We are Grateful for Thanksgiving Day 26

Isn't it wonderful to have a holiday just for being thankful. I truly am thankful for many things!

It has been great to keep track of some of things that I am grateful for, but my list is not complete. There are many more things that I am thankful for, but I just wanted to document a few more.

I am thankful for a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am forever grateful for his sacrifice for me, I am grateful for his example of how to be, I am grateful for the light he shines for me.

I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints. I grateful for my testimony of Joseph Smith and that he truly did see our Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father, who shows tender mercies to me hourly, who loves me unconditionally, and who wants me to be better continually.

I am grateful for a testimony that families can be together forever. It has been a crazy year, but my testimony has remained firm. I know that I will see Samantha again some day, and what a joyous day that will be. My heart aches to see, touch, and hear her again, but I know that those things will happen again for me. I love and miss her, but can't wait to see all the things that she has been doing. I am grateful to be the mother of such wonderful children. They inspire me to be better, and I love each of them so much.
I am grateful for a husband who works so hard, who plays so hard, and who loves so much. He is the best! I am grateful for all of my family and friends....I am blessed to have each of them in my life.

Grateful for the Little Things Day 25

Today I am grateful for the little things. First off, we live in a small town, with not a lot of shopping options. But I am grateful that we have a Target. Who doesn't love target? You can just about get anything there, and today I went twice to get everything I need!

I am grateful for Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate. My mom and I love to go and get one when she is around. It is a special holiday treat that I look forward to. I am grateful that today I was able to find something that I have been looking for, for awhile. I have been on the hunt for two weeks to find Terry's Chocolate Oranges. Everywhere I have been they either don't carry them or they are out of them. Today on an quick trip to Smith's with my Mom, I spotted them, not a lot of them, but nevertheless I was so excited to find them. I bought 14 (I promise I won't eat them all on my own), but I am very very very grateful that I found them!

We are Grateful that Dad is Home Day 24

Dad came home from the hospital today. He has not completely recovered but we are glad to have him. He was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, which is a virus that attacks the spine and sometimes leads to paralysis. He is using a walker right now, and will undergo intense steroid treatment, but the doctors are hopeful for a full recovery. We are truly grateful that he is on the mend.

I am Grateful for my Husband James Day 23

Today was the kind of day when you actually get to spend time with your spouse and you remember why you got married. James had his procedure done this morning, which by the way turned out completely perfect, and then he had the rest of the day off to recover and recoup. We first went to get him some real food, because he had to fast, he was starving. We came home and just hung out together.

He makes me laugh pretty much all the time. He showed me his new game that he is playing (actually the first game he has ever played online), and told me all about his plans of conquering the world. It was good to just have time together....even though we live together, we don't have a lot of time together. He spends his time being the best seminary teacher, the hardest worker at work, the best Dad to his kids, and the most important thing to me. Love you James, thanks for a great day!

Grateful for Free Entertainment Day 22

O what a fun day we have had at the Larson home. James has been preparing the last few hours for his Colonoscopy tomorrow. He has been drinking his Golytly every 15 minutes, and we get to see him gag and then hear his stomach rumble. It has been very entertaining! We are not laughing at him, only laughing with him. We love you James and will be right there for you(actually not right there, but close enough).

Grateful for Great Girlfriends Day 21

Today I got to hang out with the best girlfriends ever!!!

Katie and Paul let me take care of their little beauty today and it was so much fun. Their little tiny was walking all over the house. She kept me smiling and entertained.

Hannah Banana spent the night last night with Olivia. That girl never sleeps. She, like Nora, was walking all over the house. I think she might be a lot like her Uncle James, and doesn't need much sleep. Love her!

Olivia always keeps me laughing. She runs on full blast until she finally collapses. Today she took a three hour nap on the sofa....O how I miss those days. Love her too!!!

Grateful for Good Doctors.....Day 20

It has been a long day......again. My Dad is back in the hospital. He is not feeling very well, he is very weak, and the doctors don't know exactly what is wrong with him, but they are determined to figure it out. My Dad has the best Oncologists and they are taking great care of him. So tonight, I am grateful for those doctors and grateful that they will figure out what is wrong with him and then help him.

I am Grateful for the Men in My Life Day 19

Today I am grateful for the men in my life. I had a great Day-Date with James today. It is the first time in so so long that he has been able to do anything with me at lunch time. We went to Real Deals, which we both love. Then we went to Los Rios, my favorite restaurant. The food there is so hot (spicy), that you are literally sweating while your eating...It's Awesome. So Thank you James for a nice surprise.

Later I met with another one of my favorite men....Elijah. We went to the college so that Elijah and I could work on his Science Fair Project. It was fun to watch him get so excited about science....and I admit, I had fun playing around with him.

