Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for:

My Van...it gets me where I need to go. And while I would love to drive something a bit more attractive or popular this one is doing the job just fine!

My parents and siblings...they love me and encourage me when I am not doing so great.

My kids...they make me laugh at least once a day...they are hilarious really! and they all try really hard to be good. I love them so much.

Working at the quilt shop...(Thanks Sarah and Al!) I am really enjoying the creative outlet and the opportunities that just keep coming. I am also thankful for etsy and eBay...without those two...I would be forced to babysit more often and we all know how that would end...(not good!)

I am thankful that my current babysitting job is over and it is time for a much needed break! on that same note I am thankful that my "baby" is almost four and isn't really a "baby"anymore...taking care of a baby is really hard.

I also enjoy the smell of laundry detergent and bleach...so fresh and clean. Shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste...all great things!

Friends who are willing to help even though "I had this same problem last year..." Thanks!

Don't give up...I wont always be crazy!

Guess What I Saw...

Nope not Bigfoot, or Superman....GAS as low as $2.09 a gallon! Amazing!!! Here's hoping it stays low! (I heard that OPEC is cutting production due to less demand...:( UUGH! Give me a break! I will spare you all the rant...Yay for cheap gas!!! (If only for a moment!)


P.S. I typed "gas prices" into my search engine and it tells me that you can get gas as low as $1.19 in Bonnerdale, Arkansas. HHMMMM must be a supply and demand thing? or maybe we should all move to Arkansas...Hillary, how far is it to Bonnerdale from where you live? ha ha ha ha.....maybe its just an urban legend....like a fairytale...$1.19 for a gallon of gas....and we all lived happily ever after! NICE :)

Thankful Thursday

Wow! How sad that I haven't written anything since last Thursday. I didn't even realize it until I went to write this post. Yikes!

This week I am thankful for:

1) Blue skies and fall leaves...It is so beautiful right now.

2) Burn Cream...As if to add injury to insult, while making applesauce I burned my forehead. I was moving the boiling apples to the food stainer and they bubbled and splattered me. It looks like a cigarette burn. just above my right eyebrow...yeah, I'll be sporting this baby for awhile. Nice.

3) I am, ahem, glad that I get to speak in sacrament meeting on Sunday...

4) Running water...you know for showers and dishes and laundry...the basics. oh and vacuums

5) And for all the people who see my garage with no doors and just walk on by...as opposed to the person who opted to steal my gas cans right off the shelf.

6) That this week is almost OVER and next week is Halloween...yay for parties!

Service

"Service makes us strong in our faith and useful in His kingdom. Service gives us purpose and courage in life. It brings us closer to God and helps us refine our divine nature. It teaches us to love and understand our fellowmen, and it helps us forget about our personal desires, eliminating selfishness, pride, and ingratitude. It teaches us to think of the needs of others, which allows us to develop the virtues that the Savior possesses."Kindness, love, patience, understanding, and unity will increase as we serve, while intolerance, jealousy, envy, greed, and selfishness decrease or disappear. The more we give of ourselves, the more our capacity to serve, understand, and love will grow."Those who serve will always seek to please God and live in harmony with Him. They will be full of peace; they will have a cheerful countenance and a spirit of kindness."Those who serve will strive to ennoble, build, and lift their fellowmen; therefore, they will find the good in others, and they will not find reason or have time to become offended. They develop the virtue of praying for those who criticize. They don't expect recognition or reward. They possess the love of Christ."Those who serve will always be willing to share what they possess and what they know at all times, in all places, and with all people."Those who serve even in adversity will maintain a living hope of a better future. They will continue to be firm in the midst of a crisis because their hope is in Christ."

Carlos H. Amado, "Service, a Divine Quality," Ensign, May 2008, 36-37

Things I am thankful for:

1)I am thankful for my family..they love and forgive me when I do not act as I should.

2)I am thankful that my husband has a good job and that he goes to work everyday.

3)I am thankful that we are getting our very own temple.

4)I am thankful to public school for teaching and loving my kids. Our schools are really great.

5)I am thankful for the opportunities that I have to learn new things...I love learning so I am glad that "even though I am a grown up" I can still enjoy learning new things. (I love learning the long arm quilting machine-its amazing!!)

6)I am grateful for my counselors...without them most of primary wouldn't even happen...they are great.

7)I am thankful for blogging...before I discovered this little gem, I barely wrote down anything...(my kids were lucky if I wrote about their birth while in the hospital) My journaling skills were lacking to say the least...Now I know that if I died, my kids could read my blog and know a little bit more about who I am, and know that I love them.

8)I am thankful for generous people who share the fruits of their gardens and orchards...without them we would not have such an amazing food storage.

9) Finally, I am thankful for being busy. If I wasn't as busy as I am, I would have plenty of time to feel sorry for myself and that would not be good!

10)Thanks for putting up with this gratuitous post...he he he

Funny...

I saw this on another blog and thought it was too funny!

Things I may or may not have said (or did) this week:

1) No honey, Dad cannot get pregnant.

2) Joined in when my sons were teasing one of my sons about having to pee a lot...We came up with "the whizzer wizard" and "Pee-man" (you know, like He-Man...) I hang my head in shame. He's probably scarred for life...he was laughing though. so maybe I'm okay.

