My Twist On Giving Thanks

Emma had an assignment in her class to think of something she is not thankful for and turn it into something she is thankful for. Parents were supposed to do it as well. Emma was thankful for doing dishes because if she didn't, we would have a stinky house. I put that I was thankful for driving my little ducklings all around town all day long, every day of the week because I get to see them doing things they love like dance, karate and soccer. This was a very thought provoking assignment, at least for me. It made me think of a lot of things I don't necessarily like, but challenged me to find the good in them. I decided to make a list...

• I am thankful for every single (there are many) wrinkle on my face. For each wrinkle I could tell you a story about how it got there. A wrinkle is a physical manifestation of a memory.





• I am thankful for all the countless hours Lee spends in meetings at church and away from our home. At least I know I could do the single mom thing if I had to.





• I am thankful for when it snows and dumps massive loads all over our driveway and sidewalks because then I get to go out and put in a good arm workout by shoveling it all.





• I am thankful that we get to use all of our extra money every month paying for our new car. It will definitely force me to get creative with Christmas this year.





• I am actually thankful for my selfishness. Because of this I have realized what a saint my husband actually is in putting up with me.
  




• I am thankful for when my kids whine and complain about doing Saturday chores. It gives me a chance to exercise my vocal chords and/or practice massive amounts of patience.
  



• I am thankful for the way I look in a bathing suit. I think of wearing my bathing suit as an act of service to those around me. After looking at me, others realize they don't look half bad.





• I am thankful that our super cute and lovable kitty cat, Sonny still chooses to use the restroom right outside of his litter box. OK, I can't really turn that one into something good. He just better be thankful that I haven't cut his tail off and used it as a key chain by now.





• I am thankful that my bum is so big. Because of me all the lonely jeans at the store at the back of the racks get some attention.





• I am thankful for that certain time of the month. Not only does it remind me that I am not pregnant, it also reminds me that I will one day have three daughters with that certain time of the month, hopefully at the same time, and that I should really enjoy how nice and sweet they are now.

Now, I know that some of these are silly and slightly sarcastic but on a serious note, I am truly thankful for many things that have been difficult for me this year. Our trials are what mold and shape our character. If we didn't have trials, we wouldn't know just how good our lives really are. I could spend hours thinking of all the negatives in my life, but somehow all those negatives slowly turn to positives and I find myself in prayer thanking my Heavenly Father for my trials and all the chances He gives me to better myself and strengthen my testimony. With every trial I am given, I take it as an opportunity to get to know myself, my Savior and my Heavenly Father more intimately, and for that I am eternally thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Trick And Treat 2010

Mother nature played a trick on us this year. It rained and rained. But that wasn't going to stop my kids from trick or treating. They got all ready and we headed out the door.

Ella was a very cute pink cheerleader

Ben was a white ninja

Eva was a banana

Emma was an egyptian goddess. She was in such a hurry to go trick or treating with Tayli that she wouldn't let me stop to take a picture. This is her costume from a recent wax museum project from school and she decided to be the same thing for Halloween.

Natalie, the genie also came with us.

They were ready. If only it would stop raining.

I loved that this year, with the exception of Ella, I didn't have to help the kids carve their pumpkins. They did a great job all on their own.

As we opened the front door to head out Mother Nature gave us a nice treat after all...patches of sunshine and a beautiful rainbow. It ended up being pretty nice for my trick or treaters and they had a great time.

Crazy Hair Day

Soccer It To Em

It was super fun seeing the kids play soccer this Fall. They were SO into it!

I think Ella is going to be our little soccer star. She is very aggressive and very fast. She was in her element for sure! She even says that she likes soccer more than dance!
Notice in all these pictures she is in the front. She could not stand it when the other team had the ball. She is already one competitive player!

I was so proud of Emma. After at least four years of not playing, she decided she wanted to try soccer again. She did great! She really held her own. It was harder to get pictures of her though because the field was so stinking big!

And then there's Ben, who was ready to quit soccer after this year. It just didn't seem to be his thing. But for whatever reason it just clicked for him and he came alive. He was aggressive, quick and scored goal after goal!

His karate skills even showed themselves on the field. We call this one Ben's "crane" kick...

Ben has since started playing on an indoor soccer team and plays against competition level teams. They are undefeated so far. He feels a little intimidated being on a team with such good players (like freakishly good) but I know it is going to be a really great learning experience for him.


Eva was definitely the cutest cheerleader out there cheering on all of her siblings at the games. What a nice sister!!

Having three kids in soccer makes for CrAzY Saturdays. We didn't get much done around the house but it was worth it. We all had fun watching them play their little hearts out!