Gratitude Post #8: Shredded Pork and Wooden Fish

I will admit, shredded pork and wooden fish is a rather odd and unusual thing to be grateful for. Perhaps I should phrase it like this: "I am grateful for inspired neighbors and witty family members who say silly things." Service and laughter made the ending of our stressful week into something good.

Brad and I needed someone to do something nice for us this week. Our week was full of unpleasant events and unnecessary drama, and we were emotionally and mentally exhausted. Brad suggested that we have a prayer. We were struggling to have some peace and comfort amid the storm of drama. He prayed that the Lord would comfort us and prove Himself as He had done before. He prayed that something good would happen for us.

Today one of our lovely neighbors and fellow church members showed up with a bag of rolls and a Viva Cottage Cheese container filled with delicious homemade shredded pork. Was she inspired to do this kind act of service? I definitely believe she was! It was so nice having someone think of us and do something nice. And the pork was absolutely divine!

In the evening, Brad and I headed over to his aunt's house and we had pizza from The Pi Pizzeria for dinner. We played "Catch Phrase" with Aunt Marian, Uncle Gordan, Tricky, Christopher, Natalie, and Travis. There's something about playing with a group of fun-loving, extremely witty people that make a simple game of "Catch Phrase" into a hilarious night of laughter and fun. One of my favorite parts of the night was when Natalie was trying to get us to guess a particular food. She said:

Nat: "It swims in the tank."
Someone yelled: "FISH!"
Nat: "But it's two words! The second word is 'wood.'"
Travis: "WOODEN FISH!"
Nat: "No, no! It's a FOOD!"
Natalie was trying to get us to guess "Fish Stick."

Another funny moment was when Christopher tried to get us to guess the name of a famous protagonist:
Chris: "HIM!" Pointing to his left at Tricky.
Us: "TRICKY!" "JOHN!" "MAN!"
Chris: "HER!" Pointing to his right at Natalie.
-- we were like, what?---
Chris: "BIG EARS!"
-- oh, of course, DUMBO--
Natalie was not impressed by her brother's joke.

Gratitude Post #7: Special Moments with Scott & Emma

Scott and Emma are the two greatest bonus children I could ever imagine! They are WONDERFUL! I love spending time with them every day, even if it's just for a few minutes. Tonight I had a fun time taking pictures of them playing in the leaves outside. Scott wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about playing in the leaves this year as he used to be, and I told Emma it was because he decided to grow up and turn into a boring teenager. As the evening progressed, however, Scott let his boyish side take over, and I took some great pictures of him playing with Emma.

There are definitely challenging moments being Scott's and Emma's stepmother, but the special moments I have with them far outweigh the drama. Scott and Emma are well-behaved, lovable, respectful children, and they both have their own special bond with me. I am grateful for the way they were raised by their father and their grandmother before I came along five years ago, because it's the whole reason why they are such great kids. I love them very much, and I'm grateful for the special moments I'm privileged to share with them every day.

Gratitude Post #6: Grandpa's Quote

I had to add another post about my grandpa. He's been on my mind a lot lately, especially since I posted that blog entry about my grandparents a couple of days ago.

Brad and I have been going through a lot of stress lately. Not within our marriage or relationship, but with... ummm... outside influences you might say. If you know Brad's story or our family well, you'll probably know what I'm talking about.

Anyway, a few months ago my aunt sent me a quote my grandpa used to say, and I've faithfully put it up on my wall as a reminder when times get hard. Grandpa would always say:

"God makes all things work out for the good guys."
~David Burrows Whitcomb

Simple and short, and yet so TRUE! God will make things work out for us because we are striving to do good things. If we continue to do our part, He will help us through our trials and adversities. I am thankful for my grandfather's quote, because it truly does help me keep things in perspective. Thanks, Grandpa!

Gratitude Post #5: Utah

Today I'm grateful that I live in Utah. While I will always miss and love my home in Long Beach, I am very happy with the choice I made to live in such a beautiful, family-friendly state. I love looking out my window and seeing the tall Utah mountains. I love watching the seasons change every few months. I love going places and seeing families with children. I love all of the free places you can take your family to, and all of the wonderful parks you can spend the day at. I love how the cost of living isn't nearly as high here as in other places. I love how owning your own home is not an impossible dream. I am very grateful to be here.

