A Thanksgiving Challenge

Some of my favorite bloggers inspired me to take the Challenge to list 100 things I am thankful for. (not in any particular order of importance.)

1. Families are Forever
2. Chocolate labs by the names of Tank and Bob who warmed my feet and heart.

3. New tires on the X.

4. General Conference talks in print, CD's & DVD's.
5. A sewing machine that stitches great.
6. Children who call and email to let me know they care.
7. A husband who helps with just about anything.
8. Airplanes that fly to and from Iowa and Houston.
9. Beaches, sand and sea.
10. Mountains, lakes and streams to relax and recharge.
11. Grandchildren giggles and smiles.
12. Immersion Blenders...my favorite kitchen tool.
13. A nice warm bath.
14. Thick cut french fries.
15. Jess and Eric
16. Bright flowers, especially yellow, orange and pink.
17. Watching the first snowfall with a cup of cocoa.
18. Our house.
19. Quilt stores....well more specifically quilt fabric stores.
20. Temples.
21. Missionaries and missions.
22. An Ice cold Coca Cola.
23. My wonderful husband.
24. Good Books.
25. Brothers and sisters who are willing to lend a hand along with their heart.
26. Parents who set a great example.
27. Cold Stone's Mud-Pie Mojo.
28. Brian & Kellie
29. Good friends though seldom seen but as if we have never been apart.
30. Living in America.
31. My blogging daughter and daughter in-law.
32. Nursery Kids...and the funny things they say.

38. Taking a scenic ride with my hubby.
39. When my children are together.
40. Crisp clean sheets.
41. The salads my mother in-law makes.
42. Freedom to worship.
43. The opportunity to vote.
44. Good health.
45. Nice warm cushy socks on a cold day.
46. Cody
47. Digital Cameras!
48. Grassy lawns to walk, play and take a nap on.
49. Almond Joy.
50. Good medical care.
51. Missionary Emails
52. The Gospel

53. The Hymn of Thanksgiving
54. Prayer.
55. Freedom to go and come as I desire.
56. Max
57. Dry Cleaners who do a great job on men's shirts!
58. Gardens, both vegetable and botanical.
59. Kitchen Gadgets that work for more than one use.
60. Freedom of speech...to listen to both sides of an issue.
61. Control-top panty hose.
62. My testimony
63. Ode to Joy

64. Seasonal Changes

65. Good German Chocolate

66. AC....a summertime blessing

67. Washers and Dryers

68. Lavender

69. Cashmere Sweaters

70. Christmas Carols even in September

71. The Book of Mormon

72. My Education

73. Soft fluffy bath towels

74. Clean Water

75. Grandparents who always made me feel loved.

76. Christian, Maggie, Zack and ???

77. Leaves turning red, gold, burgundy, rust & brown

78. Good lip buzzing salsa

79. Crisp, sweet/tart Apples.

80. A good haircut and those sporatic good hair days.

81. Calendars

82. Movies...chick, suspense, historical & animated.

83. A good massage.

84. Thanksgiving Day, especially the food and the family

85. Good Neighbors

86. Watching the night sky for falling stars.

87. Roasting Marshmallows

88. Phone calls from Rick

89. Grocery Stores with amazing selection.

90. Revelation

91. Mint Three Musketeers

92. Eternal Marriage

93. Food Storage

94. Wedding Anniversaries

95. Nieces & Nephews

96. Thank-you notes

97. Stormy nights with thunder & lightning.

98. A big shade tree to sit under and read

99. Fabric to sew, see and touch.

100. Tender Mercies of the Lord...all around me.

Fulfillment...

I am presently working in a "fulfillment center". You may wonder if this could be the place where all wishes, wants and desires are all fulfilled but you would be disappointed. We provide support to home consultants who use in-home "parties" to sell their products. While I've been working here I've noticed a few things about people, places and packaging.

