when a picture makes your day

last week was a good week in pictures.

I mean, you can have good hair days, I even declare some days good handwriting days, so why not a good picture day?

I decided to document one of my favorites in a layout, all for that one pic. it will probably make an appearance in the weekly project life layout too, but it was just so good, I decided that two showings for it would be just fine.

(supplies used: maggie holmes “styleboard” mini kit, template h, heritage paper, stitching from anna aspnes, tags and button from queen of quirk, arrow paperclip from sahlin studio, and the glitter from ikari designs.)

and the most awesome thing is that this ^^^ isn’t the only beautiful thing about life lately!

I have had so much energy, so much motivation, my list of things to-do is longer than I have time to accomplish.

I care about life!

I know (I KNOW) that my little corner of the world (at least my perception of it) has so vastly improved because of prayer. prayers of family, loved ones, caring friends, and my own.

it’s sweet..

president eyring spoke just to me (I swear!!!!) at women’s conference. it was aimed right. at. me. even better? I was able to get 3 tickets pretty much last minute for me and lynn and ash to be able to go to the conference center. (answered prayers again..)

I wish I had recorded ashley’s facial expression when I told her she would be in the same room as the prophet. think = priceless.

the only thing that could have possibly made that night better would have been if peyton were 8 and able to attend with us.

but let’s not hurry that along too much…

we also had conference weekend. there were great things that weekend, as there always are. again, I tell you, president eyring spoke right. to. me.

(I mean, you can think it was to you, but.. well…)

I am working on my studio and being just as ocd as ever about ever last detail.

my biggest problem?

committing where to put my table…

so where should i start?

let’s see..

it’s been about, 5, almost six months?

that sound right?

yeah, well.

i will try to explain. try.

life kind of came apart back in august. I lived for the end of the summer, tried to fill it with fun and perfect everything for my girls, tried me hardest to make every last minute worth it, for me and for them.

with the girls going back to school, I was plenty emotional. like, that is an understatement. I cannot recall a year that was harder on me.

I mean, it’s always hard, and I always miss them, but this first day, I cried more than I think I ever did.

and it didn’t get any easier the next week when this one went to kindergarten.

along with these already anticipated blows, came another unanticipated blow.

my husband decided that he was done with church.

and I decided to keep it a secret until december. awesome christmas gift, am I right?

I really shouldn’t say that it was unanticipated, because, as I look back on it all (you know, because hindsight is always 20/20 and so forth), there were indications, I was just living in denial. it was either denial or an incredible state of hope.

I also started working.

I swore I would never do that as long as I had kids at home, but circumstances being as they were, I desired a) something to fill my time while peyton was gone for half of the day. and 2) I still wanted to be able to receive the blessings of tithing. I need them.

so as life was as it was, I lost all steam to do those things that make me, me.

I stopped scrapbooking.

stopped taking pictures.

stopped exercising.

stopped blogging.

stopped making treats.

(which was actually a very nice pairing to the whole not exercising bit.)

I stopped doing so many of the things that I thoroughly enjoyed, because I was so sad. I felt hopeless. I felt like everything that I had worked for for the majority of my life was falling apart, it wasn’t perfect, and I didn’t want to put this broken mess out there for the world. not for attention, not for pity, I just didn’t have the energy or the desire.

it sucked.

and as I look back on it all, I can recognize a very depressed girl.

I am trying to turn that around.

I am taking time for myself, trying to make time, and desire, to do the things I have always enjoyed.

don’t get me wrong, those voids were filled with some very good things too. as a side effect of my husband’s choice: my testimony is pretty dang awesome. it is going through this fortification process that is amazing. it is awesome to see how my heavenly father is blessing me in every moment.

I have friends, some I have never met in real life, who encourage me. they have NO IDEA what I am going through, but they are there (bugging me to get back at it.. ahem.. missy). I have friends from my past, just show up at just the right time, able to say just what I need to hear, not having a clue the blessing they are to me.

and let’s not get started on family. I have THE BEST. my dad and brothers have been ready to come and help me and my girls when we need the priesthood. my in-laws are wonderful and supportive and loving. my sweet sister-in-law (one of those sweet sisters-in-law anyway) told me back in december that I needed to start blogging again. she said something like, “you aren’t the only woman that is going through this. imagine the strength you can be to them, and them to you.”

