Carter Camping and Yoga on the Mountain

 81. Thanks to the generous Carters, Rachel and I had a fantastic weekend - ATV buggy ride is a great way to see the back roads.

 82. I'm thankful I wasn't part of this avalanche.  It is awesome to see the force of nature.

 83. Thanks for the late Spring which allowed me to see meadows of carpeted flowers.

 84.  So thankful for inviting lakes which allow for a cool-off and fun!

 85. Sterling lake, a snow melt lake that is clear, cold, blue and beautiful.

 86.  Thanks for patient friends who let me meander and explore the beauty God makes.

 87.  Many thanks for good friends to have dinner with and enjoyable conversations.

 88. I love hearing of others travels and adventures.  Their kids and hilarious happenings.

 89. I loved coming onto an anomaly and wondering how a nest could come to be so close to where I could examine it.

 90.  The tight design and effort it took to make this.  Where are the baby birds?  Thanks for the view.

 91. Found out a grandpa found the nest and placed it out where his grandchildren would run into it.  Thanks for caring parents.

 92.  Thanks so much for the creation and beauty found in patterns from God.

 93.  Thanks for Bishop Carter taking the time to teach my daughter fishing.

 94.  Thanks for a great daughter who went along though she wasn't sure she wanted a new experience.

 95.  Thanks for a man who makes the effort and takes the time for his friends.

 96. Bishop Carter took the time to go out on a boat that he hauled through the woods and put on a electric motor, let us in, left his wife on the beach, and pushed us off into the water.

 97.  Thanks for the knowledge and foresight that allowed my daughter to have the joy of catching 4 fish!

 98. She is thankful for a man who will bait, net, and de-hook fish so she never had to touch them.

 99.  Thanks for special memories of my father that came from going with a man who is kind, patient, and funny.

 100.  Thanks for those who wait when I find something curious.

 101.  Thanks for the bonding with my daughter and friends.

 102.  Thanks for Rachel co-operation and sense of humor when I ask for things.

 103.  Thank-you to two special friends who made sure we had adventures every day and found ways to help us see their world.

 104.  Thanks to God for a beautiful World.  Donner Lake, we hiked up to the top of the World.

 105. Thanks to those who stop and wait for a photo buff's pleasure.

 106.  Thank you Lord for a beautiful morning!

 107.  Thanks for Bishop Carter showing Rachel how to ride an ATV and then allowing her to go by herself!

 108.  It is awesome to be around inventive, creative people who know how to have a comfortable home to sleep become a garage to store the toys in!

 109.  Thanks so pioneers of years past and their creativity and effort.

110.  Thank you God for those little places of beauty found at the end of the trail.

So thankful for blessings of family!

71. Many thanks to my Father in Heaven for the blessings of eternity.
72. Thanks to a son who chose a beautiful, nice, loving girl.
73. Thanks to both of them being responsible, caring people.
74. I appreciate the contining bonds of family.
75. I love the new family we are now part of.
76. Nate's in-laws are the best!  Many thanks for this family!
77. Thank you so much for all the many, many hands which made this day so great.
78. Thanks to God for such a lovely, sunny day with such a peaceful feeliing.
79. Thank you to the families who traveled so far to come!
80. Special thanks to friends who chose to travel a long way to meet with us!

Angels in my life

61. I'm so very thankful for Laura Nausin's advise and help with Nate's wedding celebration.
62. JoAnn Carey is an answer to prayer in my calling as a camp quilt leader. Her talent is extraordinary. And sharing her insights and knowledge is so wonderful.
63.  I'm thankful JoAnn decided to just sew up some beautiful quilts for the girls and leaders.
64. Grandma Nausin is always happy to share her talents (like German Chocolate Cake) and when she does it certainly blesses my life.  Her eagerness to serve and help is heartwarming.
65. Laura went shopping and found a dress so I would be comfortable - I think she wanted to make sure I didn't look like a Great Grandma - now that was nice!
66. My girls took me shopping for shoes so I wouldn't wear my old ones.
67.  Susy, traveling back from Phoenix, asked what she could do for me next week when she came.  I told her it was OK I'm fine I just want to see her.
68. Jeffrey took time out tonight to address wedding invitations while watching playoff basketball games.
69. Rebekah and Rachel cleaned up the kitchen just cause.
70. Michael dropped down next to me and shared some insights he had discovered.

