Just another weekend...or was it?

To be honest this weekend was a rather sad one. We were supposed to be in Disneyland riding the rides, enjoying a break from our lives and we wouldn't have gotten home until tomorrow. I woke up last month and felt strongly that we should not go. I had, and still to this day, have no idea why I had this feeling. We are waiting patiently to try and find the answer to something that we may never know. Yesterday, while cleaning and taking some items to the dump we realized that yesterday felt a bit different. Something was going on that we could not quite put our fingers on. Even the kids felt it. We still do not understand, but we stayed pretty much to the area in case we needed to be home for any reason. I truly am hoping that there really was a reason for us not going to Disneyland as it would be really sad to have it be one of those...you'll understand in the eternities...things. Don desperately has needed a vacation...he hasn't had one in two years!!! It would be sad to have no seeable reason for not going. Oh well, there is a reason for everything!!!!

I was enjoying the silence of the morning...

I really was enjoying the stillness and quiet in the morning. Reading my morning blogs and news before getting ready and facing the world. I was none too thrilled thought when I heard a loud snap from the kitchen followed by a series of loud squeaks. My mouse trap had been effective. For what seemed like five minutes those squeaks sounded in the kitchen. Apparently it did not catch its head in the trap but its tail. I finally had it and decided it was time to end that mouse's little life. I marched in...set to become the executioner...and feeling no guilt. I know I can hear some of you: "But Tammy! I am so ashamed of you! they are God's creatures! How could you?!" yes, they are God's creatures, but when they invade my home and work then they become trespassers and trespassers must be dealt with. So, after calling in my sweet hubby...who was sleeping ever so nicely for once...he joined me for battle completely with his sleepy eyes, messy hair, camo shorts and his biggest pair of cowboy boots ready for a stompin' good time. Would you believe that silly creature escaped somewhere in my house. Oh, believe me it will not be long...those whiskers are mine!!!

Do you ever get to that point?

I am at that point where my entire life that I have been living is bothering me. Do you ever look back and then wonder what you were thinking? I am teaching two lessons at church this Sunday. One is on keeping the word of God as a standard in my life and the other discusses the cycle that we see so often in the scriptures...righteous & prosperity,pride & wickedness,destruction & suffering, humility & repentance...and then we start the entire thing over again. No, I have not formed a secret combination dead set of wreaking havoc and destruction. That is very wrong. More of the battle I am talking about is an internal one. I have been reading scriptures all this morning and felt like I was in that humility & repentance part of my cycle. I know that we went through the prosperity and such and now we are getting hit down low. The economy is not a good thing around here and I am not kidding you when I say that I had only 6 customers yesterday...barely enough to pay the electric bill. It is slow again today and I am feeling it. I have taken to a lot of prayer and reading of the scriptures today which is a good thing. I see now how my spirit has been neglected and I need to change that. I need to refill that spiritual bucket. It is interesting to me that the last time I hit that part of the cycle I ended up having the most incredible spiritual growth of my life and feeling so close to my Heavenly Father that I could touch Him. I want to feel that again and if it means that I have to humble myself through trials then so be it. Most people look at trials as a bad thing, but i have noticed that when trials come it is better if I face them head on. Bring on the trials that in the end will make me a better person. Bring on the trials that will bring me closer to my Father in Heaven. Bring on the trials that will draw my family closer and make our lives draw farther from the world's standards and closer to Heavenly Father's.

Yes, I know I am preachy. To be honest I don't think of it as preachy because I know that I am talking about my life and not yours. I tend to think better as I write my thoughts out. For this one instance I have decided to let the world into my head for a brief glimpse. And, although much of the time the thoughts in my head are as crazy as Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory there are times when my thoughts come together and I have the ultimate epiphany on making my life and my family's life better. Maybe sometime I will let you into my chocolate factory mind....NAH!!!!

I have seen the lists of 100 things about people on the blogs and thought, boy that would be nice to do. However!!! I ahve also decided that I am not quite interesting enough to list 100 things because indeed they will get very lame as the numbers grow. So....I will give you 50 insider tips on my life: Enjoy...and yes, please laugh with me!!!!

