The 25 Days of Thanksgiving
#1 I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and with that I am thankful for Jesus Christ, for His saving grace, for His love and patience for me, for His mercy and compassion
#2 I am thankful for my family....all of them.....the good, ...the bad, the ugly LOL!!!! I am thankful for the love that they give to me each and every day and I am thankful that I have them in my life. I am thankful for the joy they bring and for the lessons they teach.
#3 I am thankful for my friends, whom without life would not be as sweet. I am thankful for those friends that are so close that I could them as family, truly family. I am thankful for new friends and friends that have been in my life for years.
#4 I am thankful to live in this country. I am thankful for the freedoms I have and for the opportunities to be part of the process of freedom.
#5 I am thankful to live where I live. I am thankful to have lived here in Baytown every minute of my life. There are those who may not agree with me, but this is home and I am thankful for all that that implies.
#6 I am thankful for the Autumn season, for the cool dry crisp air, for the sweet breezes, for the changing colors of the trees and landscape, for the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, for the smells that are associated with this beautiful season.
#7 I am thankful for my job and for my sweet husband's job. I am thankful that we are both employed and that there are paychecks arriving on a regular basis. I am thankful that I have food to eat, a home to live in, a/c when it is hot, heating when it is cold, safety during the storms, a comfortable bed with soft pillows and cozy blankets, clothes to wear, water to drink, cook with, and bath in.
#8 I am thankful to be a mother, to know a child's love, to hold a sweet one in my arms, to have those sweet hugs and sloppy kisses, to be the "one" that can calm fears, kiss away boo boo's, and provide comfort at all times.
#9 I am thankful to be a grandmother, to hear those sweet voices calling for me and have again those sweet hugs and sloppy kisses.
#10 I am thankful for yummy desserts....BlueBell Ice Cream, M & M's, cheesecake, eclairs, Kit Kat bars, coconut cream pie, Wendy's chocolate chip cookies, Bryan's apple crisp, Shipley's chocolate filled donuts, Me Ma cookies, Almond Joy's, pecan pie, fudge, peppermint bark, banana split cake, chocolate truffles.....mmmmmmmm
#11 – this day fell on Veterans Day. So my #11 is somewhat a repeat of my #4 " I am thankful to live in this country. I am thankful for the freedoms I have and for the opportunities to be part of the process of freedom." I will restate it, 'cause it's worth saying over and over again. I am thankful for all the veterans who sacrificed SO much for each and... every one of us! Thanks you!!! And you deserve so much more!
#12 I am thankful for the temple. I am grateful for the sealing powers that bind us together as families. I think every day about that saving ordinance that gives us the opportunity if we are righteous to be reunited with loved ones that have gone on before. I am thankful to know that when I see my mom and my dad that not only will they know me, but they will know me as their daughter. I am thankful to know that if I do what I need to do in this life that I can spend eternity with my loving husband and that our children and grandchildren can be with us as well....One big glorious eternal family!
#13 I am thankful for the opportunities that I have had and continue to have and hopefully will have to be of service to my fellow man. Throughout my life, I have had chances to do service. Some may have been "inflicted" upon me as a young child in the form of household chores and some may have come upon me through Service Clubs in high school and others may have come to me... through callings in my church, but whatever kind they were or wherever they may have come from, I am grateful for the growth within myself. I have learned how to think of others first. I have learned to not be selfish, or maybe I should say not so selfish (I'm still learning and growing). I have learned that when you are serving others the blessings really come back to you a hundred-fold. I have learned that when you are in the service of your fellowman, you are really in the service of your Lord. He uses our hands to reach out and help all of His children. I have learned of hidden talents that I did not even know I had. I have acquired good and lasting friendships through these varied opportunities of service. I have learned much about myself and much about others and more importantly I have learned much about the Savior.
#14 I am thankful to live in a modern world full of time-saving devices and wonderful conveniences. I am thankful for my vacuum cleaner so that I don't have to take my room size rugs outside and beat them to get them clean (WHEW!!) I am thankful for a refrigerator and freezer so that I always have fresh food on hand and that I know, for t...he most part, that it is indeed fresh. I am thankful for my air conditioning and heating units so that the humidity can be bearable and the temperatures are pleasant. I am thankful for my oven and stove top so that I don't have to go out and chop and split wood and also don't have to heat up the house just to cook something. I am thankful for electricity so that I can see when it is dark, and by "seeing" I mean really seeing, good enough to not ruin my eyes by straining them to see. I am thankful for televisions, and computers and dvds with their players and cds and their players and cars and airplanes and jets and satellites and the internet and cellphones and grocery stores and online shopping and paper and pencils and pens and .....the list could go on and on and on. I am thankful for ALL of these things that make my life easier and make my life more pleasant and make my life sweeter.
