Day 31

Children

I am grateful for children, more specifically, my children. Even more specifically, Brady.

Children are true gifts from God. How sweet they are. I am very blessed to have one to hold and cherish everyday.

Brady is wonderful. I don't know how, but everyday he does something to make me fall in love with him even more. Even just sitting in my lap calm and peaceful does the trick. I love his toothless little grin. I melt at his innocent little laugh. He has me wrapped around his finger. I thank God everyday for Brady. I pray that I may raise him right, that he can know of Gods love for him. I could hold his warm, smooth, sweet smelling little body in my arms forever.

People say what a sweet little angel he is. They say that he is so good. It's good they say that to remind me what a blessing he is after we've both had a long day or week and are frustrated with each other. I pray that he will forgive me for all the things I've done wrong, and all the many more things I will do wrong. I want him to always remember that no matter how frustrated I get, I still love him. He's lucky he's first because I will always marvel at the new things he can do. He will set the standard for his siblings and I have a feeling he will set it high.

I love my little bumpkin. He's a great child to break us into parenting.

Day 30

Friends

I am grateful for my friends, both here and there. I am happy that I know I am loved by others that aren't bound by familial ties. I am thankful that there are people that I can talk to, who can comfort me and let me know that I'm not alone. I am thankful for all the game nights, especially those filled with laughter. I am thankful for those who have stuck with me, even when I'm not so pleasant. I love you all. I truly cherish your friendship. I miss you that live far away. Thankfully I have the internet, so some of you don't seem that far. Friends are our chosen family. God bless you and thank you.

Day 29

Music

"All we need is music, sweet music."

I love music. I love singing. I love dancing to the music. I feel my most sincere prayers are uttered when I am singing. The Lord has blessed me with a great talent. I loved to be in theory class. Too bad it was early in the morning. I miss singing and learning about music. Although, I am new finding joy in singing to my baby.

I love the way I feel inside when singing; the way emotion of the song seems to run through my veins; the way my body is just engulfed in a sweet melody. One of my most favorite things is to sing songs from my choir days. The art that is involved in each piece speaks to me. I loved to delve into the lyrics of the songs, into the way the words played off each other and the way the notes told their story.

A deep and heartfelt "Thank You" to my music teachers; to my fellow choir members, who provided the other voices to bring those little black dots on paper alive; to my parents who helped me fully experience my high school music days; to Carl for letting me sing at the top of my lungs in the car; to Brady for quieting to listen when I sing; to all those composers and songwriters who have provided the soundtrack to my life. And most of all, to God, for giving his children a way to express their feelings and thoughts when words just aren't enough.

Day 28

Education

I am very grateful that I have a High School Education, and then some. I cannot imagine life without knowing how to read or write, or do math equations. There is so much more that I learned in school that I won't even begin to list it all. As much as I may not have appreciated it then, I am very fortunate to have been able to go to school.

I am also grateful for the education that one doesn't normally obtain while in school. The valuable lessons that life teaches you. You know, the ones that you have to experience for yourself in order to fully understand? Yeah, those usually painful lessons come in handy once in a while.

Some of the things I am happy to have learned about over the years are:

How to...

• crochet and provide myself with a way to be crafty. (gimme some yarn and a hook and away I'll go!)
• choose what foods are better for you, and which are not. (Fast food, bad. Home cooked dinner, usually better.)
• be okay with not getting everything you think you want. (Still working on that one....)
• read a map and get to where I'm going. (I think I finally know how to get to the library all by my self!!)
• listen to the needs of my family. (whether spoken or not.)
• do laundry. (yes, it does make a difference what cycle to you use.)
• exercise. It is important to help your body stay healthy. (I'm pretty sure toting a 17+ pound baby around counts as exercise.)
• use Sign Language. (It really really helps when you get laryngitis.)

So, thank you to all my teachers, formal and informal.

