gratitude post

after school snacks are my fave!
they are a sign of affection...like kisses only better.
it gives my kids a chance to tell me details about their day, spend a few minutes together or at least know that i thought about them.

I have been thinking about gratitude, you know, because it's thanksgiving and all.  during family scripture reading a few mornings ago, we read these verses:

Luke 17:12-19

 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were ^alepers, which stood afar off:

 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the ^apriests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him ^athanks: and he was a Samaritan.

 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten ^acleansed? but where are the ^bnine?

 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

i have read these many times and always loved the idea of gratitude as a saving principle.  "whole" actually means saved and  i love how gratitude can save us from so many things--a deep thought for another day.   

this time around, these verses were so meaningful because it is thanksgiving AND sadie had just introduced our christmas theme for this year (she wanted to pick it) and i will tell all about it later, but it has to do with glorifying God through our actions.

i felt like these verses were in NEON shouting my name.  i had never noticed before the part about the one leper that was healed and when he was cleansed "turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face a his feet, giving him thanks....but where are the nine?  there are not found that returned to give glory to God..."

to me this meant that when we give thanks, we actually glorify God.  when i am grateful for what he has done for me and show through my actions, then i am actually glorifying Him. 

i want to do that.

So... here is my gratitude post:

there are so many things i am grateful for, but i want to return and say thanks for one that hits me again every so often.  yesterday, abe came home from school and was excited to see the cookies i made for snack.  i think he ate six.  the other kids weren't home yet and vivian was busy, so it was just me and him at the counter.  we talked and laughed.  i watched him with awe in my heart.  the last few weeks i've observed him play soccer, try out for basketball, work hard in school and also bear a sweet, sincere testimony about the miracles that have occurred in his life and that he knows he was protected.  i am so grateful that he is here and  i still get to watch him learn and grow as well as smile and laugh together. numerous people have asked about his accident, always wanting to know if he has any restrictions.  i hear myself saying over and over, "no complication and no restrictions."  he is back doing everything he wants to do and is so capable.  dave gave him a blessing at the beginning of the year that talked about joseph smith and how he also had some hard things and a surgery in his youth so that God could build his character. 

i am so grateful for the sacred experience we had, for the things i was taught through the spirit, for the miracles that occurred and for the love from people that we felt and for the compassion for others that i gained.  i am thankful that abe's life is in God's hands and that i get to be a part of it.

anyway, there is much to be grateful for, and i hope as i give thanks through my actions this thanksgiving and christmas that i can glorify God in the process.

LET THE CELEBRATION BEGIN!!!!

cocoa

this morning, vivian kept saying, "cocoa, cocoa."  after about the fiftieth time, i finally caught on that she wanted hot chocolate!  i said, "oh, you want hot cocoa?!"  she nodded happily, saying, "HHMMM!!"  which means yes.  i didn't realize she knew what hot cocoa was, but apparently we have had it a few times and she wanted some...
every princess should have hot chocolate in their bottle, right?  it's a given!
she is talking more and more everyday and it is so fun!

goods (journal entry)

 a few good things at our house:

last week was strenuous!!  abe and sadie both tried out for their school basketball teams.  the try-outs were intense.  sadie had open gyms for a few weeks and then two, two and a half hour long official try-outs.  abe had two open gyms and three official try-outs.   i planned on helping them train this summer but with abe in the hospital and most of the summer recovering, we had different priorities.  when school started, abe said he still wanted to try-out.  we had two months to prepare and i knew the competition would be tough.  the thought of driving to provo all the time for coaching seemed overwhelming and i've been trying to make family dinner time happen as much as possible, so abe started training with a boy on the high school team twice a week.  i hoped that would prepare him enough and hoped heavenly father would make up the difference as we tried to put family first.  i took sadie to provo a couple times right before try-outs to get her confidence up cause those coaches are awesome.  the week of try-outs came.
as a mom you just want your kids to succeed.  i wanted them to walk away feeling that they did their best and also know their worth does not depend on making a basketball team.  my nephew sent a letter last week from his mission in korea.  i loved his advice to his younger brother:  

