Recently, Dan's friend Mike helped us discover a great local restaurant called Nana's. It's an Italian place, and a really good one, which, as you can imagine, is hard to find outside of franchises in Albuquerque. They were also really close to our house, were super affordable and did takeout, so we became instantly addicted. We were getting dinner there at least once a week if not twice. So last night, after a long day, I really wanted some baked ziti from Nana's and a rented movie and some good couch time. But when Dan called to place the order, the didn't answer the phone! And then we remembered that the owners told us a while ago that they were going to move ... and we DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY WENT! The tragedy is enormous. We had to get Olive Garden takeout. I almost cried.
So first of all, if anyone here in ABQ knows where Nana's went, please for the love of everything that is good in this world tell me.
And then, if you're looking for a good movie, rent Mixed Nuts with Steve Martin, Rita Wilson, Juliette Lewis, and many more hilarious people. I am ashamed to say i watched it twice this weekend. But it's really funny.

How had I never heard of Emmylou Harris' Christmas album "Light of the Stable?" Probably because I wasn't born when it was recorded, but still, I am dissapointed in myself. But all's well that ends well, and I bought it last night when Dan and I were in Borders. I would highly reccomend it if you need a break from the usual heavily-orchestrated arrangements of Christmas songs. Those are great and all, but it's nice to hear songs just sung. Dan objects to the rendition of "Little Drummer Boy" on the album that doesn't feature a whole lot of drums, but I think it's nice. And my new favorite Christmas song is the last track on that album, "Light of the Stable." Beautiful.

I also bought Diana Krall's "Christmas Songs," which is fun. Heavy on the non-sacred Christmas music, since I imagine it would be difficult to sing "Away in a Manger" in a jazzy manner, but really good.

I knew you were all anxiously awaiting my Christmas music reccomendations. But really the point of my buying that music yesterday was that we only have a little Christmas music. So what do you consider to be your must-have Christmas albums? I anxiously await your answers.

This takes a little while to download, but it's hilarious. Watching it will actually save you some time at this busy time of year, because you won't have to drive around in your neigborhood looking for the tackiest light display. You'll already have seen the world champion. Thanks again to Mike, who linked this on his site, and from whom I am stealing.

Aaron is featured in the current edition of Sports Illustrated, in an article about the Army Ten Mile run. Online, you can't get access to the whole article unless you're a subscriber, but run out and get your print copies of the December 12 edition ASAP. Props to Hannah's boyfriend, Daniel, for telling me about this. I had sort of forgotten it was coming. I have promised him a cut of the hefty fee I charge for serving as public relations representative for the Rice Family, Inc.

What did I tell y'all about the reporters? They love Aaron.

Who knew that there is a Pedro the Lion version of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day?" That makes me want to get out my Pedro the Lion t-shirt from 1999 and be nostalgic.
Check it out here.

AAAGH! I'm sorry, I just felt the need to vent a little. We're leaving town to go home to Mississippi in 48 hours, and I am just never going to get everything done. The deadlines are looming, stories are falling through left and right, I need to get a manicure for the wedding I'm in this weekend, and I feel silly for even listing that as a concern, but I just don't have any time. So if you've got any extra time lying around at this busy time of year, send it my way. Otherwise, I'm going to be up until 2 a.m. packing tomorrow night.
But it will all be OK. Because in a few days, I'll be home, fulfilling my most comfortable role: Haley the Couch Bum.
Breathe in, breathe out, right?

I am kind of distracted lately, (see below post) and that may be why I didn't realize until recently that there is, in fact, a way for y'all to view the Sports Illustrated story about Aaron online. Hannah's boyfriend, Daniel, has scanned the story and made a PDF file that you can download to see only the part of the story that concerns Aaron. It's on his site,
which is here. Click on the phrase, Run to Daylight. Hope that helps those of you who are having trouble finding a copy of SI ... for some weird reason, we can't seem to find one for love or money, but I don't know what that's about.

We're on our way out the door to go home for Christmas. I am so happy. I just wanted to wish you all a merry Christmas and say that I may update the blog a bit while we're home, but on the other hand, my laziness may overtake me to a degree that renders me completely motionless, so I'm not promising anything.
So that you have something to look at, I thought I would post this.
A few days ago, Aaron got a box mailed to him from the Marines full of everything that belonged to him when he was hurt. Apparently, they keep up with that stuff and eventually, it comes back to you. In the box was a photo chip that had pictures that Aaron took while he was in Iraq. This is one of them, a photo of the inside of the door of Aaron's humvee. From the date information, you can tell it was taken on March 18, a few hours before Aaron was hurt. Although it's got some glare on it, you can also tell what he had written on the door just then.
'Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me." Psalm 23:4.
Amen to that.