Day 27

Bed, Bath and Beyond Coupon

I am so happy that we recieved a new Bed, Bath and Beyond coupon! I gifted our stash to my sister when we moved, figuring we'd load up again. Much to our dismay, we didn't recieve a single one until May. Today we got our second coupon. I don't know why they came so quickly before. We got a new one every other week or so. Now we can purchase bar stool number #2 and #1 won't be so lonely anymore.

PS, if any of you have excess coupons laying around, I'll pay you the postage to costs to take them off your hands. : )

Day 26

A Flat tire

We were on our way to Memphis to attend the temple there. I had been looking forward to this and we had already been postponed the previous week. A few miles past a town called Trumann Carl heard a noise and said he felt the car shaking. Our glove box has been the culprit of coming loose and giggling all its contents, so he thought it was that. After noting that it was secure, we pulled over. Well, well, what do ya know? A flat tire. We change the thing with surprisingly great team work and no bickering. There went our night at the temple. We attached the spare, which was low on air, only 8 lbs of pressure. We turned around and headed for Jonesboro. We went to Wal-Mart because they were the only place we knew that was open for a new tire. So, (here comes the thankful part) we had to wait for the fix. While we waited, I didn't have anything to do. I was forced to relax and just not think about all the millions of things that needed to be done. We didn't have Brady with us, so I didn't have to worry about his needs. It was SOOOOOOOOOO nice. I think it really rejuvenated my spirit to be able to browse around the store and have no goal in mind.

Thank you flat tire, for giving me the opportunity to let it all go for a few hours.

Day 25

Darn it...I got backed-up again...

Forgiveness

Today I am thankful for forgiveness. I am thankful that my husband can forgive me for being crazy, and having another mental breakdown. I am thankful I can be forgiven for not getting ALL the laundry done in one day and not having dinner on the table when hubby steps foot in the door. I am thankful Brady can forgive me for leaving him in his crib wailing while I have afore mentioned breakdown. Now I need to work on forgiving myself for not getting all of my to-dos done at the time I think they should be done.

Day 24

Carl

I am very grateful for my husband, Carl. I'm not sure where to begin. He does so many things for me. He has helped me grow up. He gives me a shoulder to cry on. He does the cat litter. He usually does the dishes. He makes me laugh. I think that is one of my favorite things about him. I think about if I married a rich guy, that might be nice. But would he be able to make me laugh like Carl does? I'm not sure. I am also thankful for his humility. He is a humble servant of the Lord. He does everything he can to help his family. I even get him to change a poopy diaper here and there. Honestly, he's not bad about that at all. I am very, very lucky to have Carl for my husband. Lately he's helped me most my picking up my slack around the house. He loves me and Brady. I believe he would do anything thing for us, even drive me to the E.R. at 2 am with an ear ache while at Arkansas Children's Hospital with Brady.

Since I'm the one that does most the blogging, we don't hear much about Carl. Here's little bit of what he's been up to lately:

Going on a much needed "Man-Date" where he did very well at golf.

Stepping on a nail under a house, causing the need for a trip to the ER. The wait there was over 3 hours. Thankfully, since his injury didn't really need a bed or official exam room, we were able to use a family waiting room to receive treatment. He held the baby on the way out so that none of the waiting patients could tackle him for getting treated so quickly.

He will be starting his second semester of Grad school at ASU this Monday.

Almost getting attacked by a goose.

Getting his nose bitten off by a toothless Brady-monster.

Taking a nap with Brady.

Going to the Paragould water park and careening down their two "awesome" slides.

Working very, very, very hard for the money.

Thank you for all you do, Carlo. I love you and I am very happy to have you as my husband.

Day 23

My Dad
My dad is a pretty good guy. He has sacrificed a lot so that his kids can be happy. He changed a one story approximately 1100 sq ft house into a tri-level 2000 sqft house. He always taught us to do what is right. One of the lessons I remember most is "10% to the Lord, 10% to yourself, the rest is for bills." I probably should have listened to that more....
He has always been a handy man. He was so kind as to install our lovely mailbox for us. He would fix pretty much anything that needed fixing. I got that trait from him. At least the taking things apart and then trying to put them back together. I believe I recieved my passion for music from him, too. You who have met him probably wouldn't believe he was kinda long-haired and in a band. Too bad I don't have a pic of that to post....You lucked out, Dad.

