"I close my eyes, and I smile, knowing that everything is alright....to the core"- I am Thankful Day 30

Although I didn't totally plan for today to end up being Day 30, I think I was hoping all along that it would be.

Travis and I were married November 27th 1993. Man we were such kids back then! (literally)

It is hard for me to express all the ways I am thankful for Travis. He is hard-working and loyal, a fantastic father and my very best friend.

When Kailyn was younger she used to say she wanted to marry daddy when she grew up- now she says she wants to marry someone just like daddy. I almost feel sorry for the guys she dates because they will have HUGE shoes to fill.

From this moment forward I will have spent more of my life with him then without him and I look forward to every minute.

I am Thankful Day 29

Today I am thankful for good friends and good food and holidays that bring people together.
We ate dinner with our neighbors and they have a tradition of going around the table and everyone saying what they are thankful for. When it was Tyler's turn he said he was thankful for a new direction in his life. It totally made me cry and of course I was sitting right next to him so I barely made it through my turn. But what I said was that I am so thankful for my wonderful family. I could go on and on about all the blessing I have in my life but it is late and I was up until three this morning making pies (I procrastinated all day yesterday).
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

So You Think You Can Dance

Sorry to interrupt my 30 days of thankfulness but I just have to comment on So You Think You Can Dance. I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this season. I don't want any of the girls to go home but if I was the one forced to choose I would probably pick Noelle or Mollee. I wish Karen would have been partnered with someone other then Kevin in the beginning. She is a great dancer but he just rubbed me the wrong way and I think that maybe I wasn't the only one and that is why they ended up in the bottom so often. As far as the guys I am pretty sure it will be Victor. If for some crazy reason he ends up safe and someone else goes home I will cry.

I voted for Legacy and Kathryn and threw in a few for Eleanor and Ryan as well.

Can't wait to see how everyone dances with new partners.

"Music is What Feeling Sounds Like"- I am Thankful Day 28

It is hard for me to even describe how thankful I am for music. (I can already guarantee this is going to be like my longest post ever so you may want to just give up now.)

I think the thing I love the most about music is that it can make, change or amplify any mood. The title of this blog post says it all; "Music is what feeling sounds like."
I mean how can you not get excited when you hear House of Pain shouting JUMP!!! JUMP!!!! JUMP!!!! How can you hold back the tears when you hear someone sing Amazing Grace? How can you not release all your rage when Linkin Park belts out One Step Closer? How can you not want to dance around the room when Justin Timberlake is telling you he brought Sexy Back? And I am pretty sure Bob Marley has the power to put anyone in a mellow mood (drug free of course).

The music that is played on the radio right now drives me soooo crazy. My teenage son told me I need to realize that music isn't about talent anymore but about production and image and it just about broke my heart. You can't even tell who is singing because they all sound the exact same. Then they get invited to sing live on American Idol or at some awards show and unless they lip sing you realize that they honestly can't sing. I hope this phase of over production and auto-tune doesn't last forever. I have seen some of my favorite artists become "popular" and put out albums that I don't even recognize. SAD! But I will leave these ramblings for another post.

Okay back to my gratitude for music. I love to listen to orchestras. I can never get enough of the classical station. I especially love string quartets. There is a group called The Vitamin String Quartet- they do string tributes to popular artists. I always listen to them when I grocery shop. I love anything with a cello solo. There is something about the cello that just makes me feel good.

I love Soundtracks. A good soundtrack can make or break a movie for me. I love it when a certain song reminds me of a scene from a movie. And the total music nerd that I am- I make soundtracks for my favorite books and honestly I think my Twilight Soundtrack is seriously comparable with the one they put in the movie (I actually like mine better).

I love musicals. I could listen to the music from The Newsies a hundred thousand times and never get sick of it. I hate to admit it but I even enjoy the High School Musical soundtracks LOL.

I love ringtones and ringbacks.

I love genius on Itunes.

I love American Idol.

I completely adore my Ipod.

I love mix CDs and playlists. I love giving them to people. I love coming up with silly titles for my CDs. I took a road trip to Ohio once and I made myself like 20 CDs. They had names like Rest Stop, Road Kill, Are We There Yet? and Over the Hills and Through the Woods.

I love lyrics. I love music that tells about something real and makes you feel it. If you have ever listened to an artist like Matisyahu or Blue October you will know what I mean. I wish I could express myself half as well.

