Thank-ful

the definition...

1. Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful

2. Expressive of gratitude

We're sitting around the table, and it's my turn to share. So many thank.ful.ness... 

• family - everyone before me and everyone after me!
• grandchildren and being a grandmother
• children
• brothers and sisters (especially sisters.. now that parents have passed away)
• parents
• hubby 
• grandparents and ancestors
• good examples
• home 
• food (too many to list -- I love the taste of food!)
• Thanksgiving dinner... especially turtle pumpkin pie and bread and butter pickles
• clean sheets on my bed
• my body; ears to hear, eyes to see, nose to smell yummy stuff, taste, the feel of things, ten fingers, ten toes, a mind to think, and everything else that keeps me alive... wow! the body is truly amazing.
• my spirit
• clothes
• shoes
• p.l.
• relaxing
• holidays
• running water
• hot shower
• engagement calendar (can't live without it!) -- I haven't converted to i-phone, nor do I have future plans to do so. I like to write things down on paper, see it, and check it off!
• talking to my children - prefer in person, but on the phone will do
• heat
• air conditioning
• a clean house
• order (not chaos)
• inspirational and landscape paintings
• faith & testimony
• temple
• scriptures
• Jesus Christ
• prayer
• family history books
• forgiveness
• sun
• rain
• snow
• good hair days
• hair color
• flowers - tulips, daisies, roses
• chocolate anything!
• microwave
• orchard
• garden
• health
• computer
• blogger
• scrapbooks
• journals
• telephone
• financial security
• quilts
• socks on my feet
• talents
• children who are good citizens
• Utah
• mountains
• ocean
• America
• constitution of the United States
• the right to vote
• American flag
• soldier - especially mine!
• freedom of religion, right to bear arms, speech
• family heirlooms
• family outings & adventures
• week dates
• coke 
• Suzie Q's and Snowballs (sad tears)
• holidays
• no schedule!
• yard 
• trees
• living in the country
• being able to see the stars in the night sky
• a good book
• a good doctor
• breathing in clean air
• color; bright colors
• snuggles and cuddles from grand babies
• nature
• protection
• safety
• personal history books (parents, ancestors)
• thoughtful gifts
• daughters that are nurses
• friendship and companionship with youngest daughter (lives close by and doesn't work outside the home)
• work
• humor
• laughter
• kindness
• compassion
• thoughtfulness
• quiet
• beauty 
• peacefulness
• respectfulness
• comfort
• education
• great ideas!
• memories of home
• creating something
• my own office
• space (like not in my face kind of space)
• alone time
• having someone else cook... that means eating out! 
• visiting historical sites
• taking trips in and out of the country (that doesn't mean I'm thankful for airplanes.. I would rather not fly)
• car
• light
• my bed - heavenly!
• old, worn, and loved again treasures!
• sunset
• sunrise
• Sunday drive
• inspirational music
• Christmas music
• Christmas lights on Temple Square
• LIFE!
• LOVE!

I think a grateful journal sounds like a good thing for next year to help remind me of all the blessing I have in my life. 

Thankful Notes

Here's a Thanksgiving tradition we do at our house. I have slips of paper and pens set out for family members to write down something they are thankful for. When we are eating pie, we  take turns sharing our thankful notes. It helps us more fully recognize and count our blessings and prepares our hearts for the Christmas season.

What are you thankful for?

Writing prompts:  #2 - Share what you are thankful for

#3 - Tell us about a favorite Thanksgiving tradition

Bucket List

Four year old Missy Moo called me today and excitedly said, "grandma, it snowed." "It's Christmas!" Winter is coming.

She asked if I were going to put up the BIG Christmas tree this year. I told her I wanted to put up a smaller one this year. She said, "but I like the BIG one". SO NOW WHAT!

When we built the house a couple of years ago, I knew exactly what Christmas was going to look like. The two story entry would have a beautiful 12 foot Christmas tree in front of the curved stairway leading to the second level. The banisters and rails on the stair case and overlooking the family room and front entry would have beautiful sweeping green garlands decked with red ribbons and white lights. It requires a full day of doing just the tree and banisters, with the kids' help. And it is beautiful! The first year with the new tree, each of the grandchildren got a glass ball to decorate and hang on the tree. It has their name on it with the year. They look forward to hanging them every year. But this year is different. 

Every five years we take all the kids on a trip to the Homestead Inn Resort in Midway. We spend three days there, ending on Christmas Eve, enjoying each others company and doing winter activities together. I try and get all my shopping done in November (NO BLACK FRIDAY for me... I avoid that day at all costs). This year is easy... the gift is the trip. Being together and creating memories as a family far outweighs any material gift they could ever receive. So I have been told. They are all looking forward to the trip. So this year... we will follow a few traditions and make a new one or two.

