The Year 2 0 0 5

My goal for 2 0 0 5:

1. To take more risks,
2. To stay on the path God has created for me.
3. To get up an hour earlier during the weekdays!

Giddy Over God!

In church when Pastor was wrapping up he asked whoever is going to Bible College and Seminary that need financial assistance to raise their hand. I raised my hand, however, I was not chosen. Though I wasn’t chosen, I was celebrating with the three people that were. I was also thinking, it just wasn’t my time, but my time is coming. He asked that whoever raised their hands and were not selected to repeat a prayer after him. I repeated the prayer of God knowing my heart and helping me financially to get through Bible College. When he dismissed the congregation, I turned to walk out and a lady approached me and asked if I was serious about going to Bible College. I told her that I was. She said that if I were serious then she would pay for me to go! My mouth dropped and I hugged and thanked her. She said that God had told her to pay for me to go to school. We went to the registration table and she wrote a check out for my first month, gave me all her contact numbers and email address and told me that she was depending on me to let her know when the next tuition is due. I gave her a great big hug told her “thank you for listening to God.”

As she walked out of the church, I turned with tears in my eyes to walk through the sanctuary and I saw my pastor. I walked toward him to tell of the great thing that just happened (my eyes are now streaming with tears). He asks me to come over to him and I can’t even get a word out. He asks what’s wrong and I told him that I was crying because I was happy. He said “Well praise God. You know I saw you over there with your hand up for a scholarship, and I’m going to take care of you.” I told him, “Well that’s what I’m here to tell you, someone has taken care of my scholarship.” He was happy, I was even more happy, so on and so on. He also told me that God has brought me to this church for a reason and he was going to help me fulfill what God wants me to do. He said God has BIG plans for you and I’m going to hire you at this church.

My pastor is such a blessing, and I know he knows that, but it’s always good to tell him. I believe that’s what keeps him ‘LIFTED.’ To God and the World Wide Web, I would like to truly thank Ms. J.J. for listening to God when He speaks and for working to equip the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ (Eph 4:12).

God Makes Me Feel Good!

I woke up this morning with a strong desire to fellowship with God. One thing led to another and I was in my car putting it in drive. I turned off my radio and spent my 20-minute ride just talking with Him. I was thanking Him for all the lovely people He has put into my life from my Husband and children to acquaintances. I was thanking Him for allowing me to finish my project today at work, for staying motivated, for having me walk that narrow path with Him, etc. I was just giving Him a lot of praise. "Thank you for turning everything that I put my hands on in Your name a success, for everything that I put my mind to in Your name a success, for the ideas that You have given me, for the protection you have bestowed over me and my family."

I also asked God to tell me through someone what to learn about in my Christian walk, and I'll be a beautiful smiling-sistah, I was only one-hour warm in my office when my co-worker casually mentioned a book to read called "The prayer of Jabez." WOW! The day is just beginning.

Things I Need To Give To God

These are just a list of things that I need not to worry about:
1. Child-care Cost
2. Health Care Cost
3. Seminary School Cost
4. Family Protection

My Goals For The Next Two Years!

When my daughter was born, I made one goal: to get my patent by the time she turns five! By next year, I will have that accomplished before my five years are up.

My next goal after that was to get the product into production, my goal for that is by the time my son turns five.

Within two years beginning in January of 2005, I would like to have a house to rent out to generate extra income. I already have close family members doing it, and I know I need to be doing it too.

Before Christmas 2005, I would like my daughter to be in drama school! She already knows how to ACT, she just needs some direction.

My Future Christmas List

I realize that I must be very hard to shop for, as I don't want for too much. At least I don't think I want for too much. This year I had a great Christmas, as I do every year. My loving husband bought me a digital camera, dvd-recorder, and a suitcase (replacing my traveling duffel bag). It's not until a few weeks before Christmas that I wonder what in the world do I want. So I'm writing this now so that I don't have to ask myself and my husband doesn't have to guess.

Christmas 2005 -- More Swarovski crystal pieces to go in my collection.

