Someone's always got it worse...

Today I got home from work and hung out with Dustin for a few minutes, then made his lunch and left to go meet with our realtor.  While I was meeting with the realtor we called on a place and the woman said we could come over, so we went to look at a house.  It took longer than I had wanted as I still needed to go to the grocery store and make dinner, as well as fold laundry, do the dishes and spend some time with the dogs.  Not to mention that Dancing with the Stars started at 8.  So anyway it was almost 7:30 and off I was to the grocery store.  I had to get a few things for dinner and a few other things because I am making a meal for a family at church because the mom is sick right now.  I go about my shopping and get to the check out.  I was about to get in line 14 but it looked like I was going to line 15 and so this punk of a kid (he was probably my age) stops behind the person that was in front of me getting into line 15.  Seriously buddy, if I was getting into line 15 first of all, you would have known it, second of all would one person ahead of you with maybe 15 items in her cart really affect how long it takes you to get out of the store??  SO he stops there blocking me from getting to my destination.  I was getting irritated, so I said "Excuse me!" and he responded with "Oh sorry about that, I didn't see you!"  I just went on my merry way two steps past him and to line 14.  Right, like you didn't see me and you were just coincidentally looking the other direction that whole time!  Anyway, I get into line 14 and quickly realize that I had made a very very bad choice.  There was only one person in front of me and the person in front of them was paying but they were paying in change.  GREAT!!  Dancing with the stars was already starting and I was freaking hungry.  The person checking out was an older lady and the people in front of me only had 10 items but somehow it seemed like I was going to be there until they closed.  I tried to tell myself that I didn't know the situation the old lady was in, and maybe she had this weird reason for getting rid of her change.  I was just trying to not get irritated because you never know the situation.  Then the cashier and the manager (who was bagging) were talking about how much she had and how much the total was she was at $27 and she needed to get to $49.  This poor woman didn't have enough money for groceries.  She wasn't being weird or just paying the last few dollars with change, she was just trying to survive.  Just as I was about to say that I would pay for the rest of her order, the woman in front of me said that she would pay and then continued to insist to the old lady not to worry about it, and made her take (by putting it in her purse) the change from the money.  It warmed my heart to see someone be so nice.  Why don't we hear about things like that and people like that these days?  I was really glad that I had the thought to stop myself early on from criticizing and getting angry.  I am thankful that I am able to afford my groceries and have extra.  I don't have to be on such a tight budget.  I have never in my life had to pull together my pennies to afford a meal.  I have been very fortunate in that aspect.   I was then thinking as I walked out to the car and drove home how I think that since I have been working at the Temple my eyes have been opened more so I see the good in people.  I am very glad for that, because even though I try not to be critical of people, I am.  I judge them.  Lately, I have seen that I have been able to catch myself doing this and try to back up and have compassion and love.  Obviously, I haven't perfected that yet and doubt that I will in my life, but it's a goal.  Anyway, I got home and started taking the groceries out of the car and one of the bags ripped and the big bottle of Frank's Red Hot Sauce (because I had to get the big one because it was cheaper to do that) broke, shattered and splattered all over me and the ground.  Fortunately, the first thought that came to my head was, "I CAN afford to go back to the store and get another one."  I'm thankful for that!!

Fun Times

Judd Family Picture, July 2009

I love these people!  I was looking through pictures from this year and I saw this one.  I miss them!  That's all!  :o)

Simple Pleasures

I wish I were more like my dogs.  Forget toys (although they like those also), just give them a cardboard box.  We finished 2 Costco sized granola bar boxes and had them ready to be recycled.  The dogs decided they were going to play with them.  They were digging at them, chewing on them, and then playing tug of war with the pieces.  I don't mean this all happened and then they were done with it.  They played with them and then I went to the store and came home and they decided that the pieces all over the floor (that I hadn't cleaned up yet) still had some life in them!  They were playing with them like they do all of their other toys, then bringing them over to me to throw like I do their balls.  Silly puppies!

