Angel kisses

This week has been a hard one for us... tomorrow is Felicity's 1st birthday. As you can imagine we've had a lot of emotions running rampant in our house. Tonight we took the kids to McDonald's to get out and let them play. Right when we got there, an adorable little girl probably right around a year old with brown hair walked right up to me. She smiled at me and I said "Hi" and waved at her, she walked up and put her hands on my knee, then after a minute of me smiling at her she bent her head down and kissed my knee; then looked up smiled and walked away. So I sat there in the McDonald's play land trying very unsuccessfully NOT to cry, but the tears came down anyway.

As I sat there I thought how much this little girl was about Felicity's age and had brown hair like Felicity. I thought that my little girl must have sent her to me to give me a kiss knowing that it was a hard time and I was missing her so much! I felt that she had reached across the veil and sent her to me; just to give me a kiss from a sweet little angel that is still here. Oh how I love and miss my sweet little girl.

Sunrise

Today I'm grateful for a new day, a new morning, a new sunrise. There is a Michael McClean song that has a line in it that goes... "There's no telling how much that sunrise means to the one who had a terrible night..."

I feel that way today and I'm grateful for the hope of a new day with new possibilities and when things don't look quite as bad as they did during the night. I'm thankful for new beginnings.

Paycheck

Today I'm grateful for paychecks. I'm glad my husband gets paychecks. I'm thankful he has a job, that he provides for us.

Gratitude Tree

I'm thankful for the internet and people sharing their great ideas! I read this yesterday and am going to start doing this in my family this year! I'm so grateful for the idea to bring gratitude to the front of our minds the whole month of November leading up to Thanksgiving!

The Gratitude Tree

In the fall, our family goes on walks to find colorful leaves. After collecting several of our favorites, we seal them in clear Con-Tact paper to preserve them. We put up our artificial Christmas tree on November 1 (without decorations), and every day until Thanksgiving each family member chooses a leaf, writes one thing he or she is grateful for, and hangs it on the tree. As the leaves accumulate, it’s easy for our kids to see how many blessings we have in our lives.

Our Gratitude sign in the tree

Here is our Gratitude Tree

the 1st night we added leaves

(and hand turkeys)

Strength to do hard things

Today I'm grateful for mental and emotional strength and help from our Father in Heaven. I was thinking last night that this year I have tried to do some things that are hard for me. They may sound silly to you, but for one reason or another I have felt the need to change them in my life.

First, we got rid of our TV. This has been very hard for both Anthony and myself but we love the change it has brought in our home. It's still hard every day but we are committed to the improvement we feel in our family from this change.

Second, we have tried not to go out to eat. This too is a huge change. Neither Anthony nor I like to cook, but it saves us money and gives us quality time with our children to sit down to dinner together. This also means that I've begun cooking dinners on a regular basis; I didn't like it at all when I started and now I see the benefits and see that it's worth the effort.

Also, I don't like cleaning at all. I haven't done well at this most of our married life. I have tried to change this also. I really like this. At the Relief Society General broadcast we sang "Home can be a Heaven on Earth". Since then, I have tried to do all I can to make my home such a heaven.

The final and probably most difficult for me is I am trying to give up reading my fictional novels that I love. They have served as an escape for me when life has been too hard. However, I read them to extremes and so I see the need to step back.

These are all still difficult each day, but I pray for help and am so thankful to receive it. I'm grateful to be able to grow and for the strength to do it.

Haupia Chocolate Pudding pie

Today, I'm thankful for good friends. Last night a friend brought over a haupia chocolate pudding pie. She had made two and brought the second over because she knew one of my boys LOVES haupia! I was so glad to see her. The weather is getting colder and we don't see people as much right now.

I was reminded of all the kindnesses people have done for us and how often we've been blessed to have others think of us. We've gotten cakes, cookies, vegitables, cards, invitaions, flowers, and I could go on and on with all the thoughtful things others have done to let us know they're thinking of us. I'm so Grateful for friends!

Perspective

I'm grateful for the new perspective life experiences give us. As I look back over my life and some of the hardest times and the things I've struggled with the most, I have seen so much more understanding come from it. I have thought lately that I would never willingly go through any of my trials again, but I'm so thankful that each time my eyes have been opened to a new side of life's experiences. We are each given many experiences that shape us, and I'm glad for the form being shaped on me.

Drunk with a canoe

The other day one of my husband's friends was celebrating his 10th wedding anniversary and said that after 10 yrs of marriage he had learned not to come home drunk with a new canoe. We had a good laugh over that, and so today, I am grateful that my husband has NEVER come home drunk with a canoe and I will never have to worry that he will! I love you Anthony!

So Many things to be thankful for!

Wow! I have been without my computer for a bit and I have missed being able to write a few things as I thought of them, but I have still tried each day to be thankful and count my blessings. I'm beginning to realize just how many I really have!

Some of them I remember are: first, my computer and internet connection so that I can stay in touch with all my wonderful friends from different stages of my life. I have been glad to have gas $ to travel to my sister's for the 4th of July, we had a great time!

I've been so happy for my boys! Hyrum brought me hot chocolate in bed again this morning, this is about the 3rd time he's done it since Mother's Day. I love him! Gabe tells me all the time how much he loves me even more than the whole universe, I constantly try to keep up with him, but he always seems to come up with just a bit more love than I have. I don't know how he does it, but I love him VERY much! Isaac makes me laugh and brings a smile to my face every day. He thinks he's so funny! And I have to agree, I love the joy and enthusiasm he has for life!

There have been so many over the past little bit, but it would take a while to get them all down, so I'll just have to start fresh today.

Finally, for today, I'm glad for change and the ability that we have to learn and grow. I'm so glad I'm not doomed to be the me that I am today, I'm glad I get a chance to always try to improve myself so that the me of tomorrow will hopefully be better than the me of today! =)

Eternal friendships

I got an email from a friend today that had me in tears. She was sharing kind thoughts with me and lifting me up. I'm so grateful for good friendships that will last through eternity. She was lifting me up when I didn't even know I was down. I'm so thankful that she followed her instincts to send me a kind word. I'm grateful to know I am loved, and to have so many people to love in return. What a beautiful blessing, and what would life and eternity be without them. I am so thankful.

And to you my friend FROG always! You bring joy and beauty to my life.

Backyard

The sun is FINALLY shining again today in Utah and my kids are outside playing in the backyard. After my first son was born we lived in two different places before moving here where we have a backyard that is fenced in and safe for them to play in. During the winter months being cooped up inside with all the snow outside I dream of sunny days and playing outside.
So for today I am grateful that my kids are all playing outside in the backyard and not going crazy inside the house! I love the sun!

Health

I'm grateful for good health and a body free of pain. Physical pain is part of our journey here on earth. We all experience it in some degree or some form. Some have to deal with it each and every day of their lives. For some it limits what they can do or enjoy. For some it is only for a time and others have it always, every day of their lives in different degrees. Suffering brings us new perspective and new priorities.
But currently I am free of any kind of physical pain or discomfort and so for that I am grateful!

Seeing God's hand in my life

I've been inspired by my friend Megan's blog: Joy and happiness, because of this, I'm going to begin something that I've always wanted to do. Begin a gratitude journal. I know Elder Eyring has shared that he tries to look to his life each day and see the hand of God in it. I'm going to try to do the same thing. I know my life is FULL of blessings and I just need to develop eyes to see them. I'm going to try to do this starting today. Thank you Megan for inspiring me! Wish me luck!