"Toby, good luck with basketball tryouts!  I will pray for you!  Whatever happens, Heavenly Father has a plan. Whatever you do, use it as an opportunity to serve Him and He will help you with it.  You're great at that.  Keep up the good work with school.  It can be boring sometimes, like SUUUUPER boring, I know, but the harder you work the more fun it is.  Missionary work is the same; the harder you work, the more fun it is.  You are doing great!" 

we had family night about his counsel, 'whatever you do, use it as an opportunity to serve Him and He will help you with it.'

i hoped before try-outs to help them see that if they made it, great, use it to serve.  and if not, there is something else to do, another way to serve God.  the main reason we are here is to choose the right and to serve God.  

i knew they felt something during the lesson, but when it ended, they both said, "ya, but we still really want to make the team."--haha!  they got the point and i knew it, but they had worked hard and both really wanted it.

i was SO concerned about them.  i dropped abe off to one of his try-outs and sat in my car and said a prayer for him.  i mean a real prayer.  i was sick with worry.  abe still gets winded sometimes and i really wanted him to have energy so he could do his best.  i remember staring at the ugly brown brick on the school and worrying.  i then had the thought to look up and so i did and the blue sky was so big and beautiful.  i  had the spirit come over me and tell me to look at the big picture and i felt this overwhelming sense of calm.  i knew they would both be ok, even though i didn't know what that would look like.  i was extremely grateful to know that Heavenly Father allowed me to feel calm and know that He has a plan for my kids.  i tried to remember that throughout the week.  it also reminded me of another time that i knew Heavenly Father was going to help us, but I didn't know what it would look like.  i was grateful that we were waiting to see if they would make it on a team and not waiting to see if abe would make it out of surgery....that was worse.  i'm grateful that Heavenly Father helps with big and not so big things...and sends calm.

sadie found out first.  it was posted on the office window at school before class.  it was all i could do to wait and not run in the school in my pajamas.  she made it!  

abe made the first cut and then had the last try-out, where they would cut nine more players.  they were all good players.  he waited up pretty late, but finally went to bed.  sadie and i saw the list pop up around 11:30 pm and i was so excited for abe-- he was on the list!!

the next morning he saw that he had made the team!

the week before try-outs, the kids all got their report card. 

sadie and abe both had the goal to get 4.0's and they worked hard!  they both emailed teachers, made arrangement to retake tests and do everything they could to accomplish this goal.  i was worried about abe going to middle school following a traumatic summer.  he has risen to the occasion, is staying organized and has been super responsible.  he wakes up early every morning to do homework.  i have been so impressed with their desire to do well.  

sadie knew she was on board for her 4.0 

abe had to retake one math test to try to bump up his math grade (he is in a very difficult math class that moves really fast)  after he took the test he didn't think he would make it, but when he pulled up his grades he was so happy to see that his work paid off.  work hard and good things happen!!!!

 loved the comments on his report!

 kai and max are also working so hard.  kai is very conscientious and wants to do well.  i am impressed with max too because his teacher speaks only spanish for half the day. he doesn't get frustrated and he is optimistic always! 

again this week, i feel so grateful for these kids and to be a part of it all!!!

around

this morning at our house....

so much fun.

we love when dad is home.

i just love dave, period.

i realize more and more how much i really love this guy.  through the good and the hard.  it's real.

basketball try-outs

made the team

#fistpump

CTR

kai is money.  we have "money making pages" aka job charts and the kids get paid if they finish their jobs.  we are working on follow through and finishing.  kai does it every day.  max is consistent and sadie and abe, ehhh, not so much.  to their defense, they are extremely busy, but i think last pay check, one of them earned four dollars.   kai did bonus jobs daily and somehow earned around $30.  i'm trying to tell my kids that by small means great things come to pass.  kai worked and saved enough to buy these awesome nike indoor ctr360 maestri iii shoes.  he loves that they are named ctr, like he chose the "right"-and coolest shoe out there.

