Spilling the Beans

gratitude.30

2014-06-15T16:02:00.000-06:00

{Day 30}

There aren't words to express the feelings I am having as I reflect back on this experience of being grateful...truly thinking about and writing down those things that make my life rich and worth living. So many experiences, things, places and people remind me everyday that I am one lucky girl.
If I had to pin-point the one thing that I am most grateful for, the thing I would grab if my house was on fire (as a little girl it was going to be the cradle with all my dolls) it would be my family.
I am nothing without my family.
I am incredibly grateful to know that we are a forever family...that because Scott and I were sealed in the temple on our wedding day, our marriage won't end when one of us dies, but that we will be together for eternity and that our children are sealed to us for eternity as well.
My family makes my life interesting, exciting, motivating, happy, full, complete. I love them with all my heart.
Today, and always, I am so grateful for my family!

because of this beautiful place...

...I get to be with them forever!

gratitude.29

2014-06-14T15:25:00.000-06:00

{Day 29}

I love to read, and while it has been hard to do over the last couple of years with crazy schedules of work, baby and family, it is still something I yearn to do...but in the meantime while I may not be picking-up my own favorite novel, I am picking up stories to read to my littles. Jane, in particular, is quite fond of her routine: bum-change, Johnson's night-time lotion and then stories. We read a combination of stories and she eagerly will point out her favorites and sits perched on my lap as we flip the pages reading from: The Big Red Barn, Moo, Baa, La La La or one of the Sesame Street Story series like Hooper's Store or The Fix-It Shop.
I love that all of my kids adore reading, and I am firm believer that this love of literature was fostered because we read to them from the moment they came home from the hospital. Start them young!
Today I am grateful for the moments when I can cuddle with my little ones and read to them or watch my bigger ones reading in their beds as late as we will let them because they want to finish the page they are on.

gratitude.28

2014-06-13T15:08:00.000-06:00

{Day 28}

Since moving to our new home and discovering the delight of actually enjoying a master bedroom and en-suite, I have come to realize how much I love taking a bubble bath, silly I know, but seriously it is delightful to sink into the perfectly warm water, with or without bubbles, and feel almost immediate relaxation and peace.
One needs to take into account that up until now, we have lived in very old homes with one or two shared bathrooms. This means that there is no peace involved in the sanctuary of the bathroom, you do your business and get out, because invariably someone else is doing a potty-dance in the hall waiting for you to finish.
So today, I am grateful for the peace and relaxation that is enjoyed when taking a bubble bath.

my new obsession

gratitude.27

2014-06-12T14:50:00.000-06:00

{Day 27}

I was at Walmart early one morning [note-to-self 6:45 a.m. is the BEST time to go to Walmart--no crowds or aisles blocked due to stocking], checking out, realizing I may have some obsessive-compulsive tendencies as I strategically placed my items on the conveyor belt to be scanned and then placed in their respective plastic grocery sacks in such a way that the "fridge" items/toiletries/boxed-goods, etc. would 'go together'. But as I greeted my checker with a friendly hello and asked how her day was going, she commented on my scrubs (I had come straight from work) she mentioned that she had been a nurse....*whoa* back the train up! she 'used to be a nurse' why the heck is she now a checker at Walmart? I frantically asked myself this question in my head hoping my utter surprise and shock was not as apparent on my face as I felt it might be. I had just gotten off a 12-hour shift and sleep-deprivation does not necessarily boost the tact factor ;)
I never did ask, or find out, why the checker was now in her current place of employment, but the entire encounter made me reflect and feel extremely grateful for the education I received and the Bachelor's degree I had earned and that because of said degree I was able to have a successful career that provides a decent income for my family and our financial goals. Not that the woman that helped me that morning in Walmart was not fulfilling her own life-long dream, to each their own, but today I am so very grateful for the chance I had to go to college and earn a degree!

gratitude.26

2014-06-11T09:38:00.000-06:00

{Day 26}

I am not necessarily a competitive person, I don't really like being put in the spot-light, and team sports are not my forte...but I do enjoy a good board game with family & friends. My significant other has never liked playing games and fought it for a long time, it is not his idea of 'fun', but he's a good sport and will play a select few with us, which I love. It's something we can all do together, doesn't involve electronics and we actually talk with each other. Today I am grateful for good quality family time that involves playing a game together...

