Countdown to Operation Full House

The real countdown starts today--one week until my wonderful in-laws will be here! One will until we meet them at the airport, instead of us having to go out there.  I don't think there is a better feeling than walking off of a plane, through the doors and seeing people that love you standing there waiting for you.  Oh it warms my heart to think about it!!  They always do it for us, and I can't wait to do it for them.  Plus, they'll feel like it is much earlier so we can keep them up late.

The guest bed is almost ready.  We picked up a box spring last night, tied it to the top of the SUV and drove the two miles home...slowly.  My husband tied all the doors shut (with me in) and then did a HILARIOUS contortionist act to get in.  Crap, he's going to cause me grievous injury me for mentioning this. (love you baby!!) Hubs was trying his hardest to get the slats made, but mother nature decided that hail was more important than my guest bed.  It will get done, along with a shower curtain and then we will be a go.  My husband might be slow to get stuff done, but since I started stressing about having the guest room done a month ago, he has been great at getting stuff done.

My mom comes in on Saturday.  If it seems that I'm not as excited about seeing her, it is because she isn't too far away and I get to see her frequently whereas I get to see my in-laws 1-2 times per year.  I am excited at seeing her, and while my in-laws go visit some other friends for a couple of days I hope to take her to the zoo. I have been promising for far too long and it's time I go back!  I'm also really psyched that my dad will get to come spend some time out here, as he still hasn't seen our house and I think the last time he saw Newton he was a teeny widdle kitten.  The day we got Newton we left the house where we picked him up, and went to meet my dad to direct him to our new house.  Newton purred the entire time, like he knew he was going to a good home.  Of course, the next time the poor thing was in the cat carrier he umm..had his manly bits removed, so he isn't exactly fond of it anymore. How did I get from dad to kitten?  Anyways, I'm excited to have all these awesome people coming to share my abode...plus now instead of just me wanting to cook there will be 4 people wanting to cook (my dad is an amazing BBQ'ing god). Food...yum.

This weekend is also going to be awesome since our friends from WV decided to come out to visit.  They only gave me 48 hrs notice, so I don't have enough time (or inclination) to stress about it.  They won't care if my house is a little messy, as long as the toddler can't pull something down and conk himself on the head.  Actually I'm pretty sure he will do this at least once, but as long as we watch, he should escape too much injury.  If he tries riding my cat though, all bets are off.  I have to go to orientation for school on Saturday morning, but hopefully we can get some fun stuff in this weekend and my husband can get some video games in with his friend.

Oh food porn--I made spiced quinoa for dinner but I made a few changes to my own past recipe. First, I went back to Roni's original recipe and added a pear instead of apple. I realized that if you get the pear before it is overripe, they aren't gritty. I can dig that.  It was a little harder than perhaps optimal, but it was still sweet and the texture was like a firm apple.  I also added some raspberries that I picked up today.  Delish. I needed to up my fruit intake and I think that this dinner did it.  I think I ate it all...well...whatever didn't burn to the bottom of the pot because I opened the lid of the quinoa and that always makes it overcook.  Note to readers: when cooking quinoa, don't open the lid...no joke, it makes it burn to the bottom. I think I might want to cut the time from 12 to 11 minutes, but I'm pretty convinced that opening the lid to check on it damned me.  If you check the link up there out, you'll see that I said this same thing months ago when I wrote the original post.  I shall never learn.

I'm sure I will be back soon with lots of pictures of adorable drooling children. I anticipate lots of snuggles, and mess.  I also anticipate Henry hiding under our bed looking terrified (which is how he normally looks).

Guest Post! New Years Resolution

My father in law is one of the most awesome, and unique people I have ever met. I feel blessed daily to have been handed this new and amazing family!  He wrote an essay a couple of years ago about his New Years Resolutions, and I loved it and wanted to post it here.  

New Year’s Resolutions

toward a new reality

on planet Earth

By Mani Pureheart

 

Meditating on my own personal resolutions for the New Year, I was once again made aware by Spirit of the bigger picture and the need for universal resolutions which could be implemented by everyone for the benefit of all mankind. Here they are. I'm sure there must be more, so feel free to send me your suggestions, and feel free to pass this among your friends as well. Please include this entire essay, which is copyrighted. I can be reached at ManiPureheart@Gmail.com.

 

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In order to bring myself and this world further into peace, balance, Love and Lightness of Be-ing I will do my best in each moment to remember and abide by the following resolutions:

 

I hereby resolve to:

  Treat and think of every human being as a brother or sister in each moment and in every circumstance.

It does not matter what their nationality is or what those in power in my government, church or clique of the moment tell me that I should think about them. They are each my Brother; they are each my Sister. Each one has hope, beliefs, fears; they have families. They have good days and bad days just as I do.

Some may seem to be threatening for they live in fear and the shadow of fear and the most common response to fear is to assume an attitude of possible retaliation or attack. When this happens and neither side dares to back down, each group demonizes the other, creating Them and Us scenarios that those in power can use to further manipulate us into doing their twisted will. I will not succumb to the lies and half-truths of the government, the churches and the press. I will believe and follow my own heart and Love these ‘others’.

