It a wonderful time of the year...

Awww, it is that time of year when Advent is coming to a close, and Christmas is soon to come! It's a perfect time to be in Iowa if you have a parka!

As Lacy and I put up our tree on Tuesday night, I could not help but get excited about ornaments that I put on the tree. I have ones that I made in elementary school (those are Lacy's favorites!), ones that I got as gifts from Mom and Dad, and there are pink flamingos, penguins and so much more!

The Parental Units left 80 degree weather on Friday and headed north to Iowa and got to West Des Moines early Saturday afternoon. We have big plans of eating yummy mommy cooking, baking, and making gingerbread houses with good friends and family.

The Youth choir at church will be singing at the 6:30 (midnight mass), so I am looking forward to celebrating with my family and church family the birth of our Lord.

Below you will find the Christmas letter that I wrote for the family; feel free to check it out as this is the "green friendly" Christmas card...

Merry Christmas friends and family!
After much begging, I (Tonia) was able to write this year’s Christmas letter. I hope this letter finds your family and friends well! The Pals family has had a wonderful 2010, and I am as eager to tell you about it as you are to read about it, so let’s get this party started!

After Thanksgiving, Mom and Dad headed down south to their new winter home in Mission, Texas and fully enjoy retirement. They were blessed that I came down for Christmas and Brother Wade came down in mid-January. When family and friends were not visiting Mom and Dad enjoyed playing cards, doing woodworking, swimming, and going down to Mexico. Mom learned how to make fused glass jewelry and stained-glass steppingstones. Put your order in early! Dad made a fantastic oak clothes hamper that he always puts his dirty clothes in!
Grandma (Mary’s Mom Elsie) turns 90 this December so the whole family got together the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was a fantastic day celebrating a wonderful woman’s life with family. Mom and Dad headed south right after the party and are hoping to return this year for Christmas, weather permitting.

The summer was filled with time at the lake house after Mom and Dad returned at the end of April. Mom is slowly working on all the projects she has put off for years. She has a pile of dirt that is almost done!

Brother Wade found himself in Florida this spring to stand up in a good friend’s wedding. Wade also had back surgery at the end of July and was off work for three months – way too long if you ask him! He has had a great recovery and is feeling much better.

I had a great year! I am still working at the Catholic Church as a high school youth minister. After UNI had a fantastic win over KU, I headed down to St. Louis to cheer on my Panthers in the oh-so Sweet 16! This summer I headed down to Panama City, Florida for a week on the beach with a good high school friend and came back with a fantastic tan! This December I head down to New Orleans for the High School Youth Ministry conferences! I am looking forward to a tad bit warmer weather.

Blessings to all of you and your family this Christmas season! Feel free to come down to south Texas to see Mom and Dad this winter if you get tired of the cold. They have a fantastic guest room waiting for you!
Love,

The Pals Family (Ray (Mike), Mary, Tonia, and Wade Pals)

New Orleans in December, yes please!

Last weekend my and 2,000 other Youth Ministers headed down to New Orleans to learn more, laugh a lot, drink a little, pray together and grow in our mission of bring the young Catholic Church closer to Christ.

Such an amazing time. I have a few highlights...

• Being in 70 degree weather while Iowa was having a blizzard
• Seeing my Mississippi (some of them) family and enjoyed a good time
• The conference was truly amazing from workshops, music, key notes and prayer
• Growing closer to my Iowa Youth Minister friends and seeing some old friend (Katie it rocked to see you!)
• Seeing and spending time with Miller, Andrew and Ryan Hoffmann
• Giving Ryan his 30th Birthday gift.
• THE FOOD and DRINKS! OMG soooo good!

I was unsure if I would make it home on Sunday like I planed however God is good and provided me a flight home and bed's for those friends that had to stay an extra day. I have a new energy and ready to go on Christmas vacation!

If you would like to see pictures check out: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=584655&id=504190257&l=0792207eb2

God is good....ALL THE TIME!

A time of Thanksgiving ...

While it's been a while. I try to find a balance between my friend Maggie who blogs all the time and my friend Andy who never blogs. I feel that this past time frame has been more on the Andy side, I promise to wing a bit more to the Maggie side.