some of our favorites include:

gratitude.25

2014-06-10T15:33:00.000-06:00

{Day 25}

I am grateful to have wonderful in-laws, my father-in-law and mother-in-law are the sweetest and most generous people. My husband was raised in a good home with wonderful parents who love him and set a good, strong example. I am thankful for what they taught him and the values they instilled in him. I am also grateful to know that that they love me unconditionally like I was one of their own. I love them both so much!!!
Today I am so thankful for my husband's parents!

gratitude.24

2014-06-09T15:13:00.000-06:00

{Day 24}

We moved down here a year ago, I was still on the tail-end of my maternity leave but knew I when I went back to work that I wanted it to be in the NICU--that is where my heart is and where I have worked for 11+ years. But when I started investigating my prospects I was disappointed to find that the NICU down here was not hiring, they were so slow that they were having their nurses pick-up shifts at Utah Valley and even McKay-Dee to keep up on their skills during their lull, hence no job for me :(
I was able to obtain a position in a unit as close to my comfort zone as possible, in Mom-Baby, I was extremely anxious and nervous about working there, I hadn't worked with adults since nursing school and so it was a HUGE adjustment and I have worked with new moms and their babies for 10 months now...well, after a few hiccups, I have finally secured a job in the NICU down here at Dixie Regional! *insert sigh of relief
Today I am grateful for my job in the NICU!

gratitude.23

2014-06-08T14:21:00.000-06:00

{Day 23}

I am grateful that our chapel is around the block from us, admittedly it is still a struggle to get there on-time, but I am grateful for the spirit I feel when we go and learn about our Savior and His teachings, there are times that Jane is not the most reverent and so we end-up in the hallway to help keep the peace in sacrament meeting for those around us ;)
Regardless of our attendance track record (i.e. tardies) or my actual spot in the building, I am grateful that I can go to church every Sunday.

gratitude.22

2014-06-07T14:04:00.000-06:00

{Day 22}

As the days start to get hotter and incessant summer sun beats through my windows, I hear the hum of my central air conditioning kick on and I breathe a sigh of relief as the cool air floods the room around me. I am amazed that pioneers came here to settle this desert and lived day-to-day without the modern conveniences that I enjoy, because I don't think I would have lasted a day. Seriously it gets sooooo HOT! But it only is completely unbearable for ~3 months, right?!? Today I am grateful for A/C!

gratitude.21

2014-06-06T13:59:00.000-06:00

{Day 21}

I often marvel at how I 'landed' where I did, that I was blessed to be born into a stable family with a mom and a dad, who are still married to this day, and that I was privileged to grow-up in a nice home/neighborhood where good values were taught. I'm glad my parents live close to us, so my kids can continue to foster a close relationship with their grandparents. My parents have done so much for me and I feel forever indebted to them. I'm grateful to know that my parents love me and care about me.

gratitude.20

2014-06-05T17:09:00.000-06:00

{Day 20}

My littlest 'book-end', Jane, is the perfect addition to our family of brothers, she completes us, and had us all wrapped around her tiny fingers the second she arrived. She has taught me patience, gratitude, love, happiness, service, joy, kindness and a many other myriad of traits. She is the most incredible gift--her name literally means: 'Gift from God', I don't want to sound trite, but I think I needed to wait the 5 years between Garrett and her to fully appreciate the baby girl I was entrusted with...she was definitely worth the wait and today I am so grateful for my baby Jane!

