Old Clothes

Today I cleaned out my closet and I discovered that I fit into most of my clothes again!! This is very exciting for me since some of these clothes were getting too tight before I got married and almost all of them were out of the question while I was pregnant and some time afterward. I'm really grateful that pregnancy and nursing actually helped me lose weight and that I'm keeping it off so far.

Sleep and snow

I'm grateful that the girls finally slept well and slept in, allowing me to sleep better and sleep in. We've all had colds and haven't been sleeping well. Today I actually feel rested and they have been acting like they feel better, too.

I'm grateful the weather was nice enough to take the girls out to play in the snow for a little while this afternoon. They do love to be outside, but they're not sure what to think of snow yet.

I'm grateful for the fact that this week has been quite relaxed. Ray hasn't had any big projects to worry about and he's been around a little more than usual in the evenings. It's been really nice.

The Gospel

I am so thankful for the gospel and all that it teaches. Death is such a sad thing, but it is good to know that we will be together again. When it is your time to go, it is not quite as sad as when someone makes it there time, but either way it is sad for those of us who are left. I am just so glad to know that things will work out on the other side. I would go into this more, but that is not the point of this blog, I am just happy to have the gospel in my life and that it helps put things in perspective when death is involved.

Ray

I forgot to mention yesterday how nice it was to go to church at the same time as Ray. He has had early meetings for the entire life of the girls. So the few occasions when we go to church at the same time I really appreciate his help with the girls. It is easier to get them ready. It is easier to get them into and out of the car. Everything is just much nicer and I always appreciate his help.

Now for today, I am grateful for girls that will entertain themselves well enough that I can get a few extra minutes of sleep.

I'm very grateful that I don't have animals in my house and that my husband agrees with me that we never should. This evening we stopped by to see some friends and they have cats. It reminded me how glad I am that Ray doesn't like indoor animals any more than I do.

Our Branch

Today the weather was beautiful (it almost made it up to 50) and the roads were clear which was wonderful since we had a little extra driving to do.

Today was the last week for us to be in the college branch, since the girls are almost old enough for nursery. We're leaving with mixed feelings. It is good to move on and have new experiences. But I'm going to miss the good friends I've made in the branch. This branch has been wonderful for us. Ray was baptized into the branch. We met in the branch. We've had so many good friends and great experiences while here in this branch. I'm very grateful to the wonderful leaders, and for all our friends. I'm also glad to move into a ward where our little girls won't be the only kids making noise. :-)

Warmth

I am grateful that it is warming up a little bit. I love snow, but I don't like the sub-zero temperatures we've been having.

I'm grateful that my girls seem to be getting over their colds. It's always hard to have sick babies and so nice when they are feeling well again.

Learning

I love watching my children figure things out. They try so hard and are so proud of themselves when they get something. It's amazing to watch. It's also interesting to think about all the things we all had to learn once that we completely take for granted now. Sometimes we forget there are new things out there for us to explore, we lose the child-like curiosity and get comfortable in our little tiny world. I'm grateful that my children are teaching me how many interesting things are out there and that everything has potential for fun. I'm also grateful for the reminder that I still have things to learn if I will only look for it.

Merry Christmas

This has been a beautiful holiday for us. I hope it was for all of you, too. I'm so grateful for the birth, life, atonement, death, and resurrection of our Savior. I'm very grateful to have a day to celebrate Him.

Random things

I'm grateful my girls let me sleep in a little this morning. I'm very grateful I was able to get so much done today. I didn't think I'd get to most of my list, but I think I got it all done. (If not, I guess it wasn't that important because I forgot about it.)

I'm grateful that the weather has warmed up ever so slightly.

My girls

I'm very grateful my girls took a nap this afternoon. I'm also grateful that they played quietly enough that I was able to lay down for a little while.

I am grateful that Ruby is a good eater and will eat almost anything I put in front of her.

I'm grateful that the neighbor boy shoveled my sidewalk so I didn't have to.

Pictures

Today I was looking through a lot of pictures, trying to put some together for a project, and I realized how grateful I am for my digital camera. It's much easier to organize, store, and look through digital pictures. Also, my camera is a good one, so it takes good pictures. Along the same lines, when I couldn't find everything I was looking for I started looking at my siblings' blogs. I'm grateful for the blogs to keep in touch and to pass along information and pictures. It's really nice to be able to have pictures of my nieces and nephews. Since we don't see each other very often and kids change so much it's a good way to keep up on what they look like. I hope it will also help my kids know who their aunts, uncles, and cousins are.

Good Behavior

First I'm grateful my talk is over. It went fairly well, so that I am grateful for, too. But, even more, I am extremely grateful for the relatively good behavior of my children while the whole family was on the stand. Yes, one of them got stuck under the organ bench. And I must note that one of them fell down the steps off the stand. (No injuries.) But they did it all quietly, which is what I cared about the most.

I am also grateful that someone else showed up a few minutes late for church and was willing to help me get the girls inside. (We have Relief Society first, so I wasn't late for my talk.)

Today

I am grateful that this day is over and it is time to go to bed.

I am grateful that my children were mostly cooperative while I was trying to write a talk. I can't guarantee that it is good, but at least it is written. I am glad to be done writing it.

Snow

I'm grateful for snow. I've always really liked snow and I put up with the cold so I can have snow. It's snowed a bit today. Hopefully that means we'll have a white Christmas.

I'm so excited that we've been receiving Christmas cards. I love to hear what is going on in everyone's lives. It's nice to be caught up. That's what I love about blogs, too.

Vacation

We are on vacation! Two whole weeks of no schedule (except church)! I love school breaks.

It was up around 60 degrees today. That was a beautiful change. I'm trying to enjoy the moment, since I know it won't last.

Reminders

I've been looking through my journal from the last year (trying to remember what happened to write a Christmas letter) and I realized that I am very grateful the girls are getting bigger. In so many ways it is so much easier now than it was a year ago. Since I see them every day I don't really register the changes. But as I read over how things were at the beginning of the year when they couldn't do anything for themselves it brought back a lot of memories and helped me realize how much easier things are now that the girls can do things.

I'm also very grateful for the gospel. This evening we attended a new member discussion for my friend that just recently was baptized. Sometimes it's good to go over the basic principles and be reminded how true they are.

Today's list

I'm very grateful that my girls play well together. This evening they were chasing each other around and laughing so hard. At one point they both fell down, Cora on top of Ruby, and were laughing so hard they couldn't get back up.

I'm grateful I was able to talk to several of my family members today. It always makes my day better to talk to family.

Kids

I'm not sure if I'm really grateful for this or not, but it is positive in that it makes me laugh. Tonight we were at the church for tithing settlement and one of the wards was having a Christmas party. Their bishop was wandering around handing out those plastic candy canes full of M&Ms. He gave one to each of the girls. Over the next few minutes or so Cora managed to chew through the plastic and get to the candy. That's the second time she's chewed through a candy wrapper to get to the candy.

I am grateful that my children make me laugh. I'm also grateful that my children seem to love the nativity already. I haven't put up a lot of Christmas decorations, but of the few that I have, the girls' favorite is my little nativity. They love it. They especially love to pet the sheep. Ruby always tries to get close enough to grab the baby out of the nativity. Don't worry, I have it set out of their reach and she just tries to grab it when I'm holding her.

I'll also add, since I forgot to the other night, that I'm grateful Ray didn't get a ticket when he got pulled over for speeding on the way home from his Christmas party.

