A time to be thankful......

I am so very blessed and have many things to be thankful for. At this Thanksgiving time, I want to list some of the things I'm thankful for - not necessarily in order - I just wrote them as they popped into my head. This is just the beginning of a list that could go on forever. I truly am blessed.

I’m thankful that:

•            Bryan is here with me this Thanksgiving. I almost lost him to a heart attack in May.
  ·         My family is all healthy, safe and happy.
  ·         Holly is expecting a baby in May.
  ·         Michael was able to start a great job 2 weeks after his contract ended at his previous job.
  ·         I live in the same ward with BJ, Tyler and their families.
  ·         We were able to sell our previous house and get rid of the large house payment we had on it.
  ·         We were able to move into our rental house and do some nice things to fix it up.
  ·         I babysit 3 of my grandchildren and get paid for it.
  ·         Real estate has been very good this year.
  ·         I have had a job with The Training Alliance for 18 years – even if it is just for 10 hours a month currently.
  ·         I was able to lose 22 lbs this year.
  ·         I am almost done with the Book of Mormon (started in January).
  ·         I can see, hear, smell, feel and have relatively good health.
  ·         I have a wonderful Mom, who is in good health.
  ·         I have 4 wonderful children, who are all active in the church and raising their children in the gospel.
  ·         I have the 10 cutest grandchildren in the world!
  ·         I’m able to work in Real Estate with Bryan as my broker.
  ·         I have wonderful brothers and a wonderful sister.
  ·         I belong to the Clark Family and have so many amazing nieces and nephews, who now have amazing children of their own.
  ·         I belong to Bryan’s family – who is also TOTALLY amazing!
  ·         I was able to be in Utah this year to celebrate Bryan’s dad’s 95 years of living on this earth. His funeral was wonderful.
  ·         I have modern appliances – microwave, dishwasher, washer/dryer – I appreciate them more when I have to go without one of them for awhile.
  ·         I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
  ·         I live in the United States of America.
  ·         I have a nice car that works.
  ·         I live in a place that has beautiful weather in the winter.
  ·         I can go to places where the weather is nice in the summer!
  ·         I have great friends who I still keep in touch with – even though distance has separated us – Jill, Sharon, Debbie, Dawn, and many more….
  ·         I am able to express my opinions by voting.
  ·         I am able to watch HGTV, Fox News and BYU TV.
  ·         I have Direct TV.
  ·         I have all of my music CD’s on my iPod and on my Google Play list on my computer.
  ·         I have a cell phone with unlimited minutes.
  ·         I live within 20 minutes of a temple and almost 2 temples.
  ·         I can start listening to Christmas Music as early as I want to and for as long as I want to!
  ·         I was able to decorate my Christmas tree today.
  ·         We have this time of year – when everyone is happier and thankful for their blessings.
  ·         I am able to go see the ocean a couple times each year. I miss it so much.
  ·         I could enjoy the Watkins cabin this year – it might be sold next year.
  ·         I have my Dad looking out for me from Heaven.
  ·         I have a loving Heavenly Father, who loves me, knows me and wants me to be happy.
  ·         I have the atonement in my life and that the Savior is there to make up the difference in the areas I fall short in.
  ·         I have air conditioning in the summer and a furnace in the winter.
  ·         I always have good food to eat.
  ·         Bryan makes delicious bread for us to eat.
  ·         I can serve others.
  ·         I can keep up with friends and family on my computer.
  ·         My family is just a phone call or Skype/Video chat away.

Election Craziness

Our country had a very important election on November 6. For the first time ever, a Mormon was really close to being elected President of the United States. I followed this election very closely from the primaries all the way through to the finish. I prayed and prayed that Mitt Romney would be elected President. The last 4 years of Barack Obama as President have been disastrous for our country and I can't imagine another 4 years of the same. 

As the results of the election started to come in, I was confident that Mitt could do it. The polls showed the election would be tied and people were really confident that Mitt could actually pull it off. As the night progressed and more results came in, my heart began to sink. Obama was winning some very important swing states that Mitt needed in order to win. When Obama hit the 270 votes he needed to win, my heart sank. I was so positive Mitt could do it and when he didn't, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I'm so worried and scared for this country. All we can do now is pray that President Obama can lead this country out of the current trillions of debt we have and that he will be open to ideas besides his own (which OBVIOUSLY haven't worked!). 

