Saturday, December 27, 2008

Holiday Frivolity

Ok, so I know haven't posted a whole lot this month, but really, you didn't want to read what I would have written. Ok, it wouldn't have been that bad, but I have been ridiculously busy, so it would have been really quick! Here, then, for your reading/viewing pleasure, is some of what I've been up to this holiday season!!


We went to the town's Old Fashioned Christmas where we....
...won stuff at the fishing pond...
...painted our faces
...decorated some cookies
...walked down the street for some hot chocolate and doughnuts...
...and saw Santa (we met up with TJ's best friend from church, Cayden)...


We had lots of fun. The only not so great part was when the balloon lady gave TJ a purple hat with a pink bow. Not so macho. Hmmm....
Later in the month, I had my staff Christmas party. Its always formal, which is super fun. I LOVE getting dressed up. While I was in Great Falls for black Friday, I found this AWESOME fabric at Joannes which I LOVE! It totally inspired me and I got it to make a gown for the party and here it is...

And these are the lovely ladies I get to work with!

We decorated a Gingerbread House. Ok, I did the icing and TJ, with minimal help from James, put on all the candy. TJ really has a mind of his own, wish there was something I could do about that....

and here is the finished product...

We went to our ward Christmas party. I didn't take any pictures while we were there, but here is TJ just as we were about to leave!

We did some baking...
some nuts and bolts (courtesy of James)
...some chocolates (waiting to be dipped)...

...some peanut brittle...

...and an army of gingerbread men (and ladies)...
We spent Christmas Eve with James' family...

We got some pjs Christmas Eve which we wore while opening presents at our place Christmas morning. James was such a sport to wear the pants I made. He really isn't much of a pj kind of guy!

TJ wore his toolbelt forever and was too busy hammering everything in site to really focus on opening presents for a while...

We went to Manda and Tem's in the evening on Christmas Day to open some more presents and play games, where TJ got his big present from Grandma and Grandpa Thornhill...

I'm not sure who was more excited, James or TJ. So fun!! And here is TJ wearing his new robe I made for him and the great slippers Cheryl made for him. So cute! I love them!

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Finally...

Ok, so this past month has not been the best for me. Usually, I'm super into Christmas, but this year, I just haven't really cared that much. I'm still nowhere near as excited as usual, but I am feeling more Christmas-y. We went to our ward party tonight and it helped me remember that, even if I'm not excited about the gifts ecetera I am excited to have the opportunity to reflect on the birth of our Savior. Merry Christmas everyone!

Friday, December 5, 2008

I Just Couldn't Resist...

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

I Heart My Label Maker!



If you have been anywhere near my sewing room lately (and if you have I sincerely apologize) you would have seen something like this. Ok, actually this because these are the pictures I took of it!


All of my stuff was spread throught the dining room and my sewing room and was EVERYWHERE!! I've been so sick I just haven't had the energy to do more than what I absolutely had to do, so cleaning got put on a way back burner. But, Tuesday, I decided enough is enough! With my handy dandy label maker in tow, I got to work! And now, here is my beautiful sewing room!!


All that fabric is stuff I've got projects in mind for. Not Christmas projects, just sewing-in-my-spare-time (lol) projects.

It probably won't last because I've got to get my Christmas sewing done, but oh well! Here is proof that at one time, I actually did have a clean sewing room!!

A Little Christmas Poll

Kelly emailed this to me, so I thought I'd fill it out and post it here! Enjoy!


1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper and bags and boxes with pretty ribbons and bows. And it all matches!!

2. Real tree or Artificial? I LOVE real trees, but have an artificial one b/c I'm pretty worried about the fire hazard and I'm don't remember to water it enough!

3. When do you put up the tree? When I'm in my own place, its usually the last week or two of November, but here at Mom and Dad's its the first week or two of December.

4. When do you take the tree down? After New Years

5. Do you like eggnog? Sick and wrong. Raw eggs and milk. Do I really need to say any more?

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Hmmm, good question. I don't really know.

7. Hardest person to buy for? James. Hands down. He always wants things that are way out of our budget and nothing that is in our budget.

8. Easiest person to buy for? TJ. Super easy. A little too easy!

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes and I want MORE!

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. If I remember. I haven't been very good about it the past few years. I get them done and then don't remember to mail them until after Christmas, so I just don't mail them!