Christmas Music

I haven't been able to blog much, thanks to a retarded computer, but I just wanted to say how grateful I am to have Christmas music playing in my home. It just helps to get in the mood and spirit of Christmas. Music has always been a blessing in my life, in more ways than one, actually. I was asked to sing with Katrina for the Dillards VIP night and we each got to pick out $50 worth of things from the store, something that was completely unexpected when we accepted.
I also love that my children have an appreciation for music and I can already tell that they want the Christmas stuff too. Forrest will say to me, "Mom! It's the Polar Express song!" or "Hey Mom, is this the song from Elf? Oh, I just love this song." And Nadia wants me to sing her Silent Night or Away in the Manger at night before bed and she does her best to sing along. I just love it.
There are so many out there that stir the soul and remind us of our Savior and the ultimate sacrifice He made for each of us. How grateful I am to be able to sing and listen to songs praising our beloved Redeemer. I just love this time of year.

Initiative

DJ has pretty much potty trained himself. It has been nearly painless. I love that child! And, since it has gone this way, I am also glad that I didn't put much effort into it at an earlier date. So, how do you accomplish this with your children??? You put off potty training as long as possible, then, accidentally run out of diapers. At that point you realize (with great relief) that you have 2 packages of pull-ups that you'd forgotten about. You tell the child, with excitement, that he is big enough for underwear. You then explain that Lightning McQueen doesn't like to be wet. Then you praise him when he tells you that he has peed and pooped in the toilet (very genuinely, since you are so happy that he went, as you had completely forgotten that he was in underwear). Perhaps I should mourn the motherhood awards I'm not going to win, but instead, I think I'll just be grateful for my big boy's initiative.

My Journal

I'm grateful that I had no reason to leave the house today. The temperatures are still below zero so it's very nice to be inside where it's warm. It's also good to be able to keep the girls in, although they would rather go outside.

I'm grateful for my journal. I've kept a regular journal for over ten years now. It works as my memory since I forget a lot of things anymore. When I'm not sure about something I can look back in my journal and usually find what I'm looking for.

The Christmas Spirit

This evening we had a beautiful musical Christmas program at the church. The choir was made up of people from all three wards and the branch. It was a wonderful, spiritual program. I was so happy to be there. The girls seemed to enjoy it, too. Ruby even sang along part of the time.

I'm also grateful that the girls did so well at church today. It was a good day.

My house

About noon today the temperature started to drop, approximately a degree every ten minutes or so for a couple of hours. Not long after it got dark we hit zero. Last I checked it was negative. Right now I am very grateful that I have a warm house and a good furnace.

The Word of Wisdom

This evening was the Christmas party for Ray's company. It was a very nice dinner and I enjoyed visiting with Ray's coworkers. But, as Ray's work parties usually do, it made me think how grateful I am that I can have an enjoyable evening without getting drunk. Of the 70+ people there, I only know of three, besides Ray and myself, that weren't drinking (two were pregnant), although there may have been a few more. I really don't understand why people feel that alcohol is so necessary to have a good time. Over the past few years I have gotten to know a few of Ray's coworkers quite well, but the rest I only see at parties and they are usually drunk. It makes me wonder what these people are like without alcohol. I don't know their real selves. I am very grateful this isn't an issue for me and never has been. I watch what drinking does to people and I've never even been interested in trying it. I'm very grateful that I was raised by parents who stay sober and taught that it is right to stay sober.

I am also very, very, very grateful that my children didn't scream at the babysitter all night. She said they were mostly happy and Ruby didn't cry at all, which absolutely amazed me. I was very concerned that the babysitter would have a miserable evening with two ornery babies, but I was very pleasantly surprised when I was entirely wrong.

Sleeping in

I'm grateful that my children slept in this morning so I was able to sleep in this morning. I always appreciate a little extra sleep.

Also, today I took the girls to City Hall, where I used to work. It was so much fun to see everyone there and visit with them.

I'm grateful for family time. Especially time to talk with my husband without either of us being in a hurry to go somewhere or get something done.

Laughter

I'm so very grateful that my children are finally acting like themselves again. Today they played and laughed so much. And they didn't want to sit on my lap.

I'm also grateful it was a very nice day and I was able to take a walk and run errands. The girls love to be outside. If they see a jacket they will grab it and bring it to me or try to put it on themselves.

I'm glad I found Ray a Christmas gift. I finally came up with something. Now I just hope he likes it. :-)

The holiday season

The Jingle Bell Store (our school's version of a Secret Santa Shop) was really successful. We had so many kids come through and sold almost everything we had purchased, which is a relief. None of our parent volunteers came down with the nasty stomach virus that's been going around (though a couple of us may not be able to say that by the end of the week). Thank goodness! With my kids getting it one by one, then Derek, I was sure I'd have it. But my prayers were answered and I survived.

I love IHOP. They make very delicious breakfast foods and they also do the dishes. I know it's not the healthiest alternative for dinner, but it is nice every once in a while to not have the stress of dinner at our house.

DJ gives great hugs. He's all the way recovered from the virus and he is better rested than he's been in a while. He's been so cute. Several times today he just ran up to me and gave me a squeeze. At one point Derek asked Michael for a hug. When Michael denied him, DJ went to him, squeezed him as hard as he could and said, "I love hugs like this!" Sweet moments like that make my day!

Music

I'm grateful for music. Especially Christmas music. I love to listen to it, play it, and sing it. I'm so glad I have a piano so I can play it. I'm also glad that my children are developing a love for music. I love it when they sing, dance and play the piano. It's even better when they try to do all three at once. I hope they grow up loving good music and wanting to have music in their lives.

Today

I'm grateful I was able to talk to Lil this evening. It is always fun to talk to family.

I'm really grateful that my children are doing well at climbing stairs. We have a lot of stairs in our house so this is a very good skill to have.

Church

I'm very grateful I was able to go to church today. Last week we missed because we were all sick and the week before that we went, but in a different ward. It was so nice to be back in our branch, to see our friends again and feel the wonderful spirit they carry.

I'm grateful for the Christmas devotional. It is one of my favorite firesides every year. I'm glad I was able to watch it with friends.

I'm grateful for quiet evenings at home with my family.

A much better day

I'm very grateful that today was much better than yesterday. The girls were happier and things went much better.

I'm grateful that this afternoon was nice enough for a walk. The girls were antsy to get outside so it was good for all of us.

I'm very grateful that I was able to attend my good friend's baptism this evening. It was so nice.

I am grateful that my husband planned a "date night" for us. He got a movie to watch after the babies are in bed.

A terrible day turned good

Early this evening I was thinking of this blog and thinking of my day and I could not come up with one positive thing to write about. It seemed as if everything had gone wrong and I was having a pretty good pity party about it all. I was sitting at home by myself with a sick baby instead of being at the branch Christmas party that I'd been looking forward to all week. Right in the middle of my thoughts, the phone rang. It was one of my good friends, calling to see why I wasn't at the Christmas party. We talked for a couple of minutes. It meant so much to me that somebody had missed me and cared enough to call.

Anyway, the evening went on much the same, but my attitude was a little better. Then there was a knock at the door. This same friend and her husband had brought leftovers from the party. We visited for an hour or more. By the time they left my day had completely turned around. I felt so much better I could hardly remember all the things that went wrong. I'm so grateful for good friends who thought of me, noticed I was missing, and cared enough to call and come by. It really made my terrible day turn into a good one.

It's been a long time...

So, I was thinking I ought to think of something to be grateful for since I haven't posted for a long time.

First, I am so grateful for my family and being able to spend time with them over Thanksgiving.

Second, I am grateful that this semester is almost over. (I'll be even more grateful next week when finals are done.)

Third, I am grateful for beautiful sunrises. I don't generally see the sunrise cause I really don't get up that early, but the other day I had to meet with my partner on a group project and we chose to meet at 7:30 a.m. (call me crazy). As I was walking up to the library the sunrise was just beautiful!

Things to be grateful for:

1. The Sharks are having a fabulous season! They are number one in the league right now.

2. My baby sleeps through most nights and I didn't even do anything special -- in fact, I really did most of the things all of the books say not to do. She's something of an angel.

