Gratitude at Thanksgiving

I know I am behind. Tis the season, right? Also, I have been working really hard at trying to feel gratitude for my life and what I have and lately some days have been easier than others. Then as we were setting up Christmas, I found this written by my grandfather Thanksgiving of 1968. I thought it appropriate to share.

GRATITUDE AT THANKSGIVING

By Lee Franklin Gledhill

Gratitude is the name for a feeling or an emotion. If a person is filled with gratitude, the implication is that he has received something of worth; something that has been proffered voluntarily and has been proffered beyond obligation. 

In this month of all months we speak of gratitude and somehow feel that by speaking the word, expressing the feeling, we have discharged a responsibility and brought into balance our debt for all that has been gathered unto us.

We might enumerate in the following manner the gifts we have received:

We have Life because parents sacrificed, suffered, surmounted problems.

We have Salvation because there was One who was the Light of the World and others followed the Light.

We have Plenty because men tilled the soil; because others risked their security, and because still others have erected machine and edifices.

We have Homes because of the tenderness of mother's love, the fierceness of father's efforts, the cooperation in human aspirations.

We have Learning because there was faith and dissatisfaction and longing.

These thing we have and with then, hopefully, Gratitude.  These gifts, received with gratitude, give joy to the present and great promise of fulfillment in the lives of our children and grandchildren. 

But gratitude is more than just enumeration.

If a person has true gratitude, he is placed in a very special position in relation to the donor.  He obligates himself to give thanks to his God and to those of his fellow men who thrust the gifts upon him. He pledges to hold closely the gifts, nurture them, polish them brightly, and share them with those along the way. 

But most of all he dedicates himself not to the enjoyment of the gifts, but to the assurance that the gifts will always be available to his fellow man tomorrow and in the calendar pages yet unturned. 

Thank you Grandpa for taking the time to share your thoughts so that we may enjoy them and learn from them all these years later. 

Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving. My mom's side of the family has gotten to the point where its too hard to meet in one home or even find a time on Thanksgiving Day when all of us can get together. So we dinner the Saturday before. I love it. So many people, most of us are grown and of marrying aging (although some not married) and plenty of kids. If you don't keep track of the kids, they really sneak up on you. Most of the family showed and the food was delicious.

On Thanksgiving, we had 2 meals; one with Jake's family and then my sister decided to try cooking her first turkey (I haven't even done that.) The meals were spread apart just perfectly that if you eat good portions you weren't too full.

Jake's family is an extended family meal so there were a lot of people there. The kids had a blast playing with cousins and second cousins and of course the adults ignored them as much as possible so that they could have fun and we could relax and talk. Isn't that what family is all about?

After all that and a few other activities, we drove down to my sister's place for dinner. Her future in-laws we there as well a some extra family; Grandma Bonnie and our cousin on my dad's side. After eating, the kids made a "spook alley" for a bit and then had a dance party. It was quite funny.

A few days after, Ellie was talking about all the food and Thanksgiving meals we ate. She informed me that if we ate 20 Thanksgiving dinners we would have to go to the doctor's and he would have to get a long stick to take out some of the food so our belly's wouldn't be so big. Ha ha. I love kids.

Happy Halloween

We love Halloween. The girls had so much fun. Luckily for me (and my lazy bum) I was able to convince Ellie to be Tinkerbell (cause we have 3 Tinkerbell dress ups) so that Sammi could dress up as Tinkerbell's sister Periwinkle. If you didn't know Tinkerbell has a sister, you need to watch Secret of the Wings. All I had to do was have Ellie pretend the Silvermist (a water fairy friend of Tinkerbell's) outfit was a Periwinkle dress and then add straps to the wings so they would stay on better. They loved it. (Can you tell we like the Tinkerbell movies at our house? FYI, a new one comes out next year. Is it sad that I know that?)

First we did some trunk or treating at the church. I think this is the greatest idea, especially for young kids. It took Sammi only 1 or 2 cars to realize if I hold up my bucket and smile, they put something in there. I'm not sure she really knew what it was until the end. 

Periwinkle and Tinkerbell

 We decorated some masks from the craft store and Grandma Connie gave the kids cute "mummy" cans with Halloween goodies in them. Thanks Grandma Connie.

Catgirl Sammi and Butterfly Ellie.

