Thankful For... one last!

I know I missed a few days... but I was having a great time with our good friends up north and I didn't even think about my computer!
I am so thankful for my five senses! Thanksgiving dinner would hold very little joy without all the sights, scents, tastes... mmmmmmm! I'm thankful that I can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch!
I am thankful for good books... there are so many, I couldn't name just one! I love reading, always have!! I love reading a good book and I think it's great that we have so many good choices out there!
I am thankful for my camera and all the fun memories it captures! What would I do if I couldn't flip back through all our photos and see what our kids looked like as they grew? I love looking back through our photos. It makes me realize how much the kids have grown!
I am so thankful for the generosity and love of others. I love going into our church to see the boxes for food donations crammed full of food, canned goods and other stuff for people who are less fortunate. We have been the recipients of that generosity several times in our lives and it got us through some rough times.
I am so thankful for music! I LOVE music. It has such a great power. I am especially in love with all the Christmas music that is pouring out of every radio now. I love good music. I enjoy being in our ward choir and I LOVE hearing little Jillian sing me Primary songs.
I am extremely grateful for all the good and bad that have come our way this year. It is amazing, looking back, how much has happened this year. I am just so grateful for all my many, many blessings. We are so richly blessed and I feel it tonight! Thanks for joining me in my Thankfullness!

How Rude Are You?

I found an article about rudeness when I was browsing a new site, www.kirtsy.com. It really made me stop and think! We, as a nation, are getting more and more rude in our everyday interactions with each other!! There was a link to a QUIZ from Oprah that I took. It's amazing to me that there are a lot of things that we do now with our cell phones or what not that could be considered rude behavior and I don't know if we realize the things that we do every day that would constitute modern "rude" behavior. Here is the link to the article. Just something to think about!

Thankful For...

Only a few more days of my Thankful for posts... I have really enjoyed having a theme to my posting! Today is cold and windy and our beautiful tree in the backyard has finally lost the majority of it's leaves. There are a few still clinging to the bare branches, but not many! The kids were hoping that they could go pile up the leaves and jump in them. Too bad the maintenance men came this morning and blew them all away! They ruin all the fun!! :) Anyways...
I am thankful for my friends. I have been truly blessed over the years in my friendships! I have met some truly amazing women and I'm so glad we have the internet to keep us in touch! I made a Facebook account (after about a million requests to do so...) and it's been amazing how many people I've been able to reconnect with! I love seeing the growing families of all my friends and how their lives have changed. Same with checking out everyone's blogs!! I just love it! We are just so lucky to have the technology we have. I am so blessed to have so many great friends who enrich my life with their wisdom and encouragement. I don't know how we would make it on our journey through this life without the friends we have. They lift our loads, make us laugh and keep us moving onward and hopefully upward! Thanks to all of you, my friends!!

Thankful For...

I am thankful for modern medicine! Jeremiah was very sick over the weekend and I am so glad he was able to take some medications that made him feel better and turned the tables on his nasty bronchitis!! What a blessing it is to have doctors, hospitals and the medicines we use!

I know I listed America as one of the things I was thankful for in that first post... but this time I am thankful for the Freedom that we enjoy as Americans. I was reading in a magazine about some women in some third world country (my memory is not cooperating!) who are not free. They don't get to make choices in their lives. I love that I have so many choices and that I won't be hurt or killed because I choose to wear jeans, visit Walmart, be a member of the LDS church, drive a Toyota.... We are so blessed to have so much freedom. I am thankful for that!

Thankful for...

I am thankful for color! I bought this box of crayons when I got frustrated with the poor condition of our other crayon boxes... I had been working on a project for Primary tomorrow and was doing a lot of coloring! I was so glad that Heavenly Father gave us so many beautiful colors to look at and that Crayola made them into such handy little utensils with so many fun names! I have never seen so many shades of Green and I love every one!!
I think I'm behind a day or so... so I'm also thankful for the sun! It has been so cold here and the only thing that saves me in the mornings at the bus stop is standing in the sunshine!! It is so nice and warm! It at least makes it bearable! Yay sunshine!

Thankful For...

I am thankful for my sweet cell phone. It keeps me organized and on time to all my appointments. It has the internet so I can read emails and blogs when our internet is down (quite a lot!) It has the scriptures on it so I can read my Book of Mormon in the dark if Chris is asleep! It is perfect for texting and, Oh yeah!... It's a phone!! :) Love new technology right!



I'm thankful for our trampoline! It keeps my kids completely happy and healthy every sunny and warm day!!

Thankful for... double duty

I am thankful for Black and White photography. There is just something about it... It makes everything look so much more SWEET!! I was looking back through photos today and found these gorgeous b&w photos from 2004. We were just about ready to leave home and head out to join Chris in Military Life! Big changes were ahead...
I'm thankful for this opportunity we have had to see more of our great country through Chris' service in the army. It's been eye-opening in many ways and has helped us all grow so much. That is what life is about, right? Growing? Changing? Learning?

 

Look how cute they were!! Jess was 6 and Mi was 4

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I love how this photo made me look so skinny! I wasn't back then!

 

Here are my kids and little sis, who isn't so LITTLE any more!!

 

Love this little birdhouse in my parent's backyard!

Thankful For...

I am thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ. I spoke to my Primary class today about His great example. He truly has shown us the way. All we need to do is follow! I know that He lives and that He loves us. I know that I will see Him again one day. I hope I have the strength and courage to endure to the end.

Thankful for...

