Multiple things

today i am grateful for multiple things:
1. my safe drive to oregon
2. a priesthood blessing giving me the strength for the trip
3. saving money by driving straight through rather than spending $114 on a hotel
4. being able to cancel said hotel
5. seeing amy, brad, james and gavin
6. james being super excited to see me
7. pat being kind and driving the bishop and his wife to the airport early this morning
8. not being in pain (see #2)
9. craig and angie being able to take care of sick little lucas
10. even though lucas is sick his sweet disposition
11. my car getting 34 mpg on the trip
12. linzi wishing me a safe drive
13. knowing that rach would rather be here with us
14. pat coming home to spend time with me before i left

i know, it is much to be grateful for, and there is even more, i just won't list them all... now it's your turn to be grateful!

Thank You

To all who have served on behalf of our freedom

I thank you from the depths of my soul. 

You have given us your all.

Your family has sacrificed on our behalf.

You have made us strong in the face of adversity.

Thank you, thank you, thank you...

never will there be enough words

to express our gratitude to you.

Ripon Ward

Our family moved to Ripon in August 1991. There we lived until December 2000. While we don't live far from Ripon we might as well as far as seeing former friends from the old Ripon Ward goes. Once in a while we get to go back in time, just for a little bit, and only as far as our surroundings go. Today was such a day...I was able to be in the Ripon Ward for their ward conference. It is a treat for me to visit, to feel so loved and accepted by old friends and acquaintances.

I am grateful for the time we spent in Ripon, for the experiences we shared, for the love that was felt and for the forever friendships that were made. Life in Ripon was not perfect; but life never is. I am grateful for the 9+ years that we were able to live in such a tight-knit community and ward. I am grateful that every once in a while I can go back and feel like I am home again.

Quiche

Rachel had a brunch today for her friends. She decided to serve Costco's Quiche Lorraine. My, it is yummy. It is also quite inexpensive, as in it would cost  you more to make it yourself than to buy it in a 2 pack for $4.95. Yes, that is an incredible price! Okay, so it actually is made by another company, but if I purchase it at Costco to me it is theirs. (that is my reasoning, it is how i operate) It is also made with egg whites, which again, is a win.

I am grateful for quiche, I love it.

SHOES!

Shoe shopping with Pat is always a treat, sorry, I lied. He is one of the pickiest shoe shoppers on the planet! (why does this make me think of the term 'show stopper'? No idea...) Usually when we go shopping for shoes for him (which is rare, and a testament of my great love for him) it takes F.o.R.E.v.e.R!! But, not tonight! He came home a little early from work, and had asked me to go with him after dinner. I suggested we go now rather than later, and off we went!

Fortunately he had been to this store prior to my going with him so he knew what they offered. I had a 15% coupon so he was a man on a mission! He not only bought a nice new Sunday-best pair of black wingtips, he also bought himself a nice cozy comfy pair of slippers. He is a happy man.

And I am simply grateful.

not moving

today i helped move my mom and sister to an apartment near the home they live in now. moving = no fun, at all. i am grateful i am not moving (though i should be moving all of our 'junk' out of here!) (wishful thinking)

snips and snails

and puppy dog tails! That is what little boys are made of!

I am grateful for all the little boys in my life! Each one makes me smile! =)

quick and painless!

We just finished painting Rachel's room. It took us less than two hours! My, how that makes me happy and oh, so grateful! (and it looks great too!)

discounted supplies

Rachel has been planning on painting her room for awhile now. I tend to spoil myself when it comes to projects so I opt to get the kind of paint that has the primer already in it. Just let me state here that I do have a reason for spoiling myself - it's called stenosis of the spine; which means I have a bad back. Hence, I choose to not have to put as much effort into tasks when it is at all avoidable, make sense now? (most people would hire a painter, I am too cheap to do that, so I get the best paint instead.)

At any rate (I love that phrase, don't you?), I saw the other day that Home Depot's Behr paints is on special right now - you purchase a can and get $5.00 back per can! Win!

We will also be painting our bathroom soon, and installing tile on our bathroom floor (which came carpeted).

I am grateful for discounted supplies that I actually like using!

Sanity

What an odd title...for an odd day.

There was a woman in our Relief Society today; she is a former member. She has serious problems, mentally. She said a few things that were odd at first, and I thought she might have some problems. Then she said things that were inappropriate and I knew she had problems. Finally the 2nd counselor stood and asked her to stop --twice. I actually turned around and told her that they would speak with her later.

