Blast From The Past

Atlanta November 1997

Here are the New Jersey and Florida cousins

all dressed for Church. We were in Atlanta for Thanksgiving,

yet....it was a SURPRISE! Right after this photo was taken,

we headed to Church where Grandma (my mom) was sitting

up front with the Choir. Our herd managed to walk into the

chapel and be seated without Grandma even noticing.

It wasn't long before our presence was known and the

Thanksgiving Week Celebrations were in full swing

Curt is holding Katherine and Jeffrey is holding Nicole.

Here the cousins are on the first day of a

NEW THANKSGIVING TRADITION....

Eating Out!

Everyone is dressed and ready to enjoy a meal.The girls

are in their Old Navy clearance Matchy-Matchy Dresses...

the boys...they are thankful on this Thanksgiving Day that

I could NOT find matching clothes for THEM!

On a sad note, while we were at this Thanksgiving Dinner,

my Grandma passed away out in Utah. Shortly after this family

gathering, many of us headed to Utah for her funeral.

I know you are wondering what type of hair gel Jeffrey used

back in the day....I am not certain which brand...I am only

certain that he used it in LARGE amounts.

Every Picture Tells a Story...In this case...Two pictures do the job!

On The List

Parenting....Round 2

On My Gratitude List

My energy level may not be what it was in my 20's during

Parenting Round 1, yet I am absolutely grateful for the

blessing of having these little

(OK, not so little...they are growing like weeds) girls.

They are delightful. Even with the challenges we face with

Katherine and Aspergers Syndrome

(which becomes more and more pronounced with age)

I would not have life any other way.

I seriously can not picture my life without them. My nest
would have been "empty" three years ago..something I
would have not been ready for.Being a mother is the best "job" in the world. I loved being a mother
to the boys when I was 20 and now I am happy I have
had the opportunity to "extend my contract" by having little
ones later in life. I know...I know...even when they leave the
nest...I am still mothering...it is just different once they fly away
and only land at home occasionally.

Another part to this list...
Parenting Both sets of children with the same man...
my dear husband and friend, Ron.
Life is good.

What Counts The Most

Thanksgiving.....

"It is not what is on the table the counts

as much as who is on the chairs"

Three out of the past four Thanksgivings have been spent

in Gainesville, Florida at our favorite

"All You Can Eat"

Thanksgiving Buffet

When given a choice, my favorite thing to "make" for

Thanksgiving Dinner is....Reservations!

Being with people I love is the most important detail of

Thanksgiving. I wish all of my children and extended family

could be together for Thanksgiving, yet as everyone

grows up and is scattered across the country, it becomes

less and less of a possibility. I am grateful I could spend

Thanksgiving Day with loved ones.

Alison and Jeffrey on their first married Thanksgiving!

Ahhhhhh....
After Dinner, it is time to take the
"I am happy and beyond full shots"

My dad and mom joined us for dinner and then a spirited game

of Phase 10...what else did you think I would say?

This morning, rather than hit Black Friday sales, we left

Gainesville and headed to Orlando. Katherine and Megan got

to spend the afternoon with Grandpa and Grandma while

Ron and I went to the Orlando Temple.

Attending the Temple is the PERFECT start to

The Christmas Season.

Happy Happy

Giving Thanks Makes Me Happy!

Happy Thanksgiving!

My 2008 Gratitude List is Miles and Miles Long!

Holiday Blast From The Past

Thanksgiving 1981

Curt's First Thanksgiving...Lake Worth, FL

Four Months Old

Little did he know that on Thanksgiving 2008, he would be moving in to his new home in Michigan with his wife, Carmen.

Yes...The Love Nest is signed, sealed, and delivered.

Curt and Carmen are spending Thanksgiving in their new home.

For photos and details

Click HERE

Note the outfit Curt is wearing. He was taught well in his youth....I promise.
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Housewarming!

There is a saying about moving in when it is raining or snowing. They live in Michigan, so rain or snow is a real possibility all winter long.

Something about if it rains or snows while you are moving in, you will have good luck while you live in that house. The odds for bad weather are stacked in their favor.

Have you ever heard that?

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving Blessings...

Today, I am thankful for my husband and best friend, Ron. There are few other people walking this planet who are as kind and deep down good as he is. Ron is more than I deserve or could have ever hoped for in a husband, father to our children, and friend to all. I love him dearly!

I am also thankful to live in FLORIDA...Ron's home and now MY home..... OUR Home. I spent so many years NOT LIKING South Florida and wanting to move anywhere but here. The details are for another day and another post.

