

--I wonder if there is a way to "draft" a blog and come back to it later without it getting deleted.

Ok that's what I have thought of so far. I can see how this blogging might get addicting....

Happy early sabbath!!

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Isn't it Interesting...

Isn't it Interesting... How you can know MUCH about few things, LITTLE about more things, NOTHING about many things, and God uses your MUCH to fill the LITTLE and NOTHING of others, Your LITTLE to encourage those who know either MUCH or NOTHING, and your NOTHING to shape your character and get you to listen to those with LITTLE or MUCH? I didn't originally write that, but I thought it was a great summary of how we will never truly understand how big God is.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ I am watching Miss America with my mom and she goes to take some enchiladas out of the oven.

She asked me about how to turn it off and asks if the "Clean/ Off" button. I said "the clean button?" I never knew I had a clean feature on my stove. Not that I use my stove so often that I have even ever needed to clean it, but it is a nice feature.

Then my mom says "wait... it says Clear/ Off." Aww... geesh.. Mom, I got excited!

Maybe one day I will have a "clean" button on my stove, but that day will be AFTER I have a dish washer. An electronic one, not a tall handsome one. =)

My roommate and I are sooo bad at doing dishes. I understand that rubbing soap onto a dish is not that hard, but when I eat late at night after fighting children all day the last thing I want to do is to do dishes so I throw them in the sink, and if the dish has some stuff in it, I do put water in it to let it soak and say I am not going to let the sink get filled up again. Then within a week it is even worse than before. So maybe the answer is to let the dog lick it!? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A wonderful family, with a totally awesome child gave me a gift card to Olive Garden that I spent with my mom today. We were stuffed after soup and salad but I had room for some cake and body was it yummmmy in my tummmy. When I find that "dishwasher" could someone tell him that Olive Garden salad is better than flowers and if he gets into trouble that I would like a salad?? Thanks.
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My friend Katie is going to have a baby in about 6 weeks. I am so excited for her and her hubby. This baby is going to grow up to be quite creative, unpredictable, and sold out for Jesus. This baby also might grow up to marry Mr. Isaac who I mentioned in the last post.

I am so glad Katieis going through this first. Katie is great. I don't think people understand the treasure Katie is. They see Katie as jumping from one thing to another, unorganized and a self-proclaimed perfectionist.

I recently helped Katie paint the nursery for the new baby, who I haven't mentioned is a little girl. I was painting "swirls" on the walls and Katie kept sighing. See, Katie can't stand for too long because of how the baby is positioned so she was depending on me to make it perfect. I kept asking her if it was okay and she would say "yeah," but I know Katie very well and I knew it was okay. I told her tell me how you want it, because when you are feeding that baby at 3am I don't want you cursing me out when you see a line that isn't straight! She kinda looked at me and I think silently realized I can read her like a book.

I have learned of these baby "term" but Katie has no fear in telling me what she learns in childbirth classes. Her husband tells is even better. From breast feeding to birthing... I feel she is going to be calling at all hours to tell me all these new experiences!

My sweet Katie is so nervous about being a Mom. But her and her husband will be great. And they know they have many who will be there for them!
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I think this post has more pictures than anything, can you tell I am practicing the image posting? I can't figure out how to change the font color. I did have something to click on a but ago but it has disappeared. Maybe if I post then come back to it and edit... I am also going to try to follow step by step directions from Dan in how to set up to get e-mailed when someone posts on my blog. Did you know that someone from Australia commented on my blog? She seems really cool and hopefully in the next few days I am going to check out some blogs she has done with her special education classes. Toodles for tonight!

Randomness...

Lots of random stuff... for one random girl....

Did you know I have a follower? I still don't get this blog thing but I think it is good for me to write for fun. I write all day at work but this is fun time. I never realized this but after reading incident reports and other people's writing, I am so thankful that I know how to spell most words, write in proper enlish and pretty much use grammer... Anyways, my follower... I saw this thing on my blog that said "follower" and I clicked on it and it said "Dan." No I don't have a stalker, but a college friend that is "following" me. I want to be Dan's follower, and eventually I will, but it takes me forever to remember how to do it, so for now I will verbally commit to being a follower.

When it was -22 degrees outside the other day and I had to go to Walmart this man saw me trying to find a spot and he ran to his car pointing to his car trying to let me know he was leaving so I should wait for his spot. I almost cried at his kindness.

