....and then the Christmas music started to play.......

We spent Thanksgiving in Idaho Falls with my family. For some reason, this year has flown by. It's December!?!?!? How did that happen?

I wish I had pictures of our Thanksgiving experience this year, but I didn't take one. Isn't that bad? Regardless, I had much to be thankful for and this time, you will have to r-e-a-d my post.

1st--Cooking For My Family

I had about 4 different orders for 'favorite things' to be had on Thanksgiving. I love that I have something to offer on the table when dinner begins. I am glad I like to cook. Luckily I am married to a man who makes it easy and likes most anything.

2nd--Visiting Another Ward

I attended Sacrament Meeting at a friend's ward the Sunday before Thanksgiving. Although I only knew a few people, I was pleasantly surprised when the choir number was Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. My favorite hymn or in the top 3.

3rd--The Perfect Bite

Turkey, with mashed potatoes, and a little gravy........yum! I'm not a pumpkin pie fan, at all, but I love anything else pumpkin. What's wrong with me?

4th--The tree.....THE Tree

Darren and I braved Black Friday in an attempt to replace our Charlie Brown tree that died last year after 10 good years. It wasn't looking hopeful. Then we found one. I have been waiting for that 'feeling' of Christmas along with the joys of the holidays. I worried that without a tree, it wouldn't feel the same. Once we got it up and decorated and then lit on Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving for FHE, a Lotz family tradition).....I sighed. Once the tree was lit and Darren put on our Il Divo Christmas CD (this is 5th) I breathed a sigh of relief. Christmas filled our home.

Thanksgiving.....Sigh

Dear Thanksgiving,
I love, love, really love YOU. This really had nothing to do with the food component at all, as much as a how devoted you are to gratitude and beautiful colors. Colors that feed my soul. Ironically, with how crazy busy the last couple of months have been, I've neglected you. My goal was to focus better this year, and turn some of that gratitude into action, instead of just making lists of reasons I love you and the many ways you have been a blessing to me.
Years ago, when I was scared and alone in Washington DC, I chose to start a "journal" of a different kind. I decided that the best defense against the loneliness and homesickness was focusing on you. So I did. Each day I would write in my journal, something that I was thankful for. Truly Thankful. None of this lip service stuff. Since then, with Elder Eyring's suggestion, I have turned it into a book of "Noticing Ways the Lord Has Touched My Life Today" book. Mmmmmmm.....it has helped. I hope it will be instrumental in helping me be better. I've got much to work on and there are so many ways I fall short.......that's a long list, that one. But I'm longing to do it better. So, Thank You, Thanksgiving......for turkey, for pilgrims, for Indians, for peace, for love, for family, for forgiveness, for friends, for animals, for babies, for an education, for an America, for music, for laughter, and for you.
Your friend,
J
P.S. I don't know how I can eat one of these this year, now that I have seen one in person. They are so beautiful! Really, a glorious bird.

Unusual Places For Gratitude

We've had a month and a half of unfortunate events and/or something that needed to be repaired. Although, in the moment, you want to implore the heavens and yank your hair out by the fist fulls, it's now becoming amusing and I'm feeling gratitude under some unconventional circumstances.

*A few weeks ago, after a run, I came in my house to get my water bottle. I take a long drink and realize, it's not that cold. After a few days of trying to figure out why the refrigerator is starting to feel more like a microwave, we realize that it's time to call the repair man. We bought this refrigerator new when we bought our house and we have loved it. It turns out that a little tiny box in the back, is not working, thus creating warm food. I am feeling grateful for a broken fridge, as it means that I have food to keep cold. I am also grateful to the repair man who had my fridge running like new.........after spending 10 minutes on it.
*I have a love/hate relationship with television. I can see the benefits of it, but when it becomes someone's sole purpose for living because "their show is on" I want to run back to 1850. Our satellite service (yes, we need service that is orbiting the planet because we live in the middle of nowhere) has been a continual problem for the last couple of weeks. I've been content to just keep the T.V. off most of the time. However, my husband wasn't too excited when all this happened over the Yankees/Phillies games. Today, I am grateful for things that make my life easier and for the day of technology we live in.......I'm also grateful when we gt a break from ALL of it.

*While I was tending my nieces in Utah, Darren calls me to tell me that the computer won't boot up. Of course it won't. Sigh. Nearly every time I am away from home for longer than a weekend, my computer seems to have a problem. Poor Darren. It's always on his watch. This time, it was just one too many power surges in a row from our lovely city of Declo. It completely fried the motherboard. Lovely. So, we have been looking at a new computer. As it is my connection to the outside world, I was a little frustrated......mostly at the repair guy who took a week just to look at it and tell me it was dead. I felt grateful, however, for the blessing of being connected to people I love, since we do not live close to our friends or families. I was also grateful to have a break from that technology too. I am additionally grateful for a sweet husband who works so hard to support us and makes it possible to get everything fixed.*Darren comes in the house one evening after we had come home from somewhere, to tell me that the tires on the car are nearly bald and need to be replaced. I looked at him with this incredulous look, all the while wondering "am I in my body and actually hearing this???" He was right. The additional bonus, was checking out what it would cost to replace 4 of them and realizing that it is about 3 times what it cost for our Honda. Grrrrrr. (Sound of hysterical laughter)....ominous music.....you get it. However, 4 tires later and $100 less that we thought it would be, I am very thankful for a dependable car. We are so dependant on our transportation where we live and I am thankful to have that worry removed.
*Our phone line, also has needed "fixing". It made me very grateful very fast for high speed internet and communication devices that help us "keep in touch". Pick up the phone and call someone. Not E.T. Just someone.

*I have felt strongly to try acupuncture. As a person who has pursued getting our babies here, there are tons of needles and shots that accompany that over a 10 year experience. It did not prepare me for this, as I had hoped. Nearly half of the needles they put in my body, hurt. Really hurt. A few days ago, I thought I was going to end up on the ceiling, but today I am very grateful to have "ears to hear" and feel the directions I should go. I have no idea what is on the other side, but I am hoping it is twins at this point. I am grateful for the medical profession and even more grateful to have other options available to me.

The Funniest Thing.....this week

So, my niece Whitney comes home from school last week and procedes to tell me her 2 favorite Chuck Norris"isms". Evidentally, this is the new funny thing going around schools these days......and the adults that know them. Whitney's favorite of the week when I was there is below. I have also included some of the others that are so funny to me. Chuck Norris......wow.
*Chuck Norris counted to infinity. Twice.
*When Chuck Norris jumped into the lake, he didn't get wet. The lake got "Chuck Norrisd."
*Chuck Norris' tears can cure cancer. Too bad he's never cried.
*Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas.
*It takes Chuck Norris 20 minutes to watch 60 minutes.
*There is no such thing as evolution. Just a list of species Chuck Norris has allowed to survive.
*Chuck Norris can set fire to ants with a magnifying glass. At night.
*Chuck Norris knows what Willis 'is talking about'.
*Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.
*Bigfoot didn't believe in Chuck Norris. That was his first mistake.
*Never play a game of "Sorry" with Chuck Norris. It can only end in tears. Yours.
*Chuck Norris' favorite cereal is Kellogg's Marbles N' Gravel.
*Chuck Norris is Darth Vader's father.