Thankful Thursday

Wow, has it really been a week since I last posted?  Time just never stops does it?  That week went by fast!  I am thankful for many things:

*My kids personalities.  Each one is unique but they make our family what it is!

*That my laundry pile disappeared :)

*New episodes of Biggest Loser, The Office, American Idol, etc....

*For the DVR so that we can watch them when we actually have a minute.

*Karter and Brekken's basketball games starting on Saturday!  

*Family Movie/Game Nights!

*PRIESTHOOD BLESSINGS!

*Nate playing soccer again competitively on an indoor league team.  (He LOVES to play and hasn't for awhile besides coaching the kids.)

*Brynlei's little sayings....

*Reading.

*A home.

*Heaters.

*ICE. :)

*My kids' friends and friendships they have.

*For the many blessings I have in my life.

I promise to post more this week.

It's been awhile.....

*For a new year and new beginnings.

*A new dishwasher!

*For parents who continue to be there for us.

*For goals and resolutions.

*Upcoming basketball season for Karter and Brekken.

*For new friends....

*For old friends...

*New adventures and learning experiences.

*Teaching in YW.  

*Getting to spend time with my children and be with them at this time in their lives!

*New Church time...9:00 was torture:)

I heart reading.....

I love to read and have loved reading since I was a kid.  There is just something about reading a really good book (the kind that just sort of takes over your life while you are reading them) that can make all the stress of life disappear, if only for a little while.   One of my favorite things in school was when we would get a book order.  I would spend a lot of time pondering just what my choices would be, knowing that I couldn't order everything.  It was sometimes hard to just choose a few.  So skip ahead a few years....... When I started having my kids I KNEW that they would all love to read just like me right?  That that was just going to be one of the characteristics that I would pass down... I started with my first and read to him every chance I could because this is supposed to instill a love of reading or so they say.... and I have continued this through each child.  Well, let's just say that our home library consists of hundreds of books. I LOVE kids books!   The kids do love them and do love reading, some of them more than others, which is alright with me.  They all have their own favorite stories that have to be read over and over and over..:)  One of the bonuses of having kids in school is that they bring home book orders, even Peyton (who is in preschool) gets to bring some home.  It truly is like Christmas morning to me when I find them in their folders, backpacks, etc.  I look at them and just like when I was a kid the choices aren't always the easiest.  Well Tuesday, Peyton brought his book order home (his preschool always sends 4-5 book orders home at the start of each month) and as we were looking through them you will never guess what we found.  The stars must be aligned because there on the front page of the third book order was all the SkippyJon Jones books staring right at us.  So needless to say, those will definitely be added to the list of new books ordered.  Maybe I am just a sucker when it comes to books and reading but I feel that one day my kids will truly understand my passion.  Now if only they had a parent book order that could come home every month....:)

Happy Birthday Jamie!!  We love you and hope that you have an awesome day!!  Thanks for letting us party with you the other night.  Just wanted you to know that we are thinking of you today!!!

NeW YeAr, NeW mE!

Tonight for FHE we will be going over what family goals and personal goals we want to accomplish or start this year.  Some that the kids have already mentioned are pretty funny.  I will post some after we decide which ones we will do.  

The new year for me (and I am sure for everyone else) is a time to reflect upon goals set over the past year and which ones were actually met.  This year I have decided to really set my mind to accomplishing mine and not procrastinating anymore.  I thought that I would share just a few today and as I decide on more I will list those also.  I think writing it down in our blog helps to hold me more accountable to these goals.  Remember these are in no particular order.

*Lose those last 10 ANNOYING pounds!!

*Learn how to play the guitar.

*Have a more fulfilling and deeper relationship with Nate.

*Go on more dates.

*Finally start digital scrapbooking.

*Be healthier.

*Strengthen my testimony in the gospel.

*Live in the moment.

*Be more positive.

*Overcome my social phobia/social anxiety!

*Develop my talents.

*Be a better mom.

*Help my kids develop their talents.

*FINISH school!

*Be a better sister and daughter.

These are just a few that I have thought about.  Hopefully, this week I will be able to add the rest of the family's to the list.

New Year's Day

Yesterday, we took the kids to see Disney's new movie "Bedtime Stories."   The kids loved this movie!  It was quite entertaining.  After the movie, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Graff's house for Grandpa's traditional "New Years" soup (which of course was yummy as always.)  Then we took the kids home bathed them and played Disney Monopoly (a game they received for Christmas.)  It was a fun day to spend with family!! Now on to making some resolutions.......

New Year's Eve

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

New Year's Eve we had Grandma and Grandpa Abbott, Jamie, Braden, and Emalee over to celebrate the night with.  The boys' wanted to play Guitar Hero on the Wii with them and show them all our mad "rocker" skills (Ha, Ha).  It was fun and we rocked hard!  The kids just kind of ran around back and forth playing with each other, watching movies, playing games, throwing popcorn everywhere, etc.  We ate too much (as always) and played Tribond, which just for the record Dan and I won :).  The kids were pretty much wiped out by the end of the night.  After the crew left, Karter was the only one (out of all my kids) that made it to watch the fireworks outside.  We had a lot of fun and need to make this a tradition each year!