As any typical fall in the life of a Youth Minister my life has been crazy busy. This past weekend we had our large steak dinner fundraiser on Saturday night. We served over 200 adults, drank many, many, many bottles of wine and polished off a keg. Oh and the steak was amazing. As I was running around trying to set up more chairs, help students know what to do, work the ticket table, make sure the Youth Ministry bake sale table was under organization, and help out at the silent action I found myself smiling while running around crazy and sweating my ass off. I am truly blessed. I had so many wonderful conversations with outstanding community members, new and old friends. The table fellowship was fantastic. All were welcome.

This was the first time since I attended St. Stephens that I felt like I was part of a community not just working for a community and being there b/c I had to be. I was able to enjoy the evening with a nice balance of work/helping out but also enjoying fellowship with friends. Being church and being an active part of a community is how we are called to live, Christ calls us to be in community. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for being apart of so many wonderful communities that provide me with unconditional love and support. Now back to putting together the parish hall from Saturday party....

Friday Fun

Friday has become my new Saturday since I am working every Sunday till Thanksgiving weekend. So far I have done a good job of taking at lest one day off for me. I have found that helps me become a healthy person and well balanced.

One might ask what I do on my day off. Those that know me best know that I LOVE to clean. After sleeping in, laying around and watching TV, around 10 AM I am ready to get up and get moving. I clean the house, do the laundry that takes typically all day. I put on some music from the I-tunes while I dance around the house cleaning and enjoying the quite of the day. Cleaning relaxes me, thinking time, time to reflect on life and the past weeks events and what is to come. And at the end I can stand back and smell the Pine Sol, such a fantastic smell!

Doing everything in one day also gives me Saturday (my Sunday) to watch football!

If you ever need any cleaning help on Friday please let me know, I am $20 an hour.

God Bless and happy Saturday good friends.

Blessed...

Work is into full swing in my life! There are always so many great things going on this time of year that I often find it hard to have balance with it all. This week had several nights of not getting home till after midnight in a row. It's all been great stuff but takes a large chunk out of girls times. It is Thursday evening and for me it is my Friday night. I am trying this year to take Friday off and most of Saturdays, Sunday is always my Monday (Makes it hard to watch the Bears games sometimes...)

This week an amazing friend came into town. Mike Patin came to do the Youth Ministry kick off on Tuesday and talked about having good communication in the workplace. As always he is fantastic at new ideas, prayer, and speaking the truth. It was amazing to spend the day

with so many Youth Ministers and those that work so hard for the youth of the church. It was nice to be able to share ideas, prayer, and stories with those that understand my job the most.

On Wednesday Mike took his evening to talk to the over 200 High School students in the Des Moines area about living their faith out daily. I know it was an amazing

night for the Youth when they posted quotes from the night on my facebook page and the the countless text about fav. quotes from the evening. Then we took Mike out for a few drinks and lots of laughs. It was a fantastic evening and way

to send him out of Des Moines with a bang!

This is a picture of my bookend at work, Deanna and Mike. I don't

know why in most pictures I look like I am drugged up and eyes half open but I promise I was sober with only having one beer the

whole night. I am a better Youth Minister thanks to these two friends in my life, the wisdom we show each other is life giving.

If you would ever like to meet Mike he will be the MC for the adult Youth Ministry conference in New Orleans and one of the Key Notes at the next NCYC in Indy 2011.

Circus in town...

Don't get me wrong, I love my family and I wish we all had more time to spend together. However, when we are together it often reminds me of a 9 ring circus and their are only four of us in the family.

Mom and dad came and we got some great projects done around the homestead...

• Building me a headboard - This has been much needed and I have waited with anticipation for this moment! I think it looks fantastic and I am so thankful for them making it for me. It is not so much used for deco and much more needed to keep my pillows on the bed!
• Moved Lacy's bike rack. I am going to make an amazing wife b/c my dad teaches me how to do shit on my own. With a small help from Father I got the thing moved and pretty impressed with myself.
• Learned how to trim bushes and they all look much better! Maybe I should try cutting hair next.
• Cleaned out Wade's ears...really nothing more to say about that
• Cooked!! We had a fantastic dinner...salmon with recipe found here, veggie dip found here, Spinach artichoke dip that will soon be posted on blog, salad and garlic bread. Followed by some freshly baked Chocolate chip cookies (after burning for several years I have learned how to make them pretty much perfect...)
• Played a game of Rummy, father kicked ass.

It was a fantastic evening filled with family, friends and good memories. This was a good test to see how Christmas will go this year when mom and dad move in for a week, I am looking forward to it and already started the list of projects!

