I am thankful for the internet.
It can be addicting, and I'm not glad about that, but I am glad that I can stay in touch with friends and family easier. I'm grateful that I can learn about "stuff" - important stuff and unimportant stuff. lol I am grateful that I can shop from home. We don't need these conveniences, but I sure love them!
The internet makes distance shorter. We still miss being able to see and visit family in person, but e-mails, IMs, videos and photos shared on-line, etc. all make it a little easier.
Modern day conveniences sure are... convenient. :)
Monday, November 7, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
A Month of Thanksgiving Day 6
I am grateful for sunshine!
I love where we live and I don't mind the rain, but I do still love the sunshine. We've reached the time of year when it becomes more rainy, less sunny, so when we have beautiful, bright, sunny days like today, it feels wonderful! We never know when it will be our last for awhile, so we certainly appreciate it when it's here. ;)
The sun is cheery. It is bright. It brings warmth. It just feels good, inside and out. :)
I love where we live and I don't mind the rain, but I do still love the sunshine. We've reached the time of year when it becomes more rainy, less sunny, so when we have beautiful, bright, sunny days like today, it feels wonderful! We never know when it will be our last for awhile, so we certainly appreciate it when it's here. ;)
The sun is cheery. It is bright. It brings warmth. It just feels good, inside and out. :)
Saturday, November 5, 2011
A Month of Thanksgiving Day 5
I am grateful for books. I really like a good book. And I love that my family loves good books, too. We all love to read. We all love to share what we read. Sometimes we read the books together, sometimes we just pass the books around, and sometimes we just tell each other about the stories we are reading.
If I were asked what my favorite books were, it would be hard to answer because I have a lot of favorites. And, that list is always changing a little, depending on time and mood. One that always stays on top is the Lord of the Rings (as a whole), of course. But right now, the one I am anxiously waiting to get back (I loaned it out), so I can reread (again), is Darcy's Voyage. I also have a whole list of books that I haven't read yet but really want to.
I think my appreciation for books comes from my mom. When we were little, she would read to us before bed. She always took us to the library for story time and to check out our own books. We would come home with a huge stack! The two books I remember her reading to us the most (not that she did read these the most, just that I remember them the most) were any of the Encyclopedia Brown books, where we would always try to solve the mystery, and of course, Black Beauty. There were others, too. I remember Amelia Bedelia, Bunnicula, and even some James Harriot.
I am so glad that my kids like books and reading as much as I liked it as a child. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Acadia likes it even more. And that is a good thing.
Books are great. They entertain us, educate us, inspire us, and give us a little bit of an escape.
In something of a related way, let me share this with you... (our family is also a big Julian Smith fan, lol)
If I were asked what my favorite books were, it would be hard to answer because I have a lot of favorites. And, that list is always changing a little, depending on time and mood. One that always stays on top is the Lord of the Rings (as a whole), of course. But right now, the one I am anxiously waiting to get back (I loaned it out), so I can reread (again), is Darcy's Voyage. I also have a whole list of books that I haven't read yet but really want to.
I think my appreciation for books comes from my mom. When we were little, she would read to us before bed. She always took us to the library for story time and to check out our own books. We would come home with a huge stack! The two books I remember her reading to us the most (not that she did read these the most, just that I remember them the most) were any of the Encyclopedia Brown books, where we would always try to solve the mystery, and of course, Black Beauty. There were others, too. I remember Amelia Bedelia, Bunnicula, and even some James Harriot.
I am so glad that my kids like books and reading as much as I liked it as a child. In fact, I'm pretty sure that Acadia likes it even more. And that is a good thing.
Books are great. They entertain us, educate us, inspire us, and give us a little bit of an escape.
In something of a related way, let me share this with you... (our family is also a big Julian Smith fan, lol)
Friday, November 4, 2011
A Month of Thanksgiving Day 4
I am so grateful for my testimony.
I haven't planned an order for, or even a list of what will be included on, this gratitude list. It is in no particular order. But I suppose that if I had to put my list in order, this would be first. If I lost everything else on my list (even my family), it is my testimony that I would CLING to. It would be the only thing that could bring me any form of comfort. I've not been asked to sacrifice too much yet in my life. I have had trials and things to sacrifice, but when put into perspective, I've still had it pretty easy. I think that means that this is the time for me to be strengthening my testimony, so that when truly trying times come around, that testimony will be strong enough to get me through.
