Happy 12th Wedding Anniversary, Kim and John!
(I don't have a current picture of you two... can somebody put one on???)

Example

I just have to pass this story along to all of you. I got a call from a good friend today who is currently jumping through the flaming hoops of law school applications. After he asked me a number of questions about my school and also for advice about applying to law school, we eventually got to talking about what we are each up to and the new things in our lives.

He started telling me about this job he's had for a few months as a runner for a law firm in downtown Salt Lake City and how difficult it can be at times. According to my friend, one of the most difficult things as a runner at a law firm is the bottom-of-the-totem-pole #1 peon status. Consequently, many people at his office were less than cordial to him when he started. He did say, however, one person in particular made all the difference. This person was always so kind and helpful and, in his words, was "amazing." At one point he said "Jennifer [was] one of the nicest people [he's] ever known."

Putting two-and-two together, I asked him which law firm he was working at and, sure enough, it was Fabian and Clendenin. This nice person named Jennifer who made such a difference to my friend was none other than my sister-in-law, Jennifer Dustin! It was an absolute honor to tell him I was related to her and how wonderful she really was.

I was grateful for this experience. Not only did it remind me of how lucky I am to know and be related to someone as awesome as Jennifer, it made me think how important it is for all of us to follow her example. You just never know who is watching you at any given time. Thanks for being such a great example, Jennifer. You've reminded me how important it is to treat everyone with respect and kindness. What a great lesson!

Black Friday, followed by Black Saturday

Well, after kicking everyone out of my house from Thanksgiving night pie at 1 a.m., I went to bed giving John strict instructions to wake me up at 4 a.m. Why? Black Friday, of course! I haven't shopped for a few years, but this year dawned amazing deals that were too good to pass up. Needless to say, when I arrived a full half-hour early at Shopko, there were already a good hundred or more people already in line. By the time the doors opened, I bet there were EASILY 500 eager and FREEZING shoppers ready to bust through those doors and get spending!

I kept phone contact with Tiffany...who had her own great time at Target with an equally large crowd...however, they opened an hour LATER, so the girl should have gotten an hour more beauty sleep, but alas...black Friday is aptly named. She woke up nauseated and threw up before she got dressed and headed out....armed with a zip-lock bag in case anything else should strike....and, waiting there in front of throngs of people as well, had to use said baggie in front of everyone (knowing full-well she was sick, but making "pregnancy" excuses :0 so as not to alarm the other customers.) Once inside she darted for the $20 1000 thread-count sheets (all gone) and some other treasures. Not 30 minutes later, and a cart full of goodies, again, in the check out line, it hit her again. Kindly saying to the other customers "could you please watch my stuff" she bolted past them all, grabbed one of the checkers' plastic Target bags and barely made it to the front of the store (more onlookers) to deposit more of last night's dinner in her "target toy" bag. What a trooper!!!

John, on the way to work later that morning almost threw up as well in his car, on the freeway with no shoulder....came home a few hours later and retired to bed...Nauseated, but not throwing up.

The next day...BYU vs. Utah, the most anticipated ball game for most Utah residents. With 5 tickets in hand, I woke up....and threw up. Twice. I wasn't sure what to do. I wasn't going to miss the game...so I grabbed 2 ziplocs (based on Tiffany's story) and headed down south. Before half-time, I could tell something was amiss, and with strict instructions to Andrew not to go anywhere, I started running down the stadium stairs, unwrapping my baggy as I went...and before I hit the bottom, it came....I quickly rounded the corner and it just kept coming and coming....and suddenly I was VERY aware that my baggie was clear...and everyone could see EXACTLY what I had eaten the day before. I finally made it to the restroom, threw myself on the (hopefully clean) floor, and continued to be sick for about 15-20 minutes.

I got home to Matthew who Jennifer reported threw up all afternoon, and through the night, Ashley who wasn't as fortunate as everyone else to make it to the restroom....let me just say that "fruit gushers" all over the carpet and sheet did NOT make for a holy sabbath day.

I stayed home with Ash and Matthew and Timothy...I'm praying that somehow the other kids don't get it. I've had my fill of carpet cleaning and laundry for the weekend.

The good news? BYU 17, Utes 10.Good Weekend after all.