Christmas 2006 -- A sewing machine. I know absolutely nothing about sewing or the machines, but hopefully I will in two years.

Christmas 2010 -- A washing machine w/o that agitator thingy in the middle, now they have the front-loaders for consumers, but you can also get the top loaders without the big agitator thingy in the middle.

Some Christmas Photos

My husband bought me another digital camera, so here are just some of the pictures I took. Oh, I let my daughter take some too!
Little Z by the Christmas tree!


Guess who took this picture of her daddy?


Guess who else took this picture of her mommy & daddy?


She's in her jacket her grandmother bought her.

I Believe I can Succeed!

I was listening to Harold Evans, author of "They Made America: Two Centuries of Innovators from the Steam Engine to the Search Engine" on Wall Street Journal Television, and he reminded me that through your failures come your success. It took Edison over 3000 failures to get the lightbulb right. Keep perservering and believe that you can succeed with your invention.
Happy Birthday Jesus!

Taken From Somewhere:

If you keep doing whatever you have been doing,
You will get what you have always got.....
If you do what you don't normally do,
You will know what you can really get!!

If you stay what you are,
You will never know what you can be....

Christmas is here!

Wow! I can't believe that an entire year has passed already. I'm excited! In 04, my resolution was to do things outside of how I would normally do. It was only months later, by sticking to my resolution, that I met Margaret Johnson (I would think that she is one of the wealthiest women in this city. She's a very sweet woman, hopefully I will be able to post a picture of her up here one day!) Well for 05, my resolution will to step out on risks.

BTW, CompUSA called and told me to come pick up my camera, they they can't honor my warranty four days past due. Isn't that a blip!? CompUSA is too big for their britches!

Diamond on The WB Show

She does have a big butt!

No More Camera!

I have a small Olympus camera that is acting up, so I took it back to the store four days past my extended warranty and they said they will "try" to honor it. Okay, I'm thinking: I paid $500 for that camera and purchased an extended store warranty from you, can you extended some 'real' customer service four days past the extended warranty? Maybe I just ask for too much. NOT!
Anyway, so it looks like there may not be as many pictures on this site as I have been doing. The store told me that I should have my camera back in three WEEKS! My goodness, it's the holiday season, can I at least get a loaner? Whatever.

Sometimes I Wonder

Sometimes I wonder how my life would be
If I weren't in my current city.
Would I be working for a huge firm
or working a booth in a mall?
Would my heart be hard to the world?
Would I find love at all?
Sometimes I think,
Should I pick up and go
To the life that I want to know.
Leave the past, straight past the present and head to the future.
Leaving all that I know behind to chase a dream.
Why? When God has given me everthing I need.
A loving husband and beautiful children, why would I want more.
I love my path and I thank God for what He has in store.

-Thais

My Sister's on TV

My sister is on a reality t.v. show called "Big Man On Campus." Here's >her profile on their website. Go visit it, sign her thingy and BE NICE! The show airs on Wednesday nights on the WB at 9pm. Last Wednesday was the first show and I heard that she lasts pretty long!
Her actual website is up now! It's www.DiamondUnique.com. I love you girl!
>

'Tis The Season!

This is my daughter singing the classic, "Jingle Bells."

Last night I went to an awesome Christmas party given by P&P and M&A, at M&A's house! I came there only knowing one person (P) and left with a few new friends. Here is some of the evidence!

Here we are just having a good-time enjoying each other.


My Girl! We're an ACE in the Hole!


M is a fire-starter, watch out for her at any party! This one loves to have a good time! And she's sweet as pie.


She's gonna love this one!


We all noticed the santa hat was just as big as S was.


I met wonderful people last night and if we were a stamp, we'd be "First Class!"

Couldn't Move My House In Time!

The following happened on Tuesday, Dec. 14^th, 2004 at 7:45 a.m.
Okay this is very interesting. My husband is out of town, I’m just dropping the kids off to school and on the way to work I get a call from one of my neighbors who tells me that someone just drove their car into the side of my garage. I’m thinking, “Wow, how did they do that.” I’m also thinking of the distance someone has to travel before they actually hit my house and nothing is adding up, other than factoring in someone being inebriated, on some type of drugs, driving a stolen car or just a plain old idiot.