I love that there is a song for every situation. I love it when I hear a song I can totally relate to what they are talking about. This example might seem kind of strange but there is a song by Mathew Good that says "That trailer trash pedigree is calling..it rats you out when you're down on all fours" Yeah I totally know what that feels like.

I love it when punk bands redo songs from hip/hop or R&B artists. Bowling for Soup's remake of Fergie's London Bridge is pretty fantastic.
I love it when I make someone listen to one of my favorite obscure undiscovered indie bands and they love them just as much as I do. I love it when I find a new obscure undiscovered indie band to listen to. (suggestions?)
I love Eminem, there is something real about him that is endearing to me. Too bad there are only like four of his songs that are clean enough for me to listen to.

I love concerts.

I love it when the choreographers on So You Think You Can Dance use one of my favorite songs for a dance or when because of a dance that is performed on the show a song becomes my favorite.

I love Reggae, the Blues and crazy sit down singer song writers. I love grunge and rowdy British Indie Rock and anything unplugged. I love Folk Rock, Punk Rock, Alternative Rock and Classic Rock. I love pretty much anything from the 80's- one of my favorite stations on Pandora is called Aqua-Net Radio. I wish I had an ounce of musical talent but alas I do not. Maybe someday I will take piano lessons or something lol.

Well if you made this far and you are still reading you are pretty amazing.
In closing I would just like to quote one of my favorite songs;
"Yeah whatever....rock out"

I am Thankful Day 27

I have totally loved Allias being in the marching band this year. Watching him and the rest of the band perform and compete all year has been awesome!!!! If Allias decides to stick it out I am totally looking forward to three more years.

I am thankful the band parent's association finds so many ways to help parents raise the money necessary for their kids to travel and compete on such a grand scale. I am thankful for the time, talents and persistence of the directors and band staff. I am thankful for the kids and their willingness to work hard. The hard work pays off. West Johnston High School Marching Band is truly amazing. They made it all the way to Nationals and placed 19th in the nation. They were really hoping this would be the year they made it to the top 12 and finals but they should be super proud of coming in 3rd in their class (school size). And seriously 19th in the NATION is nothing to blink an eye at. Especially since they had over 60 Freshman!!!

We found out last night that Mr. Britt the head band director resigned on Friday. He didn't tell anyone his reasons only stated that they were very personal and he did not make the decision lightly. Allias was super bummed. He and Mr. Britt were pretty close and the kids didn't even get a chance to say goodbye (that could be good or bad really).

I think it will make it harder for Allias to want to stay in band but Travis and I are encouraging him to do so. We think it is such a great opportunity and a great learning experience. The devotion and discipline it takes will only help him in the long run.

Allias is in this picture. Second row from the back. Fourth Clarinet player from the left. (I think)

The theme for the show was "Modern Gothic- A Darkness That Needs Light. They had these cool pictures of Gothic windows that the color guard would change behind.

I couldn't decide which of these next two pictures I liked better so you get to see them both.

Isn't he so handsome? He looks so so so much like my brother in these pictures!

A group of parents made the props. Seriously talented!

Someone got a shot of Allias crashed out on the floor of the bus.

This is either on the way to or from Nationals. Totally reminds me of our road trips-

he will totally lay down on the floor of the van and just zonk out!

Camping out in Indie at Nationals.

I am sure every boy on the bus got a picture of the toilet.

The Colts Stadium where Nationals took place.

Mr. Cool (what I want to know is if he took this picture of himself LOL) Love this kid!!!!

The Mall.

Glamma!!
Allias and his friend Allison (yes she knows the bow is hideous!) In every mall picture he is carrying everyone's bags. What a gentleman!!!
Waiting on awards.

WAY TO GO WEST!!!!!!

I am Thankful Day 26

I am sooooo sick today. Throwing up, chills, fever, body aches. It SUCKS. I literally have not been out of bed for more then five minutes since last night. Earlier the body aches were so bad my whole body was shaking. NOT FUN! But honestly I can't remember the last time I was sick enough to stay in bed and I am so grateful for that. And isn't Motrin a serious miracle?? Around five o'clock I was feeling so bad I started crying. My hips were aching to the point I could barely stand it and there was no position I could lay or sit it that would alleviate the pain. I called my mom (she is a nurse) and she told me I should alternate Motrin and Tylenol every three hours or so. I took a couple Motrin and within an hour it had totally taken the edge off and I was able to fall asleep.
The fact that I hardly ever get colds or the flu is something I take for granted when I shouldn't.