 We carved pumpkins with Daddy. And we had to watch Garfield's Halloween while doing so. This was a tradition for me when I was little but Jake just doesn't understand. I totally love that movie. Even though we only watch is maybe twice a year, I can quote the entire thing as well as sing the songs. If you haven't seen it, you should.

Scooping pumpkin innards.

We have found that the girls would rather paint and color pumpkins than just sit around while dad carves. Mom is a terrible carver. After they finished, we saw a picture in which someone had tied a ribbon around the stems of their painted pumpkins, so Ellie made me do the same. I don't have a picture of the finished product yet.

Painting and coloring pumpkins.

Daddy's manish (manx) jack 'o lantern. 

On Halloween, we drove up to Wanship to trunk or treat with Jake's family. We enjoyed some delicious soup/chili and hot dogs before moving on to the trick or treating.

Sammi saying cheese while trying to walk around and see the picture. 

It seriously took me 10 tries to get these gems. Sammi likes to look at the pictures on the camera before I even got the shot. I guess with great technology comes extra challenges.

Can you see the chip in Sammi's hand? There is a hot dog in the other. 

After we drove home, Ellie wanted to walk the neighborhood. It was already 8:30 at night but I took the girls across the street and down to a friends house. Sammi just walked into the neighbors house the minute they opened the door. After hitting 3 houses, Ellie declared she was done. I love the trunk or treat for that reason.

The girls got some awesome candy and I control the intake so yes we still have half a bucket for each. they get 2-3 candies a day, if they remember to ask. Of course, we share with anyone who comes over. I love a good reason to get together and hang out.

Sammi at 18 months

Kids grow up so fast. I thought Ellie always acted to old for her age just because she was trying to be like me since I was the person around the most but Sammi is always trying to be like Ellie and therefore trying to act like she is older than she really is. 

Sammi turned 1 year and a half last month. I am just behind. She weighs 25 lbs 12 oz and 33 inches tall. So tall and slender for her age. She talks a ton. The doctor asked if she said at least 5-6 words and at the time I said more like 75-100. Now only a month later she is starting to form sentences. but for as many words as she knows, we can't get here to say "Sophie" or Grandma (or any version of grandma). Sophie is just doggie while all other dogs have names; like Bella or Baxter. Grandma is always mama, mommy, dada, or poppy. Even when I try to teach her grandma, like saying "g, g, g, gama." Sammi replies with, "g, g, g, poppy." 

Trying on Halloween hats

 Sammi can be the sweetest thing in some moments and quite rough and monster like in others. Although Ellie has never been violent towards Sammi (as far as we have seen), Sammi hits and pulls hair quite regularly. The doctor suggested we put "bear" in time out if we start having too big of problems as time out doesn't seem to deter the actions.

Sammi loves her mommy and is just starting to overcome separation anxiety problems. For a while it was so bad that if I wasn't home to help get her ready for bed and put her down, it took me a week to get her sleeping through the night again. She really seems to be doing better.

Ellie has a bike so I get her scooter. 

Sammi loves to help almost as much as Ellie does. She has learned to put her bottles in the sink and diapers in the garbage. For a few weeks, she would confuse the two locations which made for interesting surprises. 

Sammi is very expressive. The following video is a little long but I just had to record because this is a typical dinner with the facial expressions and all. Please ignore the shaking that takes places because I am laughing too hard. 

I love having Sammi around. She is so different from Ellie but I love them both so much. The energy and differences she brings to the family make it feel that much more complete.

Helpful Websites update

Since it is the season of giving, I updated my helpful websites page and added a few more websites I have found. What better way to spend the season of Thanksgiving than by helping/giving to others and what better way to prepare for Christmas and jump starting your Christmas spirit than by giving.

FYI, Primary Children's Hospital accepts good condition, clean gently used toys. Check out their page if you have some toys to clean out before the holidays.

Ellie at age 4

I can't believe my baby is 4 years old. We had her well child check up and she is completely healthy. She is tall for her age at 3' 4.5" (40.5") but still too short for big rides at amusement parks. I think that won't be a problem soon though. 

We had a birthday party with some of her cousins and neighborhood friends. After seeing what other people do, it was a real small party but I think the kids had fun and it wasn't stressful for me so a win-win. 

