Ugh! Time to catch up...

There's just not enough time in the day... So, now that I'm behind, I get to share three things I'm thankful for all at once. It still counts though because I thought about them the days I missed. I just didn't have time to record them. So, here goes! I am thankful for photography. Looking through pictures recently, brought to the surface really get memories that had been lovingly tucked away. You can most times remember moments, but it's so much fun to be able to see those moments again and even to see some things I missed the first time around. It also makes it possible to share those moments with people who couldn't be there. Remember how I promised to share pictures of my brother in laws open house whenever I got my hands on some? Well, here's a few. The bride and groom, Tyler and Kassie! Steven's eldest brother, Kevin and his wife, Kristi and their little munchkins, Kimble, Karter, and Koltyn. Next in line, Steven's only sister, Julie and her husband, Kevin (yup, two Kevin's!) and their little ones, Kylie, Jacie, Landen, and Avrie. Then, there's Keith and his wife Beverly and their cute Klan, Hailey, Jamie, and Spencer. Then, Steven is next with his wife...me! Then, it goes Tyler and his new wifey, but you already saw them. Scroll up again for your own viewing pleasure, but be sure to come back because next, we have the youngest, the magnificent, the grrrrreat BRIAN!!! ;0) And of course, the ones who started it all...well one half anyway...the parents of this amazing family, Darwin and Sharon. Here's a couple group pictures just so you can see how well we all fit together. I told you they were good, didn't I? Okay, back on track now. Two more things to be thankful for. I'm thankful that God has a sense of humor and blessed...most of us with a little bit too. I love laughing. I LOVE making other people laugh. Again, looking through pictures the other night brought on quite a bit of laughter. Here, see for yourself... For some reason, even now, this picture just cracks me up. I guess it might be because in my head, I'm translating this picture into something funny...do I share? Meh, why not? Sorry Darwin! My interpretation (which is completely untrue to the real situation) is Steven: "Dad did it!" Darwin: "Huh?" Except, in my mind, "Dad did" something else. Anyway... An this one... I'm looking from left to right at each person, thinking "this is a great picture"... then I get to Steven. See what I mean? Thankfully, I happened to marry someone who has a GREAT sense of humor and shares it with me quite often. Lastly, I am thankful for good friends. The ones who love you for exactly who you are. The ones that forgive you when you don't call as much as you should. The ones that know just what to say and when to say it. The ones that are brutally honest even if you don't think you want to hear it. The ones that are kind and caring when you're feeling fragile. The ones that make you feel like you're always welcome and never imposing. The ones that are always happy to see you. The ones that give the kind of hugs that make you feel safe and loved without a single word. A few of these friends in my life are Deidre, Bishop and Marilyn, Jessica and Emily (my visiting teachers)and of course, my Heavenly Father. I have lots of great friends to be thankful for, but for some reason these are the ones that just completely stood out in my mind. Thank-you for being so amazing even when I might not deserve it!

Sunday, November 14th....

Today, I thought about how thankful I am for music. I LOVE music! I thought about it mostly because I am SO excited for Christmas music to start playing on the radio. Music has such an effect on me. It can cheer me up, make me want to shake my groove thing, comfort me when I'm feeling blue. There are songs that come on the radio that really bring back memories for me. Memories of certain time period, like the good ol days before Heather and her family moved away, when we would go to the youth dances. That was so much fun! Or some bring back actual moments for me. I can remember in full detail specific moments through a song. Music can be used as a learning tool. Not gonna lie, I still use a primary song when I'm trying to locate a book in the scriptures. There's one for The BoM and the bible. I use them both. I never did learn the New Testament one very well, but I know the BoM and the Old Testament ones well enough to do process of elimination. haha Music is a blessing and I am very thankful for it.

I am truly thankful for...