After the meeting they asked me to stay with them and assist them. While listening I felt profound sadness for her; for the decisions she has made to let simple things affect her in an extremely adverse manner. Her mind, heart, basically everything is not where it should be, and probably never will be.

I am grateful for the blessing of sanity; not just for me, but for everyone that enjoys it.

Odd, I know; but it is what it is.

smiling

smiling has always been one of my favorite pastimes, sounds silly, i know. when i was in high school there was a girl who was in our ward that smiled all the time at everyone. she made others feel accepted and welcome just through smiling. so i adopted that philosophy. now, as you can see from the picture, i don't have the greatest smile in the world, in terms of structure, what with a chipped tooth and several crowns. what i do have is a sincere smile that is warm and genuine. once Marion D. Hanks told me that my smile would get me anywhere, which meant a lot to me. i have received many compliments on my smile, again not due to structure, but due to genuineness. 

unfortunately i had a mishap yesterday. one of my crowns came off a tooth. which was okay because i saved it. then in talking to a friend and my dentist they said that i should put it back on (with the assistance of either super glue or fixadent) so that my teeth would not move due to the lack of a 'tooth' being present. i did as i was told, being pretty good about the whole obedience thing. now in retrospect i wish i hadn't because said crown has gone a missing...which leads me to conclude that i must have swallowed it. ew.

while i love my smile and that it brings happiness to others (whilst showing my happiness) i would indeed be smiling more had i not lost my crown. 

all in all, i am grateful for being able to smile and for the smiles of others, which also make me smile!

Pampered

Last night Rach and I went to Corinne's for a Pampered Chef party/fund raiser. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves! I thought it was a great idea to have a fund raiser for her 3-day walk for the cure. If you want to order anything to support her cause here is her link: http://www.pamperedchef.biz/debralee

Pink spreader - I bought this for me!

I could recommend all kinds of fun things for the kitchen - they have amazing products! I could have easily (had I not shown restraint) spent a ton of money there! Let me know if you would like some ideas.

I am grateful that Pampered Chef is in support of breast cancer awareness and is contributing to finding a cure, and that I can pamper myself with some of their products!

So adorable!
Cake server - the heel is a magnet.

Angela

Today I am grateful for our daughter-in-law Angie.

She is a wonderful wife to Craig and mommy to Lucas.

I am also grateful for our newest granddaughter

that she is carrying at this time and will join our family in August.

We are grateful that she and Craig found one another; they are a perfect fit. 

Angie, we love you and are grateful you are part of our forever family.

Happy Birthday!

The Holy Ghost

I have been assigned to give a talk in July. The subject: Led by the Spirit. I began my 'research' for this talk just this morning. As I have read and pondered the importance of The Holy Ghost in our lives I am overcome with many emotions. I am humbled at the quickness of The Spirit to touch my heart, to lead me where I need to go in order to touch the lives of our Father's children. I am grateful beyond words to have the influence of the Spirit in my life; that gives me so much more than I am worthy of. I have also felt compelled to be better, to be kinder, and more loving...and to show it, not simply feel it.


The Holy Ghost has always been a favorite of mine. I can't explain it, but am deeply grateful for His influence in my life. Le Grand Richards expressed it well when he said, "To me the gift of the Holy Ghost is as important to man as sunshine and water are to plants."

angel squares

still rainy here. on rainy days i love to bake. but since i'm not feeling super good i didn't want to spend my energy with cookies or anything of a time consuming nature. so i opted for angel squares, which are super easy and i've been making them for nearly thirty years now. long time, right? and just so you too can be grateful i am including the recipe for you!

basically i am making them for pat - he deserves anything nice i do for him since he is such an amazing guy, and we are so lucky to have him.

angel squares
2 c. brown sugar

3 c flour

1 c. hot water with 1 t baking soda dissolved

1 t. cinnamon

1 t. baking powder

2 eggs

1 c. margarine

12 oz. chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients until well mixed by hand, add the chocolate chips last.  Spread on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 20 – 30 minutes.  While hot add glaze.

Glaze:

1 c. powdered sugar

1 – 2 T milk (if need more add, but shouldn’t)

Rainy May

We have had the oddest weather lately - rain! In May! I am grateful for the rain because it means my flowers and plants get watered for free! I also just like seasons to change things up a bit here and there and give us the unexpected.

