Christmas on Sunday.

I just feel like I need to write my thoughts down today.  I just got home from church.  Christmas on Sunday, doesn't get any better than that in my book, seriously. It was wonderful, and special, and I felt the Spirit strongly.  I just felt so good an warm and happy, and thankful.  So many blessings we have in our lives.  I love Roger, such a good man, wonderful husband and father and son, and grandpa, and man.  He is working hard, and had to work today, but in on his way home now.  Love our children so much, and the wonderful people they married, and love our grandchildren.  How blessed we are.  So thankful we have little Tenzin, and he will be ours forever thanks to our Saviour.  I think of him as a young man, happy, and looking down on us, and blessing us, and loving us, and yes, missing us for a short time until we can be together again.   I'm so thankful Tagg wasn't hurt any more badly than he was.  It could have been so so so much worse.  All of the love and caring and giving and sharing that has been poured out upon our family, from so many people, many whom we have no idea.  Thank you Thank you.   As I sat in church, my heart was so full, as I looked around at so many wonderful friends, and ward members who have been such a part of my life over the years.  The Rose family, the Wiscombes, Lynn London and her family, Errol and JoAnne, and many many more.  It's snowing again now. 2pm.    Roger woke me up this morning about 7 am, with a kiss on the cheek and a whisper in the ear, "want to come out and help me shovel snow?".   I got up, and out we went, and it was good to work together.  Then we went up to his mom's  and shoveled, and then over the Zac's. and surprised them by shoveling walks, and driveway, before going in to see what Santa and the MYSTERY elves had brought.  Then back home so Rog could head to work.  I guess it was pretty bad roads, and they got alot more snow down below and in SL than we did here.   How blessed ware to have a nice warm house, food, family, LOVE LOVE LOVE, and Merry Christmas to all.

Gratitude x 100

In our church magazine (The Ensign) this month, there was a suggestion to list what you are grateful for.  I've done so below.  It was harder than I thought it would be....... While some of them are in no particular order, some are.  Some came to me right off, and others took awhile to think about, and I probably missed something I should have thought about, but oh well.  Here goes:

Physical Abilities
1. Eyesight
2. Hearing
3. Health
4. Roger's new knee
5. Walk
6. Talk
7. No pain to speak of
8. Brain
9. I Sleep well, and apparently I snore well too, according to Rog.
10. I'm able to read

Material Possessions
1.  Our home
2.  Our vehicles
3.  Our property
4.  The furnishings in our home (my couch - wink wink)
5.  Our clothing
6.  Trampoline for the grandkids
7.  My computer :)
8.  Our jobs
9.  4-wheeler (so Rog can plow the driveway)
10. THE  Property

Living People
1. Roger D. (thanks for working so hard, and for putting up with me ;)
2. Our children and their spouses (we are so blessed)
3. Our grandchildren (4 + 2 in the oven :)
4. My Parents (none better, I love them so much)
5. Mark and Kuk (my siblings)
6. Roger's Family (The Rich's are a GREAT family)
7. My Friends (you KNOW who you are)
8. My co-workers (couldn't do without you)
9. Elder Craig Fisher (for too many reasons to mention)
10. Elder Michael Rose (he was a savior in his own way and I'll never forget it)

Deceased People
1. Ambure (our daughter)
2. Tonya and Lance (my sister and brother)
3. My Grandparents
4. My Ancestors
5. Uncles and Aunts
6. Colleen Wiggill
7. Sandy Wilson
8. President Hinckley
9. Vera Carter
10. Lori Richins

Nature
1. The Sun
2. Blue sky
3. Summer thunderstorms
4. Animals
5. Cool breeze on a hot day
6. Snow for Christmas
7. Fall leaves
8. The smell of lilacs
9. Rainbows
10. Green grass

Today
1. A day off work
2. A productive morning
3. A good furnace
4. Lunch at Taggarts for C.J's birthday
5. Good weather
6. I get to tend the boys tonight
7. A day to bake
8. A day to sew
9. A day to blog :)
10. Landon and Kacey got Motab tickets for tonight