Clorox disinfectant wipes. I'm not even kidding. They make cleaning up so must faster and easier! They kill 99.9% of germs...I've never really understood that. Which is the .1% germ? Why can't any disinfectants kill it? Is it bad? Am I wasting my time on all the other germs when that's the germ I should really be worried about? I'm a pretty healthy person though and I think 99.9% is much better than whatever percent a sponge can offer me and it's less work! So, for now, I'll just not worry too much about it. haha Thank-you disinfectant wipes for simplifying at least one aspect of my life!...Oh! And they make things smell "So fresh and so clean clean". I love when my house (especially the bathroom) smells like cleaners.

My Little Family

Today, and every day, I am thankful for Steven, my darling husband and very best friend, Lilly, and Tiger. For now this is my family and I couldn't be happier. I'm thankful that Steven and I chose a temple marriage and for that reason we can be together forever. He truly is my very best friend. We have so much in common that it's just fun to be together. He has such an amazing spirit and love for life. He can really light up a room. He is ambitious and hard working. He has some of the funniest, most endearing personality traits. He never stops amazing me and can always make me laugh. He loves children and is so good with them that I have no doubt that he will be an amazing father when the time comes. He is self diagnosed ADD/OCD. He is constant motion. He's honest. I know better than to ask him if I look bad when I know I do, but would rather hear the opposite. He doesn't really understand girl talk and crafts, but lets me do them anyway...and pretends to appreciate it...most times. He is fit and encourages me to be also, no matter how much of a fight I put up about going to the gym. He chews on EVERYTHING! Now, things are not perfect and I don't want to deceive you into to thinking they are. We have had hard times and still do, quite often. But, through our hard times, we have grown and there is no one I would rather fight fire with than Steven. As for Lilly girl, she's my princess. I'm thankful for the way she greets me at the door no matter how long I've been gone. She'll meow and meow until I sit down to let her jump up and say hello. Or how every morning when she hears me waking up, she gets all excited and jumps on the bed to say good morning. It makes me laugh how she LOVES the suitcase and will lay on top of it any chance she gets. On car rides she's either on the drivers lap or on the suitcase in the back. Or that her favorite pass time is playing with cotton swabs or lounging in the bathroom sink. When she wants my attention she literally says "ma ma." Steven will back me up on that one. She really does. Then, there's Tiger. He is just so stinkin' cute! He's our baby boy. My little pumpkin patch. We got him for Steven because Steven was sad that Lilly was strictly a momma's girl. But, you cannot have a Tiger in your home and not claim him as your own. He's my boy. He is such a snuggler. Every morning he jumps up and will either squish between both Steven and I or if I'm laying on my side, he will snuggle up against the curve of my body. He uses and LOVES the cat bed that wasn't good enough for Lilly. He has a fetish with adhesive. Tape, the sticky strips from the lint roller, you name it. He also likes to carry things around the house in his mouth like a dog. It's cute. He is by far the sweetest cat I have ever had. Separate, I am thankful for each of the pieces of my little family. But, they're even better when you put them together. Jealous? ;0)...........Sorry this is "late". I started it yesterday, so it should still count for yesterday and I'll do the one for today later.

November 11th-Veteran's Day

It being the 11th day in November AND Veteran's Day, I feel it is only appropriate to name two very special things that I am SO thankful for. First, and foremost, my mom. Today is the anniversary of her birth. Without her I would not be. I love her so so much! She is amazing and one of my very best friends. I wish I could have been able to be with her to help her celebrate. I love you mom! Second, our veteran's. One of my most favorite quotes is, "Home of the free, because of the brave." I am so thankful for their continuing sacrifice. Anytime I see anything that has to do with any branch of the military or patriotism it warms my heart and brings tears to my eyes. Last night I saw a man in full uniform and I wanted to go thank him...but I didn't. I chickened out. So, I'm doing it now. Thank-you!!! Each of you!!! Because of you and my sweet mom, I can be me. I can write this blog. I can worship my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I can lay my head down each night in the safety and comfort of my home and know that I am free and loved. Thank-you! Thank-you! Thank-you! From the very bottom of my whole heart. God Bless!.............HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

