Grateful For Utah

Okay, it's a common fact that people who live in Utah, native or transplant, GRIPE about Utah. I think I've only met one person who actually has said, "I love Utah!" I know we have Californians griping about Utah right now but I woke up to this beautiful sight and thought, "I love Utah." Yes, we have weird things like crick instead of creek and we don't (at least here in Utah County) trick-or-treat on Sunday but notice we do trick-or-treat. We have our prescription drug abusers, our unethical politicians, idiot drivers, and inversions but we have good things too. Like the teacher who is collecting Pennies for Peace, the club at the high school that raises money for Operation Smile, teenagers who weed the widows' yards instead of sleeping in in the summer, and the mountains. Yes, the mountains. Their beauty compares to the ocean I miss. It keeps me content that I can see them outside my window and I can picnic or snowshoe up there. So gripe all you want, go back to where you came from if you HATE it soo much. But I am grateful I live in Utah.

Grateful For Family

I know we all say it but I REALLY feel it! I am so grateful for my husband, he is fun, funny, SUPER patient, loving, smart and did I write patient? I love my kids, all seven of them! I've heard people say, I don't think I could love more than one child or whatever number. It doesn't mean I love what they are doing every minute of the day. I feel very inadequate in my loving of them. But when I ponder on the many joys they have given me over the years I am grateful they are mine! I read or hear how many teenagers can be difficult. Mine can be but it's over piano, Eagle Scout projects, chores, messy rooms and picking on siblings not drugs, and other things (yet). I know it could be worse and it could GET worse so I am grateful and praying they stay difficult in their own ways that I can barely handle! I tell them how grateful I am that they are good students in every way and that they have good friends.

I am grateful for my parents who are also VERY patient with me. They let me be my quirky self and let me learn on my own to trust them and I am grateful for their love, help and guidance. I am grateful for my in-laws who are also VERY patient--must be where Tim gets it from! They are not the typical in-law stereotype that is portrayed in the media. I am grateful for my siblings, we had so much fun growing up with air bands, wiffle ball, UNO on road trips... I am grateful for all my sister & brother in-laws and nieces and nephews. I enjoy all the family gatherings and all the love shared because of the great people involved! I miss those who live far away and feel so blessed for the other family members who live close by. I know that because of them my family is happier and healthier in many ways.


Maybe because of my recent surgery I am more sensitive to my gratitude of my family for the prayers, thoughts and help to me and my family. I really appreciate the goodness of my family--we aren't perfect but trying hard to do our best and help each other! I feel I have especially benefited from family close by since we have 2 sets of grandparents here and now all my siblings and their families and a couple of Tim's siblings close by. My children have something I never really knew growing up in California far from family. The upside is we had great friends who became family to us. We have great friends here too but today I felt like expressing my gratitude for my family!

Awesome Website

So we've been hearing a lot about the gay community lashing out at Mormons in California. It's true that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints took a strong stand to support Proposition 8. Many people in our church don't understand why and there are plenty of people who don't know why it matters. I really liked how this was approached, so if you are wondering, check it out! Thanks to Pikes Pickles who shared it on their blog! Tim figured out how I messed up the link!
http://beetlebabee.wordpress.com

Roadshow Pics

I thought I'd post the photos I took of Taran (and friends) and Emily in their Roadshow costumes. It was very cute and if they get the roadshows posted on You Tube I'll post a link!

Last BYU home game

Tim's one thing he does for himself is buy season tickets to BYU football. I have friends whose husbands spend a lot of money on hobbies like hunting, or cars or ATVs and such. So I am grateful his hobby is relatively cheap and he doesn't leave me alone for 2 weeks tracking a special buck to . . .kill, of all things! Anyway, he takes the kids, a nice one-on-one. I usually go to one game (I have a hard time giving up 6 hours on Saturday but I do listen to it all), I was planning on going to the San Diego St. game last Saturday, the last home game but I realized that I am not quite up for that yet. So Tim took Micah. He's been wanting to go but Tim is hesitant since our other kids have lacked longevity at this age for the whole game-Tim doesn't leave early! But he needed to get home early for the Stake Roadshow since he was on the tech crew so it was a great fit for him and Micah to go. They had fun and to top it off BYU won! A nice end to the home season!

HSM3:THE MOVIE

This is a photo of Emily and her friends before my mom and sister-in-law Amber took them to see High School Musical 3, the movie. Emily wasn't due for a big party (next year on the 12th b-day)and with my back and all I wasn't doing it either. But we have let her do something special with friends, more than we should partly because she is way outnumbered and picked on in this testosterone home! So I told her she could have her bff cousin and her bff (both of the same name) go to the movie with granny (mind you we figured out granny could do it the day before the big release). Well, Emily has a big heart and didn't want to leave out her next door neighbor bff. Since we didn't find out until 10 PM and Emily was asleep that that the next door bff couldn't go we had to wait to ask another friend at school--we'd already bought the tickets. So she asks one friend who says she can't then she asks another friend and she says she can. The first friend comes back and says I actually can come. So totally distraught she comes home crying, what am I going to do??????? We made sure both girls could go and bought one more ticket online--there actually was one! So a small thing turned into to more but they had fun and said that it was the best HSM. Did that make sense???

Yummy Thought!

Here I am with an edible bouquet my sister-in-law Liz sent me the day after my operation! It was so fun to get and we loved it. I have to admit that I ate most of it but the kids and I finished off in a couple of hours after they got home from school. So if you ever wonder if this would be a good idea for someone, I say it was a delicious idea!