Just Sayin!!!

It has been brought to my attention that I am a genius. You may think me vain for saying this, but hear me out. As most of you know, I am not really a Vikings fan. I don't dislike them, as the only two football teams I harbor dislike for are The Patriots and The Ravens. I consider myself a Steelers fan but that is only because I picked them as my team at the beginning of the 2005 season because after the boat scandal, I could no longer pretend to cheer for the Vikings. I would not normally switch my loyalties so easily but I felt the Vikes had no class and decided to cut ties before anyone (else) got hurt. This being said, I made an educated decision. I chose based on the QB of the team. I first chose Joey Harrington (based on looks) and then found out he was not a very good QB. I then picked Big Ben(not based on looks) and stuck with him. That year if you remember correctly....The Steelers won the Super Bowl. They have been "my team" ever since.
Now, back to me being a genius. If you know me at all, you know that I am a baseball fan. You know that in the summer, I am pretty much impossible to get ahold of unless you're a.) A Boy of Summer B.) A FSN announcer or C.) A season ticket holder. I'm sorry but I am pretty pathetic from February to October. This being said, I have had a quote attached to all of my work e-mails for the last six months or so. I changed it to stir up controversy with my coworkers that believe football to be a superior sport to my beloved baseball. I never knew the implications.
You see, it was brought to my attention that when the Vikes were playing the Saints on Jan. 24th. there was one point during the game that my face flashed through a few people's minds. Please read my quote and you will understand why a few of my coworkers now think I am so smart and also find me incredibly annoying!

"Baseball players are smarter than football players. How often do you see a baseball team penalized for having too many players on the field?"

Watch it!!

I love winter. Anyone who knows me, knows that I really enjoy the changing seasons. This being said...I also like to dress up and wear heels. I learned my lesson this weekend though. I was going to my best friend's house for dinner and on my way had to stop to get cilantro and bean sprouts for the delicious lettuce wraps we were to partake in. The grocery store I went to was not one I was familiar with and so I spent a good deal of time in the "lettuce/herb/grass" section of the produce section. I was chatting with my sister on the cell while going between the two different sections I thought I might be able to find the cilantro in. As I was heading back to check section number 1 for the 15th time...I slipped on some water that was inconveniently placed on the floor. Now this might not have been such a big deal, but I was wearing a dress and knee high wedge heel boots. Yes I know, very stylish. As I fell to the floor, I threw my phone about 3 feet across the produce dept. I was slightly embarrassed (ok completely) but regained my composure and started to pull myself up. As I did this, I slipped on the same puddle of water and fell again. As this happened, I somehow found a way to slightly roll into a guy who was shopping for tomatoes. He looked up and asked "um...are you ok?" I, of course, made no eye contact and said "yeah, I'm fine." I got up, walked over to get my phone and explained to my sister what had just happened. She of course was very supportive and made sure I was ok before laughing so hysterically, that I had to turn the volume down on my phone. I told this story to my coworkers and they reminded me that they truelly believe that my life is a sitcom. I decided that I would not show them the softball sized bruises on both of my knees.

Haiti, the country that I know...the country that I love.

Ok, this is my attempt to help in ANY way that I can. I know you have all heard a lot about what happened in Haiti and what is happening. I am going to share from a personal side of things. I have been to Haiti twice. Both times were trips that I took in High school and both times, Haiti changed my life.
I have traveled quite a bit in my life, this country is BY FAR my favorite one. I have plans to go back someday when I can actually impact the country in a way that is needed. Both trips to Haiti were for medical and evangelical purposes. A team of students and adults went to conduct medical clinics in small towns around the country. The first trip we traveled 7 hours up a mountain and the second trip we went on a boat to a small island off the coast. In our medical clinics we took vitals, spoke with patients about their ailments, prayed for them and made sure that they got their worm pill. It was the the best we could do. We brought along glasses and did vision tests with some patients who claimed they had trouble seeing. It was a pretty basic operation, with pepto bismal and Tylenol being our major drug therapies.
That being said. These clinics changed my life. The people of Haiti are an amazing people. We would open the clinic in the morning, to stories of people that had walked for days and days to come see us. They had traveled mountain roads with only the sandals they had on their feet. Some were really sick. There were people of all ages and I will never forget the beautiful baby girl...who peed all over my dress! These people are fighters. They are thankful for small things. They are thankful for things that I expect, things I have never known a day without.

On one of the trips, we brought supplies to a town to help build a church. We (the Americans) were really excited to help get the process started and thought we really had something to offer. The Haitians were the fastest, hardest working people I had ever seen. They had a legitimate shelter built within 2 days. We mostly were just in the way.

