30 Days of Thankful: Day 30

Today I am thankful for good music. I love my little pink iPod. I love having it docked in my kitchen full of all my favorite songs. I love listening to music while I cook and clean. I especially love dancing with my boys in the kitchen. Nolan loves it, but Tyson and Preston aren't big fans of my dancing. They don't appreciate my enthusiasm. So, I was thrilled when Preston asked me to dance with him today. We jammed out to some of his favorite songs "Walk the Dinosaur" by Queen Latifa and "The Traveling Song" by Will.I.Am

I put my Christmas playlist back on my iPod this morning. Listening to it gave me some extra motivation to get my house ready for the holidays. It put me in the Christmas spirit. I am looking forward to a month full of beautiful Christmas music.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 29

After a long holiday weekend, I am grateful for school. I am thankful that we live in an area with great public schools. I am grateful that Tyson has a teacher he loves. I am grateful that he is happy and thriving in school. I am grateful that he has good friends in his class. I am grateful that Preston has the opportunity to go to preschool. I am grateful for his teacher's preparation and patience. I am grateful that he is learning to love learning. I am grateful for my own education. I am grateful that I was able to finish my degree, even if my diploma is just collecting dust on my shelf.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 28

In Sacrament Meeting today we learned about the inspired Welfare program of the church. I am amazed at how many poor and needy people are helped daily by this program. People around the globe benefit from it, both members and non-members alike.

From 1985 to 2009 Humanitarian Services of our church provided more than $1.2 billion in total assistance to needy individuals in 178 countries and territories. Click HERE to learn more about the church's humanitarian services.

In Relief Society we discussed the church's Addiction Recovery program, as part of our lesson on Elder Ballard's talk on Hope for the Addicted through the Atonement. I was privileged to give this lesson, so I'm sure I got more out of it than anyone else.

I am just amazed at the wide-reaching and all encompassing programs of this church. We are able to help so many people as we truly live as disciples of Christ. (Matthew 25:35-36)

I am so grateful for these programs.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 27

I am grateful for extended family. I am grateful that we are able to live to close to all of our family. We are able to see them often and spend time together. My children are able to know their grandparents and great-grandparents, their aunts and uncle, their cousins. We were able to see all of our family during this holiday weekend.

(Three generations of Dan's Family)

(Four generations of my family)

30 Days of Thankful: Day 26

I am thankful for my Dr. Mom Otoscope. I can't believe I've been a mom for 6 years without one. If you have children, and they have ears, I highly recommend you get one.

(Or come visit me, I will gladly look in your kid's ears. I find it very interesting.)

I am also thankful for my medical knowledge, however limited it may be. I find the medical field very interesting. I've considered becoming a nurse one day. But in the meantime, I will remain employed as my children's full time personal nurse. The pay isn't great, but the rewards are amazing.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 25

As today is Thanksgiving day, I am grateful for the pilgrims who began this lovely tradition. They pilgrims are great examples of people with hearts full of gratitude. They had plenty of things to complain about, but they chose to focus on their blessings. Not only that, but they opened their homes, and tables to their new friends and neighbors. I am thankful for their example.

The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts. No Americans have been more impoverished than these who, nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.

~H.U. Westermayer

30 Days of Thankful: Day 24

I know I recently expressed gratitude for good health, but today I am grateful for good doctors.

My kids love our pediatrician. And 66% of them were happy to go see him this morning. (The other other 33% wasn't so thrilled about it.) All three boys have been sporting coughs and runny noses for the last three weeks. I had a pretty good suspicion that at least one of them had an ear infection to boot. I am sick and tired of them being sick (and tired). So off we went.

The verdict: three infected ears, one fever, and one heavily congested set of sinuses. I am now doling out three doses of Amoxicillin twice a day for the next ten days.

PS. If you want to see how cool our pediatrician is click HERE.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 23

I am so thankful for my washer and dryer
(well, I am grateful for all the appliances that make my life so much easier, but today I am most especially thankful for the laundry appliances).
I take them for granted! I don't truly appreciate how wonderful it is to simply drop the clothes in and turn it on. . . that is until I am forced to scrub a load of laundry, by hand, with a toothbrush. That experience has made me very, very grateful for my washer and dryer.



Why was I scrubbing laundry with a toothbrush?
Good question.
Preston left some crayons in his pocket this week. When I pulled a load of kids clothes out of the dryer on laundry day I was horrified to see blue and brown streaks on everything! It was terrible. I quickly googled "How to remove crayon from laundry." The remedy I found involved scrubbing the clothes with a toothbrush and a little WD40. It was a long, tiring process. Once I was done scrubbing them all (except the socks and underwear, cuz that's where I draw the line) I had to rinse them multiple times to get the WD40 smell out. I'm not sure how many times I have to wash them. I'll let you know when I find out. They are currently undergoing cycle #4.



