1st Annual Ridges Family Service Project

Today we had our Family Service Project including the Marla and Rand Ridges family, Aspen and Steve Hadley family, Ben and Sara Ridges family, Camille and Marty Davis family and the Emily and Dave Phillips family. We all gathered at the parent's home to knit hats for the infants and kids at Primary Children's Hospital. It was quite fun. I enjoy being hands on and doing crafty projects like this...plus it's for a good cause. We ended up knitting 20 hats total in about 2 hours...not too shabby. Here are a few pictures of our adventure. Enjoy.

The Day After The Day After Christmas

Well....The Christmas hustle and bustle should be over now for most people. This is the time when we can really focus on christ, his birth and his influence in our life. We can also look back at the year and reflect on the good times, the sad times, and the accomplishments we have made. We can remember loved ones we have lost and new friendships we have gained. We can also remember those who briefly walked through our hearts and left footprints that may never be washed away. Whether 2007 was monetarily prosperous or not will not matter in the grand perspective of things. What really matters is how many hearts we touched this last year.
We can try to count the number of people we might think we have helped but most likely there are many more we are unaware of. We can never know when a small and kind guesture makes a world of difference to another person. I have been the recipient of many of these guestures that are often performed without thought.
These few people are what make me trust the world a little too much and gives me hope for a safer, kinder world for our children. I want to thank those of you who open doors for others even if they could do it themselves. I want to thank those who help shovel their neighboors walkways and bake cookies for the new families in the neighboorhood. I want to thank those of you who donate your time and money to helping those who are not as fortunate as you. Thank you to those who inspire others and are role models. Thank you to those who spend a little more time with their family. Thank you to those who say "Hello" to a stranger and to those who support our troops. Thank you to those who try to enjoy life a little more. Thank you to those who make this world a better place one act of kindess at a time.
I try to think to myself "If everyone in the world did as I did...would this world be a better place?" I would hope the answer to this question would be 'Yes' for me.
In a few days we will get to make a New Year's Resolution that most people drop two weeks into the year. This year, let's make a resolution that is easy to keep not only for a year but for a lifetime. If you have an opportunity to serve, whether convenient or inconvenient, take the opportunity. It doesn't have to be a huge sacrifice like many may think. It could just be the simple acts as stated above. You never know how many lives you may touch or even change.

With that sappy side note..Let's have a Great 2008!!!

1988 Christmas

Ya'll didn't believe me that my previously blonde hair grew out with streaks didja?!
Look at those wicked awesome bangs!

Christmas Curiosity

Here is a fun little Christmas questionaire...now that I am out of school I have time to do fun things like this every once in a while. Enjoy.

1.) Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate?

Definitely Hot Chocolate! It's a texture issue.

2.) Does Santa wrap the presents or just sit them under the tree?

Santa always wraps presents for under the tree. Sometimes we even find gifts from elves, the reindeer and santa's little helper!

3.) Colored or white lights?

Both! I like colored for the christmas tree and white for icicle lights outside...but I also like colored for the trees outside.

4.) Do you hang mistletoe?

I don't...but maybe I should.

5.) When do you put your decorations up?

Between school, work and being an enthusiast for procrastination....sometimes Christmas Eve. (No they are not up yet)

6.) What is your favorite Holiday dish?

My grandma's crepes. see below for more details.

7.) Favorite Holiday memory as a child?

My brother and I were very spoiled at christmas so the best memory was walking into a room absolutely chalked full of presents! One year there were so many that I fell asleep before I opened them all. That's what christmas was all about as a child! Ahhh...The good old days...

8.) When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?

I don't remember ever believing in Santa so I don't remember being told the truth...I do vaguely remember my brother telling me everything I was getting one year...hmmmm...maybe that had to do with it.

9.) Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?

Yup. We always got to open a "faery gift" on Christmas eve. It usually consisted of something cozy that we could use at bedtime such as PJs, a blanket or a stuffed animal. Sometimes mom would get too excited to wait for christmas morning so she would have us open a couple gifts.

10.) How do you decorate your Christmas Tree?

Ben likes to get fresh trees but I don't mind either way. I use colored lights and use all my old childhood ornaments. Every year (since I can remember) we have picked a new special ornament for the tree so I use all of those. Plus ornaments that other's have gotten us.

11.) Snow: Love it or hate it?

Love it...but hate the cold since I am so cold intolerant. I would love warm snow...that would totally revolutionize the snow angel!

12.) Can you ice skate?

Didn't you know...I taught Chazz Michael Michaels everything he knows!

13.) What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you?

The feeling of christmas. That feeling can only come when you are surrounded by family...preferrably in front of a roaring fire with some hot cocoa watching Muppet's Christmas Carol. :)

14.) What is your favorite holiday dessert?

I am not really a desert person but my favorite holiday desert is probably english toffee (since that is the only thing around).

15.) What is your favorite holiday tradition?

My favorite holiday tradition is going to my grandma's house on christmas morning and having a Crepe Feast. Mmmmm...we have Crepes, sausage, bacon, hot chocolate...mmm...

Another tradition I don't go without is putting up christmas decorations and wrapping gifs while watching Muppet's Christmas Carol...my favorite holiday movie. We also watch One Magic Christmas and try to catch "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" on TV.

Yet another Christmas tradition is making English Toffee. I am trying to perfect my recipe to make it taste just like my great grandma's.

16.) Which do you like best: giving or receiving?

I love giving and finding that special gift that you know they will love. I just wish I had more cash to get people the things I would like to.

17.) What is your favorite Christmas Song?

I like a lot of christmas tunes...Oh Holy Night by Josh Groban is one of my favorites.

18.) Do you like candy canes?

As long as they are fruity and fresh. I just ate a candy cane that I am pretty sure was at least 4 years old that I had used to decorate our christmas tree. It tasted weird.

19.) Favorite holiday movie?

Muppets Christmas Carol

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Enjoy the season and don't worry about the little things that don't really matter.

St.Nicholas and Nicholas

Here is a picture of my half-brother...that kind of makes him sound like an alien...Let's try that again....
Here is a picture of my little brother, Nicholas, with good old Saint Nicholas. Cute in'it?

Evil Eye

This is a funny clip that made me laugh.
Enjoy.
~S

It's a white christmas

Here goes....

Two blondes went deep into the frozen woods in search of a Christmas tree. After hours of subzero temperatures and a few close calls with hungry wolves, one blonde turned to the other and said, "I'm chopping down the next tree I see. I don't care whether it's decorated or not."

Bah-duh-buh...chhh

S.W.A.G. : Stuff We All Get

So this weekend I attended the annual American Society of Health-System Pharmacists meeting in Las Vegas. Goal #1 was to check out all the possible residencies I could do after I graduated. Goal #2 was to collect as much crap as possible from all the manufacturers and drug reps! I did get some pretty cool swag...a book light, a laser pen, a pill counter with my name engraved on it, a drug information handbook, thousands of pens and notepads, a stress ball, a bunch of other useless fun things and a backpack to put it all in.
I also got the most excellent opportunity of experiencing a psychotic episode! It was super weird!
Besides going to the convention we had to take advantage of the Las Vegas situation and play a bit so we went to...FAO Schwartz in Caesar's Palace, well renowned for their awesome (and expensive) TOYS! This was the funnest...they actually had one of those life size pianos that Heather and I got to play (you will have to see the picture). Anyway...take a peek at the pictures (when I post them) and live vicariously through me.

As much fun as I had with my friends, I do say that Las Vegas is not for me.
I will post some pictures as soon as possible for you to enjoy.