December Window Display Pictures

Here are pictures from my window display at the Children's Library. I had to tear it down for the new month and it was kind of sad, especially since it took minutes to take down. I did keep the cute stockings that my sister made for me - they are so dang cute! Farewell to my display...

Working and Scrapbooking

Had to work, so I slept at my own house for the rest of the week. I had the house to myself, so I caught up on some movies and just lounged around. It was quite nice. Friday, I did go back to Mom and Dad's to hang out and also work on a project I started on Christmas. Last Conference, I spent the time pulling out pictures from the last old albums for the years 1986-1988. I am putting them onto acid-free pages. It's fun seeing those pictures and reliving the memories. We don't see those pictures as often, just because they were in those old albums and were falling apart.

Bring a Torch, Jeanette Isabella

Christmas Eve:
I had a busy day with lots of last minute errands to take care of. Good thing I didn't have to work! I was even crazy enough to go to the post office to pick up some stamps for a bill I had to get in the mail. I'm glad I got your package off before the rush! Anna and I planned a get together for Christmas Eve, consisting of seeing the lights at Temple Square then coming to my house and eating take&bake pizza from Litza's. Well, later that afternoon it started snowing pretty heavily. David and Sheila came over to my place to give me a ride and we called and asked opinions about changing plans for the evening. We bagged seeing the lights, which was too bad because I haven't seen yet, and just coming over for pizza and games. It was so fun having everyone over at my house. All my roommates were gone, so I had the house to myself. We played a new version of Balderdash and it was soo funny! It has categories besides the definitions - including: movie plots, initials, laws, and famous people. Boy, we just get laughing with some of these answers. The best one was when we had to make up movie plots for the title, "The Cow and I". You can imagine where some when with this. Some plots similar to "The King and I", some had plots about Johhny Lingo, Mom wrote one about a gastric-bypass patient and the man who loved her, and I wrote something silly about Tarzan and a cow, etc. Well, the real answer was about a french lieutenant escaping with a cow used for distraction. We renamed the movie, "Le Moo em Mua". Too funny. Well, the night came to a close and everyone left to get ready for Santa Claus' coming. I packed up a bag and went over to Mom and Dad's for the night.

Christmas Day:
Silly enough I had a hard time staying asleep - maybe the child in me was still excited about Christmas coming. Mom got us up after 7 and Dad almost made Andrew and I walk out backwards to the living. I told him that I was almost 30 and I wasn't going to walk out backwards anymore! (hehe) Andrew got a cool remote control airplane and I got a new sleeping bag. I was excited about that! Soon after looking at Santa gifts we got to talk to Jonathan! That was soo fun! It was good hearing your voice - I felt guilty about talking too much to Jonathan because I wanted to hear him talk! Talking with Elder Jonathan got us returned missionaries reminiscing about our own Christmas in the mission. I had two and both were fun, but the most homesick day of my mission. That's why it's important to keep busy and visit members and whatnot, to keep yourself from getting blue and depressed - like Elvis Prestley. After talking to you - we had breakfast and delved into the stack of presents. I got some fun things, including: a red fullsize maglight, Pride and Prejudice piano music and soundtrack CD, a candle warmer from David & Sheila, The 3 NeverEnding Story movies. I was very happy about my stash. Soon it was time to go over to Grammy's for the annual party. Grammy had loads of good food and everyone from Duke family was there with all our bunch. I have been working on collecting family history names and ordinance information on the Missall and Jeppson side. I decided to print out a copy for Grammy - since it is her ancestors. I put the pedigree charts and family groups sheets into one binder and I think it came together pretty nice. Grammy was pleased with the final result and I'm glad. It was a good day over all and I was pleased with the results.

Christmas Carol - "Scrooge"

Bob Cratchit and his cute kids...

Horrors of Christmas

This is just too funny - check out some of the Santa faces as well! (hehe)

The Way I Am

The Way I Am
by: Ingrid Michaelson
http://www.ingridmichaelson.com/



If you were falling, then I would catch you.
You need a light, I'd find a match.

Cuz I love the way you say good morning.
And you take me the way I am.

If you are chilly, here take my sweater.
Your head is aching, I'll make it better.

Cuz I love the way you call me baby.
And you take me the way I am.

I'd buy you Rogaine if you start losing all your hair.
Sew on patches to all you tear.