Of course, she wanted something girly but we had some boys coming so we added other things as well. 

Decorating crowns.

Playing pin the wart on the witch.

Cake with pink and purple frosting and birthday wishes.

 Then there was a treasure hunt and opening presents. Of course, I didn't realize how much help you need while trying to pull this off. Luckily for me, my experienced sister hung around and helped with the kids and party.

Jake and I bought Ellie a bike for her birthday. The 12-inch just looked so small but we were able to find a 14-inch which was perfect for her, but we still wanted her to choose which one she liked. Naturally Sammi thought the other bike was for her.

Ellie is such a smart and caring girl. She still loves helping around the house; folding laundry, cleaning up dishes, putting away dishes from the dishwasher, cleaning the bathroom, etc. Basically everything but cleaning up toys. She is great with her sister. They play together often and Ellie is generally patient even with Sammi is not as nice.

Ellie knows all the letters and is working on the sounds they make. She can count to 20 by herself. Every time she colors a picture, she has to write her name on it. She is still working on learning to write the rest of the letters. One of her favorite things to do is ride her bike, which she does very well with the training wheels balancing for her. She also likes playing computer games on PBS kids. In addition to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, she also like watching Sofia the First, Doc McStuffins, and Dinosaur Train. She loves most of the kids tv shows and movies.

Baby Tanner, especially for Uncle Jeff

Just like Jeff was always vying for favorite uncle, I am trying for favorite sister. I even took a video of Tanner just for Jeff so he could see how big and talkative Tanner has gotten. 

Favorite sister, right here.

Come on USPS, really?

Many job need good customer service to survive. One company I feel very strongly about needing to up their customer service is the USPS. This is no surprise if you read my other posts about them. We don't have a loving history. 

Here's the newest installment. The other day the mailman drops off this tube at the door, exactly as shown below, with the instructions to sign the green slip and put it back in the mailbox. Apparently delivery and signature confirmation were paid for when this was mailed. 

Once I look at the return address, I know it is Jake's law diploma and immediately become concerned because as you can see in the picture below, there is a weird sticky substance all over the tubing.

So I open it to make sure everything is ok inside. Diploma was just fine but whatever this sticky stuff was half covered the green slip. I didn't want to take the time to pull it out and clean it so I just signed and put the whole tube in the mailbox.

This was what I found the next day.

Postman didn't care.

Jake's a liar, eh lawyer.

I know. That joke is so bad and so old, but I couldn't help myself. Yes, law school done, BAR passed, licensing fees paid, and oath taken. On October 22nd, we went down to Abravanel Hall for Jake to take an oath and be sworn in as a lawyer for the State of Utah. 

Random question, if it is a swearing in ceremony, other than a welcome speaker, is there a need for any other remarks? Regardless, what I heard from the speakers wasn't bad at all. Some of it quite interesting. Overall, well done. 

All the new lawyers taking the oath. 

 We are so proud of Jake for all his hard work and dedication. Even with challenges, he never let that stop him. Great job, babe. Thanks to all of our family and friends who helped and supported us through this journey. Even though you may not feel like you did much, we feel like you did and are grateful for your help.

FYI, he took care of the finding a job part as well. He isn't working for a firm, but as a law clerk for the 1st district court with buildings in Logan and Brigham City. Stay tuned for updates on how that's going.

Cousin fun

I'm not sure how much I would like year-round school for my kids, but we love it when Annie's kids are off track. She always plans fun stuff and we usually tag along. 

We went to Classic, which is weird since I used to go back when teenagers were really into that kind of stuff (before razor scooters and other such items were allowed on the rink). They have a ton for kids to do. 

Sammi and Ellie heading up the bounce house. 

WEEEEE!!!

 Of course we had to go search for witches and eat cookies at Gardner Village. The kids also convinced grandma they needed these little monster stuffed toys.

Cheeser Braden and everyone else take a bite. 

Then we went to Corn Belly's. Sadly it was windier and colder down there than when we left our house so we were unprepared and were really cold. We still managed to have a good time. Ellie and Sammi weren't that interested in the maze.

Corn head's

What a bunch of animals!

 There was a giant hay bale tower/playground the kids loved and this cart racing.

I am a big kid. Mom can you push.

Surprise!