You could live in a glen, village, township, city, burough or territory.
You might live on a lane, street, avenue, court, circle, route or drive.
But then again you may be on an FM or a CR...and what pray you are they.
FM is an abbreviation for Farm to Market road.
CR, similarly means County Road.
There seems to be a multitude of "whisperings" Whispering Oaks, Whispering Glen, Whispering Forest, Whispering Mill...why all the whisper and what the whispering is all about I wonder.
You could also go the route of royalty...on Knights Cove, Queens Creek or Coronation Drive.

Sweet home is not only in Alabama but also found in Oregon.
The North Pole is in Alaska...forget all that global positioning.
The Yukon can be found in Oklahoma...maybe this is where all the global warming theories got a bit convoluted...it is just an address guys.

There are addresses so rural that UPS does not make a home delivery and that person must drive 90 minutes from a Texas ranch to pick things up from the UPS depot. I guess only Fedex must be able to find those in the truly rural "sticks". (It must be true I saw it happen in the movie Castaway.)

There are all kinds of names for places and people but presently some of my favorites are Bambi, Bimberly, Taffy, Kitten and Cinamon...yes Bimberly, Bambi, Kitten and Taffy are real people along with Sunshine and Cinamon.

In the meantime I will continue to help "fulfill" some wishes, wants and desires to consultants you may know or meet...even Bimberly, Bambi and Kitten.

ING

I saw this on one of my favorite blogs and loved the idea. Join in and post your own ING's:

Making : Various stitching projects including a couple of quilt bindings.

Cooking: Chile Verde...it is so wonderful over pinto beans and chips. Just add a sprinkling of shredded cheese. Yum.

Drinking : Ice COLD Coca Cola. There is nothing better.

Reading: The Lost Symbol

Wanting: Time with my grandchildren.

Looking: at falling golden Sycamore leaves.

Playing: Cribbage. Do you know Cribbage?

Wishing: I could find that blasted money tree now that the leaves are falling.

Enjoying: Halloween trick or treaters.

Waiting: for the Chile Verde to finish cooking.

Liking: a big, brown Chocolate Labrador named Bob.

Wondering: When I will get back to a good weight lifting workout.

Loving: Zack, Maggie & Christian as well as their parents. Max, Cody and Rick too.

Hoping: for a better job.

Marvelling: How much I love Rick after almost 30 years!

Needing: to remember all my blessings.

Smelling: a wonderful air spray called Cherry Clove Chutney

Wearing: Soft striped sweater with brown corduroy pants.

Following: Bob around the block.

Noticing: How cute little kids transform depending on the costume they are wearing.

Knowing: tomorrow will be another day to start something great.

Thinking: I should go get the laundry out of the dryer and fold something.

Opening: the mail for today.

Giggling: at a funny story about Christian and another about Maggie. Let's just say being Darth Vader is serious business and bribery works.

Feeling: happy to be home.

What are you ing-ing?

Planes, Trains and the Autobahn...

Salt Lake City to Atlanta to Paris to Hamburg and Elder Max!




President and Sister Thompson



Families large and small graciously gave us glimpses into the lives of the German people. Derk & Anya Franze, Sister Reske, The Bolte, Mueller, Glaeser and Westvogel families made sure we felt welcome from Hamburg to Elmshorn to Dillingsdorf to Berlin and onto Bremen.

Following the "Fairy Tale Road" of the Brother's Grimm we wound our way through Goslar, Goettigen, Hanoverisch-Munden, Kassel and on to Bremen.












Our last couple of days were spent in Copenhagen. We found the original Christus along with the twelve apostles from the New Testament, the home of Hans Christian Andersen and the Little Mermaid...

The "Glitterlicious" cupholder

Drink like the woman you truly are. Why settle for the common plastic, styrofoam or coated paper cup to carry your beverage of choice when you can have glitter and glitz. Now the "How-To" for you...