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? I can't think of one specific one, but I remember many years thinking that certain people really didn't know me because they kept giving me gifts I would never use. Fortunately, they've figured it out since then!

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Its a tie between the Grinch and Muppet Christmas Carol. Christmas is not complete until I watch both!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? When I have money.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Nope

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? All of the goodies we make as a family. Theres nuts and bolts, shortbread, sugar cookies, chocolates, almond rocha, ect. ect. ect. So yummy!

16. Lights on the tree? Umm, of course. Why wouldn't there be lights on the tree!

17. Favorite Christmas song? I could not pick one. I just love Christmas music in general.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We "travel" all the way to my parent's or James' parent's house, whoever's turn it is to spend Christmas Day with that year.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Of course.

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I have an angel, but I like both (not together of course, theres only so much room on the top of a tree!)

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Both! Christmas Eve was always jammies and then the rest Christmas morningish. I say -ish because my family was and is NOT a morning family!! We weren't allowed to wake my parents up before 7:30 and then it usually took them until closer to 8 or 9 to actually get out of bed. As we got older, it got later and later that we'd start opening presents! We could open our stocking though, as soon as we got up!

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Pushy people - we all know it's busy but there are those who forget common curtesy. I'm so with Kelly on this one. I also really hate the pressure to buy huge elaborte gifts. Christmas is not all about the gift, its about Christ!

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? My tree is Silver and Blue Snowmen ( I LOVE Snowmen), but I love all sorts of color themes. Gold and Burgandy, Red and White and Green, ect.

24. Favorite for Christmas dinner? As long as there is stuffing and mashed potatoes, I don't care what the meat is.

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? A house. (Talk about out of our budget!! He he!)

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Say Hello to Those You Know, and Everyone You Meet...

