big fat juicy salad

I watched the two young-uns today. Boy, that's always a busy day! But, both babes are pretty good, so essentially the day goes by pretty quick.

Yesterday I noticed I was in need of some fresh vegetable-ness, but it was too late to go out and buy some, and today I didn't have the guts to take two babies to the store, so I improvised for lunch (sauteed garlic shrimp with peas?) and waited for this evening. After I dropped off Madelyn, Marin and I went to the store to pick up some goodies for a nice big fat juicy salad. She was soooo good in the store, just sucking on her toy keys and making happy noises. I am such a lucky mama! When we got home, I put together a GI-normous salad. Ready? Butter lettuce and spinach, yellow pepper, hothouse cucumber, tomato, avacado, bean sprouts, sunflower seeds, gruyere cheese (just a smidge!) and some classic ranch dressing, oh, and I topped it with some cayenne-honey shrimp. Yummy! I ate just about the whole thing!

At the store we bought some Valentine's Day cards for Kris, one from me, and one from little sweetie :) Seeing as how Valentine's Day falls on a saturday this year, I'll be working, so it won't be a very exciting year I guess. Last year was. . . I'm sure it was wonderful, but I was a little nauseated. Kris took me out to this French restaurant at Mandalay Bay called Fleur De Lis, and as much as I wanted to appreciate it, I just couldn't get over the smell of the black truffle soup that was EVERYWHERE in the restaurant. It was the appetizer special I think. Ahhh well. I have many other Valentine's Days to spend with my honey :)

Still all by myself out here in Las Vegas. Kris has a test on Friday, and then he can kiss Denver goodbye! Hooray! Well aren't I just a sorry sap, good grief.

Tomorrow I think Marin and I will head to the gym. I need to pound some circulating thin rubber for a sweaty mile or two. After that, I'll need to start working on my Young Women's lesson for this Sunday. Oh, and did you know? They added a value to the YW theme! Yes, it's Virtue. Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity, and Virtue. Cool Huh! It's a great addition I think! All of the values are soooo important, and virtue just rounds it all out. There is nothing more sacred or precious than a womans' virtue. It makes me so sad to, live out here especially and see so many daughters of God exploit themselves for some meager compensation or superficial promise of a better life. At what cost? I don't remember who said it, but they said when you save a girl/woman, you save generations. So true. Anyway.

Inaguration Day was today, and, I must say, I really think that Barack has already made a difference. I'm not talking about policies or "Change we can believe in ", that stuff will all be revealed in time. I'm talking about his example, and raising the bar for black americans. Not that caucasians can't use some improvement themselves. Be-leeeive me, white people go to jail for some of the sickest most awful crimes ever! Since black americans have made the transition into society as citizens and not slaves or segregated human beings, it seems that (I have to be careful here) they have tested the boundaries of acceptable societal behavior. Clamoring for equal rights (rightfully so) and respect, but then crying desperately for everyone to notice their differences. I think many Americans strugge with the same feelings, just from chatting with some people at work. What needed to happen was the ultimate victory, the ultimate conquering of not only american concession, but governmental control over the whole world. They needed a black president. We all did. Now, there is a role model. A well versed, educated, respecting black role model, for black, and white americans. He has raised the bar for his fellow black americans, and I hope they live up to the dedication and devotion they have shown him throughout his campaign. The work does not stop here. For any of us. I don't know what his presidency will bring, but I look forward to finding out. I pray that he will be inspired to make the right choices. I hope all of you will continue to pray for our nations leaders, we all know they need it. We will never be competely satisfied with what the government has to bring, but just keep praying!