Two Thousand Twelve

Awesome and Amazing Things I Want To Do This Year:Lose weight
Go on adventures
Make great memories
Be ultra organized
Take more pictures
Keep up on my blog
Finish the Book of Mormon
Spend less money
Save more money

Spring Break/Summer Trip
Sew

These are some of my resolutions this year.

Losing weight is something I want to do for better health and more energy.

I want to do an adventure each month with the kids, either something we have never done or something out of my comfort zone.

I want the children to have amazing memories of time spent as a family. 

I have started small forays into organization, cleaning out a closet or a drawer and even just cleaning off my kitchen window sill, where everything ends up.  This makes me feel more in control and I like to be in control!

I always forget to take pictures and this is something I want to remedy.  Pictures are wonderful things to look back on and relive those special moments.

Blogging to me is a great release.  I can write down my thoughts and feelings and record important events.  It's my journal of sorts and I want to record our lives.

Finishing the Book of Mormon is a goal I have set for me and my family.  Not only will we have read it, but I think it will make it easier to read it again and all of the knowledge we gain is amazing!

Living within our means is a trial sometimes unless you really look at your needs vs. wants.  Being content with things that aren't the latest and greatest is a wonderful lesson in patience.

I would love to say we are going to save so much a month from each paycheck, but that isn't realistic right now, so hopefully I can save any amount and learn to save more later.

I want to have an awesome Spring Break or Summer Trip planned.  Something fun and memory filled.  It may be going to Vegas or it might just be sitting in our little pool everyday, just as long as it is awesome!

I have 7 boxes of material, 1 box of felt, 2 boxes of yarn and 4 craft boxes.  I shouldn't have to start another project for about 25 years, so I will just settle for finishing something!  I love to sew, crochet and embroider, and I obviously have the materials, I just need to make the time!

Hopefully by this time next year I will have accomplished this list or at least one thing!

 

Gratitude Journal 2011

30th - The Boy Scouts of America.  This is the most amazing organization!  My life wouldn't be the same without it.  Our family loves and lives for Scouting!
29th - Piano and Guitar Teachers.  These women must have Patience as their middle names.  Bless you, bless you, bless you!  Thank you for teaching my children!
28th - Entrepreneurs.  Where would we be without new ideas?  Thank you to any and everyone who ever had the courage to try something different!
27th - Small Businesses.  These places make your town, your town.  They bring character and charm that a big, box company cannot.  Please support your local businesses.
26th - Uncle Duane.  As I write this in January, he has passed away.  He was an awesome person!  Funny, so cute, loved to hold hands.  He stepped into a grandpa role for me and my kids.  Miss him so much!
25th - Farmers and Dairymen.  These individuals keep us feed, what else can I say?  Hopefully the government will recognize that and bail them out some time.
24th - Darady.  Love, love, love this girl!  She is such a sweet, cute girl that on top of everything loves my son!  Can't wait for her to be family one day soon!
23rd - Police and Firefighters.  Everyday heroes that go to work expecting to have to face the worst.  Thank you!
22nd - Home Teaching and Visiting Teaching.  We have had so many wonderful home and visiting teachers over the years.  They bring the Gospel, friendship, and caring into our home and we are all blessed.
21st - People Who Totally Get You.  There are a few people in this world that totally understand me, understand what I am trying to say sometimes without even saying anything.  Two of those people are Sharlene and Benn, thank you for being my friend!
20th - High Priest Sunday.  I know some people would love to skip these but these men have been asked to speak to us once a month to teach us the Gospel.  Ands sometimes you are the only one that needs that lesson and thank goodness they are there!
19th - Birthdays.  Aren't these wonderful things???  They mark our time here on earth and hopefully are a measure of the wisdom we take in.  Happy Birthday Everyone!
18th - The Internet.  Imagine and some of us can remember when we didn't have email, Facebook or blogs.  They make it so much easier and quicker to connect with family and friends - Thank Heavens!
17th - Grocery Stores.  The idea of the market is ages old, but the modern grocery store is a wonder!  You can buy 2 weeks worth of food from frozen, fresh, dry and refrigerated items.  I dread going to the store, but am so grateful I don't have to milk a cow everyday, work in the fields and make everything from scratch!

