Thanksgiving

Two posts in one day, whuppah!  (That's my Chandler-like whip crack) I'm on a roll.
Anyway....

During the month of November, I usually (...meaning the last 2 years) keep a daily log on either my blog and/or facebook of the things I'm thankful for.  I really enjoyed doing that and will probably continue again in the future, but this year I decided to do something different.



Well, a few weeks ago I had an amazing opportunity to go to Time Out For Women with some of my sisters...

(Shout out to my beautiful sisters...
Heeeeyyyy!
And continuing on...)




It was  a wonderful, rejuvenating weekend that reminded me how much I love the Spirit in my life.

As I was thinking about that weekend and the (then) upcoming month of November I realized (in a round-about way) that one of the best ways I can show my thankfulness is by drawing nearer to God. 
Basically everything I'm thankful for, stems from God, the creator of all things.  So, I feel like doing things that help me to feel his Spirit more abundantly in my life would be a great way to show God that I love Him and show my gratitude to Him.

So, my new challenge this month was to do something everyday that is spiritually uplifting. 
I have loved this new challenge!  There are lots of things I can do including listening to gospel music (right now, my favorite being Jessie Clark Funk, You Know Better Than I), reading scriptures, and reading the Ensign.

Along with that, Danica and I have taken on the challenge to say a prayer together everyday that only gives thanks.  We usually say it each morning and I have Danica think of the things she's thankful for, and that's what we say.  (I had to explain blessings, and Thanksgiving, and giving thanks before this started and she still gets words mixed up... it's cute) 
And let me tell you, the things that she says she's thankful for (or, as she says, blessed for) are so precious and cute!

This is definitely something I'll make a tradition and should continue on doing.

Friends

What a man, what a man, what a man, what a man...

....what a mighty good man!

(So...I'm a little late)

Tyler is a great man and a wonderful husband.
And he happens to be a fantastic dad too!  

I hope he had a wonderful father's day!  He's such a good dad to Danica.  

She grins ear to ear when she sees him.  Plus her first word was Dad! 

She loves him so much and so do I.  

I couldn't have asked for a better father for our children!

8*2*09

8*11*09

9*27*09

10*11*09

10*11*09

3*4*10

4*2*10

6*5*10

Happy Father's Day!!!

I saw this on a friend's blog and I believe it's from the book,
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell.

"A man is to me a higher and a completer being than a gentleman.... I take it that 'gentleman' is a term that only describes a person in his relation to others; but when we speak of him as 'a man', we consider him not merely with regard to his fellow-men, but in relation to himself, -to life - to time - to eternity."

Just Happy

I haven't had the energy to blog lately. I'm not sure why... basically all I'd have to do is sit here and fiddle around a bit on my computer.
I'll have a post coming shortly about our week vacation, but until I take the time to get all the pictures and words together, I just wanted to say I'm happy.

**I'm happy I got off work at 2 today
**I'm happy I was able to spend time with fam with CA
**I'm happy to be just the teeniest tiniest micro-shade tanner
**I'm happy to be eating yummy leftovers from Chili's
**I'm happy to finally have the time to catch up on reading emails and others' blogs
**I'm happy I'm already completely unpacked!
**I'm happy I can see Danica doing the worm inside my belly right now.

5 Things

We all have many blessings in our lives and therefore have a lot to be thankful for! Even during those trials or bad days in our lives, which we all have, I know there's something we should be thankful for.
I challenge you to make a list everyday for the month of November of 5 things you're thankful for (since the month is already into we'd better get crackin'!). You can do it on your blog or in a journal, so long as you write it down (Mine's to the left). None of these 5 things can be repeated for the whole month...which knocks out family, friends, and the gospel pretty quickly.
I'm hoping we'll gain a greater appreciation for those blessings we tend to overlook.

Memory Lane Monday + Thankful Thursdays

So I've been such a slacker on Memory Lane Monday and Thankful Thursdays that I decided to combine them today and then hopefully get back on track here on out.

Memory Lane Monday
So this picture was probably taken only in 2004, but this is a great memory nontheless. Sarah, Katie and I had an inside joke that semester about putting chocolate in our teeth and then trying to hit on someone. Silly girls!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful for my two closest friends, Sarah and Katie. Granted there have been moments in our lives when we haven't been as close as other times, but when we see each other, it's like those moments never existed. Together we have been through so much and have always been there for each other. We have been best friends for half our lives and therefore know each other almost inside-out. We could go on and on saying little phrases that only we would know (balloon animals, i just called to say banana..., etc) and crack up about! They've been great influences throughout my life and each bring something great and unique to our friendship!! I'm so thankful for their testimonies and examples that are a part of what brought me to where I am today.

Thankful Thursdays

So I totally forgot I told myself I was going to do this. I got the idea from Andrea's blog and I thought it was great, if only just for my benefit.

I want to take time on Thursdays to mention something I'm thankful for. I think I tend to take many things in my life for granted. By looking at the world a little differently and stopping to smell the roses, I hope I notice and realize how much I have to be grateful for.
I also like the idea on Jaime's blog to start Memory Lane Mondays. (That is if I remember.)

I'm thankful for so many things, but today I am especially thankful for:

• Having all 5 senses
• My cell phone
• Others' talents that are shared with me
• A Great work environment
• The knowledge that I'm loved for who I am
• Makeup

Life's treasures are the small pleasures