On a lighter note I ate over 2000 calories yesterday and didn't exercise at all. I was kicking myself when I went to bed- mainly because I haven't had a bad day since I started working out and eating better three weeks ago, but since I haven't been able to eat anything at all today I don't feel so bad now. LOL! Oh and I weighed myself yesterday and I have lost SIX pounds!!! WOOOHOOOO!!!! I am halfway to my goal weight and by then hopefully I will have made these lifestyle changes a habit and hopefully my clothes will fit again. I am so grateful I am doing this. I have had so much more energy just felt better overall. Oh and in case you are wondering I plan on eating a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner. Holidays don't count!!!!

I am Thankful Day 25

Just about nine years ago I found out some members of my church were moving into my neighborhood. I was soooo thrilled. All I knew about the family is that they the wife had just had a baby and they had three older children. When I heard they might need some help getting their new house cleaned up and ready I was so excited to get to meet them that even though cleaning is NOT something I do well I headed right over. Little did I know that one small encounter with the Rentz family would change my life starting the very next day.

The following day I went in for routine outpatient Gall Bladder surgery. I didn't come home for 35 days (super long story involving a punctured organ, massive infection and emergency bypass surgery).

Many many people rallied around my family during that incredibly difficult time but Denise Rentz went above and beyond. Tyler and Allias came to her house EVERY day after school. She helped them with homework, fed them a snack and kept them until Travis got home from work. It was one less thing for Travis to worry about while I was away and really helped the boys to have a sense of normalcy.

Later when we were called into the Relief Society Presidency together we developed an even closer bond that has done nothing but get stronger over the years. I can remember when we were serving together how she always saw the best in people and worked very hard to unify the sisters in our ward. It was sooo wonderful and uplifting to serve by her side.

We don't live in the same neighborhood anymore (we both moved) but we are in the same ward and I hope it stays that way for a long long time. She is now the mother of six fantastic kids that I love like they were my own.

I am so grateful to have such an amazing friend who does so much for so many people. I can't tell you how many times she has brought me chocolate, watched my kids, laughed with me, cried with me and kept me motivated to keep my goals. She is someone I know I can count on no matter what. She has never let me down (well besides for when she didn't think to find out if I had a ticket to the midnight showing of New Moon lol- luckily I was able to get one anyway so I forgive her lol!)

She is always telling me how much she loves me and how amazing I am but truly she is the amazing one. I am so blessed to know her and to be a part of her life. She is a great example to me of Christ like service and love. She is always willing to turn the other cheek but still stand up for what she believes in.

Tyler had a little journal that was given to him during a very difficult time. He only wrote on one page- and what he wrote was that his greatest desire was to return to live with his Heavenly Father again. At the bottom of the page there was a list of names of people who were helping him reach that goal. I think it was six or seven names. Neither Travis or I made the list. Actually there were only two adults mentioned. The rest were his friends. Three members of the Rentz family were written down though and Denise was one of them. She would be on my list too.

Dee I love you and am so thankful that you are my friend.
(This is us a political dinner in Raleigh with the mayor of Charlotte- It will never be said of Denise that she stood by and did nothing- she is always willing and ready to stand up against big government and far left extremist- she has helped me get fired up about politics and to realize that even my small voice needs to be heard)

I am Thankful Day 24

Woohoooo for midnight showings of movies! I have been to several and I LOVE it. I love the whole atmosphere and the lines to get good seats and the popcorn and the cherry coke (I know I know I quit drinking caffeine- I might make an exception just for tonight). I am saving up some calories so I can splurge a little!!!!!
I wasn't overly thrilled with Twilight but New Moon looks like it could possibly be better- Here's hoping!!!!
Even if bites(lol) I still love movies at midnight!! Seminary tomorrow is going to be a BEAR but at least after the kids are gone I can go back to bed!! They have to go to school!!!! LOL !!!!

I am Thankful Day 23

Today the cat puked on my floor in the wee hours of the morning and woke me up. I think it was around 4 AM. I threw the cat outside so she could finish vomiting and headed to the bathroom to get some toilet paper to clean up the mess.

