Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's the biggest Thankful Thursday ever! A day entirely devoted to gratitude...or it's based on that. I think most people turn it into a day of feasting and football and sadly, few take more than a few minutes to say, "thank you."

Be that as it may, I love this holiday. I am grateful that at least for a few minutes every year, thousands of people say a collective thank you for what they have been blessed with. I am grateful that this holiday is in autumn, one of my favorite times of the year weather-wise. I am grateful that we have family living close by and we can spend the day with them.

I am grateful for Bret and the amazing man and husband that he is. I'm thankful that I've been able to relax a bit today. I'm grateful that my kids are so awesome.

I am so thankful for my life. Life is often a kick in the pants, but boy am I blessed!

I hope you all will take time to really think on what you have and all the good that is in your life. Have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving!

I am going to put my kiddos to bed and indulge in some pie:)

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for the little things my kids do that make me so happy.

Like the way the little boys have taken to putting some toys in a bag or grabbing a toy car, and coming up to me for my attention and we have the following conversation-
Him: Bye!
Me: Bye! Have a good trip.
Him: (with a HUGE smile) chip!
Me: Be safe!
Him: seph.
Me: I love you!
Him: Uh ooo. Bye!
Me: Bye!

And they go traipsing off, only to come back two minutes later and do it again.

Or the way the boys equate my leaving at night to mean that I'm going to bring back Wendy's for them (which has only happened once! but their memories seem to have been quite impressed by it).

Or the way Al chants, "chick.uh.fies!" (chicken nuggets and fries)

Or the way Jonz fake laughs through his teeth and/or nose.

Or the way Al or Goose will bring their new favorite book to me to read and make the request by saying, "la la?"

Or the way Goose says, "ah.Mommy's?" every time I sit down to the table with my plate and he won't stop saying it until I reply, "Yes. This is Mommy's."

Or when we drive anywhere, the incessant way Goose will say, "Mommy? Mom? Mom? MOMMY?!" until I say, "What?" so he can point out the closest truck and say happily, "uh juck!"

Or the way Jonz will negotiate for something. "Two days? How 'bout two days, Mommy? Or wait! Four months. Can I have it in four months?!" Poor little guy doesn't know he's dooming himself to an interminable wait before he even asks for permission. But he's showing that he's beginning to have a greater understanding of time and I admire his smarts:)

I am so lucky to be home with my boys and that I get to enjoy so many of these moments. I am so thankful for my lot in life!

What are you thankful for today?

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Holy cow, it's Thursday again.

It's been quite a sobering week. I am thankful for my family. For my husband. For my Jonzy. For my Al. For my Goose. *(I hate using nicknames on this)* For my parents; we are so blessed to have them close. For each of my amazing three brothers. For the wonderful people that marriage has brought to me. For wonderful friends who share their love and teach me so much. For tender mercies from my Heavenly Father. For the gospel. For my scriptures. For wonderful church leaders. For prayer. And for the Holy Ghost, a priceless companion.

I love November. I love thinking of all the things I have to be grateful for.

What are you thankful for today?

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Thankful Thursday

Aahhhhhhh, Thankful Thursday. The week is nearly over. Two thirds of my boys are napping. This is nice.

Today I am grateful for good doctors. When Jonz was born we didn't know who should be his pediatrician. We decided to go with the doctor who answered questions during our childbirth class at the hospital. I had no idea how lucky of a decision that was! Great guy, great nurses, great office. And then we moved about an hour north of where we were. I tried to get recommendations for a good pediatrician from people in the neighborhood and all the responses I got were only so-so, no one was wild about their doctor. I decided that we'd keep with Dr. C since Jonz was only getting check ups once a year. We could make the trek once a year. And since my kids only seem to get sick after hours, it worked out that we took him to Instacare when he was sick and the doctor we love for check ups.

Then twins arrived in our family and we just couldn't add such a long trip every couple months into the existing stress of doctor visits with three small children. I looked high and low for a good doctor. I found stellar reviews online for one doctor, went there twice and for the life of me still can't figure out why people gave such high reviews for him and his office because we had poor experiences there both times. Then I found some more great reviews online for another doctor that someone had suggested to my mom. Kept them in my pocket for the next time someone needed to go to the doctor and used them for a doozy of a day. Finally, one friend suggested her doctor (I don't know how I hadn't asked her before!) and we tried her. Still not quite up to Dr. C's par, but a good doctor with nice nurses. We stayed with her for a year.

And then we moved again. South. Closer to Dr. C again. Now that the boys are all to the point where we only need check ups once a year and they seem to only get sick after hours and the Instacare is only a mile away, I wanted to go back to Dr. C. Today we did.

Dr. C, how we've missed you! And your nurses! And you're exam rooms that are big enough for my three boys to move around a little bit! And your wonderfully nice office staff! And you're great, kid-friendly decorations and wonderful atmosphere!

I never realized how rare of a find he and his office are until I had to search elsewhere. How lucky we are to have such a good doctor for our boys and that we can go to him again. Yay for good doctors!

What are you thankful for today?

Monday, November 2, 2009

"Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me"

I'm going to be throwing out some LDS lingo in this post. If I don't make sense, call me on it:)

A couple weeks ago, I received a call to work in one of the Nurseries in our ward. Let me tell you, I was shocked. I thought it was an unspoken rule that you never called elementary school teachers to the Primary and you never called stay at home moms to the Nursery. Wrong-o!

It was very hard for me to accept this new calling happily. Not only would I be doing at church exactly what I do at home all week long and with far more children, but I wouldn't be in Sunday School and Relief Society "filling my well," learning more about the gospel, or meeting people in the ward and fulfilling the need to make friends with people in the neighborhood.

After a week or so, I was able to come to terms with all this. I need to step up my personal study at home so I'm still learning and filling my well. It's only two hours a week. I care for children most hours of every day; what's two more hours a week? Drop in the bucket. Al and Goose will put much less stress on their bodies since they won't be screaming because I'm not in there with them. It will be a much more peaceful place for them. I've met some very nice women who also work in the Nursery. I talked with the Relief Society President about my concerns. I've got a visiting teaching assignment now, which also means that somewhere out there I have visiting teachers of my own. It also turns out, I was part of a wave of callings to Nursery. Now there are enough women in Nursery to allow one of to go to RS every week! It's really okay.

Imagine then, what my mind did when I was asked to meet with the Bishop yesterday. But...but...but...I just got used to this calling! They're not going to release me are they? Was I too ungrateful, so God's going to put me somewhere else? What about my boys; they'll freak out!?"

Turns out, though, that I wasn't released. I was given another calling. First time in my life I've ever had three callings at once. I'm now a visiting teacher, a nursery worker, and an Enrichment committee member. And you know what? I'm excited about it. I can see that this is an answer to prayer and a testimony builder to me that my Bishopric and Relief Society presidency are following the spirit.

I can now take an active part in Relief Society and meet many of the needs I thought I would have while working in the Nursery. And for having three callings, I think I have it pretty easy as far as time commitments go.

It's wonderful to know that however insignificant I am and feel, my Heavenly Father is aware of me and continues to show his love.