I'm grateful for Board Games. Growing up I was blessed with parents, grandparents and siblings who enjoyed playing a good board game on a leisure summer day or winter evening. It started with Uncle Wiggly and Candy Land, then Sorry, and then Monopoly. Later there were many games of Clue and Risk. These days our family tends to prefer Trivial Pursuit and Scrabble, or strategy games like Empire Builder, Settlers of Zarahemla (we don't own Catan) or most recently, Shadows over Camelot.
DH played many a strategy game in his youth and young adult years, but unfortunately I'm not quite the gamer that he is, and so he has had to wait for his children to become adults to have a family full of competitors. And, also unfortunately, most of the children are now scattered. Fortunately, they do sometimes return home, and occasionally we can be persuaded to have a family game night or too. And, even though I have at times in years past loathed the game times as I was almost always the last man out or the loser, I do enjoy an evening or two or a day or two filled with family game time. We are indeed blessed.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Primary
I'm grateful for Primary, our church's organization for children. I have spent more than half of my life attending primary each week, first as a child on Tuesday afternoons after school, and for many years since as a teacher or leader. I love teaching children. They love back so unconditionally. I love the primary lessons and the primary songs. I love and appreciate all of the wonderful teachers and leaders who have shared their testimonies, time, talents, and love with my own children over the years. I love the wonderful teachers and leaders that I am now blessed to visit and associate with and learn from in my current stake primary calling. I love that the Lord has prepared such a wonderful organization to assist parents and families in teaching our children and preparing them for the challenges of life in the years to come. I'm grateful for the wonderful songs that help us all to learn and remember simple gospel principles and ingrain them into our souls.
Today I was blessed to be able to attend the last Primary Sacrament Meeting Program in our stake for this year. The theme has been Families Are Forever, and we have learned this wonderful new song:
God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be--
This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God.
A mother's purpose is to care, prepare, To nurture and to strengthen all her children.
She teaches children to obey, to pray, To love, and serve int he family.
God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be--
This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God.
I'll love and serve my family and be A good example to each family member.
And when I am a mom or dad, so glad, I'll help my family remember:
God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be--
This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God.
Today I was blessed to be able to attend the last Primary Sacrament Meeting Program in our stake for this year. The theme has been Families Are Forever, and we have learned this wonderful new song:
The Family Is of God
Words and Music by Matthew Neeley
Our Father has a family, It's me! It's you, all others too: we are His children.
He sent each one of us to earth, through birth, To live and learn here in families.
God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be--
This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God.
A father's place is to preside, provide, To love and teach the gospel to his children.
A father leads in family prayer to share Their love for Father in Heaven.
This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God.
A mother's purpose is to care, prepare, To nurture and to strengthen all her children.
She teaches children to obey, to pray, To love, and serve int he family.
God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be--
This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God.
I'll love and serve my family and be A good example to each family member.
And when I am a mom or dad, so glad, I'll help my family remember:
God gave us families to help us become what he wants us to be--
This is how he shares his love, for the family is of God.
Saturday, November 8, 2014
Bananas
I'm grateful for bananas. Plantain. Plantanos. Guenos. Patacones. Whatever you want to call them. However you want to prepare or present them.
Bananas were a staple in our house when I was growing up. I didn't always appreciate them; sometimes they were too green and a bit bitter and other times too ripe and sticky, but there was almost always a nice banana available for an after school snack or to add to a jello salad or slice over ice cream, or even to make cookies or banana bread with.
About 30 some odd years ago some of you may be aware that I spent almost a year and a half in Colombia, where the food was sometimes not quite what I was accustomed to. Fresh milk was not available, and to someone raised on a dairy farm, this was quite the adjustment. But, almost every single day I had access to bananas! Bananas were a very familiar food and quickly became one small comfort in a land and culture far from home.
Since returning to the states, I have almost always had fresh bananas available in my kitchen. They don't grow in our area, but the travel well and they store well. Yes, sometimes they are a bit green and bitter and sometimes they get way to ripe and end up in banana bread. And sometimes they even end up fried or baked, green or sweet. I am to this day grateful for bananas.
Bananas were a staple in our house when I was growing up. I didn't always appreciate them; sometimes they were too green and a bit bitter and other times too ripe and sticky, but there was almost always a nice banana available for an after school snack or to add to a jello salad or slice over ice cream, or even to make cookies or banana bread with.
