I've been tagged

Thanks for tagging me Carolyn.
Seven things I am thankful for......wow.....I have so many blessings that it is tough to narrow it down to seven things.
1. I'm thankful for my incredible family. I have a husband that loves me dearly. I am grateful for all the little things he does.....like scrape my car windows on a cold morning, bring me flowers just because I've had a bad day, and make me delicious meals when I just don't have the strength at the end of the day. I have three wonderful children that bless my life in so many ways. I am so thankful that the Lord entrusted them to my care. I have learned so much from each of them. They have each grown into amazing adults and they have so many wonderful qualities.
Kevin-He has always had a strong testimony of the gospel. He is a great listener. He celebrates the differences in others. He can think for himself.
Carolyn-She is so caring to those with special needs. They adore her. She has the ability to laugh at herself. She loves with her whole heart.
Chris-He is my comedian. There isn't a day go by that he doesn't make me laugh really hard. He loves animals as much as people. He likes to serve.
I'm thankful for the 2 others that my kids have brought into the family.
Brent is a wonderful man and his laughter is infectious. He is so loving to my daughter.
Stacie is such a delight. She is the perfect fit into our family. She is loving and caring and she has so many qualities that I admire.

2. I am thankful for a Savior that loves me in spite of my weaknesses. I'm thankful that He has been right beside me through the difficult and challenging times in life. I'm thankful that when I'm at the end of my rope and feel like I have nothing left to hang on He grabs me and says "I will take over now." He is my rock. I'm thankful for His atoning sacrifice.

3. I am thankful for friends. I have the most wonderful friends and they have been a source of strength and comfort to me. Each of them enhance my life in different ways, and each has been a blessing.

4. I am thankful for my part time job as a seminary teacher. I get to teach the gospel to the youth that are eager to learn. I have so much fun when I teach. I always come away spiritually fed. They teach me as much or more as I teach them. The youth in the Moses Lake stake are so strong and they are a joy to be around.

5. I am thankful for bad days of health. I know.....this probably doesn't make sense. The bad days make me appreciate the good days so much more. When you live your life in physical pain, even a mediocre day is a blessing. So, I'm thankful that those bad days have made me not take the good ones for granted.

6. I am thankful for parents that taught me right from wrong. They taught me to love others and to embrace the differences in others. They taught me to be my very best. They taught to me bring honor to my name. They became wonderful grandparents to my children. They bless my childrens lives in so many ways. My dad is gone, but his memory is strong in my children's minds as they recall the golfing trips and slurpie runs with grandpa.

7. I am thankful for my younger brother. I am thankful that he only lives a couple of hours away. He has been very supportive of me through the years. He is a wonderful uncle to my kids. I'm thankful for the wonderful lady he married. She completes him. I'm thankful for the children he had.....they like to tease their aunt chandra....but they are such a blessing in my life.

Okay Kevin. You've been tagged.

Excitement in Moses Lake

Shortly after arriving home on Saturday night we heard all kinds of sirens. Looking out the window we saw three police cars up on top the hill and then five police cars chasing a vehicle right past our house. The vehicle must have made it past the road block because all the police cars disappeared over the hill. A bunch of us were talking about it at church the next day. We said there must be a joke about "How many police cars does it take to catch a bad guy?" Well, in tonights paper I read that they were chasing a stolen vehicle. They finally caught it quite a ways from here. He abandoned the vehicle and they pursued him and got him with the taser. If that wasn't enough excitement there was a bank robbery in Moses Lake on Monday. Robbed a teller at my bank by knifepoint. Okay.....now seriously.....that just ticked me off. My bank already suffered from the financial meltdown and had to be bought out.....and I see the money in our 401k dwindling each day.....so leave the money in my bank alone! Glad they caught him. If I lived in a big city maybe this wouldn't be much news....but Moses Lake gets a bit boring and stuff like this both landing on the front page of todays paper.....now that's news!

THANK YOU VETERANS

I thought that since today is Veteran's Day I would like to honor the veterans in my life. Thank you Scott for serving our country in the army. It wasn't an easy family life having you away during basic training while we had a new baby. It was difficult raising a young family while you were off on cycle support. It was a sacrifice you were willing to make to earn money to pay for school so that you could better provide for our family. I am forever grateful for that sacrifice. Sure, it was hard at times but we also received blessings during your service in the military. We were stationed at Ft. Benning, GA and we lived across the river in Phenix City, AL. We had the most wonderful ward I have ever been in. We were welcomed with open arms and we were surrounded by love and support. Your service in the army gave us the money we needed for you to attend nursing school. Thank you so much for your service not only to our nation but to our family. I love you.

My father in law enlisted in the Navy and he served in WWII. He was assigned to the USS Portland, a heavy cruiser. The ship was stationed at Pearl Harbor. The day before the bombing of Pearl Harbor the Portland was sent out to sea. After the bombing the ship returned to the harbor. Dad said "It changed a lot. There were lots and lots of ships sunk there in the harbor. It looked bad." Dad was an electrician in the Navy. He was assigned to operate the ships searchlights. Later in the war he was transferred to be a main battery electrician. He made repairs on the biggest gun on the ship. His ship was hit by a torpedo. The impact blew a 20 foot hole into their quarters. They slept on deck that night. Several of his buddies lost their lives that day. They had a buriel at sea for those that died during the attack. Dad served in the United States Navy for six and a half years. He earned sixteen major battle stars and a presidential unit citation. Thank you Dad for serving your country and protecting our freedoms. We are all grateful for your service. We love you Dad.

Victory

I watched anxiously all evening for the polls across the nation to close. I have been inspired by this man for several years. When he first spoke at the democratic convention years ago I knew that he had a promising future in government. He captured the passion of a nation. I was electrified today as I saw people all over the country wait in long lines and in bad weather for a chance to vote in this historic election. Tears filled my eyes as he spoke tonight. This wasn't an election about red states and blue states...this was an election about America....and the hope of a brighter future ahead. It was about the hope of mending a nation in war and in economic peril. I have hope that Obama can pull us out of this crisis. It was wonderful to see people of all colors, faiths, and political backgrounds join together in this movement. We are the United States of America. This is the most amazing country in the world. I was very impressed with Senator Mccain's speech tonight. I may not agree with his policies but at one time I had great respect for him. When he spoke tonight he reminded me of the John Mccain I used to know. I admire him for his service to this country and I admired him tonight for calming the crowd and asking them to join him in coming together to support the next president of the United States. May we all heed that call and join together to strengthen rather than divide this great nation. I'm so proud of President Elect Obama and all that he has accomplished. I hope that his grandmother had the best seat in the house tonight. I am sure she is over joyed at his success. May God bless the United States of America.

Good luck bug!

Carolyn has an interview with a charter school in Draper, UT tomorrow. She is really excited about it. I'm sure she will do great. She is really struggling getting hours at work. With the economy the way it is the retail industry is really struggling and everyone's hours are getting cut back. So, it would sure be nice for her to land this job. Carolyn is so awesome with kids. They are just drawn to her. She is a natural. When she told me she had decided to major in special education I knew it would be a perfect fit for her. Not only does she love working with children but she has always had a soft spot for those with special needs. You are awesome bug. Good luck with your interview. Hope they can see how incredible you are. Go get em girl. Love you bug.

Chris's best friend

I have been trying to get Chris to cooperate for some photo shoots for his senior pictures. We've gone out three different times. I have to say that the best pictures he takes are always the ones with the dog. His smile is the cutest when the dog is near him. He loves Morgan so much. It will be hard on both of them when he leaves next fall. I would like to have some nice pictures with him alone....but Morgan seems to bring out the best in him.