We're back in Albuquerque, and I promise lots of writing and some photos soon. But for now, I would like to know if anyone else who traveled this week noticed the enormous number of babies in the airports? I said something about it early in our trip and Dan laughed at me, but by the time we were standing in baggage claim in ABQ at the end of our trip surrounded by not one, not two, but FOUR women holding small babies, he had no choice but to acknowledge that some kind of baby migration is clearly taking place.
What I want to know is where are they all going?

Said by my mom, on the first day of our trip home for Christmas, while she cranked the volume way the heck up on the television so she could better hear President George W. Bush address the nation on her news channel of choice, Fox News:

"Y'all be quiet, my homeboy is talking."

Of course then, she didn't get to hear the homeboy anyway because we were all laughing so hard we were in medical danger. I'm not sure what is more disturbing: that mom thinks W is her homeboy or that she has started using the word "homeboy" in casual conversation.
And that's just one thing that happened on the first day we were home. So stay tuned.

I fought it off valiantly, but I'm afraid that I now officially have a cold. I've been sneezing all day and I've used enough Kleenex to stuff a king-sized mattress.
But at least I'll have lots of time on the couch to write a remarkably tedious end of the year blog entry and watch one of the many girly movies I got for Christmas. What do you think: "French Kiss" or "Steel Magnolias?" Maybe both. If anyone wants to offer Dan sanctuary in a manlier living room, feel free to give him a call.

So the good news is that Dave Barry's 2005 Year in Review is posted here. Enjoy it, because the bad news is that Dave Barry has decided that he will not be taking up his humor column again after his year sabbatical ends. Read it and weep. This is pretty much the final straw. I hereby declare 2005 to be the Worst Year Ever.
But it makes for funny reading, so check out the article.

We are getting ready to spend New Year's Eve with some dear friends from my former home of Clovis who are in town for the weekend. I am glad we are going to hang out with this particular couple tonight because in 2005, some pretty amazing things have happened for them that remind me that God is good even in the midst of years that are difficult. Our friends have wanted a baby for as long as we've known them, but had trouble conceiving. Then, this fall, they told us the joyful news that they are expecting. Their baby will be born in May. The odd thing is that at the same time in 2002 that we got to know this couple, we became friends with another couple who were also not able to have children. That couple now lives in Oklahoma, and their baby will be born in February. The thought of these much-prayed-for little ones coming into the world in 2006 makes me so hopeful. It's nice to feel that way going into a new year.
On New Year's Day of 2005, with Aaron's deployment to Iraq imminent and a lot of uncertainty facing us in general, I remember thinking that the sooner the year was over, the better. That was without a doubt not the best attitude to take, but I wasn't wrong to think this was going to be a tough year. It has been. Still, God has been faithful to us.
On Christmas Day last week, we went to see The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe with my family. (Stay with me, I am going somewhere with this, I promise.) There's a line in that book that was somewhat truncated in the movie, but that reflects something I've definitely learned this year. In the book, Mr. and Mrs. Beaver are talking to the children about Aslan, telling them who he is. There's a great piece of dialogue that turns up in sermon illustrations a lot, but it's worth repeating.

"Is he a man?" asked Lucy.

"Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not. I tell you, he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor beyond the sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the lion, the Great Lion."

"Oh!" said Susan. "I thought he was a man. Is he quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."

"That you will, dearie, and no mistake," said. Mrs. Beaver. "If there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or just silly."

"Then he isn't safe?" asked Lucy.

"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver. "Don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? Of course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you."

If I have learned anything in 2005, it is that trusting in God isn't always going to make me feel safe. If you really understand who he is, you know that he is infinitely powerful and he can do anything he wants with your life. But you also know that he is infinitely good.
So although I can't say I am sorry to see the year end, I can say that on the other side of the joys and trials of this year, I have a much better idea of just how little control I have over my own life. And that can be terrifying at times. But it's also the most comforting thing I've ever known.

He's not safe. But He's good.

Joy and peace to you in 2006.