Gratitude: Day 8

I'm skipping the alphabet thing this year and just picking something from the day that I'm grateful for.

Do you know what this photo is? Our empty mailbox.

Can I tell you how so stinkin' happy I was to find an empty mailbox today?!

This has been a year of medical expenses, which also means medical bills. Whether it be an EOB from our insurance letting us know what we owe, an EOB notifying us a claim was denied, or an actual bill from a provider, it's been a constant flow of bad financial news/mail (and just in time for Christmas, no less).

But today was one to be thankful for.

LaVor won Disneyland tickets from a radio station months ago and we were seriously considering paying a visit in the next few weeks. But when the bills started rolling in, we had to decide what was more important (even though Disneyland is WAY more fun!).

We sold the tickets today and I was able to pay off 3.5 bills with the money. Such a huge blessing!!! And we didn't get any new bills! Yah!

Just when you're at your wits end and wonder how much more you can take, Heavenly Father chimes in. He is, no doubt, watching over us and always provides a way.

Gratitude: Day 7

I'm skipping the alphabet thing this year and just picking something from the day that I'm grateful for.

In our old place, carpet dominated our flooring.  Here, we only have it in two bedrooms, and that drives LaVor a little bonkers.  I hate walking on any kind of bare floor so I always have some type of foot covering on.  We do have a decent sized area rug in our family room that gives him a taste of carpet among hardwood floors.

I'm soooo embarrassed to admit this but in Livermore, I would usually only vacuum if someone was coming over or it REALLY needed to be done.  Now that I can literally see all of the junk that's brought into our home, I'm appalled I didn't vacuum more often. Darn brown speckled carpet!

I sweep at least once a day and the pile is usually this gross and large. And every time I dump the pile into the trash, I'm grateful that we no longer have carpet and I can see every crumb, hair, and dirt particle that's scattered throughout the house.

Because what you don't know can hurt you (and give you the heebie jeebies).

Gratitude: Day 6

I'm skipping the alphabet thing this year and just picking something from the day that I'm grateful for.

Last Sunday night, the youth attended a fireside with the theme "A Night by the Sea of Galilee". The bishop played a talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland to music and pictures of the Savior. At the end of it, he invited people to share what they were feeling and their testimony of Christ. I, being the crybaby that I am, couldn't hold back and had to share first.

Part of me being so emotional was because of the immense love I have for Elder Holland. I can remember him attending a Stake Conference when I was younger, feeling so special because he was "home". He mentioned Brother Supinger by name and called him a great friend, and spoke fondly of his time as an Institute teacher. He later came back for a Regional Conference and I remember those same feelings coming back.

I hate to admit it, but aside from President Uchtdorf, I always anxiously look forward to Elder Holland speaking at General Conference. He conveys his message with such power and love. It's as if he is speaking directly to you and nobody else is around.

I felt that same way as I watched the Teaching in the Savior's Way broadcast today. Elder Holland knew exactly what I needed to hear and I felt the love of Jesus Christ exude from the words that were said. He is truly a vessel of the Lord.

Some of my other favorite talks of his that have left a huge impact on me are:

Like a Broken Vessel

"Lord, I Believe" 

The First Great Commandment

"An High Priest of Good Things to Come"

Gratitude: Day 5

I'm skipping the alphabet thing this year and just picking something from the day that I'm grateful for.

Saturday is doughnut day at our house and normally LaVor takes the boys. Unfortunately, he had to work today so doughnut duty became my job.

I scrounged up all the cash I could find and we headed out the door. I tried to calculate what we could afford while we were in line but I always seem to be off. Of course Doodlebug needed his milk and The Lime needed his Sunny D (blech!) so that took up even more of our precious budget.

We ended up being $1.03 short so I told Mary to put the milk back. "No, no!" she said. "Just pay me next time."

Bless her heart!

You can't trust many people these days but I was so appreciative that she trusted me enough to return next week to pay my remaining balance. This is how she and her husband provide for their family and she absolutely, positively did not have to do that for us.

But she's right...we will totally be back next week to pay our debt and order another dozen doughnuts.

