Thanksgiving

I wish I could say I was the "old" fashioned kind of Mom, Grandmother that fixed the Thanksgiving turkey on the day we celebrate BUT I can't. I have found through out the years that I can fix as much as possible before hand and then I enjoy the day so much more. Yes, I know it's bad of me to want to have fun too. But I find the turkey isn't half bad warmed after being thawed and the dressing always tastes the same and the candied yams don't seem any different but my Mom and Glen's Mom always did the work the day of. So to them I bow down and say I take my hat off to you ladies for your fortitude and wiliness to do what is needed to accomplish the "deed".

I remember the history stories of the first pioneers and the Indians that worked to make this a great day of thankfulness and I feel they would somehow understand. Of course, their meal was much more simple than we have come to expect with ours.

I do give thanks for all that we have been given and for the very fact that we have food to cook and eat and that we have some family close by that we can share it with. I give thanks for my wonderful family even though most of them are not around here, I know they remember the fun times we have enjoyed this time of year and wish we could all be together but our modern day makes this so difficult but at the same time we can talk on the phone and even talk on Skype and see one another. Where as there were times in the past that people when they left home never saw family members again.

All I have to do is look around and I can see just how much I have to be grateful for. I love the Lord and give Him thanks for all he does for me and my family and for the fact that we are able to communicate and love one another.

I do wish each of you a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I received this award and thank you to Sue for it. I am sending this to:

Sue@My Musings@blogspot.com
Skipper@Little Bright Boat@blogspot.com
Kristie@Cooper's Adventures inIowa@blogspot.com

I was just looking at the last post and I want all of you to know that is not all of our grandchildren. We have been so extremely blessed to have 10. Wow, aren't I a lucky Grandmother? I think so, just thought I'd try to show some other pictures of some of the others.

This is our little boy the next to the youngest member of our family watching the train last Christmas and the other picture is his "big" brother.

The photo above is Great Grandma to all of these beautiful grandchildren. She's my Mom. The picture next to my Mom is the big sister to these brothers. There still some more but I don't have those pictures down loaded yet.

But enjoy some of our family pictures. Each of these dear children have such delightful personalities and are so different from one another even though some are siblings. I can honestly say, I love going to all of our children's homes and enjoying their families. We are so blessed.

Today has been such a nice day. We went to a caregivers meeting. These are the people that helped Mom while we were gone. They are so nice and this was such a fun and special time. We both really enjoyed ourselves. In fact, everyone there seemed to really have a good time. They had a lady playing a harp - very soothing. They had a nice lunch laid out so we could serve ourselves and they had people there giving back massages, foot massages and hand massages. I had a back massage and this was so nice, my neck has never felt better. I looked over and there was Glen enjoying a foot massage. Now that really was a surprise and he was enjoying it so much. Gives me great ideas for Christmas. Then we both had hand massages. Wow what a day. One hour of pure kindness.

There are people out there that make our lives so much better and so many times we forget to say Thank you. We both tried to tell everyone how much we appreciated their kindness.

When we came out to leave to go home the sun was shining (I think it was before we went in) but it just seemed to be so much brighter. Yes, my mood had changed so much and I really didn't think I was feeling bad before. So there you go.

This was just as nice as a day with our grandchildren and seeing and enjoying how much each of them love the world and are enjoying just living each day.

I know we all have difficult days and this has probably been a bad one for many of you out there but I do hope someone will come into your lives and help to make it "brighter" as ours has been.

Prop 8

I thought I could just let this go but it seems everywhere I go there are reminders so here goes with my "thoughts".

As far as the LDS Church members being upset by the "Church's" stand on this proposition I just do not understand. Are they active members and have they been listening since they were baptized? Just have to ask because I can't understand why they would question why the church does not change their stand on this. The Bible tells us the Lord has said it is an abomination against him. Now that is not only the LDS church that believes this but other churches as well.

I do not judge these people that are "gay" but I also do not understand what part of this they do not understand. Why wouldn't a church that believes in God, the Father and Jesus Christ his son not be willing to stand up for this? I understand the families of these people, they are hurting but why should things be changed because their children have taken another path in life. Should we look at all unnormal/unnatural things as needing to have changes to accommodate them?

I love the Lord and his son Jesus Christ and I am willing to do what "They" say. I know I am not anywhere near perfect, in fact I'm extremely a long way from it but at the same time I feel like I need to stand and be heard, even it's only by a few, my children, their children, etc.

I pray for these people that are so angry and upset because of this but I don't feel we should make changes on this. It's the Lord who said this - and we should remember.

God bless America!

Our country has seen so much change in the years I have been here on earth and I marvel at it all of the time. Now we have elected a young man that is black and the funny thing is I hadn't even noticed until they showed blacks on TV crying as though their lives have been changed forever. Why is it when a "white" person talks about a black person we are looking wrongly at the blacks and are condemning them but the blacks seem to always be the ones that bring up the "race" card?

I pray for this young man and the choices he makes of people to work with him. I would think being President of US would be such a demanding job I do not envy anyone that is willing to do this. So much is asked and so many are waiting to criticize.

