Hallelujah! Modern Convenience! - Day 4

I have many much more important things and people in my life to be grateful for, but today....I am grateful for modern convenience! How nice to have a beautiful tub with hot running water and lovely smelly soap to soak in and rejuvinate your body! How great to have a dishwasher to load the sticky grimy dishes in and they come out sparkly clean (with the right soap anyway) Lights, television, cameras, furniture, shelter, food and the list goes on! .... How grateful I feel for all these wonderful creations!

Day 3 - A Grateful Heart!

I am late in posting my gratitude today! I have been thinking about what I wanted to list next! After listening to my hardworking husband in the basement all day, I decided it what be appropriate to pay tribute to him! After nearly 30 years of association with this guy, I am sure I could write all day, but when I think of what I am most appreciative of, I think it would have to be his commitment to a cause! We have had many ups and downs in our relationship, but I never doubt his commitment to me. He has given me opportunities I never dreamed of! Some I probably never would have chosen, but what a trip it has been!I am so appreciative of his commitment to his priesthood responsibilities, of his willingness to take me to the temple, of his support of my family, but most of all of his desire to be a good husband and father. I will never forget watching him hold each of his children for the first time and the many times he got up in the night to change them and bring them into me. I think my love for him has grown the most as I have watched him pray, worry, and be proud of our children. What a joy it has been to share in the joy with him as our children have married and brought more angels from heaven to our home! We worry about our children together and we rejoice in our children together. I love his passion for God's great creations. He like my parents, has set a good example to me of enduring hard times and letting them strenghten you!


I look forward to sharing many more exciting moments with our posterity!

What a wonderful world!

Gratitude - Day 2

As I think about the world tendencies to blame others for all our problems, it makes me reflect on the blessing of good wholesome parents in my life. Did they get an instruction manuel to help raise me, most likely not! Did they do their best to set an example of hard working, honest people, a most emphatic yes! I believe we learn the most from the examples in our lives. I am so grateful for parents who kept on trying despite the adversity in their lives. Both of my parents are children of the depression. My father is one of the last WWII veterans. My mother lost her mother when she was just starting her own family. As I reflect on the opportunities I have to help my girls with their families, my heart aches for my mother. She did not have a mother to call for a recipe or advice or just to talk to about the cute things her children were doing. Soon after she lost her mother, she lost her little sister to childbirth. Then, just when they should be enjoying grandparenting my parents lost their firstborn daughter to cancer. Did I ever witness their faith falter - no! Were they always there for me - yes! At a crucial time in my life, when I had five small children mind you, my parents allowed us to move into their basement until we could get ourselves on our feet. I still remember the time when I was pregnant with Nathan and a little bit over the top emotional - Randy was gone for the first extended time in our married life. A rather large bee got in my house, silly girl that I was, called my parents and my dad made the three mile drive to my house to kill the bee. They have always set an excellent example of service to me. Sometimes to the dismay of my mother, you could always find my father helping the widows, shoveling the walks in the neighborhood. Both of my parents were always the last at the ward parties, in the kitchen doing the dishes, cleaning the church or doing whatever needed to be done. Have I experienced clashes of personality with my parents - yes, quite often! But their example in my life has been engraven on my heart and they are certainly one of my greatest blessings! Even in their twilight years they continue to show me how they serve one another. My heart aches for them as they struggle with the adversity of old age, but as is their pattern they continue to march on, putting their shoulder to the wheel!
Thank goodness for the gift of parents!

Gratitude Attitude

I have decided that my mood has been quite somber at this election season. I have felt very disappointed, yet at this same time very grateful to be a citizen of this great country. I do believe our country has some major issues to face. Some of which unless we return to values of integrity, hard work and moral values, we may not be able to overcome. But...as I have contemplated what my responsibility in the world is I have realized it is important that I meditate and ponder on the things which I am grateful for, so I have decided to create a "Gratitude Journal". My goal is to begin each day with a moment of gratitude and to try and write it down. Today, I am grateful for the knowledge I have of my Savior Jesus Christ and the door it opens for me to have communion with my Father in Heaven. How wonderful and comforting to know of their divine love and compassion for me and all those on the face of this earth. The knowledge I have of their mercy and desire for all things good for us brings such peace to my soul. Also, the blessing they have given us in a modern day living Prophet. President Monson continues to remind me of the blessings of relationships and service to others. His hope and love of the people he serves brings solace to my soul. So this day as our country faces a new direction, I realize my job is to draw on the words in 1 Nephi 31:20 and continue to "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Well this blogging thing is turning out to be the best journaling I do, so I guess I better update. This has been a crazy week! The school I worked at last year convinced me to come back for two days a week and I am still taking my tax class. I finished up the girls pajamas for Christmas and got the boys done except for the elastic. We had a little pie social here tonight after our ward temple trip. It was a nice evening.
Tomorrow is Nate's 26th birthday! (26 on the 26th) I can't believe it. We were going to go to Logan and have a birthday party for him, but Grandma Dorothy wants us to come to her house. It will be hard on Randy because he has drill until 4 p.m., but I have decided relationships should be our priority! ...so off we go to Preston tomorrow. I am heading to Idaho on Halloween to pick up my parents and bring them down here for the weekend. I hope it is not to hard on them, but we thought it might be good for my dad to get out. Guess we will try it and see.

Wyoming here we come....

We had a nice fall break! Randy wanted to go and see Dirk and the Oviatt's so off we went to Afton! What a nice relaxing weekend. Nate and Randy headed up into the mountains to play and Alisa, Jordan and I played with Charla and her family. Actually, I think Alisa tried to study. She has a crazy load this year, and college can get a little stressful! We are glad we got to have her around a couple of days.


I forgot what a nice slow pace a small town living provides. Life just gets so harried here. Jordan and Wendall went on a bike ride and found a couple of bucks. We went on a nice fall walk and just enjoyed the day. Charla helped me with some projects and we just got caught up. Her family was such a gift to ours! I really miss having someone that is so comfortable at our home and we at theirs. Guess I need to get out of my shell and make some longer lasting friendships here in West Point!

COME LISTEN TO A PROPHETS VOICE....

I absolutely love General Conference weekend, for several reasons. It is always so uplifting to hear the messages of faith and hope. I have been trying to come prepared with questions in my mind as I listen to conference of situations in my life and how to handle them. It seems the last few times Elder Uchtdorf has been the one to really give me answers. If I was as smart as my daughter Emily, I would link you to his talk, but he really reached in and touched my heart and gave me hope at this challenging time in our world and lives. I am so grateful for the words of apostles and prophets, what a blessing. Instead of the nightly news, we need a daily dose of one of the conference talks. I especially loved how Elder Holland told us to move forward with faith not fear! Every generation has its challenges and problems, but we all have the blessing of the Spirit if we will just seek it. What peace it brings me!!!

The other blessing of conference is my children generally try to come home. It is craziness, but the craziness of my favorite kind! What a great weekend. And in October it is Rylie's birthday party, so we have to squeeze some fun time in there for her!



This year we tried going to the Deseret Book ladies night out - - I think we have more fun at home playing!


And...next time, my goal is to get a picture of all the handsome men on their way to Priesthood session! What awesome guys we have!