Giving Thanks

Since my daughter blogged about Thanksgiving I thought I should, too.

Our tribe (minus Stephanie and Morgan) met up with most Andersens in Riverton (SW Salt Lake City) at a church. The problem was that another family reserved it online and we reserved it in person and the two didn't sync. But we pulled the plastic curtain to divide the big gyms and all was well.

We had 45 there. We took 4 dozen rolls, butter, and raspberry and strawberry jam.

I wanted to play basketball, volleyball, cards with the girls, Primary with the middles, and coloring and balloons with the littles. I also had all our Christmas music, but didn't get to that.

Oh, how nice and relaxing it all was. I actually got to feed new baby Raylee her bottle, too. HUGE BONUS, as she's still in the only-mom-or-dad-hold-her stage. Kallie got to hold her, too, the luck out!

EVERYTHING tasted heavenly--potatoes, gravy, turkey, cranberries, two pecan yams, hot rolls (white and brown--ours), good water. Then later all kinds of pies, cobblers and ice cream. YUM!!!!

I'll see if pics will upload.

Then we visited Keilee & Romone Vaughn and there were also Logan's tribe and Aubrey's tribe there. Aubrey's due with a girl April 4th, 2012.

We overnighted at Kristen's while Sheen & Lauralee slept over with the other teen girls at Whitney's.

My youngest and I visited KMart the next morning, only to stand in lines for more than an hour for the two times we bought. They said my receipt would be on email. IT'S NOT AND I'M MAD. I don't even know how much each thing cost. hmmmmmmm.....

We met up with Dave's (Hilton) tribe later Friday night, then ate out at Carls, Jr., with Dave, Seth and Levi. Levi's taller than Seth now. Seth's a freshman ambassador at Utah State. He loves his medical sociology (alternative med) class right now. Levi is STILL healing from his crushed elbow from Flaming Gorge. He just had his 4th surgery, I believe. They are still trying to kill the infection in it. He has a pick line under his right upper arm and has to school from home for the many times a day he has to get antibiotics in his line. Wow! He needs some heavy duty fasting from us all next week.

Markelle Andersen needs our fasting, too. She has a bone tumor by the knee in her right leg. It's pretty big, about 2" x 1 1/2". The doc said to leave it alone right now. Kind of scarey.

Our amazing home teachers, Nancy and Jay Jensen, challenged us to give only prayers of thanks before and during Thanksgiving. That has been a great blessing to me. I've felt so much more grateful than ever before. On the drive south on Thanksgiving day I read many scriptures about Thanksgiving, thanks, and gratitude. That helped. Did you know David (pre-sin) gave a great prayer of thanks when the altar was brought to the temple? Read it in 1 Chronicles 16:7-26, pp 569-571.

I started a new medicine, Abilify, 3 weeks ago. I only take 1 mg, but it's helped me incredibly to actually accomplish and finish things, and remember better. It almost makes me a tiche manic, but I'm working on that.

That's it. Love you. There's SOOO much for which to be thankful.

Love,

Suz

Laughadaisy: 31 Days of Card Making {31} - A Giveaway

http://laughadaisy.blogspot.com/2011/10/31-days-of-card-making-31-giveaway.html?spref=bl">Laughadaisy: 31 Days of Card Making {31}

From my very talented sister-in-law:

A Giveaway: So, I've had a fun and interesting month of card making.  And now I can rest.  Haha! Just kidding. ;-)  I won't be resting much this week, ...

9/11/2001

ABOUT 9/11:

Last night at a program in Logan a man said that 9/11 was like Pearl Harbor to our parents and Kennedy's assassination to us (though I was only 6).

We talked about 9/11 with our girls in the morning before the Tabernacle Choir broadcast about it. I think there were other programs on Discovery and History channels.

I had lived in New York City and had been on the top of the buildings. It was my city, too.

BUT! A few years ago a man named Lance Richardson gave a fireside here in Preston. He had written a book called The Message. He had died, then came back, and wrote about his experience. I asked him what he thought about 9/11. His answer astounded me. He said he was so incredibly excited for all those people and the amazing experiences they had after they died. I'm sure they would have incredible peace and love from then on. It's just that their families miss them like crazy. Plus, it was a horrible act. But I feel that his answer is a true about the event.

A YEAR?!?!?

I cannot believe I haven't written for a year. That's pathetic. I did write lots in January and February and March when my niece's girl, Charis, was badly injured in a car accident and was recovering (see http://charisisgettingbetter.blogspot.com).

SOOO, in the meantime our oldest girl Stephanie married Morgan Graf Zollinger on March 12, 2011.

Our second, Kristen and her husband, Eric and two little cuties are living in Spanish Fork, Utah. We are so thankful for Eric's good job at Temkin International in Payson, Utah (http://www.temkininternational.com).

Our third, Lauralee, graduated Cum Laud from BYU's Business School in Business Management. She had a job before graduating in Salt Lake at Whipple Superior Service (http://www.whippleplumbing.com). She's one of the main accountants now, working many, many hours every week.

The other two have done well in school and church and home. One was in the play of Willy Wonka, and got her license. The other loves reading.

Our old van's transmission died and after three unsuccessful attempts at repair, we got another van. This one is silver.

Man and I are working well.

He is still at Valley Implement and Irrigation (http://www.valleyimplement.org/default.htm). He takes care of the computer warranty submissions, and is the substitute service manager, the substitute equipment manager, plus a service technician. He takes care of the company's tools and books, and installs new service software on to the computers. He's been there 23 years. He's soft-spoken and a great helper.

I have had a crisis or two this year, but things are getting better, I think. We live in a world of imperfect people, including myself, don't we. ; )

This summer we had wonderful vacations at South Lake Tahoe, California, with the Andersens and Flaming Gorge, Utah, with the Hiltons. Also in the Fairview, Utah, mountains with my Green cousins. It cost a lot, but they were all worth it.

Now we're facing winter again. In June and July we had SO much rain, that all garden things and farmers fields are WAY behind the usual harvest dates. We had a great raspberry crop at the Homestead (Lawrence's parents). We sold them for $30 a case this year. I talked my man into a "Sabbatical" for our garden. That means every seven years the land (and you) rest. So we planted nothing. It's been heavenly and a little crucial for us. Every marriage needs that every seven years.

I love the Church, it's teachings, it's Priesthood, and it's Book of Mormon. I love to read some every day.

That's it for now.

Love,

Suz