We always brought our own food on these trips and had to eat our meals with the doors to our compound closed as there were quite a few children who would beg for food. One of the guys with our team gave in one day and gave a little boy his small cup of chili beans. Two days later, as were were walking around the community visiting with families, we found that little boy, hovered over a fire, heating those beans to feed his family. This is heartbreaking. This is something, most people I know, have never known or could even imagine.

We know Haiti is poor, we know they are struggling and some of us want to help. I am going to find a way to help as best as I can with this situation and just wanted to do my part to inform people of organizations I know about that are down there. Feed my starving children ( www.fmsc.org ) is an organization that brings food to Haiti, year round. I know they are already down there bringing food and can always use help either financially or by the giving of your time to help with packing events. Also, the American Red cross (www.redcross.org) is always a safe bet to donate to and if you text "haiti" to 90999, they will donate $10 and charge it to your phone bill (if you haven't heard).
Thank you for reading this. I love the people of Haiti and am praying for them daily. It is a country that has endured a lot but the people are AMAZING. Please enjoy the pictures as they are constant reminders to me of the land that I love!

And so, it continues.

I've started and restarted this post so many times I was pretty sure I would never get my feelings down. The holiday season is over and it was such an amazing and challenging time that I am somewhat at a loss for words. God is good...this I know. You may find it annoying that I constantly post this, but through EVERYTHING that I have experienced in my life, this has been one constant.
As a brief (yeah right) update on the happenings of December 09 through today I will post a few bullets of some of the most important things.

-Birthdays- Elise turned 5 and my dad and sister turned __ and __ in December. December is always a month FILLED with family time. I truly enjoyed it this year. Watching everyone (adults too) grow older brings a lot of joy into my life.
-Holidays- Christmas was with family and a great time. New Years was with some of my dearest friends and also..a great time. I love this time of year and was SO thankful for the large amount of snow that was provided right on Christmas. I am a true Minnesotan.
-Visits- Conni was in town and it was strangely odd for me to see one of my close friends...pregnant. I have adjusted pretty well to the changes that have taken place in all of our lives but I do believe this was one of the weirdest for me. I enjoyed SO much celebrating with her at her shower and also spending time watching her and Bryce as they prepare for this next change in their relationship. I am so excited to see what is in store. I got to have coffee with Steph and enjoyed catching up on her life. Seems like UMASS is treating her well and I can't wait to see what is in store. I may need to borrow some of her assertiveness soon as I plan on continuing my education. I am looking forward to a few dates I have set up in the next few weeks to catch up with old friends. I am SO a relationship person and LOVE catching up with people.
-Hardships- Christmas day was definitely a challenging one for me. This year was strange, with my nieces being with their other family, me deciding to work this year (in order to prevent getting drafted for next year), my brother having an incident with the snowblower, and a few other challenges that are a part of life as we know it. I am really striving for Joy in life right now. I know I wrote a bit about this on Thanksgiving but I just want to reiterate. There will always be challenges but through them, I do believe...there is a plan. My best friend lost her grandfather somewhat unexpectedly this year and although my heart breaks for her...I am SO thankful that she was able to spend time with him, somewhat near to his passing. I know in comparison to others, my life may seem like a piece of cake...and to be completely honest..I am SO thankful for what it has been. I do believe it is ok to tell God things are hard...but then it is important to move on to what is next in store while remembering what that trial has taught you. I also believe that in the midst of trials...He is still near and willing to hold you through the pain.
Blessings-My accountability partner got married on Janurary 2nd. It was one of the most amazing days of my life. To see Greta come from the past that she has, to see where God has brought her and to see the way He answered her prayers in a way that was above and beyond her dreams was SO amazing. I am so thankful for these moments. What a blessing to be a part of their story and to know that my own...whatever it may be, is in the works. God is working in me as well. I love the start of something new. Some people mock New Year's resolutions because they see them as rules that no one sticks too...SO WHAT! I find it important to set goals in life, and although I may fail...I will falter and I may not accomplish them, I see it as a source of hope. So, for me, this time of year is SO full of possibilities and hope. I may need to remind myself of that in May or September but I still think that is ok. The process is sometimes the most exciting part. So here's to a new year, here's to renewed hope, and here's most definitely to the increasing of my faith and desire to fulfill the most important purpose for my life...to go where HE wants me to go, love as He wants me to love and trust as He asks me to trust.

An e-mail to my co-workers...

