5th Generation Gerald

From November 2011

FHE tonight was our annual Gerald the Grateful Turkey activity. I love that the girls look forward to this every year. We traced McKinley's foot for the body (this year we used cardboard because I couldn't find any brown construction paper) and then we traced everyone's hands in various colors & wrote the things we were thankful for. It's fun to go back and compare turkeys - seeing how some things we're grateful for have changed (5 years ago, Ireland was thankful for mommy's milk, this year she's thankful for swimming :), and others stay constant - like family.

Here are some things our family is grateful for this year (with my "expanded version" at the end)...

KEZIA (the first three were what she said & I helped her with the last two):

-Jesus (she actually said this twice)

-Halloween Candy (yup... :)

-Tundra

- Books

-Teddy Bear & Piggy

IRELAND:

-Beach (??)

-Heart that's happy

-Sleeping

-Playing

-Swimming

McKINLEY:
-Parents

-Paper

-Dogs

-Food

-Flowers

JASON:

-Savior

-Dirt Bike

-Family

-House & Job

-Fishing & Food

HEIDI:

-Living in Cedar. Actual quote from my blog back in January of 2009: "Saturday morning we took off and went through Beaver, Parowan, and Cedar City. This was getting a little too far away from my family for me and I'm not as much of a fan of the red-rock-cedar-trees-sagebrush area, but there were a few lots I might consider."

It's amazing how moving to a place that you never saw yourself or your family can change you. I still do greatly miss my family. That is a heartache. I wish they would all just move down here! And - at the same time, I am truly growing. I am loving this place & the people here. The mountains, the clear air, the stars at night, and - yes - even the red rocks have seeped a bit into my soul. And... really... how can you NOT love a place that looks like THIS?:

From November 2011

From August-Oct 2011

From August-Oct 2011

From August-Oct 2011

-Jason's Job. This kind of goes along with living in Cedar, but really, it needs it's own recognition. For the past 8 months, we've been able to live in our own place and buy our own food with our own money. That sounds kind of simple, but it hasn't always been that way & I cannot say how thankful I am that we are in a place of self-sufficiency - and even able to start paying forward the generosity we've been given the past couple years. It's a double-blessing that Jason really enjoys his job and the people he works with and the flexibility and & benefits his job offers. I am also thankful that his job allows me to stay at home with the girls. So - so thankful for this.

-My daughters & husband. I am in a place right now that I am truly enjoying watching my girls grow. I enjoy their individual personalities. I enjoy being with them. I am SO thankful for their presence in my life. That Heavenly Father trusted me to take care of them and raise them and teach them and love them. I love & am thankful for McKinley's thoughtfulness. Ireland's zest for life. Kezia's sweet little voice. Life with them can be a roller coaster, but I'm learning to enjoy the ride :)

We have a picture frame somewhere in a box (lots of stuff still in boxes over here) that says "Best Friends" and has an engagement picture of Jason & I in it. I can't say how TRULY thankful I am to have married my best friend. There is nothing I cannot tell this man. To be able to cry with him, laugh with him, pray with him, dream with him... well - it's truly one of my greatest blessings on this earth.

From October 12, 2011

-Prayer. For Christmas last year, I got a book I've been wanting - "The Power of a Praying Woman," by Stormie Omartian. It has really opened my eyes to what I've been missing in my prayers. It's helped me to see what may be holding me back from a closer relationship with my Savior. And it's really helped. I am SO thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my Maker each day and gain strength, patience, perspective, humility, and trust. My heart is changing as I try to look at this time in prayer with anticipation rather than a "to-do" kind of feeling.

-Internet & Cell phones. The other day McKinley made some kind of comment about the "olden days" - referring to the time when Jason & I were kids. I laughed, but as I thought about it, I realize that it's true. We kind of lived in the "dark ages" - no internet. no cell phones. no digital cameras. How did we survive? OK - we survived just fine & I know that there are plenty of times that technology does more harm that good (and honestly, there have been plenty of times I've wanted to throw a computer or cell phone out the window), but I am still thankful for the good stuff. I'm thankful for Skype, where we can see & talk to family. I'm thankful for cell phones - they make me feel safer as I travel - and they make coordinating life a lot easier. I'm so thankful that SO much information is at my fingertips. Remember when you wanted to find something out & you had to either go to the library & check out a book on that subject, or ask someone & hope what they said was true? yeah... I'm glad it's not like that now. I'm thankful for catching up with old friends, sharing pictures with people near & far... oh - I could go on, but the bottom line is that I am thankful I live in this day & age with so many opportunities and advances.