When I opened the bathroom door, Kailyn's dog Molly came running out. No idea why or how she got in there but as I made my way over to the toilet to get the TP I slipped on something wet. Lovely. I looked down and guess what? It was dog pee. I cleaned up the pee, cleaned up the puke and put Molly in her kennel then I went back to bed.

I knew I would only have 30 minutes to an hour more to sleep before I would be up again for seminary but I wanted it. As soon as I got back into bed Molly started whining in her kennel so I got up again and moved the kennel out in the living room (Kailyn had moved out to the couch sometime in the night), then I went back to bed. As soon as I laid down our dog Tucker started scratching and whining at the door. I ignored him and fell asleep.

I literally woke up at 5:40 (Seminary starts at 6) but I am an expert at getting ready SPEEDY QUICK. I threw on a dress, threw up my hair and threw on some blush- but it was totally freezing in the house so I put on some polka-dot socks and a fuzzy hoodie and headed into Seminary.

I have been dragging all day. It is funny what an hour of broken sleep will do to you. I am wayyy thankful that the majority of my nights are spent sleeping without interruptions. I am super grateful that I can get ready in under 20 minutes and most importantly that no one in my seminary class made fun of my outfit this morning.

Oh and an added bonus- when I went to sit down at my computer this morning the cat had puked on my chair as well!!! I am thankful the material was easy to clean.


(on a total So You Think You Can Dance side note- I voted for Legacy and Kathryn and Ryan and Eleanor- I want Kevin or Victor to go home from the guys and Channing to go from the girls)

I am Thankful Day 22

Good thing I listed several things in day 20 huh. (sorry this ended up so long- I tend to get a bit carried away)

I often struggle to sit through three hours of church. I tend to go to Sacrament Meeting and then Sunday School and sit in the hall reading my scriptures during Relief Society. I realized this Sunday how bummed out I am at myself for missing most of the Joseph Smith lessons.

I totally remember being sooooo excited when I found out we would be studying the teachings of Joseph Smith for two yeas and I know when I have read the lessons before hand and gone to class I have enjoyed it. I can't believe we only have a few lessons left.

Sunday evening I opened up the Joseph Smith manual and read these words; "The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles have established the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church series to help you deepen your understanding of the restored gospel and draw closer to the Lord through the teachings of latter-day Presidents of the Church."
I have decided to use the Joseph Manual for my personal study and to make sure I am in Relief Society each week.

I am so grateful for Joseph Smith. I can't imagine what it must have been like for him at 14 years old to have to explain to people that he had seen Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. To know that he couldn't deny what had taken place even in the face of so much persecution and opposition. To be called a liar. Remember when you were 14? The most important thing was to fit in- to be accepted. And here was this teenager reviled against and treated with total prejudice and even though this treatment caused him great sorrow he never denied what he knew to be true.
I am grateful that through the prophet Joseph Smith The Church of Jesus Christ was once again established on the earth. I am grateful that sacred truths and Priesthood keys were brought to light after years of spiritual darkness. I am grateful that Joseph Smith was able to bring forth and translate the Book of Mormon and that he was willing to seal his testimony with his blood. He was 38 years old.

As recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 135:1-6, John Taylor, while serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, wrote: "To seal the testimony of this book and the Book of Mormon, we announce the martyrdom of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and Hyrum Smith the Patriarch. They were shot in Carthage jail, on the 27th of June, 1844, about five o'clock p.m., by an armed mob--painted black--of from 150 to 200 persons. Hyrum was shot first and fell calmly, exclaiming: I am a dead man! Joseph leaped from the window, and was shot dead in the attempt, exclaiming: O Lord my God! They were both shot after they were dead, in a brutal manner, and both received four balls."

"Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. In the short space of twenty years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments which compose this book of Doctrine and Covenants, and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord's anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood; and so has his brother Hyrum. In life they were not divided, and in death they were not separated!"

I am Thankful Day 21

A new couple with two little girls just moved into our neighborhood and we LOVE them. They are amazing people with amazing kids and it is soooooo nice to have someone to hang out with in the neighborhood! We had dinner with them tonight and we are going to have Thanksgiving together. Good food, good company, good conversation- you can't ask for anything more. Kailyn getting along perfectly with their daughters is an added bonus!

