Giving Thanks!

Well, my dessert is almost done, my ham is going to start in a half hour, my green bean casserole doesn't need to be started for a few hours, the kids are watching TV, and Brian is off playing football. That leaves me with a few minutes to think about all that I have to be grateful for this beautiful Thanksgiving Day!

As this month has gone on we have been talking with the kids a lot about what they are grateful for. We have gotten a lot of standard answers my family, my friends, my toys, and school. We have also gotten some unusual answers like my teeth and bunny rabbits. It has been fun and I really think the kids have learned even more the importance of "thank you" not only to friends and neighbors, but also to our Heavenly Father.

I have also been thinking about all the things that I am grateful for and to be honest my list looks a lot like the kids. I love my family dearly. Brian is amazing and works for hard me and the kids. He does more for us each day then would be possible to thank him for and I love him dearly. Ethan is the best big brother, always ready and willing to help when it is needed. Olivia is just as beautiful as can be on the inside and out. She loves more then any child I know, and is so caring to others. Kai brings so much life and laughter to our family. He will do ANYTHING! I feel so blessed that I get to spend each and everyday with these four great people. I am also grateful for wonderful friends to laugh, cry and confide in.

This year I have also thought of things that are difficult for me to be thankful for. For instance, "I am thankful for Brian being out to sea" has never been apart of my prayers. I know last March when I lost a baby that the word "thanks" wasn't anywhere near my prayers.

While I recognize the difference between being thankful "in" hard circumstances and being thankful "for" hard circumstances. I have come to the conclusion, through searching the scriptures, we are asked to be both.

This year I want to try and be grateful for things that I am not really grateful for in hopes of learning lessons that need to be learned, growing closer to my Father in Heaven, and actually being grateful for things that well, I just don't want to be grateful for.

I know that one day I will understand the big plan and that everything will make since to me. While I wish that day was today, I know it is not. But I do know that if I put more faith in my Lord and Savior things will slowly become clearer in my mind. And that knowledge alone is something to be grateful for.

I hope everyone has a great day! Enjoy the food, family, and friends!

Olivia's Daily Battle

Since school started two months ago Olivia has been frustrated with how awesome Kindergarten is and the fact that she is NOT in it!

It all started with school supply shopping. I was hoping this would be a quick trip to Target, but turned into a battle, and Olivia's first realization that Ethan was moving on and she was not. Of course I allowed her to pick out a few new supplies for school, but that was not enough! It was the list that she really wanted.

That day finally ended and then she realized that he got to eat lunch at school! I am choosing to pretend that she didn't throw a MAJOR tantrum that only two year olds should ever get away with, and tell you that she expressed her frustration yet another time.

It seems that as time has gone on she finds more and more things that Ethan gets to do in Kindergarten that she doesn't get to do in Preschool.

Well, this week is Parent Teacher Conference week. A week that Ethan gets home at 11:45 everyday. A week that he doesn't get to eat lunch at school, and a week that she gets to wave goodbye to him on her way school in the afternoon.

Needless to say this has been a VERY good week for Olivia. Finally, she has won! At least on her own mind!

Happy Birthday Shama!

Shama is now the big 31! As she would say she is now engulfed in her thirties! She is:

A beautiful woman inside and out

Married to Jon and mother to Caden and Ella who are all so in love with her

Primary President who stays busy trying to meet everyone's needs

Her phones rings at least 15 times a day, and she answers them all!

ALWAYS running a little bit late

Has a great since of humor

Kind and loving

Honest and trustworthy!

All in all she is a great friend who I love and feel blessed to know. Happy Birthday!

Friends

Well, since Kai was taking a nap and Ethan and Olivia were at school I figured I would work on getting the office downstairs ready for my new monitor. As I was cleaning out the room I came upon my pictures from Junior High and High School. I couldn't help but laugh, shake my head, roll my eyes, and enjoy all the great memories I have of great people.

I was the first one of our little group to move away, and so as a result many of those great friends that I spend so much time with growing, learning, and making mistakes with have dwindled away. I feel very fortunate to have found a few of them in this blogging world, and am grateful for the few phone numbers I have left.