3. I got to hang out with grown up girls tonight. It was a nice change in this very busy season.

4. The child who threw up twice in the middle of Wal-Mart was the baby, so we could pass it off as bad spit up and move on. (She seems to be doing okay now, though I do worry about little people and vomiting.)

5. The Jingle Bell Store has run very smoothly thus far and we've had lots of help! We've also had lots of fun and gotten to know some new parents, who are awesome.

Doctors

I am very grateful for the girls' pediatrician. I've known some doctors that make you feel stupid if you ever ask a question. This doctor is not like that at all. She is always willing to answer questions and calm concerns.

I am grateful for my nice, warm house with a working furnace and that I don't have to go anywhere most of the time.

I am grateful for my George Foreman Grill. I use this thing all the time. It is easily the most used appliance in the kitchen. I'm not a steak-cooker, but I married a steak-lover, so the grill has been wonderful.

Haircuts

I am very grateful to Beth for cutting my hair. I love that my new style is so easy to take care of.

I am thankful that I don't have to go grocery shopping by myself most of the time. It's so much easier when Ray goes with me.

I'm grateful for my dishwasher. It does make dishes so much easier.

Two in one day

I wasn't going to post again, but I have to add how grateful I am for Ray. This evening was a little rough, the girls have been extremely demanding today. Ray noticed that I was having a hard time so he told me to go somewhere and do something else while he watched the girls and made dinner. It was exactly what I needed. I'm so grateful that he noticed and is willing to help.

Thanksgiving

This may be longer than my usual posts, but I have ten days worth of thanks to catch up on. :-)

First, I am extremely grateful for fast internet connections. After spending ten days with my internet access limited to dial-up connections, not being able to frequently check e-mail and blogs, I am so glad to have my fast internet back.

I am grateful we have a holiday to celebrate gratitude. Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorite holidays. We should be looking for things to be grateful for every day, but I love that there is one day where thanks is the focus. This is one of the holidays that really seems to bring out the best in people.

I am so grateful for family. My family is so important to me. I'm so glad I was able to spend some time with my parents and most of my siblings. I am grateful that Lil was willing to make an extra trip just to see us. I am grateful for my mom and the things she does for me, she made a quiet book for my girls, even though it took up most of her time while we were there. I can't really express how grateful I am for my dad and everything he does.

I am also grateful for Ray's family. I appreciate so much how they have accepted me into their family. They are wonderful. I am especially thankful for my mother-in-law who spent three days taking care of the girls, Ray, and me when we came down with the flu while at her house. I don't know how we would have managed without her.

I'm very grateful for Ray and how helpful he was when the girls and I were all throwing up. (He got sick the day after we did.)

I am grateful our travels were safe. I'm grateful the car worked perfectly and the roads were dry. The weather was wonderful for most of the trip. I'm not sure I can go so far as to say I'm grateful for the flu, but it did keep us from coming home one day longer than planned which had us traveling on a beautiful day instead of a nasty one.

I am very, very grateful that my children travel so well. Ten hours in a car is too long for me, so I don't expect them to enjoy it. But they do so well. Even when they get tired of it they still don't complain too much.

I am grateful to be home and to be feeling better. I'm very grateful the rest of my family is feeling better, too.

I'm grateful for snow. Now that our traveling is over I'm ready for snow to come. I'm awfully glad it waited until we were back home, but I'm enjoying watching the world turn white as I write. I do love winter and snow.

And right now I am really grateful for disposable diapers.

Medicine

I am really thankful for medicine. I have been sick lately and I went to the Dr. and he gave me stuff to get better, hopefully. I don't like the way they gave me the meds. but I feel better now then I did earlier today. After I left the doctors office I came home and fell asleep and now that I am awake I feel better. I am not better yet, but I hope that I get feeling better soon. I am really glad that people are willing to go through that much school to make me feel better when I need it, even if it costs me a lot, because I wouldn't make it through that many years of school.

So much for catching up

You see, when Meg and I started this blog, we kind of challenged ourselves to write everyday. (There was no such expectation of anyone else who chose to join our endeavor.) As you can see, if you check the labels, Meg has done a much better job of that than I. I was planning to take advantage of her technologically challenging week and catch up, but I got too busy enjoying myself. Oops...

Thanksgiving was wonderful! We spent the holiday in Houston. Except for the crazy freeway system, which baffled us much of the time, and some bad traffic in a couple of spots, it was a really fun vacation! We have great families. I am so glad that I can enjoy time with my family and Derek's family. I love seeing my children's relationships with their grandparents, aunts and uncles develop. It was sweet to see Nina spend time with Kendra, who she did not want to leave (that was a bit sad, since she cried). It was great to hear Jon explain that he loved Houston, because he had access to a swimming pool. I'll post in greater detail on my other blog, but all in all, it was a great experience.

I'm thrilled that the Christmas season is in full swing! I love this time of year! I love the lights, decorations, music, gift-giving, etc. But most of all, I love being reminded of Christ. I love how much more thoughtful most people are of others. I love seeing the acts of charity quietly being carried out all around me. I love the angel trees, toys for tots, Relief Society projects, food drives, etc. I love being able to get my kids involved in some of those causes. I wish we could carry that part of Christmas into all parts of the year. (Okay, I'd probably take the rest of the holiday year-round, too. I really love Christmas!)

My kids made my day!

Our choir director was out of town this weekend and asked me to fill in. I was nervous, as I don't usually lead the choir! Last week I filled in for the piano player, but to direct the choir is new for me. Our choir meets at the church at 5:00, and Ben goes since he sings bass in the choir. To bring all 5 kids with us is extremely hectic, so I brought David and left the other four home. This is a little scary to me, since my oldest is only 10, but I put on Living Scriptures and we left. Choir ended up being really fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. When we arrived back home, I walked in my door and immediately noticed the clean table. I left the house a disaster, because I didn't have time in between church and choir to do more than get dinner on the table and go over my music. While I was gone, my sweet kids cleared the table, wiped it off, swept the kitchen floor, cleaned up the living room, and even vacuumed it. It just made my day! They were so proud of themselves, and I immediately rewarded them with cookies!

Thank goodness, Kids are funny!

I just asked DJ if we should skip dinner (I can't think of anything to make). He said, "Yes! I want popcorn." When I laughed, he looked at me very seriously and said, "I like popcorn."

I'm also grateful for things like pasta and tacos. Fast, easy dinner solutions for nights when I don't want to cook (that would be most nights) and Derek doesn't make us something...

I'm also glad that Meg is where she has really inconvenient internet access, so I can catch up on posts. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

Danish Dessert

I love Danish Dessert! Yum, yum, yum! I appreciate it more than I ever did growing up, since I have to buy it in Duchesne or online. Sure it has calories, but no fat. Add delicious strawberries, some fat-free Cool Whip and angel food cake (Wal-Mart's loaves are the best) and there you have a fat free dessert that (for me) satisfies all my dessert desires... Ahhh.

And it's delicious on pancakes, in pie and all by itself, too! I love it!

Ends and Beginnings

I'm grateful that most things in this life have a beginning and an end. Sure, you often move on to the next thing with little recovery time, and sometimes things overlap, but most events/situations in this life are temporary. Sometimes I wish the good things could last longer, but mostly, I find that everything -- good and bad -- is timed about to my limit.

We had the PTA family movie night tonight. We ran it in conjunction with a raffle (our big fund raiser). It's actually one of the most enjoyable fund raisers we do, but it is a lot of work. We did one last year. It was really successful and very educational. We tried to make some improvements while repeating what worked and think we were pretty successful. We figure we probably increased our profit from around $3500 to around $5000. The night seemed to flow easier, too -- maybe that's just because I avoided the concessions. But when I went up there, they seemed to be running beautifully. We had lots of fabulous volunteers and very supportive parents. It was fun! And it is over! Ends are good.