I forgot.....

......to say how thankful I am that all 250 fun size candy bars are GONE!!!!

I did eat 23 of them- but not all at one time LOL!

I am Thankful Day 20

I am thankful for A LOT of things today so it is really hard to pick just one......

I am thankful I spent several hours cleaning on Wednesday. I still have the bathrooms to go and my carpet never looks clean but it is much much better then it was.

I am thankful I got to talk to Tyler yesterday and that he passed the last part of his GED test. I am thankful he is doing so well and has set really good goals for himself.

I am thankful we have grocery money this week.

I am thankful for a husband that worked all day and all night yesterday- only got a few hours of sleep then woke up and went to work and has to come home and change really quick to head to his second job.

I am thankful that Allias is having such a great time in Indiana and that the band did so well in their preliminary performance. (I am sure I will have a whole post devoted to the band in the near future)

I am thankful that there are still real true conservatives out there that realize that the progressive and liberal nature of our current government will do nothing but hold us down.

(told you I couldn't pick just one)

I am Thankful Day 19

I am really enjoying homeschooling Kailyn. I am probably learning wayyyy more then her but I love it when something comes up in conversation and she can relate it to what we talked about at school. Especially when she can explain what certain passages of scripture mean to her Sunday School class at church.

We are using a history based curriculum. We studied Ancient Egypt and now we are studying Ancient Greece. It is totally fascinating to me. The science always relates to the culture we are studying so with Egypt we studied deserts and now we are studying the human body. Maybe when this is all said and I done I can try out for the show Are You Smarter Then A Fifth Grader.


This month we have been reading Fables, Parables, Proverbs and Greek Myths. It is fun to look for the moral lessons that each teach and compare them.

I love it when Kailyn gets excited about things we read in the scriptures or in books. One instance in particular really makes me smile.
We were reading in 1 Kings about the prophet Elijah. There was a great famine in the land because of the wickedness and idol worshiping of the people and Elijah set up a meeting with King Ahab.
we started reading in vs 17
17 ¶ And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel?

18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
(I love how the King is trying to blame the Prophet for the drought)


Anyway Elijah tells King Ahab to gather all the prophets of the false god Baal and all the prophets the groves and ALL the children of Israel at mount Carmel and Ahab agrees and does so.
The story continued in vs 21
21 And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the Lord be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word.

22 Then said Elijah unto the people, I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal’s prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

23 Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let them choose one bullock for themselves, and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under: and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under:

24 And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken.
(so the challenge has been put forth and the people have accepted-Kailyn was totally enthralled by this point.)

25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
(Kailyn and I cracked up when we read this- gotta love the prophets sense of humor)

28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.
31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.
33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
37 Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.
38 Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, he is the God; the Lord, he is the God.
(Kailyn literally jumped up off the couch and started cheering!!!! It was AWESOME!)

Here she is hard at work. We do most of our school work at the kitchen table but we also like to read outside if it is nice or in my bed all cozy under the covers if it is cold.

I am really enjoying learning about Greece and their beliefs and customs.
We check out most of the books we use from the library. Finding places to store everything can be tricky.

I like to plan a whole month out in advance. It helps keep me on track and organized. I have a planning book for me and a daily assignment book for Kailyn. I let her pick the order she would like to do things.

So so so so thankful (Day 18)

Words cannot express how much respect and love I have for those who have served and are serving this country. I am grateful to them and to their families for all that they sacrifice to secure not only the freedom of this country but the freedoms of those who are oppressed and captive throughout the world.

O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife.

Who more than self their country loved

And mercy more than life!

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness

And every gain divine!

In the words of Mormon- "I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end."

I am Thankful Day 17

I love it when the kids are in bed

and Travis and I aren't so exhausted that

we crash out

the second we hit the pillow

and we have a few minutes to

just talk to each other.

I am Thankful Day 16

I only have a second to post today and since I am now half way done with my 30 days of thankfulness I decided it would be a good time to say how thankful I am that I decided to do this. It has really made me aware of the many many things in my life that I have to be thankful for. I find myself looking for things to be thankful for throughout the day and I am having a hard time deciding what of all the things I am thankful for to blog about. I have become more aware of all the little things I probably often overlook that are great blessings in my life.
There is a Hymn I have always loved but it has taken on new meaning for me the past few weeks.

