Lindsey is thankful for . . .

• Kaylin
• Ashlyn
• My sisters
• Daddy
• Granty
• That I love Kiki
• Grass
• Bathtub
• I like eating ice cream

He's official

If you can believe it my little man is officially old enough to start attending nursery. With him not talking it really doesn't feel like he is big enough to be on his own. His teachers have a kid about that same age and they have been using signing, so what few signs he does know, at least they will understand.

We stopped by his class last week for the last 20 minutes to let him get used to it a little. We dropped him off today and he did pretty good. He only got to stay for about 40 minutes because I had to take Whitney home. She was supposedly not feeling well. She had wanted to go after Sacrament Meeting but I refused to take her. I haven't been to a full block of church in over a month. I let her come to my Sunday School class with me. Half way through I started feeling bad so I took her and Grant home. I could have stayed - she is fine.

I am thankful for his Nursery Teachers. They are very enthusiastic and seem like they really want to be there. Having been in nursery not that long ago, I know that is a diffucult job. In our ward they divide the kids up by age. Grant's class is basically about 6 kids 18-20 months old. That can't be easy.

Christmas Lights

We took advantage of the nice weather today and hung our christmas lights a little early. Of course we won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving - except to take a picture. Aaron hates hanging lights on the house. Hanging off the edge of a roof or at the top of a ladder that is extended beyond its limits is not his idea of a good time. I stopped asking him to put lights on our house a couple of years ago because I know he doesn't like it. This year he volunteered to do it without me even asking. It's kind of like pregnancy you forget the pain and think - oh it isn't that bad. I am going to enjoy the lights this year because I don't think he will be volunteering again next year. Today I am grateful that my husband hung lights on my house and didn't complain even though he hates doing it.

A new teacher

Today we received an email notifying us that Whitney will be getting a new teacher starting Monday. I'm not sure what the circumstances are behind her teacher leaving. While I feel for her teacher as a person and whatever she is going through right now, I can't help but think it is in the best interest of the students that this change occur. Whitney, however, is very sad, she doesn't like change. Today I am grateful for new possiblities and hope for the rest of the school year.

Friends

I am really grateful for so many great friends. There isn't anybody that I went to high school with that I have kept in touch with. Aaron and I have moved several times in our marriage. We were never really anywhere long enough to build friendships. This is the first time that I feel a part of something. The ward I live in is really amazing to me. There are so many great people around me. The service and sacrifice that people render make me want to be a better person. We are definitely putting roots down and it will be hard to ever get me to leave. My sister and sisters-in-law are great friends also. I love being with all of them. It is so nice to have so many people to talk to and to not feel alone. The fact that anybody actually reads my blog is fascinating to me also. I don't think there has ever been a time in my life that so many people cared. Thanks for reading and your comments, I really do appreciate it.

Become as little children

Matt. 18: 3 "And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven."

Ever since Whitney has turned seven years old, I have noticed a change in her. She is - on her own - beginning the process of preparing for baptism. She has had several days where she comes home from church and is very somber and wants to read her scriptures. She is peaceful and asks lots of questions. She is very eager to bare her testimony, but she doesn't just want to go up there and say what everyone else is saying. She wants to write it down and have it be what she believes. We have had a couple of family home evenings to discuss testimonies and given her the opportunity to bare her testimony to our family. This last Monday night I had a migraine so I joined FHE late. I'm not exactly sure what Aaron was saying to the girls, but it was basically the plan of salvation. This concept was fascinating to Whitney. She had so many questions. She said the closing prayer and her prayer was so beautiful. I couldn't believe my ears that these words were coming out of my daughter's mouth. I wish I could remember exactly what she said, but it was a very sincere prayer, better than a lot of my prayers. She wants to have her room clean and her shelves organized so that her room can be a place that Jesus would want to be.

I am grateful that we have had Family Home Evenings in our home. It would have been so easy to give up because until now, I'm pretty sure that no one was listening. The structure that we are building with having FHE almost every week is what can lead up to great moments like this last Monday. It would have been so easy to not have FHE that night. Aaron didn't get home from work until 7pm. I, as mentioned, had a miagraine. When Aaron got home I went to bed and he said he would just throw something together for FHE. As I laid in my bed, I felt that I was missing out on something. I'm grateful that I went downstairs and joined them at the end so that I could be a part of it. We really can learn a lot from our children.

Ancestors

We are going to be talking about family history for our Activity Day tomorrow. Preparing information for this activity has helped me be grateful for my ancestors. They sacrificed a lot so that I could be were I am today. I need to get more involved in my family's history. I had to call my mom to get the names of my great grandparents. I am ashamed that I didn't already know that information. My mom should be ashamed as well, because she had to look up her own grandpa's name - who apparently has the same name as her father. :) Thanks for the laugh Mom.

Health

I am grateful that we are all healthy again. The kids are back at school !!!

The Lord's side

With so many attacks on the church right now I wanted to share a thought that Aaron's mom had shared with us a few weeks ago. I hope she doesn't mind.

"In the spring of 1976, then Elder Ezra Taft Benson presided at our Stake Conference in Bountiful. He warned that as the world continued on its course toward the Second Coming, evil would become more evil and righteousness would become more righteous. He said there would be a "great polarizing" throughout the world and a huge gulf would form between good and evil. There would come a time in these Last Days that “good and honorable people” could no longer stay in “gray areas” because they would be forced to take a stand on one side of that gulf or the other."

I've thought a lot about this. As I was thinking about what I am grateful for today, I was thinking about the Savior. I am so grateful for my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. That He loves us. I know that the true church has been restored to the earth. I am grateful to be a member of His church. I am grateful that there is a prophet of God here on the earth to lead us in these last days. I am grateful that I can be on the Lord side.

Simplicity

This year we are starting something new. We have been wanting to simplify Christmas for some time now. My friend posted a little while ago about how her friend simplified Christmas. I showed it to Aaron and we were immediately sold. Each child receives 4 gifts on Christmas morning. Something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read. They still receive a gift from Santa Claus (in our family Santa always brings a game.) We will add that they still receive their PJ's on Christmas Eve.

Tonight Aaron and I went out on a "Heather needs a break" date. We went to Barnes and Noble and began the process of figuring out what we want to get our kids for Christmas. We looked around the kids book section for awhile trying to decide what books would be best for each child. Then we went over to the cafe and had some hot chocolate/scone/cookie and mapped out what we wanted to get for each category. I have to say - so far - I absolutely love this. Each gift is so much more thought out. We can spend more money on each gift as well because we aren't trying to spend on tons of presents. Hopefully this will eliminate a bunch of stuff that my kids never use.

We are going to have the kids do homemade gifts to each other. I am going to check out some kid craft books from the library and let them choose something to make to give to each sibling. Then plan a time when I can help them make them.

We are going to tell our kids about our new tradition after Thanksgiving. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.