And now we get to begin our holiday store! It will be even more work, but is (by far) my favorite of our fund raisers. I love seeing the kids shop! Yeah for beginnings! Yeah, that I can procrastinate beginning until Monday... (I'm grateful for little bits of recovery time, too.)

Travelling

I am thankful that holidays give us a reason to visit family. I'm grateful my children have been mostly well-behaved as I've been getting things ready to go. I'm very grateful that my children are easily entertained so I can distract them from what I'm doing.

Electricity

I am grateful for electricity. I don't know how people managed to clean things before they had vacuums or how they lived without lights. It would take a lot of oil lamps to light my house and I am very grateful I don't have to worry about that. With the days getting shorter and the last few days being overcast I've used my lights a lot.

I am also grateful for my car. It is nice to be able to go anywhere and be confident my car will make it.

Warmth

I am so grateful for the warmth of my apartment. I just walked home from school and it is FREEZING outside, mainly because of the wind that has been blowing like crazy all day long. I almost thought I was going to get blown away today. So I was very grateful to know that when I got home there would warmth and no wind.

My girls

I am grateful when I can hold my sleeping babies. This afternoon Ruby fell asleep on my lap. I just held her instead of laying her down. It is so sweet to hold a sleeping baby.

I appreciate the funny things my girls do. We went for a walk and the weather is getting a little cooler, so I bundled up the girls. When we got home Cora wouldn't let me take her mittens off. She was so funny as she watched her hands move inside the mittens.

Convenience

I am very grateful for all the conveniences that surround me. While I definitely prefer open space, living in a town has it's advantages. It is so easy to run to the store (or send Ray) when I realize that I'm one ingredient short for dinner. I also love that many of the places I frequent are within walking distance since it is much easier to load the girls in the stroller than the car. It is very seldom that I have to do without something I want and I really do appreciate that I am so blessed.

Innocence

I'm grateful that my children are so innocent, all that matters is if they are warm, well fed, and well rested. It's nice to slow down sometimes and focus on the important things and forget about all the rest. I watch the girls and it amazes me how excited they are about everything. Little things make them laugh. They don't yet understand stress. I am grateful I have them to learn from.

Priesthood Blessings

I am so thankful for priesthood blessings, they are amazing. The other day Steven got hurt wrestling, he landed on his arm and we all thought something had happened to it. When he landed it ended up in the middle of his back. So his mom and dad took him to get it checked out. Honestly with what happened it should have been broken. Well at the hospital his dad gave him a priesthood blessing, and when they got the x-ray everything was fine. All of us that saw it and watched the video of it thought something was seriously wrong with it. I was sure he was going to be a hurting little boy this morning, but I guess when he got up his mom asked him how he was, and he rolled his shoulder and it didn't hurt. Then he straightened his elbow and it was a little stiff, but once he got it straight he could bend it just fine after that. I am sure he is a little sore, but not so much that he would complain about it. I am so thankful that he was able to get a blessing from his dad and that everything turned out ok.

Crock pots

I am grateful for crock pots. We have afternoon church and usually I am rushing after church to try and make something for dinner. It usually doesn't work well. So yesterday Ray suggested I put a roast in the crock pot. It was so nice to get home to dinner ready and the house smelling great. It's really so easy I should do it more often, but I don't think about it.

I got to sit by my husband at Church!

Today was our primary program, and after the Sacrament, the two Counselors in the Bishopric got to sit in the congregation to make room for the kids in the program. So, Ben got to come sit by me and my two little boys. It was wonderful! He held Adam while I held David, and when David got tired of me, I could pass him off to Daddy and have Adam sit by me. It was really nice! I appreciated it so much, since usually I'm alone with all five of them. I had been nervous about today, because my oldest (Steven) helps me with David while I deal with Adam, and my three oldest were all to be on the stand. So it was nice that Daddy could be there! Also, the program was just so nice and we were both able to be in there the whole time and enjoy it.

I am still grateful

I am grateful for parks and our library. Even though it was rather chilly yesterday, I took my kids (and a couple of friends) to the park. We had it almost to ourselves and the kids just ran and had a great time. It was so fun to watch Janina play with a girl. The two of them ran around playing a game of pretend. It didn't involve any form of violence (real or imaginary). I thoroughly enjoyed it. Why can't boys play games like that?

After leaving the park, I was ready for something more climate-controlled, so I took my 3 little ones to the library. (The older two went with their friends -- another reason for gratitude.) I love the library here. It is filled with activities for the kids and the children's section is separate from the main library, so kid noise doesn't bug the quiet people. My kids are always entertained there. It saved me last winter. I've also found that it's the social hub for people with young children. I've seldom gone there without seeing someone I know. That definitely adds to my enjoyment of the library.

Today was stake conference at church. That meant we got to meet with all of the members of the Norman (and surrounding areas) congregations. President Keys shared the story of his conversion. It really touched me. His testimony of Christ is so strong. I'm grateful he shared it and that my kids allowed me to listen.

My gratitude list for today

I am grateful my children slept in this morning so I could, too.

I am grateful the weather was so nice we could play outside for a bit.

I am grateful that my husband helped clean the house after he decided to invite friends over for dinner with short notice.

I am grateful my children are asleep.

Wonderful Friends

This evening we had a very entertaining branch activity. I always enjoy spending time with my friends in our branch. It is amazing to me how much diversity is in one small branch. I love that the church is a worldwide church, people from every background are part of it.

Also, tonight I found out that one of my good friends has decided to be baptized! Her husband is a member and she has been coming to church faithfully for some time now but regularly expressed that she had no interest in joining. So I'm very grateful that she has listened and felt the spirit. One quick story: Ray and I are assigned to home teach this couple and have been for some months now. As their hometeacher, Ray has helped them move three times, but we have had very few formal visits. This month she asked me if we were still their hometeachers. I said yes. And she replied, "Well, I wondered because we have not had you guys over once a month. We really need to do better." This was even before she agreed to listen to the missionaries. I love this girl. I am so glad for her that she has accepted the gospel.

Sharing

Lately it seems like the girls are getting very competitive. They compete for my attention, they compete for toys, they even compete for food. It doesn't matter how many toys or how much food is available, they both want the exact same thing. So I love the little moments where they share. This afternoon Ruby had a piece of toast. Usually she would be carefully guarding it from Cora. Not today. Today she was carefully tearing off little pieces and handing them to Cora. Patiently waiting for Cora to finish one before Ruby handed her another. It was so precious. I also love the moments when they are playing and both break into laughter. It lets me know that they really do enjoy being together.

Visiting Teaching

The programs of the church truly are inspired. Last night I was very stressed because I was trying to set up my visiting teaching and it just wasn't working well. Too many schedules to coordinate, no one answering their phones or returning my calls. I was getting very frustrated. However, it all worked out (I think I'm supposed to be learning patience or something like that). Today I visited two of the girls on my list. They are so awesome. Both visits lasted much longer than planned, we just had so much to talk about. It really made my day. I'm looking forward to visiting another sister tomorrow. So many times in the past I have made great friends because I was assigned as their visiting teacher or they were assigned as mine. Sisters I would probably never have come to know otherwise. As I have been reading the Conference Ensign I've noticed that there seems to be a common theme of unity in several talks. I think one of the best ways to become unified as a church is by doing our visiting and home teaching. These programs have truly blessed my life in so many ways. I think I appreciate it more than ever now that I stay at home. It is an opportunity for me to get out of the house and visit with other sisters, something I really do need right now.

Memory!