Gratitude Project

November 11th - Veterans.  From the earliest days of this country, I have had family members fighting for freedom.  I am immensely proud of all the veterans in this country.  They have signed up, put their lives on the line, some have lost their lives, some have been maimed physically and/or mentally and did all of this for themselves, others and for a better life.  They deserve our unwavering respect, love and support.
November 12th - Snow.  I do not like driving in the snow but I do  love watching it fall from the sky.  The water we will have or not have next spring/summer depends on how much we get or don't get now.  Heavenly Father's hand is so evident in this it makes me wonder how anyone could ever question His existence.
November 13th - Nursery Ladies - Susan, Cherri and Kaylee.  They are AWESOME!!!!  I have in the past referred to nursery and scouts as the hell of primary.  No more!  Scouting is something I love now and nursery I am gaining respect for, esp. the people who serve there.  They are kind, loving, firm, fun and wonderful!
November 14th - Public Libraries.  Where else can you go (and we don't have a Walden books anymore) and be surrounded by books, movies, puppets, magazines and other fantastic modes of learning?!?!  We LOVE the library!!! 
November 15th - Modern Medicines.  They can wipe out pain from a suffering loved one, help with life- threatening conditions, treat physical and mental maladies.  There is nothing else so wonderful.  Also, I wouldn't be sane without them!
November 16th - Teachers.  They are wonderful people who get an education to teach it to others!  The low pay and long hours are frightening to me, these are the people we trust our children with everyday for a majority of the day.  People our parents trusted us to!  They should be making the money we give to our sports players and celebrities!  They will be blessed in heaven and hopefully a little here on earth!  Thank you for the wonderful teachers I have had, my children have had, have now and will have in the future, you truly are making a difference in our lives!

Gratitude Project

Today I am thankful for blog readers who don't point out my flaws.  I mixed up some dates.
Nov. 1st - Craig
Nov. 2nd - the children
Nov. 3rd - extended family
Nov. 4th - friends
Nov. 5th - the Gospel
Nov. 6th - America
Nov. 7th - Primary
Nov. 8th - a warm house
Nov. 9th - modern appliances
Nov. 10th - the right to vote

November 9th - Modern Appliances.  I would have made a horrible pioneer!  I need my stove, oven, microwave, fridges, freezers, washer and dryer, vacuum (of course if I was a pioneer I probably wouldn't need this!).  I can't imagine my life without these things!
November 10th - The right to vote.  To decide who I want to lead the government with my tax dollars, is a human right.  So thankful for the women who fought for this.  Hope everyone in the world has this one day.

Gratitude Project

Nov. 4th - The Gospel.  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true.  End of story.  I know this and I will never not know this.  Amen.
Nov. 5th - Living in America.  No other country on the face of this earth has the freedoms we have and the people to defend those freedoms, not only for us, but for others around the world.  Grateful I was born and raised here. 
Nov. 6th - Primary.  If you want to feel the Spirit, all you have to do is come into Primary.  On any given Sunday, you will find the most sweetest, strongest members of the ward there.  They know what is right and wrong and are not corrupted by others (yet), they know the Gospel is true and nothing can sway them.  They sing with all of their hearts and always touch mine.  I LOVE my Primary kids - they are the best!
Nov. 7th - A Warm House.  I have seen several homeless people this week and can't imagine what it is like not to have somewhere warm to go to call your own.  Thankful for a working furnace and all the warm air it gives me!  Also thankful for the warm feeling I know that I have when all of my family is home and safe and snug.

Graditude Project

November 4th - Friends.  We have amazing, fabulous, awesome, talented, loving friends.  I can never list all of them or the things they have done for us over the years.  They have laughed with us and cried with us, helps us physically, emotionally and spiritually.  We have been blessed with wonderful neighbors and ward members.  It truly takes a village to raise children and I feel like we have an awesome support team.  I appreciate all of their examples to me, Craig and the children.

Gratitude Project

Day 3 - Extended Family.  Craig and I are both blessed with amazing families!  My parents will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary on the 10th of December this year - woo hoo!!!  They are incredible people!  My dad is a a rock and an example to me with his life.  He is the most honest person I know, he doesn't even speed!  He is funny and no one loves their grand kids more than him!  My mother is talented beyond belief - she sews, cooks, bakes, do flowers, make you feel loved and the most important person in the world!  She cherishes each of her grandchildren and is a great example to me in patience.  My sister Jennifer is awesome, she got most of mom's talents passed down to her and is quite the seamstress!  She is a world-traveler, professional business woman, and ultimate party planner!  Kimberly is a manager at work, home and on the field.  She organizes her children's lives so they have experience in a little bit of everything.  My brother Adam loves the country life and the great outdoors!  He is a great friend to others and excells at his job.  My brother Aaron is also a great worker, husband and father.  You can find him coaching baseball or changing a diaper and he is great at both.  My sister in law Julia is a wonderful friend and mother.  She loves her kids and works hard for them.  I have wonderful nieces and nephews - Kierra, Emmett, Shanna Lee, Bryan, Cordell, Jacob, Noa and Nathan.  Craig's dad is great example to us of perseverance and determination.  He is a great grandpa.  Craig's mom likes to have visits from family especially to celebrate the holidays.  His sister Michelle and brothers, Dean, Kevin and Scott are all hard workers and take good care of their families.  His brother in law, Ron and sister in laws Deanna, Sharlene and Julie make family get togethers fun!  He also has wonderful nieces and nephews - Nicole, Kelsey, Megan, Alex, Ashley, Rachelle, Travis, David, Michael, Nathan, Angela, Jacob, Joshua, Samantha, Stephanie, Logan, Brayden, Whitney and Brenner.  Many of them are married and have the cutest kids!  Grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of our family are supportive and loving and we try never to miss an opportunity to see them all.  Our heritage is of great people who did amazing things and made our lives all the richer for it.  We are grateful for their hard work and sacrifices for us to have a better life. 

