I am GRATEFUL for my sweet little girl!

Gratitude Journal Entry #86

Today when this sweet little girl came home from school, she came to me venting and telling me all her woes. She was rambling on and on and then at the end she blurts out "And you don't even Appreciate me." Wow! I didn't expect that one, where did that come from? Such big talk for such a little girl. So I proceeded to talk to her and finding out where that came from. Come to find out that she's due for a bigger thank you than just a simple thank you! She has been lately out of the kindness of her heart been getting the boys out of bed bringing them down stairs and getting them breakfast (of course I have said thank you a lot and given her hugs and kisses) But she needs more....She needs it to be made a big deal. So I proceeded to tell her how wonderful she is and how much I love her and then I told her I wanted to put her picture on my blog and tell everyone about all the wonderful things that she does for her mommy! She does, she does a lot. I am not going to name everything because then you all would think I was bragging about how perfect and wonderful she is, because she really is. She is heaven sent and we are so grateful to have her as our daughter. Thank you for all that you do for our family and all the help that you give, it is SO appreciated!

I am GRATEFUL for an actively engaging FHE on Monday night

Gratitude Journal Entry #85

I know this is so late, I am a little behind.
On Monday we had such a great family home evening lesson and it involved everyone and everyone got really into it! It was fun, our theme was the word "Heart" not our physical heart but our spiritual heart. The Scripture that I used for our theme was Mathew 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves Treasures upon the Earth, but lay up for yourselves Treasures in Heaven, For where your Treasure is, there will your Heart be also." I had a dry earase board and I drew a line down the middle and on one side I put "Good Heart" and on the other side I put "Bad Heart" and then I told the kids that we were all going to look up in the index, topical guide, Bible dictionary where ever they wanted, scriptures on the Heart. It was kinda like a scripture chase. Then once they found one then we all looked that scripture up together and then they read the scripture. Then they had to decide what kind of heart it's talking about and then they had to put it either on the good side or bad side. Amazingly the kids were really getting into it and even the little kids wanted to find some too, so daddy was the one busy helping them find some scriptures. At the end we had a great list, of course we had more on the good side than the bad. Then I went through each thing on our list and explained them more, then I asked the question "How important is our spiritual hearts?" They all decided that it was really important where our hearts are. All of them including me learned a great lesson that night and it was such a spiritual lesson all of them enjoyed it including Sloane and I. It also taught them how to look up a topic if they needed to.

I am GRATEFUL for a cool find!

Gratitude Journal Entry#84

I was in a second hand children store the other day and was so excited when I saw this bag sitting at the counter, I asked the ladies working there if this was a diaper bag, they both said no it was a purse, I looked inside of it and it looked like a diaper bag to me. Oh well so I walked away and then noticed a little while later they had put it on the rack where the other diaper bags were, I knew it was a diaper bag!! So I of course bought it because it's too cute, and since I will be in a diaper bag for a long time (WINK) then I might as well have one that doesn't even look like a diaper bag right?
Just for fun I came home and looked up the name on the bag online and found out that this very bag brand new is worth $160 and I got it for $18. which at first I thought was expensive for a second hand diaper bag, but it looks brand new and I have been looking for a long time for a new one since the zipper broke on my old one a week after I got it, cheap cheap!!

I am GRATEFUL for hard work!!

Gratitude Journal Entry #83

Shell has been working for a long time for this....She got Citizen of the week!! She had to do a lot to earn this and we are so happy for her that all her hard work payed off, Congrats our cute little Shell!! She lately has been working so hard at her math, unfortunetly she got her bad math skills from her mother but hopefully with her daddies help she will be better at it than I was. Keep up the good work!!

I am GRATEFUL for these two cute faces!

Gratitude Journal Entry #82

But Don't be fooled by these two cute faces they are actually little HEATHENS!! Lately they have resorted to Biting, Pinching, Scratching and my personal favorite Choking!! They are the best of friends they are the worst of friends....Unfortunetly they need to be watched at all times or I fear the worst!! But you just gotta love em'!