I haven't lost it all! I can still ride a bike. I got a bike in Korea. I intended to ride it, but never did. So we brought it here, where I intended to start riding, but it had been so long since I had been on one that I was kind of nervous, so I hung it in the garage, where it has been until tonight. Our kids wanted to take bikes and scooters on a "noon walk" after school today. We decided we had to finally take Jon's training wheels off. (If you know Jon, he is not a risk taker, so we've always caved and put them back on before, but he's seven now -- I think it's time...) After helping him around our neighborhood (Thankfully he lived to tell about it...), I just really felt a need to release some tension. Derek got my bike down, pumped up the tires, and I rode. It was fun. And I didn't even fall off. And I went twice around the block (that's a loose term, in this case) -- almost. I am thankful that OK is mostly flat. I was able to share my fun (I should probably say he was willing to share my fun -- I could not go on) and let Derek take the last stretch (uphill) of the second lap. My legs were jell-o, but it was still fun! I think I'll do it again (soon -- maybe Friday afternoon). Maybe someday I can be thankful that I am not such a wimp anymore.

Dancing

I love country swing dancing. The Animal Science Club was having a country swing dance fundraiser tonight so I decided to go. It was so much fun. It was a really small group so I didn't really think it would be that great, but I had a good time. I had quite a few friends there so I chatted with them and I met some new people, which is something I don't willingly do often. I think I really needed that physical activity, I've been really stressed lately with school and everything so dancing was a good way to release that stress. Afterwards I was just so happy, and still am in fact. Luckily I get to go again tomorrow night!

Veteran's Day

Today being Veteran's Day, I was thinking about all the men and women who put their lives in danger to protect the rest of us. I am truly grateful to them and their willingness to serve. It is especially scary in today's world where so much seems to be going wrong. It is a blessing to know that there are people trained and ready to defend us against our enemies. It is a strength to realize how many people still care about this country to the point of risking their lives to preserve our freedoms. Most of these people are strangers to me, although I do know several personally, amongst them my brother-in-law. It is truly a unifying force to realize that all these people care about the nation as a whole. I appreciate all those who have served and all those who currently are serving in the armed forces. I hope they know their service is not unnoticed nor unappreciated.

Someone to watch over me

I have found an interesting (and I don't believe coincidental) phenomenon throughout my life:

No matter where I go or what my need, someone comes along who fills it. Do you possibly that could be some kind of cosmic accident? I do not. It is a reaffirmation to me that I am loved and watched over by someone who knows me better than I know myself and loves me beyond my comprehension.

I know I have posted this before, but I have wonderful friends here. I also had wonderful friends in Korea and in Arizona and in California and in Logan and everywhere else I have been. I am so glad our lives have crossed. My friends make me laugh, cry, think, exercise, talk (that's not so hard to force me into) and do lots of other very therapeutic activities. I would never make it without them.

Piano

Today I sat down at the piano and actually played. Lately I've just used the piano to keep the girls entertained. I love to play piano and I really should do it more often. I find it relaxing and enjoyable. I also pulled out all of my Christmas sheet music. I had a lot more than I realized. I love Christmas music and decided to start playing it now.

I am thankful for many of the same things I've noted before. I've been trying to find something different to write about each day, which is good, but I decided it's also good to be thankful for the same things every day. I was so grateful this afternoon that my girls napped so I was able to get some much-needed cleaning done. I'm also very grateful that Ray distracted the girls so I could finish making dinner in peace. I took advantage of the time and let dinner simmer a little longer than necessary so I could get the dishwasher filled, too. It is so much easier to get things done when Ray is around to play with the girls. I'm so grateful that he is willing to do so.

The Spirits of the Little Children

I loved the Primary program today! As most of you know, each year at church our children learn gospel principles and songs related to a theme chosen by church leaders. This year's "I am a Child of God" theme was so beautiful and yet so powerful in its simplicity. It seemed that nearly every basic truth of the gospel was taught by our beautiful children today. I was very recently asked to be their pianist, but since the songs were all new to me, the former pianist played and I got to sit on the front row and sing, while trying to keep the attention of our 3 and 4 year olds and remind them of the words to the songs. We have practiced the program for several weeks now (and the songs the whole year), but the very first song nearly had me unable to continue. Those little ones brought the power and Spirit of God so strongly into that room. After talking to many others in the audience, I know I wasn't alone. Lots of tears (of happiness and love, of course) were shed. It was one of the most beautiful primary programs I've witnessed (and I've seen or participated in approximately 35, though the first few are beyond my memory range...).

Also, today, I learned that one of my friends here had two new nephews (grandsons of a former PA in my home town) enter the world over the past couple of weeks. One of those little souls has been anxiously awaited for nearly 10 years now. I didn't know either of the mothers, though my younger siblings and cousins did. I was reminded, as my friend and I talked, of how much joy comes into my life, because of the joys that others experience. I immediately thought of how happy and excited I was to hear that my cousin, who had been waiting so long, was going to be receiving her first baby, so soon after I had mine. I thought of the mixed emotions I experienced as another cousin welcomed his beautiful daughter into his home, while letting his angel move on. I thought of how the first thought when something good happens is to call up those I love most and share it with them. And, likewise, when I experience sorrow or frustration, I go to them for comfort and peace. And, finally, I saw how much our shared divine parentage links us to one another. I am so grateful for love. I am so grateful that I can feel it for others. I am more grateful for all of those who share theirs with me. And mostly, I am grateful for the love of our Heavenly Father. We are all children of God and brothers and sisters. I am so grateful that I have felt that truth reconfirmed multiple times today.

Stake Conference

Today we had a Stake Conference broadcast from Salt Lake. It was so wonderful to hear the words of our church leaders. It seems they always have counsel that is meant directly for me. I loved listening to them and I loved that my children behaved so well that I was able to listen, the whole time! I also appreciated our dear friends that we were able to sit by, they played with and entertained the girls some which helped keep the girls happy for two hours. It was a wonderful experience all around.

Since Stake Conference was done by noon, we had the whole afternoon to enjoy the nice weather. The whole family went for a walk. It is so nice to Ray along to push the stroller, I don't get tired as quickly that way. :-) I just love to have quality time together as a family.

Family

I am grateful that my children play well together. Sometimes they will entertain themselves and each other for hours. It is nice to be able to get things done without a child or two right under foot.

I am grateful that my husband plays with our children.

I am grateful for ready-to-bake dinners. I know the real, homemade ones are way better and that's normally what we have. But sometimes it's nice to have dinner ready without hours of preparation.

Good Days

I love it when I have good days. Today was one of those days. I love it when I feel good because I actually get things done around the house and I especially enjoy my kids. I like to take advantage of these kinds of days to make them more special with my beautiful children. I love it when I wake up in the morning and I can tell right away how I am going to feel. This morning I knew it would be a good day. I love that I was able to go downstairs and actually spend time organizing in my storage room. I was able to play with the kids. I was able to do some cleaning and I even had time to give my blog a little face lift.

Children

I love the little things my girls do. Like the way they copy me and Ray (I hope this continues to be a good thing). Cora will point at pictures and say, "Who's that?" Ruby will say, "Uh, oh," anytime she drops something. Even if she dropped it on purpose. Also, if someone else says, "Uh, oh," Ruby will look around to see what fell.

Last night Ruby was putting on Ray's boot, just the way she watches Daddy do it.

Today Ruby was crying and I picked her up, she sat on my lap for a minute then looked up at me and broke into a huge smile. It was so cute. How can you not smile back?

I was playing with Cora and rubbing my nose against her. A little later she rubbed her nose against mine, it was funny, although she's not very gentle.

It's also fun when I'm playing with the girls to set toys on top of their heads. The toys will fall off when they move, but the girls will pick the toys up and try to put them back on their heads.

This time of year

I am thankful today for this time of year. It's my favorite time of year and as I look around and see all the beautiful colors falling from the trees, it makes me grateful for the beautiful world our Heavenly Father has given us. Last weekend we were in Utah and it was cold and cloudy outside, giving the colors something to contrast with and it just made for a breathtaking view. I'm thankful to live in a place that has seasons, changing temperature, etc to make the holidays that much more meaningful to me. I've included some pictures so you can enjoy the beauty as well.

