Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving this year was good a little different but good. I love this time of year where we pause and reflect so much more on all the blessings that we receive from our Heavenly Father. My heart has been so full over the past few weeks. I am thankful for my Heavenly Father and how well He knows me and my family's needs. It's amazing to watch things come together not the way I would have planned but how He knows it needed to be to bless our family. I am so grateful to know that I am a daughter of God.

I am incredibly grateful for my husband. He is working so hard on his schooling and I know it is not his favorite thing to do. He enjoys learning but the structure of school is not his ideal way of doing things. But he keeps trying and making time for it and is pushing himself forward to bless our family. He is always taking such great care of Benjamin and I and loving us.

I am grateful to be a mom. There is something so amazing and fulfilling about having children and loving them so unconditionally. Benjamin brings me so much joy everyday. If I am in a bad mood or sad Jared will just tell Benjamin to hug me and it cheers me up.

I am grateful for my family that I grew up in. Especially for the parents! My mom is my best friend and she is so insightful and understanding. I am thankful for the time I get to spend with her. I am thankful for her example to me on being a mother and a friend.

I am grateful for my membership in the true church on the earth. I am thankful for my Savior and His atonement which is such a huge part of my life and testimony. The gospel in my life is just a major part of who I am and how I live my life and I see blessings from it every day.

I am grateful for my job and the blessing it is financially and the flexibility I have. The team I work with is great and my boss is wonderful.

I am thankful for the friends I have and their love and support.

I feel so blessed in so many aspects of my life and I am grateful for all that Heavenly Father has blessed me with and I recognize that they all come from him.

Bored with Homework

I have probably close to a million projects going on at any one time that need to be finished. Or ideas of things to do. Yes I may be exaggerating just a bit but you get the point. I have been buying picture frames for a few years now and Olga got me one two Christmas's ago with pictures in it that have just been waiting to go up.

I finally decided it was time to do it and talked to Jared about how to do it. We laid things out on the floor and taped up the section we would fill on the wall to ensure everything was centered and well laid out. So not my way of thinking. This was all Jared which is why I talked to him about it because he's really good at doing things the right way the first time and not just settling for whatever happens.

Well we had the layout figured and the wall taped but didn't have time to do it that night. We took pictures of what we thought we wanted and I figured I would do it over the next week when I had time in the evenings (hahahahhhaaaaa...that's a good one).

Here's Benjamin helping in his own way by playing with the tape measure. Such a fun toy!

I came home from work Monday and found my husband hanging picture frames. I couldn't believe it. We hadn't done it before because he didn't want to do it because it was such a time consuming task. Jared told me "I got bored with my homework." I loved it. It felt so great to finally have the frames hung.

Jared looking back and admiring his handy work.

Now I just have to fill the frames with pictures...

Baby Blessing

Jared's sister Heather had a beautiful baby girl. We went for the baby blessing in October. It was a fun trip. Benjamin slept for most of the ride there and then had a lot of fun playing with his cousins. We went to a park in the afternoon and had a blast. Unfortunately my battery died so I only got a few pictures.

Benjamin on a teeter totter Brooks Jr. on the teeter totter with Benjamin

The park we went to was awesome! It had so many toys to play on even for big kids like us adults! There was a massive slide and we brought wax paper. Need I say more. There was a really cool swing that I sat in that Grandma pushed Benjamin and I in for awhile. Benjamin loves to swing. It was a blast! And it was a beautiful fall day!

On Sunday I got a few pictures of the boys being boys. It's a built in gene with boys to love to climb and jump things.

Organizing with a Toddler

Benjamin loves to be where ever Daddy and Mommy are. In my craft room that can be a little dangerous. I was working on November 4th to clean up and organize my craft room. Benjamin figured he could help.

Any guesses what he's doing?

He's helping of course!

Benjamin's idea of helping was to throw everything that was in my closet out of it and then back into the closet and out again. This happened many times over.

Here he is on the other side of my craft room playing with a broken wood lighthouse.

I did manage to get a few things cleaned up but Benjamin definitely made it hard. Oh well such is life with a toddler. They make things more fun!

Leg Block

I love this little boy!

How can you not?

He pulls his legs up just at the right moment to block a smile.

I love his rolly polly little boy body. He keeps me going!

(Pictures taken November 3rd)

Thankful for...Veterans

I am grateful to live in the United States of America and be blessed with so many freedoms that others do not enjoy. There are so many women and men who have served and continue to serve to protect those freedoms and keep our country safe. I am grateful to my Boppa who served for so many years. I am grateful for my brother who serves now. My life is so truly blessed to live here. I love my country and I am proud to be an American!

Thankful for...My Job

I am thankful for my job and the blessing it is on our family. I am especially thankful for my boss who is so kind, patient and understanding. I've been sick this week and so has Benjamin so I've been blessed to work from home since Tuesday.

Thankful for...Hugs

I love being a mom. It's such a wonderful blessing in my life. One of the best
things about being a mom is the hugs. I love it when Benjamin crawls into my
lap and wraps his tiny arms as far around me as he can and nestles his head
between my head and shoulder. I love to cherish those moments together. I try
to never rush the hug and just let him hold me and I him until he is ready to
let go. I am thankful for hugs especially from my little Benjamin.

Thankful for...Fall

Fall can be dismal and hard to get through some days. But with days like today I am grateful it is fall. The sun is shining, the leaves are blowing in the breeze and there is patches of blue sky. I am thankful for fall and the beauty that can be found therein.

Thankful for...This Time of Year

It's that time of year where the holiday season is upon us! I am so excited. I recently watched "Miracle on 34th Street" and felt it was a great kick off to my holiday season. I don't ever think it's too early to start up feelings of gratitude and thoughts of our Savior's birth. I feel like there is magic in the air at this time of year as the world comes together and thinks more about the miracle of Jesus' birth and what He has done for each of us.
I am thankful for this time of year to reflect on the past year and all that I have been blessed with.