A few weeks back, James and I were asked to speak in church this Sunday. We said yes and went on our way. When I went to write it on the calendar, I realized that I was supposed to be in Great Falls this weekend. So, last Sunday I told them I couldn't speak. The entire time during Sacrament meeting, I felt horrible. My stomach was in knots and I was just not happy. I decided I would make sure I was back in time for church so I could speak and immediately, I felt 100% better. This topic is one I feel so stongly about. As you may or may not know, the majority of my immediate family as well as many members of my extended family is not active and every single person stopped going to church because they felt unwanted or unwelcomed. So, I knew it was important to speak on this topic. Here is a copy of the talk I gave. Of course, its not word for word, but pretty close to what I said! Its kind of long, so if you don't read the whole thing, I understand!
Fellowshipping Others
The topic James and I were given to speak on is Fellowshipping. When we think of fellowshipping, we typically think of reaching out to non members and new converts. While this is important, I have chosen to speak on a type of fellowshipping that is often overlooked. I believe that far too often, we are so busy fellowshipping the new converts and non members that we forget to be there for the active members of our ward.
George Elliot, a nineteenth century English novelist, said “What do we live for, if it is not to make life less difficult to each other?”
Elder Erstus Snow, and apostle and early pioneer said: “What man, however good be his desires, can control himself and his family in their habits and manners of life and fashions, without the aid of the surrounding community? What sensible man can hold me or my brethren responsible, in all respects, either for ourselves or our households, unaided by the community, and while the community are all working against us? But when the community learn to work together, and are agreed in a common purpose, what is it that they cannot accomplish? Union is strength.”
In the First Presidency Message in the January 2000 Ensign, President Gordon B Hinckley said “We speak of the fellowship of the Saints. This is and must be a very real thing. We must never permit this spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood to weaken. We must constantly cultivate it.”
Bishop McMullin addresses us as his “ward family”. That is, in fact, what we are: a family. David Brown, a member of the Meridian 13th Ward in Idaho, said in an article for the Dec 2005 Ensign, “ Fellowship permeates from member to member no matter where we are. Why? Because we know we are literally brothers and sisters…”
We have been commanded to strengthen the bonds of our ward family. When a ward family really feels like a family, strong and united, they can offer so much more support to new and less active members. Not only that, but the active members feel more security, helping to prevent falling away.
So, the question then becomes how do we build this strong ward family. The key work is family. What attributes characterize a strong family? What things do happy families do and share? First and foremost, I think that a successful family is more than just relatives who live under the same roof. They are people who are best friends, who love and care for each other. They will be there for each other no matter what, and never judge one another. And, of course, they know how to have fun together.
These things all follow a natural progression. A friendship that is nurtured will turn into a sincere concern and love for a person. From there, trust and a sense of security are formed. And the more comfortable people are with each other, the more they can relax and have fun together.
The first step, then, is to build a friendship. As humans, we are naturally social beings. We crave friendship and interaction. While we don’t go to church solely for the social aspect, attending is much easier when we feel comfortable, accepted, and surrounded by friends.
In the same first presidency message I quoted earlier, President Hinckley said “We belong to what may be regarded as the greatest community of friends on the face of the earth…. We must be friends. We must love, honour and respect and assist one another.”
John Withrop, a puritan pilgrim, said “We must be knit together in this work as one… We must delight in each other, make others’ conditions our own, rejoice together, mourn together, labour and suffer together … as members of the same body.”
This is where things get tricky for some of us, myself included. As James will attest to, meeting new people sends me into a panic. Literally, I have heart palpitations, my hands get sweaty, the room starts to spin, I can’t breathe, well… you get the idea. However, things that are the most challenging usually end up being the most rewarding. We all have a responsibility in befriending each other. We need to not only reach out to others, but we need to be open to those who are reaching out to us.
Once we have begun a friendship, we can then work on developing a deeper, more loving friendship.
The article by David Brown, quoted earlier, also says “Christ commanded us to love one another.
Simply showing up for church at the appointed time doesn’t suffice. Love of others is not a gift bestowed upon us without effort - it is something we learn a little at a time through consecration and sacrifice. No matter what our circumstances might be, we all have an inherent duty to reach out to fellow members and include them in our circle, making each ward and branch a family. That is why we call each other brother and sisters. After all, there is no such thing as an only child in the kingdom of God.” We must learn to love one another with true charity.
1 Cor 13:4-8 "Charity sufferth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her won, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all thing, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth..."
That scripture details the many things that true charity entails. It can take a lifetime to really understand charity, but as long as we’re working on it, we’re on the right path. One of the best ways to learn to love one another is to serve each other. Service drives out selfishness.
In a the May 2003 Liahona, Susan Tanner said “Love is the foundational virtue in building a strong home.” Home can equal family. Just as in our individual families, members of our ward families go through difficult times, times that challenge our testimony. When we are surrounded by those we love, these challenges, while still difficult, somehow seem easier to handle. And, it stands to reason, the more people who care for us that we are surrounded by, the lighter our load. Love endures through all the hardships of life.
Friendship and love are the foundation of a strong family. But, just as with our individual families, our ward family needs more than a foundation.
D&C 109:8 "Organize yourselve; prepare every needful thing, and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a hourse of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a hourse of order, a house of God; That your incomings may be in the name of the Lord, that your outgoing may be in the name of the Lord, that all your salutations may be in the name of the Lord, with uplifted hands unto the Most High" This scripture lists the formula for a strong home.

The Proclamation on the Family says “Successful families are established on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgivness, respect, love, compassion, work and wholesome activities.”
To build a strong family, we need to talk to one another, show affection, encourage active participation and laugh together.

In her talk Ward and Branch Families: Part of heavenly Father’s plan for us, Sister Virginia H Pearce outlined several things a ward family should provide for its members. They are as follows:
1. A sense of belonging
It is such a blessing to be part of a worldwide community. How great to know that almost anywhere you go in the world, you can find people who you have something in common with.
2. The reassurance of listening ears.
“The surest way to increase our love for someone is to listen with patience and respect. … How can we “mourn with those that mourn” and ‘bear one another’s burdens” (Mosiah 18:8-9) if we don’t listen to know what those burdens are?”
3. Provide encouragement.
D &C 121 41-43 "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virture of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy and without guile Reproving betimes with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved lest he esteem thee to be his enemy." The scripture explains to us how to bring someone back. We can't nag or use harsh words. We need be be kind and patient and loving, while still being honest. Being kind doesn't mean we accept the behaviour that is wrong, but it does mean that we still love them.

