Kris and Kari

Kris and Kari
Vegas

Thursday, November 29, 2012

So thankful..

I definitely have so much to be thankful for, way more than 22 days of November leading up to Thanksgiving worth.   I did want to jot down a daily thing I am thankful for.  Instead of clogging everyone's Facebook feed,  I thought I would blog it instead.


11/1-           As I am typing this before I leave work—I thought it would be appropriate to say I am grateful that Kris and I have jobs.  Not just jobs, but jobs with good companies, good people, and a place we can enjoy.


                       
11/2-            My car.  Thankful to have a working car to get me all the places I need and want to go.

11/3-            Sleeping in.  This is something I will have to give up on when the baby comes.  I am thankful for these Saturdays when I can sleep in. 




11/4-            Family dinners—every Sunday we have dinner with Kris’ family, or the first of the month with my family.  We love getting together to eat and catch up.  It is a bonus all (minus one sister) of our immediate families live in the valley. 

11/5-            My insulin pump.  Although it has  very frustrating technical errors, and I wish I didn’t have to deal with Juvenile Diabetes at all,  I am grateful for what there is available today.  I can eat cookies, pizza, and cake because of my pump. 

 11/6-            Free agency.

 11/7-            I am thankful for my home.  I’ve seen a lot of aftermath from Hurricane Sandy,  and I am just so thankful for a roof over my head. 

11/8-            Family.  My family members are also my closest friends.  Kris and I both have large families, and  I love that. 


11/9-            Air conditioning & heaters—both in home and cars.  How did people survive without these?  This is a luxury I take for granted. 

11/10-          What better day to say I am thankful for my mother than on her birthday?   I always thank my Heavenly Father for giving me the mother he did.  She is the most unselfish person I know, and I hope I can be half the mother to my little peanut as she is to me.


 11/11-         For the country I live in.  
 

 11/12-         Rebel basketball games.  Always fun to watch.  (Not too thankful for Kris' facial hair here..)


11/13-           The convenience of this city.  We live close to grocery stores that are open 24 hours.  There is so much available if we need it.  When I lived in St. George, that was something I missed.     

11/14-           Being an Aunt.  I LOVE all my nieces and nephews, and I am happy when I get to see them.  I think having so many has prepared me for my motherhood.  Plus they are all so sticking cute.



 11/15-         Baby kicks & movement.  I always wonder how my little guy is baking in there.  When he kicks and moves it reassures me that he is OK. 

 11/16-         Free lunches.  Besides the Bistro food at my work. I’ve been spoiled with EAT, Rubios, Nacho Daddy, Pizza, and Panera Bread this month.  

 11/17-          My husband and our marriage.  All around good guy, and I feel so lucky to have him in my life. 




 11/18-         Friends.  Old and new.  A friend of mine in the Navy sent us  gifts from our registry.  She went above and beyond, and I was so grateful.  My friends have such kind hearts. 

 11/19-         My church and all the blessings I receive from it.  I am thankful to know that I am a child of God and I chose to come to earth. Also for the power of prayer, and for the wonderful people I know and have met.

11/20-           Food!  I would be grateful for just being able to eat, period.  But, being able to eat things we enjoy is a blessing I take for granted.  The first types of foods that come to mind are all incredibly unhealthy, but  I’ll blame it on the pregnancy hormones.  Watching the crazy stuff these people eat on the history channel—yuck!  I am a spoiled American Girl.  Yay for Fries- Bacon- and Southwest Chicken Salads!

11/21-           Grandparents.  I adored my grandparents, and was thankful to have them.  I am sad this little guy will not have his biological grandfathers part of his earthly life, but thankful he has 2 loving grandmas and a grandpa Bob. 


 11/22-         Cameras and other gadgets. Technology is crazy, and I am happy there are so many ways to capture moments and keep precious memories. And even with the ease of it all, I often don't take as many pictures as I want.



Friday, November 16, 2012

Favorite Thing Friday

My sister does a cute blog every Friday where she posts one of her favorite things.

I'm not going to copy permanently, but wanted to do something today.

So for one of my favorite things this Friday...

Childrens Hand Made Art/Letters

Around my desk at work I have a lot of pictures, and one cute letter my niece wrote to me.

This was last February, right before Valentines Day.  She was 7 at the time, and I was with her at my Mom's house.  She wrote:

" I know it's almost Valentines Day and I wanted to ask you a question.  Will you be my Valentine?"

On the other side is a picture of a butterfly and a heart.  It says 'BFF-I Lvoe You- From: Karli To:Kari"    



So sweet.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Diamond Jubilee

My mom turned 60 on November 10th!   Earlier this year she got her ears pierced with my niece, and wore diamond earrings for her diamond jubilee.  I wish I had a picture of her wearing her diamond earrings, but below is the day she pierced them.

She said she did not want a party, but I knew something special had to be done for her 60th.  I saw an idea on Pinterest, and knew right away it was perfect for my mom. 







I put together a letter that I sent to my moms friends, friends from the past, family members, and old ward members.  It was explaining that it would be great if my mom could open "60 memories for 60 years".  Each memory would be put in an envelope.  

It turned out great.  She loved it, and was very surprised!

At first it was hard to track people down.  My mom's generation isn't as addicted to facebook and email like my generation is.  Tracking down all these people without the help of my mom giving me phone numbers,  emails, or addresses was very hard.   But we did it!  Plus, she has 6 kids, and we each did a memory, (some of us two)  and that was 1/6th of them done!

Some were really funny, some really random, and a lot of  them were really sweet.  There were things I learned, and things even my mom learned.  She apparently didn't know her little brothers bugged the living room so they could listen to her talk to her dates. 

I wanted to have the memories jotted down in two versions.  So I also filled a notebook with them.  The notebook had a map outlined as the design, and I titled it "Linda's Trip Down Memory Lane" That turned out easier to read at first, because we read a good chunk over dinner at a public restaurant. 

She said she went home and opened every envelope, and finished reading every one.  She loved it, and said she felt so loved, and she is! 

One sweet memory was written by my mom's Aunt Laurelle, her mother's sister.  She sent her handwritten letter to me in the mail, and the handwriting reminded me of my late grandmother.  She said how she loved living with baby Linda,  and how cute she was as a baby.   

I am just glad she has these, and can now read them over and over if she wanted to.  It is something I hope she keeps forever, and even posterity can read it years from now. 

Happy Jubilee Mom!