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...