seriously though, kai should be a financial planner.  he always has cash.

the brighter the better...you will see him coming.

i hope he doesn't run into anything because he tends to watch his awesome shoes when he is running or walking.   if you had incredible shoes, you would watch too:)

first things

vivian loves to watch shows...i know i shouldn't let her watch and i try to limit, but it is so cute when she climbs up on my bed and then pats the pillow right next to her.  whomever she looks at while she is patting the pillow always ends up next to her because it's too cute to refuse.  there have been a few times lately that i find dave laying next to her watching sleeping beauty.  his excuse, "she patted the pillow."  

this week she said, "iwansadie"  it was all one word...she asks, "wheresadie?"  when sadie is at school.

she also says: more, show, bottle, max, kai, abe, and of course, bow.

she sings in the car, although we can't tell the words, but can tell when she sings the chorus to what makes you beautiful...because it's obvious.

climbing in my bed first thing in the morning and pointing to the tv....what?!   not going to happen so they posed for the camera instead:)

these two take good care of each other.  vivian gave max her blanket to use the other day, and she is pretty protective of that thing.  it was an act of sacrifice and love for her big brother and he knew it.

first day

now that it is november, i thought i should post first day of school pics.

sadie's first day as a sophomore...fyi, her necklace is a real harmonica:)

abe's first day of middle school- 7th grade

can't believe abe is in middle school.  i was a little worried about him starting because it was a little bit of a stressful summer, but he has jumped right in and taken the bull by the horns.  he is responsible and keeping up, staying organized and working hard!  so proud of this boy!

 max and kai ride the bus together to the elementary school.  they hop on their bikes in the morning and they are off to the bus stop.  max is in the 1st grade dual immersion class.  they speak only spanish the first half of the day.  i am amazed at how he is handling it.  a few days into it he said excitedly, "mom!  the numbers look the same!  in spanish and english, they look the same!"  he was shocked at how easy that was going to be and was super excited to share the good news.  his teacher also told me that she was talking and he said to the class, "milk!  i think she is talking about milk!" 

kai is in 3rd grade.  a couple weeks into it, his teacher had us come in to see what we can do to make things a little more challenging for him.  she had some fun ideas and i'm happy she is watching out for him.  

vivian and i enjoy our time together.  the days go by so fast!

a few good things...

my dear friend gave me the book, Heaven is Here by stephanie nielson.  i read it and one line really stood out to me....

 "the amazing thing is the more i make the choice to see and feel joy, the more joy there is to see and to feel."

i remember being in the hospital with abe and having the impression to 'let my heart rejoice' .  one of the neat things about that whole ordeal was that i felt the lord teach me through it and one thing i felt him telling me was to allow my heart to feel joy.  i always notice good things but sometimes i'm too preoccupied to actually allow my heart to soak it all in and really rejoice.

i also want to make the choice to see and feel joy.  

this is such a great time of year and a great time of life!  

here is my attempt at posting some joy:

hot chocolate.... and, we had the chance to tend our cute cousin jade.  she fits right in.  it was joyful.

sadie taught vivian that the sign language for chocolate chip is to hit her head.  

sadie thinks it is hi-larious!!

vivs now does the "sign" for any treat.

 here she is standing in front of the cupboard with the choc chips in it, hitting her head:)

 when i didn't respond (because i was taking this picture)  she headed over to me doing it more and slightly bigger, like, 'come on mom, i'm doing the sign for chocolate chip!  don't you get it?"

it makes me happy, both that sadie thinks she's funny and that vivs is so teachable and cute.

 my mom has been coming up and helping me conquer my storage room full of boxes from our move.  it is a huge task.  vivian LOVES it because we find all kinds of treasures that no one needs... like this huge flower that sadie used to wear in her hair:)  haha!  i especially love that i have a thoughtful, selfless mom who continues to help and help me!  