Places on Earth

1. Morgan
2. Utah
3. United States of America
4. Peru
5. Zions National Park
6. Oceans
7. Seattle
8. Beaches
9. Disneyland
10. Chandler, AZ :)

Modern Inventions
1. Computers
2. Cell phones
3. Cars
4. Medicine
5. Dishwasher
6. DVR and HDTV
7. Electricity
8. Indoor plumbing
9. Central Air
10. Internet :)

Food
1. Pizza
2. Schezwan Chicken at Maple Garden
3. Creamy Artichoke Soup at Taggart's
4. The "Dickson" pumpkin pie
5. Tangees at Steph's
6. Larry's craisin chicken salad
7. Pepsi (sorry Annette - I'm hopeless)
8. Subway sandwiches
9. Laughing Cow Lite Swiss Cheese Wedges
10. Almonds

Gospel Related
1. My Savior
2. Heavenly Father
3. Joseph Smith
4. Book of Mormon
5. President Monson
6. Apostles
7. The Plan of Salvation
8. Repentance
9. Temples
10. My Testimony

I am thankful.............

I feel very blessed today.  I'm sitting here in a warm house, with a full belly, we are healthy and happy, we have jobs to provide what we need, and our kids are happy and healthy and have jobs too.  We have wonderful grandkids, and wonderful parents......... what more could we ask for?  Well, sure - warmer weather (haha).

I've been doing alot of family history research lately.  I am so grateful for my ancestors who I never got a chance to meet.  Amelia, Mary Ann, Billa, William, Anna Eliza, Sanford Orin, Meredith, Ann, Emily, Jane.  One day I know I will get to meet them and thank them in person.  Families are Forever.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving !!

What are YOU thankful for ?

I am thankful that Landon will be coming home in 5 days !! I will be SO SO happy to see him, and HUG him after two years.

I am thankful this is my last day at work until October 26th. I need PLENTY of time to get my house in order and PLENTY of time to enjoy him for a few days.

I am thankful for FALL WEATHER today. Have you EVER seen such a glorious day? The colors are beautiful. I love this time of year.

I am thankful for today......... Wanna hear about it?? It was totally unusual for me.

1. I didn't work today (Thanks Jenni & Lynne for holding down the fort)
2. Left the house at 7:15
3. Yearly GYNO appointment with a new doctor, because of insurance changes (Thanks council!). Dr. Johanssen is located in the Circle of Life Women's Center. Been there? One word - WOW. Not your usual doctor's office, that's for sure. The front waiting room, seemed more like a ski lodge to me, and they give you PAGERS!?!?!
4. 9am. Head to the Ogden Temple, where I sat in the parking lot and called to get a mammogram appointment.....What? You can get me in at 11 am?? Yahoo! I didn't have time to do an endowment session, so I opted for sealings. It was a great peaceful way to spend about 1 1/2 hours.
5. 11am. Mammogram........ Not too bad, considering.
6. Newgate Mall, to pick up a new cell phone holder for Roger. He broke his (for the 2nd time) yesterday........they are all out, "Come back a 3pm".
7. Call Bonnie Peterson........ "Want to ride to SLC to pick up Landon's package from Peru?"
8. Drive to Kaysville, and sweet Bonnie offers to drive..... thankfully we are saved from Landon's little "beater" :)
9. Drive on the new LEGACY HIGHWAY !!! I was yapping so much, I didn't really observe... apparently I can't talk and look at the same time.
10. 12:30 Arrive at El Inka Market, and get THE PACKAGE !! Woo Hoo !! We open it in the car, and go through everything while driving back to Bountiful. Such treasures !! Seriously....... It was mostly special important papers that Landon wants to keep FOREVER. They still felt damp from the humidity of Lima.
11. Stopped in Bountiful and ate at Paradise Bakery - YUMMY !! I'd never been there before, but it was so good. I will have to remember this place. I saw Brady Jaques there. He is Pam Jaques Allen's son, who went to school with Manda. We chatted for a minute, and he told me his older brother, Cary (who worked for me in the Assessor's office one summer years ago) went to the Peru Lima North Mission also !! Small world. I'll have to call Pam tomorrow. I want to get his email address.
12. Drive back to Kaysville, drop Bonnie off, and head back into Ogden to finish up my shopping list.
13. JoAnn's......... Bought craft stuff to do with Camryn in November when we go down.
14. Sam's.........Plastic cups, napkins, forks, WATER
15. Walmart......... More fabric for my "I Spy" quilt I'm trying to get done (2 of them) for Christmas, Treyson birthday stuff, ice cube trays........ Why ice cube trays you might ask? I mean.... I do have an automatic ice maker in my freezer/fridge, right? WRONG !!!! Didn't I tell you, the RICH LUCK strikes again, and our Freezer BURNED UP (almost literally) in the last power outage last Saturday. I know, I know......... you are thinking it's like my VHS/DVD player huh?.....and not really broken........ Who knows. Birthday cards for Treyson and Zac (We are celebrating their birthdays this weekend)
16. Big 5 (Purchased a big exercise ball)
17. Back to Newgate Mall .........still no cell phone holder :( Rog will have to try again tomorrow.
18. Seagull Book. Man, I could go crazy in that place. Spent too much money.... oh well.... 3 books, 2 gifts, and 10 handouts for my Sunday School class .
19. 6:30 Head for home
20. Stopped at mom's/Zac's.... they are still working on the fence. (Are we surprised?) Zac is taking tomorrow off, and will hopefully get it all ready to do the final pour of the mow strip on Saturday. I suppose we will start putting up the vinyl rails (or what ever they are called) on Saturday afternoon also.
20 1/2. Camryn called and sang Happy Birthday to Treyson - it was just about the cutest thing you have ever heard. I'm going to try and get it recorded, and post a sound file. Too cute !!
21. Came home, bathed Treyson, did dishes, barbecued hamburgers.
22. Sat down at my computer :) Caught up on my blogs..... Talked to Annette.... I'm ready for bed. It was a good day - I was THANKFUL FOR IT !!