#15 I am thankful for time.
Time to relax, time to be productive, time to sleep, time to read, time to be around others, time to worship, time to pray, time to ponder and think and meditate, time to eat, time to learn new things, time to relearn old things, time to lo...ok at Facebook and catch up with what's going on with my friends, time to actually visit with my friends face to face, time to not do work if I don't feel like it at the moment 'cause there will be time to do it later and the work still be done on time. I am grateful that there really are 24 hours in a day, though sometimes it doesn't feel like enough time to get everything done and also sometimes it feels too long and I wish it would move faster.
#16 am thankful for Facebook. Yeah, I know, there are probably better more valuable things to be thankful for, but....without Facebook, I would not have been able to reconnnect with so many that are dear to me.
Old friends from my childhood, those special childhood friends that when I was growing up I could never imagine not still being close and yet time and distance and circumstances separated us for awhile, friends that have moved too far away ...and we just don't have the time or money to see each other like we'd like to, friends of my children that I still care about and like to keep up with but because they are friends of my children it would be slightly awkward, cousins and nieces and nephews and sisters and those that are just like family, friends that I really do see often but still like to chat with or look at their latest pictures or just chuckle with over some crazy silly status. Yup, Facebook is definitely something that I am thankful for....most definitely!
#17 I am thankful for holidays - all of them, all kinds.
I love all the holidays, every one! Let's start with the closest - Thanksgiving. I love this time of year with the cool crisp weather and the changing colors. I love the color of the decorations, the reds, oranges, yellows, and I love the smells, the cinnamons, the cloves, the smell of pumpkin bread and turkey and dressing cooking away. This is the only holiday, really the only day of the year that I know I will get to spend time with my sister and my nieces and nephews. All of those that still live in Texas and haven't been roped into spending the holiday with the in-laws and also don't have to pull their shift at the hospital gather at my home along with my Texas based children and grandchildren. It's a big rowdy laughing loving gathering. I absolutely love it! Mounds of food, little ones running everywhere, not so little ones talking all at the same time - it's glorious! I get my fair quota of hugs and get to catch up with all the news! Ahhhhh....I can't wait! Christmas is my next favorite holiday. No matter what my age, this holiday stills holds that little - bit of magic. Somewhere still inside of me I still expect to wake up Christmas morning to surprises - something laying under the tree that... I have no clues about! I love love love the decorations - spiritual and secular. Reds and greens! Golds and silvers! Candycanes and Santa Clauses! Nativities and Angels! I love to decorate my house, and no matter how many containers and boxes I drag out, and no matter how many hours or days it takes me to distribute all those decorations into every nook and cranny, I still think there is room for more! I LOVE Christmas lights. One of my favorite things to do is drive around and look at the lights. It is still magical to me. There was a time that I had as many as 10 Christmas trees put up and decorated every year, all with different themes. A Candy tree, a snowflake tree, a Texas tree, a Victorian tree.... I've tapered that down in recent times. Now there are usually only a few. But Santas....well, those are too numerous to count. I think I did count them one year, and well, let's just say that it was a BIG number. Beginning on the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas music is playing almost non-stop. Thank you, Sunny 99.9!!!!! It plays in my kitchen, in my car, in my office...everywhere! And the smells of Christmas..mmmm...candles burning with scents of cookies, chocolate, cinnamon, sugary butter, spiced pumpkin, peppermint. Then of course there are the real life smells....cookies baking, candies cooking, bread rising...mmmmm....I can hardly wait! But I will....'cause every holiday deserves it's own special time. I will not rush Christmas and overlook Thanksgiving...nope....(but as soon as it's over, OUT comes the decorations and on goes the music!!!)
Christmas has SO many facets to it. Each one special and significant. All of us have so many memories and feelings and thoughts! It's a glorious time of year....but first comes Thanksgiving with it's own set of memories and feelings. It is the one the ushers in the feelings of thankfulness, gratitude, family.
#18 I am thankful for the diversity of talents.
