From the Inside Out

I love holiday weekends, and you know what’s even better? I’m not going back to work until Tuesday!

Monday is a vacation day for me, and it’s B-E-A-U-tiful!

Okay, here’s my weekend in review:

• Saturday — Christmas tree shopping and decorating the house.

Stopped by the outdoor lot in McKinney to pick up a tree

Got a 9-10 ft. Noble Fir which barely fit on the roof of the Jeep

Setting up the tree before decorating it

The finished masterpiece

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

• Sunday morning — I wasn’t on the schedule to sing today, so I slept late and went to the 11:15 service. Jeff Manning preached about the “laws of attraction”. I really enjoy his sermons — they are entertaining and packed with creativity yet they carry a powerful message.
• Sunday afternoon — We caught lunch at East Side Kelly’s, completed our weekly shopping trip for household items, and then it was back to decorating again. The main living areas are done now, with the exception of garland on the staircase. I also have to decorate the small bedroom tree. Here’s the tree in the formal living area:

• Sunday evening — Gary and I went out for dinner and then caught a movie before returning home. We saw “Four Christmases” with Vince Vaugh and Reese Witherspoon. It was a good romantic comedy with some genuinely funny moments. I’d give it a B.

Well, that’s my weekend. I’m looking forward to another day off tomorrow where I’ll finish up the decorating and go shopping…fun, fun, fun!!

Have a great week!

I’ve been anticipating the opening of Australia since the first time I saw the trailer. I haven’t watched an epic movie in a long time, and this one caught my attention immediately. The critical reviews were mixed, but I loved the film. It did not disappoint, and it seems that most of the Rotten Tomatoes community agrees with me. The movie earned a rating of 74% fresh from RT — not bad, not bad at all.

Australia is “an epic and romantic action adventure, set in that country on the explosive brink of World War II. An English aristocrat (Kidman) travels to the faraway continent, where she meets a rough-hewn local (Jackman) and reluctantly agrees to join forces with him to save the land she inherited. Together, they embark upon a transforming journey across hundreds of miles of the world’s most beautiful yet unforgiving terrain, only to still face the bombing of the city of Darwin by the Japanese forces that attacked Pearl Harbor.”

Baz Huhrmann weaves a compelling story of romance, drama, and action adventure in this cinematic experience. It’s a long film (just shy of three hours), but it held my attention the entire time. The scenery is amazing. Kidman and Jackman have great chemistry, and for the single ladies, Jackman proves why he was selected by People magazine as 2008’s “sexiest man alive”. The young actor who played “Nullah” also provided a compelling performance.

If you have some free time this weekend, skip the crowded malls and watch this epic adventure.

My rating: A

Our Thanksgiving celebration kicked off at noon with both sets of parents and Gary’s grandmother. It was a smaller celebration this year since both of our siblings were spending the holiday with their in-laws, but that didn’t dampen our spirits. It was time to be thankful for another year on the planet, and it was time to eat!

We had the standard Thanksgiving feast, which doesn’t excite me too much, but it’s tradition so I just go with it. Those who know me well also know that I don’t get excited about food. If it were not a requirement for sustaining life, I would be happy to do without it. Yes, I know I’m weird. I don’t know why I’m this way, I just am. Regardless of my odd “food issues”, we had a nice, relaxed lunch with entertaining conversation and lots of food options. After dessert and clean-up, we got ready for the 2nd part of our celebration, the annual Cowboys Thanksgiving game.

Today’s game was the last Thanksgiving game to be held in Texas Stadium, and it offered a fitting send off. The Cowboys beat the Seahawks with a final score of 34-9. The game was a bit boring with the huge lead, but I’m just happy for the win. We have a tough schedule ahead of us, and we needed this one if we want to keep our hope of getting into the playoffs alive.

During half-time my Mom brought her dog over to play with the boys — Xander and Joss. They were delighted and spent the remainder of the game playing and following each other around. At the end of the night, my dogs were exhausted. Gary and I like tired dogs; a tired dog is a good dog.

All in all, it was a great Thanksgiving day filled with family, football and fun. What more could you ask for? I’m truly blessed.

Each year on the fourth Thursday in November, we celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a day filled with turkey, dressing, pies, and football. It’s also a time when families gather from near and far to spend a day together and share in the feast. Thanksgiving should be a fun day, but amidst the joy, food and entertainment, let’s not forget to be thankful for the blessings God has bestowed upon us.

I have so many blessings for which I am thankful. It would take hours to go through the entire list so I’m sharing my Thanksgiving Top 10 instead:

10. Dave Ramsey — Yes, I know. It’s unexpected, but here’s the reason why. Dave Ramsey inspired us to become debt free. We live differently now, and I love it. Especially during these tough economic times, it’s a big relief to not have any debt other than our mortgage. The snowball plan works wonders!

9. Internet– The Internet has transformed the way we work, live and play (wait, I sound like a Cisco marketing person now). Seriously, it has changed our lives. Unlimited data is at our fingertips. We can connect and communicate like never before using social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and others. In fact, without the Internet, you wouldn’t be able to read this blog. Isn’t that reason enough for it to make the top 10?

8. Work — I know I complain about job stress, but at the end of the day, I am truly thankful for a career in the high tech industry. It has afforded me certain luxuries, comforts and benefits for which I am grateful. Plus, I get to work from home.

7. Travel– I’m so glad I live in an age where it’s easy to travel anywhere, anytime. Experiencing new countries and cultures is delightfully amazing. I can’t wait until I retire so I can travel more — it’s just so exciting. This year we visited Breckinridge, CO and New York. Our French Riviera trip was postponed to January, but I’m thankful for it too!

6. Freedom — We live in one of the greatest countries in the world. I can’t imagine what my life would be like had I been born in a third world country with limited freedom. Living in the USA is something many Americans take for granted. Check out the article “Made in America: Spoiled Brats”. It offers a description of the things for which Americans should be thankful.

5. Health — I recently experienced a few health issues that reminded me once again how important health is. Each day you wake up expecting your body to work correctly, but when it doesn’t, your life can be greatly impacted. If you are healthy, don’t take it for granted. It’s a blessing from God.

4. ALC — Church is an important part of my life, and Abundant Life Church just keeps getting better and better. We have an amazing group of believers, and although we’ve been through some tough times, we are growing stronger and our relationships with God are more intimate than ever before. If you don’t have a home church, check it out.

3. Family and friends — I have the best family and friends in the world! I love them dearly.

2. Gary — I am so lucky to share my life with this amazing man. He inspires me, supports me, and loves me unconditionally. Oh yeah…and he’s kind of funny too.

1. God — There aren’t enough words to adequately express my gratefulness for what God has done for me. I am reminded daily of His faithfulness. Without Him my life would be meaningless. He has redeemed my soul and given me peace in the midst of confusion. For this, I am thankful.

There are two things I cherish — vacation and holidays. I get both of them this week. My vacation begins tomorrow, and I won’t go back to work until Tuesday.

<cue angels singing the Hallelujah Chorus>

The bad news is that I didn’t get everything wrapped up today so I’m working tomorrow anyway.

<cue boo’s and hisses>

It won’t be too bad, though. I’m not working all day, and I will sleep in. It’ll be a “mini” work day at home — with special emphasis on the “mini”.

After my work is done, then it will be time to have fun and relax. I can’t wait! It’s been a stressful year with many ups and downs. I need the break, and I’m looking forward to time with our family and friends.

It’s a week to give thanks and count our blessings, but today I’m mostly thankful for vacations and holidays. They are priceless gifts from God.