Christmas 2013

Thankful November--Day 30

Shew! Last day of November. This month has really flown. This year has really flown.

I heard a great reminder on the radio tonight to enjoy the moments. The time goes so fast and the moments really do get away.
I'm grateful for the sweet moments in life. Some of the sweetest are the moments that happen every single day when my kids wake up and give me a good morning hug. It's a great way to start the day.
I'm hoping to be a little more mindful of the moments in the year ahead.

Thankful November--Day 29

Thankful today that the bills are paid.
I might not have money for black Friday shopping, but I'm not sure I would have been out there with all the crowds even if I did. I didn't see a thing in the sales flyers that would make me want to brave the crowds.
Besides, much better to have the bills all paid! :)

Thankful November--Day 28

Thankful today for a lovely Thanksgiving day spent at home with my family.
It was peaceful, quiet and yummy.

Thankful November--Day 27

I'm truly blessed with wonderful friends and family.

I'm so grateful for every single one of them, past and present.

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Thankful November--Day 26

I'm thankful today for a couple of things.
I'm thankful for the love of extended family members.
I'm thankful for the sweet memories of years gone by.
I'm thankful to know that life goes on and we can all be reunited again after this life.

Our family lost a sweet, sweet woman today--my aunt Hope.
My dad's sister.
It was unexpected.
She will be sorely missed.
But I know there's also a sweet reunion going on tonight on the other side of the veil.

I'm thankful to have known my aunt Hope. I will miss her kind words, and sweet smile and warm hugs.

Thankful November--Day 25

At the end of every day, after the kids and Jon have gone to bed, I usually unwind with some computer or tv time. It's a savored time of day for me. I love my family very much but I enjoy and am grateful for my downtime at the end of the day.

Thankful November--Day 24

We had a beautiful sacrament meeting today on thanks giving.
Wonderful speakers who touched my heart.
Our first counselor spoke and I really appreciated a point he made about the little things.
He said it's good to be grateful for the big things, but not to lose sight of being grateful for the little things too.
So today I want to share just a few more of those little things I'm grateful for.

Sweet treats
Car heaters
Rainbows
My computer
Scented candles
The power button on electronics.
Silence
My children's laughter
Christmas lights
My husband's smile.
Back rubs
Sweet commercials like this one...

Thankful November-Day 23

I mentioned him already this month, but I just have to express it again.

I'm so thankful for my husband.

Today, he put in 8 hours at work. In the rain and cold. It's a sixth work day for him. Really sucks for him to only get one day off (not to even mention the suckiness {new word I just made up} of working in the cold and rain). But he does it for his family.

He's pretty awesome.

Thankful November--Day 22

Today, I'm thankful for the rain.
It's been raining off and on all day yesterday and today. It's so pleasant.
I don't think I could handle it all the time, like the folks in Washington state, but  I think I wouldn't mind a little more than we get here. I suppose that's part of what makes it so nice though, the fact that we hardly ever get it here.

Thankful November--Day 21

I'm grateful for days off.

It's so nice to enjoy not having to go into work. I'm grateful for that job, but so happy on the days I don't have to be there. :)

Thankful November--Day 20

Grateful today for the bright light and fresh perspective of a new day.

Problems may not be solved, but they don't seem so big.

Thankful November--Day 19

Not seeing the silver lining tonight.
I've been given some troubling information this past week, and I just don't know how to handle it in the best manner.
I've been a bit deceived by someone dear to me. Forgiveness is easy. I love this person too much not to forgive; but the concern is what's going on? And what to believe from now on. I want to give the benefit of the doubt, but now I can't.
And then of course there's the self blame. If I were better at my job, this wouldn't happen. And how do I fix it and make it better?

I'm grateful for Answers. And wishing I had some.

Thankful November--Day 18

I am so grateful for the gospel in my life.

