Thankfulness post Day 2

My parents. They've been good parents. It hasn't been until recently that I've realized how good. Mostly, because now my mom is gone. I know now how much she did for me. I miss that. So thankful that I still have my dad. He is so smart and wise. He is a patient man. They raised me good. Taught me to have good manners. Taught me the gospel. Let me do things. Made sure we were fed, clothed and entertained. Worried about me. Sometimes more than they should have had to. Spent time with me. Played with my children and are the most amazing grandparents ever. Sacrificed a lot in my behalf. I know this, why? Because I am a parent, and I see how wonderful they were/are. I love them. That is why I am thankful for them. It is because of them that I am here. So, so blessed to have amazing parents!!!

Centerpiece

Today as I thought what I was thankful for, I decided that I was thankful for The Gospel of Jesus Christ. If I did not have this important thing in my life I would be a totally different person, in a totall different place. I am so thankful for my Savior, for His Attonement, His Example, and the guideline that he gave me. Being Sunday I think that it's appropriate that I say that I am thankful for this first. It is first, also, because it is what everything else in my life is based upon. It is my centerpiece. I have so many blessings because of the Church and I recognize so much more because of it also.

Abundance

Last night I went to an activity that our stake was doing for Humanitarian efforts. A neighbor and I helped make things for feminine hygiene. It made me feel very blessed and thankful for the blessings that I enjoy in abundance on a daily basis. Sometimes it's so hard for me to realize how blessed I am, and I think to myself "I wish I had that... or didn't have to go through this", but I know that I am blessed and have so much in my life. So I've decided that I am going to post something that I am thankful for everyday this month. I truly am blessed and have so much gratitude for the bounties that I enjoy in my life.

I found this quote and I really like it.

Develop an attitude of gratitude, and give thanks for everything that happens to you, knowing that every step forward is a step toward achieving something bigger and better than your current situation.
-- Brian Tracy

I hope all who read this post are able to find things in your life that fill you with thankfulness.

The best gift

Last night I went to our Relief Society Christmas Program. It was wonderful!!! It couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Lately I have been thinking about simplifying and making Christmas more Christ centered. I don't want my children to think that Christmas time is about gifts and things (all though that is one fun part) but I want them to truly understand the real meaning of Christmas. As I have been thinking about this my thoughts turn to my mom. Since 2 years ago this time she was sick. I want my Christmas to be more focused on Christ, helping others and giving.
The reason that it couldn't have come at a more perfect time, is because the person that spoke was a lady named Patti Epperson. She was an amazing speaker and talked about a personal experience that she had. How she was able to cope with the changes that it made in her life. She referenced a talk by Elder Wirthlin. This is my favorite part of it, which is why it couldn't have come at a more perfect time....

In all the history of the world there have been many great and wise souls, many of whom claimed special knowledge of God. But when the Savior rose from the tomb, He did something no one had ever done. He did something no one else could do. He broke the bonds of death, not only for Himself but for all who have ever lived—the just and the unjust.⁶

When Christ rose from the grave, becoming the firstfruits of the Resurrection, He made that gift available to all. And with that sublime act, He softened the devastating, consuming sorrow that gnaws at the souls of those who have lost precious loved ones.

I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross.

On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Frightful storms lashed at the earth.

Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day they stood triumphant.

On that day the veil of the temple was rent in twain.

Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross.

On that Friday the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior—the man who had walked on water and raised the dead—was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by His enemies.

On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.

It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.

I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world's history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the doom of that day did not endure.

The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death. He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.

And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruits of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays—those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.

But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death—Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.

No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, Sunday will come. In this life or the next, Sunday will come.

I testify to you that the Resurrection is not a fable. We have the personal testimonies of those who saw Him. Thousands in the Old and New Worlds witnessed the risen Savior. They felt the wounds in His hands, feet, and side. They shed tears of unrestrained joy as they embraced Him.

After the Resurrection, the disciples became renewed. They traveled throughout the world proclaiming the glorious news of the gospel.

Had they chosen, they could have disappeared and returned to their former lives and occupations. In time, their association with Him would have been forgotten.

They could have denied the divinity of Christ. Yet they did not. In the face of danger, ridicule, and threat of death, they entered palaces, temples, and synagogues boldly proclaiming Jesus the Christ, the resurrected Son of the living God.

Many of them offered as a final testimony their own precious lives. They died as martyrs, the testimony of the risen Christ on their lips as they perished.

The Resurrection transformed the lives of those who witnessed it. Should it not transform ours?

We will all rise from the grave. And on that day my father will embrace my mother. On that day I will once again hold in my arms my beloved Elisa.

Because of the life and eternal sacrifice of the Savior of the world, we will be reunited with those we have cherished.