My testimony is about a lot of things, but it can be summed up by saying that I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that to some, that may be an impossible statement; how can one really "know". But I do. I can't prove it, but in my heart, I know it is true. Because I know the gospel is true, I believe a lot of things that I don't have knowledge of. I'm working on strengthening my faith so that those things become knowledge to me, too. Not because I will ever have proof or see for myself, but because at some point when you have experience after experience telling you it's true, it becomes enough.
I know God lives. I know He loves us. I know that while He is all-powerful, He is also kind, considerate, and generous. He is the perfect parent. And as an imperfect parent, I know that means He loves beyond what I can imagine. So, I know I can trust Him. He is my Heavenly Father and He wants me to be happy. Even if it means I have to experience things I don't want at the time. Just like I make my kids eat heathy foods or go to bed on time, because I know those things are important for their health.
I also know that the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon are true and testify of Jesus Christ. I know that studying the words of Christ, and the words of prophets as they testify of Chrsit, are important ways that we can strengthen our relationship with God and Christ. For me, that is important because since I know they want what is best for me, I want to make sure my life is aligned with their will. I want my choices to be ones that they would have me make. I choose to follow them. The scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, help me to do that.
Those two things (knowing God lives and loves me and knowing that the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, are true) are critical in the rest of my testimony. Because I feel so strongly about my testimony of God and His scriptures, I believe all of the things they teach me, even if I don't always understand. And it gives me the strength to obey and live according to those things.
In times of trial or uncertainty, my testimony becomes even more essential. It seems that life continually becomes more and more trying and uncertain, and therefore, my testimony has become increasingly more essential to me. I don't ever see that changing. In fact, I'm determined to make sure it never does. :)
I haven't planned an order for, or even a list of what will be included on, this gratitude list. It is in no particular order. But I suppose that if I had to put my list in order, this would be first. If I lost everything else on my list (even my family), it is my testimony that I would CLING to. It would be the only thing that could bring me any form of comfort. I've not been asked to sacrifice too much yet in my life. I have had trials and things to sacrifice, but when put into perspective, I've still had it pretty easy. I think that means that this is the time for me to be strengthening my testimony, so that when truly trying times come around, that testimony will be strong enough to get me through.
My testimony is about a lot of things, but it can be summed up by saying that I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. I know that to some, that may be an impossible statement; how can one really "know". But I do. I can't prove it, but in my heart, I know it is true. Because I know the gospel is true, I believe a lot of things that I don't have knowledge of. I'm working on strengthening my faith so that those things become knowledge to me, too. Not because I will ever have proof or see for myself, but because at some point when you have experience after experience telling you it's true, it becomes enough.
I know God lives. I know He loves us. I know that while He is all-powerful, He is also kind, considerate, and generous. He is the perfect parent. And as an imperfect parent, I know that means He loves beyond what I can imagine. So, I know I can trust Him. He is my Heavenly Father and He wants me to be happy. Even if it means I have to experience things I don't want at the time. Just like I make my kids eat heathy foods or go to bed on time, because I know those things are important for their health.
I also know that the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon are true and testify of Jesus Christ. I know that studying the words of Christ, and the words of prophets as they testify of Chrsit, are important ways that we can strengthen our relationship with God and Christ. For me, that is important because since I know they want what is best for me, I want to make sure my life is aligned with their will. I want my choices to be ones that they would have me make. I choose to follow them. The scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, help me to do that.
Those two things (knowing God lives and loves me and knowing that the scriptures, including the Book of Mormon, are true) are critical in the rest of my testimony. Because I feel so strongly about my testimony of God and His scriptures, I believe all of the things they teach me, even if I don't always understand. And it gives me the strength to obey and live according to those things.
In times of trial or uncertainty, my testimony becomes even more essential. It seems that life continually becomes more and more trying and uncertain, and therefore, my testimony has become increasingly more essential to me. I don't ever see that changing. In fact, I'm determined to make sure it never does. :)
Thursday, November 3, 2011
A Month of Thanksgiving Day 3
School. When you're a kid, you don't like it. But when you grow up and realize that without it you wouldn't be able to be anyone or go anywhere, and you start to realize it wasn't such a bad idea afterall.