Well, after looking through all the pictures and enjoying people that have meant so much to me over the years I have decided to make a greater effort to reach out and have better contact with the wonderful friends I have so many wonderful memories of.

Thank you for all the fun and mischief that we had together. Thanks for all the memories that I can look back on and enjoy. I feel so blessed to have had great friends at every point in my life this far.

I hope the pictures don't embarrass or torture anyone too much! I was selective in my choices! I love and miss you guys!

GOOD BYE MY LOVE!

As said by Jim Carey in Dumb and Dumber!






Today I am send off my lens to get fixed and in three business day I will have it back good as new! It broke this summer when I was in Nashville, and every time I saved up the money to get it fixed something big broke or we NEEDED something else more. But not this time! I have the money and I am going to quickly use it before anything else comes up!

Projects!

As Halloween has ended and we anticipate Thanksgiving and Christmas I find myself with an ever growing list of things "to do". Now I will admit right away that I am one to write something down after I have done it just to check it off. That's right! It isn't good enough for me to have just done it, but it needs to get written down and checked off no matter how small and insignificant.

Last year around this time we had an enrichment activity that talked mainly about getting our homes organized and clean. So, being the reason we had that lesson I listened closely and took notes. When I got home I went strait to the Fly Lady website that they suggested, read a little and signed up. I was ready! I made my notebook that next day and was on my way to little or no mess and chaos. Immediately after signing up I think I had 10-12 emails from fly lady, and then the next day at least ten more. As it went on and I tried to keep up Brian decided to give fly lady her own folder in the email, and before I knew it there were hundreds then thousands of emails "flying" in that folder. Now I only needed one a day which specified that days task, but it became such a chore searching for that ONE email that I just gave up. However, I didn't give up until making a Holiday notebook filled with things I never even thought of that needed to get done in time for Christmas. So, I decided this year that I wasn't going to let Fly Lady fill my mind with all these things that I NEED to do.

Instead, I found this blog to fill my mind with ideas and things that must be done in time for Christmas like this and this.

So, I have decided it isn't the fault these crazy website that have me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. It is the fault of the people who tell me about these websites, filled with great ideas, that are only good for people who have self control and are reasonable about time management. After all I am the type of person who doesn't do things because they need to get done, but so that I check them off a list!

This is Halloween NIGHT!

This summer Kai decided that he was going to be the Joker (from The Dark Knight) for Halloween. He had seen many previews and just fell in love with the character. Eventually Brian convinced me to go see the movie with him and so off we went. It wasn't until then that I had any objections to Kai costume choice. The Joker, in my opinion, is the worst of the worst when it comes to bad guys. I would much rather have a run in with The Green Goblin, Darth Vader, or even Charles Manson over THE JOKER!

So, my decision was to not sweat it. After all when he had come to the decision we were a good three months away from Halloween, and really we are talking about a two year old here. He was bound to change his mind at least 10 or 20 more times before the actual day came, right? WRONG!

We spend just under two hours in the costume store trying to make the big decision for all of the kids. Ethan and Olivia were just so excited to look at all the costumes and make their choice, but not Kai! He just sat in the cart glancing over the options, but responded with "that not duh joker," over and over as I showed cute age appropriate idea. He just wasn't going to have any of. His mind was made up and he wasn't going to settle. So, we left with face make up so I could paint him up just like The Joker.

Now onto Olivia's choice! We ended up on this super cute Zoo Keeper, but what she really wanted was to be a Cyborg Alien. I was just heartbroken to tell her that they didn't have it in her size and then refocus her to the girl section!


And Ethan my very reasonable costume picker found the blue power ranger and it was perfect for him.

We of course started our night with a spooky dinner made of roast, ghost shaped mashed potatoes, slimy salad, corn, and monster apple mouths. We drank blood of course with missing body parts somewhere inside, and I didn't finish the cupcakes desserts. Lame I KNOW! Sorry this is sideways, I tried to fix it but I couldn't!

Over all we had a great Halloween. The kids scored pretty big between trunk or treat and regular trick or treating. I was too tired last night to confiscate my favorite candies from each so I am saving that for tonight!