I can't even begin to imagine where I would be without it. I can't even imagine a world without the hope of the gospel.
I'm so grateful to know I am a daughter of God. I'm so grateful for my beautiful Savior and the great gift He has given me in the atonement. I surely don't even begin to understand the depth and magnitude of it.
My feelings on the subject are summed up perfectly by my favorite church hymn:

I Stand All Amazed

I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,
Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.
I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,
That for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

 

[Chorus]
Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!
Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!

 

 I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine
To rescue a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,
That he should extend his great love unto such as I,
Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

 

 I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt!
Such mercy, such love and devotion can I forget?
No, no, I will praise and adore at the mercy seat,
Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

 

Text and music: Charles H. Gabriel, 1856-1932

I am so unworthy of such perfect love.
And there's the beauty of it, I am loved anyway. Amazing.

Thankful November--Day 17

Wow, this is the most I 've posted in two years I think. :)

It's Sunday.
I like Sunday's. Sometimes they're a little hectic though, especially now with my new work schedule. There's ward council meeting twice a month before church, and now that I have a little less time on my hands (due to that aforementioned schedule), it looks like I'll be squeezing my primary presidency meetings into Sunday afternoons. It means a little less family time on one of my two days off. It's a good thing I'm getting to see more of them on the weeknights I used to have to work.

I'm grateful for church. I'm grateful for my calling. Hopefully it's teaching me something. I'm pretty stubborn and hard hearted at times though, so I think it's going to take a while for any lessons to sink in.

I am grateful for the freedom to worship as I choose.

A lot of things seem to be going awry in this country right now, things that I hope will be fixed. But at least we still enjoy many of our freedoms. I pray they are never taken away.

Thankful November-Day 16

I'm grateful today for people who step in and cover for you in a pinch.

It's so nice when someone's got your back.

I love the wonderful people Heavenly Father has placed in my life to help me along on my journey.

Thankful November--Day 15

I'm thankful for comfy old,  broken in shoes.

I wore some new shoes to work today, and my dogs are screaming!!
It'll be so nice to wear comfy old shoes tomorrow.

Thankful November-Day 14

I'm really struggling this year to find things to express my gratitude for.
That's just sad.
I certainly don't lack things to be grateful for.
I'm just having trouble identifying them.
:(

I'm really not where I need to be spiritually, and I think that's why this exercise in gratitude is important right now.
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thinking
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I'm grateful for tissue with lotion inside. It's really so much better than the regular kind when you're sick. I love whoever came up with that. Good job!
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It's kinda' lame I suppose, but sometimes it's the little things.

Thankful November--Day 13

So grateful for days off.

I'm off tomorrow and I'm looking forward to it.
I love just having some free time.
Even if I use it cleaning the house or running errands.
No schedules to bind me, no customers to put on my best face for.
It's nice to just relax.
ahhhh.....

Thankful November-Day 12

I'm thankful for my home.
It's a disaster zone right now.
Seems like it's always a bit of a disaster zone.
But now, with the new work schedule it's even worse.
The laundry is waaaay behind.
The kitchen table....well, I can't even find the surface.
I don't think I've vacuumed in two weeks.
Don't even ask me about the dusting.
Yup, it's a real mess.
But I'm grateful for it anyway.
Home is where my family is.
It's my safe haven from the world.
Not a neat and tidy or organized haven, but my haven nonetheless.

Thankful November--Day 11

It's Veterans Day, so of course I'd like to express my gratitude to those who have sacrificed for our nation.
I'm so grateful for their courage and devotion. For their patriotism and love of country.
Without their service, many of our freedoms would be non-existent.
So thankful to live in the United States of America.
I pray that I may continue to be grateful for that fact. I pray that the freedoms that we enjoy won't ever be taken away.

My dad.

He served in both Korea and Vietnam.

I love him so much.

I'm grateful for his example of patriotism and love of country.

 

Thankful November-Days 8, 9, and 10

Naturally, I've missed a few days. Just wouldn't be me if I didn't. :)

So, here's my catch up day.