One of my favorite memories of my dad is when he would tell us stories at night. They were usually about two little girls or two little princesses. He had a facinating way of telling them.


Dad and I have had some hard times. Because we are so alike, we frequently butt heads. After growing up a bit, I have come to realize that my dad isn't all that bad. I am realizing now that he probably was right more often than not.


I hope to pass on handiness to my children. It is a great skill and quality to be able to correct problems and to be able to build things. Along with my inherited anal-retentativeness to do things juuuuuuuuuust right.

Thanks, Dad!

Carrots anyone??

Brady has started his veggies!! We started alphabetically using the premade Gerber stuff. First up was carrots.


Here Brady is clean, ready for dinner.

Me thinks he likes it!!



He got very dirty very quickly.

"Do you like my beard and mustache?"

Day 22

Branch Activities
We had a Branch Talent Show last night. It was wonderful! Lots of people shared their God Given Gifts with us. A few highlights were:




Carl showing us his talent, a beautiful baby

Kiersten singing in Spanish










Mary's Quilt












Riley's Ballet












and The Missionary Olympics: Canada, in White vs. Montana (USA), in Gray

1st Event, one of Luck: Rock, Paper, Scissors

Won by Montana

2nd Event, one of Strength: Stick Pull

Won by Canada

3rd Event, one of Mind Skill: The Rubix Cube

Canada won. Darn canuck......

I am grateful that I had the opportunity to not only share my talent, but to have been the recipient of others' talents. God has blessed each one of us with abilities that make this world better. Some are able to display beauty by singing, playing an instrument, dancing or creating a piece of art. Others have less tangible talents, such as listening, consoling, laughter, organization, being neat and tidy and so forth. I am thankful for these activities where we can grow stronger as a branch family and get to know each other more.

Day 21

The

Creators

of My

Better Half

That would be Kehl and Charlene. Each of them have attributed various qualities to Carl that make him so wonderful. I am grateful for the things he was taught as a boy, for the nurturing he recieved, and all the lessons you never you knew taught him. He has turned out to be a pretty stellar guy. So thank you for having "just one more," and keeping him even if he was a surprise.

Day 20

Sisters

I am thankful for my sisters, including the in-laws. I have learned from each of them. I have observed each of them to see what I would like to grow into. Thank you to...

Tiffany, for keeping me young and helping me remember my youth. I am excited to see the woman that you are growing up to be.

Amy, for playing games with me as little girls. Thank you for coming to visit us all the way out here. We had a lot of fun.






Anjanette, for always being such a wonderful host so that our family can be together. You make this mothering thing look so easy.




Gretchen, for being "here" when everyone else is "there." Due to recent events, I could go on and on, but I won't. I'll just go "on." Thank you for your basement, your advise, watching my baby so I can have some relief, holding my hand through this motherhood stuff and telling me I could deliver my sweet child when it seemed so impossible.

Mina, for allowing Carl and I to start our basement-dwelling days in your home. Our marriage was allowed to be free from the woes of finding appropriate housing and shelling out excessive cash for it. We were able to concentrate on us and our relationship, while in the modest, yet comfortable living quarters you provided.


I, we, miss each of you Utahns very very much. Our love for all of you is great and inexpressible (if that is not a real word, then I just made it up.) May the Lord bless each of you with the blessings you need most, and maybe even those you'd really like to have.


*I was not able to find any electronic pics of Mina or Anj. So I made avatars....they are close enough*

Day 19

Heart-to-Heart Talks

I am thankful for the gift of communication that others have been blessed with. I am even more grateful that they share it with me. This helps me to open up and to talk about how I'm feeling and the challenges I am facing. I am thankful for listening ears. I am thankful for shoulders to cry on. Through these moments I am able to grow stronger and be a better woman, mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend.