On that day we will know the love of our Heavenly Father. On that day we will rejoice that the Messiah overcame all that we could live forever.

Because of the sacred ordinances we receive in holy temples, our departure from this brief mortality cannot long separate relationships that have been fastened together with cords made of eternal ties.

It is my solemn testimony that death is not the end of existence. "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable."⁷ Because of the risen Christ, "death is swallowed up in victory."⁸

Because of our beloved Redeemer, we can lift up our voices, even in the midst of our darkest Fridays, and proclaim, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?"⁹

When President Hinckley spoke of the terrible loneliness that comes to those who lose the ones they love, he also promised that in the quiet of the night a still, unheard voice whispers peace to our soul: "All is well."

I am grateful beyond measure for the sublime true doctrines of the gospel and for the gift of the Holy Ghost, which has whispered to my soul the comforting and peaceful words promised by our beloved prophet.

From the depths of my sorrow, I have rejoiced in the glory of the gospel. I rejoice that the Prophet Joseph Smith was chosen to restore the gospel to the earth in this last dispensation. I rejoice that we have a prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley, who directs the Lord's Church in our day.

May we understand and live in thanksgiving for the priceless gifts that come to us as sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and for the promise of that bright day when we shall all rise triumphant from the grave.

That we may always know that no matter how dark our Friday, Sunday will come is my prayer, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

For me this was perfect, because at this time of year I not only think of my mom, someone who was very important to me, but also of my Savior, the person that gave his life, so that I might be able to live, partake in the atonement and be able to live with those I love again.
We were encouraged to read the Book of Mormon and every time "Christ" was referenced, to mark it. At the end of the year we are supposed to look back at the number of times our Savior is mentioned and see that the Book of Mormon is truly another Testament of Christ.

What a great reminder of Christ and the fullness of the Atonement at this time of year!!!!

Thinking Thankful

This time of year is usually a time of reflection, and having gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy. I want my kids to be able to do that also and realize how many blessings they have by being able to express what they are thankful for. I found this cute thankfulness place mat that I plan on setting on their place for Thanksgiving day on a blog called www.living locurto.com. I thought it was so cute. Check out the blog here. And here is a link, if you want to print out this absolutely adorable place mat for the kiddos to color. As my kids get older I want them to make lists of all the things they are thankful for.

Dedication

I have never had the opportunity to be at an actual Temple Dedication. We were able to go to our Stake Center and watch as the prophet dedicated the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. It was so neat to listen to the dedication, because we have watched the process of it being built. Rylan and Alana have shown a special interest in it. They have also watched as the temple has been erected, talked about temples in primary and as a family we were able to tour the temple at the open house before the dedication. Rylan was disappointed that he would not be able to go through it again for a few years. What I got out of the dedication meeting was that we need to be more diligent in going to the temple, because we have so many temples in such a short radius. There were stories told of the dedication that people had to the temple. Some would save their whole life to go and be sealed to their families, or take days and days just to go and spend the day there. Hearing these stories has made me realize that I need to be more dedicated to going to the temple and partake of the blessings that come from going. It's not always easy to go to the temple (in fact sometimes it can just be difficult) but here is to DEDICATION on temple attendance!!!

Here is a link you might be interested in checking out. It has some realy cool facts about the temple. Hope you enjoy! http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/oquirrhmountain/

Overdue

This post is long overdue. I just keep thinking to myself that I will post the last few things and then get "caught up" on blogging. So much has happened since my last post (yes I know it was Spring time). Here's what I am going to do. I am just going to start fresh and then I will fill in all the missing pieces in my upcoming posts. The truth is I really miss blogging. Something about it is therapeutic, it helps me relax, and I feel like I am at least doing a little family history. None of which will get done if I just keep putting off posting something.
SO here is what is on my mind....
I have a wonderful new baby boy (that I should have been blogging about already, and I wanted to put pics and updates from the moment he was born on here.) Kelton. Kelton is starting to laugh now. He is such a good baby. Sooo BIG. He is 3 months old and weighs 17 lbs. He is wearing 6-9 month clothes. He loves to be around people and is so curious about the world around him. His older brother (Rylan) and his older sister (Alana) adore him and are always loving on him. It is adorable!!!!
We are getting ready to start building our house. I am soooo excited for that. However, a part of me is a little nervous to move. I always thought when we moved in with my parents that when we moved out we would have a new house and we would still be able to come home and visit. Now that my mom is gone, things have changed and I admit that I am a little afraid of the unknown. I suppose that it is easy to feel that way. Mostly I am excited. It will be fun to see our dream become a reality. I am excited to be able to start working on my food storage again and actually have a place to put it. Can anyone say playroom??? I'm sure I will still be tripping over toys, but at least they will have a designated place or room.
I have an amazing husband. So thankful for him. I am starting to realize how important supporting each other is. So many people we know have been getting divorced. Things aren't perfect, but who's is. What I do know is that we are happy, we have 3 beautiful, healthy kids, a place to live and so many things to be thankful for. Saying all this is long overdue. So glad to be back.