After 28 years, I am thankful to call Florida my home. I love where I live, my dear friends, my Ward (my Church Congregation), the schools my children attend, my neighbors and neighborhood, my community. my local Publix grocery store, going out and about town and knowing so many people by name and them knowing me, my parents living close by, having an LDS Temple less than 3 hours away by car, the beaches, the majestic sky and clouds, the lush green, the winters of planting flowers outside and wearing shorts and flip flops as I Christmas shop, even Hurricane Season (yes, you read that correctly).....there is so much to love and be thankful for.

This list is not even scratching the surface. The irony is that I NEVER thought I would actually LIKE, let alone LOVE living here. So many things I thought were bad have turned out for the better.

Life is good and I humbly acknowledge a loving Heavenly Father who has poured out abundance on me and my family. I know I live in Florida for a reason and I will continue to "bloom where I am planted".

Happy Thanksgiving!

It feels so good to Give Thanks!

What are You Thankful For?

Share....

Thanksgiving Tire Pump

The Thanksgiving Tire Pump
Today, in a most humbling way, I was reminded of how grateful I am to hop in my dependable car, drive to my chosen destination and return home with little or no incident.

Plant this image in your mind....A woman was in the school parking lot using a Bicycle Tire Pump to put air in her CAR Tires. I saw her this MORNING AND this AFTERNOON...same routine...
Drop the kids off, park the car, get out and put air in the tire...
Even more humbling...I have seen her do this off and on over the past week or two...And she has been smiling every time I see her out there filling the tire. Maybe she is grateful to have a way to drive her children to and from school...even if she has to fill the tire at pick-up and drop-off times.

I don't know this woman. I have never seen her around school, other than in the parking lot filling her tire. She looks like she has a tough life, yet a pleasant attitude.
Today, I resolved TWO THINGS:

• I am going to find out how to help her get a new tire(s)
• I will never take the air in my tires for granted, or any other aspect of my car that operates without a hitch every day.

This week of Thanksgiving, I am thankful for dependable, comfortable transportation! Of late... I am thankful for the much lower cost to fill my gas tank!

Have you ever seen someone use a Bicycle Tire Pump to fill a Car Tire? How do you think I should help this woman get a new tire?

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving Week? I am loving reading the responses on your blogs.

Thanksgiving Week

Happy Thanksgiving Indeed

The Thanksgiving Holiday is so easy...no second guessing what to say.....Christmas? Hanukkah? Easter? Passover? etc. It is simply Happy Thanksgiving. No Happy Holiday for this one...being direct is generally safe....Happy Thanksgiving.

I am making it a point to say Happy Thanksgiving vs Happy Turkey Day...Hello......When did it come to celebrating a Turkey?

Each day this week, I will list at least one thing I am thankful for...will you, my friends in the blogosphere do the same? Even if it one day this week, take the time to make a Gratitude List.

Here is my first listing:

I am thankful for Health Insurance and Medical Care. Each time we contemplate Ron not having a job (he is in the Construction Industry, after all, and every day he has a job is a blessing at this point in economic history) one of the things we panic about is keeping our Health Insurance.

What are you thankful for today?

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Got Blessings?

Make A Blessing Box

This is my favorite fall/Thanksgiving Family Tradition

This is an ideal Craft/Activity for adults or children.

Click HERE for details and directions.

A Blessing Box brings depth and meaning to the Season

of Thanksgiving, often skipped over from Halloween

straight to Christmas.

Enjoy!

You may remember this from last year. It is worth mentioning

every year at this time.

Prayer Of Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving

One more Thanksgiving Tradition to share:

The Prayer we say at our Thanksgiving Dinner is one of Thanks Only.

We don't ask for anything..We focus on our blessings. This, along with our

Blessing Box tradition, bring a beautiful spirit to Thanksgiving Day.

When we are at a Restaurant or with a crowd for Thanksgiving, we open our Blessing Box and give our prayer of Thanks Only, earlier in the day.

My personal prayers on Thanksgiving Day are also focused more on Thanks.

I love the perspective this gives. Knowing I will be praying with Thanks Only , I am more conscious of the many things I have to be thankful for during the days preceding Thanksgiving.

Happy Thanksgiving To All

Happy Thanksgivng

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Is All About Counting Blessings...

The Feast Is Secondary.

Count Your Blessings... The mere thought will make you smile!

Enjoy Your Family, Friends, and Traditions

Click here and here to view my favorite Thanksgiving Traditions

We are preparing to head to Gainesville, FL for Thanksgiving Dinner with my parents, my brother, Brent, Jeffrey, Alison, Kristen (Alison's room mate) Alan (Ron's Brother) and his friend, Cindy. We will enjoy my favorite style of Thanksgiving Dinner.... Eating Out!