1. I wanted to have 6 children...before I found out what having children was like...three is good.
2. I truly have more fun shopping for others at Christmastime.
3. I absolutely love to travel.
4. I was once given the opportunity to get on stage and perform at the Improv in San Francisco.
5. I am glad that I didn't...I would miss the kids and hubby I would never have receieved.
6. I sued to make a pizza called the Tammy Special at Mom's U-Bake while in high school.
7. I am such a nerd...I love the smell of school supplies and sharpened pencils.
8. I dream of writing a novel that lands on the best seller list.
9. My hubby, though never having read my wntire book last time...beleives I will be on the ebst seller list.
10. Once moved to Texas hubby offered to do all of the housework until he finds a job so I ahve all of that time to write.
11.I married my hubby in the Oakland Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
12. I truly believe that age is just a number...simply because I can't remember how old I am.
13. Phrases pop out of my mouth faster than I can stop them.
14. I grew up in South Lake Tahoe
15. My ski coach was a member of the New Zealand Olympic team and truly wanted me to make it to the Olympics.
16. I LOVE ANYTHING DISNEY!!!
17. My next trip out of the country will be back to Italy, then off to Greece, Turkey & Malta.
18. I've bene to Tiajuana...if you have never experienced it then I suggest you don't...I was very young.
19. I was excited to head down to mexico and use the spanish I had spent 6 years in school learning to speak, only to find out that once they saw my light blonde hair and fair skin they would speak english....AAAARGH!!!
20. I was a cheerleader for half the season...the other's attitudes were so far off from where I wanted to be that I couldn't take it and quit.
21. I do not like owning my own store.
22. I do not like shopping for clothes
23. I do like shopping for groceries.
24. I like to cook when I ahve the time.
25. I do not own a dishwasher.
26. Once i move I will have a dishwasher
27. I love the teens in our ward
28. I have a tough time with negative people.
29. I love to laugh.
30. Sometimes I have to sleep sitting up...lucky that we have adjustable beds!!!
31. My sleep number is 35...like you care. hee hee!!!
32. I have been covered head to toe in walrus vomit...on Easter Sunday growing up. I was 5!!
33.I hate walruses
34. I like to watch Pride & Prejuidice on Sunday afternoons...it makes hubby roll his eyes!!!
35. I went to high school with my hubby and he thought I was cute, but was too shy to ask me out. I never knew who he was.
36. I want to go back to school...now is not the time though.
37. When I was a baby my parents out ran a tornado with my brother and I in the car.
38. I still want to get into the water with a Great White Shark...cage and all.
39. I love to snorkel.
40. I have designed my own line of shirts for the store here.
41. I am a huge Charger Fan.
42. My grandfather has his own World Series Ring.
43. I love lightning storms
44. Christmas is my favorite season...it never lasts long enough!!!
45. I burn chocolate chip cookies everytime I try to bake them.
46. I can bake any other cookie fine
47. I make my own wontons
48. I can smile and not bat an eye at a customer even though they are covered in cow poop and they smell to the ends of the earth.
49. I am terrified of heights
50. I have been sitting here for two hours and not one customer has come in...I hate the economy!!!!

What do Chip N Dale have in common with my popcorn machine?!

No, I did not find two chipmunks inside my popcorn machine, but while we were out wandering around I was thrilled when we found a Disney outlet store. Now, this Disney outlet is not like the other outlets you would expect. It does not clearance items from the Disney Store, but form the parks itself. So, I was thrilled to not only find a watch that I had seen at the parks that I loved...let's just say I saved a hundred dollars off the normal purchase price, but I was able to buy some of the popcorn buckets that you can buy only at Disneyland!!! They had Chip & Dale buckets for $1.29 each which also included a lid and handle. Whenever we have friends over I have their little ones wanting popcorn. I can't say no, so I usually pop up a few batches and they refill their bags throughout the night. Now I have a fun way for the kids to carry their popcorn around AND I was able to bring a bit of Disneyland into my house...I love it!!!