 for scouts, kai trick or treated for food for the local food bank.  i went around with him and his friend.  i got a glimpse of kai as a missionary and it made my heart rejoice.  he is an awesome kid!

 peek a boo in the store.  those cute cinderella, sparkly shoes peeking out were so cute and then her happy beaming face would appear, followed by her cute laugh.  so cute.

 wii wednesday.  we have been too busy to play lately so last wed, i told the kids if they got ready for bed they could play for a few minutes.  i loved seeing them together on the bed.  vivs loves those boys and they love her.  did my heart good....

 then, abe noticed i was taking pictures...

 so he started acting "natural"

 totally reminded me of his cute dad and made me so grateful for both of them!

 dave and i spent friday night making soup together.  it was as good as a date!  we cooked and listened while sadie and her friends carved pumpkins and talked.   then, we all gather around our table together.  i've always wanted a place where our kids could bring friends and i looked around and it has happened.  

i spent the morning with sadie and abe who are so fun and getting way too grown up.  it was the day after halloween and all the christmas stuff was up in the stores, along with christmas music.  i loved watching their excitement.   then dave and i met up for an afternoon date.  we went to schneels and rode the ferris wheel and had roasted almonds and talked.  it was ideal.

 we then, picked the kids up and headed to dave's grandma's birthday.  it made me think about all the great ancestors we have and their lives.  

i am so grateful for our families and can't wait to enjoy them over the holidays.

and last of all, i have no picture for this, but the other night i was reading to vivs and max was getting his chart done.  i started to sing to vivs cause that is our routine and then i usually put her down and then go in and sing or make up a story or do raiki or sandman for max.  he heard me singing and he came in and sat next to me and asked if he could sing to her.  i gladly agreed.  he sang one primary song and then asked if he could do one more.  he proceeded to sing one direction, what makes you beautiful  to his cute little sister.  she loved it and he was very serious about it.  max is such a thoughtful, sensitive, kind kid and brother.  he has a huge heart.  it was a joyful mom moment.  

these are all just random moments and events and there are a million more of them that i could post!  i agree the more i choose to rejoice the more joy there is to see and feel.  that is my goal this holiday season.

and this made me laugh too:)

happy halloween

dave decided vivian needed to be cinderella for halloween, so when the kids were in school we took her to the disney store and fitted her in her own princess dress.

she liked it.

you should see how much glitter that thing left in her car seat and our house!  we have definitely been sparkled!! 

after school snack-  monster donuts

 for weeks, max knew he wanted to be a ninja.  abe switched what he wanted to be daily, and kai had no idea.  the day before halloween we finalized costume ideas.   abe- a garden gnome, and kai-a circus muscle man.  we were so excited, but when it was all said and done, kai was not happy with his costume and lasted only for a few pictures before he changed into his old standby penguin costume.  muscles were just too itchy....i have to admit, i was a little disappointed since i thought he looked awesome!

 dave took vivian, max and and max's friend trick-or-treating while abe and kai ran around the neighborhood with friends.  i stayed all by myself to pass out treat, which after the run-a-round day, i was happy to do.

the boys brought a few friends back to watch a movie and count their stash.

 sadie and a couple friends planned a halloween party at her friends house.  they invited "everyone" and sadie was so happy that a few friends from different "groups" all came and had fun together.  i enjoyed her excitement and hearing all about it.  she's in such a great time of life and she's a treat to have around.

this halloween made me think of how blessed we are.  i re-realized we live in an awesome place with such good people, friends and family.  i was so glad dave had the day off and got to be a part of it all.  i also realized a few things that i want to work on--such as creating more family traditions and memories, being a better planner and getting more organized.  i can easily get discouraged that my to do list always out weighs my got done list, but i will keep working at it while i soak up my most important things. 

halloween was a great kick-off to the holiday season and i am getting more excited by the minute.  such a great time of year and i am looking forward to loving it!!