Thank you God for a new daughter-in-law!!!!

Nate and Kelsi have decided to get married and this is one blessing I can't thank the Lord enough for.  I want so much for my children to experience and know the goodness, growth, fun, and sweetness of having a companion.
And here she is Kelsi Bettridge from Alaska.  She was born in Salt Lake City, Utah but has lived in Alaska for 11 years (I think).  She has the most delightful mom whom I can't wait to meet.  Kelsi is smack in the middle of her family having two older brothers and two younger sisters.

Some of My Favorite Things~Bonnie

Our gifts can be big and small. I have been periodically been working on this list of my favorite things for a few years now and today I am updating it again, these update for 2011 will be in Red. Orange 2010, Green 2009 I must have updated the list twice in one year as I also see Blue??

This is such a fun list to make...I hope you have one for the days when you are feeling down, or sad, or bored with a ho-hum life, it is a great pick me up! There is so much to be thankful for and so much to enjoy in this life. You may even find things on here twice! The original one was done around Thanksgiving 2008. I thought I would add it in to my list of 1000 Gifts as well. But I am not assigning each thing a number, holy cow!

Thanksgiving *

I know we are all thinking about Thanksgiving and the things we should be grateful for each day. I also know that for many of us, every day is Thanksgiving Day as we bow our heads and thank the Lord for his abundant blessings in our lives. I originally posted the list below in July but wanted to do it again today. As I think of new things I'll add them in color. I think we should all have a list like this and add to it regularly.

I'd like to challenge you all to write one to share with us
on your blog sometime between now and Thanksgiving.
It may surprise you what the Lord has done for us all!

Finding Joy in the Big and Little Things of life

My Philanthropist Jim, being mom to three and then six, being the Gramma to 10 fabulous kids, Baby Hazel's much improved health, beautiful interiors, answers to prayers, nicknames, licorice, Will Smith, flower gardens, Netflix, memories of good days gone by, Hazie's New Scooter, computers (iMac in particular), Lowell, the iMac guru, red, uplifting and fun movies, great books, San Francisco, days alone with Jim-Bob, rings, funny things the kids say, wonderful friends, Just A Little Lowder came on the scene, linen spray, Laura's big hair obsession, North & South the mini-series, temple times, my iPod and the sweet brother that gave it to me, Camillia Tea Room in Benicia, blogs and bloggers, scrapbooks of old, thinking about our kids and how much we love them and their families, green; the way God makes it, Hazie's wheelchair all purple and sparkly, dimples, Europe, 7 cents a minute international calls, the families of our children's spouses, Diane Keaton, having fancy dinner parties, girl time, Hilary Swank, Miss Vanessa's Fab Blog, bracelets, quiet restaurants, thinking about retirement and the freedoms of it, Farmer's Market, Billy Joel, Blogging, blogging and more blogging, ethnic foods, Tom & Jean, photography, a great sense of humor, fabulous books, truffles, education, art, home accessories, movie tickets, fabulous jewelry, revisiting places with nostalgic past memories, WC III Ward, Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia), seeing friends from the past, Palm Springs in January, Scottish accents, Jeffery Holland, God's mercy, love & grace, Thrift Store finds, memories of Mississippi before Katrina, no more math classes, salt and vinegar chips, normal body temperatures~no fevers for Hazel in two months now, Washington D.C., eucalyptus trees, pansies, fish; alive and in the pan, digital photos, Curiel lotion, Ann Voskamp's blog, the guys in the white hats, Hazie in the pots and pans, creme soda, fried scallops and calamari, birds singing in the morning, frogs croaking at night, Facebook reunions, crickets chirping or whatever they do WHILE they are totally out of sight because they scare me, Room with A Past, shade, phone calls just to say hi, passionate causes, voting, laughing 'til tears roll down your face, a good cry, a gift for no particular reason~just because, Richard Gere, smiling when its hard 'til your heart believes it, waxing lyrical (per Jen's request), hilarious comedians, Blogging Friends, Johnny Mathias, Uncle Buffalo, K.D. Lang, Nora Jones, Diana Krall, Thai Food. Studying the history of WW2.

