We are Thankful for Family, Day 26 & 27.....

We are thankful for family and all being together.

We are Grateful for Crafty Friends, Day 25.....

We were so lucky to hang out with the Sadlier's and the Foss' today. We are grateful to know such talented people. Heather showed the kids how to make these nifty little cookies. I know that my kids had a good time!

Sweet Sleep, Day 24.....

We are grateful for a good night's sleep. This morning was awesome, me and my children all slept in until 9:05. I couldn't believe it! I can't remember when the last time we all could do that. Unfortunately for James, he got up early to go to work. I love my bed, and am so grateful to sleep in it every night!

The Great Adventure, Day 23.....

We are grateful that the men folk returned home yesterday from their grand adventure. They went to Cedar City to see our friend's, Ed Lamb, college football team play their last game of the season. The boys also went camping in Zion's National Park. From what I have been able to gather in between delighted screams of laughter and joy, they had a fabulous time. They came home smelling something awful, and extremely tired which is always a good sign that they had fun!

We are Grateful for BFF's, Day 22....

Today I am grateful for my smallest BFF (Best Friend Forever).......Olivia. Today we have had the pleasure of spending all day together, and it is not all over yet. We ate breakfast in bed, watched a Christmas movie (I know a little early), and another movie. We went to Panda Express for a delicious lunch. And now, Olivia has plans for us to go to Z Pizza for dinner, followed by some Chunky Monkey. We have plans for hair and nails later and maybe some jacuzzing.....and Jamba Juice (I think that is pushing it). I love this little munchkin, she makes me happy!

Friday, I am thankful for, Day 21.....

On Friday, while Olivia was in school, I was able to go to the movie with some friends from church. We saw the Twilight movie. Most of us had read the book and we were looking forward to seeing the movie. My recomendation is that if you haven't read the book, read it first then see the movie, the book is always better! We had a great time and it was fun to get together and not to have to worry about babysitters!

Nathan is the best, Day 20....

We are grateful to have Nathan (James' brother) in our family. He came over tonight and did all kinds of odd jobs on our house. Without Nathan I am not sure what we would do. He fixed my kitchen sink, hung bike racks in the garage, fixed my toilet, installed a medicine cabinet in our bathroom, fixed one of my kitchen chairs....What a brother-in-law!!!! Thanks Nathan and Bree for helping our house feel like a home.

We are Thankful, Day 19....

We are thankful for good Visiting Teachers. I had my VT's come today. They are both brand new in our ward and have only had their new assignment since Sunday. It was so neat to have these sisters over with their children and to visit with me. I am grateful that I have always had wonderful Visiting Teachers.

We are Thankful for a Bear Scout

On Tuesday night, Ethan received his Wolf Badge at his Pack Meeting. We are proud of Ethan for all of his hard work and that he was able to meet all the requirements to advance to the Bear Pack.

The Cub Scout leaders brought Ethan up and put him in a big planter. He was already dirty (so they didn't need to add that), but the leaders did add water to help him grow. We are blessed to see him grow in many ways!

We are Thankful for Days 16 & 17......

I blew it yesterday and forgot to post, so here goes....

We are thankful for the "Armor of God". We had FHE tonight and we talked about having the Armor of God. It was really cute. The kids all dressed up in their armor and James told them what each piece meant. We also talked about Israelites fighting the Midonites. The kids really enjoyed the lesson. We had Erin, a recent convert from the singles branch, come over and tell us about how she feels the Spirit. It was a great night.

For Day 16....We are grateful for Sundays. Sundays are so awesome because it truly is a day of rest. Maybe not so much for James, but the rest of us it is our day to do nothing except be together as a family. We are thankful for the Sabbath Day.

We are thankful for Soccer Season, Day 15....

Every year we look forward to a new Soccer Season. New balls, new cleats, new shin guards, it is all so much fun. But it's about this time of the year that we are grateful for the season to be ending. Having 5 practices a week, and 3 games it gets to be a little wearing at times. The kids have had great seasons. Olivia is known as the bulldog, and today she nearly scored a goal. Elijah had two games , the first was a piece of cake, they totally won, the second games was a bit more challenging. Ethan finished his season last week scoring his first goal. I know next August I will be excited for the new season.

We are Thankful for Prayer, Day 14.....

We are thankful that we can communicate with our Heavenly Father and that He answers our prayers. We have prayed for so many things and I know that our Heavenly Father has answered those prayers. We are grateful that whenever we need Him, He is always a prayer away.

We are Thankful to be Members of the Church, Day 13...

It's not a popular thing right now, but we are thankful to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are proud that we are willing to stand up for things that might not be popular, We are thankful that we don't hate other people, but love people even when we disagree with the things they do, We are grateful to have the life of our Savior as an example of how we want to live and and for the ultimate sacrifice he made for us, We are grateful for a Prophet of God to guide us.

Cub Scouts, Day 12.....