I am GRATEFUL for the inspired words at Conference that I get to reread

Gratitude Journal Entry #81

I love this picture, it was taken at this last General Conf. It shows to me the love and the unity that these inspired men have for each other and for all of us. For the past couple of weeks I have struggled, I have even asked the question to myself "Once that I have gained Faith, How do I attain it, How do I keep it so strong that when life's storms come and I know that they will and are, How do I keep it close to my heart and hold it so tight that I never ever let it go?" This morning the kids were being so good and helpful that I actually took advantage of it and reread some of the talks that were given at conference. I am still learning but I get through those inspired talks that it's through putting total trust in the lord, which is hard to do. I loved the talk that was given about prayer, I never thought about prayer in this way by Bishop Keith B. McMullin says "For prayers to be efficacious, they must be in harmony with the plan of Heaven. The prayer of faith bears fruit when such harmony exists when prayers are inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit manifests what our petitions should be. Absent this inspired guidance, we are inclined to "Ask amiss," to seek only our will and not "Thy will." It is as important to be guided by the Holy Spirit while praying as it is to be enlightened by that same Spirit while receiving an answer to prayer. Prayers are our life line to Heaven. That has changed my way of thinking about saying my prayers, I think my prayers have been lately only about my will and not "Thy will."
Another Talk from Elder Wilford W. Andersen, He talked about the early saints and their faith even through trials. I loved the story he gave about a friend who recently died from cancer and when he was diagnosed and the whole family was with him, he turned to everyone and with perfect faith he said "Does anybody in this room have a problem with the plan of salvation?"
What perfect faith that God knows him and his needs and his families needs and that he had perfect faith that God will see them through. These and other great talks are so comforting.

I am GRATEFUL for a thoughtful daughter

Gratitude Journal Entry # 80

Last week I woke up to this beautiful note in the kitchen by my sweet daughter the Hawaiian Princess, she is so sweet. My other two daughters love to leave me "love" notes too on my bed ect. I am grateful for sweet and thoughtful children who love making my day!

I am GRATEFUL for my baby who's growing up too fast!!

Gratitude Journal Entry #79



Last week he started to roll over, he's not even five months yet and he's already doing that! He almost has holding his own bottle down. He tries to sit up by himself, he's just growing up way too fast!! We also started him on baby food which he is loving and we are loving because it makes him fuller and is making him gain a little more weight (which he needs). Now if we could just get him to sleep through the night we would be in fat city!! Although he did great last night, I put him down at 9:30 which is the earliest I have ever put him down then he slept until almost 3:00am and I fed him and then he didn't wake up this morning until 8:30 that was amazing!! Hawaiian princess has claimed him as her baby, she just loves him so much and wants to hold him all the time!!

I am GRATEFUL for my big Four Year Old!!

Gratitude Journal #78

Today is EB's Birthday!! We are so happy that we have been blessed to have him in our lives for four wonderful years!! When we found out we were having another boy we were all so very happy, so that Dash wasn't going to be all alone as the only boy. Even though Dash and EB are seven years apart they are best buds and EB loves his older brother along with his other siblings. He's a very loving and quick minded little guy, and we love him a lot! Happy Birthday our sweet little boy!
I am also grateful that my favorite tree that EB is standing in front of didn't dye when we transplanted it there. We put a birch tree where it use to be, that tree has been the same size since we moved here and it's beautiful when it blooms once a year so we decided to put it in front of the kitchen window and I love looking out and seeing it everyday. The Birch tree will get really big, that is also my other favorite tree.
EB had a great birthday!! Card from Mema and Papa with a gift card to McDonalds. By his request we made him a chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and he wanted it to look like a basketball (well I tryed!) it was the moistest chocolate cake I've made in a long time, once Sloane got ahold of it, it was gone!:) He got a little golf set and he just loved that! He had a great day!!