I haven't done this for a few weeks, and I thought it was about time. It's not that I'm not thankful for things, it's just that life gets in the way sometimes I guess.

*I am so grateful that I can attend the temple. I went on Tuesday night, and I just can't express how blessed I feel, to be able to go inside.

*I am so grateful to be a missionary mom. I treasure this time in my life.... only 14 more months, and it will be over. That will be a hard thing to see come to an end. I will be forever grateful that my son chose to keep a covenant that he made before he came to this earth.

*I am so grateful that Amanda and Camryn are doing so well in Arizona. I know it is through the power of prayer (from many people) that they have adjusted so well, especially Cam. She called Roger tonight, and was SOOOOOOOOO excited - "Only TWO more days Grandpa!"

*I am so grateful that we have the means to travel down to Arizona once more. We leave Friday night, and will be there through Labor Day. Cam's not the only one who is excited :)

Today I head to Arizona with my good friend Amy, and her daughter Lisa. They arrived last night about 8 pm from Spokane, WA - via Missoula, Montana where Lisa had attended and graduated from college. Lisa is now headed for A.T. Still University in Mesa,AZ to finish up her education - that girl is smart, and capable, and focused. Way to go Lisa ! Anyway, they had a loonnnnnnnnngggggggg drive from Missoula, and were glad to get here to Morgan. I was excited to "show" them MY town. I love Morgan, and I'm thankful I live here. We had a good time visiting and catching up with my parents and CJ & Zac. Lisa became Treyson's NEW BEST FRIEND. She was so cute with him, and they swung on the swings, and threw rocks in the creek, and........ he would have had her going all night if we would have let him :) After we cleaned up, we went over to the walking path and walked around it - dodging bugs in the dark. (I knew there was a reason I've never walked by the river after dark :) Today my mom is fixing us waffles for breakfast. I am so thankful for my mom (and dad). Amy and Lisa stayed there last night, because Zac and CJ and boys have taken over our basement, and it really would have been hard for them to pack up and move out, even for one night. The boys have had coughs and congestion for the past few days, but I'm thankful that they are on the mend. We are going to head out this morning about 8 am, and plan to stay tonight in Vegas. We'll catch the sights, Bellagio fountains, Treasure Island Pirates, Mirage Volcano, M & M factory, Old Town light show, Caesar's Forum.............. the list goes on and on. I am thankful I have been doing a lot of walking, because I have a feeling that we will put our legs to work tonight. On Friday morning, we'll head for Phoenix, and stop at Hoover Dam first. I'm excited to see their reaction - it is quite a sight. I am thankful they asked me to be part of their road trip, and that I'll be able to see Cam and Manda on Friday night ! Cam has called 2-3 times this past week, and she is anxious to see me. She still doesn't have the time concept down yet. I'm taking her a calendar, to see if that will help, with looking forward to different events this coming year. Roger called last night, and they have a plan to whip the Billings bakery into shape. If anyone can do it, I know Roger can. Unfortunately, this may involve more time spent up there than we expected. Hey !! I just thought of something, maybe after I get back, I can travel up there with him for another vacation !! Hey - I have many blessings to be thankful for !