As a mom, I look at school much differently than I did when I was a kid. I understand a little better now how important it is, and also what a blessing it is for us to have such easy access to it. I realize now that really, US schools provide good, but not great, education. I had no idea, until I was older, that some countries require their students to learn so much more than we had to! But I did know that there were some countries that didn't provide any public education, so I knew we were supposedly "lucky" to "get" to go to school. ;)
I really like the schools that my girls are in. The teachers care. They make learning fun! The principal gets hands on with the kids and the kids know that she cares. The schools and teachers are doing their best (despite budget cuts) to provide as much as they can for the students, not just with acadmics, but extra-curricluar activities as well. In the grade school, teachers volunteer to stay after to teach classes on subjects like: dance, photography, computers, magic, track, etc. Just so the kids can have a little extra out of their school experience. It is free for the kids, and as far as I know, the teachers are not being paid for that time. I also love that music continues to be a strong focus, beginning in grade school. Without the music program, Cadi wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn violin. She wouldn't have had the experience of performing in an orchestra, working under a conductor, learning how to add one element to a whole to create something beautiful that none of them could have done alone.
When my kids go to school, I don't worry about their safety. I trust where they are and who they are with. I have appreciated that the teachers have always been interested in challenging my girls. I've been blessed with smart kids; they have (so far) always been at the top of their class in nearly every subject. It would be easy for them to be put to the side as other students were more concentrated on, but instead, the teachers have been great to find ways to challenge my kids, too. It means extra work, but it also means that they continue to progress, learn, and grow. Often, it has given them the chance to do something they wouldn't have thought to do. One year, Acadia was asked to participate in a young author's conference. She had to write a short story, completely seperate from her other class assignments. Another year, she was asked to tutor one of her classmates in math. I am glad that my girls' teachers expect them to perform according to their own abilities, not just at the "grade level". As a result, Acadia tests more than 3 years above her grade in most subjects. And Rori is aready testing a year ahead in some of hers. I know a lot of it is that they just are bright girls that grasp concepts easily. But also, I think it is due to good teachers who care about each individual students' growth, and good schools that allow for that kind of teaching.
And yes, I have learned to really enjoy school days for my own selfish reasons, too! lol Peace, quiet, a chance to get something done and for it to stay done for a few hours, freedom to run errands or go to the store without worrying about dragging along someone who wants everything they see, going to lunch with my husband on occasion, going to the temple or visiting teaching without worrying about needing a sitter first... yeah, school is pretty awesome. ;)
And today, I am very grateful for it. :)
As a mom, I look at school much differently than I did when I was a kid. I understand a little better now how important it is, and also what a blessing it is for us to have such easy access to it. I realize now that really, US schools provide good, but not great, education. I had no idea, until I was older, that some countries require their students to learn so much more than we had to! But I did know that there were some countries that didn't provide any public education, so I knew we were supposedly "lucky" to "get" to go to school. ;)
I really like the schools that my girls are in. The teachers care. They make learning fun! The principal gets hands on with the kids and the kids know that she cares. The schools and teachers are doing their best (despite budget cuts) to provide as much as they can for the students, not just with acadmics, but extra-curricluar activities as well. In the grade school, teachers volunteer to stay after to teach classes on subjects like: dance, photography, computers, magic, track, etc. Just so the kids can have a little extra out of their school experience. It is free for the kids, and as far as I know, the teachers are not being paid for that time. I also love that music continues to be a strong focus, beginning in grade school. Without the music program, Cadi wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn violin. She wouldn't have had the experience of performing in an orchestra, working under a conductor, learning how to add one element to a whole to create something beautiful that none of them could have done alone.
When my kids go to school, I don't worry about their safety. I trust where they are and who they are with. I have appreciated that the teachers have always been interested in challenging my girls. I've been blessed with smart kids; they have (so far) always been at the top of their class in nearly every subject. It would be easy for them to be put to the side as other students were more concentrated on, but instead, the teachers have been great to find ways to challenge my kids, too. It means extra work, but it also means that they continue to progress, learn, and grow. Often, it has given them the chance to do something they wouldn't have thought to do. One year, Acadia was asked to participate in a young author's conference. She had to write a short story, completely seperate from her other class assignments. Another year, she was asked to tutor one of her classmates in math. I am glad that my girls' teachers expect them to perform according to their own abilities, not just at the "grade level". As a result, Acadia tests more than 3 years above her grade in most subjects. And Rori is aready testing a year ahead in some of hers. I know a lot of it is that they just are bright girls that grasp concepts easily. But also, I think it is due to good teachers who care about each individual students' growth, and good schools that allow for that kind of teaching.
And yes, I have learned to really enjoy school days for my own selfish reasons, too! lol Peace, quiet, a chance to get something done and for it to stay done for a few hours, freedom to run errands or go to the store without worrying about dragging along someone who wants everything they see, going to lunch with my husband on occasion, going to the temple or visiting teaching without worrying about needing a sitter first... yeah, school is pretty awesome. ;)
And today, I am very grateful for it. :)
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
A Month of Thanksgiving Day 2
I take electricity and plumping for granted. But I am so thankful for them! It isn't until something goes wrong with one of them that we realize just how much we depend on them and don't even think about it. We flip a switch without care, expecting to get light. We turn on a faucet and expect not just water, but HOT water. Conveniences that my ancestors never knew.