It starts today

I want to blog about one thing each day up to Thanksgiving that I'm thankful for. It will not be in any particular order. So, if you end up being one of my honorable mentions closer to Thanksgiving or right off, DON'T think too much into it. There is no hidden meaning! Also, if you are not mentioned specifically, please don't be sad. I have SO MUCH to be thankful for that there is NO WAY I can mention everything one at a time between now and Thanksgiving. If you're even looking at this blog, that probably means that you are special to me and I love you and am thankful for 1) that I even know you and 2) that you are reading my blog! Hey! That was two things...Does that mean I'm set for tomorrow? Nah! So, without further ado...I'm thankful for modern technology. I knew life before internet and cell phones and I'm very thankful to have them! I just learned the process of dialysis and it is amazing to me what technology is capable of. Not to mention, it is thanks to technology that I get to share this blog with each of you! Okay. I am SO stinking tired. I'll do better next time. For now, good night!

Halloween Is Here!

I love this time of year! I love the change in the air. There's just a different feeling. I LOVE the decorations too! Speaking of decorations... here are the newest additions to our Halloween decor family. I got the idea for this wreath off of another persons blog. It's adorable and super easy to make! It was a lot of fun and probably my new favorite out of our selection. I also finished my wooden block pumpkin patch that I started last year and never finished. I really wanted a pumpkin patch and saw this idea at a Super Saturday. They put Jack-O-Lantern faces on theirs, but I like mine better without. This way they can double as fall decor through Thanksgiving. Again, super easy to make. They look a lot cuter in person. My camera doesn't really capture the magic. I saw a really cute pumpkin patch made out of scrap fabric. It's a little late this year to start them though. I think I'll try it for next year. With all of the Halloween crafts and decorations I was already pretty excited about the holiday, but then tonight we got a visit from the Halloween Phantom and that just kicked my excitement into high gear! I was just sitting here, watching Dancing with the stars while Steven studied when there came a knock on the door. I open the door to find... no one??? I look down and their he is! The cutest little Phantom I have ever seen AND he came bearing treats. Check it out. So cute right? And the goodies were delicious. I had to work really hard to keep Steven from eating two. Which says a lot considering he is on a serious health kick (which is killing me, by the way). So, whoever blessed our home with this happy little Halloween treat, Thank-you!

Adventures in moving

Moving always starts off sounding exciting and fun... then, you actually begin the process and realize real quick just how not fun and exciting it truly is. When we moved into our last apartment we did a lot to it. We painted and installed ceiling fans in our VAULTED ceilings. So, when we were preparing to move out we had to repaint and uninstall the ceiling fans. At least this time we had a ladder. When we were installing them we didn't. So, Steven stacked up the kitchen table, two boxes and a kitchen chair to be tall enough to install the fans.... It was a wobbling tower of terror! Even with a ladder though it was still a little crazy. I'm so glad Steven is brave enough for these things because we would be in big trouble if it were up to me. Look at how high he is! I got scared just climbing up two rungs to hand him screws. I thought it was pretty funny how Lilly kept camping out on and in the boxes and suit cases. It's like she was trying to make sure we didn't leave her behind. Then there's Tiger.... We had a balcony in our last apartment and the cats both loved to go out there. Well, one day right before we were getting ready to leave Colorado and possibly never return, I couldn't find Tiger anywhere in the house. He wasn't in any of his favorite hiding places. So, I looked outside to see if maybe we locked him out there. He wasn't there either. Half of me was thinking WE HAVE TO FIND HIM! But, there was a part that was thinking it might be more convenient to only have one cat to transport. I KNOW!!! That's awful! I knew it as soon as I thought it and then I went outside to search for him. I thought he was gone forever. I had no idea how long he had been out there or if he would try to find his way home or if one of the millions of animal lovers would steal him because he's so stinking adorable. I was looking in the bushes right below our balcony when a lady saw me (probably thought I was a peeping tom or burglar) and asked what I was doing. I told her and she said she had heard something hit her window a couple HOURS earlier but didn't think anything of it. I looked by her window and sure enough my poor little guy was there shivering on the window seal. I didn't see him before because it was dark and he blended into the wall perfectly. I was so happy to find him and felt awful that he had been there for HOURS. He made it out with only a little scratch. To be continued...

