Our Gratitude Project

I took a little break from posting. I didn't mean for it to go so long, but it was nice to stay away. To take the time to get other things done and not worry about writing every day.
Despite my lack of posting, we have continued to talk about the things we were grateful for and all of the blessings in our lives. We celebrated our month of gratitude with family during Thanksgiving and we enjoyed every minute with everyone.

I am feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelmed with the many blessings I have. With the love that my Heavenly Father shows me through the people he puts in my life.

I am grateful for my parents. For their love, support, and guidance. For the love that they show my children and the wonderful grandparents they are. I am so grateful that I am their daughter and I grew up in their home. I am the person I am because of them.
I am grateful for my 'other' parents. For how they raised their son so that he could become the man I have fallen in love with. I am grateful for their immediate love and acceptance of me. And I am so thankful for how much they love my boys.
I am grateful for my siblings (ALL 12 of them) For each of their unique personalities and the amazing things they teach me. For the giving, the kindnesses, and the support I receive from them.
I am grateful for friends. For those listening ears and thoughtful times when they know just what I need that day.
I am grateful for my sweet boys. For all that I learn and the mother I am becoming because of them. I can't imagine my life without them.

Above all- I am so thankful for my incredible husband. He loves me unconditionally and continually puts my needs before his own. I am deeply grateful to my Heavenly Father who knew just the kind of person I would need beside me in this life. I am grateful that we are sealed together for eternity and that we have that long to learn, grow, and become better together. Amd I will be forever grateful that Jeff chose me. I am grateful for the wonderful father he is becoming and how absolutely amazing he is with our boys. I love you, babe.

I am so blessed.

Our Gratitude Project

Jeff: I am grateful for a wife who works so hard to keep our home organized.

Weston: I am thankful that I got to see my grandpa and he gave me a dollar so I can pick out a toy.

Tave: is thankful for hugs from his Grandpa great. He loved seeing him one last time and wouldn't let Grandpa put him down.

Nicole: I am thankful for organization. I am not an organized person. I want to be and really really try to be. Today the boys and I went through all, yes ALL, of their toys! We got rid of a bunch and organized like mad. They were little troopers through my day-long obsession to get it done! And I must say, our hard work paid off. The closets look better and we now have a 'system' to our toys. LOVE it! (someday I will have my dream play room for the kiddos...but until then, I'll work with what I have!)

Our Gratitude Project

Jeff: I am thankful for little boys who make me feel like a better dad than I am. Tonight at bedtime I asked Weston what is favorite part of the day was. He told me "when daddy came home and played with me." Best part of my day.

Weston: "I am thankful for mommy and daddy. and my grandmas and grandpas. I love my grandmas and grandpas. (pause) They live far far far far far away. (another pause) Where do they live?"

Tave: is thankful for getting to play with his aunts and uncles today.

Nicole: I am thankful for how well my boys have been getting along. In the last two days their interactions have turned into playful wrestle matches. They have both enjoyed laughing and playing with each other more than toys. I absolutely love watching this new development!

Our Gratitude Project Day - oh who cares what day, here's what we're grateful for...

Jeff - I am grateful for a little boy who has done awesome potty-training. He is always so excited when I get home so he can run and tell me how many times he went today.

Weston- That I stayed dry in my pants all day today!

Tave- is grateful that West share's his potty-training treats.

Nicole - is SOOOOO grateful that Weston had his first EVER full day of staying dry in underwear!! He did FANTASTIC!!!

Our Gratitude Project...the whole weekend

We had a very busy and full weekend.

We have so much to be thankful for, here are just a few:

Each other.
Mine and Jeff's night away to Park City. We had fun, learned a lot about each other, and just enjoyed the time together.
Family who takes care of our kiddos and us.
How much the boys LOOOVE their grandparents, aunts, uncles, & cousins.
Our sweet boys. It is always so fun to come home after a night away. We all appreciate each other more.
Grandpa's visit. We had a blast over the last few days we spent with him. The boys are VERY thankful for their awesome remote control cars (from Great Grandpa)
The first snow. It is breathtaking every time.
Healthy, happy boys.
Baby showers. An evening with the ladies celebrating new life. Love it.
Bowling. My hubby showed me up, but it was a blast anyways! It's so fun to do things we don't normally do.
Weston's excitement over potty-training.
Making mistakes and learning from them. A crazy thing to be grateful for, but I really am. I love that Jeff and I have grown together and become stronger, better, and more focused on what is important.

Our Gratitude Project Day 9

Jeff: I am thankful for a son who calls me 'the greatest guy in the whole world' just for getting his stuck playdoh out of the container.

Weston: Umm, I am thankful for having a lot of fun with mommy and daddy and playing a lot. I am thankful for my shows. (hmm...does this mean we let him watch too much tv?!)