Sometimes I wonder what it was like back before we had these things. Running to the outhouse in the midde of the night. Putting a hot rock at the foot of your bed to keep you warm at night. Lighting candles and oil lamps to see in the dark. Have you ever tried reading by candlelight? I've tried reading by flashlight... even that isn't easy sometimes! lol
This morning I woke up and the house was warm. Our central heat is programed to turn on before we get up. I don't even have to turn it on! Talk about convenience! It is hard to get up out of a warm bed when it is freezing in your room! I am grateful that I don't have to.
When I think of these kinds of blessings, I feel so spoiled. I know that there are some, right in my own city that don't have even this. They live in this modern world yet don't have all of it's conveniences. Maybe they are homeless, maybe they just can't pay for their electricity this month, maybe their house hasn't been equipped with an efficient heating system. Whatever the reason, I don't even have to look to a 3rd world country to realize that I am so very fortunate.
Today when I'm cleaning my bathrooms, I need to remind myself just how lucky I am to have them. :)
Sometimes I wonder what it was like back before we had these things. Running to the outhouse in the midde of the night. Putting a hot rock at the foot of your bed to keep you warm at night. Lighting candles and oil lamps to see in the dark. Have you ever tried reading by candlelight? I've tried reading by flashlight... even that isn't easy sometimes! lol
This morning I woke up and the house was warm. Our central heat is programed to turn on before we get up. I don't even have to turn it on! Talk about convenience! It is hard to get up out of a warm bed when it is freezing in your room! I am grateful that I don't have to.
When I think of these kinds of blessings, I feel so spoiled. I know that there are some, right in my own city that don't have even this. They live in this modern world yet don't have all of it's conveniences. Maybe they are homeless, maybe they just can't pay for their electricity this month, maybe their house hasn't been equipped with an efficient heating system. Whatever the reason, I don't even have to look to a 3rd world country to realize that I am so very fortunate.
Today when I'm cleaning my bathrooms, I need to remind myself just how lucky I am to have them. :)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
A Month of Thanksgiving Day 1
I've seen others do this, and sometimes it is called something different. I don't know what the rules are but I don't really care, I'm making up my own rules because this is my blog, dagnabit! ;)
I haven't blogged daily for a very long time, so we'll see how this goes, but my goal is to blog a gratitude post every day this month. I have no agenda, no plan... there are lots of things that I'm thankful for that I will miss, things that may be extremely important to me, and just about everything I share is likely to be things I'm always (or at least often) grateful for, not just that day. Duh. ;) My only plan is to post what impresses me at the time I'm sitting down to write. So, with that...
Today, I am grateful for my husband. (Warning: Major Mushiness to follow...)
When I think of Ryan, I am flooded with emotions that are difficult to express or contain. For more than 15 years he has been my constant companion. Whatever we have faced, we have faced together. The good and the bad. Ryan is my very best friend. I never get tired of being with him, whether we are talking, working on a project, or just sitting quietly together. We don't always see eye to eye, but we rarely fight. It hasn't always been that way, but through years of practice, we are learning to respect and listen to one another... usually. ;) I know that he loves me and wants to protect me. I have heard him stand up for me, to defend me. I feel so safe and protected when he is near me. The touch of his hand and the look in his eyes can calm me more than any other physical thing. Even when he has had a long, hard day, when he comes home, he wants to serve me. He asks how he can help me. He treats me not like a princess that needs to be pampered, but someone that he cherishes and finds joy in sacrificing for. He says it's his pleasure. And he means it. He wants to spend time with me. He likes to try things that I enjoy. He finds that, often, he enjoys them, too. He encourages me in my interests, supports me, cheers me on, praises me. He lets me make decisions about our home. He respects that it is where I spend most, if not all, of my day. He wants me to be comfortable and happy. He and I have a similar sense of humor. We laugh... a lot! He loves being a dad! He always makes time for his daughters. He loves to take them with him when he needs to run errands, and usually buys them a treat while they are out. He reads them stories, tucks them into bed, sings to them, and prays with them. He encourages them in school and in their hobbies. He talks to them about God and life and all of the things that are important to him. He apologizes when he realizes he has made a mistake. He asks for forgiveness. He is smart and has really good ideas. He is interested in the world and what is happening, and how it affects us. He is a hard worker. He has sincere intents. He always wants to help others. He is one of the most unselfish people I know.