Thinking about parents and grandparents, my great brothers and their families, plans to move nearer the kids, New Orleans (pre-Katrina) in the winter, new friends, leather furniture, deer in the yard if they are not eating our plants, electronic technology, the smell of steak on the barbie, Gordon B. Hinckley, tax deductions, summer evenings when it cools off, cyber friends, Blissfully Domestic, summer mornings, Queen Latifah, fire in the fireplace, Letters From Juliet, Autumn, teaching, the holidays, oddly enough...flying, our DVD collection, Lee, Barb, my Monday morning group of inspiring friends..past and present, courteous and friendly strangers, watching all the grandkids grow older and mature and develop their characters, pictures of Cohen Romney, Robert hugs, designer paint, white picket fences, beautiful kitchens and bathrooms, good health, magazines, family history, Google, shopping with my favorite females, snuggling with the babies, fabulous memories of all European travel, Val Wilcox, Connor's concertos, thinking about our mission for the church, laughing a lot, Mother's Day, cherry pie, Tom Hanks, North and South, appreciation, Louis Armstrong, garlic; on everything that doesn't have sugar, Perkins Cove~ Maine, memories of Chris & Laura in Pops Concerts, the Ensign, Old Glory, rainbows, houses, waterfalls, GPS, cracked crab, Jen's new paper flowers, great singers, New Hampshire foliage, Kevin James in Hitch, porch swings, Norma Bowerbank's pizazz,

sunrise, sunset the events and the movies, Michael Ball, Stevie Wonder, Kenny Rankin, Kenny Rogers, Kenny G, Michael Buble, The National Science Foundation, Big Band music and other oldies from my parents' era, our cousins, Silpada Jewelry, Bob & Beth, Scott's Restaurant's fried calamari, Christmas in Italy,memories of our good friends gone before us, Chinese Food, Elder Holland, Presidents Uchdorf and Eyring, Rossie's billion kisses, our cottage, clean sheets, Golden Girls Christmas Luncheon, disappearing into the matinée alone and not telling anyone where I am for a couple of hours, bleu cheese, car trips with Jim, babies' toes, online shopping, driving right past the place I use to work, that four of our grandkids have blogs, The Gilmore Girls, enjoying the wonders of nature and the beautiful world we live in, shopping in Italy, a full moon in October, Jim's cooking, James Franco movies, hot chocolate on a winter's morn, Jeff Adams' knowledge of the Gospel, iPhone, ice, texting, Steve Martin, photo editing, air-conditioning, Real Simple, the excitement of falling in love and staying in love, Date Night, reliable cars, mad money, cell phones, e-mail, abc.go.com, the heartfelt "I love yous" from the little ones, pancakes at Cracker Barrel, Olympics, Denzel Washington, the crow of a rooster in the early morning, The Kindle, Sausalito, gift cards to the movies, Itty Bitty Soap Company, the smell of pine trees and baking bread and the sea, Good Ole Days, Billy Crystal, baby's skin, popcorn popping in the pan and on the apricot trees, no shower curtain or door, being alone, being together, Italian marble, Cabot Cheese,