I know I am not alone.

I really didn’t intend for this to be a tell-all of the drama in the pitcher house.

I just needed to do it, and stop putting it off.

I have a whole list in my head, all the reasons to wait. take new pictures of the girls.. make a new header.. get a few more project life layouts done. try to think of anything more to say than the despair and sadness I feel so often….

but I'm here.

and it feels pretty darn good.

not boasting or bragging, just saying we are blessed.

we endured quite the storm here.

it was a great night for a windstorm of epic proportions to keep us awake.

(that was sarcastic.)

I had jury duty the next day.  (yay!!)

(more sarcasm.)

and the wind was howling.  so on top of noise, my mind starts going, worrying about all the possibilities of what the wind could do.  the only thing I worried about, that I could do anything about, was to check on the garbage cans.  that was at 2:22 am.

the garbage cans were fine.

(miraculously.)

when my alarm went off later that same morning, I instinctively went to my knees in prayer.

“bless and protect our family and friends this day.  bless the girls at school.  bless merrill at work.  help peyton and I to travel in safety.  protect our home in this storm.”

it seemed kind of petty to worry about our home, but a lesson that has been taught to me repeatedly is this:

if it is important to me, it is important to heavenly father.

so it wasn’t so silly to pray about my house.  I really didn’t want to come home later that day to find stress and mess waiting for us.

the girls and I watched as one tree toppled over.  it fell from one neighbor’s yard over the fence onto the other neighbor’s yard.  numerous other trees were already down around the neighborhood, fences down or panels blown out of them.  garbage, tarps, toys, branches..  just about anything you can imagine floated through our neighborhood.

our bird feeder was making all too much noise hanging from the rain gutter, banging against the eaves of the house.  it was slowly breaking apart, one piece coming off after another.  I decided to go outside and take it down.  so I grabbed the broom, but still couldn’t get it down (my height being my handicap).  so I grabbed the kids picnic table, and looked the part of a fool (or maybe you can picture a weather man on the news, standing outside in a hurricane to prove that it’s windy?), trying to walk while carrying a small table.  when I finally got it to where it needed to be, solidifying the image of fool, I climbed on top of the table, in my stocking feet, to get that bird house down.  to the horror of my children in the window watching me, the wind began to blow me, sliding me and my stocking feet off the table.  I eventually got the birdhouse down.  it did not survive.

as peyton and I drove down the street we noted more damage.  we only stopped because we knew we were supposed to, but the stop sign was bent to the ground.

my younger brother texted me to check on us.

“we are fine, but others around us aren’t.”

I received phone calls throughout the day, giving updates about damage and power outages.

when I got home at the end of the day, the winds were slightly calmer.  people were attempting to clean up.

our home was safe.  hardly touched.

so we had a two foot piece trim and a downspout fly off.  our bird feeder and hummingbird nectar holder were also casualties of the storm.  not a single shingle was shed from my roof.  but nothing more.

other people aren’t as lucky.  our old house had a tree on top of it and many good friends are having roofs re-roofed, trees removed from their yards. 

I had to laugh to myself, laugh to keep from crying, when my dad told me what he did as he got up early that same day.

“I told heavenly father what the deal was..  asked him to protect our family.”

our prayers were answered.

we do have trash to clean up, more leaves to rake.  and somebody’s kiddie pool to dispose of in our back yard, but we are blessed.

On a positive note.

I try, everyday, to seek out those things that are positive and motivating.  Things that speak truth to me, things that remind me of who I am.

I have recently fallen madly in love with two things:

1) Nat the fat rat

2) Little birdie e-mails

You can fall in love with them too!

This is a brilliant post I happened to read just now by Nat herself, written over a year ago, but just for me, for right now.  It really is beautiful.

