Thanksgiving Day 17

I am grateful for birthdays, for a lot of reasons. Because they are fun to celebrate, it is great to see my little ones get older, but mostly because we are all here, and healthy.  Today my youngest celebrates her birthday. She is 7 years old:

Here are 7 of my favorite things about my daughter:
1. She LOVES to sing. She is always singing. We put her to bed and she sings and sings in the dark.  One night we put her to bed and an hour later we went to check on her and she was quietly singing the songs for the upcoming Primary Program. She sings all the time. I love to hear it!
2. At her last parent teacher conference, we discovered she got top scores in reading. She reads everything. Cereal boxes, books, labels, billboards, calendars, EVERYTHING.
3. She is one of the pickiest eaters I know. Granted when I was a child, I was extremely picky as well. My mother had to make separate meals for me. We haven’t gotten to that point yet, but she is very, very picky.
4. She is the best of both worlds. One minute she will be twirling around in one of her dress ups and the next minutes she will climbing a tree or riding a horse. I love it!!
5. She is a BEAR to get out of bed. I’m told she is just like her father in that aspect. There are days we have to pull her out of bed. It could be because she stays up all night singing, but she does not want to leave the warm and toasty blankets.
6. She is very particular about her hair. She absolutely DOES NOT like it to be tucked behind her ear. It drives her crazy. Also, if you don’t style it the way she wants you to, she makes you do it until it is to her satisfaction.
7. She is always more than willing to hand out hugs and kisses to anyone who needs one. She wraps her little arms around your neck and gives you a little squeeze – It’s the best!!!
Happy Birthday Bailee!! I hope the coming year is filled with triumphs, fun, and a lot of hugs and kisses!!

Thanksgiving Day 16

Matt lost his job yesterday. His company merged with another and they have been doing lay offs for the past few days. I was shocked when he called me and told me. I immediately fell to my knees and prayed to my Heavenly Father.
Today I am grateful for prayer. A constant open communication between myself and my Father in Heaven. I am grateful for the immediate peace and comfort that came after I prayed. I am grateful to know that there is always someone I can turn to who knows perfectly how I am feeling and how best to help me through.

Thanksgiving Day 12, 13, 14, 15

Day 12:  I am grateful for my sisters. When we were growing up, they were always known at, “the Babies,” mostly because they were the babies of the family. Now that we are older we can laugh and have fun.
Day 13: I am grateful for repentance. Where would I be without it? I am so very grateful to my Savior for sacrificing to allow me a way to repent and be with my family for eternity.

Day 14: I am grateful for good health. I am grateful that my children, myself, and my husband are all relatively healthy and happy. In the economy today, health insurance is getting harder to come by, and I am grateful that we are protected if something should happen to us.
Day 15: I am grateful for music. Music can do so many things! It can bring up an old memory. It can testify from the heart. It can comfort, excite, and even put to sleep. I love music and I am grateful there is so much good music out there!!  "Music can help you draw closer to your Heavenly Father. It can be used to educate, edify, inspire, and unite." - For the Strength of Youth. I love music! All kinds (except maybe country). I love laying on the bed and listening to music with my family and talking about everything. It’s the best. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Thanksgiving Day 11

Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you:
Jesus Christ
and
the American Soldier.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.
 
Today is Veteran’s Day and today I am grateful for freedom. I am grateful to all the service men and women past, present, and future who have put their lives on the line to defend a freedom that I enjoy (and sometimes take for granted) on a daily basis. 
“The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender, or submission.”
- John F. Kennedy
Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Day 10

I am very grateful for Temples. Matt and I became an eternal family in this temple:

We got married in February and there was snow everywhere.
I love the temple. There is a peace found there that is no where else on earth. I have had amazing experiences while I was in the temple. Matt and I have made temple worship an important part of our lives. Like President Monson stated: we understand that the saving ordinances received in the temple that permit us to someday return to our Heavenly Father in an eternal family relationship and to be endowed with blessings and power from on high are worth every sacrifice and every effort. I am grateful to have so many temples so close to me and one is being built even closer:

The Payson Utah Temple. I was able to go to the Temple Groundbreaking. It was amazing how the feeling around us changed once the ground was dedicated. I love the temple. I love the blessings you get when you attend the temple and when you are worthy to hold a temple recommend.
I love doing family work in the temple. There have been several spiritual experiences Matt and I have had when we have taken the names of our ancestors to the temple to do their work.
I am grateful for all of my experiences in the temple but my highlights include: receiving my own endowment, marrying my best friend, taking the youth to do baptisms, sealing my ancestors for eternity, attending with my family, and going to the temple with Holly. My prayer is that everyone will someday be able to participate in the sweet simple joy of attending the temple and receiving the blessings that temple worship affords. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Thanksgiving Day 9

I am very grateful for education. My entire life, education has always been so important. Both my parents graduated from BYU with degrees in education. Before she had children, my mother taught High School, and my dad was a Middle School teacher until he retired.
I am so grateful that education is also important in my own home. I was the first to graduate from SUU in our family in 2002:

Matt graduated SUU in 2006:

After a few years, we started talking about him going back to do his Masters. So he applied, got in and after only 18 months he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Utah:
 
I am not only grateful for formal education, but I am also grateful for the things Matt learns to help around the house. He is teaching himself to fix things on our car, around the house, and even in the kitchen. He also is teaching the kids these things as well:


We have tried to teach our children the importance of education and how important it is. They love to hear about when Matt and I were in college. They even put on our old graduation hat and gowns and play “college.” It’s cute.