This year's Winter bucket list will be centered on Family, featuring SNOW and CHRISTMAS!

1. Countdown to Christmas always starts the first day of December. I get each family something to help count the days to Christmas. I change it up every year to make it exciting, and it usually includes service projects and family activities. This year each family will get a book written by Emily Freeman, A Christ-centered Christmas, and a Nativity set. 

They will learn more about Mary, Joseph, the Shepard, the Wise Men, the angles, Jesus, and the animals as they count the days to Christmas and place each figure in the creche.

2. Decorate the house. Nativity sets are displayed around the house and are the focus of my decorating scheme. After all, Christ is the reason for celebrating the season.

 My list includes:

A cardboard paper scene I got in Primary 45 years ago, and it will still sit on the piano I played 45 years ago, too!

Willow Tree Nativity set

Miniature Thomas Kinkade Nativity scene that lights up

A hand-painted porcelain Nativity from my mother's collection

Translucent white Nativity figures that light up


Miniature resin Count-down to Christmas Nativity set

Candle-powered creche from Germany

Large porcelain and fabric covered Nativity set

Large picture of the first Christmas scene that I hang on the wall in the front entry

A cradle filled with straw set out under the BIG Christmas tree. A doll representing baby Jesus is placed in the cradle Christmas Eve.

3. Make Turtles (I made turtles with my mother for over 30 years and will continue to do so with my daughters for the next 20 years or so, too!)

Homestead Inn Christmas... all 29 of us!

What will we do....

4. Make snow angles

5. Build snowmen

6. Tube down the hills at Soldier Hollow

7. Ice skate

8. Play games - inside board games and outside games like Fox & Geese (does anyone remember that one?)

9. Watch "It's a Wonderful Life"

10. Cook together; Eat together

11. Drink Hot Chocolate, snuggled up in a blanket in front of the fireplace.

12. Read and Act out the Christmas Story 

So there you have it. This year's WINTER BUCKET LIST  for December is simple, fun, and at someone else's place! I can just enjoy the kids and grand kids throughout the month of December without any worries, stresses, shopping, or hassle. We'll just play and bake! 

We'll see what January and February have in store....


What's on your Winter Bucket list?

writing prompt #1: Share your winter bucket list 

Fall is Here!

What better way to celebrate Fall than doing some of my favorite things. I will call it my

Fall Bucket List

1. Carve jack-o-lanterns with the grand kids

2. Go for a drive up the canyon with the hubs, take a picnic and gather colorful leaves

3. Plan Harvest Fest... an annual event with the family to celebrate the end of harvest

4. Make scarecrows with the kids and grand kids

5. Birthday lunch with a favorite sister to celebrate both our birthdays (one week apart)

6. Create a Homestead Christmas Shutterfly book 

7. Plan this year's three-day Homestead Inn Christmas at Midway

8. Decorate Home for Fall Holidays

9. Visit Mom and Dad's grave

10. Cook up Halloween treats, a new Autumn dish, and make desserts that include pumpkin and apples... yummm!

Beautiful Fall Leaves... Sardine Canyon

Harvest Fest

We usually center Harvest Fest around a theme. One year we did Pirates. The kids had to follow a treasure map. When they got to the bottle of (root)beer. They had to sing 20 bottles of beer on the wall, while dancing around the tree. At the end of the hunt, they had to dig up a treasure box filled with coins, necklaces, and other pirate treasures. It was a very fun year. We also do a Spooky Hollow Forest walk through the orchard where they follow clues from a story to collect prizes as they encounter graveyards and bones, bats and ghosts, and a witch at the end. They have to grab their last prize from the witch's hut and run to the tractor and trailer that is filled with straw bales. Grandpa then takes them on a hay ride back to the barn. Harvest Fest is one of the big things I look forward to in the Fall.

Fall is my favorite season. I love to decorate the house, porch, and yard with gourds, pumpkins, leaves, and candles. A daughter, who is very creative with florals, made me the beautiful Fall wreath for my door. The witch in the center is my daughter-in-law who played the witch at the end of the Spooky Hollow Forest walk.

Homestead Inn Christmas

This is a big event that we do every five years. We take the family to the Homestead Resort in Midway for three days, just before Christmas. We ice skate, ride the Polar Express, tube, sleigh ride, play games, play in the snow, and exchange gifts around the Christmas tree. On Sunday, before going home, everyone dresses in their best and we go to Sunday Brunch together. I am looking forward to this year's family Christmas at the Homestead and can't wait to finalize the plans.

As you can tell, all my favorite things center around family! 

Writing prompt #5:  Fall is here! List your 10 favorite things about this Fall