Husbands

Today I am grateful for my husband. I know that sounds cheesy, but it's true. There is a calm I feel when he is home. Even my kids seems to be happier. Not quite as calm, they love to wrestle and play with him, but happier. What would I do without him. I love every minute that we get to spend with him on the weekends.

Temple

Today I am very grateful for the temple. Today I went for a reason I've never gone before. I've been before to get answers to prayers, to do service, to feel close to the Lord, even to go because I just needed to go. But today I went because I needed the strength of the Lord. I needed His strength to be able to listen to the answers I was getting and the strength to carry them out. Also something I didn't realize until I was in the Temple is that I haven't been my best self. I know it's hard to be your best self when you're not feeling well, and people tell me that all of the time. But I don't think there is any excuse for me, I need to be better and be my best self more often. While I was in the temple I felt I was my best self. Some things happened that I was able to help others and do things (I can't tell you more than that) and I felt like I used to fell all the time. I need to get back to that place. I am so grateful I live close to many temples.

Food

Food, it's something a lot of people really don't think that much about. They eat when they are hungry and that's that. Well I think about food all of the time. I watch cooking shows on T.V.. When I'm board I even look up recipes on line or in cook books. I love to read them. I love to try and figure out ways to change them to make them more healthy, if that's possible. Sometimes it's not possible, but I still like to try. So today I am thankful for food. And even more than that I am thankful for the times that I get to eat food. I don't get to eat food all of the time because of my health. So when I do I am extremely grateful, and so is my body. :] Today I had two wonderfully delicious meals. I know Heavenly Father loves His children when I see all of the wonderful foods in all their varieties He has created just for us.

Thankfulness Time

I know in years past I've written everyday saying what I am thankful for during the month of November. I wasn't going to do that this year, just do one weekly post of the things I had been grateful for. Kind of like I did last year. But I'm finding myself, at least yesterday and this morning, a little down in the dumps. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I'm in pain and no one seems to know the answer for me. But enough of that. I DON'T want a pity party!! There are two things that I am so extremely grateful for.
The first is the holiday season. I really am so excited for it! I have to restrain myself from turning on the Christmas music. I just love it! I love the spirit that it brings into our home each holiday season.
The second is, I truly am grateful when my pain is manageable so I can be a mom. Somehow, I'm not quite sure how, I get the things done I need to when they're really important. Like this morning, waking up from only a few hours of sleep still in pain, I was able to get my kids breakfast, read a story to them from the Friend Magazine, help get them dressed, said family prayers, and they were off to school. Even now the pain is manageable. It is those tender mercies from the Lord that I am grateful for. While going through this long trial I am supported and helped through it.
I feel better now. It's amazing how looking for the good in things, your blessings, can really help lift your mode. Have a wonderful day full of thanks!

Missed one

Yesterday I was able to go to Sacrament Meeting. One of the talks was on Gratitude. While listening to the talk I remember something I had no mentioned in my last post. It's a harder one to be thankful for but I'm going to say it. I'm thankful, and it was a blessing, that our house hasn't sold yet. It's really difficult to say because it's so hard living away from my husband so much, and we're coming up on our year mark. November 1st of last year he started his job (But we didn't put the house on the market until the spring). If we would have moved already I know that this last time of being in the hospital would have been much harder than it was. It truly was a blessing no matter how hard things can and have been being apart.

Angels

I know it's been a long time since my last post. I had an unexpected trip to the hospital last Monday and ended up staying most of the week having tests and surgery. I will spare you the extremely long details. Besides the reason for this blog is to share with you the blessings and tender mercies the Lord continues to send me. Well these past two weeks I've received more than I could ever truly say thank you for.
One of the first blessings is that last week when I was in the hospital my children only had school for a few days and then it was fall break. When I had to make my first trip to the hospital my husband was home with me and continued to stay with me for most of the week. My wonderful neighbors took my children to and from school for me. My mom and dad watched my children until my mom got sick. Then my 2nd mom (in-law), who happened to be in town, was able to watch them for a couple of nights. Not once was I worried about them. I knew they were in good hands. The specialist I was assigned to just happened to be the number one expert on the surgery I needed to have. So not only was he able to diagnose me properly but my husband and I knew I was in good hands for the surgery.
After being home this week and trying to recover, which is taking longer than I thought it would, the blessings keep pouring in. Almost every day I've had someone stop by wanting to know what they can do to help. I've had neighbors call to tell me I was in their prayers and or they put my name on the temple prayer roll. I've had people taking and picking my children up from school for me. Dinners have been brought in every night, even food that I can eat. My children have been able to go for lots of play dates at friends homes when I needed to rest. People have gone grocery shopping for me and run other errands for me. We had a showing on our home today. My mom, dad, sister, and sister-in-law have come over to my home all week cleaning here and there to help me get ready. My brother came and mowed the lawn for me. I truly don't know what I would have done this week without my parents. My husband calls me from work several times a day to see how I am. I am blessed. I have amazing people, really angels, surrounding me. Life is hard. I've been through a lot, but I am also very blessed and truly loved by my Heavenly Father.

Conference 2010

I didn't get to watch all of Saturday's sessions this year, so I recorded them. I am so excited to watch the ones that I didn't get to hear or see. The talks that I got to listen to were so amazing! I really felt the importance of keeping my children safe from the world, making sure that my relationship with my Heavenly Father is where it should be, making sure that I'm doing the things I need to being doing to have the spirit of the Lord (Holy Ghost) with me at all times, remembering to say thanks to the Lord not just think it actually praying my thanks to him, and how important it is to be doing the best things and not just good things. A couple of Sundays ago there was a regional conference where I live. We were told that the pioneers who came across the plains to settle Utah had it hard, but that is nothing compared to what we are going to face in the future. I also felt a little bit of that urgency while watching conference this year. Things are going to get harder and if I'm not close to my Heavenly Father and His spirit I won't be able to hear the promptings to help my family be safe. It is amazing how much Heavenly Father loves us. He loves us so much He sent us a living prophet to help guide and direct us. If you didn't get a chance to hear or watch conference, if you never have, or if you're just curious as to what it is, go here.