Thanksgiving Weekend

What a fun extended weekend it has been. Thursday - enjoying a great meal with friends and family. Friday - Getting up at 3:45 to be at Wally world by 4:30 for the SALES!!! I love fun of getting most of my Christmas shopping done and knowing that I got the items for a steal of a deal. Dennis is such a good sport and goes with me, and I am grateful that I don't have to go alone. In all we went from Wal-mart to Sports Authority, Michaels, Best Buy and JoAnns, then home to eat breakfast, and off then I was off alone this time back to Wal-Mart to see if by chance that I something I really wanted (which they ran out of earlier) had been abandoned and actually back in stock. This has happened in the past so I was hoping. I ended up spending 3 times more on this trip that the earlier one. Alisha and I had been hoping to get some Cricut cartridges from Michaels that were such an awesome price, but they ran out of Thursday, so when I went back to Walmarts I checked to see if they by chance had any and they in fact did. Then I saw people getting lots of flannel and found out that it was an excellent price as well, so I loaded up on that so I can make lots of baby blankets this year. Once I got home Dennis and I went to looking on the internet for the one item I had gone back for in the first place, and found it at Walmart.com for the sale price. After lunch Amanda called and said they needed a ride home from Logan and we had told them on Thursday that we would come and get them if their suburban was not able to get fixed, so we borrowed a truck and trailer and drove to Logan in two vehicles to bring their family home.

Saturday - Amanda and I went to the massage school for a 2 for 1 massage deal. It felt so good. Afterwards we came home and did a foot detox, that also felt so good. Later (after she had time to feed and take care of her kids), we finished up our girls day out with more shopping. First at JoAnns (I wanted to get some more good deals and they had such great coupons), then to the craft fair at the Spanish Fork fairgrounds. After that Amanda and Alisha went home and Dennis and I took Clay out to dinner for a deal we had made with him. Then picked up Tyler at Amanda's kids and took them all to our house so they could all play together. They LOVE being together, running all over the house like madmen. After Amanda's family left, I crashed. It had been 3 long but funfilled days. I went to bed and left Dennis to take care of Clay and Tyler and make sure they got to bed ok.

It was so nice to have a relaxing Sunday today, even though the boys were still here. I really enjoy going to church and being spiritually uplifted. It helps me gt through the week.

Here are some pictures from our wonderful Thanksgiving.
Eating dinner


Great Grandma Christensen


Brother in Law Tony giving everyone a shoulder massage. He has magic fingers.


Playing games

Thanksgiving Day gratitudes

I am most grateful for:

1. My sister inviting us over for dinner. It was delicious and the company (family) was great. We had a fun time eating, visiting and playing games. I enjoyed coming home to a clean house too. But in the same vein, we are missing the aromas from all the cooking and leftovers. This is the first time in many years that we have not had leftovers. Oh well, life goes on.

2. That all my kids had a good Thanksgiving in their various locations.

3. Family, friends, and The Gospel. Where would I be without any of them? I am grateful for Heavenly Father sending me to a wonderful family. I am grateful that they love me and support me in all I do. I am grateful for good friends and their fine examples and their friendship. I am grateful that through Temple covenants and our faithfulness in keeping the commandments we can be a forever family. I truly have been abundantly blessed in my life.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL!!!

Day before Thanksgiving gratitudes

I am grateful for:

1. Watermelon in November. I found one at Costco the other day and started eating it last night. It is not as sweet as in the summer, but it sure tastes good now that the selection of fruit is limited.

2. Lotion. I would never be able to survive without the stuff. I have dry skin and it gets even drier in the winter. Some kinds are better than others, but because I use so much of it I always buy whats on sale, but not the cheap stuff at the $ store. That stuff is worthless.

3. Loosing weight and feeling great. I have been eating a "healthy diet" to lower my cholesterol and have lost over 35 pounds and over 4 inches in each of my waist, chest and hips. Tomorrow I am going to walk/run the Thanksgiving Day race at the Orem Fitness Center. I am so excited! I love feeling great and the best part is I rarely feel hungry or have cravings any more.

Tuesday's gratitudes

Today I am grateful for:

1. Sales and coupons. I am an avid couponer and sale shopper. I am having the best time right now watching all the stores try and out-compete each other. Today I had a coupon to use on top of the 50, 70 and 90% off sale prices. Now that makes me feel good. I love Christmas time. I find the best deals for birthday and wedding presents for the entire year.