 
My sweet Grandma Fawson, and all my grandparents!! They taught me so much as I grew up! Still do. I love my Grandma Johnson for her spunky spirit and her creative genius - thanks for that! I love my Grandma Fawson for her love of reading, beautiful things and gentle spirit. What wonderful women!!

Thankful For...

Sorry, I slacked yesterday! Here are two things...

I am so thankful for my sweet Chris! He does so much for our little family. He is an amazing dad. The kids always look forward to the moment he comes through the door in the evenings. He helps them with homework, plays with them and they just love the attention. I can just relax and worry about getting dinner and finishing up all the other things I've been working on all day. He puts the kids to bed each evening with a song and then comes out to spend time with me. I'm so lucky to have him and I'm thankful for everything he does for me and the kids! Love you!!


I am very thankful for our awesome van. I never wanted to be a van driving mama... but I would never go back! LOVE. I'm thankful that it gets us from A to B with all the crap that we have to bring along... It's amazing!

Thankful For...

I am thankful for all my sweet siblings!

I'm Thankful For...

I read about a great idea the other day - taking photos of the things you're thankful for, one for each day in November, and doing something creative with them. Well, I decided I would post them on my blog and I've been taking the pictures... but not posting! So here are 11 of the things I'm thankful for... with more to come!
P.S. I know thinking about all the things one is thankful for can help chase away all the dark and dismal thoughts that can pervade one's head... I hope it helps clear mine!
P.S.S. These are in no particular order... just how they uploaded!


Jesus Christ

The Temple

A clean sink!

Sunflowers. Flowers in general!

America!

My computer! (when it's working!)

Good books to read!


This beautiful World we live in!


My Parents


Chris' Parents


My Family

Little Miss Negative

We are not liking it here. It wasn't my favorite the first time we were here... and it hasn't gotten any better. The thing that got us here was the promise of no deployment and that is about all that we're still happy about. The housing here on Post is AWFUL and we are just horrified at how "well" we're taken care of by the company who runs it. Picerne was a dream compared to them! The school here on post is not run by DOD and it is TERRIBLE. It is run by one of the counties here and their school is the "Star" school for this County... It makes me sad for all the kids in any of the other schools if this school is the BEST?!? We are currently searching for somewhere to live off post up in the other County where hopefully the schools are better. We like our neighbors, mostly. The kids love the huge tree in the backyard and that is the only saving grace here. Our apartment is a TINY 3 bedroom which they put us in KNOWING we qualified for a 4 bedroom, but it was what was "available" and we were leery of the ancient housing we might have been placed in so we took it. This one we're in was built in the 70's and was absolutely FILTHY on move-in day. It's just been a horrible experience for me. Our ward really hasn't grown on me yet. There are a few promising women who I'd like to get to know, but everyone pretty much doesn't try to get to know any of us Military families... even though we'll be here for 3 years!! They have me in scouts and teaching the 6 year olds. Not my favorite. They didn't even call us in to get to know us... just called in to give us callings. They got Chris' calling right though! He is in the Nursery with Jilli and loves it. I really wouldn't mind being in Primary. My class is great and I have fun coming up with stuff to keep them entertained for an hour... but the first Sunday I was called, I went in there and sat down, thinking that someone in the Presidency would come up and get me all the gear and tell me where to go, etc. Nope. I had to go over and ask. Then she was like, "Oh, uh, hmmmmm. I think we're going to put you in the 6 year olds class. We have a lot of 6 year olds and I think we'll split that class AGAIN to get you some kids to teach..." Yeah. It made me feel like I was an afterthought and that they were just sticking me in a calling to check me off their list!!! Not a good experience for me. I am really having trouble with scouts too. I work with a great lady who is so patient with the crazy 8 year olds, but she's not been able to be there for a few weeks and I CANNOT handle the crazies. My one saving grace is that Jeremiah is one of my scouts and just looking at his sweet face with his eyes rolling... keeps me sane, sort of! Chris came on Weds and helped me out and EVEN HE had a hard time with them. He said that there should be 3 MEN put into that calling... I agree. Sorry to rant... I'm just getting so depressed about being here. I really do try to talk to people and go to all the RS Groups and activities... but it's been 2+ months and I'm still struggling. This is only our 2nd home in the Military... but I'm just really hating it. I want to go back to Bragg!! :) We were so spoiled there! I am going to start school online in January so that will keep me busy. I won't give up...as much as I want to, but it really feels like I'm banging my head against the wall. Sorry again to rant!! I think I've just been holding it in too much! Any advice?? I know I'm being a wimp. A situation is what you make of it... but I don't know how I can face all the bad things. We had a huge flood/river of water in our backyard on Wednesday that was caused by a water main break. It was the last straw for me I think... grrrrr. I guess I should be looking at the fact that the water didn't come in my house and we were only without water for a few hours.... I'm such a pessimist! How do I stop being like that?!?!?!?

I took the Quiz...

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VOTE!!

Have any of you seen the ad by a myriad of stars where they all start out saying, "Don't Vote!"? I watched it the other night on someone's blog (although I can't find it now! I guess that's what I get for stalking...) It is really interesting to me how sometimes famous people can come together and use their "powers" for good! I think that encouraging people to get out and vote is a great thing. I know as a teen, I would have been motivated to get out there by seeing Tom Cruise on my television!

I and my hubby have already voted. We did absentee ballots from Utah a week or two ago. I love voting! Always have! I can't remember who I voted for the first time I voted but I know it was a lot of fun! I liked going into the poll booth and punching my little silver stick through the holes! More importantly, I liked being involved, making my little voice heard, putting in my two cents! It was great. It is still great! If you haven't voted... get out there and do it! It's such an important part of our heritage as American's! Do It!!