Thoughtful Friends

I'm so grateful for thoughtful friends who make me desire to be better. My friend Kristi Brausch asked me one day for the birthdays of all of our family members and since then has never failed to send a card. Not only to send a card but a card that arrives on TIME! My kids always get so excited to get mail (I have to admit so do I). My Dad and his wife are also very good about this.

Now me? I remember that I should have sent a card the day before their birthday, I then either throw my hands up and say "Oh, well! There's always next year!", I make excuses about how I've already done my weekly WalMart shopping (yeah, I don't get out much) and don't have a card, or I give them a lame phone call. So here's my plan of action:

1. Gather a few birthdays starting with your own children (I mean I need to start small or I'm going to fail..I know myself too well)

2. Buy your first real "your a grown-up now" planner to record such dates. I like this one from Franklin Covey

3. Quit being a scrooge and buy cards ahead of time so you already have them on hand (Note here: I personally am a little "anti-cards". I hate paying $3-$5 for something that someone will probably throw away within a week. HOWEVER, I have a Mother-in-law who LOVES receiving cards and always gushes over them. Point is: It's the thought that counts!)

4. Eventually become world famous for sending cards for the birthdays, weddings, graduations, losses, new jobs, new babies, new puppies, great haircuts and blemish free days of my family, friends, and that one really nice lady at the library. (Ask Kimberly Cardon why she'll stand in her line and wait for 10 minutes even though that OTHER librarian is totally available)

Wish me luck!

Ok, so lately I've just been kinda a party pooper about life in general. This cold, miserable weather just makes me want to curl up in bed and never do anything. When I do have to do something I'm cranky and whiny about it. No more! I have decided that I am changing my thoughts and that I am going to try to have a positive outlook on whatever I am doing. Going to Wal-Mart to grocery shop for 2 hours? Woo-hoo! Changing my 4th diaper at 10am? Suh-weet! Going to the dentist? Can hardly WAIT!

Boyd K. Packer says that "our thoughts are the switchboard, the control panel governing our actions".

"I think therefore I am"

"Every thought is a seed. If you plant crab apples don't count on harvesting golden Delicious."

The thoughts that I think effect DRAMATICALLY my outlook on life and the way my day goes. There are enough people in this world that think negative thoughts. I for one am going to contribute more often to the ones who think positively.

Sushi

I'm not a hard core sushi eater or anything but today I dusted off the old sushi maker we bought 10 years ago and made some rolls. Just avocado, cucumber and crab but man it hit the spot and filled the craving for a few days. If you like sushi you know what I'm talking about. Next I'm going to make some with tempura shrimp made w/panko. Mmmmmmm

It's funny how when I was a kid sushi just meant slimy raw fish. In todays world kids LOVE sushi. Payton devours it. My nephew brings his mom's leftover sushi in his lunch! Puh-leeze!

Interrupt this blog for a "back in my day" moment. Besides walking 3 miles home from the bus stop I had two sandwich choices: PB&J or Bologna (yack). What was in your brown bag?

Dot Com

So grateful for the Internet. I know that everyone is already aware of it’s benefits and how fortunate we are to have this vast, unlimited river of information, but this is my gratitude blog so you have to read why I’m grateful for it. :)

I was talking to a friend today about how we, as Mothers with Internet access, have no excuse to be ignorant about how to care for a child. When I have a question as to whether or not my baby can eat yogurt yet, I type in a few words online and can search through thousands of pages where people have asked the same question. If my hand goes numb after I eat tuna salad…or I burp a lot when I’m pregnant, I can probably find a reason why on the Internet. Sometimes it’s a challenge to see if I can type in the right search terms to get the results I am seeking, and when I succeed it is like…..EUREKA!

When I realized that my baby kept his thumbs tucked into his palms I immediately, of course, turned to the Internet to see if there was a “condition” or something associated with this. After much “play” with search terms I found that he had what was called “adducted thumbs” and that it was often present in certain genetic disorders. Of course I did what any good Mother would do. I FREAKED out! However, the Internet eased my fears as I read more about the rarity of the disorders and the many other obvious symptoms usually present, that he was lacking. All this study, though, prepared me for the genetic counseling and testing we had to go through “just to be safe”.