About 30 some odd years ago some of you may be aware that I spent almost a year and a half in Colombia, where the food was sometimes not quite what I was accustomed to. Fresh milk was not available, and to someone raised on a dairy farm, this was quite the adjustment. But, almost every single day I had access to bananas! Bananas were a very familiar food and quickly became one small comfort in a land and culture far from home.
Since returning to the states, I have almost always had fresh bananas available in my kitchen. They don't grow in our area, but the travel well and they store well. Yes, sometimes they are a bit green and bitter and sometimes they get way to ripe and end up in banana bread. And sometimes they even end up fried or baked, green or sweet. I am to this day grateful for bananas.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Employment
I'm grateful for employment and for payday. Today was a rather long day at work. Remodeling has begun on the restrooms on our floor, and for most of the day we worked with the background "music" of saws and/or jackhammers working to take out the old tiles and fixtures. It promises to be a long few months ahead. Thank goodness for breaks, tylenol, and chocolate. We have some difficult projects coming up in the next few weeks and months. Today was pay day, and so this evening has been spent paying bills and figuring out the budget for the week. In spite of it all, I am grateful for employment, and for pay day!
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Dates With My Honey and Favorite Movies
I'm grateful for dates with my honey. Tonight we were able to go and see one of my favorite movies and then stop for cheeseburgers and french fries. It is always my very favorite date.
Do you have a favorite movie that you have watched over and over again so many times that you practically have it memorized? If you ask me what my favorite movie is, I will usually answer that it is The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews. It first came out when I was just a little girl, about the same age as Gretel in the movie. I was enthralled by the story, and have always loved the songs. We now own the movie, and I have watched it many times, and I still enjoy it.
When the children were young, there were several videos that were played over and over again at our house until we all knew them practically word for word: The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies, Robin Hood, and 1001 Dalamations, to name a few. Various different versions of Pride and Prejudice are also popular at our house, and much of the dialogue can be recited from memory by various family members.
My very favorite movie can't be seen in a movie theater, and it isn't available on DVD, but right now there are several versions of available that I can watch almost any time of the day or evening and most days of the week. This movies is shown at several different locations within a 30 minute drive of our house, and in many other locations all over the world. It has been interesting during the past few months to watch and compare the different new versions of my favorite movie. The Dialogue is the same. I have heard it many times, and could recite much if not all of it from memory, but the different settings and different interpretations of the actors and the directors bring to mind things I haven't considered before. But most of all I love to have the regular reminder of what is most important in life, and the peace and comfort that I feel. Yup, no matter how many times I go, It's still my favorite date.
Do you have a favorite movie that you have watched over and over again so many times that you practically have it memorized? If you ask me what my favorite movie is, I will usually answer that it is The Sound of Music starring Julie Andrews. It first came out when I was just a little girl, about the same age as Gretel in the movie. I was enthralled by the story, and have always loved the songs. We now own the movie, and I have watched it many times, and I still enjoy it.
When the children were young, there were several videos that were played over and over again at our house until we all knew them practically word for word: The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney's Silly Symphonies, Robin Hood, and 1001 Dalamations, to name a few. Various different versions of Pride and Prejudice are also popular at our house, and much of the dialogue can be recited from memory by various family members.
My very favorite movie can't be seen in a movie theater, and it isn't available on DVD, but right now there are several versions of available that I can watch almost any time of the day or evening and most days of the week. This movies is shown at several different locations within a 30 minute drive of our house, and in many other locations all over the world. It has been interesting during the past few months to watch and compare the different new versions of my favorite movie. The Dialogue is the same. I have heard it many times, and could recite much if not all of it from memory, but the different settings and different interpretations of the actors and the directors bring to mind things I haven't considered before. But most of all I love to have the regular reminder of what is most important in life, and the peace and comfort that I feel. Yup, no matter how many times I go, It's still my favorite date.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Bananas
Today I am grateful for bananas. Easily affordable, portable, nutritious, and delicious. Great alone or with many other foods such as cheerios, milk, ice cream, peanut butter, strawberries, chocolate . . . . . raw or fried or baked.
Yup. I'm grateful for bananas.
Yup. I'm grateful for bananas.
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
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