Day 8--I'm thankful for my brothers and sister--my first friends. I look back fondly upon my youth and they were a big part of it. We fought frequently, but there were many good times. I'm so grateful for them. I'm grateful that we are still friends.
Jennivene, my little sister and I shared a room growing up. I remember many late night conversations with her. She lives in Tennessee now, and I miss seeing her.
David is two years older than me. He was our family clown. He lives with my parents and I'm grateful he's with them. He helps them out and they help him.
James, my oldest brother passed away in 2001, a month after the attack on the World Trade Center. We talked to each other by phone that day. I think it was the last time I talked to him. He left behind a beautiful wife and two wonderful children.

Day 9--I'm thankful for the telephone and other forms of communication that help me connect with my family. I'm glad that I can call up my mom or chat with my sister on facebook. I'm not great about it (not a big phone talker), but I'm grateful that it's there.

Day 10--I'm thankful for the many members of my extended family. I haven't seen many of them for more than a few years, but they are family and will always have a special place in my heart.

Thankful November-Day 7

Today I offer a list of things I'm thankful for....
Shade trees
Warm blankets
Hot cocoa
Peppermint candy
Thanksgiving
Hot showers
Hot baths
Running water
Electricity
Dogs
Cats
....well, most animals actually.
Food, glorious food.
Music
SOS radio
the 80's
Movie theater popcorn (extra butter of course)
bacon
My senses
My relative good health (knock on wood)
Books
Memories
Pictures
Humor
Slippers
Bumble bees
Lady bugs
Flowers
Air conditioning
Swimming pools
Indoor plumbing
Toothpaste
Teachers
..............
This day, and yesterday, and tomorrow.

Thankful November-Day 6

Of course, today I need to express my gratitude for my children.
Four beautiful, amazing sweet kids.
I'm so lucky to be their mom.
I'm so glad they picked me.

Thankful November Day 5

I'm so thankful for my mom and dad.

 

 

I really appreciate all the time and love they have given me over the years. I really appreciate their parenting and the way they raised me.

I love them so much. I really wish we lived closer.

 

 

Thankful November-Day 4

Tonight, as I was swearing at my van as I tried to fill the tank with fuel, it occurred to me that I should be grateful to have a vehicle.
And I am.
Even though we've sunk too much money into them for repairs this year.
Even though the stupid fuel pump thingy clicks off even though the danged tank is nowhere near full every time I try to fill it with gas
I am so grateful we have two vehicles that mostly work most of the time. :)

Thankful November-Day 3

Today I just want to say how thankful I am for my wonderful husband.
Jon is so good to me. We've been married for sixteen years and his love hasn't dwindled.
I really feel like our love has just grown. Which I'm sure it has.
We laugh at something every day  I think. Sure we have weathered a few ups and downs over these few years, but not in our marriage--it's just good. I'm so grateful for that.

Thankful November-Day 2

Honestly, I think I'm grateful today for the reminders I get on Facebook to be grateful..i.e. the other people who are posting their grateful items. lol  Without them, I'd have forgotten completely.

But really, I'm grateful for this time of year when I get the reminder to be grateful. It's so good to take some time and reflect upon the many ways I have been blessed. They can be easy to lose sight of in the day to day monotony (and sometimes struggles) of life. It can really take the edge off sometimes just to realize how very fortunate I am.

So, that's it for today--short and sweet.

Nov. 2nd--I am grateful for this wonderful time of year.

:)

Thankful November

Goodness.

This year is just flying by. October REALLY flew by.
I have a fifteen year old now.
I'm lame and hardly post anything these days, so there was no birthday post.
My Halloween pics (the few that I took) are currently on facebook. I'll try to remember to post them here later, along with a birthday post for Ashley.

For now, I wanted to take a moment and post something I'm grateful for. I really need to take some time this month and try to do this every day. I need to be more mindful of my blessings.

So, today-even though it wasn't the greatest work day ever. I want to post that I'm grateful for my new job.

Yup, I got a new job. How lame am I that I haven't even posted about that yet. I am SO done with
MGM. I was really, REALLY tired of working in the casino environment. Tired of the smoky atmosphere, selling liquor and tobacco and having to card people who didn't appreciate being carded. Tired of looking at half-dressed (or less than half-dressed) women out looking for who knows what. That scene is so far removed from where I want my life to be, so I'm EXTREMELY grateful not to have to go there every day now and be IN that world.