gratitude.19

2014-06-04T17:41:00.000-06:00

{Day 19}

I have to admit something that doesn't necessarily reflect positively on me, but isn't that the way with confessions, they don't tend to reflect the optimistic...when we were expecting our third child, we were at the 20-week ultrasound anxious to know if the babe inside me was going to be a boy or girl, we both figured it was a surprise whether you found out before the birth of your child or waited for the 'reveal' in the delivery room. We were grateful to find out the baby was healthy and that HE...*insert sigh*, here's where the confession comes in, I cried and cried and cried some more when I got home holding that little profile ultrasound picture of my third boy.
Now don't let my lack of restraint or tact color your opinion about me too much. After coming to terms with the knowledge that I may never get a girl, that Messel's only made boys, that three boys was going to be a blast and how nice that I already had the clothes, bedding, toys, etc. I got ready to meet this little one that would come to be the best littlest brother.
My littlest boy, Garrett, is the absolute cutest...I adore him *I do* and am driven crazy by him at the same time. He is the only one of my kids that didn't suck his thumb, but to this day still has his 'Blankie'--we will probably frame a section of it for when he is older to hang in his office ;) He is passionate, imaginative, creative, tender, so smart and even though he is growing, he is still my baby boy. He brings a sweetness to our home that is crave-able. Today I am grateful for my Gare-bear!

gratitude.18

2014-06-03T17:51:00.000-06:00

{Day 18}

My second-born, Cam, is the most unique of individuals, he seriously beats to his own drum and is okay with that. He has his own sense of style, is funny, creative and full of spirit. He used to "hulk-out" on us--poor kid didn't know how to contain said 'spirit' and we would have to hold him by the shoulders look into his big blue eyes and make him count to ten and 'blow it out'. Fortunately he is learning to control his emotions and is such a good kid. I love his creativity, he loves to draw (part of the reason we waited to put him in kindergarten was because his preschool teacher told us he didn't draw well--he has more than made-up for that initial lack of ability).
Cameron is rad, that's all there is to it...who else can create their own Lego mini figures from Nacho Libre?!?
Today I'm grateful for my Cam!

gratitude.17

2014-06-02T17:33:00.000-06:00

{Day 17}

My eldest book-end, Jorden, is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! He is oh-so-helpful, creative and smart! Jordo is the strong-willed, sensitive part of me and the dedicated, hard-working part of Scott. He is great at helping me with Jane and "the brothers" when I have worked a night-shift--or helping Scott when I am at work, he is a gentleman when it comes to holding a door open for others, he is independent and often gets his jobs/homework done without being asked, he is extremely intuitive and aware, truly wise beyond his years. He's my bud and one of my biggest helpers, I don't know what I would do without him...I am grateful today, for my Jorden!

gratitude.16

2014-06-01T16:06:00.000-06:00

{Day 16}

Last Thursday and Friday, Scott went with the Priests and Teachers, in the Young Men's, and went north on a "Super Activity"…they decided to go and do Baptisms for the Dead at as many temples as they could, and then have a day at Seven Peaks. The boys, other leaders and Scott had to get up at 5'ish in order to leave at 6 a.m. so they could make their appointment times. They drove 5 hours and went to these four beautiful temples:

Mount Timpanogas Utah Temple

Draper Utah Temple

Oquirrh Mountain Temple

Provo Utah Temple

I wish I could have gone on this trip, for one going north and being "home" and two, being able to go and do such a special work at so many beautiful temples, today I am grateful for the testimony I have of the Plan of Happiness and knowing that I will see my loved ones again and that I can help those who have passed away receive these ordinances and blessings through temple work!

gratitude.15

2014-05-31T23:52:00.000-06:00

{Day 15}

Today was Max's grooming appointment at Petco…it's where the pets go… Since we now live in the blazing heat of Southern Utah I am grateful today for nice groomers that help clean up my dirty, stinky, hairy pooch and remember that he doesn't like the clippers around his ears ;)

gratitude.14

2014-05-30T17:30:00.000-06:00

{Day 14}

So, after picking up a partial shift last night, and being scheduled to work tonight, I am grateful for a Swig! I love, and am probably addicted to, a Dirty Diet Dr. Pepper with a sugar cookie that is offered at this little local establishment. The 44 oz. of delightful caffeinated goodness helped get me through another 12 hours ;)

gratitude.13

2014-05-29T22:30:00.000-06:00

{Day 13}

Tonight I am grateful for the flexibility of my job, I was asked if I could come in extra to work tonight, and told them I could at midnight...so I was able to eat dinner with my family, put my kids and husband to bed and then even went in a little early and had a good shift, all with time-and-a-half pay ;)
*cha-ching*

gratitude.12

2014-05-28T00:24:00.000-06:00

{Day 12}

I try to plan a menu and grocery-shop accordingly to save money and hopefully have dinner ready in a timely manner, admittedly it often falls short and cereal or a Little Caesar's is on the table instead of a home-cooked meal, but tonight the stars aligned and I even tried a new recipe…Scott liked it ;)
I am grateful for my slow-cooker that made tonight's dinner a little easier to accomplish.

