I'm thankful for...

1.) My Church Calling...

I'm thankful for my calling at church. Brent and I are on the activities committee. I actually love my calling. We are getting ready for the ward Christmas party this Saturday. It's been great to be involved in helping put things together. It's an easy way to get to know people and feel like you belong while also doing some service.

2.) Banks who are unwilling to work with you....

Odd as it may sound I'm actually thankful for our mortgage company Bank of Satan America. This time last year we were fighting with our mortgage company because our adjustable rate was about to go up. Brent being out of work and a full time student we were living off of student loans and couldn't afford the $300 a month increase. We prayed and prayed about what to do and decided to put our house up for short sale. It's been a year fighting with the bank. We've had 5 buyers walk away because the bank has been unwilling to negotiate. We just found out yesterday that our house will be sold at auction on Monday Dec 14 over a difference of $8000. Brent and I were talking about this last night and we both feel that even though this has been a trial we have truly been blessed to be where we are. We are in a house we love, in a neighborhood we love, and in a ward we adore. It's amazing how much Heavenly Father can bless us.

3.) Christmas cookies....

It's always fun to make cookies with my kids. Yesterday we had fun playing around with a cookie press that I got a long time ago but had never used. We made cute little Christmas tree butter cookies. Even used green food coloring to make the dough more festive. Each child got a spoon or a beater to lick. They got to take turns using the cookie press, and every one loved the taste of the warm cookies from the oven. Life is sweet.

4.) There was no damage...

I'm thankful that there was no damage done to our durango when a tree fell on top of it earlier this week. 

5.) Christmas break...

I don't know how greatful I will be in three weeks, but I'm thankful that today is the last day of school for the boys. It will be fun having them home. We will be doing a lot of baking and gift wrapping over the next few days.   

I looked out the window and what did I see.....

Last night the storm came and killed our tree. 

Last night before we went to bed we had family prayer. It was my turn, and I remember being thankful for the rain. I also remember asking for our family to be protected and kept safe. I never thought that I would have to pray to keep the Durango safe too. 

At least it didn't fall on the house. I just hope nothing is broken under there.

 

I'm so glad we just got it washed.  

Girls and dolls...

Heidi loves playing with her babies. I often check on her at night before I go to sleep and find several babies or stuffed animals tucked in beside her. They are usually covered up in one of Heidi's shirts or a hand towel. The last time she did this some of her smaller babies were covered up with a diaper from her cabbage patch doll. So for Heidi's birthday I decided to make her a blanket and pillow for her babies. We went to the fabric store and Heidi picked out this really cute material. It had to be pink of course and has all these cute little baby things on it.

We ended up with enough material to make 2 blankets, 2 pillows and 4 burp cloths. Heidi told me her babies were very excited for their new things. Heidi helped to stuff one of the pillows, but when one of the blankets was finished she had to try it out to see if her baby liked it. Next thing I knew she had sweet talked Connor into finishing stuffing the pillows.

As soon as I finished with everything I went to go check on my little mommy. She was in her room telling her babies it was dark outside and time to go to sleep. Heidi lovingly tucked her babies in and kissed them on their little heads. Heidi told me how they would be warm now but they won't stop fighting over the burp cloths. Little girls are so cute.

I couldn't help but take a few quick pictures of my adorable girl before leaving her alone to play with her babies.

When I walked past her room a little while later I couldn't help but stop and watch. She had lined up her dolls in front of her kitchen. Placed all the new bedding on the floor in front of them, and was taking pictures of everything using a box of crayons as a camera. Oh she makes me laugh. What an imagination!