The Lord has blessed each one of us with talents. But in this life He did not give them all to everyone. I am grateful for the few that I have...do I have any? Somedays I'm not sure of that. Other days I can catch a glimpse of maybe one or ...two...maybe? But I am grateful for the many talents that are out there to tap into. I am grateful for the MULTITUDE of talents my husband possesses. Truly the Lord has blessed him with an abundance. He has way too many to list, but I'll share a few that I am certainly grateful...in no particular order, and certainly not in the order of importance! I am grateful for the computer related talents. He is a computer genius. Now, he would probably argue that point, but I'm afraid he would lose that argument unless of course it was with someone more talented that him LOL!! I do not possess any computer talents, so his are of ultimate value to me and to our children and to a slew of others that he is always available to help. I am grateful for my husband's talent in fixing things. He amazes me in his knowledge of things mechanical and electrical. He is able to fix most everything that breaks around the house. Now there are a few that have been unfixable, but it is not because of his lack of skill. I am grateful for his infinite patience with me. Now THAT my friends is a great talent to possess. I can be a very trying person, and he has managed to not kill me for these many many years LOL!! Well, I could go on and on in praises of my husband, and he definitely deserves the praises, but there are others that hold great talents that I am also grateful for. I am grateful to those who have creative talents, those that can see just the most mundane and boring of things and can turn them into treasures. I am grateful for those that hold the talent of a listening ear and a strong supportive shoulder. I am grateful for those that have forgiving hearts and open arms. I am grateful for those that blessed with compassion and tenderness. I am grateful for those that serve, in all capacities. I am grateful for the talents in medicine, carpentry, plumbing, a/c & heating repair, lawn care, painting, roofing, merchandising, cooking, cleaning, teaching, organizing, law enforcement, fire protection, military strategies, accounting, upholstery, mechanical, chemical, and electrical engineering, software and hardware engineering, music, artistic painting, sculpting, ceramics, glass, plastic........We need each other because we do not all possess every talent. I am grateful to those who share theirs.
#19 I am thankful today for modern medicine and all those who work tirelessly to advance the cause.
The miracles that happen every day because of the heavens being opened and pouring out intelligence, knowledge, needed inquisitiveness, applied determination, and inspiring men and women. Miracles happen around us each day and sometimes we ...don't acknowledge them because they seem so everyday to us. I am thankful for everyday common medicines - aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, antibiotics in all their diverse forms and formulas, antiseptics, decongestants, cough suppressants and expectorants, soothing throat lozenges, chapstick, hydro cortisone cream, rubbing alcohol and peroxide, and allergy medicines like benadryl and claritin. These help (of course if they are not abused) to make life a bit easier and they are indeed miracles. I am thankful for the "bigger" medicines that save or prolong so many lives - like insulin which without it my dad would have died so much earlier in his life and would not have blessed his children and grandchildren's lives for so long, aricept and plavix which without my sweet mother would have been physically lost and mentally lost from us so much earlier, chemo therapy medicines in their wide range which without too many of my family would have been lost to us, for steroids and nebulizers who have saved too many of my grandchildren's lives. I am thankful for surgeons who study and learn and research and study some more so that they can truly help those who need their expertise so desperately. I am thankful for nurses who come to love those that they care for and show that love in so many ways. I am thankful for emergency personnel who are willing and ready to come at a second's notice and use their skill as well as their compassion to take care of those in immediate crisis. I am thankful for the medical researchers who devote their careers and their entire lives looking for the cures. I am thankful for those that have those skills that I lack who give me peace of mind knowing that they are there to help me and my loved ones when disaster strikes. There are too many medicines to list and too many surgeons, nurses, doctors, specialists to name who have saved my loved ones or at least extended their lives significantly. I am thankful to them for my grandparents - all four, my dad, my mom, my sister, my brother-in-law, my children - specifically Gabby, my granchildren - some of which would have been lost before they were even born and many in the years they have lived, too many friends and loved ones. All I can say is....thank you from the bottom of my heart.....
#20 I am thankful for a bunch of "little" things today. They really aren't little in my life - they are HUGE - but to someone else they may not seem so important. But they add infinitely to my life!
Here they are - in no particular order....I am thankful for a helpful husband. One who will run the errands, do the laundry, and take care of things at home so that I can go have fun with my sisters at a Souper Saturday activity. I am thankful for the many sisters I have at church. They are all important to me and add to my life is SO many ways. I am grateful for just plain old fun. Sometimes you just have to just have some fun and enjoy what is happening around you. I am grateful for modge podge and scrapbooking paper and disposable paintbrushes. I am grateful for homemade soup - especially on a cold day, but enjoyed no matter what the weather or temperature. I am grateful for homemade bread in all the varieties. I am grateful when I am not the one who has made the homemade bread. I am grateful that I know how to make homemade bread and grateful to all of those that are so kind in telling me how much they LOVE it. I am grateful for pleasant cashiers, especially those at the return desk. I am grateful for the stockers of shelves, who try their best to know exactly what I needed them to restock. I am grateful for those helpful employees that will take the time to help me find that elusive item when I've been up and down the aisles numerous times. I am grateful for graters to help me with those tedious culinary tasks. I am grateful for sharp but not too sharp knives that do the job of cutting my food but not my fingers. I am grateful for seasonings - salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, chili powder, garlic and onion - that help my cooking to be edible. I am grateful for jeans that are so comfortable to wear and are so versatile. I am grateful for ice water that can quench a thirst like nothing else. I am just grateful for all those little and not so little things that make life so sweet!