With all the prayers that were said on Mitt's behalf, Heavenly Father knows best - and the answer to people like me, who prayed that he could be President, was NO. There is a greater plan in place and time will tell when and how this will all come to pass. In the meantime, I will pray for our country and that my children and grandchildren can have a bright future. My brother, Doug, sent this article to me and it helps put things into perspective and give me some comfort. The Lord is in charge and it wasn't Mitt's time to be President. 

By Dr. Ed Lauritsen.

It is Election Night 2012, and I'm sitting here at my computer listening to Governor Romney's concession speech, trying to come to grips with his defeat---our defeat. And into my mind comes three interesting thoughts. The first comes with a scripture:    

"Behold, I will hasten my work in its time." (D&C 88:73). If the Lord's "work" is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39), and if that process begins by hearing about the Church and seeing its members, then the sooner and the faster the greatest number of people can see and hear about the Latter-day Saints---especially about exemplary Saints like the Romneys---the more the work is hastened. 

And though the Church has 55,000+ missionaries who are quietly and patiently roaming the world knocking on doors, the Lord has brought the LDS Governor and his LDS family into the very homes of millions of people around the U.S. and the world via TV, radio, and Internet for more than a year now---people who might never have received or accepted the missionaries or LDS neighbors, let alone have learned about the LDS way of life. But now they have listened, watched, and learned, and many of them will likely be more curious and receptive to the missionaries in the future. And that also goes for many of the Evangelicals, Protestants, and Catholics who locked arms with the Latter-Day Saints (thanks to Glenn Beck) during this long presidential campaign. Bottom line: the Romneys lost a hard-fought political battle, but they---and the Church---won a decisive, long-awaited cultural and spiritual victory in opening the minds and hearts of millions.

Another post-election thought: "Be careful what you pray for." 

Had Romney won, it is highly doubtful that he and his team would have been able to rescue the nation's wounded economy from the purposeful destruction that Obama has intentionally inflicted upon it, Obama having done so in order to "fundamentally transform" our free enterprise system into a Socialist state. Had Romney won, the only possible way to have saved the nation and its economy would have been to make deep cuts in the welfare and entitlement programs---cuts that would have been branded "murderous, discriminatory and racist" at every turn by the Liberal mainstream media. And the ever-increasing drumbeat of these accusations over the next four years would have given license to thousands---perhaps millions---of malcontents to take to the streets in "civil unrest" (aka anarchy). As such, Romney's never-ending vilification in print and in the electronic media would have soon painted him---and his fellow Mormons---as the enemies of America, with all the resulting antagonism, stress, and persecution of the Church, both at home and abroad. As is, over the next four years, right-wing zealots---not Christian Conservatives--- will likely become increasingly resistant, confrontational, and possibly violent in response to the creeping Socialism. Thus, "social unrest" may begin at the other end of the political spectrum, likely precipitating equally violent responses from the pro-Socialist masses.

And this foregoing scenario brings me to the third and final thought tonight, one which also was accompanied by the written word, this time in the form of a powerful metaphor by Hugh Nibley. I close with it:

“On the last night of a play, the whole cast and stage crew stay in the theater until the small, or not so small, hours of the morning striking the old set.  If there is to be a new opening soon, as the economy of the theater requires, it is important that the new set should be in place and ready for the opening night; all the while the old set was finishing

its usefulness and then being taken down, the new set was rising in splendor to be ready for the drama that would immediately follow. So it is with this world. It is not our business to tear down the old set---the agencies that do that are already hard at work and very efficient---the set is coming down all around us with spectacular effect. Our business is to see to it that the new set is well on the way for what is to come---and that means a different kind of politics, beyond the scope of the tragedy that is now playing its closing night. We are preparing for the establishment of Zion.”

Visit from Michael, Mallory and kids

Michael and Mallory had some big changes in their lives in September. Michael accepted a job at Jackson Laboratories in Bar Harbor, Maine. So, after living in Livermore, California for a little over 3 years, they made the move to Maine. We are sad they will live so far away from us, but we know this job is the perfect opportunity for Michael's career and Mallory will have a chance to live in the same area where she grew up. We are looking forward to visiting them in such a beautiful place. 