3)You don't want to eat that...if you do, then your rear end will get as big as mine, and its HUGE!

4) you know what, I need a minute, no an hour...get away, hurry, run

5)Forget stem cell research, they should be doing brain cell research.


alright, that's all I got for now...it hurts my brain to try to remember all the dumb stuff I've said or not said...he he he :)

I decided I would use these fun ideas to fill up my blog with journal type entries...you know, for the kids...ha ha ha! So today's topic is my favorite Halloween costume. I really don't know how to decide...there have been so many great Halloween costumes in our family. I love that we have such a fun family. We used to have a big carnival style party (way back when I was little) and we all would make up our own games and run them like little carnies. The whole ward/neighborhood would come for the night. It was great! Now, we pick a theme...recent ones have been "The Circus" and "Pirates". It is so much fun to dress out the whole family and spend the evening having fun together. I happen to love this holiday...just for the quality family time we spend together decorating mom and dads house, making the costumes and partying. We did do a fun couples night where we dressed up in seventies costume...not Halloween, but, one of my favorites. Mainly because Erinn really got into it! So, I guess I'll put up a few pics for you to see just how much fun we have!

More AOA and Hannah!

Isn't she a pretty girl. I don't know what I would do without her!

and Adam-Ondi-Ahman is beautiful too. It was a good day.

Adam-Ondi-Ahman

After our Stake Conference we took a drive out to AOA. We love this peaceful place. It was such beautiful weather. The kids enjoyed hiking around and I LOVED hearing Erinn teach the children the history and significance of the area. I can almost see the valley filled with people and feel the spirit of the prophets that have walked that holy ground. I love it here.

Pumpkin Fun

Here is one more fun idea for you. I just love it when you get more...We used old jelly and spaghetti sauce jars, tissue paper, and mod podge. Again, this is one craft even the toddlers can do...they can't mess it up no matter how hard they try!! Jen loved that she got to paint her jar! My 12, 10, 8, and 6yr olds also loved it! They look so great lit up at night with a votive in them. Click here for a tutorial...thanks Skip to my Lou for the idea!! Its a keeper!

Skeleton How-To...

My mom used to make these fun paper plate skeletons with us when we were little and now my kids love making them as well. So, I thought I would share! They are so easy to make you might just get addicted!

All you need is a stack of flimsy paper plates, a pair of scissors, and some brads. You may want a pencil to draw a few cutting lines.


... Almost every piece can be done with a folded plate. It is just about life size for a 2-4 yr old. This could be fun to mail to far away family and friends! Have fun and enjoy your Fall activities!

4th picture in my 4th folder...

This is the fourth picture in my fourth folder on my computer...It's Sam visitng the beach at Moss Landing. right behind Phils fish market in California. watching the sunset and playing football. Good Times baby. Isn't he a cutie???

Alright its your turn now...4th pic in your 4th folder...Go!

Handbags Baby

Here's your chance to win an amazing handbag!
Go check it out here! It really is easy...just enter your name and email...and you could be one of the winners! Thanks Misty and Amanda for getting us in on this! Here's hoping I win something! (I never win anything but, whatever...:) yay for new purses!

The Temple

“It is the deepest desire of my heart to have every member of the Church worthy to enter the temple.”

“Let us be a temple-attending people. Attend the temple as frequently as personal circumstances allow. Keep a picture of a temple in your home that your children may see it. Teach them about the purposes of the House of the Lord. Have them plan from their earliest years to go there and to remain worthy of that blessing.”

“And now, my beloved brothers and sisters, through the power and authority of the priesthood vested in me and by virtue of the calling which I now hold, I invoke my blessings upon you. I bless you in your efforts to live a more Christlike life. I bless you with an increased desire to be worthy of a temple recommend and to attend the temple as frequently as circumstances allow. I bless you to receive the peace of our Heavenly Father in your homes and to be guided in teaching your families to follow the Master.”
~Howard W. Hunter, Prophet of God



"The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today gave more details about the locations of the five new temples announced by President Thomas S. Monson at the Church’s general conference in Salt Lake City on Saturday,

For the temple serving the greater Kansas City area, the site will be in Clay County, Missouri, on residential land within the Kansas City limits that is already being developed by the Church. The development is known as Shoal Creek."

This comes to you straight from the church news website!! I can hardly express my feelings of gratitude and excitement. It will be so wonderful to have a temple within 30-40 minutes of us. There was excitement and cheering when the prophet made the announcement, then speculation as to the location...now its planning for how often we can go, date night, girls days, maybe even being a temple worker....? It is so AMAZINGLY EXCITING!! I am filled with love and gratitude for the Lord, his Prophet, and for the blessings that he so freely gives us.

Happy Fall! (I love this time of year...the weather is great, the trees are beautiful, and the air smells good.)

Yea for Conference!! (I love to sit and listen to the talks...they are always inspiring.)

Happy Saturday!!! (I don't have to go anywhere today! I get to watch conference on my own T.V. and not having to leave the house is amazing!!!)

Hope you all have a great day too!

Crackin me up today!!!