turkey baking, a clean house, Matt Damon, anything Christmas, the forest, our newly remodeled and spruced up house, driving through canopied streets, patio umbrellas, homemade ice cream, my Daddy's gentle ways, Patrick Swayze, good haircuts, Newport, Rhode Island, manicure and pedicures and a great massage, family photos, long time friends, giving gifts and service to my favorite people, Judi Dench, our never failing Kim, mom's potato salad, apple pie and her nut bread, iPhone, getting to know Caroline and Faye so much better, Missy's great cooking, Moonlight & Roses, my Dad's garden and his ability to win every game he ever played, Oprah, Paris, memories of my brother, Brighton, Steve, when Alesha & Raul got married and of Sebastian watching them dance and knowing he belonged to them, War and Remembrance the mini-series, sleeping with our granddaughter Julia Mae, our new bathroom, concert memories, Muir Woods, black current and licorice sweet treats from Scotland, Concord II Ward, James Taylor, Jen's cupcake obsession, drive-in movies, Newport mansions, one on one with our kids, Connor's piano playing, Lowell's Lost and his Mr. Bass Man, the way Tony Damiano teaches Sunday School, Yosemite, the sound of a push mower, the smell of freshly cut grass, Creme Brulee, faux grass, real grass, Restoration Hardware, Rick Steves, The Nut Cracker Ballet in SF, my Mom's unconditional love for me, days with nothing pressing to do, Marie and her Kitchen, chocolate, Silpada, Brenden Frazier, a good storm, bedazzlement, fun collections, flash drives, theater, concerts, Yale University campus, musicals, Christmas tree lights, Piper; our Scottish princess, Christmas in Scotland, croutons, cheese fondue, Rouclette,

good responsible people, Traci Hartman and her photography, a walk in Golden Gate Park, thinking about the blessing of having a husband that can do anything, answered prayers, old things, new things, Linda Ann, glitter, Connor's vocabulary, double paned vinyl windows, memories of travel to Italy, working with Laura on houses, also Jim, Maureen and Emily, Scotland, my brother Steve's Airport Taxi Service, candle light, Orchard Nursery, Agent Baigent, Zach's charging hugs when we visit, clean windows, good jazz, the gift of Chloe Jane and her spiciness, Golden Gate Park, Paris, Venice, Orvieto, Florence, birthdays, the delete button, my new Rebecca Stewart, buying new clothes, Disneyland, New England in the fall, getting paid for what I love, Robert Mitchum, salads, urns pots and outdoor statuary, road trips with the family, Muir Woods redwoods, the way Spencer could tell you all about the water systems of a city at 2 years old, salsa, all things feminine, possibilities, getting a real bargain, Kenny Rankin's music, Google Reader, gel nails, Max Raabe, Aynlsee's beautiful stripped golden and apricot hair and sweet smile, hydrangeas, Nellie, Maggie Smith, Day Trips with Jim, grandkids loving their cousins, vests for layering, Wrinkle Releaser for fabrics, Shaun, Root Beer Floats, Julia Roberts, going on Brokers' Tour to see houses others have staged, Tiberon harbor benches, punctuality, Filoli Gardens, writing, Manhatten, watermelon, Weight Watchers new program, the way Jen helped Laura after Katrina, Laura and Brandon's Life, the way Laura re-decorated the faculty lounge at Spencer's elementary school over a three day weekend to surprise the teachers, Verona, artichokes, sunshine on my shoulders, Owen's sweetness, maple trees, garden tomato sandwiches, pandora.com, clean cars, Chris' career accomplishments, hearing Laura and Ross speak Italian, adding to this list as things pop into my head, Retirement, Jeffery Dean Morgan, HomeGoods, box seats at an opera you have studied and understand before you go, Deanna's Christmas Blog and Old Radio Shows, reflexology, eTools, Christmas stockings, Presepes, garage sales, the love and lessons of Hazel, the Rockies, knowing when enough is enough...well, almost knowing it anyway....! Ah, on second thought, maybe not!

Way more than anyone really wanted to know but great notes for my obit!


*As seen in Country Living
and theinspiredroom.net
(2 more of my favorite things)

As I pass over the reins......

51.  Being part of Girls Camp was really a creative, bonding, and spiritually uplifting time.
52. I love the friendship I developed with Lanette Hopkins, what a wonderful woman.
53.  Wendy Vance is a great friend now who has the convictions to do right and a heart of pure gold.  Graceful, elegant, stately come to mind when I see her.
54. Stacey Frost is fun, creative, and bold in her testimony of Christ.
55. Marianne Gatchell went from being a school contact to a friendship with love,  fun, and lots of creativity.
56. It was so fun to get to know Emily Merrill who now lives in my ward, and Marci Jones who I met as a 2nd year leader and really got to know in her capacity as president, what a sweetheart!
57. I'll never forget the head massage I got from Jill Bragg and the fun and laughter we shared.
58.  Teemaree has so many sides to her personality and watching her wearing different hats of fun, spirituality, and leadership was fantastic.