The great thing about the US is now that elections are over, we throw our support behind the newly elected President (or at least that is how it is suppose to be, but there will always be those unwilling to do just that).

God bless America we are strong because of our diversity. We can survive anything - remember 9/11? Everyone in America felt that heartache but quickly people's memories fade. Just so you know I voted for John Mc Cain but I am willing to work with our newly elected President and as I said I pray for him and those that work with him.

Trip

This is one of the reasons for the trip. Being able to watch "the cast" come off. Yea, it's gone and her arm is STRAIGHT!! Also, Nik came along for the ride and he had a doctor's appointment for a mole. So they had quite a day, the two of them. So did we.

Back to our trip -- Towards the last we traveled from way far out in Arizona to Henderson NV. When we got there it was very hot! We always stay at a hotel that serves breakfast. This makes it very handy and fast for us but when we arrived at this particular hotel they were also having a "Manager's Appreciation" for all of the hotel guests. They had a table set up with potato chips, macaroni salad, hot and spicy or regular wings, green salad, dressings and some soda or beer for those that prefer. We were so happy as we didn't really want to hit that traffic that' s so familiar down there. So we were able to eat a quick dinner and hit the room early. Sure was nice after traveling.

But the "biggie" happened when we were getting ready to eat the "appreciation". At the head of the line they had paper plates, plastic utensils and napkins. I picked up the usual things, had chips, mac salad and picked up a couple of wings until I realized they were the "Hot and Spicy" ones. So I gave them to Glen (of course, I did) and I went back into line to wait until they got the others back out there. The young fellow in front of me could not keep anything on his plate. As he picked something up it would either not make it to the plate or some other disasterous thing. I teased him and told him that was o.k., we all had days like that. Well you guessed it, those infamous words had just barely left my mouth when I hit the bottom of my plate and dumped the WHOLE thing right there on that nice clean, white table cloth. I was so stunned, I just stood there (which is really unusual for me, usually when I do something stupid (which is regularly) I can come up with a quick come back and clean it right up, but not this time. I just stood there dumb founded. The two young men behind me jumped into action, one grabbed my plate and I finally came out of the stupor and helped brush all of it onto the plate. Then they escorted it to the trash. I was so horrified, not sure why because I seem to do this lately. But they were sure nice guys and I wish I had had the sense to talk to them but instead I just ducked my head and turned around to the table where Glen was waiting.

Yes, this will rank right up there with one of those "memorable" trips. At least, I won't have a huge clay pot sitting around to remind me constantly.

Well we made it home but haven't had a chance to down load any of our pictures. I'm dying to try putting them on my site. Sue showed me a few things but I haven't tried anything yet.

It was good to be home, we got in about 4:;00 or so. We stopped by the grocery store and picked up some fresh stuff, milk, bread, eggs, etc. anyway I knew if we got home and I got out of the car I wouldn't be going back in that day.

We unpacked and got lots done but by evening we were both done in. We even ordered in, now that is a big deal. We usually don't do that for sure.

Oh and we got home to four large bags from the grocery store FULL of mail. Of course, most of it was junk but it still had to be gone through. Oh what a mess, you order anything online and they get you into they mailings. I need to take time and go to them and get off. Would save a lot of trees.

We had the chance to visit with Nan, Russ and family. It was so fun but extremely short. They are so good to us and I feel so badly that we didn't feel like we could stay longer. I know they feel shorted but we plan on going down later and staying longer.

Can I tell you it's so fun being a grandparent. The kids even like us and that means so much to us. Where they are all so far away it is difficult for them to see just how much we love each of them. For sure no one takes a back seat to another. But it's hard to show that all of the time.

I read some things about Marge Hinckley and she would write to her grandkids and they later said they all felt like they were her favorite. I thought that was so great to give those kids such great love and appreciation that they felt like that. I hope to be able to foster that in our grandchildren. Funny thing, I look at each of them and really can't figure out anything bad about any of them. They are just perfect, yea I know none of us have reached that "yet". But to me they seem that way.

Glen has gone out to mail some things and headed up to Uncle Don's to help him. Guess he missed working with him. Don had some scaffolding that needed to be taken down, so of course, your Dad it there to help. What would we do without him, I don't want to know.

The weather is overcast but warm but last night it was really cool, not what we're used to. Thought it was cool on the desert guess I forgot how it was here. Funny thing though, our planters on the front porch are partially alive but the back ones are doing just great. They look like it's perfect weather for them. They sure look pretty!

Glen closed the curtains and didn't turn on the lights so we didn't even get one T or T but we hadn't picked up any goodies extra, we did have a couple things but the "trunker treat" at the church pretty much gets all of them there and we only get the teens so we didn't feel to badly this year. First year though!!!

Glen just went over to the neighbors and they were telling him that we have kids walking by the mail boxes and opening them and leaving them like that. Sure wish we had those community mail boxes, they just seem so much more secure.

Oh well, guess I'd best get busy and do something, not like there is nothing to do. Hope your Halloween was fun!