Dear Friends-
I wanted to give everyone a special gift for Christmas. So, if you have hung your coat, used your locker, if you read the posted items on the bulletin board, if your name is Ally, if you take the cart anywhere, if you use your mailbox or any item in the break room in OP you may notice a new fragrance surrounding the area. This is my gift to you. Please enjoy!
This all came about unexpectedly. I was graciously trying to get one of my diet Dr Peppers off of the top of the lockers. The problem was (and I saw it coming), the one that remained in the box decided it wanted to be free and went flying down two stories of lockers and bounced across the floor. It was a Christmas miracle. So please, appreciate the 23 flavors of goodness that now surround the entire OP pharmacy and maybe the Twin Cities area for that matter. It is my gift to you!



My day started off by using an industrial sized broom to sweep about a foot of snow off my car. I then drove an obstacle course to work. Once I got there I was so tired that I knew I needed a soda...stat. The rest, is history! Merry Merry Christmas!

Merry Memories!!

As promised, the walk down a lane filled with candy coated memories will continue. For those that have asked:

A.) I am not trying to get a book published. My grammar is poor and my life is not THAT interesting.

B.) No, I did not eat paint chips as a kid

c.)Yes, I do find humor in the simple things...and the immature things, and the boring things, and the non-humorous things. Again, refer to point B!

Now, here we go:

14.) Going to my very first Hollidazzle at the young age of 26. It was here that my sister and I realized that we do indeed have the cheesiest parents ever. I will challenge ANYONE on this! Examples include but are not limited to: When the Joe Mauer float drove by carrying a bat in it's right hand and my dad yelled "Hey Joe! You're a lefty!" Also, when the Excel energy people were walking around passing out what normal people call "light bulbs", my dad, the electrician, is sure to yell out, "Sure, I'll take a LAMP!" My dad is always sure to remind the lowly novice light fixture owner that it is a lamp and not a bulb. My mom had some cheesy lines as well, I just can't remember them.

15.) The years we spent at The Marie Sandvick Center on Thanksgiving. I will never forget the joy on people's faces when they received a real turkey dinner to enjoy in a warm room and a bag of groceries to take home. Those years reminded me of what I had to be thankful for and how to enjoy the simple things in life.

16.) The year my sister and I received matching Mickey Mouse flannel pj's. I was thrilled to say the least. My sister, not so much. I can't think of what 16 year old wants to be just like her 11 year old sister!

17.) Watching my two nieces walk around the Macy's display this year, holding hands and sharing their excitement with one another. They grow up SO fast and it is so fun to watch them mature and enjoy each other's company.(see photo)

18.) Watching my nephew devour his gingerbread cookie the last two years!(see photo)

19.) The year I asked for a particular Leann Rimes CD for my birthday. My mom didn't know which one I wanted so she bought a few and asked me which one it was. It was of course "You light up my life" which I loved SO much. That year at Christmas, I had asked for the Anastasia CD. Yes, I have THE BEST taste in music. On Christmas morning, when I was handed a package that I loudly proclaimed to be my Anastasia CD, I was thoroughly disappointed to find it was actually the Leann Rimes Cd I had rejected. Once I discovered this, I of course started to bawl. Mostly out of embarrassment. There were a few Christmas' with tears on my part. I am ashamed to say that but again, I do believe I have come a LONG way.

20.) The year my brother bought me a Hansen t-shirt. I told him I wouldn't wear it and so he kept it. I believe he still has it to this day and may have even added another one to the collection.

21.) Eating Prime Rib every year for dinner. My mom buys real horseradish to put on the meat and it never fails that you can tell who may have eaten too big of a bite of the spicy stuff. Who needs Sudafed on Christmas? Not the Allens!

22.) My dad is the original Creator of the ugly Christmas sweater party. He wears the same reddish but mostly orange turtleneck sweater every year. My Grammy made it, but I believe the year was 1971. My dad doesn't understand that sweaters are not at all like a fine wine.

23.) My dad would always tell me, throughout the year, that if I did something nice...there would be "something a little extra in my stocking". One year, I called him on it. I said, "You always tell me that there will be something extra and...there never is!" That year, when I opened my stocking, there was a cute teddy bear notepad with a piece of paper taped on it that said, "Here's your something extra!"

24.)All the Christmas movies! Some of my favorites include: Rudolph, Love Actually, White Christmas, Little Women, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story, The Holiday and Prancer. I love sitting and watching any of these while knitting and drinking hot chocolate!

25.)Sharing the time with my family. Sitting around the tree or table and talking about all the memories and laughing until our sides split.

26.) Remembering the true reason for the season. As cliche as it sounds...it is SO true. As much fun as this time of year is, I like to sit and think about why I really celebrate. I like to celebrate all He has given me and all there is to be thankful for. I like to remember the fact that without the birth of that little baby, all those years ago...I would be hopeless.