59. There are many ladies I got to know for the very first time, like Ruth Assisly, Karma Christensen, Pat Nieman, Nancy Bullock, Marsha Alexander, Karen Anderson, Cathe Toland, Cindy Barisof,  etc........
60. I loved watching women I already knew interact in the camp setting - Joanne Magleby, Michelle March, Linette Perona, Sam Bowerbank, Lynette Woods and many,  many others.

Guest Contributor~Thanks Linda Ann!

My List of Gifts

by

Bonnie Mattson

Sharon, Vermont
Lane leading to the birthplace
of the Prophet of the Restoration,
Joseph Smith, Junior


I love things that inspire me and this blog did and that is why I am starting my own Gift List!

1. My Father in Heaven that knows me and loves me just as I am. He sees me as whole and His precious daughter even though I have weaknesses and struggles to overcome. His unconditional love is the most motivating thing in my life.
2. I am blessed with the perfect husband for me. He makes me happy, he makes me think, he makes me stretch, he sometimes makes me crazy. (And I him!) He is made to order, perfect for me. So today I am thankful for my husband, my best friend and eternal companion, Jim.
3. Today I am thinking of the gift of our first daughter, Jennifer. She has blessed me in so many ways by making me a mom and also the first to make me a Gramma! When she was born I was in such amazement at how quickly and completely she won me over. That has never faded in all these years. She makes me so proud n so many ways. That love from parent to child is so beautiful. It is only replicated when your grandbabies come along!
   
4. Today I am thinking about how grateful I am to be relearning how to play and have fun. This seems very important to me. I love not having to be tied to a rigid, jammed packed schedule or a time clock. No one loves the thought of getting older but it does come with some priceless gifts that I wouldn't trade for youth and beauty!
5. Today is November 15 and it has been 7 years since my mom died. She is one of the most essential and miraculous gifts in my life. No daughter could have had a better friend or mother. I have lived all my adult life trying to live up to her loving example as a mother. I miss her but her memory is a most treasured gift on my list.
6. Oh boy, do I love my boy, Chris. When he was little he use to be so sad that he didn't have a brother. I told him it was because I could never love another boy like I love him. God gifted us with a nearly perfect son to raise. Seriously this kid was so easy. He was obedient, made good decisions and has such a wonderful disposition. He has been the best of sons.
7. When I was expecting Laura I got the chicken pox. I was deathly ill and they wanted me to have an abortion. Saying "No" was the best decision I have ever made as a parent. Sometimes I think about 'what if ' and it makes me so grateful for the guidance from the spirit to know it was a wrong choice in spite of the pressure put on us by the doctors. She has been such a joy to us since before she arrived.
8. The gift on being mother and wife has been the greatest thing I have ever attempted to do and I hold the experience sacred in my heart. Motherhood is a privilege and to have a great husband to share the raising of children with is a gift beyond all others in this mortal life, especially when coupled with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
9. I adore my parents both, Mom and Dad! Each of them contributed so much to my happy childhood and they made adulthood pretty great too. And they blessed me with two very special brothers whom I love very much. I miss the olden days when we all lived together under one roof. I think it special whenever I can be with my brothers now. Its not often enough but it is wonderful when we can set that time aside for each other.
10. Today I am very thankful for the power of prayer. So many friends and family members are suffering right now and when I feel helpless to know what to do, I pray. To pray for others is a blessing and privilege. I am praying for my friend, Deanna, who is suffering with terrible pain right now and the possibility of losing her vision. I am praying for Judy who had a mastectomy, Alan and Michelle, Melanie, Carol, Marie. So many need so much.
11. I am thankful that Jim has helped me so much this week to get our Christmas decorations up for this year. It is beginning to look at lot like Christmas over here and still a week before Thanksgiving. Early I know, but it's better than late!
12. I am grateful for the gift of knowing that Rome wasn't built in a day. Sustained effort, plodding along like the tortoise is what works to accomplish things. I have spent five days working on the house to get ready for Christmas and it is finally looking good. It was overwhelming to do but one thing at a time it is getting done and I feel ahead of the game for the moment. Everything takes effort...nothing happens on its own. There are a lot of people who think they are entitled to stuff just because. Adding the work element makes all the difference. Knowing this is a gift and I am thankful for it.
13. The gift of a sunny day when rain was predicted. It is sunny because it is Scouting for Food day here and many will benefit from the scouts going out to put food on the tables of the poor. More good will happen today because of the sun! Woohoo!
14. I am thankful I have the gift of compassion in my life. Right now I feel such sadness over people close to us that are suffering with cancer, threats of blindness, infertility, unemployment, wayward children, loneliness, the list goes on and on. I am grateful that my heart is not hardened or desensitized to this suffering and that I can pray and petition the Lord for their comfort and peace and healing.
15. I am grateful that I have a burning desire to journal and keep records for our family. The spirit of Elijah is alive and well in me and I like it. I know it is a gift with a purpose. Those are the best kind of gifts.
16. I am happy that we belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a gift of immeasurable proportions. I find it a gift that we get to do a variety of service in the Church. We have received a new calling as a couple but cannot disclose it yet as we have not been sustained in church yet. I am excited about it for a number of reasons and so is Jim.
17. Today I am thinking that being retired is pretty awesome. It is a gift to have Jim home more and to be able to just take off on a little outing anytime we schedule it into our plans. I have decided to start dating these entries. 11/22/10
18. I feel that my prayers have been answered that my knees would feel better after a very busy week of standing, lifting and working for hours at a time and they were feeling the crunch. So my gift is relief from the pain I had yesterday and still another faith promoting experience with prayer. 11/22/10
19. I find that just plain being grateful is a gift. To find the balance between striving for improvement and contentment is healthy. It cannot be so heavily on the side of improvement that you can never be satisfied and happy with things as they are. 10/23/10
20. I am grateful for the wisdom of others. I like this quote..."Thanksgiving, I love it. It is presence, not presents!" Brilliant! 11/24/10
    