The best is yet to come!

On Sunday, I heard a talk that really got me thinking and inspired me. It was on Simplifying in our life and enjoying what we already have. One thing that really struck me and I have thought about several times since then it the quote "The best is yet to come!" It got me thinking because this life is so short and we think that there is so much to do and that things have to be perfect (at least that's how I am), and when things don't go how we plan then we get upset. Well in the eternal perspective....The best is yet to come. In my mind it makes so much sense. Just liked it, and it made me think about my mom and being able to be with her again. To be able to be with my kids and to have lots of things to look forward to here and now, and also later in the times to come! THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Blessings in Abundance

This is the time of year that always lends to reflection on how thankful I am for what I have. I feel so blessed!! Not to say that I haven't had my fare share of trials (so it seems sometimes)...but honestly I do have a lot to be thankful for!!! It may seem cliche to list all the things that I am thankful for in my life, but since this is my family journal I will attempt to do it anyway (as incomplete as it may be....since I have so much to be thankful for!) I am going to start at the beginning....
My parents-I have the most amazing parents, and I wouldn't be where I am without them!!!
My testimony of the gospel and my Savior Jesus Christ. The Atonement and all He sacrificed for me.
My brothers-the older I get the more thankful I am for them, because they are my link to the past and to the future.
My husband-Someone who treats me good, and he is a wonderful father.
My Children-I am so blessed to have the most amazing kids!!! They are so smart, cute, and they teach me so much every day! They are what keep me going!!! Excited to have one more to love!
Being Pregnant-Even though it's difficult to be pregnant sometimes, I am thankful for the opportunity! I realized this early in my marriage, when it took us 3+ years to have kids. I know what a special blessing this is to be able to bring a child into this world.
A place to live-I am thankful for a place to live (there's no place like home...need I say more?)
Food-Yup food, I love food! But seriously it is a basic necessity.
Freedom-I am thankful that I live in a free country and that I am able to make my own choices!
The Internet-sounds silly, but you really can do so much and find good things on it. I guess I should say modern technology.
Showers-Ahhhhh! A nice hot shower. Try going with out one for a while, it makes you appreciate them.
Good Health-I am thankful for the most part that I am healthy. It's no fun to see people struggle with health issues.
My own trials-Sometimes it's easy for me to think that my trials stink, but sometimes when I see other people and their hardships it just makes me thankful for my own.
Good People and Friends-Other peoples examples, honesty, and my friends (it's just nice to know someone has your back).
I have so much more to be thankful for than this, but I figure this is a good start.
I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I will post more about the Holiday later.

Primary Program

Today in sacrament we had the annual Primary Program. It just happens to be my favorite Sacrament Meeting of the year. This year (since I have been in the primary) I was asked to be a part of the program. It was really fun to be able to have a part and practice with the kids in the primary that I have taught for the past year and a half. Ryaln and Alana did such a good job. Since Alana is in the nursery she was able to sing and then the nursery kids got to sit with their families. Rylan got to say what his favorite thing to do with his family was and he said "To wrestle with my daddy and go places with my family." He memorized his part (easier since they were his own thoughts and words), but he did such a good job! Rylan I just love how you aren't afraid to talk in front of people (most of the time). I felt the spirit so much that I almost cried. I will post a copy of the program in case any of you want to read through it. Anyway, it was an amazing meeting and I am glad that I got to have a part in it. Also, I have a new calling in church now...I am the Relief Society Secretary. I am a little nervous since all I know is Primary, but I am excited for the new challenge. I will miss all the girls that I taught, it was a great class. What a great day! It was such a blessing to have felt the spirit, hear my children and have such a wonderful meeting!

Ahhhhh!

Ahhhh! Finally our cooler is fixed. We have been extremely hot for the past week and a half. I am so thankful that we have cool air. I bet I will sleep good tonight! :)

Workin' Woman!

I got job. I am officially a workin' woman. I have been looking for a job that I could do from home (so that I can still spent lots of time with my kids and be a stay at home mom) but earn a little extra money. My cousin Christina started working from home for a pharmacy company doing data entry. She asked if it was something that I would be interested in. I said "Yes". Seriously it was an answer to my prayers. I have only done it for a few days and I am still learning how to do things, but I think that I am really going to enjoy it. Who couldn't use a little extra money??? I am excited! Thanks Christina for thinking of me and throwing this great opportunity my way!