I am thankful for good friends like Teresa Lake, who lets me hang out at the gym with her at *cough* 3:30 a.m. *cough*. It's amazing how good you feel (after it's over :)

I am thankful to have Zac and CJ living with us. The boys are fun to have around, and it's just been great. I'm sure at the end of 5 months, we'll be ready to be back to just the "old fogies", but I'm sure enjoying it now.

I am thankful for the telephone. Last night we called Camryn, and it was so cute to hear her and Treyson talk. She was coloring, and she asked Treyson if it was alright if she kept on coloring while she talked to him, and then she said if Treyson was a "good boy" she would color him a picture. She sure misses him. She begged me to bring him down when I go there at the end of the month. I sure with I could "snap" my fingers and have him there, without having to ride 14 hours in the car with him :)

I'm thankful that we can open our home to Zac and CJ and the boys. I'm sure there will be ups and downs, but so far (1 week) it's been great !

I'm thankful for the PROPERTY, where we can go and work, and play, and hangout. We are going to be there tomorrow, and Mom is fixing her famous Mt. Dew Chicken (Yum Yum)

I'm thankful it cools down at night here in Morgan. It is LOVELY !

I'm thankful for my health.

I'm thankful to be living in this FREE COUNTRY. Gotta LOVE it - Happy 4th tomorrow !

We are finished with with Assessment Roll !! Yahoo !! Only 3 weeks late....... not too bad, considering. We are going to have a celebration this morning with "rolls" and a meat and cheese tray and veggie tray.
This is the cleanest my desk has been for 11 months :)

I am thankful for good friends. Last night, we went to dinner with Annette and Roger P. We haven't done that for a long time. Life gets in the way sometimes. We went to Taggarts, and afterwards went to Envision Morgan at the middle school. Even though we may not see each other very often, or talk on the phone for awhile, it seems when we get together, it's just clicks. We have had alot of fun over the years. Roger P. and Roger D. (that's what we call my Roger) are the same age........ Let's see it looks like it will be a MAJOR milestone this year. We won't go into details, but let's just say the 1/2 of a century is a BIG DEAL :) Annette and I are a year apart, we me being the "more mature" of the two. We all grew up in Morgan, and attended High School together, but we didn't become friends until we moved into our "house on the hill" in 1986. Since that time, we've experienced babies being born (Landon, Karly, Blake), sisters dying, kids graduating, moms dying, grandparents dying, kids getting married, having grandbabies, kids buying houses, kids moving away, US moving from next door neighbors, to 7 miles apart....... the list goes on and on. Boy, the last 22 years have brought on many changes when you think about it, but we can still pick up the phone and talk, and share, and laugh, and catch up. If you were to guess, what do you think the NUMBER ONE topic of conversation that Annette and I have had over the years would be................?? Call me later today, Annette - I bet you hit the nail on the head !! I can hear you laughing now !