When friends express confidnece in us, we get and extra boost and the light at the end of the tunnel seems brighter. A steady belief in ward members can often be of far more value than casseroles or loaves of bread.
4. Are a Refuge
A ward needs to be a safe haven for its members, a place where its members and those who visit feel welcome and secure.
David Brown said, “A strong ward family is easy to recognize. The members are warm and friendly, testimonies are borne with conviction, charity abounds, activities are well attended, and dedicated home teachers rarely miss a visit. The chapel is not just a place of worship; it is a safe harbour from worldly cares, a place of belonging, of friendship and compassion. It’s a place where people who are different can come together to be as one.”
A ward provides a sort of “safety net” family for each of us when our families cannot or do not provide all of the teaching and growing experiences we need to return to Heavenly Father.
FHE Resource Book says in intro, “Everyone faces challenges and choices. We … have many voices calling us away from gospel principles and the counsel of the Brethren. But when we make our homes places of safety for us (…) we can more easily grow and develop in righteousness.”
5. Provide ways for us to contribute.
Just like kids have chores at home, so do we at church.
One thing we must do is let those whom we supervise do their job. Too often, someone (like me!) can’t let go of control and must do everything themselves. In the case of a ward family, the saying “if you want something done right do it yourself” doesn’t apply. By not allowing someone to do their calling, we can make them feel useless and not needed.
6. Provide a laboratory to learn and practice the gospel.
Both our individual and ward families provide us a learning ground where we can “experiment upon the word.” We are often given callings or assignments that stretch us beyond what we would normally try. If we are a truly strong ward family, we can try these challenges without fear of failure. We will, instead, support one another as we grow together. Not only do we have the opportunity to accept callings, we also have the opportunity to put gospel principles into practice. We can teach our children to serve by serving those in our ward. We can have a family fast for a sick or inactive member or neighbour. We can step out of our comfort zone and try to say hi to someone new without passing out!!
We can’t expect to get results if we don’t put in the effort. At the end of Sister Pearce’s Article, she said the following:
“Heavenly Father expects us to participate in our wards. It is part of the plan. But, Sister Pearce, you may be saying, you have such an idealistic picture of a ward - that’s not like my ward! You mean, your ward has real people in it - ones who are sometimes selfish or self-righteous, unskilled or undependable? I’m so glad! How could it be a real laboratory for practicing gospel principles like patience, long-suffering, charity, and forgiveness if there were no people or situations that would require the use of these principles? The miracle of it all is that we are real people put into an ingenious structure, designed by God to help us become like him.”
This is a VERY achievable goal. Small things make a happy home. We don’t have to make any huge, drastic changes. Start by saying hello to everyone you see in the hall. Pick one person you don’t know well or usually talk to and make a point of talking to them in the hall. Invite your neighbour over for dinner. If you already know your neighbour, invite me over for dinner!
Reach out to everyone. You never know when your friendship will be what brings someone to church. We all need to rely on others at some point in time. Our job is to be there before we are needed, so we can be trusted when we are needed.
Whether or not our friendship is accepted is not up to us. All we can do is continue to offer love an support for everyone. Don’t be afraid of offering your friendship to someone.
D&C 6:33 “Fear not to do good, my sons, for whatsoever ye sow, that shall ye also reap.”

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

So Blessed

Life has been crazy for the past few weeks. I don't have time to go in to all the details tonight, but I will soon, probably tomorrow night. However, here is a very brief overview of some of the highlights of the past few weeks.

1. Just after halloween, I came down with viral pnemonia. It knocked me off my feet for more than a week and after that, I could still barely get through a day. Finally, after two weeks and some serious meds, I was somewhat human again, only to be slammed by down by "one of the nastiest cases of strep throat" Dr. Smith has ever seen. Yee haw. Again, a few weeks of serious meds and accomplishing pretty much nothing, and now here I am. Still feeling not quite human, but almost there!

2. The second Sunday in November, we did a tradeshow in Calgary. Got really positive responses and 7 stores that want to carry the GoBelt! Woo Hoo! Our website will be up and running (sans pictures) by the end of the week (thanks to Keshia!!) and the pictures will be there soon! Speaking of pictures, had a photo shoot on the 14th and I'm so excited to see the product shots Rebecca came up with!

3. The 16th of November was our primary presentation. The kids did AMAZING!! They actually sang! Whoo hoo!! Such an answer to prayers! My kiddos don't usually sing all that loudly. Another prayer was answered that day too!! As you read before, I have been sick sick sick. Well, being sick and singing are two things that don't go very well together! My kids sing SO much better when I sing, so I knew I had to sing for them. I said a prayer that morning that I would be able to sing for them. Sure enough, I was able to make it through the presentation singing as good as ever. Of course, Heavenly Father has a sense of humor. During "We Thank Thee O God For A Prophet" we had the congregation sing the 2nd and 3rd verses. As soon as I turned around to lead them, no voice. Seriously, nothing at all. I just mouthed the words. By the next song, I was just fine.