"Count Your Many Blessings"

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost, Count your many blessings; name them one by one, And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings; See what God hath done. Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings; ev’ry doubt will fly, And you will be singing as the days go by.

Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings; See what God hath done. Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.

When you look at others with their lands and gold, Think that Christ has promised you his wealth untold. Count your many blessings; money cannot buy Your reward in heaven nor your home on high.

Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings; See what God hath done. Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.

So amid the conflict, whether great or small, Do not be discouraged; God is over all. Count your many blessings; angels will attend, Help and comfort give you to your journey’s end.

Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your blessings; See what God hath done. Count your blessings; Name them one by one. Count your many blessings; See what God hath done.

I am Thankful Day 15

Egg Nog is one of those things that you either love or hate. I have always loved it. It was one of those holiday treats I always looked forward to when I was a kid. Ever since my hospitalization nine years ago (long story) my body is very sensitive to sugar and dairy so Egg Nog is a big no no for me now. Don't feel too sorry for me though, I have discovered something I like even better.

SILK NOG!!!

Mmmmmmmm!!! I actually think it tastes better then the real thing and it definitely has less calories and fat then the real thing. Every year about this time I start watching for it. I bought a carton Thursday night. Yeah it is gone. Travis likes it too but I am pretty sure I drank 90% of it.

How in the world....

.......am I supposed to stick to my diet when my husband brings home EIGHT POUNDS of chocolate???

LITERALLY there are now 250 FUN SIZE candy bars calling my name and I have answered 5 or 6 of them

I am Thankful Day 14

Today I am thankful for making and keeping goals.

This week I have eaten less and better, and exercised more. I have tried to be less prideful and I have stayed at home and off the phone during Kailyn's "school" time. I have also not touched a single drop of Coke Zero (that alone is beyond amazing). I didn't really mean to be tackling so many goals at one time this week but things just kept coming up that made me realize "oh yeah I need to change that" and each time it seemed like the right time. Does that make sense?

If only some miracle would happen and I could keep my house clean. I have given up on even making it a goal.

(Here is a link to a beautiful talk on pride. It totally changed the way I look at things and made me realize prideful behavior in my life that I would have never recognized on my own. Even if you are not a member of my faith it is a very wonderful message)

I am Thankful Day 13

As many of you know I have a problem. A BIG one. I am addicted to music. Specifically BUYING music. I have 19 gigs of music in my Itunes Library. I miss BMG in ways you cannot imagine. My Cd's are alphabetized and in cases under my bed and I can't believe I am going to admit this here in PUBLIC but many of you probably already know this so here it goes.........in 2008..... I spent.............ack.....it hurts to say it.......ummmm yeah I spent six hundred dollars (can't this writing get any smaller?) on music.

I told you it was a BIG problem! Well in 2009 I made a commitment to make a HUGE reduction in the amount of money I spent. I avoid the music sections at Walmart and Target, I avoid Itunes on Tuesdays when all the new Cd's come out and I keep a notebook with lists of all the music I would like to own so on the rare occasion I decide to reward myself I know exactly what I want. The list now has over 200 albums on it but hey at least I didn't buy them. I am not saying I was perfect this year but I did drastically decrease the amount I spent. As of today I have spent 121 dollars on music with no plans to spend any more soon. I am putting Wolfmother's new CD on my Christmas wishlist though.
So you are probably wondering what I am thankful for right?

PANDORA!!!! It is my new drug of choice. I can open Pandora and listen to music all the live long day without paying a dime. It is AMAZING!!!

I have created at least 20 stations. My favorites right now are my Matisyahu, Pink Floyd, Matt Nathanson and Hometown Glory by Adele stations.
If you haven't ever used Pandora I highly recommend it.
I promise there will be a day that I express my thankfulness for music in general. But it will have to be a day when I have LOTS of time.

I am Thankful Day 12

Today I am thankful for the amazement and joy that is So You Think You Can Dance. This season is already blowing my mind. I am soooooo excited. I know once the public starts voting I am going to be totally sad when people go home. I am pretty sure this will be the top ten tour I refuse to miss.