I live on the corner of a kinda-sorta main street and a cul-de-sac with another street branching off that. Well, if you refer to the picture… the guy that was driving the car said he was approaching the stop sign and placed his foot on the gas instead of the brake. Well my question is, at what point do you realize that you are driving on the grass and are about to hit a house?

There's a blessing in this pile of rubble somewhere, and I'm going to find it!














I'm just getting back online today. He not only hit the electricity box, but he also hit the cable wires, so we could only get the digital channels and not the analog channels, and since the internet runs on the analog channels... NO INTERNET!
IT's an F A I A kind of Christmas!!!
I went to my job's Christmas party last night and boy did I HELP to turn it out! I said "HELP" which means I didn't act a fool by myself! We had Karaoke... I think that's all I need to say.

This is me with my boss singing. And the other guys in my department.


Here I am with a little dance move!


I'm making the guys have a good time!


My girl J is not going to be happy that I have this picture of her on here.


One big crazy crowd!


Did I mention this was all "Country Music!"


C H E E R S.

I think I can Rock a Minivan!

Okay, you know I'm on this trip where I'm trying to find a vehicle. All I'm asking for is the following:

(BTW, I was hoping to find this in a SUV)

1. Two Sunroofs, one in the front and one over the back passengers.
2. Reclining back passenger seats. If the front reclines, why can't the back? When I'm taking long road trips with my children, they are very uncomfortable trying to sleep sitting up. Can you blame them, I would be too!
3. DVD system. (To entertain my children)
4. Navigation system. (Just because it looks cool)
5. CD/MP3 Audio System.
6. Pretty inside illumination at night.
7. A lotta buttons!
8. Good-looking body.

That's about all.

Anyway, I'm not happy with the selection of SUV's under $40K, so I'm moving over into looking at the minivans. I know, I know. I'm prepared to be called a few names... "soccer mom", "mommy van", etc. But for the right price and the right features I can handle it!

Equinox Test Drive

Hated it!

The Equinox looks very appealing on the outside, but it didn't seem to have a lot going on in the inside. I felt like I was buying a rent-a-car type vehicle. You know the kind of cars that have the type of durable interior good enough for three years (maybe four, if you take really good extra care of it). I just wasn't sold. It drives good though. For the price that Chevy is asking, I think I may have to bite the bullet and go up $10K more to be a little happier with my vehicle purchase.

Moving on.



While I'm typing on this computer, my son has managed to get his fingers stuck in the VCR, though that's not hard to do. My daughter did that all the time. However, in the midst of all his crying, when I pulled out the camera, he had to stop and say "CHEESE."

Go Laila, it's your birthday!

My baby is three years old today! We had a party at her school. Earlier in the week we went to Publix and picked out a Dora cake (she loooves Dora). She told me she wanted to have a Dora birthday party (even though we had a Dora birthday party last year). She had fun! We did too!



After that, I took her with me to go look at a Chevy Equinox (SUV) and I wasn't all that impressed, but I can deal with it for next next six years. It looks nice on the outside and has good room on the inside, it's just that vehicles nowadays have the navigation system in them, etc. Maybe I'm asking too much with my little money. Forget I even mentioned it! Anyway, I'm going to test drive it tomorrow. I couldn't do it today, because I had to go to a Christmas party with a few good friends!

Just Creating This Log

This is my first ‘blog’ as I’ve been hearing about them a lot lately. I figure two things: 1) I’m always in front of the computer and 2) I’m bad at keeping a journal… so I’m going to try this thing as my online journal. I’m also recommending this to my sister who desperately needs her own computer so she can stop going to the university’s computer lab!

Happy Birthday Laila! Mommy loves you!

I'm working on getting a patent and I just got news from my attorney that a patent covering the European countries is $15K. What in the world?