Fantastic Wonderful Beautiful Day

So, since my sisters created this blog I decided that I was going to be positive and happy. I decided to make this a choice and can I tell you today was WONDERFUL! Nothing really exciting happened. In fact, I had a really hard test, but that didn't even damper the day. So I am grateful for happiness. Really, all day long was just so good.

Also, tonight one of my friends and I got together for pizza and a movie. We are really good friends, but we rarely do anything together so last year we started doing pizza and a movie night. It has been great. It's not all that frequent since we both are quite busy, but we always fit each other in and have so much fun!

Health

I did get some good sleep last night and it was wonderful. The girls are acting like they feel much better. For that I am very grateful.

Since the girls were much happier I was able to get some cleaning done. I do love to have a clean house.

Also, I got to talk to Lil today. Days always go a little better when I talk to one of my sisters.

My friend, Rana

I am thankful for my friend and next door neighbor, Rana. She is such a sweet, thoughtful person. She's a good example to me of watching out for others. I've had a busy few days, and perhaps have felt a little overwhelmed. Just now, her little kids showed up at my door with a KitKat bar for me. Attached was a note which read, "Amanda. Take a 'break' and enjoy. Rana." Isn't that just so sweet and thoughtful? It really made my day. I am so thankful for good friends.

Sleep

I love sleep. I really hope I get some tonight. And that my babies get some tonight.

I also love General Conference. I've been reading the GC Ensign today. There is so much in there that, even though I listened to all of conference, I somehow missed. I am very grateful that we get to read and re-read all the things the prophet has told us. How else will we ever improve?

I am grateful that my husband entertained the babies for a while this evening. It gave me a much needed break.

Church, Ward and Visiting Teachers

I am thankful for the congregation we became part of upon moving to OK. People were more than just nice -- they were friendly. And now they are friends, not just people we go to church with. My fabulous visiting teacher (who I have been blessed with since coming here) watched my kids today, so that Derek and I could both be at the school for a couple of hours (and actually both get stuff done). She has plenty of her own kids and I truly appreciate her willingness to serve me. (Thank you for thinking of me and acting on those thoughts!)

I can say so much of the same about the wonderful parents, teachers and staff at our kids' school. Sometimes I forget that I haven't known any of them longer than a year, because I feel so at home there. They were (and still are) an answer to many of the prayers I offered before coming here. So many of the parents put so much time and money into our kids. I am amazed and inspired by their dedication. I am also so thankful for their friendship. Leaving Norman will be the hardest move we've made since our journeys began. (I guess that's something to be thankful for...)

I am also thankful for my amusing children. Sadly, I often forget the funny things they say and/or do before I can write them down. But, I find joy in the moments. Laughter is a good thing. So are very cute children.

Somedays...

this is really hard. But I am trying really hard to find things to be grateful for. That's the idea. That's why we're doing this. So we can find the positive, even on hard days. So we can notice the things we're grateful for, even when days are filled with things we aren't.

That being said, I am very grateful that my babies are acting more like themselves tonight. I think that means they are feeling better. It's been a tough couple of days that they've been sick so I really hope they are over it. When they are happy it's much easier for me to be happy.

I'm grateful that I live in a country where I can vote. I have a voice. My vote may be small, but it does matter.

I am grateful for prayer. I don't know how I would survive if I couldn't pray. I don't know how many times I've offered silent prayers for strength when I felt like I couldn't go any further. I've always been able to. I know I couldn't do it on my own.

Journals

I am very grateful for the fact that I have long been in the habit of writing in my journal. It has helped me many times to remember things correctly and to help when I needed exact dates for things that happened. It also is a place where I can put down on paper what I am feeling, and then re-read and think through things much more rationally. I don't know if that makes any sense.

I am grateful that Ray helped make dinner tonight and that he kept the sick babies entertained long enough for me to fill the dishwasher and clean up the kitchen.

Sleep

I'm thankful that it's relatively early and I feel tired, so I'm going to bed! Today was fairly productive and I am content.

Family

I just came back from Sandy after a baby blessing. It was so fun to be around family, and when it is for something like this it is even batter. It seems like the times you get together as family is at funerals or blessing, the blessings are much better.
I am also thankful that I get along with my husbands family. They are such great people, I love Ben and his family. I know that their are some people that don't get a long with their in-laws, and I am just so happy that I do. I don't know how anyone couldn't like his family, they are wonderful people, and I am so glad that I am part of them.

Sundays

We have afternoon church and it is such a blessing to be able to get ready on Sunday morning without having to rush. It is especially nice when Ray is around to help get the girls ready. Today he took one of the girls with him to his meeting before church. That also makes it much easier for me to get ready and get to church.

While Sunday is sometimes a stressful day for me, it is still one of my favorites. It is the one day of the week that I know I will have a change of schedule and get to see other people. I love to go to church, both for the spiritual as well as the social reasons.

I love the branch that we are currently part of. There are some wonderful people who are a part of this branch. I have made such good friends here. I'm sad that we won't be part of the branch much longer. I know I'll make friends in other wards, too, but this branch has been a wonderful experience.

I also love how the church brings us together. It really is a small world in the church. Despite living hundreds of miles from anywhere else I've lived, more than once I have crossed paths with former friends in our current small branch. Just today a girl showed up for the first time and I thought, "she looks familiar." When she said her name I realized why. She is my second cousin whom I met several years ago while we were both in school. It was fun to reconnect. She also commented about how she was grateful to see someone she knew, even though we never knew each other well, it made it more comfortable for her to be in a new place.

Autumn

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I've loved it for my whole life (I know that most kids love summer the best, but not me. I was always a FALL girl). This weekend we were in Utah for my uncle's mission open house thingy. I was loving all the colors of the trees and the sound of leaves crunching beneath my footsteps. Then today at church, I was out with Marek and he was fasincated with the weather (it was raining and blowing) and the leaves that were blowing down the street and all around the grass. It was such a cool day and all the dark clouds seemed to make the colors of the tree-lined streets even more vibrant, perhaps because of the contrast. Anyway, it made me wonder what it must have been like in the early days of America. I wish I could go back in time and see the beauty Autumn brought, before the land became over-populated and booming with businesses. I love everything about this time of year and I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving. I hope everyone had as lovely of a Halloween as I did!

Joy in the Journey

I've been kind of slacking on my posts the last couple of days so now I will catch up.

During the week I have to work every morning except Friday. So on Friday the first thing I have to be to is my class at 10:30. I am really grateful for this extra time. I love having more time to get ready without rushing. It is great.

Yesterday I got to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. I am so grateful for the peace that the temple brings and I am so grateful I got to go. Then I got to talk to Jenn for a while on the phone. I know I already wrote about my sisters, but really it was so great to talk to Jenn. I'm grateful for her taking time to listen to me and to support me. It really meant so much. Also yesterday I was so grateful for a nap. I took a nice four hour nap, (the beauty of being a college student with no children). I had been lacking on sleep this week so it was very rejuvinating.

Today, I am very thankful for the rain. I love rainy days. I think they are beautiful. Also, Relief Society today was very good. We talked about finding joy in the journey from President Monson's talk and it made me think of this blog and reemphasized to me how I need to look for the positive things in my life and be happy.

Kid Stuff

I am, in truth, grateful that today is over. I am also grateful that it was a lot of fun!

Derek passed his comps. We found out this morning. Now he just has to complete his coursework with a 3.0 average and a masters degree is his. This was definitely an answer to our prayers -- we did not want to go through it again next semester.

