SOS Report Days 32-39

"The celebration of Christmas helps us keep our promise to always remember Him and His gifts to us. And that remembrance creates a desire in us to give gifts to Him. He has told us what we could give Him to bring Him joy. First, we can, out of faith in Him, give a broken heart and a contrite spirit. We can repent and make sacred covenants with Him. . . . Second, you can give Him the gift of doing for others what He would do for them."

—Henry B. Eyring, "The Gift of a Savior", 2010 First Presidency Christmas Devotional, December 2010

My "Season of Sanctification" is supposed to be my "gift" to Christ but I'm not doing so well. I think I will get better at this the more I practice. Usually I just pick one thing; like not eating chocolate. Going for five was a big leap.

I am nearing the end but I will give this another shot in the spring around Easter time (Lenten season). 

1. Christmas Movie:

Sunday On the 2nd Day of Christmas Starring Mary Stuart Masterson & Mark Ruffalo. Super-cute movie and other than the two lovebirds "falling in love" too quickly (I'm actually okay with that) I really liked this story of a woman and her orphaned niece who get "babysat" by a very young Mark Ruffalo! Good deeds, crime, a "bad" Santa, a "good" elf (who moonlights as a lawyer?) played by Howard Hesseman, a family gathering, and a missing bicycle all play a role in this cute romantic romp in Christmas-sphere.

Monday Christmas Do-Over Christmas, Groundhog Day style. I actually liked this movie more than I thought I would. It started out kind of "off" but eventually "Kevin" gets it. Gypsy and I said it was similar to the stages of grief; denial, blame, acceptance, and finally learning from it and thinking of others before himself. The life lessons are priceless! Daphne Zuniga & Jay Mohr (SNL, Jeff Foxworthy, Suburgatory) star.

Tuesday: Christmas Lodge Based on a Thomas Kinkade painting (I'm not sure what came first; the painting or the movie), this movie is about a lovely lodge nestled in a forest that needs restoration. There is family history in one family that works construction and building restoration and the family that owns the building. Romance ensues as well as teamwork, and old-fashioned-family-values celebrating. 

Wednesday A Christmas Kiss Positively charming! "Decorated" as the Nutcracker's Blue Fairy a girl gets kissed in an elevator only to discover he is the boyfriend of her very demanding (and calculating, and devious, and all-around poopy-headed) boss. He is (seemingly) unaware of who she is when they meet again later but cultivate a friendship based on their working relationship. Another one where they fall in love too fast? but hey, it's Brendan Fehr... can you blame her? ;) 

Thursday Dear Santa Enchanting! Amy Acker (OUATs Grumpy's girlfriend, the fairy/aka nun) "accidentally" receives and reads a letter to Santa asking for a wife for her "daddy" aka Hottie-With-The Blue-Eyes, David Haydn-Jones. He already has a girlfriend (who saw him through the doom and gloom of his wife's passing...that seems to be a theme of Christmas movies, mommy or daddy dies, sad!) but that doesn't stop the irrepressible Crystal from volunteering at his soup kitchen and offering to babysit and in many other ways just "happen" to show up... So what happens when he realizes she planned it all? It's an HEA so just watch it, it's cute! 

Friday Christmas Town Nicole De Boer (of Metal Tornado!) in Hollyville for a visit to her dad with her 10-year-old son, Mason. He believes in Santa and that they are really visiting the town where Santa lives and works. N.P. Enterprises is the main business (warehouse) of the town and come to find out N.P. stands for North Pole. Patrick Muldoon (looking old and less hot than I remember...) is the local cafe owner where her previously business crazy father now works as a cook. Dumbfounded, she is stranded, and repairs on her car are delayed because of a "special project" the local mechanic is working on for N.P. Enterprises. Cute but trite. Eh.

Saturday Holiday in Handcuffs I love this movie. I watched it last year and think it's adorable. Starring Melissa Joan Hart (my Favorite Teenage Witch) and Mario Lopez (Saved by the Bell). The movie tells the story of a girl kind of traumatized by her mother to BE more of something she isn't and kind of SNAPS! She kidnaps Mario and takes him out to the middle of nowhere to play her boyfriend for her family Christmas gathering. It's all fun. Love it! Also stars Markie Post as her mom and June Lockhart as the Grandma. [Don't call me that!] Haha!

2. House & Home:

Sunday I returned home from OC. Had a surprise waiting for me... no, not by a pet, but Princess home early! Yay!

Monday Productive! I got all my packages ready and Mailed! Yes, you read that right, Mailed! There are going to be a few surprised peeps in the next week or so. For dinner I intended to make a Chicken Pot Pie but ended up making more of a Chicken Stew and fresh bread. We ate one whole loaf! 

Tuesday I cleaned my bathroom. Still working on Laundry (no, it never Ever EVER ends), went Visiting Teaching. Princess made dinner, a "Mexican" dish. It was yummy!

Wednesday I made the Pumpkin Poppers today, with homemade pizza for dinner. My VT came to visit and gave me chocolates and a sweet gift! I just LOVE HER TO DEATH! She made me feel better. I got my Sandy Hook Angels printed and pictures of all the kids/adults to make my memorial. My family didn't like the Pumpkin Poppers telling me they were "too cinnamony," as if there is such a thing! ;) LOL

Thursday Working on my baking and my Angels. 

Friday

Saturday

3. Write:


Sunday is my day of rest.

Monday I "tried" to work on my blogs. Eh.

Tuesday Blogging caught up and BEYOND. Received more writing from my co-writer/brother so I'm way behind. It's there. It's festering. It's gonna be good when it finally peels off my fingertips! Or my frontal lobe...

Wednesday: More blogging, not much else. 

Thursday 

Friday

Saturday

4. Serve:

Sunday I didn't even get to serve my babies today because I missed church. I did get up off my lazy buttocks and go out with Gypsy, because she wanted to. Not sure I call the "Service," but I did something I didn't want to do out of love for someone else. I think it counts.

Monday I did a little cleaning and laundry. I also mailed things off to friends, some have been waiting... several years?

Tuesday Today was a real "serve" day because I went Visiting Teaching. I go again tomorrow and will also be visited. I'm hoping that I do more tomorrow, though.

Wednesday I got Visit Taught. :)

Thursday Working on my Angels for the Sandy Hook display in my yard. Calling that my service for today. 

Friday

Saturday

5. Pray & Read Scriptures:

Sunday Traveling. Not an excuse.

Monday Yes. I have to slow down, I'm beyond the lessons now. Oops.

Tuesday Yes. The end of the Book of Mormon has some Good Stuff!

Wednesday Got distracted...

Thursday Got it done. Finished the Book of Mormon, not sure what next year's study is... I should know but I'm...

Friday

Saturday