Makes you think

A few weeks ago I received a phone call.  It was totally out of the blue and something that I never in a million years would have expected.  It was from an old best friend of mine, now when I say best friend, I mean spending any minute that we could together kind of best friend.  We knew everything about each other.  Obviously as we got older we grew apart.  We didn't always make good choices together and we didn't always make good choices apart, but we were good people none the less.  We both had the same spiritual foundation, she might have even had an advantage.  Family wise I definitely had the advantage (how couldn't I with my family, right??).  So as we grew up, we made our decisions, together or apart whether they were good or bad, but we were still friends.  We weren't best friends anymore but we were in touch every now and then.  As time passed a little more, we were in very different places, but no matter what I had a soft spot for this person.  They could call me after not having talked to them for months and nothing would be different, our relationship would go back to being as it was before (we were just older and {wiser??}).  I would drop anything to be at the aid of this person.  Well, this last conversation was different, it wasn't there.  The friendship that we had built and would always come right back was gone.  Talking was awkward, silences with nothing to say even though we haven't talked in many years.  This time I wasn't so quick to jump to this person's rescue, even though I offered whatever "help" I could, I was more cautious.  The trust wasn't there.  Had I been burned so many times before that I had learned my lesson??  We floundered back and forth for a bit and then I said I had to go.  Never before would I have ended the conversation in case something needed to be said for me to help with.  That was it, we have nothing in common anymore.  We are so different and took such different paths that there is no basis for a friendship.  This friend that I have doesn't know who she is or what she needs.  I just feel so sad for her because she isn't happy.  It is such a testimony to me to see how the gospel can influence a person's life.  We were at the same place 10 years ago.  Now we couldn't be farther from it.  I am so thankful for the knowledge that I have of the gospel.   If I didn't have this knowledge maybe I would be in the same place.  I am thankful to know who I am and what I am worth.  I'm extremely thankful for my family who loves me and would do anything for me, and my husband who is a righteous priesthood holder and example to everyone around him, younger and older.  I am thankful for the choices that I have made to put me where I am today in my life.  I am most grateful for the opportunity that I have each week to work in the Temple.  It is such a blessing to my little family and more selfishly to me.  I have learned to much and there's much more to be learned.  I know that Heavenly Father knows what we need and if we just listen, we'll know also.

CROCS!!

I have loved Crocs since the first time I saw them, which was on our honeymoon.  We were at Universal Studios Hollywood and a woman (our age) wasn't getting on a ride because she was 9 weeks pregnant so she was going to get to another part of the park to hold a spot for the rest of her family.  We were walking and talking with her and the rest of the family met up, they were all wearing matching crocs.  Anyway, I loved them even then!  I have no idea why, many people hate them, many people love them, many people think they are hideous.  I love them for some reason.  I can't vouch for their comfort because I have never had a pair or worn a pair for that matter.  When Dustin was working at Agway (a local garden store in Plattsburgh) they sold them there and I really wanted to buy a pair since Dustin was able to get everything for store cost.  Then the Border Patrol thing happened and he left that job quickly, so I didn't get them.  They are pretty expensive little buggers and I kind of forgot about them.  Since I have been working at the temple on Thursday nights, I have been noticing people's shoes.  I was told that I should buy something comfortable since I would be standing for considerable amounts of time.  I bought these expensive shoes from the temple store and they have been killing my feet every Thursday since.  I thought maybe I can get a pair of white crocs, those would probably be really comfy, but I would of course need to buy a regular pair first to see if they are comfortable.  I was looking on the crocs website and contemplating buying a pair, they were just so darn expensive.  Well tonight I went to Costco and saw out of the corner of my little eye, some shoes that resembled crocs (don't ask why but for some reason I am particular about having Crocs, not alligators or any other knock offs, but I'll buy and wear a shirt from Walmart, I know, I'm weird!).  I decided that on the way back around I would go check them out and see if they were really crocs.  So I totally forgot about it and then remembered as I neared the aisle.  I meandered down and looked for the crocs.  There wasn't a display of them or anything.  So I took the one pair (of real, not knock off) crocs, that just happened to be my size and tried it on.  It was like Cinderella trying on the glass slipper!  Love at first fitting!  So I looked around and there were no other crocs.  Not knowing the price I put them in the cart and brought them with me to the register.  I asked the kid the price and when he said $12, I just about kissed him!!  $12 for something I would have spent at least $40 on to have them shipped and delivered to me!  Hallelujah!  I was so happy, and now I have my own pair of crocs!!  These are my try them out pair, if I like them, I will spend the money to get the white ones for the temple!  I'll let you know how our courtship advances!  ;o)