HAPPY THANKSGIVING -- 2009

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving and yet it was a Thanksgiving full of mixed emotions for me. For some reason I missed Daniel more than ever. I missed him hanging out in the kitchen with me and getting so excited about all the food I was preparing. I would tell myself, when I would get to missing Daniel so much, that next year he would be home. But then I would remember that Jason will be gone and it will be two more years until we can all be together again. Maybe it was because I felt so much better this year from the mono that I could enjoy cooking and doing the things I usually do on Thanksgiving where as last year I was so miserable. I am so thankful that I am feeling better! Such a bittersweet thing these missions are.

Jason was great to help me get the pies made. We made Banana Cream, Raspberry Cream, Coconut Cream and Lemon Cream Cheese Pies. I also baked a Pecan Pie I got from Schwan's.

The weather was so beautiful. After I got the last pie made in the morning I laid in the sun on the floor with Griffin. It was so warm in the house that I had cracked the window open on the back screen door and as I laid in the sun with the cool breeze gently blowing on me I couldn't help but be so thankful for all my wonderful blessing. I truly have been so abundantly blessed.

We went up to my Dad and Mom's for Thanksgiving dinner. Only Jenny and her family, Suzi and her family and Scott and Jason and I were there for dinner. It was quiet but enjoyable.

Later that evening Christine and her family, Mary Jo's family and Todd and Christine all came for dessert and to help rip the carpet up in my Dad and Mom's family room and bedroom. They have recently painted the family room a nice tan color and got tan carpeting to replace the gray! It looks so nice.

After we helped get the carpet up my family came to our house to play Settler's Of Catan and to just spend some quiet time together. It was a nice enjoyable day.

SEWING, SEWING, SEWING & MAKING WEAK THINGS STRONG AGAIN

I have been so busy sewing quilts so that I could get them to the quilter's by the deadline. I made new comforters for Carter and Easton's beds and a quilt for the Sorenson's and my parents. I didn't get a picture of the boys before I took them to the quilter's. Partly because I was so sick of looking at them and partly because I forgot as I was hurrying to get them there. But here is a picture of the quilt for the Sorenson's and my parents. I think they turned out pretty good.

This was a challenge for me because a few years ago when I had my breakdown I lost all my confidence to do things like this. I have missed crafting so much and I love doing it and so I vowed I would conquer my fears and just face this challenge. I remembered the scripture that the Lord can make all weak things strong again. I have put my faith in the Lord and I keep trying to do new things. I am slowly getting my confidence back to do the things I want to do. Each new craft I get done brings me so much joy and even though all I can see are the mistakes I work on looking at what I have accomplished and that I am making this weak thing strong again with the help of the Lord.

I am so grateful for the talents the Lord has blessed me with both spiritually and physically. I am working on recognizing all of my talents and perfecting them and working on where I am weak so that I can be stronger and serve him, my family and friends better.

FALL IS HERE

I love the beginning of each new season. I love the feeling it brings of new adventures and new possibilities.

These are just a few shots I have taken to share.

This one is the view we got as we passed Deer Creek last Saturday as we drove to the cabin to spend the day stacking wood and winterizing it. I always feel a sense of sadness when we do this. One because I never get enough time out there during the summer to just relax and enjoy it and two because it means that the next time we go out there won't be any running water. But I always get excited for the snowmobiling trips. This will be the last winter I will have to spend without Daniel being with us and the last one Jason will be spending with us for two more years. Lots of mixed emotions as I drove away from the cabin this year.

HALLOWEEN 2009

We had a great Halloween this year. I had a party with my family and to get in you had to be dressed up. It was fun to see all the great costumes. Some of them that stood out were Jory who came only with an "E" attached to him. This stood for E-male. Ashley came as a box of milk. Nathan was suppose to be a box of cereal but his costume didn't get finished in time. Suzanne was Abby, the girl on NCIS. Jenny looked pretty freaky in her mask and wig.

We had Navajo Tacos and witches brew to drink. Everyone decorated a cookie and then we divided into teams and you had 5 minutes to wrap your mummy with toilet paper. Jenny played a great game with us called Fear Factor. You had were required to do a task and if you lost you had to eat something that she had brought. There was no telling what you were going to have to eat. My Mother had to eat a marshmallow with mustard inside. She was a good sport!

There were prizes for everyone for dressing up and fun was had by all.

On Halloween night, Scott and I went up to Christine's to go trick-or-treating with the boys for a short time. We had been out to the cabin to winterize it and we were still cold from being outside in 30 degree weather most of the day. Unfortunately we didn't last very long. (We must be getting old!) Carter and Easton were so cute in there costumes and it was fun to see their excitement about the evening.