Bitter Sweet Holiday

Hi everyone! The holiday season around here has been ANYTHING but mellow, quiet and unexcited. I've been sooo busy lately dividing up my time between family and friends.

I've spent the better part of December engulfed in the sad saga of my dear friend who now is up north admitted into "Horizon House" which is an in-house drug rehabilitation facility in a city about 45 minutes away. This has been a very tearful, mentally exhausting, challenging sad crusade for me. I began by acting upon a prompting that I received to get over to her house and see how she was. Once I did that, the deep concern consumed my mind and the prayers began whole heartedly at that point.

Then I wrestled with what I should do. I knew that her 3 children needed to be removed from the sad, hell filled neglectful environment in which they have been forced to live in. The strong thought to call my friend's mother came into my mind and as I did that, she was so grateful for my concern and resolve and the grave details were shared with me. AND I DO MEAN GRAVE!!!! We started our plan of action to bring the harsh reality to my friends attention.

The next day I received a phone call from my friend's sister in which she informed me that she would take the children into her home and then I would make an important phone call. The legal realities would begin. So in the time frame of about 3 weeks which included daily exhaustion of the mind mentally and spiritually, lots of gas and witnessing very frightening behavior and lots of loyalty to those in which company you shouldn't keep, my friend is on her way to a much brighter future.

The kids are safe with their aunt, as she gets approved to "foster" her nephews. They're lined up for therapy and seem so happy to be eating, sleeping in clean beds, and feeling important. My friend miraculously through the aide of God, was able to be admitted into the facility up north. One in which the beds are always full and there is usually a 3 month waiting period. My friend is in "no contact" mode for a few weeks as she suffers the pains of detoxification for narcotics. Hmm.....NOT a pretty sight! Merry Christmas wayward friend. She'll thank me later, I'm not worried.

It's so interesting to me that from acting on one prompting of the spirit, the snowball effect takes shape and the Lord works his miracles. We are all merely instruments in the Lord's hands. This brings to mind a quote that always makes me stop and think.

"We are not human beings going through a temporary spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings going through a temporary human experience."

How blessed we are to be able to help one another. To love one another. To become better each day if we allow our human experiences to strengthen our spiritual being.

So...enough of the Bah Hum Bug and onto some holiday cheer!!

Ya know what they always say? "Let's end this on a POSITIVE note."

Before all the excitement began this month, we did manage to get our Christmas tree up. We decorated it a little different, as to make it a little more old fashioned this year. We sat around and strung some popcorn so that we could have a nice "popcorn garland". It was way fun! I think that Alex may have enjoyed eating it more than getting it onto the ol' dental floss.

I did manage to get my Christmas shopping done. Blogging has been at the bottom of my priority list. The delays between our blogs seem long but the excitement is plentiful I'll reassure you of that. It just never ends it seems and as the kidlets are home from school for a loooooong winter vacation.....my life just fills up with chaos and hardly a minute for myself.

I can break out the camera and share some proof that we still live! Oh yea.....did I mention that MOM dropped the camera this time? Yes ME!! Uuuh yea, right on the kitchen tile! It still works but the battery door got a little notch broken off of it upon impact. Because of being loose now, the connectors on the battery door don't touch the battery ends in order for the camera to work and I've had to squeeze the door closed as I push the button to take pictures with the same hand. This has required some skill and is a pain in the neck! I've gone onto Ebay to find some replacement parts. The exact camera has been for sale several times. Used of course and on sale for parts. And my winning a bid skills? Uuuuuh.........Well they suck!! I've resorted to..........TAPE!! And it's working like a charm!!

I have a friend that would be so proud to know that I figured something out besides battery draining gum foil! LOLOLOL It was just tonight that I figured out the tape solution as I've felt the deep desire to nab some pictures for a blog that's picture worthy! It's taken me only a month to come up with my ingenious tape solution. But HEY.....at least I figured it out eh??
You see....I'm a little slow on the uptake! lol

So as Christmas approaches in a couple of days, until pictures can prove our existance...........

"For a few moments, may we set aside the catalogs of Christmas, with their gifts of exotic description. Let's even turn from the flowers for Mother, the special tie for Father, the cute doll, the train that whistles, the long-awaited bicycle—even the books and videos—and direct our thoughts to God-given gifts that endure."
Thomas S. Monson

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S !!!