Steven's Graduation

Okay, so I am seriously behind on my blogging. At first I was putting it off because things were super busy, but now I am so far behind that it's just overwhelming. However, there are things that I can't just not blog about. So, these catch up blogs may be kind of lame. Mostly pictures and not much story. If you have questions about something or want more details, just ask! On that note, let's get crackin! First order of business, Steven's graduation! It was a really fun day. It started with a breakfast, then there were TWO graduation ceremonies (a school wide ceremony and then an individual class ceremony...i.e. medical, dental, pharmacy), then we went to a barbecue at our friends house and then we went out to Dave and Busters with Steven's parents and little brothers. Again, super fun day. Enjoy the pics! This one is first thing in the morning right before the opening ceremony. It was probably one of the warmest days we had had in Denver that season of course and poor Steven was in a BLACK gown and it was not thin either. So this picture is from the Pharmacy class ceremony. The amazing building in the background is called the 500 building. It was the Army hospital back in the day. It super awesome! These are pictures of Steven being hooded. When you graduate from a doctorate program you still get a diploma, but you get hooded on stage rather than receive your diploma. They said that in the beginning of such ceremonies the people receiving doctorate degrees were rewarded with the heavier gowns and the hoods for extra warmth because the ceremonies would take place when it was very cold. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for this graduating class. With every layer they just felt closer to heat exhaustion.... Anyway, the pictures didn't turn out great. I couldn't get close enough for my stinky camera. My brother-in-law did an amazing job getting it all on video though! Here Steven is taking his first picture as a DOCTOR! with his hooder, Dr. Cheryl Vondracek. She was one of his preceptors and meant a lot to him. Here Steven is with his dean. The dean is wearing a different looking get up because he went to a different school. There were some really cool looking gowns and hats! From the left... Steven, Zach (Steven's very first friend in Colorado/Pharmacy school) and Jesse. Here is a closer picture of Steven with his hooder, Dr. Cheryl Vondracek Here's a picture of his hood. I thought it was super cool, so I wanted a picture. From the left, Dain, Zach and Steven. These guys were the three amigos for a quite a while. From the left, Jesse, Chung (I'm so sorry if I spelled that wrong!) and Steven. This is Steven with Jamela. She was the valedictorian. She's super sweet! And here we are with our friends, Debbie and Jesse. They are probably our closest couple friends. They are tons of fun and I miss them both sooo much! I miss playing Settlers of Gattan and eating Debbie's culinary masterpieces and just hanging out. The barbecue we went to was at their house. Sorry, no pictures! And on to the night! It was a lot of fun going to Dave and Busters with the family. Here Steven and Tyler got their trivia on. I can't play this game. By the time I read the question and look over the possible answers everyone else already has their guess in and your time matters... I never know the answers either. It's just not my game. Steven has fun with it though. I love the racing game! I'm pretty much the best ever at this game. Yep, you are seeing right. That's me in first place. The proof is on the screen. ha ha You can't go to Dave and Busters and not play Deal or No Deal.... At least Steven can't. We played this game where you put in a coin and try to knock a bunch of coins over the edge to get tickets... Steven rocked at it. See........ It was so much fun! Steven almost died from heat stroke and hunger, I suffered from hunger, massive blisters and this... But it was so worth it! Congratulations Dr. Steven Johnson! I love you so much and I'm so proud of you!