26, 27

#26...Grateful for new friends. A great family in our new ward invited us for Thanksgiving dinner, and we had a great time visiting and getting to know them. And they hooked us up with tons of leftovers.

#27...Thankful for the means we have to have nice things. We are truly blessed to have a great house, with heat and A/C, nice furniture, a computer, and after today, our new 46" TV! Early Christmas present to us!

23, 24, and 25

#23...I'm grateful for my computer. What fun it is to be able to get news, events, weather, TV, movies, and keep-up with friends. It's a blessing to be able to go to school in my living room.

#24...Grateful that I have a new calling, Young Women's President. I'm excited and nervous and grateful all at the same time. I am blessed to have some fantastic young women! The only thing I DON'T look forward to is CAMP!!! Ugh!

#25...I'm grateful that my husband didn't get made when he came home on Monday to find the Christmas tree up and decorated already! He doesn't like it all done until after Thanksgiving, but I just couldn't wait, it was calling to me. Pics of my Golden victorian tree soon!

Happy Thanksgiving!

20,21,22

#20...I'm finished with Economics

#21...I'm finished with International Business

#22...Sunday is no homework day!

Enough said!

Nineteen

I'm grateful for my testimony. Yesterday a new neighbor returned something they borrowed and I gave them some pass along cards along with the chapel information. I'm grateful to know that I have shared something so important to me, even in a small way. Along with my testimony of the restored church, I'm also grateful that my husband and I have the same beliefs. What a blessing it is to have this most important part of us in common. Having the same beliefs in our Heavenly Father's teachings and direction, we are a couple on the same track and parents on the same page. What an incredible blessing!!!

Eighteen

Today I am thankful for our new piano. There's something so relaxing about sitting and playing piano. I'm not very good, I've only taught myself, but I love to plunk out the hymns that are in the key of C. I am so grateful that we have this instrument in our home. The kids are doing great with their lessons, they have a fabulous teacher, too. This was a great investment. Should get some pics of it, maybe later.

Seventeen

I think I will just have to do this every day because when I have to do it in bulk days, I forget those small and simple things I'm thankful for. A lesson in life for me: be thankful for all, every day, so I don't forget.

Today I'm thankful for my truck. Seriously, I'm in love with this huge monster Suburban. Sometimes I still can't believe we were blessed to get this. I love how my kids fit in it without scrunching up their feet; and then I can add groceries, library books, jackets, and everything else I carry around. I love that when I'm asked if I can take anyone to a Young Women's activity I can say, yes, I can take 7. I love being able to feel safe with the kids when I am driving. I love the drop out of the roof DVD player for those days when traffic is bad or I get to the draw bridge right when it's going up. I love that I can push a button and say call Dad and I'm talking to my Dad in Arizona through the speaker system.

David named the truck Floyd. We call it Floyd, the Unit, Van Landingham...long story that no one would understand anyway...and we're not allowed to call it a CAR.

I'm grateful that we have the means to have this truck. It's just a material thing, but I feel blessed anyway.

Thankful #16

I'm grateful today for health. I spent the morning feeling like junk and then was able to hit the hospital for some help. They were so nice to me there and helped me feel better very quickly. I'm grateful that I don't have other problems, kidney stones are pretty minor compared to other trials.

I am also grateful today that David was let off work to come home and help me out. I could barely walk out the door this morning. I'm better now, just hoping that tomorrow I'll be thankful for a good night's sleep.

11-15

Trying to get caught up on my thankful blogs. Today I'm mostly grateful that it's over. It's been a long week, and I'm grateful it's over.

#11: Grateful for how fast time goes by sometimes and how slow it goes sometimes. I am loving little Jackson and his fun age, granted it's sometimes a really hard age, but he's just so cute and learning so much. I wish time would slow down for my kids to stay this way. However, I'm glad when it goes by fast when it comes to school and daily grind.

#12: Grateful for old and new friends. Making new friends isn't always easy, moving to new places isn't always easy, but I've been blessed with great friends and ones that "keep" me even after we move away.

#13: Intelligence. I'm not the brightest crayon in the box, but I feel blessed to have the mind capacity I have. I'm learning so much in school and in teaching my kids at homeschool. What a blessing to have a brain and use it somewhat!

#14: Move time with the kids: Saturdays and Sundays are our day to veg with good movies. We just finished reading Anne of Green Gables, and so we got all the movies from Netflix and have been enjoying them together. Fun memories.

#15: My parents. I get to talk to my parents on the phone every week, and I look forward to it. I love having a friendship with my parents. It's a great blessing. I also have fantastic in-laws...I'm very grateful.

Number 10

Today I'm thankful that we have the means to give my kids music lessons. Both Jacob and Abby are taking piano lessons from a wonderful friend in our ward. It's so fun to see them get excited about this. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous. I never learned to play piano, just teaching myself a little along the way. Now we have a piano, and if I hear one finger "Ode to Joy" again I will scream, but it's all worth it, and they are working hard. Again a big thankful for my husband for working hard and making sacrifices so we can enjoy these blessings.

