Gratitude for Family

I'm grateful for my very most favorite people:  My Family!!

My DH, all six of my dear children, my two daughters in law and my two beautiful grandchildren are among my very greatest blessings, and I can't imagine what life would be like without them.  I thank my Heavenly Father every day for each of them and I am grateful that they are each willing to be a part of my life and a part of our family.  I'm also very grateful for the wonderful young men who care for our dear daughters and do so much to support and care for them and also help others in our family and enjoy happy times and celebrations with us.

Love you all!!

Gratitude for Relief Society

This morning I had the chance to spend some time with a large group of my favorite ladies at our annual Relief Society Women's Conference.  We enjoyed a beautiful program of thoughts and music, a display of the talents of many of the ladies of our neighborhood from seven different church congregations, savored a delicious luncheon, and had plenty of time to visit and socialize.  These ladies are my friends and my neighbors, and my Relief Society sisters.  We normally meet together for an hour with our own congregation each Sunday, with other evening activities every month or so, but the larger Conference is usually held only once each year.

What is Relief Society?  Relief Society is the largest women's organization in the world.  It is the women's auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, that was founded in March of  1842. We know from the New Testament that many of the disciples of Jesus Christ were women who not only served the Savior with his temporal needs, but also learned from him and his teachings, and followed his example by serving others around them.   The women of the Relief Society also seek to serve the Savior by teaching one another and by seeking out the poor and the needy and doing what they can to lift and help one another.

Here are two of my favorite quotes from the day:

"We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another, and gain instruction that we may all sit down in heaven together."
          --Lucy Mack Smith (one of the original Relief Society members)

"Relief Society is like a great big hug!"
          --one of my dearest Relief Society friends (name to be kept anonymous on my blog)

Feel free to check out the Relief  Society website right here:  Learn more about Relief Society or look right here toFind a Relief Society near you.  Visitors are always welcome!

Or, just shoot me a comment or question here in the comments!

Grateful for My Body

Yes, my body has seen many years of use, including few accidents and ailments, but it has served me well and continues to do so.  I'm grateful for this body, a gift from my loving earthly parents and my loving Heavenly Parents!

Grateful for Chocolate!

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I have been very blessed with an abundance of good chocolate recently.  We had plenty of chocolate goodies for the trick or treaters last week on Halloween, and still have quite a few pieces left in the big bowl on the dining room table, even though we have been munching at it all week long.  Good friends at work gifted me some of my favorite chocolate bars last month on my birthday, including Dove Dark chocolate bars and a very nice intensely dark chocolate Ghiradelli Chocolate bar that I have been nibbling at every afternoon this week.  Heavenly! Apparently they know me and my tastes quite well!  At a recent "getting to know you" activity at work each staff member was asked to indicate their favorite caffiene  source out of the following: coffee, Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper, or Mt Dew.  Only one of my co-workers were at a loss as to an answer.  At first thought I responded "water" . . . then realized that of course the true answer was chocolate, preferably a good quality dark chocolate.  

A while back DH and I were also blessed to take a trip to Chicago with DD2 where we enjoyed dinner at Michael Jordan's Steak House and shared an absolutely wonderful creation:  their famous 23 Layer Chocolate Cake.  Enough Said.

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Yes, I'm grateful for Chocolate!

Grateful for Prayer

I'm very grateful for prayer.  Every.  Single.  Day. 

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"Lead me, guide me, walk beside me.  Help me find the way."

--- children's hymn I Am A Child of God by Naomi W. Randall, 1957

Grateful for a Living Prophet

I'm grateful for a living prophet that is such an example of faith, hope, optimism, energy, and charity in spite of his 94 years.  He is a representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  

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Grateful for Plumbing

I'm grateful for indoor plumbing . . . and for my new bathroom fixtures.  DH and DS spent several hours over the weekend working to replace the sink and toilet in our master half bath.  It's not quite finished, so I won't post a photo, but it is nice to go to sleep without the sound of the dripping tap and to see the shinny new fixtures!