The Choice to be grateful.....

Berrett taught his Home teaching lesson last month and challenged his families to fill out this gratitude list.  We had intended to do it ourselves for FHE{family home evening} but the holidays got in the way of our plans.  

So I decided I would post my list today.

Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for.

1. my eyes- I would be really sad if I could not see the beauty around me.

2.being able to breathe... This may seem strange to some, but I used to have such bad asthma that walking across the room was sheer torture.  Many times I couldn't seem to find breathing a easy task.  Now that My asthma is gone, I can breathe!!!

3.Being able to sing... When I couldn't breathe singing was difficult.  I love to sing!!

4.my hands, I am grateful that I can complete my daily tasks, but also for the creativity in my hands!!

5. Being able to hear... I love the sounds of the world, especially the sound of laughter.

6. being able to laugh!!! Don't you love to laugh?

7. being able to cry.  Tears can be healing.

8. being able to hug and kiss the ones I love!!

9. The strength of my body, being able to lift, carry and move freely.

10. The ability to feel sensations, Rough, soft, sharp, cold, hot, etc.

Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for.
1. Books, I love to read!!! This includes my Kindle.
2. My cell phone, being able to communicate with the people I love.
3.My jewelry, especially the pieces Berrett gave me,like my wedding ring,  and the Baby shoe charm that was given to my great grandmother at my birth, and then left to me at her death.
4. Our camera.. I love being able to record the special moments in my life.
5. All the appliances in my kitchen!! I love to cook!!! I love to show my love for others by cooking special meals for them.
6. My washer and dryer. I lived without them on my mission and was so grateful to not hand wash anything anymore.  And then for a period of time in our marriage we had to go to the laundry mat, not fun!!
7.The clothes that I wear daily.  Especially now that I am actually able to wear clothes I love, instead of my "fat" clothes that I wore just because they fit, not because I truly loved them.
8. Our Christmas decorations.  So many of our ornaments have special meaning for both of us.
9.Art.  I love art. My father was a artist and I truly appreciate the talent of the people who draw, sculpt and paint.
10.Our computer. I can keep in touch with people all over the world, plan my lessons, not to mention entertain myself. And the computer provides our income since that's what Berrett works with daily!!
Write 10 living people you are grateful for. 
1. My husband Berrett
2. my mom and her husband Randy
3. My sister Tammy
4. my brother Tom & His wife Staci
5. My inlaws
6.My Husbands, brothers and sisters and their spouses
7. My best friend Linda
8. My friend Stephanie
9. Too many friends at church to name!!
10.all my nieces and nephews on both sides of the family

Write 10 deceased people you are grateful for.

1. My dad

2.My grandma and grandpa Carr

3. My grandma and grandpa Thompson

4. My Great Grandparents Shafer

5. My great grandparents on my mom's side.

6.My older brother Timmy

7. My aunt Elsie

8. My Uncle Ben

9. Grandma Adel and Grandpa Earl- From Berrett's side of the family

10. Joseph Smith

Write 10 things about nature you are grateful for.

 1.Tree's!!! I love Tree's

2. Mountains!!

3. Water.. Like rivers and oceans

4. The sun

5. The moon

6. The stars

7.Flowers!! I adore flowers!!

8. Grass!!

9. Animals!!

10.The wind!! and Snow Sometimes!! Lol

Write 10 things about today that you are grateful for.

1. I have a clean kitchen

2. I slept well last night.

3. Adria is hanging out with me today

4. Linda is coming to play tonight.

5. I woke up next to my sweetheart today.

6. I have a warm apartment to live in

7. there is food in my kitchen to eat

8. I am going to make a fabulous meal for Berrett & Linda tonight

9. my mom is having a good day

10. I read my scriptures today!!

Write 10 places on Earth you are grateful for.

1.The Temple

2. Our church houses

3. My home

4. My country and its freedoms!!

5. New Zealand and the beauty of the land and people of my mission!

6. The Netherlands and the chance I had to live their and learn about the culture of my ancestors

7. Disneyland!! I am sure this would be at the top of Berrett's list!!

8. My inlaws home and the way they welcome me to it!!

9. Temple Square, I love to visit that historic place.

10. The conference center!! One of my fav places down town!!

Write 10 modern inventions you are grateful for. 