Boy, that week sure passed by quickly. I am THANKFUL to be home, and that we had a SAFE trip. We got Amanda and Camryn moved to Chandler, AZ without too much trouble. The ride down was done in two days, and Roger got his "fix" in Mesquite at the slots. We saw the new Indiana Jones movie Saturday night, and got up early Sunday, and headed out for AZ. We had to go down through Laughlin, because with the loaded trailer, they would not have let us go over Hoover Dam. The road between Wikieup and Wickenburg has been improved over the past 10 years (the first time we went down) and it is almost ALL a divided highway, which is much more safe. We pulled into Chandler about 2:30pm, and had everything unloaded by 3:30. The weather was JUST RIGHT. They have been having the coolest weather for the end of May (70-80's), that it is breaking "cool" records. The apartment is nice, and in a nice area. It is on the bottom floor, and Zac and Roger were happy about that :) I was able to deliver Landon's birthday package to Elder Toolson's parents, who are going to Peru to pick him up this weekend. We had dinner with Camryn that night, and also Therese and Mitch. We ate at Texas Roadhouse (Yum).

We left for home EARLY Monday morning to drive straight home, and Zac wanted to go over the dam this time. Since our trailer was empty, we did, and it was awesome as usual. The most amazing thing, was seeing the new road/bridge they are building to by-pass the dam. Check it out here. On the way home,near Provo, our alternator went out on the truck. This caused a 4-hour delay, while we fixed it in a parking lot near UVSC. We finally arrived home about 9:30 pm. We are so grateful that Zac went with us. Probably not the best way to spend his Memorial Day weekend, but Amanda sure appreciated it - and so did Roger's back and knees :)

Roger has the week off, but I've been to work. Still not finished with the assessment roll, but I'm working hard. Manda called today, and after 3 interviews on Tuesday and Wednesday, she was offered TWO JOBS !! She has accepted one of them, and will start on Monday. It is near her home, working for a group of ophthalmologists. I'm not surprised she was hired so fast, she is such a hard worker, and so smart and capable. Camryn is adjusting without too much trouble. She will start at the same pre-school/day care that she attended when she was down there last summer on Monday. Well, that's about it for the week.

I am thankful for Roger. I love my husband. He is a good guy. We have been together for 31 years - 33 if you count the dating years. He is a quiet guy, doesn't say too much. That used to drive me crazy, but I'm used to it now. He is a hard worker. He has integrity. He is honest. He has always taken such good care of our family. He drops everything to help others. He loves sports, especially watching our kids (back in the day) whether it was baseball, wrestling, football, soccer, t-ball..... He is a good companion. I love you Roger !

A good marriage does not require a perfect man or woman. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together towards perfection.

Sorry I'm always so late posting this. Most of you probably don't read it till Friday :). I have a hard time keeping up with both blogs, and I must admit, Landon's gets top priority.

I am thankful for my mom. She's the best mom. I don't tell her enough, how much I appreciate everything she does for me. Neither one of us are much for talking on the phone, and it can be a few days before we talk sometimes, but she would do anything for me, and I know it. It's just what you do - you ALWAYS take care of your kids, and help them out, etc. etc. I do for my kids, what my mom has taught me. Care for them, Pray for them, Help them with anything and everything. Love you Mom !!

I am thankful for the past 3 1/2 years that we have had with Manda and Camryn here in our home, and here in Morgan. The time is getting very short now, and they will be leaving. I know that it will never be the same - not really. Camryn has brought much joy into our lives, from the time they came to live with us when she was only 5 months old. She is now 4 - and getting smarter and more grown up everyday. We will surely miss them, but hope that all works out for the best down in AZ. I'm sure it will.

I want to you to LOOK at the time post on this one ! Yea !! I'm on the ball, thanks to Trin. She reminded me !

I'm thankful when I can sleep well. Last night WAS NOT a good one. For those of you who know my "sleeping situation", well all I can say is that IT NEEDS TO CHANGE !! Maybe I should do a "blog" about IT......put it out there for the WHOLE WORLD to see..... hmmmm...I'll have to think about that one.

I'm thankful for AMERICAN IDOL - Go David ?? Which one you ask?? I can't make up my mind. I am sorry to see Jason go, even though he sucked it up this week, and probably deserved it. I really can't believe that Syesha has made it THIS FAR ! It is really funny how Roger and I have gotten into it this year. We probably have NEVER taken to a show like we have this season of American Idol.