I got hired by RC Willey as an office associate/cashier. Their cashier's are considered office associates because it's much more involved than a typical cashier position. I don't think I knew what I was getting myself into, there's so much to learn. But, still....I'm so grateful for this opportunity. I get to see my sweet family a little bit more now than I used to. I get to be home with my kids in the evenings, help them with their homework; tuck them into bed. I get Sunday's OFF!!! Yes!! I've been wanting a job that didn't require Sundays.

So, I've been there a week. The associates I work with are super nice. I'm a little stressed about how much I don't know and how much there is to learn, but I'm just trying not to get overwhelmed. Hopefully I won't screw anything up. :)

November 1st--Thankful for my new job!

How can this be?

In a little over two weeks, my oldest child will turn fifteen years old.

Old enough for her learners permit.....

My mind is boggled at the thought.

Peachy keen!

Well, almost a month into the new school year. Seems like we're all getting acclimated to our new routine.

I've been looking for a new job. No luck so far, although I do have an interview Tuesday with a furniture store. Wish me luck.
I'm dying to get out of the casino. So tired of the atmosphere there, not to mention the cigarette smoke and drunk people. :)

I'm about a year into my calling as Primary President, still procrastinating like a champ. Hopefully I'll get my act together in the next year.

We're hoping to find a house to rent within our ward boundaries. The lease on our apartment is up at the end of November. It's been a good place for us, but we'd really like to find a house with a yard for the kids and the dogs. Apartment life just doesn't cut it when you've got kids and dogs.  Hopefully if we can find something (not much available for rent in our desired area right now), we'll be able to afford to move.

We've had more car trouble this year than we can stand; I'm really SICK of car trouble. Praying that we're done with it for the year. As of yet, I don't trust Jon's car. I drive it to work, and ever since it broke down on me a month or so ago, I'm just not feeling the love. Trust is not easy to restore. :)

The weather is cooling down! Yay!! That's THE best news to date. I'm so tired of the heat. We're looking at mid 80's to low 90's for the week ahead. I'm thrilled!! Think I might just use the oven this week. Woot!

I did this this week:

First time I've canned anything. I bought 27 pounds of peaches from someone on facebook who went to Utah on a fresh fruit run. What an awesome service. They turned out really well. Let me tell you, those peaches taste awesome. They remind me of my Grandma Allen's house, she always had bottled peaches. I also got about 20 pounds of apples. They are SO good. I was thinking of bottling applesauce, but they're just so good that I don't think I want to sacrifice any. I did get some caramels the other day. Think I'm making caramel apples tomorrow. Yum!

I love autumn.

Ugh!

Only the third day into the new school year and the drama has already begun.

This little cutie is struggling today. He did NOT want to go to school. He was crying all morning at the prospect. He said he was scared. Of what? I asked. He didn't know. Says his teacher is nice, and nobody is mean to him; but still....doesn't want to go. I don't know what to do for him or say to him to make it better.

I don't know what to do for him or say to him to make it better. I feel bad for him, but he's got to go to school.

We went through this last year too, but it was a little bit further into the school year. For about a month, he didn't want to go to school and moped about in the mornings, trying to get out of it. He wouldn't go play on the playground with his friends, would just cling to my hand until the bell rang. He'd be fine after school, tell me he had a good day. But he wouldn't want to go again the next morning.
And then one day everything was ok again. We got to school and he ran off to play.

I hope that day comes quick.

First Day of School

Kicking off a new school year. Four kids and three schools.

Yay!

 Ms. Rosen and Justin

 

 Ms. Martin and Jason

 

 

 Haley in front of her school...thank goodness it's across the street from the boys' school.

 Almost forgot to get a pic of Ashley, had to snap one or two quick before she ran into seminary.

(trying to get out of the car before I took anymore photos)

 

aaand, got one in after school. She's even sorta smiling. :)