We were excited to have Michael, Mallory, Madie and Finn come and visit us in October on their way to Maine. They arrived on Oct 1, which happened to be Mal's birthday and they stayed until Oct 10 - we loved 10 glorious days of having them with us! Before they came to our house, they made a quick trip to Utah to visit Mal's siblings who live there and also got to visit Grandma Clark and some of my family.

While they were visiting us, we still had some construction projects going on, but they patiently lived through it with us - and even helped us (Thanks, Michael!) 

We did take some time to have fun also. 

Madie and Nana played with the pretend food.

Nana got to play with Finn.

Madie and Brodi played dress-ups:

 Brodi was going for the leotard over the pajamas look, tied with a polka dot ribbon. Nice.

Madie loved this outfit and it looked so cute on her - she did not want her picture taken and was trying to hide from me behind the piano. Gotcha, Madie!

They even let Papa, Hannah and BJ play (and Finn, even though he didn't get a hat):

Madie was able to go to Aunt Tiff's pre-school for 2 days while she was here. Brodi goes there too, so at least she sort of knew somebody. Brodi and Madie are just now starting to get to know each other. On the 2nd day of pre-school, Mal, Madie and I and Shannon, Brodi and Hannah went with Tiffany's pre-school class to the pumpkin patch. 

Here is Madie - such a cute picture.

 Brodi and Hannah picking a pumpkin....

 Cute picture of sweet Hannah....I tried to get a picture of Brodi by the pumpkins, but she wouldn't let me.

 The girls decorated their pumpkins with Halloween stickers.

 Then we went on a hayride. I don't know how I missed getting a picture of Tiffany. She was busy keeping track of a bunch of little pre-schoolers! But, thanks for letting us tag along, Tiff.

 We went to a petting zoo.

And played in the playhouses.

 Mal and Madie posed for this cute picture.

 Here is Papa with Madie and Finn.

And Nana and Papa with Madie and Finn.

 We enjoyed General Conference all weekend and then had everybody over for dinner Sunday afternoon.

 We finally got to celebrate Mal's birthday with a BBQ and a delicious ice cream cake that Shannon made. Mal had a lot of help blowing out her candles!

 Here are 8 of the 10 grandkids. We sure missed Claire and Ethan and wish they could have been here too! (Notice how Finn is standing in thin air? Pretty tricky, Michael!)

 Brodi and Madie played us some songs on the piano. Well, they pounded some songs on the piano!

 On Monday, we went to the train park in Scottsdale. Mal stayed home with Finn because their car was going to be picked up at our house and be shipped to Maine, so she had to stay and wait for the transport service. We missed them.. We also missed Papa and Tyler, who were working. We had a picnic lunch - it was a pretty warm day, but very pleasant if you were in the shade.

We all rode the train - some of us twice.

 The cousins all had fun playing together.

 

 

 And we had lots of bonding time.

 Sam was in heaven when he was riding the train! He loves trains so much!

On Tuesday, we only had the morning to do something together because Michael & family were leaving in the afternoon for Maine. So, we chose something close by - feeding ducks at the park. We had everybody this time except for Tyler, who was working. Tiffany was watching her neighbor's twin girls, so we had a couple extra kids with us, but they fit right in. Here is Madie feeding the ducks.

 More duck food, please.....

 The kids feeding the ducks.

 Hannah and Sam 

 Sadie 

Look at this happy little Finn-Man! I LOVE his dimples!

 Nana and Madie

 We sure are going to miss these guys! It was so much fun having them visit and we hope they will come back soon and often. Thanks for the visit, Michael, Mallory, Madie and Finn!

We love you and wish you much happiness and success in your new adventure!

After we got home from taking them to the airport, the house was so quiet and when I saw this sitting on the dining room table, tears came to my eyes. This is the basket Madie carried around while she was here as she played the part of Belle in Beauty and the Beast. It's her favorite movie and she acts out the whole movie. This basket was what Belle carried her books in. 

Oh, Madie, I miss you!