The Brave Girls club has this fun, very uplifting and motivating e-mail service, that seems to send just the right little message at just the right time.

For example, I got this one today:

Is that not totally and utterly perfect?

 

You can go here and sign up for them too.  I suggest you do.

Love you all!

A lesson taken to heart.

I am not going to lie, last week was CRAZY!!  It seemed like we were hopping from one thing to another, add to that how emotional I was (over just about everything and anything, the smallest stuff would have me in tears), and the fact that we started the last month of the year (seriously, where did this year go?!), and it was nutso…

I finished off my month of gratitude with the intentions not to let that go, but at the end of the day, just about every day, I thought, “I will post that tomorrow.”  But when the tomorrows came, the craziness resumed.  Where was the time?

I do have to say what I am thankful for from the craziness of the last week.

-I am thankful for such a loving, supportive husband, who knows what I need better than I do most of the time.  He took care of the girls every night from Wednesday to Friday.  A lot of people would say, “Well, he is their dad, so…” but really, for me to have been gone or busy doing something (like having a meeting at our house), and to have him have fun with them, it was a huge relief to me.  I just wished I could have been having fun with them!  He took the day off Thursday and went to school with Ash, and from what I hear, they had a blast in class.  I was feeling bad for not spending much time with him, feeling like he was feeling neglected, add to that the “emotional” factor I was dealing with, and I was ready to call off a lunch/shopping date with a friend.  He told me, “No.  You better go.  I am taking the girls to McDonalds.  We are going to have fun, you better too.”  What a great guy!  I am glad that I went, I really needed it.  (LOVE YOU MER!)

-I was so thankful to be able to look back and reflect on each day at the end of it, and see all that had been accomplished.  Most days I had wished that I had had more time, but in the end, I was satisfied and able to sleep comfortably.  There’s nothing like the satisfaction of a full day.

-I am so thankful for our family traditions and activities this time of the year.  I am so happy that the girls remember and look forward to each and every one.  We went to the Festival of the Trees last week, and had so much fun!  I am thankful for these events that are fun, but remind us of the giving part of the season. 

-I recently made a goal to read the Book of Mormon (even though I was pretty far in it anyway) before the end of the month.  That is 18 pages a day!  It has been such a blessing to sit each day and read, mark, really study those 18 pages (sometimes more, I can’t stop sometimes!).  It helped me put life into perspective, and everyday, there were things in there that I needed to read.

-I am thankful for the kind phone calls, and messages from friends and family who know I have  been going through my own little “down”.  To know that they care, to hear their expressions of love and support are such a blessing!  I am thankful to know that I am surrounded by such great people.

I know that my week could have been even better (and maybe a little less emotional) had I kept up on my gratitudes, actually listing them at the end of every day.  I love how it helps me to readjust my focus at the end of the day, start the next one off even better.

Day 30.

Heaven knows I love my girls…

But I am thankful for bedtime tonight!

They are crazy/hyper/fun/silly/emotional/demanding little girls from the moment they wake up.  Add that, multiply it by three, and mix in a typical busy day, and you’ll have one tired mom at the end of it all.

I am thankful for the usual ease in our bedtime routine, to end our day with family prayer, tuck-ins, and kisses all around.  Family prayer is something that we happen to be good at.  It draws us closer, reminds us of the love we have in our home, even after a crazy day.

I am also thankful for the quiet (and sometimes uninterrupted) time I have with Merrill after they are all in their own beds (or sharing with big sis).  Dinner time, is not the time for Merrill and I to attempt to have a conversation.  There are too many people excited to talk to him then, fill him in on the happenings of their individual days.  No, we need the “us” time to catch up on all that we want to.

(But I do enjoy snuggles from little people in my bed too.)

I am thankful for the satisfaction I feel when I lay down after a full day.  I sleep so much better!  I feel tired and I look forward to the rest.  I also look forward to seeing how much more I can get accomplished in the next day.

I just heard someone get up for fourths on the “bedtime drink”.  Better go put the smack down..

;)

Day 29.

