Warm Fuzzies

**I love watching football...especially college ball. I am a HUGE Auburn fan (even though they sucked wind this season) and there's something about the rivalry each year that really gets me going. However, my absolute favorite thing about watching college (particularly SEC) games, is the sportsmanship between the teams. After a major tackle or pile-up...there's something amazing about when a player from the opposite team holds out his hand to help a fallen opponent. And...at the very end of a game...the cameras will catch the most amazing sight of all...BOTH teams, on their knees, hands on each others shoulders...thanking God for giving them Life and the opportunity to do what they love. It brings tears to my eyes every time.

**Stockings are my favorite thing to open on Christmas morning. Before I started having Christmas with G and his family, I would always do Christmas with mine. Every year, the first thing we would all open would be our stockings. We never got anything "big" in our stockings. It was always something like: chapstick, candy, toothbrushes, small toys, razors, shaving cream, bubble bath, body spray, or maybe...if we were REALLY good that year...a CD or book!! Now that I've been doing Christmas with G for the past nine years...we open our stockings last. It took a lot of getting used to...the very first year, I headed straight for the stockings first thing. That warranted a lot of nasty stares of astonishment! Funny how traditions are different in every family. Yet, it's still my favorite part. There's something about digging in a big 'ole sock, not knowing what treasures you're going to find. The past couple of years, I've been the one to "put together" the stockings, myself. And I was so incredibly blessed this year to have my amazing mom come to OUR house early Christmas morning. I was so excited to "make" her a stocking. I bought a fluffy pink one and filled it with the small treasures that I get so giddy about. After we had all opened our gifts, I took down all the stockings and passed them out to everyone. When Mom looked up and saw that she had a brand new pink stocking, filled with goodies, her face lit up like a....well...like a Christmas tree! Tears sprang to her eyes as she said, "Oh my...I haven't had a "real" stocking since I was just a little girl!!" I could see in her face the excitement that I felt all those years when I was a kid and SHE would hand me my stocking to dig through. So you see, sometimes the best gifts aren't about the gift at all...they're about the memories that they bring back.

**Most of you who read this blog know that I watch Spongebob Squarepants. What most of you may NOT know is that I watch it literally every single day. There's one particular episode (and you mom's out there who have kiddos may recognize this one) where Spongebob and his best friend Patrick order a huge TV to be delivered to them. Once the TV arrives, however, they toss the TV aside and rejoice over what a big BOX they have! Well, of course, cranky 'ol Squidward, who lives next door, can't understand why these two would waste their time in a box, when they could be inside watching a brand new big screen TV. Spongebob tries to explain to Squid that using your IMAGINATION is so much better than anything else. After a lot of back and forth, Squidward hears a lot of noise and excitement coming from the box. But when he rushes over to open it...all he finds is Spongebob and Patrick sitting alone in the box. Sponge tries to explain again that all it takes is IMAGINATION! Finally, Squidward jumps in the box and tells the two creative ones to take him to Pirate Island. Sponge and Patrick immediately close their eyes and start IMAGINING the world of Pirate Island. But because Squidward doesn't know how to use his IMAGINATION...he can't make it to Pirate Island. In the end, after Spongebob and Patrick go to bed...Squidward decides to try it one more time. And even though things don't go exactly as he planned, he finally sees how wonderful using his IMAGINATION can be. Ahhh...if we could only be more like Spongebob. When I was a kid, we didn't have a lot of money. A cardboard box was made into a fort, a "house", or even just a place to "hideout". I think it's super important for us to encourage kids now...especially in the age of Nintendo DS's and Cartoon Network...to use their IMAGINATIONS. Just one more important lesson I've learned from watching Spongebob Squarepants.

**I have to mention this in my "Warm Fuzzy" post because it is the epitome of warm and fuzzy. For Christmas, I bought myself and G a down alternative comforter. Down alternative because we think G has some major allergy problems. Anyway...if someone asked me to do a commercial for this comforter...I would do it. For free. I have no idea what I did before I had this thing. Every night, as I'm getting ready for bed, all I can think about is sliding in between my Chris Madden sateen sheets and under that deliciously soft comforter. It's seriously helping me sleep at night. My favorite place to be in the whole world is snuggled up with my honey right as we fall asleep. NOW, I can be in my favorite place and be the most comfortable I've ever been! How can I ask for anything more?? :)

I'm sure I'll think of more "warm fuzzies" later, but for now...that'll do.