Tonight I was also able to laugh a little with Ethan. My Mom came into my room laughing. She told me that she came into the kitchen and said that she was sick of hearing about Sarah Palin, and Ethan said that everyone has been so mean to her. He said "didn't you hear about that joke that they are saying, that her younger daughter got knocked down by a baseball player". I am grateful that he is such a sweet boy and naive.

I love these three guys so much, I am grateful for them!

Grateful Day 18.....For James' Job

Today I am grateful for my husband's job. He loves what he does, and we are grateful for everything our Heavenly Father blesses us with!

Gratitude Day 17...Good Parents

I was very lucky today to hang out with my parents. They're the best. We had fun shopping, going for Hot Peppermint Hot Chocolate, and just laughing. I am so grateful that when they come to town they get to stay at my house. I am thankful to my brother's and sister that they don't get too mad at me that I get to see them a little more than they do. I am grateful for all that my parents have done and do for me. I heart my parents!

I am Grateful for My Sister's Treadmill Day 16

Katie and I decided, today is the day that we get back in shape. We went up to Tammy's house to use her treadmill. It was brutal, but I am grateful that my body works correctly and that I don't have any major problems that prevent me from exercising.

Gratitude Day 15....."My Eternal Family"

I am very grateful for two things today. First, I am grateful that we had our Primary Presentation today (the theme was "My Eternal Family), and it was fantastic. I was really concerned about it. On Thursday when we practiced it was pretty rough. The kids were wild, no one knew their parts, it was completely crazy. This morning as we were finishing up last minute details, we each said a prayer and left it in our Heavenly Father's hands. I know that He answers my prayers, because it went wonderfully.

Also today, we had Thanksgiving dinner with Cory. He reports to the MTC on Wednesday so we thought it would be nice to have an early holiday. The whole family came and we had a great day. We will miss him, but know that he will have a great time in Paraguay.

Gratitude Day 14....Karli's Baptism

Tonight my cousin's daughter, Karli, got baptized. It was really special. Karli is 17 and a senior in High School. She just moved her this last summer from Tennessee and didn't know very many people when she got here. I think she is a really special girl. She started attending church with her Grandma, and then attending seminary. We are very proud of her and her big decision to be baptized!

Grateful Day "Friday the 13th" for my Sister Tammy

Today I spent most of the day with my sister complaining about random things. I was able to hang out with Katie and Cory too. They all make me laugh and I love to be with them.

Tonight after I had slipped into my sweats, I got a call from Tammy telling me to meet her in my front yard in two minutes. She said that she had a present for me that I could "ride". James and I were racking our brains trying to figure out what it could be. When I saw her car coming up the driveway I ran out, just in time to see her throw something large out her window. It was a snow shovel.....lucky me! It's suppose to snow here this weekend and we didn't have one. So now instead of a broom, I can ride my new snow shovel!

Tammy is very thoughtful and I appreciate her always thinking about me and my family. Thanks Tammy, I heart you!

Grateful day 12...For Health and Strength

Today I was thinking about how glad I will be when this year is over. It has really been a doozie of a year, but we are very grateful for one thing especially. We are grateful that my Dad and James' mom are in much better shape than they were at the beginning of the year. Both of them have undergone major health scares. We know that our prayers have been answered and that is the reason why they are still here and doing much better. We continue to pray for them!

We are Grateful for Our Beds Day 11

Is it wrong to be grateful for your bed? Things have been so busy around here that every night I look forward to crawling in my huge bed and closing my eyes. I know that the kids are grateful for theirs too. Tonight when James announced bed time, they were off and asleep within minutes. I am grateful that I have much to do, and grateful to put it aside and go to sleep.

We are Grateful for our Rugrats! Day 10

Tonight we are grateful for our three kids (and especially right now since they are in bed)! Our three children are truly the best. They keep us busy, they keep us buying, they keep us praying, they keep us driving, they keep us saying no, and so much more, but most importantly they keep us laughing!

Yesterday as we were reading the scriptures, I was reading to them about having more than one wife and having concubines was an abomination in our Heavenly Father's eyes. Elijah started busting up. I must have looked completely crazy because I just stared at him as he laughed and laughed. I finally asked him what was so funny. He said "Don't you get it mom, an "OBAMANATION". I love these guys! I pray that they keep on makin us laugh!!!

We Are Grateful for Charles Dickens Day 9

Tonight for FHE we took the kids to the movies. We saw A Christmas Carol and we absolutely loved it. *****DISCLAIMER******There were parts of it that were so scary, I thought Olivia was going to run right out of the theater. She kept telling James "There's no way this is an age appropriate movie". Other than that, the movie was awesome and reminded us that we need to be kind and thoughtful to others. So tonight we are grateful for Charles Dickens!