Cuz I love you more than I could ever promise.
And you take me the way I am.

You take me the way I am.
You take me the way I am.

Biographies

Work is going well - as always. This week I didn't have Homework Help, so I got more time at the Reference desk and also more time to work on some of my projects. I have revamped the magazine labels - and I found pictures of original logos from the various magazines to use instead of just typing their titles in a Word Document. I even got to print in color - so they look way cute. I now have to work on my assigned section - the biographies. I just got reminded that besides shelf-reading, I also need to start weeding out old books. Man, that is going to be a big job!

Getting a Date

I bought this book from Deseret Book called "An LDS girl's guide to getting a date". Now, I'm not that desperate - but it looked like a little cute book and it was written by a BYU Professor. So far it's been pretty funny, and informative. Any way - I've been trying some of the techniques
(Animation, Closeness and Touch) on this guy in my ward. His name is Jim and he's a nerdy kind of guy - and he's pretty shy. I've talked to him a few times and he's perking up. My roommate noticed his attentiveness towards me and told me later that she thought he might have a crush on me - hmm, you never know! I'll keep you updated on any further developments!

December Window Display

Work is great as always. I have a core group of kids that come to my Homework help program each day. Actually, this week I had some new kids start coming, including a set of boy/girl twins from Turkey. We get to help with their ESL work. It's fun developing friendships with these kids - and I even have a few who come into the room who don't even have homework and just want to hang out with us. Awww, they like me! They really like me! (hehe) So, I took my turn to do the window display for December. The window it quite big, probably 5 feet across and like 10 feet high and it looks out to the little patio outside. It has great light during the day. So, I decided to do a little scene from the "The Night Before Christmas". Anna helped me brainstorm the idea. It's a fireplace hearth with a fire going and three stocking hanging from the mantle. Anna made the stockings for me and they are dang cute - one is argyle, one has stripes and the last one is checkered. Above and beneath the fireplace it says, "The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.". I just finished putting the last of the words up and it turned out really cute and I've gotten lots of compliments on it. I did it! I'll take pictures to show it off - I'm proud of the finished product!

Assistant Manager?

I was talking to my boss before leaving work today and I mentioned that I heard that the Day-Riverside library had an opening for an Assistant Manager, and that someone had said that I should apply for it. Well Lisa, my boss, got excited and also said I should apply for the position. I am so nervous to do it! I requires some managerial experience, which I don't have much of, and 2 years of professional experience, which I don't have quite enough of either. Well, I'm going to apply anyway - you never know! I hear that they have quite a turnover at that branch, just because of all the kids and teens who hang out there. Lisa said I'm ideal because I have a background with children. I don't know - can you picture me being an Assistant Branch manager? My secret desire is to get a full-time promotion at my current job - but I don't know if that's a possibility. We'll see what the Lord has in store for me!

Elder Nelson

You'll never believe who came to our ward Christmas party on Monday evening. For the past two weeks they have been announcing this dinner and that this special speaker was coming, etc etc. Well, I put two and two together when I remembered that my bishop's father-in-law is Elder Russell M. Nelson. Well, I guessed right because he and his new wife were in the living room when I got to my bishop's house. I got to shake both of their hands - I wish I could remember Elder Nelson's handshake, but I was so nervous that I have now almost forgotten it. Anyway, they both spoke after dinner. Bishop introduced them, "Dad and Wendy", and told a funny story about when he was dating Elder Nelson's daughter. He was at their house, I think they were parked in the driveway and it was getting a bit late, and E. Nelson was flicking off and on the lights. Then E. Nelson came out and said to Bishop Miles, "Do you realize that you're still here?". I loved that! Sister Nelson spoke about answered prayers and Elder Nelson talked about Heavenly Father and the difference between immortality and eternal life. He used scriptures from Moses and John 17. I wish I could have taken notes - but I didn't even think to bring a notebook! It was a special evening. I guess that initially Elder Nelson declined the invitation to our Christmas dinner, saying that he doesn't usually talk at private settings like these. But, later Bishop went back and asked again, telling him that he was getting released in the new year. Elder Nelson agreed and we were all edified. Something Elder Nelson as he was closing really stuck out to me, "This is the Lord's work - I so testify..." Wow, an apostle's testimony - talk about powerful! What an opportunity! It was so surreal.