21. "What is gratitude~the marriage of grateful and attitude." The quotes of others make me think and broaden my horizons. They are a gift to me. 11/24/10
22. Thanksgiving Day is wonderful. I strive for the gift of a thankful heart. I want you be known as a person that knows how completely dependent we all are on the grace of a loving Father and His Son. I want to be a person who makes a conscious effort to be thankful. Not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day, every time I pray or look and really see all of the gifts He has given to me. 11/25/10
23. Today I am thankful that 63 years ago my husband, Jim was born. I am thankful that I have celebrated all but 16 of those birthdays with him. he has been a gift to me in ways even I do not understand. Marriage is a gift I am so grateful for, the older I get the more I realize how sacred it really is. 11/26/10
    
24. I love the gift of faith in Jesus Christ I have been given. Hazie is very ill right now and in the hospital with a serious infection. I know that the Lord will watch over her. I cannot fathom anyone could love her more than we do, but He does. The faith I have assures me things will work out according to His plan for her. Laying it down at His feet is the best survival in the storm we can have. I know He will bless her and take care of her little family too. The Gift of the Holy Ghost testifies to me that this is true. My gift is peace. 11/26/10
25. Today I am thankful for medical knowledge, antibiotics, CT scans, blood draws and all the things that they are trying to help our little Hazie get well. Mostly I am thankful for the prayers of our family and friends in all parts of the world that are praying for her speedy recovery. I feel God has heard those prayers and quieted the fears of Hazie, her Mom and Dad , Sisters and Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins. 11/27/10
26. I am also thankful for my dear friend, Maureen, who has just had her 60th birthday party tonight. We have been friends for over half our lives. She has truly been an ongoing gift that never stops giving! 11/27/10.
27. Best Christmas gift ever, Hazie is getting better! God is so good to us all. 11/29/10
28. I am gifted with a peace about Hazel's recent illness. We have the gift of faith, good medical professionals and the peace of the Comforter. I am grateful for the hundreds that have been and continue to pray for her. 12/1/10
    