All is right with the world...

We have CABLE TV! Lacy and I have a deal, we get cable during football season every year. I love cable TV, and then add DVR as well... it was like the heavens opened up and and the choir of angles sung to me. I will no longer have to watch commercials.

Jason came over around noon today and within 10min everything was set up and ready to go. I have enjoyed watching the food network (learned how to make cabbage roles!) and large amounts of Roseanne (I know quality programing).

Monday morning will be fantastic while I get ready for work watching CNN... and making dinner and having Wolf join me is a gift.

Are you ready for some...

Fall - what a fantastic time of the year! Several people have shared with me that they are loving that fall is fast approaching. The cool crisp air, windows open, allergies starting, football starting, looking up new soup recipes, cooking with the oven, changing up the clothes the list goes on.

What am I most looking forward to, Are you ready for some football!!! It is no surprise to those that I am close to that I have a love for football. High School, college, NFL you name it and I will watch it.

Friday night I headed over to watch Van Meter boys take on top ranked (even in a class above them) Pella Christian. They played a fantastic game however could not hold onto the win. This is the first time I have been back to a Van Meter game, in Van Meter since Wade graduated. I parked at some family friends house, had a beer with Ray and chatted with Mary. Before walking on over to the game. I was not at all surprised how nothing has changed. Same cheers from the cheerleaders, locals standing in the same spot cheering on their team, same medical responders. I have a very special group of Sr. boys that have been asking me for years to come watch them once they started for Van Meter. They did such an amazing job, it was fantastic evening filled with great football, good friends and family and of course a few beers!

It was at this field where I learned to love this sport. I remember as a kid sitting on the side lines with my mom and her teaching the rules about football. It was simple, you have 4 tries to get 10 yards. I will always remember lesson number one!

I am excited to watch the Iowa vs. ISU game next Saturday, I hope ISU shows up to play. Of course there is the Bears, if we win against the Lions on Sunday in our opening game I am going to be blown away.

In other football news one of the most important parts of football is the pre and post game tailgating! This week in our football tailgating week, all week we will be posting our favorite tailgating recipes for all to enjoy! Stop in each day and check it out here.

VIP for a night...

The Iowa State fair is not a must see for me for so many reasons...

1.) It is hot, typically the hottest part in the Iowa summer, and I don't enjoy being in large crowdes walking around looking at livestock while over heating.

2.) It is SO expensive. To park. To get in. To have something on a stick or to drink sugar water or water.

3.) Lets just say that the Iowa State fair does not bring out the best that Des Moines has to offer, it's almost like Wal Mart

exploded for 10 days on the east side of Des Moines.

4.) There is not really a whole lot I care to see...

I mean great there is a cow over 3,000 lbs. I see dinner for the next year for me and my friends.

You can't go to the fair and not see the butter cow and whatever the theme of the year is out of butter... BEHOLD the butter cow and Dr. Seuss theme set... I am sure that was his dieing wish..please make a display of my greatest books out of butter for all of Iowa to see.

My thoughts on the state fair can pretty much be summed up by saying if you have never been, new to Iowa it is a good thing to go check out. Every year, for 10 days in a row, I will pass.

However this year was different and since I

have not been to the fair in a few years (ok like 8ish) it was time to give it a go around. A parishioner got free tickets into the fair, free parking IN the fair grounds and free tickets to see Mercy Me and Newsboys in the 7th row on the floor and thought that he would share them with some of the Youth Ministry kids, and active adults. This took care of a few of the things that I dislike about the fair, Parking - CHECK!, getting in - CHECK!, it was the hottest day of the fair with the heat index of 105 but two out of three things is not bad! And check out the eye candy on the lead singer of Newsboys, I was having hot flashes and it had nothing to do with how hot it was outside. It was a great evening with good friends, great music (other then Mercy Me and the base) and I got to try a bite of a fried snickers on a stick. It was great to feel like a VIP for an evening and even better that I got to share it with some amazing kids, and rockin adults! I will look forward to the next fair trip in 2018.

***Please note I took none of these pictures myself, thanks friends for taking pictures for me to illustrate my points.***

Mid summer nights dream...