Tave: Is thankful for a mommy and daddy who dance around the room with him and tickle his tummy to make him laugh.

Nicole: I am thankful for my adorable, sweet Tave. This little man is a whole lot of energy wrapped into a teeny, tiny package. He has SO MUCH personality that comes busting out every minute of the day. He can throw big tantrums, but he loves even bigger. I love what he is teaching me and how we are growing together. I am forever thankful for this bundle of happiness that came our way!

Our Gratitude Project Day 8

Jeff: I am thankful that I am *almost* done with my master's degree...I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Weston: I am thankful for having fun playing and for treats.

Tave: Is thankful for a brother who chases him and plays with him. A brother who teaches him how to open the dvd player and who watches Go Diego Go with him every single day.

Nicole: I am thankful for Weston. For his fun-loving personality. For his fun and crazy sense of humor and how much he loves to make us laugh. I am thankful that Heavenly Father gave me such a wonderful little person to help me learn to be a mom. I am thankful for how much love he brings into my life and how much he helps me to be better. I have a ways to go...but he loves me. And for that I will always be thankful.

Our Gratitude Project Day 7

Monday's Gratitudes

Jeff: I am thankful for family and family home evenings. I am thankful for the laughs of Nicole and the boys as we wrestled and played in a huge pile of leaves.

Weston: I am thankful for playing and jumping in the leaves with daddy and mommy and Tave.

Tave: Is thankful for his blanket. I think he loves it more than us sometimes!

Nicole: I am thankful for the beautiful weather we have been getting. For family nights that turn out perfectly and for the fun of getting buried in leaves by my little boys. I am thankful that they have a daddy who loves to play. I am thankful for family.

SYTYC

One of the things that makes me happy is crafting. I love finding new ideas and making them happen.
Well, there is an online craft contest going on right now that is just waaay too fun!
So You Think Your Crafty brings 10 crafty ladies together in one spot. Each week they are given a theme and have to create a craft project. Then all of us viewers get to vote. The person with the least votes gets 'kicked off' and at the end of the 10 weeks there will be ONE Craftiest Crafter. Sounds cool, huh.
My favorite part is all of the IDEAS that I get to go out and try!!

Here are my three favorites this week....ahh, so hard to choose:
#4, #7, and #9
Check it out and let me know what YOUR favorites are!!

Our Gratitude Project Day 6

Sundays Gratitudes:

Jeff, Nicole, Weston, & Tave: We are all so thankful for the beautiful, calm, relaxing day we spent together as a family. For the Spirit that is in our home, especially on Sundays, and for the day to rest and get better after such a busy past month.
We are thankful for our very special Grandma Bea who we miss so much. She is in a wonderful place, with all of the people she knows and loves who passed on before her. We love you, Grandma.

Our Gratitude Project Day 5

Saturdays Gratitudes:

Jeff: I am thankful for the boys long naps so I could get a LOT of things done. I am thankful for the awesome date Nicole & I were able to go on. It was great!

Weston: is thankful for the yummy treats he had with dad.

Tave: is thankful for getting to spend all day with daddy. He LOVES his daddy so much!

Nicole: I am incredibley thankful for my hubby spending the entire day with the boys so I could go to Market. I am thankful for the success that it was, I was a little worried, but it turned out fabulous!!! I am so thankful to Shawn & Abby for watching our little guys so we could go on a much needed date that night. And I am thankful, again, to my wonderful husband who gave me tickets to see SYTYCD!!! It was A-MAZING and wonderful and we had SO much fun. Pictures to come...

Our Gratitude Project Day 4

Fridays Gratitudes:

Jeff: Is grateful to get my wife back after tomorrow!

Weston & Tave: are grateful that the Bijou Market will be over tomorrow so they get their mommy back!

Nicole: I am grateful for my supportive husband. For all the late nights he put in with me so I wouldn't be up crocheting by myself. For his help in 'hiding' all of those threads and in glueing 100 flowers together.

Our Gratitude Project Day 3

Jeff: I am thankful for good friends who have my wife over for dinner while I'm away at school and then are thoughtful enough to send some home for me. The egg rolls and fried rice were DELICIOUS! Thanks, Liz.

Weston: I am thankful for my big spider man. I got him in my Easter basket and he is really cool.

Tave: Tave is thankful for outside. He says 'outside' all day long and is happiest when he is exploring the outdoors.

Nicole: I am incredibely grateful for all the help that is pouring my way lately: A friend who watched my kiddos so I could get my hair cut and colored, a sister who put together an awesome poster for me for the market, a friend who had me over to hang out and get some planning done, and a friend who had us over for dinner. I was well taken care of today. Thank you. So very much.