2. Sitting down in the middle of the day rocking a grandchild to sleep while watching a movie. Can't get much better than that. I love the sitting down part, but I really love it when they are asleep and the house gets quiet for a time.

3. Knowing that my family members are all well and safe.

This Monday I am thankful for:

1. A long afternoon nap. I don't do too well with little sleep and that is what I got last night. We were happy to pick up Alisha and Randy at the airport from their week long cruise, but didn't home and to bed until 12:30 and had to get up at 6:00. The long nap helped me function the rest of the evening.

2.The mailman who delivers the mail to my door in all sorts of weather.

3. Curbside garbage pickup and the nice garbage cans on wheels. Some people may not even remember the days of hauling heavy aluminum garbage cans to the curb, only to have dogs tip them over.

Grateful Sunday

Today I am grateful for:

1. Hot showers. How do you describe how wonderful they are?

2. Cell phones. I can get in touch with any of my kids and them with me pretty much anytime. It was especially fun earlier this week to get a call from my daughter Alisha who was on a cruise and called me from some exotic Mexican place. Now if I could just get Dennis to answer his phone while doing his Bishopric duties on Sundays at BYU.

3. Purses. How else would I carry my wallet, camera, lotion, eyedrops, gum, mints, notebook, coupons, Tylenol, glasses, Ipod, and other misc junk. I am especially fond of the ones that are not too small and not too big, with one strap that is a bit on the wide side.

Picture Tag

I decided that I haven't posted any pictures lately, so I will play along with the picture tag that my niece left open for anyone.


4th folder, 4 picture

Amanda with her UVSC cross country team at a cross country meet that was held at the Cascade Golf Course. She was an awesome runner.

6th folder, 6th picture

Our grandson T. and the 2 fish he caught at the same time on his pole. We were fishing at Matt Warner reservoir above Vernal. The fish were really biting that day and several of us caught two at a time.

8th folder, 8 picture

My nephew Tyson and his wife Amanda at the Temple sealing of Tyson's mom and dad (my sister and brother in law). That was such a special day.

Saturdays Gratitudes

Today I am grateful:

1. That we live so close to the Temple and can go and be back home within 21/2 hours. Two of my kids live where it takes at least that long to just drive one way to the nearest one.

2. Sleeping in. AAHHH, what a wonderful thing it is.

3. A watch. I take this little piece of jewelry that sits on my wrist so for granted. A few months ago I lost my watch and I felt lost without it. I had two old watches sitting around so I got new batteries for them and before the month was over the batteries in both watches were dead. So after a week or so of missing the crazy little thing I broke down and bought a new one. How many times in a day do You look at your watch? I probably look at my at least a dozen or so times in a day, even more on busy days.

Fabulous Friday gratitutes

Today I am so thankful for:

1. Quiet! Sometimes the world just gets loud. With the radio or TV on at home, work and in the car it feels so good to just have some peace and quiet. It is something that young mothers rarely get, usually only when the little ones go down for a nap. It is also easier to hear the quiet whisperings of the Spirit when all is quiet and the mind is not distracted with other noise.

2. People who have values and live them!!! It is really hard to watch those you love get hurt by others who have no virtue nor honesty.

3. Sweet grandchildren. For the past 2 weeks whenever my granddaughter L. sees me she wants no one else but me, not even mom or dad. Reminds me of when my children were young and needed me. I know it won't last for long, so I am enjoying it while I can.

This Thursday I am grateful for

1. Online banking. I am the bill payer in our family and for years dutifully wrote out the checks, logged it in the check register, put notes on the bill I was paying, stuffed into an envelope and licked a stamp. Now I just go online, enter the amount and date I want it paid, click enter and I am done in 5 minutes. I can transfer money from one account to another without having to drive to the bank to do it. Such a time and gas saver. What a wonderful modern convenience at our fingertips.

2. A warm house on a blustery day! It is a good day to bake! I think I will make healthy muffins.

3. Inspiring music that brings tears to my eyes. Tonight I went to our stake Young Women in Excellence night and it was a very good meeting. The speaker Laurel Christensen was excellent, and at the end a young women choir sang a song I had never heard before. I believe someone said it was written by Janice Kapp Perry. I don't know the title, but would love to find out and get a copy of it. It was about the light of Christ. I just love music that fills my soul with such a sweet, peaceful feeling.