As I sit on this unusual cool evening in August I can't help but get excited that fall is right around the corner. Fall after all is my favorite season, and I am really looking forward to fall of 2010, a large part being work related. The past two weeks work has picked up dramatically. I went from working maybe five hours a week (and a half ass five hours they were) to putting in close to 40 and knowing that those hours will pick up as the weeks goes on. I love that I work for God and can pick and choose my hours. There are some months they are a bit busier and crazier then others but all in all it balances out.

A few highlights that I am looking forward to this upcoming school year.

- I am looking forward to teaching Confirmation with Erin. She is a fantastic parent volunteer that is better at my job then I am. I am looking forward to all the things I will learn from her.

- The diocese of Des Moines has asked to look into new programs and have a more standard curriculum across the bored. I am looking forward to the new program and the unique challenges that will come with that.

Choice 1) Call to Discipleship more information can be found here.

Choice 2)Life Teen more information can be found here.

Both programs look great, it is just looking as to what program will best fit the needs of my Youth Ministry program, I am leaning towards Call to Discipleship. Any input is welcome.

- Volunteering on the vocation community for the Diocese of Des Moines has been fantastic and I look forward to seeing the direction that it will go.

- Novos is the new young adult program that the diocese is starting and I was asked to sit on part of the core planning team. So far I feel like things are off to a good start, and I also enjoy that my part in this planning team is very little so far, however I am still able to use my gift of organization!

- The Youth Choir that I started last spring really took off and I am looking forward to seeing it grow this fall and into next spring! They sound fantastic and everyone loves when they sing at church! (Don't worry I am not in the choir at all...)

And of course how can you forget that football season is just a few weeks away. CAN'T EVEN WAIT!

Add in their Grandma's 90 Birthday Party, Thanksgiving with Ray and Mary, and a trip to New Orleans in December .... I have a feeling this fall is going to be a good one...

Florida vacation 2010

I had a chance this summer to head down to Panama City Florida to spend some time with my good friend Amy, meet Amy...

I have loved my time down here and enjoyed spending time with Amy and her family. Her mom, step dad, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew live about an hour away in Mexico Beach and we where blessed to spend so much time together. Some highlights of the trip...

-Spending time with Amy, lately I have learned the value of amazing girlfriends in my life and I am so blessed to have her as part of my life.

-Going swimming everyday and hitting up the beach. This Iowa girl did not come home white!

-Going to Gulf World with Amy's family to see all of the animals!

-Cooking with Amy and making the perfect Mojito recipe.

- Going out in the boat on the Gulf. Seeing Jellyfish in the water, swimming at a State Park with stingray's (not a fan of them!), seeing Black Island (from the boat). The ride back was a bit rough... don't worry food did stay down!

- Going to a country bar and watching all the redneck's locals go crazy with songs I have never heard of. Also, getting hit on by a 40 year old married guy with his wife in the bar as well... don't worry left quickly after finding out!

- Cleaning and organizing Amy's apart! It looks great now...

- Dinner with my friend Brandi back from volunteering days. It was so great to be connected with long lost friends again.

- I was able to try boiled peanuts for the first time and they are better then chips and salsa!

- Going to CVS three times!

- Taking pictures of Amy to send to Guam Boy.

Lasting memories created this past week in Florida! Pictures are on my facebook feel free to check them out..Thank you for everything Amy, Debbie, Andrew and family...

I'm leaving on a jet plane....

This will be a short blog. I am getting ready to load a plane to head to Florida to see my good friend Amy. I CAN'T EVEN WAIT!!! I am looking forward to long walks on the beach as I waddle, drinking while watching the sunset, cleaning her place up and getting it organized and of course going out and picking up military boys.

Another note: please keep my brother in your prayers as he is having sugary on his lower back early Tuesday Morning. He will be moving in with Ray and Mary they will need prayers to put up with him as well....

I have no words for a title

I am to pissed to go into the story but I have spent the last few days dealing with SHITTY costumer service. Whatever happened to people being nice? No wounded people that do customer service all day are bitchy, if I sat on my ass on the phone for 40 hour a week saying "I am sorry I can't help you and there is nothing that can be done" I would be bitchy about it too. I am not even talking about one organization I am talking about three different services!

So after spending a few hours on the phone today hearing that, I went to the only local place I know where people are nice, friendly, helpful and glad to see you...the Farmers Market. My faith in people was restored. I was looking for hot peppers to make salsa with the new food processes I got today, oh yea Lacy we own one now. This NICE couple did not know what peppers where hot or not so they cut a few open to make sure I got what I wanted and then gave it to me for FREE!