We spent several hours at Andy Alligator with our three oldest (the baby was present, but a non-participant). It was the reward activity for those who earned $40 or more at our school jogathon. I don't think I would ever take my kids there by choice -- it's kind of Chucky Cheese like, but pricier and smaller, though they have mini golf, rock climbing, bumper cars and boats, and batting cages -- so I'm glad they got this experience by way of school. It was so fun to watch Nina drive the bumper cars. She was hysterically laughing as she spun in circles. She did it three times and loved it every time. Michael was equally in love with the bumper boats.

I'm also grateful that we don't have to eat at McDonald's every day. We went there tonight to help with McTeachers night (it was kind of a PTA/school day). It was great to see the support of our school families and teachers, but it was also great to know that I could have something much healthier and better tasting tomorrow. (It was so fun seeing the reactions of the kids as they saw their teachers, principal and counselor fill their orders. They loved it!)

The sister missionaries stopped by tonight. As always, they brought such a good feeling with them. I love the gospel and am so grateful for what it has made me. I'm also glad that the sisters were nice enough to ignore the chaos of our house.

Today was long and I am tired and ought to be sleeping instead of writing, but I had a good day and wanted to share.

Good friends

We just had dinner with some friends of ours. It is so good to be surrounded by people with the same values and standards, with whom we have so much in common. It was such a fun evening.

I am very grateful that I have a washer and dryer in my house. Considering how much laundry we have around here, I am so glad I don't have to go to a laundromat and even more so that I don't have to wash it all by hand. :-)

I am grateful for the rights and freedoms we enjoy in this country. I've been thinking about this a lot lately and could expand on it greatly, but it is late.

Happy Halloween! (Again)

Tonight I (Jenn) am posting via Derek's account and including his input.

Halloween was a lot of fun! It's an especially great day for Michael, who lives in his very own imaginative world most of the time. We spent most of the day at the school, since we were involved with three parties. This is our second year of planning (or helping to plan) classroom parties. I am so grateful for all the families that supported us this year. We had fun. The kids had fun. And, it wasn't all that stressful.

We also went to our friend's house for a party tonight. It was so fabulous! Again and again since being here, I have been so grateful for all of the good friends we have been blessed with.

Derek is grateful that the Sharks beat Detroit (and did it well). They did it yesterday, but he watched the game this morning. He's also grateful for his bed. And, on that note, I had best end. It's been a long day and we need sleep. Hopefully tomorrow I can post that I'm grateful that all of my children slept until 10...

Happy Halloween!

We finally sold our little house today. It's all official, deed signed and money in the bank (for a day or two). I'm very grateful it all worked out. Considering how the economy and housing market in general seem to be going we were a little worried. I guess that makes the blessing seem even better. The lady who bought it was really happy to get it and so glad that it was in good shape, everything new and working. It makes all the hard work worth it.

Since today is Halloween, I will mention that I love holidays. People are so nice on holidays. I took the girls to Ray's office, the girls were in costume. Everyone was so excited to see them and give them candy. On the way home we stopped to grab some groceries. On a normal day most people won't say anything to you, but today so many people said, "Happy Halloween," or commented on the girls' costumes and how cute they looked. Holidays seem to bring out the best in people. Besides, what other day of the year can people wander around in completely crazy outfits and get away with it?

Also, I appreciate good friends. I stopped by the City building, where I used to work, to run some errands. It was so fun to chat with my former co-workers and see how everyone is doing.

P.S. I'm so excited that you are all getting involved with this. I love to read what you are grateful for because it reminds me of other things that I'm grateful for. It is definitely true that there is strength in numbers.

Friends

I am grateful for my two best friends that both share the name of Jodi. Today as I was going through my classes and work I got texts from each of them just telling me they love me. It just made my day brighter. Then when I got done with class I called one of the Jodi's to see if she would come get some food with me and chat, she readily agreed to join and she let me talk most of the time in the car. My Jodi's are great!

Also, I am grateful for my friend Todd. Todd finally came country swing dancing with me last night. I try to get him to join me every Wednesday, but usually he declines. It was so much fun having him there. Also, Todd gives the best hugs.

Then lastly I am grateful for my cousin Brittany, who I got to hang out with tonight. I went with Brittany to a Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band concert. It was so much fun. Brittany is so fun to hang out with, I really need to do more stuff with her while we both live in the same city.

Family

I am so grateful that my children sleep through the night. And that they sleep through Ray's alarm when it goes off at 4 or 5 in the morning. That lets me get enough sleep to function well throughout the day and the girls are happier, too.

I appreciate the days my husband can come home for lunch. I keep a much better schedule and I eat lunch. When he doesn't come home I sometimes forget. Don't worry, I don't forget to feed my kids, just me. I also appreciate it when my husband is around in the evenings. I was thinking about this today because he had to work late. It is so much nicer when he's here and can help with the girls. Evenings when he's not here make me appreciate him more when he is.

I'm still loving the weather, too. I've been taking advantage of the abnormally warm weather by spending some time outside every day. It has been so nice.

Temples

Tyler and I went to the temple yesterday morning, and I was just thinking how grateful I am for temples!! No matter what's going on in your life, it gives you the perspective and the peace that you need. It's literally heaven on earth. I am especially grateful for the Vernal temple in particular. I am so lucky to have it so close. As we were leaving, the Brother at the front desk called after us, "Hurry back!" I loved that. Even as we're leaving the temple, we should already be thinking of when we can come back. So I am thankful that I have one to go back to, and grateful for a husband who has the desire to go as often as possible.

Church Callings

This is something I've been wanting now for quite some time. In my old ward in Utah, I had three callings (four, briefly) at one time, not including the four women that I visit taught often by myself due to a working partner. I remember at the time loving each of my callings, but feeling a bit overwhelmed (I was also 6 months pregnant when I received my third calling and fourth calling, ending up having to back down on one of them because I just couldn't make it work, then still had three callings until Nadia was about three months old) and wondering how I was going to balance everything that I needed to. But then, when Nadia was about three or four months old, I went down to one calling-the enrichment board. I felt relieved and grateful that my burden had been lightened a bit. However, it wasn't what I thought it was going to be. My ideas were pushed aside, I was never called about meetings, therefore missing many, and I won't get to into the whole mess, but basically, I did nothing in that calling. I was excited to move and be in a new ward, with new people and get a new calling where I could feel needed and feel like I was making a difference in my own life, as well as others. We moved, and I waited and waited, thinking surely I would be getting a calling soon. I am not one that hopes to sneak unnoticed without a calling. I like callings because then it really makes me feel a part of the ward and it makes me feel like I'm doing my part in the gospel. So, number one-I'm grateful for the church and the opportunities we have to serve within. A few months went by and still nothing, then the boundaries were rearranged and a new ward was created, my ward. And I still waited, wondering when my turn would be. I'd been praying for a calling for quite some time. Finally, Tuesday night I had an interview with the bishopric and received my calling...Relief Society Pianist. I admit that I felt a bit of a let-down. I was so excited for a calling and was hoping for something new, something I really could grow from. I accepted the interview and left, wanting to cry. You see, my whole life I've had music callings and even when I haven't had musical callings, I'm still getting called to play at all the baptisms, ward functions, fill in for Relief Society, Primary, etc. I've never NOT played for something. My mother was the same way and was even the ward choir director for 11 years, not to mention everything else that she did, often involving music. So I felt that this wouldn't really help me grow. But then, after spilling my emotions out to my husband and wondering to myself why I had to get stuck with this calling, why other people that have musical abilities never make it known or refuse to play, etc. my husband said something to me that hit me hard. He said, "Maybe you get these callings because you complain about the callings you are given and dwell on the ones you don't want to receive, rather than being grateful for what the Lord gives you." Wow, had I really been complaining that much??? So, number two- I'm grateful for a husband that loves me enough to point out where I need help. So I thought and prayed about it all night, then I read about this gratitude blog the next day and I decided it was definitely time to focus on the positive, in fact, long overdue. I'm going to look for things to be grateful for put my life in perspective. The Lord gives us trials and blessings and we grow from all of them, even if we don't always see the outcome (or at least don't see it for quite some time). So, number three- I'm grateful for my musical abilities and opportunities to use my talents. I'm grateful for a mother who taught me never to be afraid of using those talents to serve others, to serve in the church, etc. I'm grateful I've always said yes when asked and that I can say that I'm not hiding them under a bushel, but letting my light shine. I'm grateful to be the new Relief Society Pianist and the first one the Rigby 16th ward has ever had!