4. As any of you who have known me well for a while can attest to, James has had a bit of a difficult time deciding what he wants to be when he grows up! Literally, before he went up north, he worked at well over 20 jobs in a year and a half. So, he took some time and went up north while he figured things out. Then he came home and started his plumbing job at DMT. He just handed in his apprenticeship papers last week. Woo Hoo right? Um, no. Friday morning, James goes to work, I get up, get going with my day and just before I'm about to head in to town for work, in walks James. Work was too slow and he got laid off. Talk about crappy. Seriously, flashes of the first year and a half of our marriage and the job hopping came crashing down on me. Not a happy thing. But, I held it together and said, "Well, go print off some resumes and you can drop me off at work then take some around." Not too long after that, I called James to ask him to pick me up some lunch and he told me he got a job at K & B. They're going to transfer his apprenticeship. It was the first place he took a resume. Talk about blessings.

Anywho, my quick overview has ended being not so quick. Oh well, now its done!! Off to work on my homework!!

I Jumped On A Fireman Because I'm Sexy and I Do What I Want!

Pick the month you were born:

January-------I kicked
February------I loved
March--------I karate chopped
April----------I licked
May----------I jumped on
June----------I smelled
July-----------I did the Macarena With
August--------I had lunch with
September----I danced with
October-------I sang to
November-----I yelled at
December-----I ran over

Pick the day (number) you were born on:
1-------a birdbath
2----- --a monster
3-------a phone
4-------a fork
5-------a snowman
6-------a gangster
7---- ---my mobile phone
8-------my dog
9-------my best friends' boyfriend
10-------my neighbor
11-------my science teacher
12-------a banana
13-------a fireman
14-------a stuffed animal
15-------a goat
16-------a pickle
17-------your mom
18-------a spoon
19------ - a smurf
20-------a baseball bat
21-------a ninja
22-------Chuck Norris
23-------a noodle
24-------a squirrel
25-------a football player
26-------my sister
27-------my brother
28-------an iPod
29-------a surfer
30-------a homeless guy
31-------a llama

Pick the color of shirt you are wearing:

White----because I'm cool like that
Black-----because that's how I roll.
Pink-----because I'm NOT crazy.
Red------because the voices told me to.
Blue-----because I'm sexy and I do what I want.
Green----because I think I need some serious help.
Purple----because I'm AWESOME!
Gray-----because Big Bird said to and he's my leader.
Yellow---because someone offered me 1,000,000 dollars
Orange---because my family thinks I'm stupid anyway.
Brown----because I can.
Other-----because I'm a Ninja!
None------because I can't control myself!

Now make sure to leave your sentence of the day in the comment section!!ENJOY!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Giveaway

Check out Stephanie's blog for this great quilt she is giving away to help Baby Mia. To read about Mia, click here. I dare you not to be touched by the story and pictures. Makes you grateful for the healthy kids we have! Make a donation! A few dollars won't make any difference in your budget, but it can make a HUGE difference in the life of this sweet little girl and her family!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Yesterday I....

Took these...




to try and make these...








After 4 batches of this....I ended up with only 4 good-ish ones. So, I gave up and moved on to these...




(Chicken roll ups for make ahead meal group) and then moved on to these...

which actually turned out really yummy. (I didn't wrap mine as nicely, but they were on a nice tray!) Then I moved on to these...
Which actually looked pretty close to this pic, and tasted delish! Then moved on to these...

Which were SO yummy. Then moved on to a birtday cake for Mom's boss...
Then moved on to a cheese ball rolled in poppyseeds with legs to look like a spider and finished off with THESE!!!...

which I then put in super cute pumpkin pails with candy corn and gummy worms acting as my moss. Sorry forgot to take a picture of that, but I'm doing it again Friday, so I'll take one then!! Today, I packed up all my goodies and took them to book club, as it was my night to host! Thanks again to Cheryl for letting me "borrow" her house!! I did more, but its very late and I need to get back to my homework! What have you been up to?