The only problem - the cherries are suffering. (not like ours haven't already thanks to the cherry attacking birds around here)

I am grateful for our cooler than usual rainy May - it sure beats the heat!

Brad

Today I am grateful for our son-in-law, Brad.

He is a wonderful husband and father.

We have watched him progress and grow through the years

always striving to be the man he knows he should be.

Happy Birthday Brad!

We are grateful you are part of our eternal family. :)

Tylenol cold

Since Thursday night I've had a sore throat, been congested, had a cough and more tired than usual...me thinks I may be sick. =/

My loving husband has been diligent at reminding me to take Tylenol cold, which helps immensely. Today my gratitude is simple - I am grateful for Tylenol cold and the miraculous ability it has to make a cold bearable.

Craigers!

I am grateful for our son, Craig.

He has brought much love and laughter

to our family for thirty years!

I am grateful for the man,

husband and father that he strives to be. 

Life just wouldn't be the same without him.

Thanks for all you do Craig. I am so grateful you are our son.

Happy Birthday! I love you!

Stocked shelves and fridge

We came home last night from our  Disneyland trip. (so fun! and tiring!) The thought of running to the grocery store was not something that brought a smile to my face. After thinking briefly on the matter I realized we have plenty of food on hand, me being a planner and all, thank goodness! So, Rachel and I did a car washing, library book collecting and Costco gas-pumping run (which was sorely needed, nearly empty tank that it was).  Then we wandered in to Costco to buy some kitchen garbage bags and a few fresh veggies, and out the door we went!

It was wonderful to not have to do a big shopping trip since we have our cupboards and fridge stocked already with enough food to feed us for a while.

I am grateful our cupboards are stocked full! It is so much better than grocery shopping!

Home Sweet Home

We have been gone from home for several days now. Since I am writing this blog before we are leaving I am certain that by now we are more than ready to return to our humble abode and get back in to real life...sort of. Actually, by now we are missing our own beds, cooking meals in our kitchen, and just plain having all the comforts of home. While I am positive we had a fabulous time I am also positive we are a little sore and tired and just ready to be at home. So, here is wishing us a safe drive home and hoping that a great time was had by all!

I am grateful for vacation, but I know that by this time I am feeling very grateful for our home!

Who's the leader?

Having grown up in So Cal my family members are BIG fans of Disneyland! I was born in a town not too far away from Anaheim just 3 weeks after they first opened so I love celebrating my birth year with them every year! When a major one comes up (like 50 or 55) I want to go and enjoy it with my birthday buddy - Disneyland!!!

California Adventure with the girls!

My dad as a grandpa used to hold our kids with them standing on his lap, their tiny hands grasping his finger and he would rock them back and forth singing, "Who's the leader of the band, and all the company - M-I-C---K-E-Y---M-O-U-S-E - Mikey Mouse (Donald Duck) Mickey Mouse (Donald Duck) - Forever let us raise our banner High High High! (raising them up in the air with each high)

How they loved that! And now they have passed that tradition on to each of their children. That is just one memory in our family of how Disney figures into the mix.

But Disneyland - wow, I remember going there SO many times as a kid! We would go for Mormon Night or McDonnell Douglas night - going on as many rides as we could! I remember having the tickets where we were limited in how often we could ride the Matterhorn or any other rides! If you were really lucky someone that didn't want to go on that ride would give you their "E" ticket and make the adventure that much more special for you.

My mom told me that when I was a baby my aunt and uncle came to visit and they wanted to go to Disneyland on  a Monday. They went to the park only to find that it wasn't open that day. Someone that worked there noticed them and gave them a behind the scenes tour. They all loved it!

I also remember one of the times my mom was in the hospital my dad took my brother and I to Disneyland. I am pretty sure he figured we were having a hard time without my mom being around and she said to take us to do something fun. We had a blast that day! I must have been about 8 years old since we were living in North Hollywood at the time.

Mickey is actually on top of the Matterhorn!

Rach and Buzz Lightyear -
To infinity and beyond!

My favorite memories are when we have gone with our kids. We always had such fun together and something memorable always happened! (can anyone say 'hot chocolate'?!) I am grateful for Disneyland and all the good memories it brings to my heart and mind. It is (one of the) happiest place(s) on earth!

