Crazy Days

It has been a crazy couple of days and several things have fallen by the wayside, blogging included (let's not even mention the house and the laundry). So here is my attempt to catch up and also to express some of my thoughts from this last weekend.

#1 - I'm grateful for circumstances that allow us to reflect on the most important things in life. As difficult as these circumstances may be, there is always a silver lining.

#2 - I'm grateful for our prophets and apostles. Elder Hales was at the funeral we attended yesterday and had some beautiful things to say about my uncle, the Lord, and our lives. He had such a presence about him and I have never seen someone who seemed more caring and genuine. He gave up his entire day to be with my uncle's family during this time.

#3 - I'm grateful for the musical number yesterday, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It's one of my favorite songs and it was absolutely beautiful. It has been some time since I have felt the spirit to that degree. There is truly a power in music.

#4 - I'm am grateful for the ladies who ran the nursery yesterday. It allowed me to pay attention and be uplifted during the services.

#5 - I'm grateful for the knowledge we have of life after this. Everything would feel so empty if it weren't for a knowledge of something greater for us when we leave this life.

#6 - I'm grateful that we made the drive to and from Price safely. That drive is always a little treacherous and yesterday, conditions were less than ideal. The roads were snowy and slick, our windshield wiper fluid froze up, the sun was right in our eyes, and neither of us had sunglasses. Thankfully, Hans is a very careful driver (when he wants to be). Not only did we get there safely, but we got there on time.

#7 - I'm grateful that my kids survived a really hard day that involved a lot of missed hours of sleep. I've realized that I often underestimate my boys. It was certainly hard, but they did much better than I expected given the circumstances.

#8 - I'm grateful for babies. We had the opportunity to attend a baby blessing on Sunday and we'll attend another next week. I just love them. They grow up so fast so I forget so easily what that newborn stage is like. It's nice to be reminded every once in awhile. It almost makes me want another . . . almost, but not quite.

#9 - I'm grateful for my family. My husband and my kids mean everything to me, my parents are amazing people who have shaped the person I am, and my siblings are among my best friends. The Lord sure knew what he was doing when I put us all together.

Warmth

Yesterday:

#1 - I'm grateful for a girls' night. It made for a late night, but was so much fun. Thanks, Summer, for making that happen.

#2 - I'm grateful that Hans let me sleep in. Our kids are early risers so Hans got up with them at 5:45 and let me sleep until almost 8. It was heaven.

#3 - I'm grateful for warm slippers. The cold is settling in and if there is one thing I hate, it's cold feet. I absolutely adore my slippers. This would be a hard time of year for me without them.

Deep Thoughts

Events of the the day have had me thinking deep thoughts and reminded me just how grateful I am for the important things in my life.

#1 - I am so grateful for every moment I spend with my family. Yes, I have times when I want to pull my hair out, but at the end of the day, I know it is truly a blessing to have this time on Earth with the people who are most important to me.

#2 - I am grateful for the beautifully perfect plan the Lord has laid out for us. I can't imagine an existence without a plan that allows us to be eternally happy with those we love. This Earth life is wonderful, but where I can truly see our Heavenly Father's love for us is in His plans for our lives after this Earthly existence. What an incredible promise He has made us.

#3 - I am grateful for the Lord's hand in my life and that can often recognize it. His gospel has made me capable of realizing that there is a reason for everything and the Lord has ultimate control. He is the one who holds every aspect of my life in His hands and I couldn't be more grateful for that.

Food!

#1 - I'm grateful for my dad for doing my dental work. I would probably be in a lot of pain if it weren't for him. Thanks Dad!

#2 - I'm grateful that Hans made dinner tonight. It really just entailed microwaving leftovers, but that was a big deal to me. I seriously have the best hubby ever.

#3 - I'm grateful that Noah is getting a tooth. I knew that something was up when he wasn't his usual cheery self. I took a look in his mouth and sure enough, one tiny tooth is just starting to poke through. He absolutely loves chunks of food (even green veggies), but is hardly interested in baby food anymore. Having a few teeth will make it a little easier for him to chomp on those chunks.

Sweet Release

#1 - I'm grateful for a garbage disposal. No more fishing out nasty things from the sink. Yay!

#2 - I'm grateful that I'm learning to be frugal. I'm getting better and better as the weeks go by. I'm learning new skills and I think the lessons learned from going without are invaluable. Someday I hope that being this frugal won't be necessary, but I'm grateful that I have this time in my life to learn and grow from this experience.