Gratitude Project 2011

I am going to use this month to express my gratitude for everything in my life, big or small. On my Facebook, I am putting what I am grateful for, but on here I will elaborate.

November 1st - Craig. He is a hard worker, funny, helpful, loving, and creative. He is lots of other things too, but these are just the top ones I could think of. He really is a people person, and loves to meet new people. He can build me almost anything I can dream up and loves to be in the kitchen whipping up something new. He loves to garden. even if he is the most impatient person I know. Gardening is supposed to teach you to slow down and enjoy time, but he wants to plant in the morning and harvest in the afternoon! He has lots of talents - drawing, making up songs for the baby, cooking, landscaping. I love him dearly and am glad I get to spend eternity with him.

November 2nd - Ryan, Courtney, Joslyn, Chad and Chloe. Ryan is a good person - funny, kind, handsome, etc. He is also a hard worker and willing to try new experiences. He has already accomplished a lot in 19 years - Eagle scout, high school graduate with a 3.75 GPA, graduated Army Basic Training, graduated from Advanced Individual Training - radar repair. He is getting ready to open the next chapter in his life - college. He has a lovely girlfriend, Darady, who we really like and it seems he is head over heels. He sends her flowers and cards, it's good to see him treat her so well and her him. He's not sure what he wants to be yet, but he doesn't have to know yet! Courtney is a beautiful young woman. She is incredibly smart AND talented! She is very talented with pen and paper, paint and other materials, or the piano. She loves to sing and can! She is interested in science and the human body, her latest career choice is mortician. She has a firm testimony of the Gospel and has had to defend it vehemently. She is a true example to me and others. Joslyn is a great girl, she is going to be beautiful and tall! She does very well in school and loves the social aspect. She has lots of friends, especially Olivia. She also loves to sing and can! She likes art, horses and her guitar. She has a developing testimony of her own and is very inquisitive about everything! Chad is the typical 10 year old, he loves video games and playing with his friends! He is super smart like the rest of them (I don't know where they all got that from, but I will take the credit!) he excells in math and science. He likes to play with Chloe and is a great big brother. He is a great friend, (unless you cross him, and then tomorrow is a whole new day) and is fiercely loyal. Chloe is our baby angel/devil. She is either super sweet or destroying something! She loves to be the center of attention and is such a little performer. she loves to snuggle when it's bedtime and has to hold my left earlobe. I am grateful for my family and the opportunity to raise these little people. I am grateful that we can be together forever and for the time I get to spend with each one of them here on earth.

Autumn Leaves

We are right in the swing of things with autumn showing her colorful face around here. The leaves are all turning red, orange and gold. The mornings are getting nippy and the days are perfect! School is humming along for the children and we are counting down the days to Christmas Break. Ryan is home and looking for a job, he is getting ready to attend ISU in the spring. He and Darady are still going strong, and we just love her. Courtney is loving her anatomy/physiology class and thinking of being a mortician, because as she puts it: no one wants to be one, they make good money and everyone is going to need one - job security! That would be a great job for Court - nobody to talk to her and loads of time by herself - figuratively speaking. She is playing the piano again and was put in as the pianist in Young Women's when they released her as president. She was picked as 1 of 2 kids from our stake to help plan the New Year's Eve party. Joslyn is getting taller everyday! She is still in love with horses, but is liking art class and playing the guitar. She is taking lessons with Olivia from her aunt, Chelsea. She is 2nd counselor in Young Women's and likes to have that responsibility. Chad is also growing like a weed, he just finished soccer with a 6 - 0 record, go mighty monkeys! He has to be dragged away from video games unless it's to play with Mason outside. He just moved up to Webelos in Scouts. He is doing great in math at school and likes to do whatever Ryan is doing. Chloe is getting so big and grown-up! She got her first haircut and now you can see her beautiful blue eyes! She is learning sign language and is so cute when she does it! So far she knows: please, thank you, i love you, more, eat, drink, please, bird, and alligator (this one was just random). She walks all over the place now and is a climber! If she can push, pull or drag something to climb on, she will and we often find her on top of the table! She likes to reach up on the edge of the counter and pull down whatever she can find. She has also discovered pencils, pens, crayons, markers and loves to "color". She keeps us hopping! Craig has been busy at work traveling a lot this month and helping his dad get around to appointments and doing some home repairs. He is also going to finish our shed in time for our annual Halloween party. I am still watching Abigail Monday - Friday, anywhere from 8 - 11 hours a day. It makes me appreciate my mother - it's just like having twins, except Abigail doesn't spend the night! I am still loving Primary - esp. the kids - such sweet little spirits! I so appreciate the teachers we have and the ladies I get to work with. We are very blessed and try to remember how fortunate we are. I am going to try to upload some pictures soon, just don't hold your breath!