I Am Grateful

Yet the Lord said, "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things" (D&C 59:7)

For some reason this past weekend was a time of reflection and learning for me, a time to recenter myself and to think. It's always easier to do so when it's quiet, and this weekend proved quieter than most. The General Relief Society broadcast was wonderful and I especially appreciated Presiden Uchtdorf's talk. He hit it on the head when he suggested that we, as women, tend to be harder on ourselves than anyone else. We should just let it go and do our best with happiness. Fast and Testimony meeting had a sweet feeling about it also. But it was Relief Society which touched me the most.

Our lesson was about gratitude. Our teacher gave a wonderful presentation and the remarks made by the sweet sisters in the room added greatly to the tender spirit I felt there.

I have much to be grateful for. My heard overflows with thankfulness for the many, many blessings I have received in my life. I thank my Heavenly Father for knowing me and my needs and for giving me opportunities for growth and for blessing my life in such profound ways.

I am grateful for being born at such a time as this into a loving family where the gospel of Jesus Christ was taught. I am grateful for being blessed with goodly parents and ancestors whose testimonies helped mold my own. I'm grateful for siblings who each have such remarkable qualities and strengths, who share a common history with me, and who I count among my closest friends.

I am grateful for a husband who makes me laugh each day, who looks for the good and forgives my shortcomings, who loves his children and family above all else. I am grateful for my treasures, my children. They each have such a special part in our family and in my heart. Their strengths, personalities, and examples weave with one another and make the fabric of our family stronger.

I am grateful for good friends who touch my heart in places where no one else can reach. Laughing together and crying together, we work our ways through this life.

I am grateful for Brook's side of the family("inlaws" has such a negative conotation about it). They teach me by example always and I love them very much. My life is richer because of them.

I am grateful for a warm home and food on the table. I am grateful for good neighbors who watch out for one another.

I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for my testimony that He is my Redeemer and Savior. I am humbled by His love and willingness to die for me. I am grateful for the scriptures and for a living prophet upon the earth today who guides and directs us such as prophets of old. I am grateful for the blessings of the temple and for the knowledge that families can be eternal.

I am grateful for life's bumps, misdirections, and mistakes. They help me know where not to go again.

I am grateful for my life, for my health, and for the promise each new morning brings.

I am grateful for many things, more than I can count. It is truly humbling to reflect upon one's life and upon the blessings one has been given. Isn't life remarkable really? We all walk such individual and unique paths, yet we're all given blessings and opportunities to grow. Of that we should all be grateful.

Just Another Saturday

I wish I could say that our home always runs smoothly. I really wish I could..... but I can't. Unfortunately, this family has seen more projects in the past 3 months than we've ever seen before. There's always a project for Brook to be working on. Just some of the problems which have required his attention in this house include: fixing a collapsing sewer drain (costly and not fun), repairing water damage by the French doors in Caitlyn's room, repairing the piping under the kitchen sink, installing a water softener because of the horrendously bad hard Highland water, and fixing a bad framing job in the master bedroom ceiling(too long to explain). You get the picture, another project is always just around the corner. I truly wasn't expecting the latest, however.

Saturday was going to be a casual, stress-free day when I got some cleaning done and spent a little time with Brynn running errands. Caitlyn had a babysitting job the entire day, and Zach and Brook had tickets to the BYU football game. They were heading out after he took care of a quick job which required him to crawl through the attic space in the garage, across the ceiling of our family room, and onto the ceiling in our master bedroom.

I was just getting the dishes cleaned up when I heard an incredibly loud crack. It made me jump, and as I turned around big pieces of sheetrock were falling to the ground in the eating area of the kitchen, followed by a huge billowing cloud of what looked like feathers. As my mind cleared I realized that it was insulation falling to the ground. And as the air cleared I made out Brook's lower half, up to his waist, hanging from the ceiling, legs kicking back and forth.
It was straight out of the movies. What the HECK! My mind was racing because the ceiling at that point in probably 15 feet high. I just yelled, "BROOK! BROOK!" for no other reason because I couldn't figure out what else to do. There was no way for me to help him. I either had to quickly climb through the attic (which wasn't going to happen) or cushion his fall with my body (which wasn't going to happen either). Luckily he had grabbed onto some rafters as he was falling through and was able to hang on and pull himself out.

I was so relieved that he was alright that I wasn't even mad about the mess. Had he fallen completely through, there is no doubt that he would have had some kind of injuries. A scraped up leg and some bruised pride is all he suffered, thank goodness. He had been crawling along the attic, carrying some tools that he needed, when he kind of tripped or fell forward and the rest just happened. Needless to say, Brook's Saturday consisted of doing things other than making it to the game. Maybe next time.

Labor Day Weekend

We spent Labor Day Weekend at Bear Lake with my family. We've ended up there every Labor Day for decades now. It's turned into quite a tradition that will hopefully last a little longer.

This year everyone was there and although tight at times, it was fun, fun, fun. We had a great time even though the weather wasn't always cooperating. Amy and Lon brought up their four wheelers, we took little walks, went to Bloomington Lake one afternoon, went for milkshakes, celebrated birthdays, swam, played rockband, and of course ate, ate, ate. The new cabin passed the test, and I think it's a keeper.

I feel so lucky to have such great people in my life. We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.

Labor Day Weekend