I love the school district here. They have a very hands on, open door policy. Both of the kid’s teachers have kept me updated on their progress and they are willing to help in any way possible, whether it is through email, phone calls, or even sending home extra worksheets and books. I am very grateful for education and all the opportunities it affords. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Thanksgiving Day 8

“I believe that we are here to work, and I believe there is no escape from it. I think that we cannot get that thought into our souls and into our beings too soon. Work we must, if we shall succeed or if we shall advance. There is no other way.” - J. Reuben Clark

Today I am grateful for hard work. I was taught to work hard and earn what I received. Matt and I are very blessed to have jobs and we are able to provide for our family.

I am most grateful for a husband who works hard and sacrifices to provide for our family. Even on the weekends he is out working. He works super hard and he teaches are children the same thing.

Thanksgiving Day 5, 6, 7

Day 5: I am grateful for a reliable vehicle. Although my Explorer does not have all the bells and whistles, it runs great. It has been a good little car that we have taken all over the place. The best part about my vehicle is there is enough room for our little family and my parents. It has made road trips super fun. I am grateful for my vehicle and the stability and security it provides.

Day 6: I am grateful for the Sabbath Day. It is full of spiritual contemplation and education. I always leave church feeling uplifted and ready for another crazy week. I am grateful for the peace and comfort the Sabbath provides. There are no errands to run or things to clean. Just spending time with my family. I love the Sabbath day.

Day 7: I am grateful for these two:



They are growing up so fast. They are full of life and love to have fun. They tease and laugh and cuddle and just make me feel loved. I am grateful for their sweet, tender spirits and the things they teach me on a daily basis. I love them so much and I am so grateful for the time I get to spend with them!! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Thanksgiving Day 4

Today I am thankful for my best friend Holly:
 
I have already said so much about my best friend, but I am so very thankful for her and all that she it. She understands who I am and accepts the crazy. She loves me in spite of me. I love her and there is no one else in the whole wide world who I would want for my best friend. We have been through everything together and someday we will have underground tunnels that connect our houses!! She is more than my friend – she is my family. Thanks for always being there for me Holly – I love you.

Thanksgiving Day 1, 2, 3

So I was posting these on facebook, but I thought it would be nice to blog about them as well. Everyday I wanted to express something that I am very grateful. Although I try to be grateful throughout the year, it is more prevalent during this time of year.
Day 1: I am grateful for all the resources (Church, scriptures, internet, magazines, etc.) that help me teach my family the gospel in a way that is interesting and fun. For the past few days, we have been reading in Alma during all the wars. As I would read, I would look over at Jeremy and Bailee and they were staring off into space with a glazed look on their faces. So when I got to work, I hopped online to find something to make it more interesting and they could follow along. I came across a blog that had this:

So I printed off one for each of us and as we read we color and talk and they can visualize what is going on. I am so grateful for everything the church gives us to navigate this crazy world!!
Day 2: I am grateful for a warm home, cuddly blankets, and soft pillows. Yesterday, there was a little bit of this:

Mom even made homemade chicken pies that were toasty warm and totally hit the spot. I am grateful that I can come home from a long days work, flip on the heater and climb into bed with my kiddos and watch a funny show toasty warm.
Day 3: I am very grateful for my parents! They have done so much for me and given without any thought of something in return.

Seriously, my parents are awesome. My mom gets up early to work so she can watch my kids during the day. Jeremy and my Dad are best friends and they love having sleepovers and staying up late eating popcorn and watching western shows. I could go on and on about my parents, but the best thing about them is they have testimonies of the Gospel and they live it every day!! They have charity in Christ-like proportions and they love unconditionally!

I love you guys. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

Spookfest #18 – Trick or Treat!

This year our ward decided to skip the Trunk or Treat, so we got the kids all decked out to get some candy old fashioned style:

Once their dad got home from work, they headed out:
I was left home alone to man the door for the trick or treaters. We had a total of 4 people stop by. It was very disappointing. We have a HUGE bowel of treats if anyone wants to stop by. After an hour or two Matt was home with the kids, we sent them to bed (they had school in the morning) and Matt and I cuddled up for some Halloween TV. The next morning I wake up and head to work and suddenly this happens:

At least it was a nice day for the Trick or Treating. Happy Halloween everyone!!