#21 I am thankful for modes of transportation. What a luxury it is to be able to hop into a car and get where you need to be in a fraction of the time it would take without it. And on top of that, it really doesn't matter what kind of weather you are experiencing. Rain, sleet, snow, sun...shine, fog, cold, hot, in-between...doesn't matter. A car (of course provided it has a roof and windows and a floor and doors LOL!!) will protect you from all the elements. What a luxury to be able to hop into an airplane/jet and fly in just a matter of a few hours to any place you want to be, instead of the days, weeks, months it may have taken before. Now if they could just perfect tele-portation, I would be even MORE GRATEFUL!!!! Come on, guys! Surely Spock and Scottie would be willing to be signed on as consultants.....they have all the secrets, you know.....
#22 I know that I have expressed how grateful I am for my husband and my children, but since this is MY thankful countdown, I'm going to take these four days and concentrate on them....sorry......just bear with me......
Today I'm focusing on my husband and my first born. My husband, Dennis, is truly a saint. Now I don't mean "saint" in the sense that he is perfect and should therefore be immediately translated...I mean it in the sense that he has saintly q...ualities, especially in regards to me. He has infinite patience and unwavering love and commitment. He married me under trying circumstances and has stuck by me in thick and thin (mostly thick 'cause I'm always struggling with my weight LOL!) He accepts me in my imperfection and works side by side with me while I try to overcome those weaknesses. I am thankful that he is a caring man to others and that he genuinely loves the Lord and desires to serve Him with all his heart, might and strength. I am thankful that he loves our children and likes to spend time with them. I am thankful that he is a hard worker and is a dedicated employee. I am thankful he is honest and trustworthy and is not easily (or ever for that matter) tempted. He is a good man and I will be eternally grateful that he is mine.
My first born son, Michael, is a wonderful young man. He has always been that way. He never went through the typical teenaged rebellious stage and we always knew we could trust him. Michael has such a loving and caring personality and has a very fun-loving side. He enjoys life and all that it offers. He has a contagious laugh and when he smiles all seems right in the world. His children absolutely adore him and he them. Michael is also a dedicated employee and puts in long hours in serving his clients. I am grateful for the good example he set not only for his younger siblings but also for us his parents and for his friends too. Michael has a strong testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel and he leads his family in living a good and dedicated life in His service. I am grateful to the Lord for lending me one of His choice sons. I am grateful to not only have the opportunity to love Michael but for him to love me back.
#23 I am thankful for Chris and Bryan, two of my wonderful sons!
For those that may not know, Chris and Bryan are my second and third son, in one respect, but also my "second" sons. They're twins. They came into our lives by totally surprise. Did not know we were expecting twins until I was to be admitte...d into the hospital. They were full term - both weighing around 8 lbs each. Yes, you read that correctly - almost 17 lbs of baby! From the minute they came into our lives they have blessed it tremendously.
Chris was the first of the twins to be born, probably no doubt because he was in a rush to be here! Chris is a wonderful young man who is so talented it is unbelievable. He is truly a living testament of the knowledge of the pre-existence and coming to this earth with innate abilities. He is tremendously blessed musically - having taught himself to play the piano by ear and also the guitar. After several years of playing already, he did submit to just a few formal lessons so that he now can at least read music too. He inherited (if you can actually do that) great computer skills from his dad, Dennis, and is involved in several companies that deal with websites and their designs. Chris was not always the loving brother that he is today. He went through the typical rebellious teenage years where I am sure he wished he was an only child. He did (and still does) love his siblings, but growing up they were not always his favorites to hang with or play with. Chris has a very out going personality and has always made friends easily. This benefited him on his mission, in his social life, and at work and at church. He loves and serves the Lord diligently and willingly. He is a wonderful father to his children, full of fun and appropriate rough housing. Chris has always loved sports and continues even today to be actively involved in basketball.