Wednesday Gratitudes

I am so grateful for:

1. This warm, very beautiful sunny fall day. Don't you just love warm days in the fall, especially in mid November? Too bad all my leaves are raked up. I need an excuse to be outdoors because I have no idea how long we will be blessed with such beautiful weather. I absolutely love and crave the sunlight. Anyone want to go play in it?

2. The diversity and uniqueness of people. If we were all the same life would be so boring. For example Dennis and I are nearly opposites. Sometimes he frustrates me to no end, but most of the time he keeps me grounded and makes me laugh which I fail to do on my own due to being such a serious person.

3. Candles, especially the scented ones. There is something warm and cozy and intimate about candles. For some reason I seem to only burn them between October and January. Part of that is because we have an artificial Christmas tree and really miss the pine tree smell. Another reason is this time of year produces the best scents with all the baking people due during the holidays. Want to know my favorite scents? Pine and Spice.

Tuesdays Gratitudes

Today I am grateful for:

1. Dr. offices that don't make you wait long for appointments. Why is it that some doctors can get me in and out within half an hour and others take over 2? It is really maddening to have to sit and wait and wait and wait..............like I have all the time in the world. Ugh!?!

2. Newspapers. I love to read the paper. I would much rather read the news than watch it. I pretty much devour the whole paper except for the sports section. I have tried to read the paper online a few times, but it is just not the same as the print in black and white on paper. There is just something to holding or touching it as I read.

3. Soft comfy bed. I look forward to going to bed each night. I don't have trouble sleeping like some people do. There is nothing like curling up with a body pillow and snoring the night away then waking up fresh and ready to start a new day. Oh, and a nice pillow is also wonderful.

Monday's gratitudes

Today I am grateful for:

1. A babies coos. Rosalie is starting to coo (is that the proper spelling?) now and it is so cute. She has really filled out and is such a pleasant baby when she is not hungry.

2. Full body massages. I have been wanting one of these for a long time now. I always seem to have tight muscles in my upper back and a massage is the only thing I have found that helps calm them down. I have seen quite a few signs and ads lately for these and the prices are starting to come down. Maybe in December as my reward to myself for another monthly milestone I will get one.

3. The Public Library. I have loved the library for as long as I can remember. I have some very special memories of the old Orem library when it was a converted house next to the Scera swimming pool. The kids section was in the basement and it was so cozy. I love going and finding most anything I am looking for whether a good book, book on CD, cookbook, magazine, whatever. Last year when Dennis and I went to St. George for him to participate and officiate at the World Sr. Games I spent quite a bit of time at the St. George public library perusing the internet and doing the payroll for work on my laptop. I even found a book in their special collections with information on my ancestors that helped settle Washington. I love libraries!!!

Today I am grateful for:

1. My Savior Jesus Christ who love me no matter what, unconditionally. In return He asks few things of me: Be Baptized, follow His example, Repent, keep His commandments.

2. Visiting Teaching. It is true that you love the ones you serve, and I love the sisters I visit, and my partner. They are awesome women and such an example to me. Whenever I see them they brighten my day, lift my spirit and make it so easy to love them. Thanks dear sisters.

3. Goals! I like having something to work on and look forward to completing. I like structure and being organized and goals fit in very nicely with that. I love it when I can cross off my list the goals I have accomplished that day. I enjoy working towards a long range goal and love the feeling of satisfaction of completing it. When I don't set goals I seem to just stagnate. When I set goals I feel like I am accomplishing something and learning and growing. It is such a great feeling.

Gratitudes for Saturday

1. Digital cameras. Who would have ever believed how wonderful these gadgets are. Now if a picture doesn't turn out, just delete it, and try again until you get it right. No more paying for a roll of film and finding out that none of the pictures turned out very well. And I can send a picture to almost anyone, anywhere.

2. Warehouse sales. I am a die hard, frugal, tightwad, clearance shopper. I love getting a good deal. It is like my therapy. Today I went to a scrapbook warehouse sale and spent way too much money on clearance scrapbooking supplies, but it was so much fun. I think I am now set for about 10 years.

3. Dennis willing to help cook and cleanup if I just ask. Most of the time I forget to ask. He rarely volunteers, but always helps when asked.