We are thankful for the Cub Scout Program. Ethan just earned his Wolf Badge, which we were so thrilled with, and Elijah is steps away from getting his Webelos Badge. We are grateful for all of the great leaders who help these boys go through the Scouting Program. It is because of their hard work and perseverance that these boys learn so much from tying knots to cooking dinners. Thank you to all the leaders that have helped our boys so far.

I was too tired to post last night so here is day 11

I am thankful for Good Friends, Day 11....

I am thankful for all of my good Friends, who call me to check on my Dad, or just call to talk, or stop by to chat. I am grateful that they always look out for me and are always kind to my children. I have the best friends in the world!

O'What a Night, Day 10....

Tonight we had Family Home Evening. We were able to kick back and relax. We watched Ironman, ate ice cream and Giant Nerds, and had a great time. We are grateful that we can have Family Home Evening each week and do things together.

We are Thankful for our Angels, Day 9....

Today we had our Ward Primary Program. The children did an amazing job. Each song was sung by a little choir of Angels. They recited their parts so well also. They did a perfect job. We are thankful for all of our little best friends in our ward!

We are Thankful for Our Ward Family, Day 8...

We attended our Ward Thanksgiving party tonight. It's always the biggest event for our ward each year. Everyone brings a dish and we get to enjoy each other's company. We have one of the best wards in the world. It truly is like family. We are thankful for our Ward Family!

We are Grateful for our home, Day 7....

We are grateful for our little home. James spent all morning cleaning the outside and I have to say that I love it when it's all cleaned up. It's such a small little home, but I love to be in my little house.

We are Thankful for Temples, Day 6....

We are thankful that we have a temple so close to us. It is wonderful to go to the temple and leave all of our cares behind and have a solid two hours of complete peace. With the Los Angeles Temple being picketed, it was such a blessing to go to the temple and not see those picketers here.

Here's to the Millitary, Day 5....

Tonight we went to Elijah's Veteran's Day Choir Program. All the local schools came with their choirs and they sang songs to honor the Veterans in our area. The very last song that all the choirs did together was a medley of all the Armed Services Songs. As each song was sang, the Veterans for that particular branch would stand up. It was the greatest feeling to have everyone clap so hard and honor these people who have served our country. We are grateful for all those who so selflessly serve in the military. We are so grateful to live in an area that has such a large military presence, Army, Navy, Marine Corp. What a blessing to rub shoulders with these military families. By the way, Elijah's choir did great. He is really enjoying it! Caitlyn and Gabby were awesome too!!!

We are Thankful for, Day 4......

We are thankful for the rain that we got today. It wasn't very much, but it was sure a nice change, it's great to know that winter is on it's way. James likes the smell after it rains, it reminds him of his mission. Hopefully we will get more soon!

Freedom of Speech, Day 3...

We are grateful that we live in a country where we are free to express our beliefs. Even though our opinions and views may differ from others, we are glad that we can express them!

Tonight we did our last wave for Prop. 8 here in California. I have to admit, the first time that we did it, I was intimidated and nervous about being so open about how me and my family believe. On this last day, it didn't bother us at all. We actually felt patriotic that we could participate in democracy!

We are grateful to live in the United States of America.

Just the Five of Us, Day 2.......

Just the other day, James and I were talking about all the scary things that are going on in the world, and what it boiled down to us is that we need to always remember to focus on the family. Time will go by all too quickly and before we blink these best friends of ours will be moving on in life. I can't express how grateful I am for these four blessings in my life.

***We are grateful for James/Dad......He always knows how to make us laugh. Even though he knows just how to bug us, life wouldn't be as fun without him.

***We are grateful for Elijah.....He is always so sincere, straight and narrow, focused on always doing what is right. He is trustworthy and loyal, always to the benefit of others.

***We are grateful for Ethan...Who just like his Dad, has the best sense of humor. Sometimes he seems so quiet, but get to know "E" and there is always a show around the corner!

***We are grateful for Olivia.....Just today she put up a sign on her door, advertising foot massages. She is known at school as the most outgoing girl. She is so social and whoever she meets, she has met her new best friend.

We Are Thankful for, Day 1........

So here is the plan.....I am going to try to have my family decide on something everyday until Thanksgiving to share about what they are grateful for. Today we were lucky to have two things to share.

#1 We are grateful for my DadYesterday he got the results of his Bone Marrow Biopsy. The biopsy showed that there are no signs of cancer in his bone marrow. He is now able to start the Stem Cell harvest next week in Phoenix at the Maio Clinic. We are grateful that things are going well with his treatment. We love you Grandpa!

#2 We are grateful that today Ethan scored his first goal in soccer. Yeah Ethan. Of course I missed it, but heard all about it. We are proud of Ethan!!!!

We would love to see what others are thankful for......Tag, your it!

A Very Spooky Night

The kids had a great time on Halloween. James was able to take the day off and spend it with the kids. He made the entrance to our house very spooky.....lots of candles, skulls, and fog. He took the kids trick or treating, where they got entirely too much candy. Elijah was the Grim Reaper, Ethan was a Zombie Doctor and Olivia was Padime from Star Wars.