Thai Peanut Chicken

http://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/2012/07/recipe-highlight-from-archives-past_18.html

{365 Days of Slow-Cooking…Karen Bellessa Petersen}

gratitude.11

2014-05-27T23:01:00.000-06:00

{Day 11}

I was told it would take about a year to appreciate where I live, that you do eventually get used to the bloody hot heat. They weren't lying, it is delightful...9 months out of the year...and while it does get pretty hot, I am getting acclimated and a nice 90 degrees doesn't even phase me. The other thing I am loving is the awesome trail system that is intertwined throughout the city, we have a trailhead right in our neighborhood and I can ride my bike or run right onto a fabulous paved trail half a mile from my front door. I am thankful for the amenities my city provides and the experiences that come with them.
http://www.sgcity.org/departments/leisureservices/parks/pdf/trailsmap.pdf#zoom=50

gratitude.10

2014-05-26T23:50:00.000-06:00

{Day 10}

Memorial Day is set aside to remember those who have gone before us, to honor those who have served our country…my little sister found and developed a couple rolls of film my grandpa took while serving in Japan at the end of WWII. The images are humbling, thinking of all that was at stake at that time and the dedication of those men and women who fought and served so valiantly. To forget them would be a travesty…I am grateful for the stalwart example and strength of those that serve our country and those that have died protecting the freedom I enjoy.

My grandpa Sorensen

gratitude.9

2014-05-25T17:27:00.000-06:00

{Day 9}

Last night at work was beyond crazy…SO, SO BUSY!!! I came home and crashed, so my sweet husband got all my kids ready for church and had everything ready for a Sunday dinner when they got home so we could all eat together before I went back to work. I'm thankful for my 'Mister Mom', he is awesome! *and I might add, a much better 'House Husband' than I am ;)

gratitude.8

2014-05-24T21:54:00.000-06:00

{Day 8}

After a somewhat slight decline in judgement or loss of personal sanity, I agreed to pick-up an on-call shift at work in the middle of my weekend shifts--note-to-self: I have not done a '3-in-a-row' stretch since I delivered Jane. After my shift on Friday night I knew I would be going back, so today I am grateful for the little things that help me sleep "snug as a bug"…

gratitude.7

2014-05-23T20:47:00.000-06:00

{Day 7}

I like to pretend I keep my kids academically up-to-speed with the Summer Bridge workbook series…today I am grateful for the Pandora satellite radio "Classical for Studying" channel while I subject my kids to learning and structure on their summer vacation *insert maniacal laugh ;)
Seriously, it is a delightful station, I found myself 'Liking' every song…extremely soothing! While there may be some bribes in place for completing said workbooks, I think we are going to have a successful summer.

gratitude.6

2014-05-22T21:39:00.001-06:00

{Day 6}

I am grateful for the first day of summer vacation…my boys have finished their first year of school in our new home and it signifies a lot of emotional milestones for me and them. This time last year was full of angst and uncertainty and change, but now we have made it through an academic year with new friends and experiences.
I am certainly grateful to know that tomorrow morning I don't have to set my alarm clock for 6:30 am to get Jordo up for the bus and then a short 30 minute nap until I get Cam up at 7:57 am for the bus and then getting Jane and Gare up, dressed and fed before taking Gare to the bus at 11: 55 am. All of that sometimes after a night shift where I am still in my navy blue scrubs with mascara under my eyes and truly in survival-mode due to fragmented, infrequent naps. I am glad my kids have thrived in their classes, had excellent teachers to guide them and found buddies to hang out with. Welcome Summer with all the pomp and circumstance it deserves!