Thankful #9

Wondering if I can keep this up for another 21 days! Today, I am thankful for my Jacob. We were working on Math and I was really pushing him hard. He was getting a little frustrated, but he kept plugging along to the finish. As soon as I said, "Okay, you're done", he got up and put his arms up, parallel to the floor and started running away....kind of like a cartoon thing, running for their life away from the enemy. I really should get this on video, it struck me so funny and we were all getting a good laugh. Jacob running for his life from his Math monster mommy. Too funny, I needed that laugh from him today.

Number 8

I love church choir. Singing my testimony really gives me a boost. Because of sick kids, David went to church without us today, but I had stake choir practice tonight. This made my night and I came home in such a great mood. I love this choir, it's so fun, and I love to sing. I'm thankful that I get to participate in a church choir.

Thankful #7

Breakfast for dinner. It just hits the spot sometimes, everyone eats it, it's warm, it's easy and clean-up over and done with. Yep, breakfast for dinner. Yummy. French toast on the menu tonight!

Thankful #6

Although it's hard work and often I am at this computer until early morning hours, I am thankful that I have had the opportunity to go back to school. It's been challenging, but worth it. I love that I have learned so many new things and that I am giving my kids a good example of sticking to a goal. Graduation is so close! I am also thankful to David for giving me encouragement and sometimes giving me uninterrupted computer time by entertaining the kids. It's really a blessing to have a true partner in this journey!

Thankful #5

Had a rough day, but the tender and innocent words of a three year old have given me my thankful thought for the day. You know when you just want to walk without a child underfoot, or attached to your leg? He's been like this ALL day. I just wanted to go potty all by myself, so I ran in, being chased by the toddler, and then I locked the door. He stood outside knocking on the door and crying for mommy. I pulled out a few hairs and did my business. When I came out he was looking up at me with tears on his eyelashes. I melted to the floor and took him in my arms and held him and these little words came out, "Mommy, I wuv you". I love you, too little man.

Thankful #4

Today I am thankful for the lessons I learn from serving in the church. I am the Beehive advisor in the Young Women organization and am often asked to help out at activities. Tonight was bowling night for all the girls, so I drove the Beehives. They are a fun bunch of girls who care about each other. I learn to have patience, love and interest in their challenges and joys. Now, on to Visiting Teaching! :)

Thirty Days of Thankful

My SIL Holly is doing 30 days of Thankful again. I think I should do this, too. I would rather go straight from October 31 to Christmas, but my husband always reminds me that Thanksgiving is a great holiday, too. Usually, it's just extra cooking for me. So, I'm going to follow Holly's example and think of at least one thing to be thankful for each day this month. Since it's already the 3rd, I'll start with three things.

#1...Kissing my husband goodbye every morning. One time, he forgot to say goodbye to me before he went to work, and I had a bummer day all day. I am head over heels for this man, even after 11 1/2 years, and it makes my day when he shows me some love! :)

#2...Family Home Evening. Last night we had family home evening. Jacob wasn't happy about leading the music, Abby wanted to do more than say the closing prayer, and Jackson didn't really like the special smores treat..(what's up with that?). But in the end, we were all in a better mood and played games together. Amazing what happens when we follow the council of our leaders even when it's difficult.

#3...Dad. My dad is retired now, so I can call him whenever I want during the day. It has really been a blessing for me some days when I'm over it all with homeschool and need to vent; and my dad doesn't seem to mind that I call him. It's fun to chat with him and I'm so thankful for this relationship.

So...what are you all waiting for? What are you thankful for this month? Thanks for the reminder Holly.

Pyramids and Halloween

This month in homeschool, we've been learning about ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Sumeria. We studied about how the pyramids were built, why and for whom. We learned how a mummy was "made" and what happened to all their insides...Abby: "Mom this is gross". :) We learned about how Terah led his family away from this area to Canaan where his son Abraham settled and from him came the twelve tribes of Israel. It's been fun to see the kids get excited about history. We've also learned about how the Earth is the most perfect planet in the solar system for human habitation, and why the moon changes phases.

Of course we're still doing Math, Writing, Spelling and Reading, too, but we write and spell and read about the planets and ancient history. I'm actually really enjoying it all! One of the fun things we did was to build a pyramid out of Lego's and create mummies in their tombs to put "inside".

Here are some pics of our pyramid and the mummies.



We did okay for Halloween. I don't love completely store bought costumes, so I made due with collected things and ideas. Thanks to me seeing "Phantom of the Opera" last summer on Broadway, I've been forcing the kids to listen to the music, and Jacob decided to be the Phantom this year. I liked not having the mask to worry about and the face paint did the job fine, I think! He looked great.

Abby wanted to be a cheerleader, she really looked cute, but a little too grown up!

Jackson didn't want to be anything. He thought all the costumes we looked at or thought about were "too sceery, mom". So, the only thing I could think of that was easy and was more like regular clothes was Charlie Brown. Yellow shirt with black patches iron on...bingo...Charlie Brown. He got the most attention from our neighborhood during trick or treating than anyone else, and he wasn't to sceered. :)

Trick or treating and the stash.



Once a month we usually have a cooking class with other homeschool friends. This month we made sugar cookies and frosting and did Halloween cookies. The kids had fun and we made about 4 jillion cookies. I was impressed that the kids lasted through all the frosting, but they did, every last cookie got frosted! Yummy!




Bring on November!