I love Thanksgiving and the opportunity to ponder the blessings in my life.

Thanksgiving....

Thanksgiving Indeed....

Read the blog of John and Katie K.!!.

Katie's recovery is a true miracle. I am so thankful for their friendship, her healing, and the many, many more years we have as friends!

The Cancer is gone, and she was given the green-light to go on the cruise they have been planning for this entire year. Happy Sailing, John and Katie. Enjoy every minute of your cruise and life together!

Friends, prayer, miracles, and medicine... just a few of the huge blessings I am thankful for!

Thanksgiving Tradition

I Love The Season of Giving Thanks...

Blessing Snack Mix

Another tried and true Thanksgiving Tradition..

As I tell the story of Thanksgiving, each item is added. This is a perfect activity/snack for a group of children, teens, or adults. It looks and tastes great. Making this with a group provides an opportunity to discuss the first Thanksgiving and the sacrifices made by the Pilgrims.

Blessing Mix

Each ingredient symbolizes something associated with Thanksgiving. You may adjust the amounts and/or ingredients to fit the size or tastes of your group. Use a large bowl and gently stir each item in as it is added.

• 2 C. Bugle Brand Corn Snacks (shaped as a cornucopia, a horn of plenty)
• 2C. Mini Pretzels (represents hands folded in thanks and prayer)
• 1 C. Candy Corn (During the first winter, when food was scarce, the Pilgrims were each allotted only 5 kernels of corn per day.
• 2 C. White Mini- Marshmallows (There was snow and the pilgrims were cold)
• 2 C. Fall Color M&M's (Representing the colors of fall)
• 1 C Candy Pumpkins, like Brachs mallow (representing a bounteous harvest)
• 1 C. Raisins or other dried fruit (In celebration of the fruits of the harvest)
• 1 C. Peanuts, sunflower seeds, or other nuts (seeds represent a bounteous harvest for the next season if planted and tended well)

This is also a great gift. I mix it together and place some snack mix in a clear bag with a card attached giving the above recipe and explanation of each ingredient. It always gets rave reviews. If you make this as a group, plan to have the recipe printed, you will get several requests.

Thanksgiving Family Tradition

Now...On To a Real Holiday....

Blessing Box

A Tradition That Develops An Attitude of Gratitude

Leaping from Halloween to Christmas with only a slight nod in the direction of Thanksgiving is something I work diligently to avoid as a person and as a mother.

The Tradition of a Blessing Box has provided a meaningful way to celebrate Thanksgiving.

We start on November 1.

Our Blessing Box is placed in a prominent location. At the side of the box are strips of paper and a pencil. Daily, each family member is to write down at least one blessing he/she is thankful for and place the strip inside the box. On Thanksgiving Day, when we sit down for dinner, we open the box and go around the table reading each paper with the blessing listed. If we are gone or with a large group for Thanksgiving Dinner, we read the papers the night before or some time close the Thanksgiving Dinner. As we read the blessings listed, it is an incredible reminder of how blessed we are. We laugh, cry, try to guess who wrote some of the silly things, etc.

Your box does not need to be fancy, in fact, it does not need to be a box.. it can be an envelope, a jar, a bowl, a family dish, whatever container you would like. I have purchased beautiful cookie tins to give as Blessing Box gifts. However, the container does not have to be decorated. The important focus is the daily listing of blessings. Find a container you will actually use and one that will fit your life.

I have made Blessing Boxes with children and had them decorate shoe boxes or, at other times decorated Large Manila envelopes.
How did I decorate my box.... this was a plain, unfinished wood box.

Here is how I got it to look so festive...

• Separate the box and the lid.
• Work on a large piece of Waxed Paper
• Coat bottom and lid with Regular Elmers Glue (You can used Mod Podge)
• Press on small torn pieces (around 2" squares-give or take) of fall print napkins (if they are 2-ply, separate the layers and use the top layer)
• Make sure all of the box is covered. Around the edges, make sure to press the pieces of napkin inside the rims.
• When the box is covered, add another layer of glue.
• Let dry and it will be clear and shiny.
• Spray with a coat of clear sealer (Optional)

I give Blessing Boxes as gifts every year with a short note explaining how we use our box as a family and how it has given meaning to our Thanksgiving Celebration.

Whether you are alone, an empty-nester, or living with a family, I invite you to embrace this Blessing Box tradition as part of your Season of Thanksgiving.

The world around me becomes more beautiful, enjoyable, and positive as I note my blessings daily! Yours will, also.