Tonight was the first FHE for this Christmas season.  We sang Ashley’s favorite Christmas song from primary (she requests it every time she is in charge of the song though), discussed some things we’d like to do as a family, both fun and service oriented, and we talked about what Christmas means.  To finish off our evening, we watched, “Mr. Kruger’s Christmas”.  It has been a favorite since we were kids, and we are so thankful that the church has out it out on DVD.  We’ll probably watch it 100 more times this season, and I will cry more times than that just thinking about it..

I am so thankful for this time of the year, for the lessons I re-learn every year.  I am thankful for those gentle reminders of what life is all about.  I am thankful to be reminded of how personal my relationship is with my Savior.  That is what this movie does for me. 

While he is praying, imagining that he is right there that sacred night, Mr. Kruger says some very heartfelt things.  He begins by introducing himself, but then adds quickly, “You already know that.”  He talks about how Christ has always been there for him, during the darkest times, the loneliest, he hasn’t been alone.  He acknowledges that the Savior has walked with him many times. Even when he didn’t like himself too much, he realized that the Savior loves him, and that is enough.

My favorite is when he says, “You are my closest, my finest friend…”

This all hits me, every time.

He knows me personally.  He has always been there for me, even when I wasn’t doing everything perfectly.  He has been there, walking with me during the hardest of times.  His arms are around me when I feel the loneliest.

I need to know this every day, because not every day is easy.  They aren’t all ever easy for all of us, we all have our rough spots.  Those days when it just seems too tough, when we don’t think we can make it through, we need to realize that He is right there beside us, helping us along.  We need to remember, when we feel that all have abandoned us, that He loves us.  When we feel those feelings of abandonment, when thoughts arise that there is no other friend left, He is our friend.

I am making it a goal, to have Him be “my closest, my finest friend”.

This world is a cold harsh place a lot of the time.  We have friends that we think are our world.  Those friends come and go, but He is a constant.  I want to nurture that relationship.  What better gift could I ever give myself?

I am thankful for this…

Collin Kartchner is mostly known for his sarcasm and wit around here, but today, he made me cry.  Speaking so beautifully of feelings, truth, knowledge, and emotions with which I am well acquainted, he managed to hit the jackpot on my tear ducts today.

Need a good cry?

Want to see what life is all about?

Need a little comfort?

Grab some Kleenex, go here.

It also helps if you have a toddler on your lap, watching it with you.  Just when I thought the tears wouldn’t stop, Peyton farted on me.  Nice little distraction.  It reminded me of the three sweet ones I do have here.

Day 28.

Today was yet another awesome Sunday spent in primary (the best place on earth!).  Merrill and I taught the oldest class in primary, and love those kids.  A couple of them are very well loved babysitters. 
Primary is always an uplifting experience and I am thankful for the great people that are there with my children every week, teaching them and loving them.  You can’t be in there and not feel the spirit.  It is incredible. 
Lynn also had her baptism interview with the bishop..  it’s a mixed bag of emotions there.  She is looking forward to all the fun to come.  I think she’s most excited for the new dress, I am excited to take pics, and design her invite.
It was also another snowy day here, something that we LOVE!  I am thankful to neighbors who help us out.  We pay this one pretty nice (and good looking) guy to take care of our driveway, cover his gas and all, ;) and another neighbor came by and took care of the sidewalks.  It was a nice blessing that made it possible for us to stay in and enjoy the day as a family. 
Merrill gets perks for putting the shoveling off, and I don’t win the argument that we should really look into a snow-blower.

Day 27.

The day isn’t even done, not even near being over, and yet I am thankful.

The girls have spent the past few days playing together.  It isn’t always perfect and peaceful.  Someone usually gets their feelings hurt, and the pretend plots need to be de-dramatized sometimes.  Sometimes the players need to be reminded that it is just pretend, that we can each have ideas, and take turns playing out our ideas.

As Ashley was crying because Lynn was bored with the Polly Pockets, and wanted to play something else, I told them of what it was like for me growing up…

I had no sisters.  The only people I could play dolls with continually were my friends in the neighborhood.  I didn’t always want to play dolls.  I didn’t always want to play with my friends either.  I was a homebody (still am!) and would much rather play with my brothers, in my own home 95% of the time.