Friday's gratitudes

I am grateful for:

1. Getting together with my mom and sisters once a month to scrapbook and have some girl time. We visit and just have a great time together and try to get caught up on our scrapbooking.

2. For my parents and all they taught me. I am who I am today because their teachings and example.

3. Falling gas prices. I was shocked today when I drove past the Sinclair station at Harmons. Gas was 1.99 a gallon!?! Who would ever have thought that it would get that low. Thank goodness!

Gratitude Attitude

Today I am grateful for:
1. A beautiful sunrise. The last few days have been dark and gloomy and I was starting to get depressed. Today I went for my walk/run at dawn and watched the moon set on the West and the clouds turn peachy color as the sun hit them on the East. It was so beautiful. Usually I walk when it is still dark and am getting ready for work when the sun comes up and I never get to see the sunrise, so today was a special treat.

2. A working dryer. Dennis finally got the dryer working last night and it is SO NICE!
I really enjoyed hanging clothes out during the summer, but that is not a fun thing to do when it is cold. I love the fresh smell of the clothes when they first come out. Thank you Dennis - for persisting until you found the problem.

3. Herbs. I have been learning about herbs for a few years now and I find them very useful for so many different things. Dennis came home feeling like he was coming down with a cold and he knew what to do to try and stop it before it can get to far. To me it is another form of emergency preparedness, because there could come a time when we won't have access to a doctor and will need to know what to do to help heal ourselves. The scriptures tell us that herbs are to be used by man and I wouldn't know what to do with them if I didn't take the time to learn.

Thankfulness

Today I am grateful for:
1. Warmth. I have never been one to get very cold. My grandma tells me that as a little child I was like a furnace, and she loved to cuddle with me to keep her warm. Dennis loves to sleep with an electric blanket and I on the other hand, hated any kind of heat and would get so hot in the middle of the night I have to throw off the covers, but since I have started this healthy way of eating I get cold. Cold enough to wear jackets and sweatshirts during the day and it is a really strange feeling for me. I am not used to things around my neck and on the lower part of my arms. I am used to wearing short sleeves year round. So now I am grateful to be warm.

2.My brother in law the Chiropractor. He keeps me in tip top shape, and usually helps whatever is ailing me. If we could just get to the source of my dizzyness I would be extremely grateful.

3. TIVO. A silly thing to be grateful for, but I don't care to watch much TV anymore and when I am in the mood there is never anything worth watching. It has been so nice to tell the TIVO what shows I want to watch and set it to season pass and shazam, I can watch what I want when I am ready, without having to tell it to record everyday. It is the coolest thing. It sure helps pass the time away while jogging in place on the mini tramp. Since it is too cold to walk outdoors right now at 5:30 am, this is the next best thing.

Tuesdays gratitudes

1. I am grateful for the best little snow shovel in the whole world. We found itabout 15 or 20 years ago and bought 2, one for each of us. A few years back one of them wore out and we have tried a few other shovels since then, but nothing would even compare. Every year we have watched for a shovel just like it at the stores, but have never found one. This year I got a flyer from a store that was having a sale on snow shovels and that got me to thinking about it earlier in the season. I did a search on Google and actually found THE SHOVEL. It was called a Big Foot snow pusher. I was so excited and I tried to buy it online, but the only place that actually "sold" one was back East and it was "pick up only". I was stupefied. How can you not buy a simple snow shovel off of the internet? I thought that was the end of it and we would have to just give up. Well, today I was picking up a few groceries at Albertsons and on my way out the door there it was, staring me in the face. I was SO EXCITED I bought 2 of them right then and there. Now Dennis and I will no longer have to fight over our extremely faithful, OLD, nearly worn out shovel. We can push snow side by side once again. BRING ON THE SNOW!!!

2. I am grateful for the chance meeting of long lost friends (at the grocery store no less). It made my day to run into Christy, a dear friend and past ward member that I haven't seen in several years. To have her as excited as I was made it all the better.

3. I am grateful for Christmas music. I can't get enough of it. It goes on at my house November 1st and stays on until January 1st. It breaks my heart when the radio stations quit playing them. There is something almost magical about it. I have pondered over why I am drawn to it and I think one reason is because it is uplifting, even the songs that are not of a religious nature are uplifting. The music is positive, happy, upbeat, encouraging, full of love, hope, joy and goodness. I am grateful that Dennis loves it as much as I do, if not more. He loves it so much that he wants it played at his funeral no matter what time of year it is. I can't quite go that far.