There is the cutest old couple that I always buy my tomatoes from and when they seen me today they smiled as I walked towards them and the lady said to her husband "see I told you she would come see us today!" So sweet and they gave me a deal on the tomatoes, I have them a small tip with the old "keep the change" line.

It's nice to know there are still places where people can get quality service!

I am off to enjoy some fresh grown Iowa tomatoes.

A handy woman...

I have blogged a few times about the struggles that i have with my bedroom and finding a location for everything to fit in a form I enjoy. I need the prayer chair to be in a great location or it is not used. The other day while swimming I was thinking about different options that I had to get my room back to a place that I enjoyed walking into and that I liked.

So, Friday afternoon after spending most of the morning watching Lost I got off the couch and took a shower. Off to Target I went to get a curtain for my window. You see I can't have my bed how it fits best b/c the window is at my head and the sunlight at 6 AM wakes me up. I picked something out, and headed home. I dug through all the rods that where left behind from the last renters and found something that was classy and would pull the whole look off. It was shortly after I got ready to hang the rod on the wall that I seen I would need an electric drill. Then I remembered that Ray was going to give us his old one. I looked up and behold it sat on the self in all it's glory! It was the first time I ever used an electric drill on my own, and it was a lot of fun! (I only had to call dad once for help!) I am pretty impressed with the look. I think it adds a great touch of color to the room!

Also I don't think any one would have guessed that it is a shower curtain.

So all that is needed now is a head bored so my pillows will stay on, and my room will be done! I am sure my good friend Maggie will look when she gets home from Colorado, she is after all the queen of Craigslist, please see here.

In other news it has been decided that Andy Miller's role in the Luau will be to get a shaved ice machine for shaved ice rum and cokes. I approve. Anything to get people feeling good as I enter into the heavenly gates is a must. Also Maggie if you could please look for a shaved ice machine and not a snow cone machine Miller Light would be thankful.

A top 10 list..

Top Ten list of great things about summer.

10.) Not having to work as much. I only work 20 hours a week in the summer.

9.) Sleeping in and a nap time most day.

8.) Going on night time walks.

7.) Sitting outside at El Redo for chips and salsa along with drinks with good friends!

6.) Being at the lake house/Boating

5.) Going to Catholic Youth Camp once a week for mass

4.) Grilling dinner/more time to cook in general...

3.) Summer time TV shows. This summers Netflix is LOST and as always on TV is Big Brother.

2.) Going swimming

1.) Farmers Markets and especially tomatoes! LOVE tomatoes FRESH!

Miracles do happen ..

and this week it takes place in the fact that I have two blogs in one week.

Two things that I wish to share with the few people that read this....

1.) There was a funeral today at church and the lady who's mother passed away did not want our funeral ladies to put on the lunch so she did it herself. I could go on about this but I will not.. what I was amazed by was the amount of wast that that took place in her doing it herself. I am not talking about food wast, I am talking about the number of items that will be put into the trash. All of the trays, and paper products (growing to hate). I told her that I would take her aluminum trays that she was going to throw away so if anyone needs one, I should have some waiting for me in the office when I get in tomorrow. It makes me sick to think about how much trash I throw away and knowing that I TRY to recycle.

Yesterday I spent an extra $10 more on a product at Target b/c it has less wast that came with it. Same product just different packaging.

When I asked a good friend why they did not have paper towels in there kitchen they made an amazing point. A paper towel is a tree that you cut down to whip something up once to then be thrown away.

I never thought that I would be the kind of person who cared about trash, but I can say now that I am happy that I am and I look forward to seeing growth in this area of being Green b/c I know I have a long ways to go.

In other news I have started to eat healthy again and have lost 8lbs.

Students First...

When I was attending the University of Northern Iowa the motto was "Students First". Over the years of attending there sometimes I struggled to see how it was "students first". Please note that I don't remember any examples just that me and my friends would make fun of it often.

I am in the process of getting a copy of my transcripts from UNI - this is for sure not a "Alumni First" process. Getting your transcripts is easy, fill out an online form and fax it back. However, getting the certificate program that you completed while attending UNI on your transcripts is a different story. I have been on the from one department to another, emailed over three different people and now waiting for Wed. till someone else comes in from vacation. HOT MESS!