Gratitude Post #4: My Grandparents

I'm very grateful for these two wonderful people:

My grandparents have been and always will be awesome role models for me to follow. I'm thankful that I knew them while they were alive, and that I learned so much from them. My grandparents taught me to look for the good in people. They taught me the importance of getting an education; that intelligence is one of the most valuable treasure you can take with you wherever you go. One of my favorite lessons they taught me was that it's possible to be "in love" with your spouse no matter how old you are, or how long you've been married, or what physical condition you or your spouse might be in. They were sweethearts for over 50 years and were as affectionate as newlyweds for most of that time. Even when my grandmother developed Alzheimers disease, my grandfather was as devoted and loving to her, if not more so, than he had ever been. When she passed away in January 2005, he only lived eight months without her.

I'm so very grateful for my grandparents' marriage, especially at this time and age when divorce rates are so high and many people have misconceptions about what true love is. Their relationship is one that I refer to as being "happily ever after." They knew what it meant to love someone and be committed to them, and to be happy with the choice they made to be together, even when hard times came. They knew how to pull through and to always love each other unconditionally.

Gratitude Post #3: Rosie

Today I'm grateful for Rosie. I appreciate having her company during the day, and for the way she makes me smile and laugh when I interact with her. She's a constant reminder of what it's like to be carefree, happy, and to find joy in the simplest things. Rosie finds great pleasure in our day-to-day routine, which helps me keep in mind that it's the simple things that really count. Her favorite thing to do is to be near someone she loves, whether it's snuggling at someone's feet or sitting beside them in the car. She's our fun-loving, loyal, clownish companion, and we are grateful to have her in our lives.

Gratitude Post #2: Connected

Today I'm grateful for online networks that help me keep in contact with family and friends who live far away. I like feeling "connected."

I'm also grateful that we have a telephone service that allows us free long distance calls, so I can talk to my parents and sisters on a regular basis without having to worry about extra costs. I feel very blessed to have these everyday conveniences in my home.

Gratitude Post #1: Cars

Today I'm very grateful for our two family vehicles. Sadly, our little Legacy is currently out of commission and may not run again for us. I am grateful we have a second vehicle to rely upon while the other can't be used. We may have to purchase another vehicle in the near future-- hopefully within the next few days. I am grateful that our finances and credit are well enough for us to replace our car without having to take out a loan or borrow money. We are truly blessed. I will miss our loyal little Legacy, but it will be neat seeing what other car we get in the near future.

The Highlight of My Day: October 2010

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in October:

Fri 10/1/10: Today was a busy day. My biggest task was going to Sam's Club. I had a HUGE list of things I needed to buy. Luckily, I found almost everything on my list, which I hope means I won't need to go back for awhile.

Sat 10/2/10: Kaylie, Rachel, and Jessica spent the night at our house last night, and Emma had a great day playing with their cousins. My funnest moment of the day was watching the girls break out the Halloween boxes and play dress-up. Very cute!

Sun 10/3/10: I loved conference this year. My favorite talks were the ones by President Monson, President Uchtdorf, and Elder Packard. I finished crocheting my General Conference scarf right after the 4th session, and then I worked on Scott's Halloween costume during the 5th session. Keeping my hands busy helped me focus on the general authority talks.

Mon 10/4/10: I'm on Day 1 of the South Beach diet. I did perfectly! No cravings, no cheating, all good! I'm happy to be back on the wagon again.

Tues 10/5/10: I started crocheting my first hat today. It helps finding instructional videos on YouTube.

Wed 10/6/10: Emma's wig for her Halloween costume arrived in the mail today. I helped her try it on, and laughed hysterically when I saw her in it. She looked GREAT! On the side note, I finished crocheting my first hat, too!

Thu 10/7/10: Scott, Emma, Brad, Lizzy, and I had a great time playing with Emma's wig and Halloween hats. I had my camera on hand and took lots of pictures.