You will need:

1 - 44oz. Sonic cup

-Modge Podge

-Glitter

-Feathers

-Ribbons

-Glitzy Do-Dads



1-Coat the outside of your cup with Modge Podge.
2-Pour glitter over it.
3-Allow the glitter to dry COMPLETELY
Repeat steps 1, 2 & 3
4-One last coat of Modge Podge to glue the gltter in place.
Embellish and decorate to your heart's desire.

To use your "Glitterlicious" cup just fill any 32 oz. or smaller cup and slip it into the "Glitter" Cup holder. This cup was made for me by a friend; you can see more examples on her blog archives. http://www.overthetipsytopdesign.blogspot.com/

Bob...the dog

Yes, it is true Bob is in BIG trouble. Bob is our big, brown Chocolate Lab; and now we know he just can't be trusted by himself in the big backyard. He has chewed up sticks and stuff that were left out for him but then he got bored and went for the BBQ cover. Tore it right of the BBQ, ripped it to pieces and flung it about the yard.
Well, we had a serious talk with him about what was appropriate to chew (rawhide bones, pig ears and other doggy treats) and those things that were not appropriate like BBQ covers. We replaced the cover thinking Bob understood approppriate and inappropriate "chew toys"
We had about 2 days without destruction in the backyard and then we noticed a big black thing laying on the snow...you guessed it...the brand new, $50 bbq cover was in the process of being shredded. Bob had also found a new "chew toy", my favorite hand shovel that I love to use in the garden.
After giving Bob another "talking to" and putting him in the kennel for a serious "timeout" we decided to toss the BBQ cover and hide the garden and bbq tools inside the grill. This was a good idea until last night...

I completely forgot about the "hiding" place and started up the grill. Well lo, and behold everything inside had started on fire. and we had dripping plastic and ruined grates and burners...so now me and Bob are in the dog house so to speak. I reminded Rick that Bob is a dog with very little brain...but he is still in trouble.

I will get him some new bones tomorrow.

A FREEBIE for 3

This will be FUN! Anyone and everyone reading this, here is your big chance: The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a handmade gift from me during this year. When and what will be a surprise, but there's a catch . . . You must post this offer on your blog, too. Fun, huh? Thanks for starting it Megan and passing it on Christine. Remember, only the first 3 commenters receive a gift. Let's see who looks at my blog!

The Substitute

sub·sti·tute \ˈsəb-stə-ˌtüt, -ˌtyüt\
noun : a person or thing that takes the place or function of another

...in my case a person who takes the place or function of another in schools throughout Davis County school district.
As of November I have joined the ranks of substitute teachers. I have been in High Schools, Jr. High Schools as well as Elementary Schools. I have worked in both Charter and the good old traditional Public school; Year-round as well as Traditional schedules.

There are pros and cons in every situation of life's expereinces. Substitute teaching is no exception. Among the positive aspects are the options take or leave a job, choosing which schools and grade levels can be very powerful. Cons are the unknown and the known... not knowing the school, the teacher, their expectations and equipment can be intimidating as well as requiring FLEXIBIITY and a reality check.

The reality check is this.
..Substitutes are basically there to manage a classroom...to babysit children of various ages. If the teacher has prepared a good plan for the day and the substitute realizes they are the one in charge the day can be good, even enjoyable. The other reality check is if it is a bad situtation you don't have to go back, ie. the option to chooose!
The Flexibility...to choose the battles that matter most.

As the saying goes "experience is the best teacher" I don't know if experience is the best teacher but my experiences are teaching me how to survive and in some cases even enjoy substitute teaching.

Life is full of opportunities and substitute teaching is presently one of mine.

Shannon Elise...

beautiful baby girl.

Christmas came with much anticipation and great expectation...

...Missionary phonecalls, Snowmen and angels, 3 little Cuties, Spaghetti Fest, Discovery Gateway--- 4 days of family fun fun fun

Christmas has come and
Christmas is gone
but memories live on...