Huntington Beach

A long time ago, in what seems a world away, there was a little girl named Sandy whose parents decided to move to Huntington Beach. Sandy loved the area - she loved her friends, school, church, of course her family, and the beach! While growing up she spent hours exploring the sea and sand, collecting sea shells, and marveling at the vast expanse of the blue, blue ocean.

Later the beach became her 'play ground' as she would go as frequently as possible, basting herself in the sun with baby oil, frolicking in the waves, having bonfires, and going on a grunion run or two. Ah, the life of a teenager with few cares in the world! How she loved being at the beach!

Eventually the beach became a place of comfort and peace for her. Just the scent of the sandy ocean air, and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore can bring a smile to her face - making her feel true joy at this wonderful creation that she has been so blessed to enjoy throughout her life.

Amy and Rachel at HB in 2007 -
love sharing my love for the beach with my family!

I am grateful for Huntington Beach; that I could live there, grow, learn, and figure out what was truly important in my life. This little girl is all grown up and is grateful for Huntington Beach and the part it played in that process.

Having been tghere tgo

Reunions

We are in So Cal today to have some much needed fun and a much needed break for Pat. I am grateful that we are going to meet up with one of my good friends from high school and BYU years, Cheryl Pitt. Seriously, she is one of the nicest people to walk this earth. I am excited to have seen her! I am grateful that our friendship withstands the test of time...don't you just love those kinds of friendships? Where you meet together and it is as if no time  has passed because everything just clicks? It is one of the best things in life.

I am grateful for reunions.

Motherhood

I am simply grateful to be a mother. We have four wonderful children that love me and support me and sometimes give me strength to get through this hectic life! How grateful I am for them and the opportunity I have to serve as their mommy, mom and mother. There is nothing sweeter in life. Thanks guys, for everything.

New projects!

I love it when new ideas pop into my head that are going to help me be better organized and help our home environment to be cleaner. It's not like we are dirty people around here, we aren't. However, living with a pack rat who doesn't mind clutter can get to me at times, as I try to let go of my desire to have 'a place for everything, and everything in it's place' it is a challenge. The task to organize can be overwhelming since I tend to be an all or nothing kind of person. When I organize I want to organize everything all at once!!! That tactic lends myself to experience pain in ways that makes me not want to get the job completed, in other words I overdo it! Not a healthy or happy idea.

So, my new project to get organized is THIS -
I am cleaning/organizing a drawer/cupboard a day (excluding Sunday - our day of rest). That I can handle! I am so excited about the prospect of getting our home in order (the way I love it to be) I can hardly stand it. Unfortunately it's going to have to wait another week - I have other things going on this week of which I will surely be recuperating from when that adventure ends. (way excited about that too)

I will keep you posted, probably on my other blog - unless I end up being grateful for some sort of discovery I make! ;)

So excited and grateful for new projects! I can hardly wait!

Energy

Today was one of the busiest I have had in a while, with no time for relaxing! It isn't over yet and I have a ton more to do! I am so grateful for the energy that I have and this old body that keeps plugging away no matter how much it may hurt!

Sandals

We are taking a trip in a few days where walking will be the choice of transportation (plus a few other ways that really get you nowhere!) Figuring that it will be HOT while we are at our destination I purchased a new pair of sandals that should be comfy for my feet. Today we also purchased a new pair for Rach at REI. (I like that store, and I say 'like' because Pat loves REI!)

I am grateful for our new sandals and that we could find them so quickly!

P.S. looks like it will only be in the 70's, but sandals are still a win for me.

My mom

I know Sunday is Mother's Day, but today I went and saw my mom! I am so very grateful for her, for all that she has done for me and the love and support she gives to our family. I am so blessed to have her for my mom.

Costco cooked chicken

Ever have one of those days when you don't feel much like cooking...for one reason or another? Today was such a day - so I took myself over to Costco and purchased one of their yummy chickens. MMMM -- what a nice, delicious dinner! I am grateful for Costco and their chicken!

Feeling better

Today I finally am feeling better than I have in a week. Yay me! Yesterday I received a Priesthood blessing where I was told that I would recover from this illness. I love Priesthood miracles...they are so wonderful, even the little seemingly insignificant ones, like me getting better.

I am grateful to be feeling better, and especially for what contributed to that.

walks

rach and i went for a walk this morning. i love our walks - usually it is a time when we share thoughts, ideas, solutions, well, you get the idea. today was no exception. i am grateful for walks and how great it is to be with those i love.