Fri 10/8/10: Brad was my highlight. Definitely!

Sat 10/9/10: Brad's dad took us out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner tonight. I ordered the prime rib and vegetables. Soooo good!

Sun 10/10/10: Brad and I drove up into the canyons this evening with Lizzy. We found a great place to park and walked next to the creek. It was so beautiful! Lizzy LOVED throwing rocks into the water. She did not want to stop.

Mon 10/11/10: The scale was so nice to me this morning. I lost almost 7 pounds in one week! YAY!

Tue 10/12/10: Scott and Lizzy accompanied me to Walmart this afternoon. I bought Scott a new coat for only $14, and I bought a bunch of yarn to make scarfs and hats for Christmas presents.

Wed 10/13/10: I LOVED having Brad to myself tonight. Hooray for Fall Break! My husband is the greatest!

Thu 10/14/10: Tonight was Ward Temple Night at the Oquirrh Mountain Temple. Going to the temple makes me love my husband even more. I loved being there with him.

Fri 10/15/10: Had an absolutely wonderful, fantastic, spectacular evening with my Bradley! It was our first overnight date without the baby. We had a $50 gift certificate to go to Z'Tejas restaurant at the Gateway from my cousin Nick, so we headed over and had a wonderful meal! Then we went up to Uintah and used our FREE night voucher to stay at a Best Western hotel, complete with an in-room jacuzzi for two. LOVELY!

Sat 10/16/10: Brad, Tricky, and I watched "Pirates of the Caribbean" while eating lunch from Crown Burger (I had a salad). I crocheted another scarf today.

Sun 10/17/10: My crocheting skills have definitely improved! My stitches are better, and I'm a lot faster than I used to be! I finished three scarves today!

Mon 10/18/10: I enjoyed Family Home Evening tonight. It was simple. We talked about the Word of Wisdom and the importance of keeping our bodies healthy.

Tue 10/19/10: Lizzy and I went to Del Sol this morning so I could get a flu shot, then afterward we went with Brad to Sweet Tomatoes for lunch. Mmmmm!

Wed 10/20/10: Lizzy ate green beans tonight! Yay! She does not like lettuce, however. Blah!

Thu 10/21/10: Crocheting hats for Christmas! I love crocheting.

Fri 10/22/10: Brad sang in the Stake Musical Festival tonight. Lizzy liked seeing her father on stage and kept pointing at him, saying "Pa-pa."

Sat 10/23/10: Brad, Lizzy, and I went shopping at Walmart and the Church Distribution Center today. I got my mini-quad that I've wanted for awhile. It was a "half-birthday" present from Bradley.

Sun 10/24/10: I've lost 10 pounds so far this month!

Mon 10/25/10: Lizzy had a blast in the snow this morning! She had a great time stomping in the snow, picking up the snow, and eating the snow. We made a little miniature snowman together, too.

Tue 10/26/10: Tonight was our Ward Halloween Party. I had barely finished Scott's costume in time, and it looked great on him. Emma looked fantastic in her Poison Ivy costume, too, and Lizzy was absolutely adorable as a little white tiger.

Wed 10/27/10: I went shopping for outfits to use for Family Photos next week. I'm pleased with what I found!

Thu 10/28/10: I went to Emma's Halloween Parade today with Lindsey. After the Halloween Parade, Lindsey babysit Lizzy for me while I went to my doctor appointment. I was very pleased with what the doctor had to say. I'm happy and excited, and looking forward to the future!

Fri 10/29/10: We joined the Price family tonight at Andy's brother's annual Haunted House tour. Emma was completely terrified the entire time, which made it all more fun. We were entertained by poor Emma's misery.

Sat 10/30/10: Trick-Or-Treating with the cousins turned out to be a blast despite the icy cold wind and rain. Scott, Emma, and Lizzy enjoyed collecting candy and spending time with their cousins.

Sun 10/31/10: Bruce & Loralee's family came over for dinner tonight. We had yummy homemade chili, corn bread, hot dogs, chips & salsa, and pumpkin muffins.

Goodbye, Ned!

Welcome back, Brad!