Our Gratitude Project Day 2

Jeff: I am so grateful for temples. I was able to go with some of my seminary students today and it was amazing- the perfect start to my day.

Weston: I am thankful for my grandmas and grandpas. Me: Why are you thankful for them? W: Because I love them.
I am thankful for Shar & Trav. I am thankful for trees because they are big. I am thankful for our house. Some people don't have a house. (I am amazed at the insight of little children. He teaches me so much.)

Tave: He is thankful for snuggles. Boy this kiddo loves to snuggle. And hug and love. We are thankful for him.

Nicole: I am thankful for beautiful sun-shiny days when you least expect them. For being able to run and jump and chase my kiddos all around the park. For the joy of having fun with my boys.

Our Gratitude Project

We've started a gratitude list as a family. To make it fun for the boys we are writing down one thing each day that we are thankful for on a turkey feather. (hey, they're 3 and 1, we have to make it interesting!)

I'll do my regular posting every so often, but mostly this month will be a list of the things we feel so blessed to have. Each and every one of these gratitudes are the beauty in our days.

Jeff: I am grateful that despite my hesitations in preparing this lesson, it turned out really well with all of my classes. I am grateful for the time Nicole & I were able to spend together relaxing a bit tonight.

Weston: Is grateful for his blanket. In his words: "Mommy, I love my blankets." yes he sure does.

Tave: I have to say that Tave would most definitely ditto West. He is grateful for his blankets. He looooves those soft little things.

Nicole: I am grateful that I made it through teaching R.S. on Sunday. I definitely had some help from Heavenly Father. I am grateful to the amazingly talented women who shared the beauty of music through song and piano. I am so inspired by music.
I am grateful for my dear husband, who snuggles by my side as I crochet into the wee hours of the night. He is incredibley supportive and wonderful.
I am grateful for a sister who is willing to help me with anything at a moments notice. Who makes me laugh when I'm stressed, tells me to chill out when I need to, and invites me over for dinner when Jeff is at school.

I have so much.

Music. Gratitude. Beauty.

One of the blogs that I read is writing about the beauty in her day, each day this week.
I thought that was cool since that is what my blog is all about.
(Maybe you haven't caught it, but that is my intent: to write about the beautiful things that happen in my day.)
So today she asked the question: Where do YOU find beauty on Mondays?

It got me thinking about our Mondays.
Jeff goes off to work and we wake up to no daddy. That is so sad for the boys. They come running into our room asking for him. And I have to say "Daddy's at work." Yuk, I hate it too.
I'm realizing (a little late) that I should have some special plans for Mondays. Make a tradition out of some of the little things. I'll have to work on that and post about what I plan. But I'm getting excited at the idea of making Mondays more special than they have been.

However, we did do something pretty awesome today to make it a beautiful day:
We listened to Christmas music!!!
I absolutely loooooove Christmas time. And the music is definitely what makes it such a special holiday. Music is such a powerful way to bring the Spirit into our home, to lift the mood, and brighten our days.
Christmas music is even better.
That being said, I DO love Thanksgiving as well. And I am not skipping over it at all.
For me, the two holidays are very closely related.
I love my Savior. I love celebrating His birth and His life. And Thanksgiving, for me, is a time to give thanks for that and all the other blessings I have because of Him and our Father in Heaven.
Through music, the Christmas Spirit comes into our home early to help us recognize and remember what we have been blessed with.
It was so neat to have Weston getting excited over the music we listened to on our drive. And to hear Tave humming to "Little Drummer Boy" was priceless.
I absolutely love this time of year.
I can't wait to start some wonderful Holiday traditions with our boys.
And it all began today!

Now, for the entire month of November, I'll be posting our gratitude lists. Each day we will each be writing something for which we are thankful. I am sure this will help us to find the beauty in every day.
Afterall, it's easy to see, when we take the time to look.

Friday

Somehow I missed posting on Friday.
I really thought I had and so I'm kind of wondering what happened?
It was a great day, I am sure.
But because our weekend was so busy and fun, I really can't remember.
I am kind of a forgetful person. I think having two kiddos has done that to me. Wow..what's going to happen once I have more?!
So Friday was great, Friday was wonderful. And Friday was the best day of my life.
I just don't remember.
Haha. I crack myself up.

Ooooh, I just wrote that line and was reminded of something funny:

I must tell Weston quite often that he 'cracks me up' because he has started to say it.
Except he can't say crack.
So he tells me "Mom, I crap you up, huh." And I bust out laughing.
Every single time.
Then I say, "Yes, West, you CRACK me up." But he still doesn't get that he's saying it wrong.
And I love it.
In our house c.r.a.p. is a bad word, but I just can't fix this one...