Bits of Life

Family goal: to live happily ever after

Avery's goal: to eat

 

Zachery's goal: to have fun

 

 

Choose You This Day

Even though it's Saturday after Thanksgiving, I'm going to add my last "day of thanks".  The whole 4 days really seem like the one Thanksgiving day.

I put my most thankful things on my list already.  There are many little things that make life better or easier that I could add.  Hmmm... (I never liked doing a rough draft, I'd just skip to final copy).  Alright, here it is: I am thankful for my agency or freedom to choose!  I'm blessed to be born in a country that allows us our freedom.  I'm grateful for good parents who taught us at a young age about choice and accountability.  I like being the boss of me :).  If I want to do something, all things considered that I want to consider, I can.  It's also on my head if it's a wrong choice.  Now mind you, I don't make great choices all the time, so don't look my way.  ;)

We know that freedom isn't free.  Not in our country's freedom, nor in our spiritual free agency.  We can choose to be happy, or not.  We can choose to help, or not, ect.  I am thankful for this life to choose who I want to be, and with the Lord's help, I can be better than even I thought possible. 

Go make a good choice!

Smile

There's too many options to choose from. 

Health.  If you have it, great and if you don't, it's everpresent (is that a word?).  A good portion of our earthly experience is with this human body.  It houses our spirits and hopefully, lets us do it all, walk, breathe, talk, eat, sleep, laugh,....  But if we don't have good health, temporary or otherwise, how does that effect us?  When I had the flu in October, I felt miserable for 3 days and wanted to die.  Time passes and eventually you feel better.  "But if not..." what would you do?

I'm grateful for good health.  I grateful that I can run, see, hear (partially), talk, use my hands and feel no pain.  We need some illnesses to appreciate our magnificent bodies. 

Our Savior's Love

I'm thankful for the living gospel of Jesus Christ.  To know He lives and loves us.  His church is on the earth and in it we can bless not only our lives, but the lives around us all by living the gospel.  Every good thing in this life is from our Heavenly Father and testify to us that He lives.  I'm thankful to know the truth of who I am, where I came from and what happens after this life.  I'm thankful for our Savior, for His sacrifice and love for us!

Be That Friend, Be That Kind...

I've missed another day, so I need 3 things today.

I'm thankful for trash pick-up.  It's a small thing, but we accumulate so much and I don't like seeing it, so it makes me happy getting it hauled off, by someone else. :)

I'm thankful for FRIENDS!!!  Yay.  I have been blessed with great friends in my life.  Friends growing up in Colorado Springs, from BYU days, from my mission in Brazil, from post-college in CO, and since I've been married.  Spice of life, that's what it is.  You all have friends and know.  .  I had a neighbor out in Provo one year who said he didn't keep in contact with old friends, once he'd moved, ect.  How sad, and I even told him so (maybe it's a guy thing).  I'm grateful for all the laughs and adventures and hope to be the kind of friend I want to have.

I'm thankful for holidays.  They're something to plan for and have get togethers - food, friends, family, fun.  Any excuse for a party.  Of course, my favorite holiday is Christmas which brings in a spiritual aspect.  Christmas could get it's own thankful day.  It makes me thankful for everything.  To know we have a Heavenly Father and a Savior who love us and want to bless us as we listen and obey.

What are you thankful for?

School Days

I missed Friday's post, so today I'll double up.

"The glory of God is intelligence."

I'm thankful for school, all kinds.  I'm so glad Zach has started school, that he's learning and loves it.  We're so grateful for Eric's law degree to provide for our family.  I've always liked school, but overall I loved college the best.  The prophet has encouraged us to get an education so we can be better people in our homes and in the community.  It can change your view of the world and prepares you better for the world.

School is a social experience too and making and keeping friendships along the way only serve to enhance it all.  Go school!