We would spend our time playing G.I. Joes, Star Wars, Micro-Machines, Hot Wheels, Legos, Constructs, or building forts.  Bottom line, we had a blast together.  I loved playing with my brothers.  They were always there, and we always had a fun time.  There were times that I wanted to play Barbies, they knew it.  I remember them building giant “men” using their Constructs, so my Barbie could have some guy friends (besides the Ken doll who had hair issues).  There was one time that Ken, my oldest brother, not the doll, spent a while making a man out of a wire hanger, toilet paper, and duct tape.  We played late into the night with my Barbie and his “man”.  They were so good to me!

They still are..

My brothers are always there when we need help.  Their hands were many of the helping hands when we moved.  They have helped in home-improvement projects, have shoveled my driveway when we were on vacations, and even when I was pregnant or had a newborn.  They have been there for me during the hard times.  They have been a shoulder to cry on.  When others treat me unfairly, they are on my side.  They always support me.  They were on the couch, right next to my dad, “cleaning” guns when a new date came to pick me up.  They are what family a means to me.  We love each other unconditionally.  We have all made bad choices, but we have always been there to support and love one another through them.   They didn’t say a word to me about my “almost marriage”, they just wanted me to be happy.  They were planning on supporting me through it, if that was the choice I made.  I later found out that not one of them really liked him.  “He was alright..  but not good enough for you.”

We always joke about how protective they are.  Joe is referred to as “Sonny” from the “Godfather”.  (That leaves either Ken or Kev to be the “Fredo” and I am not going to do that…)  He can be a little hot-headed..  but so can Ken.  He once chased down a punk kid because he knocked over my snowman.  I was 17 at the time.  Ken was 22.  And then there were the snowboarding trips that Kev and I took.  He always tried to blame me for getting him into near squabbles, but he just got upset to hear other guys on the mountain call me not very nice names when I would ask them to move away from in front of the jumps we wanted to take.  Can you see the hot-headedness?  Geez, but I love ‘em!

I recently got a massive bruise on my forearm after a co-ed volleyball tournament.  It was pretty bad.  I wore long sleeves for the first few days, didn’t want anyone to get the wrong idea.  Then I started to laugh to myself.  If anyone knew my family, they would know if Merrill had laid his hands on me..

Have you seen that scene in “The Godfather”?  Sonny goes off on Connie’s husband for hurting her.

Um, that is kinda how my family is. 

When I told Merrill that thought, he laughed at me and said, “You think really highly of yourself..  you think your family loves YOU more than they love ME?”

Because that is how they are.

My brothers might not have all things in common with my sweet (but very confused) husband, but they love him anyway.

I feel a little sad for my girls, that they don’t have brothers like I do.  I am thankful that they have each other though.  This time of childhood, the innocence and the play, is so fleeting.

Someday, they will be reminiscing about all of their fun times playing and pretending together..  I wonder if they are remembering this, as they play Polly Pockets with the Christmas village and Nativity…  amoxicillin snow anyone?

I might just have to buy some G.I. Joes and Legos for Christmas, just so they can have the experience.

I am thankful for the brothers I have been blessed with, and the sisters I now enjoy in my life because they have married them. 

I love you Ken, Joe-Bo, and Kev!

Day 26.

I am thankful for the day off today!

We spent it home, as a family.  We got out all of the Christmas decorations, put them up and put up the tree as well.

I am thankful that only one ornament was lost to the hardwood floor.  Peyton didn’t really believe me when I told her that certain things were fragile. 

Besides Ash and Pey having twin coughs, that drove me nuts, it was a great day spent together.

I am thankful to a thoughtful friend who snagged me some black Friday goods, knowing how I treasure my sleep (that and the fact that Merrill had to work last night so we wouldn’t be going out..), and also knowing of some things I have been eyeballing…  she saved me about $50.  (Love you!)

I am also thankful for the leftovers we got to munch on.