I am GRATEFUL to find a cute little face in my bed

Gratitude Journal Entry #77

This was all that was sticking out and showing when I came into my room looking for EB. He was fighting me on taking a nap today even though he really needed one, I am glad he finally did!

I am GRATEFUL for Hommade bread and Great Deals!

Gratitude Journal Entry#76


I haven't made hommade bread in a really, really, really longtime which is sad for my family because they all love it especially my husband. So since Sloane was going to Lewiston today I decided to surprise him and make hommade bread and thought it would be a nice treat for him to take with him, plus he's such a great husband and does nice things for me all the time, it's the least I could do for him.
Today they had a snuggle sale at Albertsons and then from a few papers ago I had a $3. off coupon and the sale was for $3.99 so I payed $.99 cents for one bottle so total of $6.00 with tax, you just gotta love that, and that's why I have become one of the Crazy Coupon Ladies, it's so worth it!! My favorite smell is the blue sparkle, it reminds me of the Baby Place where I had my last two babies, great memories!:)

I am GRATEFUL that my little invention is producing some Veggie Plants!!

Gratitude Journal Entry #75


I am so happy that my little greenhouse is working! I have planted five tomato plants and three Basil plants and the are all growing very nicely! I am not much of a green thumb but they are working! Now I can't wait to plant my cucumbers and squash here in the next few weeks inside the greenhouse. I made two greenhouses so that I could start on one set of plants and then later start on another set of plants. Yippee!:)

I am GRATEFUL for a night out with Hubby and kids! Also for Danny boy Graduating to a new chair!

Gratitude Journal Entry #74


We decided at the last minute (that's why I am not wearing any makeup, these days who cares?) to take the kids to Carinos for their family night platters and it was a lot of fun and the kids were amazing!! We also had a perfect waiter that was really great with the two little boys and they stayed happy the whole time! It was fun and I am so glad it was fun since we NEVER take all the kids out anymore. They just loved it and it was totally worth every minute!
Our little Danny boy has graduated to a new chair, and he loves it! He is just adorable when he smiles and the kids fight over who gets to hold him, poor thing.

I am GRATEFUL for an Eggcellent time today with the Easter egg coloring and Easter egg hunt with the kids.

Gratitiude Journal Entry #73

Don't you Just Love the Boy's Egg coloring Attire? I just couldn't resist:)

I am GRATEFUL for a great week with the kids!!

Gratitude Journal Entry #72


We had such a fun week! At the beginning of the week the kids played with friends and then they got to play the WII (which then never get too) I also had a clean house everyday because I told them that when they wanted to play the WIII they had to go around the house and do a quick pick up clean before they could play, and they were motivated enough so my house stayed amazingly clean with them home all week! On Wednesday we had so much fun taking Sister Mcurdy to Hobby Lobby. It was like watching a little kid in a candy shop:) She had so much fun and the kids were amazingly really good for the two hours that we were there. She thought that they were so good that she treated them to ice cream afterwards and the kids of course loved that! Then The Hawaiian Princess went and did some service and came home after 4-5 hours feeling really good, she said she loved the feeling she had after doing that. On Thursday we went to the Library and took little miss five year old Aubrey with us and she was really great and had a good time with the other little boys playing on the computer. Today we took Sister Mcurday again with us to Great Harvest Bread Bakery, It was so fun seeing the kids' face when we walked in and they smelled the yummy bread baking smell:) they all chose to have the BIG berry with white chocolate chips scones. They chose that over the big cinnamon rolls, the big easter cookies, and the big Brownies, can you believe that? They all loved the scones and were so happy and thankful to be able to go there, that was too fun! Sister Mcurdy had fun too!:) EB boy all week wanted to help mommy with the dishes, it was too cute! Emily also helped out tonight while we were on our date and surprised me when we came home by finishing folding all of my laundry (which was a lot!) and put it all away for me, isn't she great!? It was a fun week, I hope next week goes great too!:)