 After the kids shot some corn out of the corn (aka potato) gun, Jake and Grandpa wanted to try the pumpkin cannon. They had some tire to shoot through and a car to hit. Some kids never grow up.

Go Grandpa.

Ready, Aim, Fire.

We ate some food, played dress-up, played on a playground some more, got lost in the maze and then rode the giant slide. Fun times were had by all, even if it was a little chilly.

Family Night at the Conference Center

The week before General Conference I thought it would be fun to go down to Temple Square and the Conference Center so that Ellie could see it. Every time we watch General Conference she comments about the choir and where they sing. So we headed downtown and took the tour they offer at the center. Although I didn't hear much because that's what happens when you have kids, I had fun and I think the girls did too. 

As we walked into the auditorium at the Conference Center, Ellie said in a loud voice, "That's where they sing on TV." Then we pointed out the following week would be General Conference and the Prophet and the Apostles along with others would speak and teach us about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She loved it, especially when we turned on conference and she said, "We went to that place."

Awkward posing for the camera

More awkward posing.

 Is anyone else sensing a theme?

Seriously?!?!?

So much for cute family pictures by the Temple.

Finally.

 Ellie loves water and asked all night to touch every stream of water that flows around the Conference Center.

Healing Field and Dirty Dash

I love the Healing Field. It really keeps things in perspective. I was able to go twice in one day. In the afternoon, I went with the kids and family. Later that night, I went with the Young Women of our ward. 

While there with the Young Women, I realized that the girls who had just turned 12 to come into the program, were only just born when 9/11 took place. To most of them, what happened is just another story in a history lesson. We were able to converse a bit about how grateful we were for those who provide service to protect us, past or present; fire fighters, police officers, service members in any branch of the armed force. Then we talked about our duty to protect our rights and how we do that by studying, researching and voting; being involved. It was great.

Then there's Jake and his obstacle races; his new passion. Another Dirty Dash with his family. It had been raining a few days before and that morning. Someone had ordered extra mud. The obstacles where even better this time.

Being cute waiting for dad to run by.

We love umbrellas.

Yea Daddy. 

He finished in good time. Even some of his younger nieces and nephew ran this time. I think this is becoming a new family tradition.

Mickey Mouse

My kids love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. It was one of the first TV shows Ellie watched when she was little. Luckily for me, Sammi loves it too.  

(She is saying Oh Toodles like in the show and then notices I have the camera out.)

Well almost all of it. We borrowed the new Minnie adventure Wizard of Dizz from the library and Sammi didn't like it so much.  

Utah State Fair

We made our annual visit to the Utah State Fair and All-you-can-eat ice cream tent. 

Sammi's uni brow

Poppy's milk mustache (sticker)

Future Farmers of Utah.

 And of course the Giant slide. If you look closely at the picture below, Sammi wasn't so happy at the bottom of the slide. It could had been for a few reasons; one, JT was holding her and not mommy; two, JT was recording her face the whole time and only had one arm around her; three, she just didn't like the slide. She started out liking it but about half way down things changed. Ellie loved it.

We saw some animals, looked at booths, and ate fair food. I'm not sure who sponsors it but next to the DNR building is a science/learning area. Kids of all ages like this place. I enjoyed it so much, I didn't take any pics. 

Kids? Totally worth it!

So I have finally pulled pictures from my camera and realized I have a lot to write about, but I'll start with a fun post. I have the funniest kids, hands down. Don't believe me. Check these out. (Yes, I am displaying my children forever on the Internet.)

Ellie posing for her cheer-leading picture.

 One day Ellie got into my make-up. The only thing that seemed to bother her was me taking a picture. She asked for time out or have something taken. I guess the best punishment is the thing they want to happen the least.

Don't you love my eye brows?

Sammi super excited about this cup.

I feel pretty. Oh so pretty. 

I'm not sure if this one is more of my kid or my sisters. Baxter was desperately wanting a bite of Sammi's bread. 

Yummy!

My bear. 

 She just had to put on the life jacket herself.

Ready to go skiing. 

 I caught her trying to put her cousin Braden into a head lock while playing at a fast food place.

Say Uncle.

 The girls love playing in the rain, especially if they can use umbrellas.

No matter how bad things seem to be, I have these 2 goof balls to cheer me up.