I am thankful for Merrill, being home, and being so willing to run out and get things from the store when I need them (sometimes it’s just a little caffeine!), without complaint.

I am thankful for the feeling in our home, I look forward to the coming weeks, that same feeling, and the building of anticipation for the little girls who live here and are already quite excited.

Day 25: A Day of Thanksgiving.

I found myself thankful for many things today..

- Spending the morning with my girls, eating breakfast, watching the Thanksgiving Day parade together.  Seeing their excitement at certain floats (Sesame Street, Cookie Monster really..  Buzz Lightyear..).

- The girls wanting to go visit the cemetery to “see” Grandma, even though Grandma’s headstone is covered in ice and snow.

- Spending part of our morning with mom and dad.  Talking cameras with dad, talking everything else with mom.  I am thankful to have their help, interest, and support.

- Seeing my brothers and their families.  (Missed you Kev & Rand!)  It’s not often that we are ALL together, it has been a while.  I was thankful to see my nephews, be shot by them, to hold my sweet niece (who is suddenly too big..) and to enjoy a face-to-face (as opposed to phone-to-phone, or facebook message-to- facebook message) with my sweet sister-in-law (who is more like an actual sister to me).  I am thankful that we all live so close, that we can see each other often.

- Being able to come home and prepare a Thanksgiving meal for my little family.  I am thankful for all that my mom taught me, for all that my grandma taught me, so I would know how!  I am also thankful for the desire I have, that I enjoy being a homemaker. 

- I am thankful that even though Merrill was working today, he is close enough, that we could go spend some time with him while dinner was in the oven.  I am thankful for the job he has.

- I am thankful for three little girls who run when they hear the garage door shut, running to attack their dad with hugs and kisses because he is home.  (Even if it was just a little over an hour since they last saw him..)

- I am thankful for a husband who offers beautiful prayers everyday.  For the prayer of Thanksgiving he offered before our dinner tonight.  For his gratitude for all our Heavenly Father has given us, for asking that our family continue to be blessed.  I am thankful that he invoked the spirit to be in our home this Christmas season.

- I am thankful for the sweet things my girls said they were thankful for at the dinner table..  family, parents, home, sisters, good food, strong bodies, the earth, Christ & Heavenly Father, themselves.  Ashley was so cute, “Aren’t you thankful for yourself mom?”

- I am thankful to have a sweet husband, who helps me clean up dinner.  Who helps me to pick the turkey clean.  (All while watching “The Godfather”.)

- I am thankful for the traditions that continue on with our extended family.  For Darlene always gathering us together to laugh and create.  The girls ALWAYS look forward to making gingerbread houses (Peyton looks forward to eating them..) and grandma always comes through.

- I am thankful that I am always greeted with a kiss to the forehead and a hug from Dixon.

- I am thankful for the rest of this holiday season, for the feelings in our home, for the life that becomes more centered on our Savior. 

We have truly been blessed, we continue to be blessed.  At times I feel totally undeserving, but then realize that that in itself is a testimony of how much our Heavenly Father loves us.  He wants to, and waits to bless us.  I am so thankful for the gospel in my life, for the many blessings my family enjoys because of it.

Day 24.

Today, I am thankful for this little girl, that we are so blessed to have her in our life.

I am thankful that we were able to celebrate her!

She chose to get her ears pierced for her birthday.  Square CZs for this girl.  As she was prepped for the piercing, there were zero nerves.  Zero.  She didn’t scream, wince, or cry.  She just blinked.  I didn’t even know it was done until the gun was moved!  She is on cloud nine.

When I asked her what she wanted for her cake, she answered, “Carrot cake.  I had some at Grandma Pitcher’s and it was yummy!”

When I asked her what she wanted it to be decorated like, she answered, as if I were an idiot, “A carrot…”

Birthday dinner of fettuccine alfredo and grilled chicken.

Sparkling cider too, this is a special occasion. ;)

She was so excited to open her gift (a second opening, Peyton got to it first!) from Grandma and Grandpa Pitcher.  She loved it all.  Thanks Darlene!  Dixon tried to take credit. ;)

 

It was fun to watch her read her cards..