You may not share all of my thoughts on this time of year but I would love to get some of yours. If you have a favorite memory, a laugh, a thought...a whatever to share about this time of year. Throw it in. For those of you reading this on my facebook page, all future wordy posts will only be posted on my blog. Feel free to read, comment and follow me at: absofsteel26.blogspot.com. Also, if you have a blog, please let me know what it is so I can follow you. I LOVE blogging!

A Christmas to remember!

Well, Happy Holidays to you and yours! I've been pondering this post for quite some time. You see, Christmas is my favorite time of year. Now, I know what you're thinking....get in line. I understand that a lot of people like this time of year and I am ok with sharing. There is so much to love about this time and I am glad others see that! Now...back to the pondering. I thought I would give you a glimpse of all the reasons why this time is my favorite. I am going to tell you about my favorite parts and my favorite memories. Feel free to read along as I am sure it will put you more in the spirit! I will try to narrow it down to 26 as that is my favorite number as we have previously established and I find that to fit somewhere between a blurb and too wordy. Here goes:

1.) This first one I experienced firsthand but do not remember it. The stories that have been told to me though make me glad I do not remember. The way it went was that I was about 2 and my mom left me in the living room with the freshly decorated tree. She and my brother were in the kitchen doing something, when next thing they hear was a loud crunching coming from the living room. My mom walked in to see what the commotion was all about and found that I had grabbed a red glass ornament off of the tree, and bit into it. She of course screamed and ran to get it away from me. She believes it was a miracle that I didn't have any cuts in my mouth. Apparently I thought it was an apple!

2.) All the years where I begged to "sleep" in my sister's room, only to wait until mom and dad had gone to bed, at which time we got up and went to look at all the presents. One time my mom must have heard us and got up to see what the commotion was. We ran to my brother's room and hid under the bed. My mom never guessed we were in there.

3.) The year my brother asked for a tee, meaning a football tee. He spelled it tea on his list and so, on Christmas morning....my parents gave him a box of tea. He used a spell checker every year after that.

4.) The year my brother taught me how to carefully unwrap and re wrap my presents to figure out what they were before the big day. I made the mistake of trying it on my own when he wasn't around to help. I did the best job I could and pushed the present to the back of the tree to try and cover it up. The minute my mom walked through the door I burst into tears and told her everything. The worst part was, on Christmas morning, she made me unwrap that present in front of everyone and relive the pain!

5.) Going to the 8th floor Dayton's/Marshall Field's/Macy's display almost every year for the last 20 or so. I love going back now and seeing the joy on my nieces' and nephew's faces!

6.) Driving around every Christmas Eve growing up, and looking at the lights on the houses together as a family.

7.) Going to the midnight service on Christmas Eve. This is still one of my faves. Especially if it is a candlelight service.

8.) The year my Great Grandma lived with us- I will never forget the joy on her face when she found her stocking full of pickles!

9.)Christmas morning quiche!!! My mom makes this every year for breakfast!

10.) My parents tended to hide the presents in 2 places. The trunk of mom's car or under their bed. One year when they were gone we scoped out hiding spot number two and found a hockey stick for my brother. On Christmas morning, after all the presents had been opened, the hockey stick was nowhere to be seen. I of course was the one to remind my parents by saying, "um, I think you forgot one." To which my dad said, " How do you know?" My brother tried to jab me but was not quick enough and I said, "There is a hockey stick under your bed!!"

11.) One year, as we were leaving Daytons, I saw the most beautiful little business suit my 9 year old eyes had ever seen. It was Burgundy with sheer sleeves. Yes, I know I am a dork but this was during my "I want to be a news anchor" phase. I showed it to my mom as a hint for Christmas. My brother (we were quite the team) in turn told me when mom had gone back to purchase it. I was so excited for it that Christmas morning I could barely contain myself. When I opened the box, inside was not the suit I was dreaming of, but instead a floral dress that had been hanging next to my suit at the store. I am ashamed to say this, but I cried. On Christmas morning, I cried because it was not the dress I wanted. I sometimes hate having the youngest child syndrome. I like to think I have come a long way from those days when I cried because things didn't go my way. My co-workers my disagree.

12.) Making Christmas candy with the fam. We Allen's...we go ALL out in that department. Fudge, Peanut Butter Cups, Toffee, Peanut Brittle, Puppy Chow, Nut Goodies...it is a dentist's and a dietitian's worst nightmare!

13.) Doing The Angel Tree ministry. Finding families with a parent that is in prison and getting gifts for them as a reminder of the parent who will be missing that year. It is such a joy to see their faces and to know that in some way there Christmas will be brighter that year.

I will leave it at that with the promise to give you the other half sometime in the next few days. Here's hoping that your days are merry and bright...and for sure that all your Christmases will be white!