Done bitching for now and onto summer times news:

I have been out enjoying the nice summer weather when it is nice, I have not seen the sun in about four days. I am loving spending so much time at the lake house, I do not enjoy the snack that lives under the shed however. The summer tan is lookin good, ready to build on it! The more I drive the boat the worse I get at it. I even got "pulled over" this past Saturday. The patrol guy was a nice dickhead.

Currently I am on a reading kick. After I finish this next book I need to start reading a few months worth of Time magazine that have been piling up. I have stopped paying for it and now on my 2nd month of getting it free, I no longer wounder why print media is going down the drains. I highly recommend book "The Art of Racing in the Rain"....

In other news: I am watching two great TV shows on Netflix right now that I suggest people check out: "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip" and "Lost". Both are worth watching! If you have Netfix you can watch Lost seasons 1-4 online.

Spring time

Spring has never been one of my favorite times of year, I know I am crazy. It's leads to summer, and well summer is just hot! Bring me to fall and football and we have a deal. Also, work changes in the summer it is new change of pace and it takes me all summer to get use to it and then it changes again. However this spring has been different, I find myself enjoying new things and filling my time with new actives, I have grilled out with friends and family, gone on walks outside, playing cards with friends, reading (some GREAT books), road trips and taking hikes. I am hoping this Sunday will be the first boat ride of the season! I find myself busy from the moment I wake up till it's time to go to bed and hardly ever having time TV or movies it has been a nice change.

The real reason for this blog is a consumer report. I had a bonfire a few days ago and it was my job to bring the items for s'mores. I attend a local store was amazed to find all the items I need for s'mores right there when I walked in. And seen that they now have Giant marshmallows for campfires... I was SO EXCITED! I LOVE to cook s'mores on campfires, one of the worlds simple joys for me. This marshmallows are BIG! However, they are not good to cook over a campfire, they take to long to cook and it gets so hot it falls off the stick, they are to big to put on the gramcrackers. The outside is done and the inside is still "uncooked". If you try to cook, peal away the top to eat and put back in the fire the marshmallows fall off before you even get half of it eaten. They may looks fantastic (and the idea is) however not a good idea! No matter how you put them on the stick they turn into a hot mess...

Family

This week has been a blessed week in many ways.

Mom and Dad came back from Mexico... I mean their winter home down in Texas. It was so great to see them! They stopped as they drove by and had a few beers with me.

On Thursday night Wade (Brother) and myself drove out to the lake house to spend a little family time together, enjoy Mom's cooking and a few card games. When we got "home" there was no parents to be found. While I waited I sat and looked at this view ..There is a calmness out there this time of year, hardly anyone around, everything around you coming to life. No screaming kids swimming. I forgot how much I missed being at the lake house and the peace that it brings me.

It turns out Dad was at the neighbor Bill's house enjoying a few beers and Mary the Mother of Tonia was at Dave and Jane's house enjoying wine and cheese. About 15min. later both parents arrived home a bit buzzed and happy to see their children.

Dinner conversation consisted of a few dirty jokes, hearing about Wades trip to Florida and about the upcoming summer and next winter plans. As of right now Ray and Mary the Mother of Tonia will be coming home for Christmas in Iowa hosted by yours truly. The menu is already being worked on, I will be cooking the pork that my good friend Andy talks about in this blog.... This leaves Maggie about 8 months to help me come up with some good sides to try out with it. Also, wife, I don't think I told you but my family will be staying with us for a few days over Christmas so you most likely will need 8 months to get ready for this (I know I will). This will also mean that Seth and I will be taking my winter trip down south sometime in February or early March to see the Unites, let me know if you would like to come with us.

I kicked some ass in rummy! It was great to be back together playing cards as a family. This pic. is a bit blurry but you get the idea.

In other news, Thursday April 15th was a day of great sadness b/c it marked the one year anniversary of a very good friends death. (please see this blog for more information.) Mikey, I love and miss you everyday. I think and pray for you every morning and each evening. When I see a "V" shaped bird formation I can't help but think of you. Know you are loved and missed. Please join me in keeping all of Mikey's family and friends in your prayers.

God Bless

Turning Old

My body is falling apart. I have known this for some time now. The newest part of my body that is falling apart is my teeth. It's time for a monologue so sit back and enjoy...

Monday I drank my lunch with my girlfriends at El Redo, the best Mexican restaurant in Des Moines Iowa. (I had Easter Monday off.) Hey, $1.50 drinks, what more do ladies need?

