Welcome Number 10!

Wow! Ten grandbabies and everyone just as cute as the next. How did we get so lucky? Welcome little C----- J-----. You are Grammy's darling man. I can't wait to kiss you again.

I Love a Harvest Moon

There is just something that makes me smile very time we drive by this dude is Deweyville. Thanks to whoever shares their clever sense of humor and engineering prowess.

"Getty" ing My Brain a Workout

I am working on being Getty- Ready. I am supposed to  be doing a display in the library. I wasn't all that jazzed about it at first. I decided that I should probably read the speech if I was going to be pushing it in the library. It is a fantastic piece of work. I am working on memorizing it. I have the first two paragraphs. I am going to attempt to type it here now without looking. Be prepared for slight word and punctuation mistakes. I may give my thoughts about the neat things I am discovering in it....
     Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. ( I learned that all men are created equal from learning that I am a daughter of my Heavenly Father who loves me...)
    Now were are engaged in a great civil war testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived or so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We are come to dedicate a small portion of that battle- field as a final resting place for those who here died that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do so. (This paragraph also brings the words to my mind-"who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life. )
     Now I am going to check myself.
I made some punctuation mistakes and added 'battle' where it should not be. "We have come to dedicate a potion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this."
  I am so grateful for the heroes in history that have made my life as enjoyable as it is right now!

Pie- oneer Thanksgiving

So, because of the lack of a heated oven for Thanksgiving and as our group will be four this year, we are having a Pioneer Thanksgiving. We are going to Dutch oven the turkey and have corn bread instead of rolls. It is going to be a new and exciting experience.
   As we were coming up with this great plan around the Sunday dinner table, I fretted about my lack of faith in Dutch oven pies. Hayden quickly remarked that we didn't need pies, because the pioneers didn't have pies. Steve corrected Hayden with the comment, " Why do you think they call them "pie-oneers?" and Carter added, "Sure they baked pies. Remember the pie on the trail?"
Hayden further announced that they didn't bake THAT pie.
   I speculated about using the trailer oven and lamented that I wouldn't look forward to traveling that far out to bake and couldn't we move the trailer up by the house. They came up with many wonderful plans including shoveling me trails in the snow and building a zip line complete with a tool belt for cooking utensils and a shove off the deck.
  I am thankful for my fun family and the giggles that I experienced.

I Am a Child of God

The windows of Heaven do open and I love standing in the downpour. I attended Colton's Primary Sacrament meeting yesterday. It was fabulous. He lives in a ward where most of the children attend my school. I felt like a celebrity with all the waves to me from the stand. Colton was the second speaker and said his part beautifully. The music as always welcomed the Spirit into my heart. As I watched these children singing, literally singing their feelings and faith, I felt the love of my Heavenly Father. I was taught lessons on childlike faith and found that my faith has those qualities. I felt the power of these little warriors. I was so grateful for the package of tissue I had with me. I had no make up left by the end of the meeting. I still have that feeling of peace this morning. I think this is going to be a great day!
  I am grateful for my job and books. (It's Book Fair this week.)
   I also just finished a wonderful glass of cold apple juice that I had left in the school's fridge. Yum! I am so grateful for that golden pleasure.