Gratitude: Day 4

I'm skipping the alphabet thing this year and just picking something from the day that I'm grateful for.

In a world of perfect families, houses, cars, hairstyles, clothes, bodies, children, etc., I find nothing more refreshing than seeing the real side of someone.

I had to drop off a binder to a teacher a few months back and she opened the door, only to hide behind it and say that she was ugly. I replied with, "No! You're real!" I expressed to her how happy I was that she opened the door, even though she hadn't done her hair, put on make-up, or even got dressed for the day.

A friend of mine told me how she suffers from extreme depression. She's probably the most upbeat, positive person I know but she confirmed that it's only because of the medication she's on and just last week, she was having a hard time getting out of bed to face the day.

I find comfort in seeing other kids act out and parents disciplining them (and using the exact words LaVor and I do) because it makes me realize my kids are normal and so am I.

I appreciate seeing other moms whip out the Halloween candy as a means to control their unruly toddler.

Life is hard enough without comparing ourselves to others and trying to obtain an unrealistic perfection. I'm grateful for people who keep it real and don't care who's watching.

Gratitude: Day 3

I'm skipping the alphabet thing this year and just picking something from the day that I'm grateful for.

Whew! What a night! I'm glad I'm on this end of it because what a doozy.

Being called as the First Counselor in the YW presidency was not something I was gung ho about. I hated being a teenager and am relieved often that I don't have to live through that horrid stage of my life ever again. But now that I'm over the Mia Maids, I sort of do have to re-live it.

14-15 is a hard age. Throw in being a girl and it's even harder. We're dealing with some issues in our class and I'm at a loss on how to deal with it. I threw around some ideas for our activity tonight and at the last minute, the plans changed and I had to come up with something new. That left me feeling extremely overwhelmed, frustrated, and defeated, and I left the house in tears.

On my way to the church, I asked Heavenly Father to lead the meeting because I didn't know what to do or even how to do it. I asked for peace and comfort, not only for me but for everyone.

I remembered an activity we did when I was in YW (it was combined with the YM), where we each had a little booklet and we passed it around for people to write positive things about us in it. Since there's been some contention in our class, I thought this might be a good activity to alleviate some of it but also help the girls to realize the gifts and positive qualities they have (I was able to turn it into a Personal Progress activity). We each had 30 seconds to write in each others' books and I bore testimony at the end of how wonderful it is that although we're different, we all have so much to offer.

I waited to read my book until Friday afternoon. And boy, were those prayers answered!

I hope the girls left the activity as uplifted as I did!

Gratitude: Day 2

I'm skipping the alphabet thing this year and just picking something from the day that I'm grateful for.

We've been in our current location for three and a half years and for three of those years, I hoped and prayed for a friend that I could really call a friend.

Two years ago, I was re-called to the Primary presidency, under a new president that just moved into the ward. We were a young presidency, all of our kids being 10 and younger so we had lots in common. I thought to myself, "Yes! This will be my opportunity to meet that friend!" But month after month went by and I wasn't making a connection with any of the presidency. In fact, I probably had the complete opposite feelings from what I was hoping for.

Fast forward to March of this year. Something literally clicked in me overnight and I had a prompting to write a note to the president, expressing my gratitude for all of her hard work and dedication. I dropped the note off with a brownie (because I remembered that was her favorite dessert), sent her a text message to check her porch, and was on my way. Within minutes, she replied with, "Thank you so much! This has been an answer to my prayers!"

Since that day, we have created a wonderful, strong friendship that I am SO grateful for. We've baby-sat kids when the other has been in a bind, we've gone on double dates with our husbands, we've laughed until we've cried, we've realized we have so much in common with each other, we've thrown baby showers together, we bring the other one medicine when husbands are out of town and kids have fevers, and we've grown to love one another. My favorite, though, is our one night a month (or so) that we go out, just the two of us, eat dessert, and talk until the store literally kicks us out (like what happened tonight).

Our kids love each other, our husbands text message each other during church, and I can honestly say I found that friend that I prayed and hoped for.

Now neither of us can never move.