A real THANKFUL Thanksgiving 2008.

I finally posted the fanstical "trip" part of our Thanksgiving but I didn't really post the important part, the THANKFUL part of it.

As I've said before, I am blogging mostly to keep a family history of sorts for my kids to look back on. So this blog is mostly for my children. I want them to realize how much we truly have to be thankful for in a year where they think they've lost most all they held dear.


We sure have had a year full of surprises this year with most of it being that this time last year we had absolutely NO intentions of moving away from Huntington Beach. If you were to have told us that we would be somewhere else by this time next year we would have told you you were sorely mistaken. We LOVED our home, family and friends that surrounded us there. In fact, I must admit, I had pretty much told everyone that I loved living there and would only move if an angel came down and told me to.

That is pretty close to what happened. It really was a miracle that we were able to sell our house within 2 months of deciding to do so and within 3 weeks of putting it on the market narrowly missing the real financial crash of the summer!! All of this was done because of motivation by the Prophet's continual counsel to get out of debt, get out of debt, and prepare for your future. It weighed constantly on our mind. We our grateful the Lord helped us in doing so.

Although we LOVE our dear friends and family in H.B. and miss them sorely, we have been blessed to have a more certain mortal future for our family which is important too.

I am thankful for all the lessons we are learning from this move. That a house is only a shell, the family within is what makes a home. When I am within the walls of our new house going about life with my kids, I feel at home and at peace and love, the same as in our old home. My heart aches for the friends and things comfortable and familiar that we've left behind but not for the nicer material aspects of our old home. I am so grateful that we are all in one place, together.

I am so thankful that I am able to stay home and be a homemaker. I must admit, I used to look for other words to describe my occupation in the beginning. I now proudly write HOMEMAKER on my job description. What an honor it is to be able to create a safe haven for those whom I love and cherish.

I am every day grateful for the health and strength of me and my family. That is HUGE! There are so many that are not. I think of that almost every day of my life and as long as I am able I will serve the Lord with what he gives of me. I love that song "Because I have been Given Much."

I am so thankful for a husband who loves me and supports me but most importantly that he holds and honors his Priesthood. He has a testimony and delights in sharing it which is such a tremendous example to 4 budding missionary boys and a potential missionary daughter. He works hard and makes sure we have fun.

I am so thankful for kids that are choosing to learn more about the gospel. They strive hard to do what's right and are a good example to their friends. I love each one of them. I'm so blessed to have been entrusted with 5 strong spirits who teach me every day!

I am so thankful for parents who raised me in the gospel but more importantly were a good example to me. My dad is the epitomy of service and kindness. He truly taught me how the church and its programs are meant to work. My mother taught me to always do my duty to God and that it is to God we answer, not man. THANKS!

I am thankful for friends who uplift and support me. I am such a people person. I love to surround myself with others who will help strengthen and uplift me by example and in whom I can share and know that I'm not alone in my struggles. Which brings me to my next point...

the scriptures. I LOVE that those ancient prophets followed the Lord's instructions and were so willing to give us a piece of thier lives. Heavenly Father could have just given us a book of instructions/commandments and said "follow these or else." But instead, he gives us beautiful example of fellow brothers and sisters who started off as ordinary but had faith in the Lord and became extraordinary. They are so relateable and make me feel like I can do this too. (Gotto luv Mohonrimoriancumr & Alma the Younger)

I'm thankful for prayer, where would I be without a lifeline to my Father in Heaven? He's bailed me out of so many bad circumstances.

Boy am I SO grateful to live in these fulness of the times! What a privilege it is to not only live in a time when I have all the gospel keys but the peace and comfort I get that even though things are going to get hard there will ALWAYS be the gospel on the earth and those who believe - HUGE!

And to live in this country and enjoy so many freedoms and the company of so many people who even though they may not go to an lds church, still have values and believe in God.

It all sums up to being thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. How do people live without it especially when you hit those tough times. I guess people are so busy and caught up in those busy times of life they can push aside those thoughts and not think of it. However, when it gets down to the end, it's funny to see how most people really are frantically trying to stave off death or finally come to terms and search out God. I've seen it first hand in my grandfather. I'm grateful to have a peace of mind NOW. I bear my testimony, that we have so very much to be grateful for and it did not come by chance. Rather there is a Father in Heaven who loves us and looks after us and has bestowed these many kindesses upon us for which I am truly grateful.

But I want to let my kids know that this move was a BLESSING for our family. Dad and I had been listening to the Prophet speak over and over about getting out of debt and becoming prepared for the future. We were not at that point. The future was uncertain and that was so weighing and scary and heavy. We felt we needed to do something. After much consideration, prayer and fasting we made that decision