I’m grateful to live in an age where I can grow in knowledge indefinitely. We have been given this gift and must use it to further our knowledge, our talents, (and try not to waste too much time on it). It saddens me that some choose to use it to the detriment of themselves and others. If you are reading this blog, thank you for taking up some of your Internet time to read my ramble. (Don’t you have anything better to read about?)

TOP TEN Questions About Santa from the Huhtala Children

10. How does he get in when we don't have a fireplace?

9. Can we put a present for Santa under the tree?

8. Is that Santa? (a seemingly intoxicated santa holding a sign in front of a jewelry store...we assured her THAT was not Santa )

7. Has Santa ever been in a Turkish Prison? (Yes, that one was from my 5th and oldest child, a.k.a. my husband.)

6. Does he really watch me when I sleep? That’s kinda creepy!

5. Do reindeer like cookies or carrots?

4. Does Santa speak Spanish?

3. Santa is real just like Jesus...huh mommy? (Ouch that was a hard one)

2. Does Santa drink Soy Milk like me?

And the number one question asked about Santa by the Huhtala children this season is......

1. Is he coming NOW??? Then WHEN??? Can he come early?? How many more times do I have to go sleep before he's here?? Tonight??

Man, I wish the big man would just get here all ready...HE'LL GET HERE WHEN HE GET'S HERE! GO TO SLEEP!

Good Times

Tonight, Jay and I turned on the TV to snuggle down and watch LoTR for the googolplex time (Paytons favorite number) and we noticed a thin line going through our movie. Turned on regular TV, same thing. Our TV is going out!



We bought our little beauty back in 1999. I was pregnant with Payton and at the time all Jay could talk about was how our first official purchase of a TV HAD to be a Sony WEGA. I wanted to suprise him for his birthday so I bought it, and my sister and I tried to carry the thing up the flight of stairs to our apartment. Luckily, a gentlemen came by, noticed I was 7 months pregnant and carrying a 100lb. TV with my sister (who probably weighed about that much herself) and offered to help. I mean there's still chivalry out there! Needless to say, this TV has weirdly been kinda like a family pet. It has stood in our house through good memories and I'm sad to see it's getting old!

I secretly think Jason is trying to "pretend" he's disappointed, but deep down he's excited about the possibility of purchasing a new TV in the near future. I informed him, of course, as his financial advisor, banker, and manager that this TV had to have 15 such lines through it and be utterly and completely impossible to watch before we'd consider shopping for a new one. I mean even then we could knock out the glass, turn it into a fish tank and watch some pretty Siamese fighting fish duke it out. Or, I know! I know! How about putting a log in there and lighting it and pretending it's the Yule Log Channel?! Did anyone ever see that channel on TV at Christmas time? It was always on at my dad's house. It was just this log burning in a fireplace and every once in awhile a hand would reach out and throw another log on or poke it with a poker and we'd all squeal with delight. Man, those were good times. Good times.

Got Milk or Not Milk?

Ok, so just a little disclaimer first of all that I am the only member of my family (so far) with these liberal views on human consumption. My husband is in no part associated with this thinking and looks at me like I'm crazy every time I talk about this stuff.

I've been reading a little bit about this debate and it's quite interesting. We're the only animals on this earth who continue to consume milk after infancy. And we turn to another animal for the source. Is this natural? Then there's the nasty facts about growth hormones, possibility of spreading disease, and did you know that in every glass of milk your drinking pus? Disgusting, but do I want to give it up, AND do I want to just stop reading things that interest me so that I remain ignorant??

Half of my family drinks Soy Milk. The one child that doesn't has Asthma and behavioral problems. Would I be doing him a favor by eliminating dairy and anything else that contains casein from his diet? I'm not going vegan or anything (but I have researched it). I mean I love my meats in moderation, but do I really need milk? Can I train myself (and my son) to enjoy soy? Maybe I'll try it. Do a one week challenge and see how we feel. Nothing crazy like no ice cream or cheese, just milk. Maybe I'll create a new blog about it and have Payton post with me! That would be fun! K, just some thoughts today. Anyone else have thoughts on this?

P.S. Speaking of vegan..just for fun and to prove Lehi's teaching that all things must have an opposition I googled "vegetables bad for you" and of course got all sorts of articles on why we "shouldn't" eat vegetables. There's an argument for everything!