Family Time

First, I want to thank Jenn and Meg for letting me be a part of this. I love to read blogs when they are positive. When they are not I usually don't finish it because I don't want to be a part of the negativity. This is an awesome idea. I think it makes us all feel better.
I am so grateful for family time. By this I mean my husband, my three kids, and me. This doesn't happen alot because Wade works so much but last night was our 'pumpkin carving' family activity. I enjoyed it so much because the kids were having so much fun. It was okay that their were pumpkin guts all over my kitchen from the kids pulling them out of the pumpkin because they were so hard at work and having so much fun. Wade worked hard at helping Briaunna carve a wolf in one pumpkin and a cat in another. The babies and I managed a face. How nice when we can spend quality time doing something that we are all having fun with.

Wednesday -- I've really liked that word since I learned to spell it...

I am thankful that my friends forgive me, despite my failing mind and subsequent missing of appointments. I'm also glad that they call me and remind me of things I should be doing. I missed one visiting teaching appointment today, but I was able to make the other, because of my sweet friend (whose visit I missed). Now, I will be really, really thankful when my mind resumes normal functioning. Will that ever happen?

My eyes are getting tons better -- finally. I am so grateful to 1) see without glasses, 2) drive, 3) look people in the eye and 4) use my computer without discomfort. It seemed like forever that I was battling the effects of LASIK (my reactions were abnormal, for anyone getting scared about trying it), but it did make me appreciate things I'd always taken for granted.

I'm so glad that I have friends who support me in my attempts to better myself. Some of my friends and I have started walking in the evenings. I love the grown up time, the good girlfriend conversations and the exercise. I come home feeling better physically and emotionally.

I love my kids. Yesterday, I forgot to tell this story about Nina. Michael was discussing puking (this is a typical Michael topic). Nina noted that her teacher calls puking "barking." "When people bark, it's throwing up," said my adorable little girl. I am also thankful for laughter (which I must sometimes hold for later...).

Another Beautiful Day

Once again, the weather was wonderful and we were able to go outside to play. Then this evening we took a walk as a family.

I got to rake leaves. Which may sound odd, but I really do enjoy raking leaves. The girls like to play in the leaves, so it works out for all of us.

Also, I'm so grateful for the days I get to talk to my family. Since we all live so far apart it's hard to keep up with everything that's going on. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't call my mom or my sisters just to chat. It's always nice to talk about any random subject and to catch up on all the cute things my nieces and nephews are doing.

It was a great day!

Already this experiment is working for me. Several times today I caught myself thinking, "This is good! I could blog this." I'll just share a couple.

So first, Meg mentioned naps. Amen to that. I love the time that I get when my baby sleeps. I love the quiet when my 3 and 4 year olds sleep. But I also love the going to sleep process. I love holding my baby as she starts to drift. She has smiled and made lots of eye contact since very early in her life and she will just stare at me as she gets sleepy. Occasionally she smiles halfway -- she's too sleepy to finish it -- then fades a little more. Usually now, she grabs my shirt or my finger and holds on tight. Once she's asleep I pry (as gently as possible) her little hand from me. Eventually I put her down, but I always enjoy at least a few moments of holding an angel.

With my boys, it's the waking up that is more enjoyable. By the time they sleep they are always so grumpy (that's how I decide which days to force a nap). When they wake, they are so fun. I'm rejuvenated and so are they and we all get along again.

Second, Derek and I both remembered our anniversary this year. We kind of have a problem with that -- it kind of gets lost amidst all the Halloween fun every year. We didn't get to do a whole lot, since he had classes, but I enjoyed it. We did feed our kids and put them to bed, so that we could have our own meal. Naomi even cooperated. It was so nice to talk. It was also quite enjoyable to eat warm food...

Third, I managed to get my kitchen returned to a tolerable state. It had gotten really bad. It's livable again and I am very, very happy about it. Now, if it would only last a whole day.

I'll end with one that happened when I was at Walmart with my 3 youngest children. I was trying to shop fast, but that doesn't work out that well with a baby, 3 yr old and 4 yr old. In the middle of the trip, I decided I would have to use the restroom. I was really not looking forward to it, because I didn't know what I was going to do with the baby. In desperation (and with some trepidation) I handed her to Michael (who is bigger than her -- by a little). Just then a sweet little lady saw what was happening and offered to hold the baby for me. What a relief. I hope that she someday knows that that little act really meant a lot to me. Not only did it help me at the moment, but it reminded me of the good that exists in our society.

Computers

Ok, so I'm new to posting and my computer did something weird and said my last post didn't work, so I posted it again. Then I looked at the blog and there were two of the same post. I couldn't have that so I thought "I will just delete one." No, I can't figure out how, so I decided I must just think of another thing to be grateful for.

Here it is, I am grateful for computers/internet. Look at this I can see what is going on in the lives of my family and friends from my own home. So I am thankful for this connection that technology has given us.

Sisters

I also love and am grateful for autumn so I thought I would put on this pretty picture my sister took a few weeks ago.
Also, I am grateful for my sisters that listen to me when I need someone to talk to and give me advice when I need help. I love being the little sister and having so many siblings to look up to!

Autumn

I am grateful for beautiful fall weather. It is so nice today, we were able to go for a walk and play outside for quite a while. The girls love to be outside, too.

I am also grateful for story time at the library. The girls enjoy it and it gives me a reason to get out of the house. It's also within a convenient walking distance.

One more, I am grateful for naps. The few that I get, but more so the ones my girls take. It makes them much happier babies and much easier for me to take care of. It also gives me a little time to myself, if I can get them to nap at the same time.

The Little Things

Jenn has already explained the idea behind this blog. So, today I was thinking about what I really am grateful for. There are so many little things that happen each day that make it so wonderful to be a mother. Like when my babies laugh just because I am kissing them. Or the opportunity to hold my babies and rock them to sleep. I really do treasure these moments. Hopefully this blog will help me focus more on the little things that matter so much.

My family

Easy and obvious, though not always truly appreciated -- by me, at least. This seems like it should be the simplest of all blessings to be thankful for, but sometimes I find it to be so difficult. That's why I started this experiment with family.

I have a wonderful husband. He is funny, helpful, handsome, hardworking, and even quite romantic at times. He puts a lot of thought into my happiness and I am not always as appreciative (at least verbally) as I should be. I love him and am very thankful that he loves me.

I have five beautiful (or handsome, as the case may be) children. They have energy, love, and joy to share anytime I am willing to accept it. They trust me and believe in me and want to be with me. Sometimes we don't see eye to eye (they are kind of short still), but I am grateful for the strength of character they already exhibit. I am thankful that they put up with my moods and love me unconditionally. I am a better person because I have been blessed by their presence in my life.

Getting married and having children changed my life dramatically (obviously). Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if I had stayed single. Sometimes it even has a little appeal. I admit that I do not love piles of laundry, dishes, toys, etc. I get tired of feeling like a maid (and an under appreciated, underpaid one at that). But then I always realize that I could not ever have found the same happiness in that imagined life that my family has brought to me.

In the future, I plan to make my posts more of a record of the day-to-day things that bring me joy, make me laugh or remind me of the best in life and the potential I can reach. I hope that this will help me (and any who take the time to read) refocus my life on the positive.