She was more than excited to get her own scriptures, with her name on them!

We surprised her with a new bike.  One that she won’t look like a giant riding a miniature bike, when she rides.  She was quite surprised.  Ashley kept telling her we bought her new socks and underwear.  She did go into the room where it was, didn’t notice a thing…

We hope all of your birthday wishes come true Lynn!

We love you!!!

Day 21.

This might just sound silly, but today, I am thankful for the talks given in sacrament meeting about Gratitude.

I felt kind of funny sitting there listening, thinking how thankful I was for talks about being thankful, living a life full of gratitude.

They just helped me feel that much better about the aspect of my life I am focusing on right now.  Hopefully this will be a great habit, that I can view everything in a thankful light, even after this time of the year is gone. 

I am also thankful for the atonement, the testimony I have of it, that I know of it’s effects personally.  I am thankful for the road of repentance, that I can begin each day with prayer, an invitation to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and strive to do better than I did the day before.  I am thankful that when I fall short, I can repent of it, try again, and continue on the path to be the best woman I can be.

I am thankful for the mercy of a loving Father in Heaven, who gives me do-overs all the time.

Day 20.

As our little family is kickin’ around an awesome little version of a head cold, I am thankful for the modern-day convenience of over the counter drugs.

You might think I am kidding, but I am so not.

It is a blessing to have what my family is in need of at my fingertips.  Whether it be the internet as a resource to find the cure for all that ails us (and to save a co-pay unnecessarily spent, only to hear: “It’s just a virus..  Tylenol/Motrin, and keep her comfortable.”), or to have a nearby store to procure the miracle items that comfort us.  I am so grateful to have what is needed to comfort my children when they don’t feel so well.

I can’t even imagine what life was like for those who came before us, what it was like to battle a cold without some of the simple things we enjoy now.

(Kleenex with lotion and hand sanitizer are two that immediately come to mind…)

I know that I get to a point where I take some of these ordinary everyday things for granted.  I find it necessary to acknowledge them, be thankful for them.

Day 19.

I am thankful for the most awesome 2 year old ever.

(If you happen to have a 2, almost 3 year old, I am sorry to inform you, mine is the most awesome one..)

She keeps us on our toes as to whether or not she will actually go potty IN the potty from day to day.  We celebrate fully, those moments where she makes it.

She likes to wake me up long before it is socially appropriate to wake one’s mother.  Her reason for being awake, “I want to watch “Woody-Buzz.”  Most of the time, she gives into my request to snuggle for a little while.  I mostly pray that she will just fall back asleep, but the finger-sucking and twirling of hair (that tickles my face) keeps us both awake, and 45 minutes to an hour into the charade, I give in, and we watch “Woody-Buss”. 

(Okay, I sleep, she watches.)

 

I am thankful that she “allows” me to have a nap later in the day, while she occupies herself with found treats.

(I need to replenish my stash of dark chocolate orange sticks.)

I love that she finds ways to make me laugh each and every day.  She is quite insightful, very observant, and isn’t afraid to say what she sees, or repeat what she hears.  “Man-Boobs” is still going strong!

I always have back-up when it comes to keeping the older two in line.  (That is where the repeating thing comes in.)  I tell them to do something, or not to do something, and she is right there, making sure they heard it.

She is incredible at the hugs, especially knowing when you need one.  She is good at getting Kleenex when you are in need as well.  She has also started a new trend of starting off an “I love you” fest with saying, “I love you too!”  rather than a plain old, “I love you.”

(I am glad to know that she knows I do.)

I am so thankful for the one-on-one time I have with her while the older two are at school.

I am thankful that she misses them, asks repeatedly when we can go and get them, and makes the most of her time playing with them.

A new fun little habit she has, wearing her “Jessie boots” darn near every minute of the day.  She did go out of the house today wearing a different pair of shoes today.  I was beside myself.

Although I particularly don’t care for the aforementioned finger-sucking habit, it is most definitely a part of her.  I’ll take it, for now.

