Oh Happy Day

We just turned in our labor law finals! The word limit was 4000 words. Mine was 3999 and J-M's was 3996. I was taking a lot of articles out at the end...needless "the"s and "a"s.

Dawn sent us a package before Thanksgiving break with a holiday elf in it-and a challenge to do good deeds for one another. She suggested that we hide the elf to signify that we've done an act of service-and we find the elf, we'd realize the good deed the other did. A couple of pictures to illustrate-



I found this after J-M cleaned the bathroom for me.

And this was where the rascal was found this morning:



J-M always cleans off the car in the bitter bitter cold every morning. I wanted to surprise him by doing it this morning. I didn't get out there and back without him noticing, but at least I was able to get the little guy grabbing the handle before J-M came outside.

J-M and I have had many a exciting trip to our neighborhood Kroger lately. One of the best was last night...Kroger was having a 10 item mega event. We wanted to get cereal, because we've been eating Malt O Meal free-from-Rite-Aid cereal for awhile and it leaves something to be desired. We also have a box of blueberry special K in the basement that I got for free a year ago-J-M refuses to eat it, which is saying something. We may give it as a White Elephant gift at the Ward Party.

Anyway, Kroger was also having a sale for 50 percent off Kelloggs cereal. Combining that with coupons and the Mega Deal, we got a whole lot of cereal for about a dollar a box. I wanted to post this picture to show Mom how we eat veggies and fruit most of the time-we get the stuff that's going to expire (notice the marked-down price tags). Also, we had a coupon for free fruit when you bought a box of Kelloggs cereal. We bought another box not pictured cause we donated it on our way out. We paid about $17 for everything below. Oh Happy Day!



Sadly, we forgot milk.

And here is our first live Christmas tree. It's small and we love it.

Whistle as you work

I gave the "First Sunday" lesson in Relief Society this past week. After reading Pres. Uchtdorf's message for December in the Ensign, I was thinking a lot about how we can "see" the Savior now.

I came to a partial conclusion that a way to do that is to consecrate our lives to the Savior. Elder Christofferson gave a talk about this, and I've been thinking a lot about one of the ways he says we consecrate our lives: through work.

He quoted Carlyle, someone I know nothing about but someone I would like to learn of someday-because he's quoted constantly.

“All true Work is sacred; in all true Work, were it but true hand-labour, there is something of divineness. Labour, wide as the Earth, has its summit in Heaven."

I think I've felt this all my life. This week is a case in point-we have four finals coming up! We're looking forward to being with family in just a week and a half.