Sweepstakes Reminder

Good morning!  I wanted to take a minute today to remind you of my giveaway for our cool new shirts.  There are two prizes available and you can easily earn two entries.  The shirts have our very original logo on them and are made of organic cotton right here in our great country!  Please check out the post from the original announcement here.

Make a miracle today!

Good morning.  Actually, my morning could be better; my son Thomas just happily drove away on his first snowboard adventure.  All day yesterday I had acted very cool, I really tried not to let the fact that he was getting his drivers license bother me and turn me into one of "those" moms.  You know the ones, cries over her children getting older and hangs onto her kids for way too long?  Well, last night I became one of those moms.
It had been a long day.  In usual Judy fashion, a trip to Denver means to pack as much in as we possibly can to avoid multiple trips down the mountain.  So, the kids and I had taken care of all of our returns and had a nice lunch at our favorite place (Carl's Jr.-ha!).  It was when we walked into the DMV that it started hitting me.  I knew how excited Thomas was, but I just felt ill.
He is a fantastic driver and has a very safe car, but what about all of the other idiots on the road?  What about patches of ice?  What about...the list could go on for miles of things a parent worries about when their child gets their drivers license.  I do know one thing, and that is that he is a very cautious driver.  One of his girlfriends was killed on the very same highway that he will have to drive a lot and it affected him tremendously.  He turned 16 in May and was not over anxious to get his license until recently, which was more than fine by me.
So anyway, I got home later than I like and was exhausted.  Thomas had made plans with his friends and was of course ready to go after waiting what seemed like forever for that golden license.  I was still playing it pretty cool until I got the e-mail from my Mom about my cousin having her baby.  Not that I was sad for them (really, what a joyous time!), but it just really struck home that she was having her first baby, and mine was heading out the door for the very first time as an independent person.
As you can imagine, I was a tearful idiot saying goodbye.  I tried to act tough, but it just wasn't happening.  Thomas called me several times throughout the evening and was home two minutes before his curfew.  We all survived it fine, but now I'm wondering when I will get used to it.  Probably never!

Metaphysical Monday

Good Morning!  This is a very difficult morning for those of you who have to go back to work after some time off for Christmas, really, I feel for you!  If you are lucky enough to have a minute to sit in front of the computer, I appreciate that you are stopping by.

A little over a week ago, a dear friend of ours stopped by to tell us a very sad story.  This last summer his daughter married a great young man who is in the service, which of course had us all worrying about his safety in these unsettled times.  Sadly, this brave young man has gone through tragedy that you can't find in any war or battle or political arena.  He has lost his beloved sister.

She was a vivacious 28 year old that had started having seizures a few months before she had a massive heart attack.  They were in the process of finding out why she had the seizures, but obviously were not able to come up with an answer in time. 

The weird thing was, that when our friend told us that she had had the heart attack I got a very strong vision of Christmas lights being unplugged.  I even felt a little odd physically, it was such a strong signal coming through.  I shared my concerns with Tom and we both began praying our hardest for the family. 

On Christmas Eve we found out that the family had honored her wishes that day and allowed her to become an organ donor.  I know that it must have been an agonizing decision as they were very upset they would not be with her when she took her final breath.  It just so happened that one of her friends works for an organ donation group and was allowed to sit in on the surgeries and be with her when she passed.  All of this happened to the sounds of Garth Brooks singing her favorite song "I've Got Friends In Low Places".

I know, it's almost more than a person can bear.  I have not used names on purpose, this story could be any one person's story, but it can also be the story of many.  You see, I am a very firm believer in organ donation.  This noble young woman may have left behind a very sad family, but she has also left behind a long string of people who have a new life, thanks to her unselfishness.  For the patients who received news that they were going to receive a new organ for Christmas, it must have been the biggest of all Christmas miracles.

So, in honor of our nameless Christmas Angel, and many of those before her, I would like to leave you with a link to OrganDonor.gov where you can find answers to any questions you may have and also sign up to be an organ donor if you are not already.  I have also signed up to be a blood marrow donor through Bonfils at a local blood drive.  I did it this way so that I would not have to pay for the tissue sample, if I remember correctly my favorite Denver Broncos paid for it.  So, look for a local blood drive that is offering this test for free, or sign up online here.  No matter where you do it, all of the information gets put into one database, so as soon as your tests come back you are on the list to save a life!

I have since figured out why I had such a strong reaction to this tragedy.  It hits close to home because of the sudden onset of seizures, not unlike myself at almost her same age, but I knew that in some way it would not be just another sad story.  People can have connections to stories without having ever hearing them, but can affect the outcome more than they could dream of.
So, hopefully you will make a miracle today.