Ryan is one of the best people I know. And I know that I'm a better person because of him. I love spending my life with him. I cannot bear the thought of spending any time without him. He often hears me say, "I go, we go, " or "You go, we go." His love gives me strength and courage. He makes me feel so special. Sometimes I think he's like Shallow Hal (when Hal's not being shallow, lol). It is like he sees something in me that no one else (myself included), can see. But he sees it and is so confident in it and treats me like I'm that amazing person, that it makes me believe that he might actually be right, that I might actually be who he sees. It certainly makes me want to be her!
I hope that one day, Ryan and I are considered an inseperable duo. Where you just can't think of one without thinking of the other. Like peanut butter and jelly, movies and popcorn, Tom Brady and the Patriots, Disney and Mickey Mouse, Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. If someone looks at me, just me, I want them to think that I am "one half the greatest love story ever told*," because I cannot be complete without him.
Someone said you shouldn't love someone because you need them; you should need them because you love them. I need him because I love him. And I am the luckiest person because I have him, not only for now, but for always. And I am so grateful. :)
*Quote from the movie, Lost in Austen
I haven't blogged daily for a very long time, so we'll see how this goes, but my goal is to blog a gratitude post every day this month. I have no agenda, no plan... there are lots of things that I'm thankful for that I will miss, things that may be extremely important to me, and just about everything I share is likely to be things I'm always (or at least often) grateful for, not just that day. Duh. ;) My only plan is to post what impresses me at the time I'm sitting down to write. So, with that...
Today, I am grateful for my husband. (Warning: Major Mushiness to follow...)
When I think of Ryan, I am flooded with emotions that are difficult to express or contain. For more than 15 years he has been my constant companion. Whatever we have faced, we have faced together. The good and the bad. Ryan is my very best friend. I never get tired of being with him, whether we are talking, working on a project, or just sitting quietly together. We don't always see eye to eye, but we rarely fight. It hasn't always been that way, but through years of practice, we are learning to respect and listen to one another... usually. ;) I know that he loves me and wants to protect me. I have heard him stand up for me, to defend me. I feel so safe and protected when he is near me. The touch of his hand and the look in his eyes can calm me more than any other physical thing. Even when he has had a long, hard day, when he comes home, he wants to serve me. He asks how he can help me. He treats me not like a princess that needs to be pampered, but someone that he cherishes and finds joy in sacrificing for. He says it's his pleasure. And he means it. He wants to spend time with me. He likes to try things that I enjoy. He finds that, often, he enjoys them, too. He encourages me in my interests, supports me, cheers me on, praises me. He lets me make decisions about our home. He respects that it is where I spend most, if not all, of my day. He wants me to be comfortable and happy. He and I have a similar sense of humor. We laugh... a lot! He loves being a dad! He always makes time for his daughters. He loves to take them with him when he needs to run errands, and usually buys them a treat while they are out. He reads them stories, tucks them into bed, sings to them, and prays with them. He encourages them in school and in their hobbies. He talks to them about God and life and all of the things that are important to him. He apologizes when he realizes he has made a mistake. He asks for forgiveness. He is smart and has really good ideas. He is interested in the world and what is happening, and how it affects us. He is a hard worker. He has sincere intents. He always wants to help others. He is one of the most unselfish people I know.
Ryan is one of the best people I know. And I know that I'm a better person because of him. I love spending my life with him. I cannot bear the thought of spending any time without him. He often hears me say, "I go, we go, " or "You go, we go." His love gives me strength and courage. He makes me feel so special. Sometimes I think he's like Shallow Hal (when Hal's not being shallow, lol). It is like he sees something in me that no one else (myself included), can see. But he sees it and is so confident in it and treats me like I'm that amazing person, that it makes me believe that he might actually be right, that I might actually be who he sees. It certainly makes me want to be her!
I hope that one day, Ryan and I are considered an inseperable duo. Where you just can't think of one without thinking of the other. Like peanut butter and jelly, movies and popcorn, Tom Brady and the Patriots, Disney and Mickey Mouse, Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet. If someone looks at me, just me, I want them to think that I am "one half the greatest love story ever told*," because I cannot be complete without him.
Someone said you shouldn't love someone because you need them; you should need them because you love them. I need him because I love him. And I am the luckiest person because I have him, not only for now, but for always. And I am so grateful. :)
*Quote from the movie, Lost in Austen
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