1.The computer

2.Heat!!

3. Flushing toilets!!! I hate the idea of out houses.

4. My shower.  I hate baths, and can you imagine heating water to bathe?

5.Microwave!! I can heat food quickly and easily!!

6.Running water in my house, we don't have to haul water to clean, cook or bathe.

7.Grocery stores!! I don't have to grow or kill my own food!!

8. Hospitals!! We have doctors who can take care of us!!

9. the Telephone!! I can talk to almost anyone anywhere!!

10. My bed!!! LOL!! I love to sleep and would not want to sleep on the ground!!

Write 10 foods you are grateful for.

1. Chocolate!! Especially Dark!!

2. Cheese, everything tastes better with cheese on it!!

3.Salt!! I am a salt addict!!

4. protein of any kind, its how I lost so much weight!!

5. vegetables!! I really do love my veggies!!

6. ice cream, even though now I can only eat a teeny tiny bit!!

7.Crystal lite!! LOL!! I need the change from plain water!!

8. Bread!! Especially home made, hot from the oven!!

9.Pumpkin and Bananna cream pie!! Yummy!!

10.Oreo cookies!! My favorite!!

Write 10 things about the gospel you are grateful for. 

1. I know who I am and why I am here and where I came from.

2. a living prophet who teaches me

3. a relationship with my Heavenly Father

4. A relationship with my Savior

5. The comfort and guidance of the Holy Ghost

6. My temple ordinances and endowments

7.The knowledge that families are forever .I can be with the ones I love for forever.

8. The scriptures

9. My callings

10. Friends who believe and feel like I do. 

Well that"s my list!! Whats on yours?????

 

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My Favorite Christmas Traditions

My favorite tradition has nothing to do with puppies, but they were so cute, I couldn't resist!!!
I have two favorite traditions from my side of the family.  The first was when I was a child we lived in the Netherlands {Holland}.  They celebrate the first 5 days in December by putting their shoes out on the doorstep.  If they have been good, Father Christmas, {Santa} fills them with gifts, If they have been bad, His elf, short Pete, throws them in a black bag and carries them off to spain, where Father Christmas lives.  No gifts are left in those shoes.  I am not sure we celebrate it exactly the way it is supposed to be done, but after we lived in Holland, for many years we would put out painted wooden shoes from Holland and they would be filler every night from Dec 1st to the 5th. 
Father Christmas, doesn't always make it to my house now, but some years he has brought
presents to my husband.  I must not be a good girl, because he never brings me anything!! :]   [Short Pete needs to whisper in my husbands ear!!]
My 2nd favorite tradition stems from my childhood as well.  As children we would shop for each other a few days before Christmas at the local bargain shop.  We would spend the whole time hiding from each other and then hiding our gifts at home until we could get them wrapped.  Berrett and I have continued the tradition by going to a store together but splitting up and buying for each other.  It's fun to hide from each other and then sneak in the gifts to wrap.  Walmart is usually the store we choose, and its big enough and busy enough that we seldom see each other.  I cannot wait to carry on both of these traditions with our own kids.

Just a thought...

 I was watching the link on LDS.org today about the Video's of the Life Of Christ.  I was really interested in the videos about the angel telling Mary of the impending birth of Christ and her visit to Elizabeth.  http://lds.org/bible-videos?lang=eng
I was watching this and was suddenly struck by the fact that the Lord asks us to endure hard things to receive the most wonderful blessings.  Mary was unmarried, virtuous and yet she still carried the Christ Child. It is amazing to me that she accepted this so willingly.  She must have been treated so badly by those who did not understand.  She could have been rejected by her family, her friends and her Beloved Joseph.  And yet, she said.... " And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her." Luke 1:38