I just put the Christmas tree away tonight. I was trying to clean up as my mama-mia is coming tomorrow and although she knows I am not the neatest, which hasn't always been the case, I still wanted to clean up because right now you can't walk though the living room!

One of my first friends at NIU and her husband had their first little one Sunday, on her birthday. Kacie is a physical therapist and has a smile that always makes me happy. Eddie loves archeology and loves being outsides. Together this baby is going to be a hard working, Jesus loving athletic young man. He has wonderful mom and dad, great aunts and uncles, cool grandparents and some very special cousins.And we cant forget, baby Isaac's big brother Beau! Kacie was in my Lincoln Bible Study with InterVarsity. From that Bible study I still keep in touch with Beth, Amy, Sarah, Laura and Kacie. That year was one of the best of my life. I keep a picture of Kacie attacking me in a dinosaur outfit that Sarah stole from Eric and gave as our Christmas party white elephant gift! Bottom line- I love Kacie, Eddie and their new little one!!

I don't think Conan O'Brien is funny.

I am trying to think of more things to write because I don't want to clean!!!

Ok maybe tomorrow I will post an amazing thing God is doing through a horrible hiking accident and how a high school friend is connecting to my co-workers and the Church in Rockford. Oh, and it was also requested I talk about how the year is going so far so I will get that up soon. But for now, cleaning so I can play with my mommy tomorrow. =)

This is for my friend Dan...

Not nearly as good as your letter Dan but I've been thinking
what the song was and I have to post since I finally found it...

There's a boy who works at Starbucks 
Who is very inspirational. 
He is very inspirational because of many things. 

I come in at 8:11, and he smiles and says, "How are you?" 
When he smiles and says, "How are you?" 
I could swear my heart grows wings! 

So today at 8:11
I decided I should meet him
I decided I should meet him
In a proper formal way.

So today at 8:11 when he smiled and said "How are you?" 
I said "Fine, and my name’s Kristin"
And he softly answered, "Hey." 
And I said "My name is Kristen, and thank you for the extra foam…" 

And he said his name was Taylor, 
Which provides the inspiration for this poem: 

Taylor the latte boy, 
Bring me java, bring me joy! 
Oh Taylor the latte boy, 
I love him, I love him, I love him… 

So I’d like to get my nerve up 
To recite my poem musical. 
He would like the fact it’s musical 
Because he plays guitar. 
So today at 8:11, Taylor told me he was playing 
In a band down in the village in the basement of a bar.

And he smoothly flipped the lever to prepare my double latte,  
But for me he made it triple! And he didn’t think I knew 
But I saw him flip the lever, and for me he made it triple, 
And I knew that triple latte meant that Taylor loved me too! 
I said, "What time are you playing? And thank you for the extra skim…" 
He said, "Keep the $3.55," because this triple latte was on him. 

Taylor the latte boy, 
Bring me java, bring me joy! 
Oh Taylor the latte boy, 
I love him, I love him, I love him… 

I used to be the kind of girl who'd run when love rushed toward her.
But finally a voice whispered "Love can be yours, if you step up to the counter, and order."

Taylor, the latte boy
Bring me java, bring me joy
Oh Taylor the latte boy
I love him, I love him, I love him. 

So many years my heart has waited, 
Who’d have thought that love could be so caffeinated? 
Taylor, the latte boy, 
I love him, I love him, I love him. 
I love him, I love him, I love him.

Moving in to 2009

Before I begin, I have to laugh at something. Over the Christmas holiday my family was joking about the "snuggie" Basically it is a blanket with sleeves or a bath robe turned around. I am really sorry if someone got/ gave this for Christmas but it seems really ridiculous. Anyways, I am at home and I was kinda cold as I was in a short sleeve shirt so I pulled the blanket over and thought "how can I wrap up and still write on the computer?" HaHa! I thought for a moment that the snuggie would be a good idea. Please someone do not send me a snuggie. I figured out how to be warm and stylish with my snowman blanket.

I haven't ever been one for resolutions. I feel that if something is worth celebrating, you shouldn't have to wait to a certain day of the year to celebrate. I don't want my friends to just think that I am grateful they are born just on their birthday, but more days throughout the year. But, as the year has come to a close I have been thinking of a few things I would like to do in 2009. Not quite ready to share them yet but maybe eventually.

As for celebrating, last night I was asleep by 11p! Today my cousin Danielle is coming over and no matter what we do I am sure we will have a good time. So I'm off to shower and to do some dishes before she arrived.