My favorites are (these aren't in any particular order)- Karen, Nathan, Mollee, Legacy, Russell, Ryan, Eleanor and surprisingly Kathryn. She and Legacy are my favorite partnership right now followed very very closely by Nathan and Mollee. I honestly think Nathan could win this whole thing.

I loved the meet the top 20 and I hope they do that every year from now on! I love the judges and I love Cat- she is my favorite reality TV host- sorry Ryan.

In case you were wondering why Kathryn and Legacy are my favorite partnership at the moment here you go. I would search again on youtube but the videos keep getting pulled. Sorry.
Links are going to have to do.

http://www.rickey.org/?p=25638


Here is a link to the contemporary peice they did last night. Seriously though you should watch it. AMAZING! I have watched it like ten times.

http://idolstartv.com/media.html?task=videodirectlink&id=4752

Grandma Loretta (I am thankful Day 11)

Looking through pictures for yesterday's post made me realize how thankful I am for my grandma. She is the only grandparent I have left living and is one of the most adorable people I know. When she called me last week she got upset and confused because I have a ringback on my cell phone. She thought the radio was on and someone was picking up and not saying anything. She tried six times before giving up. She was calling to let me know her sister had passed away. We talked for a long time about family. She shared things with me and I shared some of the things I had learned while doing research at a little family history library they have a few blocks from her house.

I was able to do that research two years ago when the kids and I met my mom in Ohio and spent a few days with my Grandma. I hadn't seen her since I was 15. She had never met my children. Being there with her was an experience Tyler, Allias, Kailyn and I will treasure forever. It was sooo hard to leave. I hope we get a chance to go back before it is to late. I hope she gets a chance to meet Travis. I know she will love him.

When I was a little girl my grandma always sent us packages of clothes she had bought at goodwill or yard sales. When I was a teenager and a bit more picky she would order me things from the JCPenny catalog. She always accepted my collect calls and was a comfort to me in hard times. I used to write her letters all the time and she always wrote back. I wish I would have saved those letters. Every time I talk to her it adds joy to my life.

four generations

at her parent's grave
My girls!!!

We took her to visit her sister Lucille at the nursing home.

This is the one that just passed away, she was 96.

These two were a riot together. He had her smiling and laughing constantly.

Seriously could it get any cuter then this?

She insisted on cooking us meals;

perfectly fried chicken and fresh corn that she took right off the cob,

potato salad and banana cake.

She was blown away just by the things my camera could do.

This is one of my favorite pictures of all time.

Her ancestors were some of the first settlers in Darke County, Ohio. They were from France. They came up the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The place where they settled was referred to as Frenchtown. They were called Frenchies. They attended a little Catholic Church there in town and her parents and a few of her siblings are buried in the churches cemetery. She has lived in the same area her entire life and in this house for over 60 years. She worked two jobs to make ends meet and raised all four of her children here by herself.

I Love you Grandma!

I am Thankful Day 10

I am REALLY missing my family today. In the past week or so I am gotten calls or messages from both of my parents, my grandma, Travis' mom, my little brother Daniel, Travis' brother Bradley, and three of my sister n laws. I love it but it has made me soooo homesick. I think what is making it worse is the fact that I know none of us have any money to travel so it will be awhile before we see each other again. This post isn't sounding very grateful yet is it? I think I need to write this today so I can look for the silver lining. I need to be grateful for what I do have and not dwell on what I am missing so here it goes.....

I am grateful I have family to miss. I am so blessed to have such amazing people in my life that have taught me so much and continue to teach me. I love them more then words could ever express. I can honestly say that the very best friends I have are members of my family. I am grateful for all the memories I have of the times I have spent with them. I am grateful for the vacations, holidays and just general hanging out we have been able to do. I am grateful for the times that we lived within driving distance and that we never took advantage of that and always spent as much time as possible together

I am grateful for technology that lets me see my nieces and nephews in their Halloween costumes on Halloween, that lets my mom read this blog, that lets me talk to my dad even though he lives 7 miles up a dirt road in the middle of no where, that lets Jen send me pictures of Cameron right to my phone, lets my grandma call me and give me family history information and lets my brother leave me messages on facebook to let me know he thinks I am beautiful and he loves me.

How I wish we could do all of these things in person but I am so very grateful that there are simple ways for us to keep in touch and express our love for each other.

And last but not least I am thankful for many many pictures that make me smile. I seriously couldn't decide which ones to post.