I have been occasionally feeling sorry for myself.  I have watched others get pregnant with no difficulties, or held babies I love, only to send them home with their mom's at the end of the day.  Adoption is not easy!! You go through so many emotions, You have to be interviewed, you have to lay open your personal life to a stranger, You have to find the money to pay for it.. You have to be patient and wait for someone to choose your family.   It can feel like too much sometimes.  I have put some of all of that on the back burner while dealing with my mom's health issues and in some ways it was a relief to do so.  My younger sis is pregnant, and I am happy for her, but also a little sad for me.  I found out recently that some friends adopted and I am happy for them but now curious about their experiences.  I guess I am ready to do more to make this miracle happen.  I am ready to face hard things to receive the miracle.  The Lord requires the best from His servants and sometimes the Very Best can be the Hardest, but I am willing to show myself ready.  I guess I am echoing Mary, by asking the lord to make me His Handmaiden, to let it be unto me.. according to His word.  Whatever that may be.

If You LOVE Oreo's cupcakes!!!

If you love Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients: for cupcakes
1  package of Oreo's
1 package of Chocolate fudge cake mix{mix according to directions on box}
1/2 package of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp of unsweetened cocoa

Ingredients for Frosting :
8 ounces of cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup of unsalted butter- room temp.. {1 stick}
3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
1/2 package of Oreos
The other 1/2 Regular Oreo's cut in half or Mini oreo's[optional for decoration}
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Preheat oven to 350 degree's.  Line cupcake tins with liners, place a Oreo in the bottom of each liner. Mix the cake mix according to directions.  In another bowl, toss the 1/2 bag of chocolate chips with unsweetened cocoa.   Chop the rest of the first bag of Oreo's coarsley, add chocolate chips and chopped Oreo's to cake mix. Fill the cupcake tins. Bake according to box directions.. {smallest amount recommended in my oven}
While cupcakes are baking make frosting.
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla and powdered sugar until blended well. Chop 1/2 remaining regular sized Oreo's very fine.  {You can use a food processer if you have one, I don't. I put a few in a heavy duty ziplock and use a rolling pin to crush them.}  fold into frosting.  Add the rest of the chocolate chips to frosting and foldin.  After cupcakes have cooled, frost and decorate with 1/2 of a large Oreo or mini Oreo's. Refrigerate until serving.

Our Missionary Nephew Comes Home Tomorrow!!

We are so excited to greet our nephew Robert who is coming home from the mission Field tomorrow.

He has been serving in Argentina.   I made him a "candy gram" for a homecoming gift.

I put it in a round plastic container, filled it with the candy and taped the candy gram on the outside.  That way I don't have to carry a big poster board to the airport.

 This is the message I came up with using candy bars and some BYU mints.

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Look  Ladies, its Elder Robert Murray that Big Hunk that just got home from the mission field.  It might be quite a Shocker but we expect that soon he will hit the dating scene and start hanging out with some Smarties from BYU.    U-no it may make us Snicker if he brings home any Runts or Airheads.  Just remember Robert,  you don't need to bring a companion on your dates unless you want to look like the 3 Musketeers.  Be a Good & Plenty date and take  her to the movies or the Symphony. You can be a Mr Goodbar in your singles ward and on campus as long as you don't act like all the other Hot shots telling Whoppers about their missions. Follow these words of advice and  you can Skor a Marvolous & Magnificent Companion to take to the temple! 
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 I tied it with a ribbon and Tada!!! Ready for our missionary!!

Halloween decorating at our house!!

Halloween mobile between kitchen and dining area

Front Door... Spooky!!

Next to front door on landing, hope they don't "walk' away!!

So I was in the mood for Halloween last night and started decorating!! First time in a long time. Berrett seemed slightly amused.  He is the Halloween fan in our family, but with all the kids I have had coming in and out of my place lately, it felt fun to decorate!! I did some of it this morning and my neice Adria seemed to love it!!

My in home pre-school

I have been tending my 4 year old niece a few times a week for the last two months.  Her mom asked me if I could work on some pre school stuff with her and this is the poster I developed to help with our learning.  Lots of fun things on the web that are free to use.  I am enjoying working with her. She is one smart cookie!
I am also still tending Declan, my friends baby boy, and occasionally Kinzlie, the daughter of some other friends in our ward.  Makes for some busy times!!