#3 - I'm grateful that Hans took the kids for 2 hours today while I went out and ran my errands. It was a rough day and I really needed to unwind. I got a lot of grocery shopping done and reacquainted myself with an old Kenny Chesney CD. It was a pleasant afternoon. The best part was, I didn't come home to Hans ripping his hair out. He had everything nicely under control.

James' new trick!

He pees his pants on purpose while he's sitting in time out. Every time! Isn't that nice?

Back on track

#1 - I'm grateful for a garage. For the first time in my life, I am able to park in a garage and it is absolutely incredible. I appreciate it more and more as the weather gets colder.

#2 - I'm grateful for my new Pleasant Grove City library card. It has been a VERY long time since I have stepped foot in a public library, but today I made the leap. James was very well-behaved. Noah was quiet as a mouse and we picked up a few good reads. James got a few Curious George books (his favorite) and I picked up some light reading for myself. My tax dollars are paying for it, so I might as well take advantage.

#3 - I'm grateful for the Daily Herald. We have had our spats in the past, but yesterday when I had a problem, I got on the phone with them and they more than made up for it. And they were very friendly in the process. We can be friends again.

Mwah!

Yesterday -

#1 - I'm grateful for Relief Society. What an incredible program. It's nice to have some time to learn and grow in the gospel in a setting with just women who share the same values and beliefs.

#2 - I'm grateful for hugs and kisses. After a rough day, nothing makes me feel better than hugs and kisses from my little boys. James can be a wild man one minute and melt my heart the next with just a hug.

#3 - I'm grateful that my days of buying diapers for James may be over. I'm not saying anything for sure, but I think we're awfully close to undies full time. I'm crossing my fingers.

Yesterday

#1 - I'm grateful for naps. James went without one yesterday and we sure paid the price. I don't just need the break in the middle of the day, but my kids need it to be happy and (somewhat) well-behaved.

#2 - I'm grateful for solo shopping trips. Sometimes there is nothing more relaxing than perusing the aisles of Smith's all by myself. I love my kids to pieces, but they make a simple trip to the grocery store about 12 times harder than it would be without them. I pack up the kids and we go shopping together more often than not, but once in a while, I get to go all by myself and boy, it is so nice.

#3 - I'm grateful that the Cougars pulled out that games yesterday. It was not graceful by any stretch of the imagination, but they were able to pull it out and avoid an embarrassing loss. Maybe next year will be our year.

Animals

Yesterday (one of these days, I'll get back on track):

#1 - I am grateful that Hans is not an animal person. No offense to all you animal lovers out there, but I could never own a pet. I am so grateful that Hans and I are on the same page when it comes to this so we'll be in agreement when our kids come begging. However, for some reason, I am not opposed to keeping chickens in a coop someday in our backyard.

#2 - I am grateful that we have a big enough backyard that makes keeping chickens back there an option. The best part is that it's big enough that I wouldn't smell them right outside my back door. I'm excited that we have the space to plant a garden in the spring and keep several fruit trees. Someday, my yard will be fruitful.

#3 - I am grateful that James wore undies almost all day yesterday with only one accident. We did put on a diaper for our outing to the grocery store because I knew we weren't ready for that yet. I didn't think he was ready for potty training quite yet, but a few months ago, we bought him a potty and some undies just to get him used to the idea. Yesterday, I let him choose whether he wanted to wear a diaper or undies. He chose undies. Maybe he's really ready for this. We'll see if it sticks.

Doctor's Office

Yesterday:

#1 - Once again, I'm grateful for Rite Aid. I had the shopping trip that I have only heard about and wondered, "How does that work?" Once again, the girl that helped was so patient and friendly.

#2 - Noah went to the doctor for his 9 month check and I'm grateful that he is perfect. He's healthy and growing. He's actually in the 65th percentile for his weight and, for my kids, that's pretty chunky. More than anything though, I'm grateful that he is completely healthy.

#3 - I'm grateful that my kids got the H1N1 vaccine. I wasn't sure they'd be able to get it since it's so hard to find, but I was lucky that my pediatrician had just a few in stock. I feel like I can breathe just a bit easier now.

Meow!

#1 - Today I'm grateful for the kitty that wandered around our yard for awhile today. James thought it was just about the greatest thing that ever happened to it. He calls it a meow. He chased it around forever and loved every minute of it.

#2 - Visiting teachers. Mine are wonderful. They really make me feel like they want to visit me and not just that they need to get it done. I also love the adult conversation. Sometimes it's nice to have a conversation that involves something deeper than undies and "meows."

#3 - I'm grateful that James ate his dinner tonight. True, he spit out most of the chicken, but he ate a lot of rice and I even got him to eat cauliflower. We're making progress, people!