Tomorrow's Turkey Day!

Well, I made it! Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and this will have to be my last thankful post (and probably my last post for a while! I need a blogging hiatus.) Anyway, between the sleep-inducing tryptophan, uninhibited face-stuffing and giddy excitement of upcoming Black Friday sales I'm pretty sure I won't be on the computer tomorrow. Can't wait!

Friends and neighbors: me (sorry, no makeup!) Sandra, Amy, Jenn, and Tiffany

So, last but certainly not least, today I want to give thanks for my friends. I've never been the type of girl who has needed to have lots of friends. A couple close friends at any one time suits me well. However, as I look back on my life I realize that I've been blessed with dozens of close friends that have each been in my life at one point or another, right when I needed them. So thanks so much to all my friends! Life is so much better when you have friends to share it with! Happy Thanksgiving!

"I count myself in nothing else so happy

As in a soul rememb'ring my good friends."

- William Shakespeare

An attitude of gratitude.

Tonight, as the computer was scrolling through our pictures on our screensaver, I saw a picture of a sunset that I took in Cambria this summer and I realized something- that picture in no way embodies what that moment was like. At that moment I was breathless because of the majesty of the earth. It was one of those moments when you realize that you are but a blip on the radar. I felt humbled. There is a reason why a picture never does a moment like that justice. It's because it's not just about what you saw. It's about how you felt. So, today I'm thankful for the beauty of the earth and I vow to find more moments to appreciate it.

3 days until Thanksgiving!

And I'm thankful for the United Way. Ok, this probably wouldn't be high on my list most years but I really wanted to post about the service opportunity we had the other day. A couple of weeks ago I went to a conference for parents with kids with Special Needs. United Way had a booth there and after talking with their representative I asked them if they ever had volunteer opportunities that involve the whole family. (Will and I have always said that we wanted to start volunteering at least once a month once the boys were old enough to.) To my delight, she said that they actually had a Family Volunteer Day coming up the next weekend and even the 3 yr old could help out. Yay! That's just what we were looking for. Upon returning home, I told Will about it and found out that the Michigan/Ohio State game was at the same time! Bummer! But wait! (This will blow your mind!) Will, knowing that the game probably wouldn't go well, welcomed the diversion! This was shocking to me because he says that he hasn't missed a Michigan/Ohio State game since 1985 (and I believe it!) But he knew this would be great way to teach the boys some important lessons.

So, this past Saturday morning we woke the boys up early and headed to the food bank in Provo to receive our assignment. They gave us directions and we promptly headed to Hoofbeats for Healing, a therapeutic horseback riding arena in Spanish Fork. The boys were surprisingly excited to help. We spent the morning cleaning out storage trailers and shoveling and leveling out dirt in front of their indoor facilities. We really did have fun and the boys learned that helping others can make you happy. Great experience and we plan on having many more like it. Here's a few pics from that morning.

Will shoveling dirt. I was too but I stopped to take this picture. No lie!

The boys raking out the dirt to make it level. Well, let's just say they gave it their best shot. What more could I ask?

And here's Cooper hard at work. He was so cute just following everyone elses lead.

Coleman and Cooper both worked really hard picking big rocks out of the dirt and tossing them aside.

Great job, guys! Let's go check the website for another service project!

I'm thankful for the little things!

10 little things I'm thankful for:

1. Spanx.
2. Towels right out of the dryer.
3. When husband does the dishes.
4. The popcorn setting on the microwave.
5. Clorox wipes. (I love bleach!)
6. Clearance sales.
7. Hoodies.
8. A good laugh.
9. TiVo.
10. Online shopping.