Thanksgiving 2010

This Thanksgiving as in the past, my cup runneth over with blessings.  They are just too numerous to list.  So, I will share what I believe are my top two blessings this year.  

Number one, The Spirit of Elijah. 

In the Old Testament we read the following:

 "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."  Malachi 4:5-6.

This Spirit of Elijah causes people to learn about those who came before and preserve their memories. Sometimes the Spirit of Elijah can help us get closer to those who are living.  I'm grateful for the opportunities I have had to search my family history and also to help others.  I'm especially grateful the Spirit of Elijah touched my brother Ron to search for information about his father.  That searching allowed me to be able to find family that was lost.  That is a priceless blessing.  

The second blessing is the The Holy Ghost.
  

This year as I needed comfort, guidance and direction, I felt the tender touch of the Holy Ghost in my life.  The Spirit helped me to know when to visit my mom , before her passing.  I was also given guidance with I was released from my Church service mission.  I just seem to feel closer to the Spirit this year, and it has been a wonderful blessing in my life.  I can feel the love of my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ all around me. 

Even though Thanksgiving is over, I am going to strive to have a attitude of gratitude for my blessings through out the whole year. I hope you do too!!

Giving Thanks

This week Slice of Life is all about expressing gratitude for someone who has done something for us.  Wow, that is hard one.  How to choose??  I have been the recipient of  many acts of kindness.  Picking just one is hard. Well here goes...

Thirty three years ago this Christmas Day an event happened that changed my life forever.  My husband's brother's family came to visit us for Christmas. We decided to attend church with them.  (we weren't members of any church, or even attended church, but I was interested)  Laurel, my sister-in-law asked me if I would mind having the missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints come to my home and share the Gospel with me. I readily accepted, and have never regretted the decision.  The Spirit was so strong in our home as those two young missionaries shared the gospel.  I often wonder what my life would be like if I had not joined the Church.  Would my marriage have survived?   I know that I wouldn't have four of my children.  I can't imagine life without them.  I'm so grateful that Laurel gave me that invitation on that Christmas Day and for her example of living the Gospel.  How does one say thank you??  While I don't consider my self a poet, I wrote a little heart felt poem.  Hopefully, that will convey my gratitude.

sisters,

not by blood,

but by spirit.

gospel shared,

truth accept.

new life begun.

my escort when,

forever family was created.

eternal thanks.

Thank you, Laurel, I love you!!

Happy Heart Attacks

  This week's Slice of Life is Happy Heart Attacks.  Have you ever given some one a happy heart attack??  It's fun to do, you make paper hearts and stick them all over someone's door with a note to say thank you for what they do.  

This week we are to tell about a time when someone said thank you to us.  I have a drawer full of thank yous from my children.  Parenting is hard work.  It is nice to know you are appreciated and it can lift a parents heart.  Here are a few that I found. (click on the letter to make it larger, if you can't read it)

Even though David was compelled by a Sunday School teacher to write this thank you, it was very heart felt and appreciated and touched my heart.

 

This is a thank you that April sent to her Daddy.  Mike would tell our children stories at night, the name "Daddy Long Stories"  stuck when we were camping and he would tell these long long stories until the everyone would fall asleep.  I know it touches his heart to know his children enjoyed the stories.

Naming children can be really hard.  I'm so happy that Katie Rose loves her name!!  Katie was our most prolific letter writer.  I would find little notes from her all over the place.  I loved it!!

By the way, I had her fooled, I was no where as near magnificent as Katie thought.  Yet, those little notes would give my heart strength. And now she is a magnificent mother in her own right.

I love all the little tips Rachel would write to me.  This letter was written when she first went off to BYU!  It is interesting how children appreciate parents more when they leave the house.

Sometimes, we get thank yous from other people too.  I found this one thank you, that touched my heart.

It's from my dear friend Diane who passed away earlier this year.  I really miss her.  I'm so glad I saved this card as a little reminder of her. She was a great example of writing people little notes to say thank you. Or calling them and singing "I Just Called to Say I Love You".  I still have one of her messages on my answering machine.  Hopefully, it will never get erased.

One of our families fun Christmas traditions was being a "Secret Elf" to a family.  We would do a 12 Days of Christmas and drop off little treats and goodies along with a piece from a nativity set for the 12 Days before Christmas.  It was very hard not to get caubeght.  We did this anonymously and worked really hard to be sneaky.  Usually, we never heard if our efforts were appreciated or not.  One year however on Christmas morning early, when dropping off our last little gift, we found this note and picture on the front porch.

It was great to know that we brought joy to this wonderful family's Christmas.  If you are reading this blog and know this family, please, please don't tell them it was us.  It's been many years and I don't think they know and we like it that way. 

Sometimes we are thanked when we are trying to thank others.  That happened to Mike and I one year.  We were volunteering at a wheelchair camp at the University of California Santa Barbara that Evan had attended for several years.  We were just trying to give back and help those who make this camp such a success.   We were surprised with the Charlotte Colton Volunteer of the Year award. This almost gave me a heart attack!  So many people work hard to make this camp successful.  It was amazing they were recognizing us.

All these thank yous and many more really do touch my heart. It's the good kind of Heart Attack!! 

You can join Slice of Life by clicking here.  By the way, a big THANK YOU to Texasblu for starting Slice of Life. 

Reminders

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my mom. (Bless her heart, she passed away in July.)   The reminders are every where. From my favorite spot to read in the whole house, her blue recliner that sits in my bedroom,

to the spreader I use to butter toast, 

to the silly plastic frog the chirps when you walk by, 

 to the cactus that she had on her patio, that is amazingly still alive, I love how she was very creative in her plant containers,

To birds of all types, 

to the beautiful white china in my cupboard,

Even looking at my feet reminds me of my mom.  My big toe seems to be a little too cozy to the second toe.  My mom had really bad feet for as long as I could remember.  She had a pretty severe looking bunion, and always had problems with corns. She said it was because she wore pointed toe shoes when she was younger.  I have always been a very practical shoe wearer. So, guess what now I have a bunion too  It's mild for now.  So, I put on my shoes and I'm reminded of Mom.

I remember going for walks with Mom and she would complain if the sun was bright.  Being born with cataracts, the glare really bothered her eyes.  She loved walking in the fog.  I loved walking in the sun, it feels so good.  But, guess what?  I'm developing a cataract  and the glare of the sun now bothers me, and I know exactly how she feels.  Another reminder.

When mom walked she always carried tons of facial tissue for her very drippy nose.  Heaven forbid she forgot her "Kleenex".  Now I have to do that same thing.  Before I go out the door for my morning walk, I make sure I have plenty of tissue.  

There are many more, I could go on and on.  I'm grateful for all these reminders.  I never want to forget my mom. 

What reminds you of your mother? 

Just Had To Share

Every other week Evan's class cooks lunch together. They are working on independent living skills. I usually go in for a couple of hours to help the kids (actually they are adults, but I call them kids no offense meant). Today was the annual Turkey Feast Day!! The kids take turns working on different parts of the menu, and setting a nice table and learning table manners. Sometimes it is crazy, but I enjoy getting to know everyone, from the staff to the students.

So, today before they started eating that teacher asks each of the students to name something they are thankful for. "Potatoes!" "Turkey!", were some of the first things called out. Then Evan's teacher asked him and he said..."my mom". I was around the corner and he couldn't even see me when he said that. I was just so touched. How many twenty year young men would say that in front of their peers!! Well, I'm very grateful for Evan in my life too!! He is one very remarkable young man!!