a limousine and a piz-za.

christmas was wonderful. it really is better to give than to receive. unless its receiving a book about patricia the sheep.

i went to iowa with madam pooper.
this is how i felt about most of the car ride:




but i had so much fun for all of the trip. i was actually having fun in these photos too.



hey, thanks to everyone for the advice on seeing slumdog millionaire. i went, i saw, i loved.

i've nothing more to say.
amen.

what a day.

this morning i woke up and turned on the today show as usual...only to find that our good ol prez gw bush was almost pelted down with shoes. he was on his last visit to iraq when, in a press conference, some guy got away with throwing not one but both of his shoes at georgey porgey. hello, does he not have secret service to dive in front of him or something?



g dubs just laughs it off and says "so what if a reporter threw his shoe at me?" (i like to imagine that in a really mob-like accent.)


in other news, carl peterson decided enough was enough - he's saying goodbye to the chiefs. don't let the door hit you on the way out carl. we won't miss you.

a mom for christmas.

steamed egg nog. who woulda thought? such a delicious treat. i miss going to coffee shops to see people i know working. thank goodness my brother is employed at homer's and can supply me with his free drink coupons.

so i used to watch this movie when i was little called a mom for christmas. it stars olivia newton john (but like i cared when i was seven). this movie was SO GOOD. we recorded it on VHS and i watched it so much the tape wore out. gradually as i got older, i forgot about the movie and the magic it held until LAST YEAR they played it on abc family. oh heavenly day! i got to rekindle my love for this mannequin-come-to-life movie. and usually childhood movies turn into one huge disappointment when you watch them again (i.e. the never ending story), but a mom for christmas just got better with age.

tonight while remembering my love once again for this movie, i decided to look it up online to buy for super cheap, just like the hanson christmas cd i bought for $.75.

the cheapest price was $40. FORTY DOLLARS. are you serious? half.com, ebay, amazon - nothing less than two andrew jacksons + shipping. i was so upset. how can they do this to me.

on top of that it's not coming on abc family this year. what will i do?

so i am begging you, if anyone out there owns a mom for christmas, please tell me. and let me have it. it will be the best thing you could get me. sort of.

.

tales from comanche.

"my chips are lapped" -aidyn, kindergartner. (my lips are chapped)

"how much do you like about it?" -kaiya, kindergartner.

me: "joey, you're in this group because you're smart. don't you want to be smart?"
joey: "not really"
(joey-with-a-mullet once ran square into a door and has also tied his shoe to his desk.)

anna: "i have a mexican on my tummy"
me: "um, what? how about you show me what you mean."
(go into the bathroom, she lifts up her shirt to show me a tiny little birth mark.)
anna: "see, i'm half mexican!"
(anna is completely white.)



my heart is in this job. these run ins are a definite perk.

ESPERAR.

"Active waiting means to be present fully to the moment, in the conviction that something is happening where you are and that you want to be present to it. A waiting person is someone who is present to the moment, who believes that this moment is the moment."
- Nouwen

hope is a word that is deeply rooted in my heart. when i think about the word hope i become hopeful immediately. i love the idea of the word meaning to wait - not like in english when we say "i hope i win the lottery". the way we use hope means to wish. but it is so much deeper than that. it's to expect something to occur, and to wait on it.

in spanish, the word for hope is esperar; meaning both to wish and to wait.

this waiting is so important in the season of advent. it's so important to us. it's so important to God.

oh israel, HOPE in the lord.