Goodly Parents

I am thankful for Goodly Parents...parents who not only love me, but are a great example to me and my family in so many ways.  They have eternal perspective and I love that.
I remember as a teen having friends who hated their parents, I loved my parents. I remember friends trying to hide their life from their parents, I didn't have to hide because I was taught how to behave and we talked...a lot so they knew what was going on in my life.
Someone once told me that you can have many friends but you only have 2 parents.  I am not saying that parents can't become your friends, I am saying you need parents who are goodly parents more than you need friends.
My parents are goodly in the gospel sense too. They are faithful and strong and true and hold fast to the rod.  I have never wondered where they stand on anything. They talk the talk and walk the walk. They have also been great examples of what a parent is......I am a better parent because of them.
They have taught me that people are more important than things, that if you treated each of your kids the same way that, that wouldn't be fair,  because they are each different people. And most important they have taught me that family is forever!
I love this because now that I am a parent I know that it is true:

MCC

SNOW!?!?!?! it's all Part of the 4 Seasons

I am thankful for 4 seasons...yes I know I say this often, but I do, I really enjoy the 4 plus seasons we experience living here in Utah. I say plus because we not only have the regular seasons but we get a few bonus seasons as well; the ugly snow and mud season between winter and spring, and the wet broken tree season between fall and winter......I am sure that there are more, but these two are the most noticed by me.
A friend of mine moved to a more moderate climate and keeps telling me she misses the very visible change of seasons. She laughs at the way her new local peeps react to subtle temperature changes. Her kids are still wearing shorts and t-shirts and the other kids at school are bundled up in cloths that should be worn in climates 20 or more degrees colder.
But I digress..... I am thankful for the snow, and the broken trees and the slick roads.........

MCC

A Month of Thanks

November is gratitude month....so to start off....... I am grateful Halloween is over......less candy and goodies to be tempted with, better for my wight loss. I am thankful for the rain and very glad that it stayed away until the trick or treaters were done.   By the way, I had 15 trick or treaters last night, possible a new high for the past 5 years. Someone mentioned that it is because of Trunk or Treats and all the easy to get free candy giveaways that happen now a days. I remember Halloween being a night of major planning so that we could get the most candy loot. But as with other things that made my childhood memorable times have changed and they are gone....no more night games, no more imaginative play, no more etc.......Dang technology and ease of life. But I digress..... I have so much to be thankful for.

MCC

November.....Blessings

It's Thankful Month and boy do I have tons (or heaps) to be thankful for!

FAMILY...always number one on the list..........what would I do without them? Their Love, Support, Example, Help, Kindness, Attitude, Prayers, etc...... I couldn't live without.
My family immediate and extended are not normal....in a good way. I think we like each other, we support each other, we are each others BFF's......which according to my other friends is not normal. Apparently you are supposed to dislike your family, think of them as a nuisance, you can't count on them......Not my family. I believe we are a very close supportive family because of how we were taught....in the end...the very end....endure to the end....you end up with your family, so you might as well figure them out while here on earth and practice being together forever.

MCC

A Thankful Heart

I received an e-mail from Andy Andrews today-- he is the author or the "The Travelers Gift" a great book with wonderful life lessons and Decisions for Success. His e-mail was about a grateful prospective. Here is an excerpt from his e-mail;
--Did you know that if you have cash in your wallet and a jar on your dresser that collects loose change, you are considered "prosperous" by more than 90% of the world's population? If you have food in a refrigerator, clothes in addition to the ones you are wearing, and a roof over your head at night, you are more fortunate than 75% of the people in the world.Did you know that there are more than two billion people who cannot read? If you attend church without fear of arrest or harassment, you have a freedom in your life that three billion in the world do not enjoy.
If you are healthy, you are conspicuous by your vitality. Current statistics show that 1,050,000 people will die this very week.
When I take stock of my blessings, I am embarrassed by the things that bother me. If the electricity is out, I can become unhappy quickly. Rarely do I think about the months of uninterrupted service. Cable television, the gas stove, heat in the winter, air conditioning in the summer, clean sheets ... all these are things that seemingly exist in my life without any grateful acknowledgment on my part. Yet there are billions of people who will never experience any of these luxuries.
One of my friends recently talked to an exchange student from an impoverished country. As they compared and contrasted her experiences in the United States with her home, she remarked, "You Americans get to complain about the nicest things."
Wow! Is that me? Sadly, I must confess to my share of complaints ...
This Thanksgiving Day, my family will team up to meet the challenge of a grateful spirit. We will all work on a list of the things for which we are grateful. If you'd like to join us, create a numbered list for your family that reaches at least one hundred. Place the list in a heavily trafficked area like the kitchen and add to it all day long. Urge your guests to participate. How far can our families go? How quickly can our families create a lasting, grateful spirit?--

Andy is great,he has such a positive outlook on life... I feel just like him,embrssed by my complaining when I am so blessed.
I love the idea of creating a list... I guess I already had the idea yesterday. So here it goes again....my first 25
(I will list what I am thankful for without the editorializing...maybe this will help with the tears!?!?!)
1. Gary 2. Family--Jordan, Laurie, Megan, Nelson & Hayden, also Mom & Dad, Grandma Butters, The Welch's,The Cole's,The Brown's, Liz & Al, Bill & Mary,The Call's...alright if you are family I am thankful for you..you are also supportive,kind,loving and great examples.
3. Membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 4.Nice home 5. Employment 6.Plenty of food 7. Washer & Dryer 8.Public Utilities 9. Working Autos
10. Air conditioning/central heating 11. Sundays 12. Telephones 13. clothing 14. Computers & the Internet 15. Mail 16. Chocolate 17. Diet Coke 18. Christmas 19. Four seasons 20. Grandmas Pool 21.Sunsets 22. TV 23. Movies 24. Photographs 25. The Book of Mormon
I am working on my grateful spirit.
Till tomorrow
MCC