I am thankful for Dee Dee. She is the BEST !! She raised Landon from the time he was about 6 months old, until he went to kindergarten. She also raised Treyson's mom (Christel) - Now she has had a BIG INFLUENCE on my grandkids. They all go to her on either a full time or part time basis. I can honestly say that if she hadn't been SO GOOD....... Cam and Manda would have probably been headed to AZ a long time ago. Yesterday morning I went down and took some pics of all the kids. As soon as I get my butt in gear I'll get them posted. Yea Diane - YOU ARE THE BEST BABYSITTER upon the face of the earth. I am NOT exaggerating.

I am thankful for "The Property". Even though at this time of the year it is a BIG PAIN, cleaning up all of the branches that the trees have shed over the past 8 months. We have scheduled a WORK DAY for this Saturday, and hopefully can make a dent in it. We are also celebrating Cam's birthday. The weatherman says it will be great, so that is good. It is so fun to meet there, and work, and relax, and play.

I am thankful for my job. It is REALLY REALLY stressful this time of year, but I enjoy the work, and it's getting done, and it's a good feeling to work a card/property, and put it IN THE DONE PILE !!! Yahoo !

I am thankful for reading glasses.............Man, my eyes are getting BAD. I was trying to thread the needle on my sewing machine tonight, and wow....it was just a blur.

I am thankful that it is NOT supposed RAIN on Saturday. So the Multi-Family Yard Sale is ON !! We'd love to see you there, so come on over on the corner next to the mortuary.

I am thankful for MCFITCLUB - it's fun working with others towards a common goal. I'm going to try ANOTHER one too.

I am thankful that Landon is enjoying the "jungle". He is always so positive and happy. I am one lucky mom.

I am thankful that we have had the opportunity to be near our granddaughter AND daughter for the past 3 1/2 years. That is coming to an end shortly (24 more days). We will miss them, but are optimistic, and hoping for the best for them in AZ.

We have started a new thing at work. Hopefully it will help me/us out. It has been a real positive thing. Check it out here.

Spring !! It's supposed to be a great NEXT couple of days !!

Bikes !! Roger and I pulled out the bikes, and have been riding a little bit. I'll post pics soon.

Remember the power outage? Well, I spoke too soon when I said nothing was ruined. Our VCR/DVD combo bit the dust. So I am thankful NOTHING ELSE did. Does anyone know if I can petition Rocky Mountain Power for money for a replacement? I'm not very hopeful, but I'm going to make a call tomorrow.

My family. I love them all so very much.

My computer - What would I do without it?

Just so you know..............I'm posting this at 11:30 PM on Thursday - I didn't forget:) In fact, I've been thinking about what I wanted to post.

I am thankful for Mike R. He is the reason Landon is on a mission. His influence YEARS ago, and his friendship, made a huge turnaround for Landon in middle school. Thank you Michael.

I am thankful for Pacome Z. He was Landon's Sunday School teacher back in 2000. He and his class came to our house, with a PERSONAL invite. "Please come to our class..........we miss you." Landon and I weren't even home (we had completely forgotten about the appointment). It made such an impression though. We thought - if they had enough guts, and thought enough about us, to make such an effort - we would respond. Thank you Thank you Thank you.

I an thankful I had the opportunity to work in the Young Women program in our ward from 2001 to 2007. I get to reap some of the rewards tomorrow. Katie R. is getting married in the Bountiful Temple, and I'm going. I am so proud of her. She is one of the choice ones. She and her family moved from our ward a couple of years ago, and we miss them ! I'm good friends with her mom, Teresa, and will be helping with the wedding luncheon and open house tomorrow. I'll post pictures soon.

Parents - I am thankful for my parents. They are a good example to me, and have always been willing to help me and my family in whatever we need. I love them very much.

Friends - I visit teach with Michelle, and we visit Shara, Jill and Penny. They are all such good women, and we enjoy getting together and sharing with each other. We went to visit them tonight, and it was great. I love each one of them.

The days getting longer, my furnace, 2 pt. muffins, my scriptures, my sewing machine, my computer, Monday's (email day), my Sunday School class, etc. etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.................