29. I am thankful today that I am almost done with my Christmas shopping and that for years we have been saving money every month for Christmas. It makes shopping and giving so much better when you can do it without going into debt or without a big knot of anxiety in your stomach. 12/3/10
30. I love that we do not live in a land of snow! California has the best weather ever. 12/3/10
31. I am gifted with a love of the scriptures. I realize that one of the reasons our leaders are always telling us to read them is that is how we grow to love them. I have come to a point in my life where doing becomes more effective than questioning most of the time. Just do it and then you see. Paradoxically, not usually the other way around. 12/4/10
32. I have a deep appreciation for the beauty around me. I am such a visual person. Beautiful things seen by the eye and the heart enliven me and I think this is truly a gift from God. 12/5/10
33. I love order in my life. The gift of organization is one that is almost a self made gift because it requires continual work, but the desire for it is a gift. To have order is a spiritual gift because sometimes without it you cannot see beyond your mess long enough to progress. 12/6/10
34. I enjoy the fact that gifts come in large and small packages. Sometimes the small things are so delightful. Today I am thinking about the gifts of light. I love all kinds of light, sun light, outdoor lighting, Christmas lights. It is a gift to have electricity and to be able to use it to do practical and beautiful things. It is a gift to love the light as well. In the light things can be clear and visible and uplifting. Today specifically I am being less intellectual about it and just thinking about the splendor of a beautifully lit Christmas tree. Memories of gazing at them for years and years is a gift. 12/6/10
35. I am grateful for my friend, Linda Ann! She has always been such a wonderful support on my blogs. Sometimes when you write so much it is so nice to have someone stop by and say "Hello" and let you now that they are reading what you have written and that they are getting something good out of it. That is always the hope. Thank you. Linda Ann! 12/9/10
36. I ran into a friend yesterday at the mall. We have been friends with her family for many years. We hadn't seen each other in a long time but she said, "I just love running into people that are my root friends." I thought about that and loved that designation. Sarah is our Jennifer's age so she has pretty much known me her whole life. I loved being a friend from her roots. Even though she has moved away she said home is where her root friends are. Sweet! 12/12/10
37. I find the Christmas holidays to be fun and yet exhausting. I love knowing myself well enough to know that at my age (63) the old gray mare ain't what she use to be. What I use to be able to do in a couple days now seems to take so much longer. I am OK with that. The beauty of growing older is, it may take longer but then you don't have as much of a need to be in rush. Less stress = more fun. What's not to love? 12/16/10
38. Yesterday I was driving down the road and was thinking, "I don't think I have ever been more happily married than I am right now." I felt such a deep appreciation for the journey of marriage. If you endure the rough spots the joy comes full force and it is all good. This is such a good age for me. Things are just making perfect sense finally in many areas of my life. What a gift! 12/17/10
39. Wow I have been absent for a while while we have been in Utah. Please know that I am more thankful than ever for a Father in Heaven that knows and answers fervent prayers. Hazie is improving because of Him and His answers of yes, she can get better! 1/3/11
    
40. We had a beautiful Christmas with some of our kids and grandkids. It was only sad not to have everyone here. But we talked and Skyped and connected via electronics, those are the things I am thankful for right now. I think of the pioneers who sent loved ones off to unknown places, for undetermined amounts of time and never knew what was happening. We are truly blessed. 1/4/11
41. Yesterday a dear friend was buried at home while we are still here. I am thankful for the example of the good and spiritual life Jon Aikele lived. There is no question in my mind that he met his eternal goals. What a blessing to have been called his friend. 1/4/11
    
42. I am thankful we were able to travel safely in the snow here so far. We Cali kids are not that familiar with the white stuff and it quite frankly, it scares me. Thankful all is well. 1/4/11
43. I am grateful that my friend, Linda Ann has asked my to team up with her on what she is thankful for~her list of 1000 she is working on. I just love her and am thankful we have met. She is a kindred spirit. 11/4/11