I am thankful that she is my little girl, and that I have been entrusted with her  sweet little spirit.

Day 18.

I am so thankful for a supportive husband. 

He took the day off today (he tries to every Thursday) and even though he had the day off, he really didn’t.  He supported me in something that I wanted to do, something that would help to develop my talents (which I am also thankful for), and sacrificed a day for us to just “be” together.

I am thankful for his unselfishness.

I am also thankful for a strong body that was able to carry me throughout this busy day, that even though I feel tired, I know I will get a good night’s rest because I gave today my all.

Day 17.

The culmination of this day started a week ago.

It has been a constant prayer ever since.  There was more constant praying the entire day today.  There was worry in there too, that the evening planned would be beneficial to all who were in attendance, then there was more praying to remove the worry and restore the faith.

As I sit here, at the end of this day, and the evening I got to share with my Relief Society sisters, I feel the love and calm, that only an answered prayer can bring.

I was blessed in so many ways.  The collective inspiration of board members as to what this particular evening should include, music, spoken words by those we were inspired to ask to speak, inspiration for the subjects they should speak about.  Inspiration and calm given to me at the temple when the worry peaked..  all blessings!

Day 16.

I am thankful for the scriptures, for words from living prophets.

I set a goal this year to read the Book of Mormon (again) and to take my time, really studying and pondering what I read.  I wanted my study to remind me of my days in seminary, when my scriptures were all marked-up.  I may not be very far into the book, but the knowledge I have gained exceeds the amount of pages that could be bookmarked.

Today, as I was reading, a light was turned on.  There was something that was new to me.  Something that meant more to me than it did in previous readings.  It gave me great hope and comfort.

As if to prove a point, I was reading later in the Ensign, and the same thing happened.  I was reading a conference talk by Elder Bednar.  It was one that I listened intently to during this last conference, but in reading it, promises given to us stood out as if in bold font.  Another great blessing.  Another comfort.

I am so thankful to have these words, this encouragement and guidance from a loving Heavenly Father.   

Day 15.

Today I find myself thankful for so many things!  I seem to find more and more every day..  just one side effect of looking at life this way I guess.

- Merrill has a job.  It’s a job that keeps him busy, but it’s close, and it’s regular.  He is close to home, so on those nights when he gets to pull the midnight shift, he’s not that far away.  It’s also quite the perk to show up with lunch and eat with him, like we did today.

- Family time.  Tonight we had FHE, a lesson on what else, Gratitude.  Peyton started off the evening by giving the opening prayer, it was Ashley’s assignment, but she was being Ashley, and Peyton was quick to fill in.  Her prayers are so sweet!  Peyton was in charge of our song.  She chose, “I am a Child of God”, stood in front of us, raised her arm in the air, and started to sing, and lead us in her own little way.  So cute.  I found myself so thankful in that moment for her wonderful nursery teachers, and an incredible song leader, who have obviously taught her well.  We had a naked turkey in the house, and we needed to help him out.  I prepared paper feathers for us to write things that we are thankful for on, then stick them in our turkey.  I cut out only a few for the poor guy, which we appropriately named “Ham” (per Ashley’s suggestion).  Soon, all the feathers were full, I needed to cut out more.  It was also pretty awesome to know that Peyton was really listening and got it.  When I asked her to tell me something she was thankful for, she replied, “Parents”.  We got quite the variety of blessings, we could have gone on.  After that, we enjoyed a little drive.  It is such a blessing to have this time set aside, nothing else to do but to be together!

- I am thankful for my girls’ sense of humor.  To hear them giggle.  Ashley and Peyton were watching a movie, and one of the animated characters was a little hefty.  They started laughing so hard, saying he had “man boobs”.  I have no idea where they even heard that term (unless they’ve been hanging out with uncle Kev…) but had to laugh at their laughter.  Ashley was tired at the end of our day, playing with the dwarfs from the Snow White playset, she mixed Sleepy and Sneezy’s names to get Sleezy.  To see her face when she realized what she said was not right, too funny.  Another sweet giggle!