Bryan was the second of the twins to be born. We think Chris was the dominate twin even before birth because Bryan has been blessed (or cursed) with an inverted fetal position....yes.....try to picture that. He has always and I believe still does slept in a backbend. And I do have pictures to prove that - child and adult LOL!!! Bryan was and still is to a little bit the quiet one. Full of fun and laughter but usually not the over talkative one. We have always believed that when Bryan spoke it must be important 'cause he didn't waste words. Bryan is also a wonderful young man who is super intelligent. He has always been a hard worker and a determined worker and it shows in his academic successes of having two Master's degrees in two different fields, but also in his hobbies. Bryan has developed his talents in the culinary field and has surpassed his mother by leaps and bounds. Bryan is a great father, full of patience and love, and is always ready to sit down and play and tussle with his children. Bryan also has dedicated his life to serving the Lord and is a great example to all of us.
I love these two boys. They came into my life miraculously and have brought many good teaching moments to me. I know without a doubt that they love me with all their hearts (except for the big parts that are reserved - rightfully - for their wonderful wives and children) and I hope that they know that I love them more than life itself.
#24 I am thankful for Ashleigh and Hillary, my sweet wonderful girls!
I am so very thankful for the fact that I am a mom...no doubt about it, I love it!!! I am thankful for my three sons and grateful that they came first, but there is just something about having a daughter, and then to be blessed with two, we...ll, that is just heaven!
I have to admit that when I was pregnant with Ashleigh, I was not so keen on having a little girl. I had three boys which I was very comfortable with and my sister had four boys....we were very boy oriented. So the thought of having a little girl was just not at the top of my list. But what a mistake that would have been to not have Ashleigh in my life. She is truly a choice spirit and I absolutely adore here. Ashleigh is a wonderful young woman, and she is all girl. Always has been from I would imagine day one. She came into a house of little boys and was surrounded by little boy cousins so you would have thought she'd be a little tom-boyish.....ummmm no......she was a little girl and she was going to let you know it. Even at the little age of two she was very insistent on wearing only pink or purple and most definitely NOT jeans. She told me one day in her little two or three year old voice, that girls do not wear jeans....where in the heck did she get that? Her mom was standing there wearing jeans, both grandmas wore jeans, her aunt wore jeans....what?!? Needless to say dressing her was always a challenge. She had definite style opinions. And she still does. I should have listened to her early on. She has great taste and knows how to put together an outfit. Ashleigh of course is more than clothes and style. She is a wonderful mother and a very loving and caring woman. She is an outgoing social girl who easily makes friends. She has a very tender heart and shows her emotions easily (just like her dad) but she is almost always happy and smiling and like her big brother her smile and laugh light the room up. Ashleigh has a strong testimony of the Lord, having earned it by trials and study. She is strong in the gospel and lives a good and righteous life, but not a stuffy one. She is fun loving, hard working, and though she is a girl inside and out doesn't mind getting dirty and her favorite vacation activity is to go camping.....tent camping.
Hillary is like the cherry on top of the sundae. She has completed our family. We thought we were through, but I am so glad that the Lord knew I needed one more sweet little girl. Hillary has always been a shy sweet girl, which has sometimes made life difficult 'cause she has always attracted attention. After going through her first year mostly bald, her hair came in quickly and her sweet angelic face was framed by a glorious halo of white curls.....yeah, not blonde but WHITE! She was (oh, and she still is totally) the cutest little girl. BIG blue eyes and a whole head full of adorable white curls! People would stop us in the store just to comment about her.....which was awful for Hillary. She was SO SHY that any attention from anyone she had not deemed acceptable was pure torture. Hillary did however grow out of most of that shyness. It still hinders her sometimes, but those that really know her would NEVER use the word shy to describe her. She is super fun loving, has a hilarious sense of humor, an uncanny ability to remember song lyrics and movie/tv scripts, and is a great artist- so full of talent! Hillary is way smarter than she thinks she is....she is truly her worst enemy....well, maybe not her "worst" one, but....well that's another story....Hillary has a super tender heart and unfortunately wears in on her sleeve. But that sweet caring heart of hers makes her the caring and loving woman that she is today.
I can not imagine my life without my two girls. They have truly brought a special love and sweetness into my life. I will forever be indebted to my Heavenly Father for lending these two sweet daughters to me for a time....and I hope for all eternity.
#25 I am thankful for EVERYTHING!!! Yes, I do mean everything.....all of my blessings and all of my trials. Both enrich my life and make it better....at least eventually LOL!! I love you, all of my dear sweet friends! Enjoy the day wherever you are and whomever you are with!!!!
But again...at this point in my life, one more year added to my age is....well....it doesn't really affect me.
