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.