Counting Those Blessings

So I cried all night last night. I felt very overwhelmed by life. We are always just about $200.00 dollars short and then have unexpected emergencies. I have not been on a proper grocery shopping trip for two months. My microwave is frtizy, my oven is fritzy. I have a hugely unorganized home and yard. I don't have a calling right now and am not sure I could handle one. I want to help others but feel tired and energy-less. I am sick with a cold and my husband is on the night shift. (Plus I have been cheating and not eating right)
   So I sobbed my heart out to my sweetheart via phone and my Father via prayer. I got the impression to clean my room and count my blessings.
While cleaning I found a bill that needed to be paid yesterday and was able to execute that. Now my blessings.....they are many.
    I am married to Superman! He is working so hard to provide for me and fixing everything he possibly can.He gives me back rubs every night. We have amazing beautiful children, who married amazing people and produced these fun beautiful grandchildren for me.
    I slept in a comfortable bed and was cozy all night. I had medicine to help me through the night with my bad cold. I had  a long cozy bath with a good book last night. We still have plenty to eat and the stove top and crockpots to cook with. I have so much beauty all around my yard...even as it prepares for a dormant period. We are not facing losing all we own and will somehow be able to figure out our finances. I have a job that I love. I have wonderful family and friends and opportunities to be with and serve those I love.
  I have the scriptures, old and new, available to me in many forms. They are so comforting. They teach me so much. I can feel my Father in Heaven so close as I read and study. He loves. His promises are my happiness. I will keep trying everyday to become what He wants me to be. 
These blessings are just the tip of the ice berg.  Looking for the good things in life really does help me feel better:)

Amazing Chemicals

I was reading about the Pilgrims last night. It didn't sound pleasant. The long voyage in the Mayflower in cramped and dirty conditions, knowing that they were leaving civilization and trying to bring everything they could. The poor housing for the first 3 or 4 years...It kind of sounded like my kitchen right now. Hahaha. They got very sick. In fact, in the first group of settlers only 4 women survived the first year. I have a very nasty cold bug. I have felt miserable but, I can take modern medicine (which I believe was heaven inspired) to get relief. I had beautiful floors and furniture in my home. I have ways to keep our food safe and preserve it for long periods of time.
I am sleeping flat in a cozy clean bed each night. Right now, we are experiencing the 'Fritz' in our kitchen. The microwave and oven are feeling under the weather. Superman is busily trying to solve the problem, but it may be a while. I am not discouraged. I still have the means to take care of our family. Crock pots are miracles. So is my trailer, which I am seriously contemplating moving into! I also have the peace of the Gospel. The Pilgrims pressed on to give me the chance to worship my Father in Heaven according to my heart. They lived and loved Him in the way that was best for their hearts. I appreciate all those who pioneered life so that I can have the peace and knowledge that I enjoy today. I know. That's says it all. I know.

A Ticket to Everywhere

I spent last night cleaning out my library. It was a lot of dusty fun. I am trying to fit two rooms full of books into one half of a wall. As I was weeding my collection, I came across such treasures. Secret Garden, The Great Brain, C.S Lewis, John Grisham, Norah Lofts, Victoria Holt.....and on and on. I wished for a comfy chair, a fire, some apple juice and time. It will probably take me a few more days to have the room in tip top shape, but I am so grateful for my treasures. I am grateful that my eyes still work and I have the ability to read. You don't need to be wealthy with lucre for that!
I look forward to reading the following books very soon;(rereading that is)
Secret Garden
How Far to Bethlehem?
The Queens Confession
Alfred Hitchcock stories
etc.
 I also was grateful to be reacquainted with my garden and bird books. They truly are treasures.

Thankful and Loving It

I love to count my blessings. There are so many of them. I am especially stoked because this month is the time to count away. I am going to share from Friday until today.

I am grateful that I got to take a class. This is my final project. It was white cake with Chocolate French Silk Filling. Two of my flowers were made by the instructor, the rest by me. Can you tell which is which?
 
 
Saturday, I was grateful that I got to spent the day cleaning my basement. It was a thrill for me. I reclaimed my bathroom, organized my TV room and started working on my library. I got the laundry done and stayed inside coming down with a crummy cold, but I felt happy.

Sunday, I went to Sacrament meeting and was blessed in countless ways. I came home after because of the illness I am succumbing to...the oven wasn't working. But I was grateful for crock pots. One for the meat and one for the squash. It worked out great. I even got to enjoy my table with some new DI china. Fancy!

Steve and Morgan tasting my final project.

I also got to watch two of my guys. Big T can make a toy out of anything. I guess I had better fill that Cornucopia with some plastic fruit or it will be a gnome hat forever.