Dinner Monday night was popcorn. As I was eating my popcorn watching the basketball game I noticed that it felt like there was popcorn stuck to my back tooth. Not so much. In fact half of my tooth was no longer in my mouth. I thought oh great a cavity fell off....(back upper left) Called the dentist first thing in the morning and since I was in no pain I had a Wednesday morning appointment.

After a fast x-ray the Doctor came in to chat with me. In fact it was not a cavity that fell off but half of my tooth, the cavity is still there. My tooth has a large crack in it. Solution = tomorrow morning (Friday April 9th) they will be pulling OUT my tooth. Replacing it with NOTHING! After a large flip out attack in the dentist office I was able to leave after being hooked up to air b/c I could not breath. If I find that I miss my tooth they then will DRILL a rod into my jaw and attach a tooth to it at the cost of $1,500 if not more (and that is with dental insurance).

They say the whole thing will take about 2 min. to pull out. They are not putting me to sleep, I find that surprising since he seen how I acted about just the idea of this...

And people question why it takes me 5min. each night to clean my teeth, it's b/c much like my family I was blessed with bad expensive teeth that cause me pain.

I think Mitch Hedburg had the right idea when he talks about the need for spaces between teeth, really we should just all have two big U shaped teeth.

Anyways this will most likely be me tomorrow morning but since I am driving myself I just hope to make it home safe and sound.

Nesting...

I suck at blogging, I am amazing at having an online journal that no one sees. So many great post in the saved setting. However today it came to me about something I should write about that post....here goes I hope it does not suck!!

When Lacy and I moved into our townhouse last August I have two small rooms and Lacy has the gym. One room is a guest room/my office. The other room is my "sleeping room" I have my dresser, bed, prayer chair and bedside table/prayer table. I put my bed at an angle, and truly that is the best location for my bed giving the size vs. window placement vs. air vent. Problem with my bed at an angle is that my head is kinda "floating" with nothing to hold the pillows on the bed and with all the moving I do b/c I can't sleep like an adult the pillows fall on the floor. Also, my head is by the window and now that the sun is coming up earlier and earlier that is just not working. I tried to move things around and I hate it... please see pic.

This is the prayer chair...the prayer table needs to be by it along with the lamp...

This is the other side of the room, it has to much furniture on one wall... the air vent sits dead in the middle under the window..LAME!

Another view...

Now to a "normal" person this would not be a problem..however my OCD/clean person who likes to nest at night for prayer time with my prayer table, lamp and prayer chair this room does NOT work. I could not even go to bed last night b/c I did not know how to pray before bed without being "nested" before bed. I like the bed not against the wall is nice. Really the problem is the prayer area... anyone has any ideas I would like that. Last night I was up till after midnight b/c I just did not know what to do. When I came home from work and walked into my room I did not like that there was no nesting prayer area. Also, to much stuff on one wall. Please see this post for more information about prayer time....

Maybe what I need to do is move it back, buy a headboard and curtains and move on.

In other prayer news I am learning morning prayer with Ligurgy of the Hours. It is going well and I am able to spend an extra 15 min. each morning nested in bed...

Talk to you all in 5 months...

New year, new start?

This Christmas seasons has been unlike any in the past. It kicked off with making gingerbread houses with my good friends, Seth (came in town from Col. to make them, oh and also spend Christmas with his family) my "wife" Lacy, my bestest friend Nikki, and Pat and Erin (there first time!) As always it was a great evening of eating to much candy and frosting and making pretty houses.

Then flew to TX for Christmas down south with Ray and Mary, Mom and Dad, or parental units..Good times, nice to be in warm weather for a few days and go swimming outside.

The new year came with me hanging out with some of my best friends playing with the cutest baby EVER (other then myself), having a few drinks and playing cards. I am thankful for our time together, what an amazing way to bring in a new year.

With that being said, I have always hated New Years. I find it depressing. It's the only night of the year that you are expected to have fun, go out, and be with friends. Also, what about when you are not ready for a new start? I pray for motivation to embrace this New Year, to get my ass moving again and find some ounce of motivation to "start new". I always feel like doing this in the middle of Jan or Feb. Maybe that's better then not doing it all... I have chosen to not do anything new for this year other then work on getting healthy (sooo not going well, it might have to do with the fact is is not the middle of Jan or Feb yet). For those of you who have new year goals, good job, I hope you remember them in March and succeed!