Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

My poor little Bo-ber Kitty

Last night, I notice Bo's lower lip was really swollen. It didn't seem to bother him and he let me touch it...but I still worried. I'm a (kitty) mommy. That's what we do.

So off to the vet we went today...with Bo crying his little kitty heart out the whole way. (My poor baby!!!!)

Thankfully, it's completely harmless. Dr. Resler said it's an eosinophilic granuloma which is basically an allergic reaction. To something. Who knows what? All I care about is that my Bo-ber Kitty is ok. He did have to get a shot though. :(

He got a lot of cuddles when we got home.

No, that's not his tongue...it's his lip!

Simply Love Swap - come spread the love!

Katie over at Loves of Life is hosting another swap!! This time, it's a "Simply Love" swap...just in time for Valentine's Day. Everyone needs a little love in their life so why not join the swap and spread the love? :) All you need to do is click the icon above for more details.

In Katie's words:

This swap is all about the little things us ladies *simply love* in our daily lives. Valentines Day reminds us of all the ones we love: spouses, children, parents, siblings, pets, etc---but why not our blogging bff's too? Let's let each other in on the 2-14 fun, too. Besides, getting a package filled with things you simply love the week of Valentines will tickle-you-silly and make you feel special beyond belief.

Thank You...Gracias...Merci...Danke...

Wow...I'm not a good little blogger lately! For the past week, Mr Jones and I have been working on our wedding Thank You cards. Oy. There's only so many ways you can say "thank you" without starting to sound insincere...or cheesy.

Mr Jones has been pestering me to get my Thank Yous done (because Boy Wonder is done with his, of course)...and I'm trying. Honest. I just prefer to do a couple at a time instead of powering through them. Maybe that makes them more sincere and less cheesy? I'd like to think so!

Well, news for him...according to Emily Post, I still have time...haha! She also has 10 Do's and Don'ts of Thank Yous.

When should Thank Yous be written?

Contrary to popular myth, the happy couple does not have a year’s grace period. All thank you notes should be written within three months of the receipt of the gift. Ideally, a response should be written on the day you receive a wedding gift. If that’s not possible, set a daily goal. It’s a lot easier to write three or four notes a day than to have to write a hundred notes in a month after the wedding!

Ten Dos and Don’ts of Thank You Notes

1. Do personalize your notes and make reference to the person as well as the gift.
2. Do remember that a gift should be acknowledged with the same courtesy and generous spirit in which it was given.
3. Do be enthusiastic, but don’t gush. Avoid saying a gift is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen unless you really mean it.
4. Don’t send form letters or cards with printed messages and just your signature. Also, don’t use email or post a generic thank you on your wedding web site in lieu of a personal note.
5. Do promptly acknowledge the receipt of shipped gifts by sending a note right away or calling and following up with a written note in a day or two.
6. Don’t mention that you plan to return a gift or that you are dissatisfied in any way.
7. Don’t tailor your note to the perceived value of the gift; no one should receive a perfunctory note.
8. Do refer to the way you will use a gift of money. Mentioning the amount is optional.
9. Don’t include wedding photos or use photo cards if it will delay sending the note. Oops...we definitely did this one! But I love our photo cards...sorry they delayed sending the thank yous!
   
10. Don’t use being late as an excuse not to write. Even if you are still sending notes after your first anniversary, keep writing!

New Year, New Goals

First of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! Sorry I've been MIA lately. Mr Jones and I have been busy taking down the Christmas decorations (booooo!) and running errands around town. We had wedding gift returns/exchanges as well as Christmas gift returns/exchanges. That definitely took up a lot of our vacation time!

How I feel about taking down our decorations (the Dell and Amazon boxes are makeshift Christmas storage boxes)

Now that 2010 is here, it's time for me to set new goals for myself. I don't call them resolutions because, face it, who really keeps their New Year's Resolutions? They've become something that people swear they'll do, year after year, knowing full well they will fall off the resolution bandwagon after the first month or so.

By setting goals for myself, I will strive to achieve them...but if I don't, I will just try harder next year. :) Somehow, goals don't seem as daunting (and disappointing) as resolutions...at least in my (potentially weird) mind.


My Goals for 2010

1. Treat my body the way it should be treated. This includes exercising more and eating healthier. This is probably everyone's goal for 2010...and I wish us all the best of luck!

2. Be the best wife I can be. Heck, I may even attempt to cook while Mr Jones is in class on Mondays and Tuesdays. This may or may not be a success, but we'll see. LOL.

3. Not stress/worry so much about the small stuff. I let things get to me...too much sometimes. My stressing/worrying isn't going to change things so I need to learn to let it go and trust everything will be ok.

4. Be thankful for the good in my life rather than focusing on the negative.

5. Make sure I get enough "girl dates" with my friends. I tend to be a homebody and want to stay home with my love...but I've had such a blast at the last few get-togethers with my friends that I am realizing just how important it is to me and my happiness. I plan on scheduling at least one "girl date" per month (so local friends, be ready!).

6. Stop spending/buying unnecessary items...and focus on the necessities. This one will be a hard one because I have an (itty bitty, teeny weeny) obsession with jeans.

7. More random acts of kindness. I feel good when others feel good...and if I can make that happen, awesome! :)

8. Help my bride-to-be friends (woot for my 2010 brides!) in anyway I can. This one won't be hard because I (gasp!) miss wedding planning.

9. Take better care of my car. I tend to ignore the problems...but the reality is, I'm going to have this car for a while so I need to give it the love it needs. Either that, or be left stranded on the side of the road. LOL.

10. Take better care of my skin. I've very lucky to have good skin, but I don't always take my makeup off at night. And I don't moisturize like I should. I'm sure the neglect will come back and bite me in the butt someday.

What are your goals for 2010?