I am thankful for:

1. The sense of smell. How boring life would be without the wonderful scent of the the air after a rain storm, sweet smells from baking such as fresh homemade bread, cookies, peach cobbler, pies, etc. How about pine trees, roses, a new baby, or your favorite shampoo. I love the many different smells you can get from candles. My favorites are spice and pine scented ones during the holidays.

2. My eyes. Up until about a year ago I have had pretty good eyesight. That's when I started getting that middle age loss of eyesight that most people get. It is so annoying to not be able to read the same print I have all of my life and to always have to look for a pair of glasses so I am not straining so hard. My mother and grandmother have macular degeneration and I am worried that I will also have it. Not a fun thought. So I am grateful for my eyes and that I can still see....somewhat.

3. The sound of people laughing....in a good way. Not laughing at other people to be mean, but when they are having such a good time. I especially love the laugh of babies and children. It is even better when you can laugh with them, it can be a stress reliever.

Thankful for -

1. I am thankful for Sundays. Glad for the day of rest from our daily labors. Thankful to be able to attend a beautiful, warm church building and have my spiritual cup filled.

2. I am thankful for wonderful teachers. I probably appreciate it much more since I am not a good teacher. I have all these thoughts in my head and heart, but getting them out in any coherent order for others to understand just doesn't happen and therefore I am always feeling so stupid and embarrassed. I admire people who speak and teach and are so interesting. It is even hard for me to just carry a normal conversation with people. It is one area in my life that I feel so lacking in. It is also the area that Heavenly Father thinks I need to grow in and so I seem to always have callings that require me to get up in front of people. I don't know if that part of me will ever get polished or refined.

3. I am thankful for hugs. I did not grow up in an affectionate family. We knew we were loved, but it wasn't shown by hugging. It took me years after marrying into a very affectionate family to grow accustomed to people in my personal space and actually enjoy it. I love getting hugs from other people, but it is hard for me to give them freely to other adults, even my adult children. I especially love hugs from my grandchildren. Especially the ones that are so freely given. They seem to go through stages where they don't want to give hugs or kisses and then I make a game of it and chase them around until I catch them and steal a kiss from them. I think they like that, but I prefer the loves they give openly and freely. I admire people who give hugs so openly and freely.

Attitude of Gratitude

I was reading the blog of a friend and she had the coolest thing on there. "The November Attitude of Gratitude Challenge". I thought I would give it a try, as I don't have much to blog about anymore. So here are the rules if anyone else wants to play along.

Each day during the month of November list 3 "things" for which you are grateful.

Definition of "things" is used to encompass a myriad of stuff including (but not limited to): a set of circumstances, an event, an inanimate object distinguished from a living being, possession or effects, a deed or act, a product of work or activity, an idea or notion, a piece of news or information, a person, a memory, anything that makes you smile.

*The challenge is to come up with 3 ORIGINAL "things" each day. Try not to repeat entries.

WARNING OR POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS!
Please note that challenge participation may result in any or all of the following:
-You will be surprised at all the Lord has done for you
-Angels will attend
-You will feel help and comfort
-You may find yourself singing as the days go by
-Your doubts will fly

1. I am grateful that Dennis went for a walk-run with me this morning. He usually hates going with me because I walk and he runs. Walking for a runner must be torture or something, but for years I have watched couples walking along the side of the road and was a bit envious of them. So today when I suggested that we go for a walk with a little bit of running he said yes. I was totally surprised. It was very nice of him to go with me, and I loved it.

2. I am grateful for warm, sunny days this time of year. With it being so cold the past week, today was especially nice and I spent most of it outside doing yard work. I was able to get the last of my garden beds cleaned out, the leaves raked and the lawn mowed.

3. I am grateful for all the hard work Dennis has been doing on our dryer to try and get it to work. He does not like being a handyman and only does it because I insist that he can do it and and save us the cost of a repairman. He has worked on it now for 3 separate days each time thinking it is fixed only to find out that it is not. I am grateful for "things" that make life easier, especially when they work.
I am grateful for professionals who know what they are doing, but wish they didn't cost so darn much.