Long story short: I am grateful for my washer and dryer, and always check your kids pockets when you do the laundry.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 22

I am thankful for Family Home Evening. We had a great FHE tonight. Dan taught the boys a lesson on gratitude. They loved putting feathers on a turkey as they told us the things they are thankful for. We finished off the evening by watching old home videos. It was a lovely evening. I am thankful for the inspired guidance of our church leaders who instituted Family Home Evening back in 1915.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 21

I am grateful for my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. I am forever indebted to Him for all that I have. I am so grateful that He died for me that I might live again. I am grateful for His perfect example of how to live and how to find true happiness. I am grateful for my unwavering testimony of Him.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 20

This may sound silly, but I am grateful for gratitude. I am grateful for the opportunity to focus on the things I am grateful for. I take so much for granted. I don't spend enough time acknowledging the things I am so grateful for. I have been blessed with such a beautiful life. I have so much to be grateful for. So today I am grateful for the opportunity to express my gratitude.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 19

Today I am thankful for the changing seasons. I spent a little time in the backyard with the two little boys. They loved playing in the leaves. I am so glad I live in a place where we get to experience all four distinct seasons. They are all so beautiful. There is so much to enjoy with each season.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 18

Today I am thankful for nap time. Let's face it, sleep makes people happier. I know I'm happier when I get enough sleep, and I'm happier when my kids get enough sleep.

I am especially thankful for nap time today because, not only did I get a quick power nap (a small miracle) but Nolan got two! For the last month or so, Nolan has been refusing to take his afternoon nap. At first I fought him on it. I *tried* to make him go to sleep, using every trick I know. But nothing worked. I finally had to concede to him (and move bedtime WAY up.) This afternoon he seemed extra whiny so I thought I'd give it another try. And it worked! He didn't sleep for long, but he slept! Cross you fingers that this is the beginning of something new, and not just a fluke.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 17

I am thankful for photography. I am so grateful for pictures of my growing family. I know that I will never be able to perfectly remember what my children looked like as little boys. Thankfully I won't have to. I have a plethora of pictures to refresh my memory. We are so lucky to live in a digital age, where we can take as many pictures as we want without worrying about running out of film. I am grateful for a wonderful photographer who is always on call. It's so wonderful to be able to send a quick email to my dear friend anytime I'm ready for new pictures. I love that she knows my kids and they know her. It's so much easier to get them to smile when there is a familiar face behind the camera.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 16

Today's 'Thankful Post' comes compliments of Tyson. As I was tucking him into bed tonight he said,

"I'm grateful for everything. We don't need fancy stuff like TV. We just need to be thankful we're here on earth."

Amen

30 Days of Thankful: Day 15

I am thankful for my car. It's not new and it's not fancy (and yes, it's a mini-van), but I love it. I am most especially thankful for the freedom it gives me. I can go the places I need to go, and haul and my kids and their stuff with me. It's comfortable and reliable. And my favorite color. I'm spoiled.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 14

I am thankful for Adoption. Adoption is a beautiful thing. It is a miracle. It is a gift. And thanks to the beautiful gift of adoption I have my oldest son, who means the world to me. . . and two beautiful nieces and two adorable nephews. Many of my friends have become parents through the gift of adoption. My friend Rachel was able to give her daughter the gift of a family through adoption. Many children in my neighborhood are here because of adoption. Adoption surrounds my family on all sides. My world would be a very different place without adoption.

In honor of National Adoption Month, we spent yesterday with hundreds of other adoptive families at Boondocks. We had so much fun playing arcade games, mini golfing, eating, and driving bumper cars surrounded by some of the most beautiful families you've ever seen. I am so very thankful to be an adoptive mom. It's a title I wear proudly.

Of course, I wouldn't be an adoptive mom without a very special woman who chose to take the title of Birth mom. Tyson's birth mom is amazing. She didn't have to place Tyson for adoption. She could have kept him. She could have raised him. And she would have done a great job. But she knew he needed a father. She knew he needed more than she could give him. We were just lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. I am eternal grateful for her.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 13

(My sisters and I at our baby brother's wedding. Some people can't tell us apart.)

Today I am thankful for sisters, Cheryl and Deb. My sisters and I were not particularly close growing up. As the older sister, I was mean and bossy. But now that we are all "married with children" we have become very close. We share clothes, secrets, recipes, parenting advice, etc. We are very much alike, yet very different. We have way too many inside jokes.

(Banana bread, anyone?)
I can't imagine not having sisters.

And today is my sister, Cheryl's Birthday.
Happy Birthday CherBear!

(I have also been blessed with 8 sister-in-laws: Kelly, Breanne, Shirley, Andrea, Jen, Eva, Tina, and Catherine who are all awesome too.)

30 Days of Thankful: Day 12

(Our first date night 14 years ago)
Tonight I am thankful for Date Night. Dan and I don't go out very often. Between his work schedule and the kids, we have little time for 'us.' And more often than not, date night begins with a Redbox. But tonight we were able to get away for a few hours, thanks to my little brother and his wife who volunteered to babysit. For three hours Dan listened to me talk. He held my hand, and my door. We shared our thoughts and ice cream. It was so good to relax and laugh, to reconnect, and remember why we are married. Date night is a good thing.

30 Days of Thankful: Day 11

Today I am overwhelmingly thankful for my husband's job. I am thankful that he has the ability and the opportunity to support our family. Too many families are out of work in this wretched economy. Too many families are going hungry. Too many families are worried about where their next meal is going to come from, or how they are going to pay their bills. Dan works very hard to support us. He works long hours nearly everyday, but I never hear him complain. I am so thankful that he enjoys his job because he spends nearly every waking hour working. I have never known a harder working man.

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