A Christmas Poem

Twas the morning after Christmas,

And all through the house,

Not a creature was stirring,

Not even a mouse.

I arose with a groan,

Thinking about the mess,

I'd better get up, I said with a moan.

Every surface covered in gifts,

The piles are so tall,

They look like drifts.

My house is full of people,

And as for the trash,

It's as big as a steeple!

I made way too many pies,

I'm sure they're going straight to my thighs.

It was a wondrous day,

Spending time with our families,

But today I need to give the house a  cleaning,

In a very big way!

A Very Merry Christmas!

Good Morning Readers!!!!  I know that today is a busy day for all of you, including myself.  But, I didn't want the day to go by without me saying Merry Christmas!  I have to tell you a funny story real quick though.  Because Christmas day is so busy with going to the Grandparents house, when Tom and I first started our family it became our tradition to do our gifts to the kids on Christmas Eve.  We have my parents every year, and of course Grandma can't resist bringing a few gifts for the kids as well.  Last night my kids got two packages with socks in them and they each got a package of underwear.  From the sincere ecstatic reaction of all three of them you would have thought those undies and socks were made of gold.  I'm wondering if that is saying something about the way I do laundry.  Nah, it's just a family to be very proud of!  Oh, and I almost forgot.  My oldest, who no longer thinks it's acceptable to hug his mom back, gave me a hug when he got his new snowboard, that's the best gift he could have given me! 
It shouldn't be too hard to make your own miracle today, it's in the air!

I may have performed a Christmas miracle...

I'm not sure, but I think I have performed a Christmas miracle.  I got all of my Christmas shopping done in just two days!  Due to budget issues and how Tom's paychecks fell in the month, I was really cutting it close this year, but as I went to bed last night I realized that I am more "ready" for Christmas than I have been in years, I even have all of my handmade gifts done!
I shopped on both Tuesday and Wednesday and each night when I got home my oh so helpful daughter and I wrapped the gifts that I had gotten that day.  Number one, it was really wonderful to have a helper, and number two, the wrapping was not near as overwhelming breaking it up a bit.  Once again, my kids have really stepped up in my time of need.  Thomas and my spare sons have been doing my chores so that I could get out there early in the morning to shop.  Nathan and Isabella have also been more than happy to help with the wrapping, tagging and organizing of the gifts.  Even my dear husband has done something that goes against every grain in his body, he went to the mall with me yesterday after the Christmas luncheon for his shop.
Which by the way I would like to mention real quick.  Tom has been working at the same shop for 23 years and until 3years ago the wives were not invited to the luncheon; it really wasn't a big deal as it almost always falls on Christmas Eve.  But, when they did start inviting the wives I of course had to go with him being a boss and I have enjoyed every one.  It is so very nice of his boss to include us, and it is usually the only "formal" Christmas party we go to.  The owner of the shop gave the guys their Christmas cards right before the party, and I am proud to say that even after a tough year, there was a bonus check in each workers' card!  He gave an emotional speech to them all, saying he sure wished it could have been more because his guys are the best, etc.  I was very proud for Tom, and especially proud of a small business remembering that the employees are what really make the money, not the economy.
Speaking of the economy, I'd like to touch on the subject of Christmas shopping.  As I mentioned, we were on a tight budget this year and I was feeling a little down that it would affect the kids' Christmas.  I know that it may seem silly when there are people starving that I was worried about getting my kids all they wanted, but there are another 364 days of the year that kids have other worries on their minds, and I really like to make Christmas special.  The kids pared their lists down to their favorites, I did lots of research and had my "Super Secret Notebook" (that's what Isabella calls it) entirely organized when I walked out my front door.  I knew what I was going after and most of the time where to go, and without busting the budget too badly I found everything I needed!
So, preparations are looking great here at The Royal Ranch and we look forward to my parents coming later today, and then my in-laws start arriving late in the night.  This year I even get a bonus helper, my sister in law will be here in the morning when we go to "Grandma and Papa's" (my parents), so she will start the cooking for our Christmas dinner with Tom's family while we celebrate with my family!
Really, I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas season and try to enjoy yourselves without working yourself into the ground like we tend to do.  Break your to do list down into baby steps, they seem to go a lot quicker that way.  Oh, and don't forget to ask for help when you need it!
Enjoy your miracle today!

"Tick Tock", said the Clock

Last year's lights, I'll try to get a pic from this year too!

Good morning!  Well it is only two days left until Christmas and I still have quite a shopping list.  I kind of like to do some things last minute, the crowds always seem a little friendlier this close to the big day; but this year I am feeling the crunch!  So, off I go to "wrap" things up and enjoy the annual Christmas luncheon for Tom's shop!  Hope you all have a fun filled day planned as well!