Grateful Day 8....Elder Eddy

Today we are grateful for my nephew Elder Cory Eddy. Today was his farewell at church, and what a farewell it was. There were so many people there that it filled the chapel and more than half of the cultural hall. Everyone loves Cory. I feel very blessed to have been there the day he was born, and now to see him leave for a mission. What a wonderful young man he has grown to be. He has a strong testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ, and a desire to share that with all. The people in Asuncion, Paraguay are lucky to have this young man come their way. We love you Cory and are praying for you already! We are blessed to have Cory in our lives.

Grateful Day 7.....For Our Garden

After a very exciting soccer game, the kids and I came home to have an easy going Saturday. We first all took a nap and then we decided it was time to clean out the garden. Our garden was really fun this year. It is definitely a learning process, but I think that I might be able to get into this gardening thing. Next year I plan on studying a little more, fertilizing a lot more, and using the produce a lot more. We had a ton of tomatoes (both cherry and beefsteak). The kids loved taking the cherry tomatoes and just popping them in their mouths. So today as we removed all the old plants and cleaned out the leaves. I truly am grateful for this little garden and the goodness that came from it, and look forward to working with it next year.

I am Grateful for "Book Club" Day 6

I am grateful to be part of a small book group here in town. There are only a few of us, but once a month we get together to review a book. This month it was at my house and the book was my choice. I chose Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. It is one of my favorites. A suspense/thriller written in 1938, and definitely a classic. So today I am grateful for new friends, and a new book club!

Grateful Day 5 "Opposition"

I think today I have watched way too much news, and was feeling very down about things. As it came time to record what I am grateful for, I had to really look past all the negative things in the news and the world and what I came up with is....I am grateful for a testimony that I know my Heavenly Father loves me. I am grateful to know that without opposition I would never know the joy of happiness.

Just the other day I was grating some cheese and nearly grated off my finger. The first thing that came to mind is "why am always hurting myself" (too many accidents lately). Almost immediately it came to me....."because you would never remember what it was like to not hurt yourself". I don't know if any of this is making sense, but I guess when it comes down to it....I am grateful for opposition, because without it, I would never know happiness, and I do know what happiness is! Happiness is being grateful.

Gratitude Day 4... Free Pass from School!

Every month the kids get a day off of school for a teacher prep day, and today was our day for November. We had a great time. We all slept in, we hung out and watched TV, we made a trip to Target for new Pokemon cards, we hung out with cousins and overall had a great day. Elijah lost a tooth and tried to negotiate what the tooth fairy would bring him. I think that if you are making deals, the tooth fairy should stop visiting. Ethan spent $50.00 of his birthday money on Pokemon cards (whatever, just as long as he has money left to pay tithing and savings). Olivia played, and played, and played with her cousin Hannah. They even painted their toes and fingers, and with much effort I was able to remove the majority of it. I love hanging out with my kids, they are the best!

Day 3....Grateful for Democracy

Even though there is no election this November in New Mexico, I am grateful to watch American's cast their votes. I am grateful to live in a country where I have a voice (sometimes I feel it is so small), but nevertheless a voice to say how I feel. I am grateful for the freedoms that I have and I pray that we never take those freedoms for granted.

Gratitude Day 2

Today we are thankful for online video games. James HATES them, but the boys came to him yesterday and begged him to play. They were up till 1 in the morning and again at 5 a.m. Family Home Evening was all three boys playing on three different computers with each other. The boys have been so excited that Dad joined in on their game. We are thankful for the innocence and excitement of youth. May we always stay young!

Gratitude Day 1

This post is to start my second annual month of Gratitude. I am grateful for a month were I can concentrate on being grateful. It is a nice time to stop complaining, look around and remember all of the blessings that my Heavenly Father has bestowed upon me and my family.

So for day 1, I am grateful to be grateful! (I got off to a slow start, so this post is a day late)!

Halloween

Halloween was an exhausting day. We started the day at the pumpkin patch. Katie, Paul, Nora, Aunt Shelly, and Gavin all let us tag along on their outing. The kids had a great day playing in the corn, playing in the corn maze, going on a hayride, and picking out their very own pumpkins.Don't you love the picture? Paul took it and did such a great job!

Tammy and I were able to fit in a trip out to Samantha's grave. We were surprised to find that her headstone came in. It really did look beautiful. Tammy and I had to leave a mark on her grave for Halloween. She loved it so much and we wanted to do something for her. Tammy brought a fake headstone (which had a big skull and RIP on it) a luminary, and I brought a small pumpkin with a light in it. It looked nice and I know she would have loved it. Tammy made sure to go back early on Sunday morning, so no one would be offended.

We came back home and got ready to go trick or treating. We were completely unaware how BIG Halloween is here in New Mexico. We literally had hundreds of trick or treaters. It was so crazy we could barely get out of our neighborhood in time for the ward Trunk or Treat Party. We went to the party where the kids got even more candy that they didn't need. It was a fun filled and exhausting day!