It does not matter if they are richer than I or far poorer in material wealth. Those who have the appearance of wealth are not happier. In many cases they are trapped by their wealth in a non-caring existence and are often as unhappy as those without resources, though in different areas. Money has only one purpose, and that is to buy freedom. If one is already free inside, the lack of money is minimized as a problem in their life.

 

I will respect my own body

 because it is the vehicle for my soul on this Earth adventure and if I am going to be here for a long time I would prefer to have a vehicle in good working order. I will give it the correct amounts of the correct fuels, give it sufficient down-time for maintenance, and take it out for full throttle runs occasionally to make sure that everything works the way it is intended to. I will take it to the appropriate tune-up specialist whenever necessary, and will abide by their suggestions as long as they seem to be ‘correct’ to me.

 

I will be patient with those who seek to acquire ever more,

 knowing that they are living out and creating their Karma in each transaction and that Karma is never punishment but only balance, and it will not be denied.

 

I will attempt to share what I can with those who have less than I.

 In doing so, I will remember that I must first honor my own perceived needs and those of my family, so that I can stay healthy enough financially to keep giving to and supporting those who appear less fortunate in the world.

 

I will show compassion to those who are confused and hurt by life

 and offer support to the best of my ability to those who are willing to accept it, though not to those who would abuse the offer through greed.

 

I will not take anything personally,

 because I do understand that ALL THINGS are in Divine order; that ALL THINGS serve my soul in its journey into Divinity. I will remember that EVERYTHING happens FOR me – that NOTHING happens TO me.

 

I will not beat myself up

 over errors in judgment or action which I seem to have made, nor will I allow others to demean me, for I have self-respect, self-love and self-knowledge. Either that which they say is true, in which case it serves me, or it is false, in which case it carries no weight in the greater scheme of things.

 

I will Love my Brother, Love my Sister as myself

 for ALL beings are One, and in that One-ness is Divinity itself. Whenever I do something to harm another, I harm not only them, but myself and All that Is.

 

I will Love this planet, and support her health and repair.

 I will be considerate of how much and why I drive, pollute and use the Earth’s bounty. I will conserve whenever possible and recycle as much as I can, in order to give my children and theirs a planet which can support them – and itself.

 

I will be Loving and supportive of the animal kingdom;

 all who crawl, walk, hop, slither, swim or fly, for they too are my relations, my brothers and sisters. So long as they do not appear to threaten myself or my family, I will leave them in peace and assist them as I am allowed.

 

I will reach ever higher

 in and through the belief system of my choice toward the Divinity that I am, that we all are. I will attempt to manifest its highest teachings in my every word, my every thought, my every deed and my every prayer. I will BE Love to the extent of my ability in each moment.

 

I will make every effort to understand

 those whose beliefs differ from mine, because perception DOES create reality, and, through their different perceptions, they live in a reality which is not mine, though it is related. I will honor their path so long as it does not appear to threaten my right to follow mine. There are as many paths to the Divinity as there are souls, yet there is but one path, and every soul knows it.

 

I will not seek power over others,

 nor will I allow them to assert undue power over me and mine. When it appears that others have given me power over them, I will not misuse it nor will I perpetuate that situation; rather I will do everything in my power to assist them in reclaiming their own power.  Evil is simply the misuse of power (Ego), and I will not participate.

 

I will not succumb to greed,

 nor will I think of myself as undeserving. I will gratefully accept that which the Cosmos offers me, and when it offers abundance, I will share with others as an agent of All that Is.

 

I will not judge,

 but I will use discernment and try to place myself in another’s situation in order to understand their decisions and actions. When they appear to me to have made unfortunate decisions and actions, I will make every attempt for my main focus to be compassion, and my main action to assist.

 

I will be ever the Student – never the Victim.

 I will remember and live in each moment my sure knowledge that ALL EVENTS serve me by my soul’s request, that they offer me lessons which helps to move my soul further along the path of self-awareness and self-fulfillment.

 

I will avoid anger, for anger is the tool of the Victim.

 Victimization occurs when we or something we love or support seems to be threatened by diminishment. The quickest (and dirtiest) way to recover that supposed diminishment is to puff ourselves up with anger – to make ourselves appear larger than life – like a cat in a battle – in order to intimidate our perceived ‘enemy’ and make them back off. If it is effective it can become very addictive, because it can be seen as a ‘power’ of its own. This is a very destructive path to walk, and I will not step there.

 

I will always be open to new information and ideas.

 Simply because I am open to them does not mean that I have to accept them, but I WILL listen to them. To shut the mind shuts the doors to the growth of the soul, and that is spiritual death. I choose to LIVE!

 

And finally, I will BE LOVE

to the best of my ability in each moment of every day. I will BE LOVE in every word, in every thought, in every deed and in every prayer. I will live my dream of becoming the brightest spiritual light that I am capable of, of touching the lives of others with that Love and of making them aware that they, too are that light.

These things I resolve from this day forward.

 

                        Mani Pureheart

                        www.i4c4u.com

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