Second Day of Thanks

Yo soy grata por mi casa.  Our house!  We lived in an apt. for 6 years, during which we had two kids (and 2 sets of crazy, druggy, violent neighbors).  I love having the space, the four walls all to ourselves.  I can vacuum whenever I want and not worry about bugging the neighbors.:)   Even though there are things that need fixing/updating around here (no comments on our decor), it is a home for all that's precious to me.  It makes me feel grown up, finally.  I'm thankful that we didn't get the other house we thought we wanted.  I love our backyard and all the plants we inherited.  There was something blooming all summer.

Well, a home is where your heart is, and I'm glad our heart is in this one.

I didn't have a nice shot of our house, so I added photos taken at home.

(Okay, in this last one, I look a little drugged up, but I'm not.)

7 Days of Thanksgiving

I'm taking this idea from a friend from the pacific northwest ;).  I'm too late for the 12 days, so I'll do a week.  These are in no particular order, mind you, well except for this one, which IS #1.

Day #1 -  I am thankful for MY FAMILY.  I'm one lucky gal.  I met my husband and right away I knew he was something special.  Here we are in holy Toledo struggling happily to live the American dream, our version of it anyway. :)  Zachery and Avery are two opposite peas in a pod and she considers him her best friend.  I love them all so much and know I'm crazy blessed.

Over The Top!

It all started when I heard that the circus was in town and that they would be unloading the animals from the train and walking them through the streets to the arena. A frugal father thought, take Zach to this "parade" and you can save $11 bucks a ticket to The Greatest Show on Earth" and you'll still be the Greatest Dad for a Day... perfect. Perfect plan that is.

The "parade" only suckered me into buying tickets. I talked up the fact that we would see circus animals all day. Then at 8:15 we leave for downtown. I thought we could park in my office's garage, and watch from the sky bridge that connects it to the SeaGate center; the animals would walk right under us.

I had delusions of what this all would be. I pictured tigers on leashes growling at the little kids, Elephants waiving their trunks, clowns running around, etc.... Well, we pulled in the garage, still no sign of the animals, but plenty of people. 3 minutes later, we were parked, and on the sky bridge. All we saw was big bus moving towards us down Jefferson, with nothing behind it. I thought that's strange, where are the elephants... so I turned the other way only to see the back side of some horses as they closed the gates! That was it. What kind of circus is this? How could that be it?

Zach was upset, crying in fact, and he wouldn't stop saying that he wanted to see the snails, (not sure why he thought snails were in the circus.) I tried to give him a glimpse through over the arena wall where the elephants were now in tents, it was too dark to really see them.

Needless to say, the ride home was full of disappointment on the part of a tired four year old. "They can't sleep in tents Daddy, we have to go back, they need to go back to the zoo to sleep. I'm sorry, Zach we can't see them tonight, they need to rest so they can do their tricks in the morning. Can we see them in the morning Dad?" AHHHHHHH

My moment of cheep glory was a complete bust. I broke down and bought tickets online that night, so much for saving a buck a looking like a hero to boot. Despite it all, I am so glad it worked out this way.

Zach and I had a great day, spending some one on one time. We had breakfast at the Spitzer Arcade where a number of judges and lawyers hang out over the lunch hour. Then we stopped in the office so Zach could meet some of the guys before going to the pre-show. HE LOVED IT ALL. It was our first circus, and we had a blast. The only thing that could have made it better would have been to have the girls with us. Avery has been coughing a lot and spitting up almost everything she eats.

The new arena is beautiful, and the show was spectacular. Here are some pictures (taken on my phone so sorry for the poor quality).

Fall Moments

The kids were cheering at the deli counter.  The lady was in no hurry, so I got a picture of something we do all too often, grocery shop.

Avery swinging in our backyard.  The photo may seem like it's a scary smile, but she was not going for that look.

Ta da!  Leaf jumping!

Zach says, "ready, setty, go!"

We had a ton of leaves in our yard and Zachery had a blast jumping into the pile, and getting buried in the leaves.

pretty red tree, do you know what kind it is?

Side Cut Park - it was beautiful

cute kiddies
kind of blurry, but you get the drift.  I love the pony tails on this girl.  She has her dad's straight hair and it's a Pippy Longstocking look I  dig.

I love the unexpected warm fall days!  Tomorrow is supposed to get up to 66 degrees!