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Failure

So, its been a while since I've posted. And my last few posts weren't really anything of note. Mostly just to say I posted. There has been a reason for that, and its one that I'm not too anxious to share. However, I'm going to bite my lip and do it. Share, I mean.

This last month has not been a good month for me. In fact, it has been one of the worst in a very long time. And it has all been due to one word.... Failure. More specifically, the fact that I am one. Or at least that is how I have felt this past month. There are oh so many reasons I have felt like this, and they all seemed to come cascading upon me at once in an overwhelming flood of nastieness. Things just were not going the way I needed them to go and I was having to change my life plan again, for about the millionth time this year, ... well, you get the idea. Not really the point of the story. So, there I was being a grump and complaining to my sis, when she gave me some smack-you-in-the face advice. She said, "Tisha, you're being dumb. You're only a failure if you give up." (Kind of ironic since I'm pretty sure I said the same thing to her a few months back!) Great advice, but I'm pretty thick. I didn't catch on right away. Actually, it took me a little while. Like, more than a week. Not too proud of that, but what the heck. Its the way it was.

Then today, I was going through my day, feeling bad for sleeping through conference, (In my defense, I have had pnemonia this past week and am just now starting to feel human again.) when my little old brain got to thinking. It was one of those spiritual 2x4 moments. You know the kind; where the Spirit smacks you in the face with a "Umm, you should know this stuff" feeling. So, there it was right in my face, saying get off your but and get busy and be happy. So, that is what I'm going to do. Get off my but, get busy and be happy. I'm not so worried about the first two, the third one might take a little more work, but it will happen!
And since I realized I haven't posted any pictures in way too long, here are some pics of the thing that makes me happiest!!



Monday, October 6, 2008

FREE PURSES!!

Hey, check out this website!! On the day of their launch (Oct 15), they are giving away a free bag every hour! And their super cute bags!! They only take your first name and email, so there's no credit card or anything like that. Check it out!

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

100 and Counting...

Ok, I'm a LONG way from 100 posts, but a few close friends are there. Check out Kelly's great 100 list and the awesome contest on Sarah's site!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

When Upon Life's Billows...

Ever have something you feel like you desperately need to talk about, but you are afraid people will think you're crazy. I'm there. I have been for the last several months. I think I may have to move to Cardston so I can save on gas going to the temple. I won't bore you with the details, but I apologize if I have been less than congenial recently. Please forgive me and be patient. And to those of you who would offer a to lend an ear, thank you, but its just not possible.

The song "Count Your Many Blessings" has been rolling around in my head for the past few weeks now, most specifically the following line:

"When upon life's billows you are tempest tossed, when you are discouraged thinking all is lost....."

So, I'm going to follow the instruction in the song and count my blessings, one by one. I'm not gong to list all of them here, that would take a while. But, I am going to list some. So, here goes:

1. TJ. I love being a mommy. I wish I was better at it, but I love it.
2. My family. They love and support me in all my craziness.
3. The gospel. I know the church is true and that gives me a reason to get through this.
4. My friends. I have some really great friends. Even the ones who I'm not super close with, I know if I asked them for help, they would be there.
5. Health care. This may sound silly, but being able to have TJ would have cost us WAY more somewhere with a different health care system and we would have had to wait even longer.
6. Freedom. Need I say more?

Well, there are some of the major ones. I don't feel much better, so I guess I'd better keep going. I'm off to get some paper.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Later

I was going to post today because the coming week is a ridiculously busy week for me, but I'm not having a good day, so my post would be a lot of whining and bemoaning my situation (which really is not all that bad) so its going to have to wait till next week. Sorry.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Inspiration....

Need a little crafty inspiration? Want to spend time getting ideas? Check out The Crafty Crow. The site itself may not be that inspiring to you, but you literally can spend hours checking out all the blog links in "The Rookery" (on the right hand side of the screen a little ways down.) Check it out. Just set an alarm so you don't get too carried away!!!

Monday, August 25, 2008

How Cute!


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One Year (and a little bit!)

So, a while back, Rebecca took TJ's one year pics. Ok, he was actually a few months older than a year because it took that long for us to work out our schedules, but whatever! I put pretty much all of the pics on Facebook, but here are a few of my favs!













So, I could have put pretty much all of the 77 pics I got up, but I stopped myself. I showed restraint. I didn't want you to get bored. I understand not everyone has the same affinity for TJ that I do! LOL!