Day 18

Yoga

I finally got back to doing a yoga practice! Ahhh, it was sooo nice. It really does help me work my body at a very low impact. It's peaceful. While kickboxing does get you revved up and releases some frustrations, some time a more peaceful, relaxing, and calm work out is in order. I'm lucky to have BYU TV and DVR so that I can record the programs and do them whenever fits into my schedual.

Day 17

Pot Luck Sunday

I am thankful for Pot Luck Sunday. Once a month our branch stays after church and has a meal together. This is good because it helps us get to know one another better. This is important since there aren't many members in our area and we need to be strengthened as a Branch Family. Also, it helps us reach out to our friends of other faiths and give all an opportunity to socialize in a safe atmosphere.

Also, you never know what you're gonna get at pot luck. What new food will you try this month??

Day 16

Vacuum


I've been doing some cleaning lately, can you tell? I am ever so thankful for the vacuum. Since Brady has started rolling around, I have become acutely aware of all the hair and junk on the floor. I would not like to pick allt he suff up one clump at a time. And it wouldn't be very fun to use a broom to sweep it all up. While my vacuum isn't a hyla, it does suck. And that's a good thing. May your vacuumes always suck, and suck it up well.

Day 15

Washer and Dryers

After doing catch-up laundry, I realized I am extremly thankful for my washer and dryer. I am especially thankful that I have such commodities in my home. Can you imagine doing all your laundry by hand?? So, thank you, modern technology that makes my life a lot easier!

Day 14

Kitty Kitties

I am thankful for my Kitty-kitties. The poor souls have been pushed to the back burner (not literally, you sadistic people) since the arrival of Brady. I do love them and they do make me happy. They even make me laugh. They have been so good with Brady and all his things. I am thankful that they never got in the bassinette with him for the whole 3 months he was in it. They have never attacked him and respect his space. They are cuddly too. I love them.

Day 13

Temples

"I love to see the Temple..."

It seems every time I share my testimony it's about temples. I really do like them. I love the way I'm reminded every time I look at one that my family can be together forever. Whole and complete. About a year ago my mom and her brother were sealed to her deceased parents. Grandma Leabo did accept the gospel while here on this earth, but she came close to it as a member of the RLDS faith and later Community of Christ. As I was in the sealing room, across from my cousin Matt, in place for Grandma Leabo and Grandpa Sindt, respectively, I felt nothing like I've felt before. I know that Grandma is happy on the other side. She is happy that her daughter and one of her sons are now sealed to her and her husband, their father who passed away from a brain tumor, for all eternity.

This is a project I am working on, inspired by a gift from the Snells. I plan to put the The Family: A Proclamation to the World in the center.

I am thankful for Temples and the great blessings that we receive through them.

Day 12

Family Vacations

A break from "real life" is always nice to have. My sister Amy was able to come out and visit us for a few days. Carl and I took this opportunity to have our summer vacation. We went to Memphis to pick Amy up and see a few of the sights there. We saw the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, the Rock 'N Soul Museum, visited Beale Street, had dinner at Pork with an Attitude, and visited the Craighead Forrest Park. On Sunday we had the La Vetters over for dinner. We stayed up late, and tried to sleep in late too. Carl did a lot of house work so that I could enjoy time with Amy. Amy and I even got to practice yoga Monday morning.

I am grateful that I could get away from the everyday hum-drum. I have been rejuvenated (after getting a shot in the tush for strep throat) and ready to tackle the Stay-at-Home-Mom life I lead. Enjoy the following moments from our weekend. Much more photos and videos will be avaliable on photobucket when I get to it....

Brady Meets Aunt Amy

Don't fall in!!!

This is very serwious....Hey look! It's the turtle and the hare!!This is a big basketball outside the FedEx Arena in Memphis