Movin' On

We started moving from our house the end of August. We had lived in that house for a little over 8 years and believe it or not, that is the longest we have ever lived in a house during our married life! I really thought it would be more emotionally difficult, but it really wasn't. I'm thankful for all the great memories of the house, but the loans on it were too much and were creating stress we didn't need, so we decided to downsize. I must admit, I will miss all the space (2500 square feet) we had in that house, as we now search to create storage possibilities at our new house. I will also miss the 3 car garage and Bryan will miss the huge tree in the front yard. It shaded his parking space in the driveway. Personally, I thought the tree was too big and needed to be trimmed, but Bryan loved it. A big THANK YOU to BJ and Tyler for helping us move!

We were able to sell our house to Terry and Kathy Shine, Brodi's birth grandparents. We're glad they can enjoy the home and we know we'll be able to go back and visit whenever we want to. Maybe that's why it wasn't so sad selling it. 

The house we moved into is one that we bought in 2004 and have rented out ever since. Having renters in the house for 8 years made it necessary for us to do some updating, so when our renters moved out the end of September, the work began. We painted the ceilings, walls, baseboards, doors, closets and still need to paint the outside, but that will have to wait a bit. We tore out all of the carpeting and Bryan installed laminate flooring in the whole house except for bathrooms and laundry room. We added cupboards, replaced the kitchen counter top and appliances, added a pantry, extended our patio area, and added storage in the garage. I will upload before and after pictures in a future post - there are a couple of things that still need to be done before I have the after pics

Here is a picture of our new home and we are quite enjoying it here. We moved into the same ward as BJ and Tyler and their families, which is fun for us and I hope fun for them as well. We take turns sitting by their families at church each week. 

We are looking forward to staying put in this house for many years. Our goal is to have it paid off in a couple of years and then we can start thinking about our future plans (retirement, mission, etc.) For now, we're happy to be settled in our house!

Boxes, Boxes EVERYWHERE!

 We are moving out of our house in a couple of weeks and I've been packing up! Our renters are moving out of the house we're going to move into today, so next week we'll be busy painting and getting it ready for us to move into. Sooooo, I've been busy the last couple of weeks packing up - so I don't have to worry about it next week. Everything, except the things that need to hang up, is out of the closets and the only cupboards that have anything in them are the kitchen pantry, a couple of cupboards with dishes in them and our bathroom cupboards. I'm pretty well ready to go. I've been cleaning as I go along, so the move should go pretty smoothly. We are planning on taking the boxes over room by room and then we'll have a moving day with helpers coming to move all the big stuff. Here is my office: 

 These 6 boxes are the books that go on my bookshelves. The other 2 have my colored paper in them.

 The yellow bedroom - one pile for the new guest room and 1 pile for storage. We will have one less bedroom and a lot less storage space in our new place, so we need to be creative with storage space.

 Here is the bedroom affectionately known as 'Michael's room" - even though he only lived here for a couple of months! It's all packed up and the closet is empty except for all the food storage boxes in the closet.

 The family room - it looks so strange without pictures on the walls.

 Kitchen area....

 Dining Room area....all of the cabinets are empty, I'm planning to hand carry some of the breakable items.

 and the Living Room.....I'm sad to leave this house - it is such a nice floor plan, but it will be very nice to have half the mortgage payment when we move to the other house.

 As we were taking things out of the playhouse, I just had to take a picture of this. These are the grand kids assignments when they play in the playhouse. I noticed they're all supposed to Listen! And Claire and Ethan are the watch guards - they haven't been doing a very good job since they haven't been to the playhouse for almost 2 years! Maybe we wouldn't have had the bee problem if they had been on the job! I'm sad the grand kids won't have a playhouse anymore, but we'll have to create another play place for them.

 This is the fireplace for the playhouse. We drew a fireplace on some paper and attached it to some cardboard. Isn't it adorable? I want to keep it just because it's so cute! Maybe we can use it in our new family room! (just kidding)

 We had our last Sunday dinner at this house last week. Sadie sat down at the kids table, posed like this and said, "This is how we sit at school". It was so adorable, I had to take a picture of it. And it really is how they sit at school while they're waiting for their teacher to begin class.

 Lexi got dish duty after our dinner. Thank you, Lexi!

 Then we played a little Grand Slam and Creepy Crawlers. We missed BJ, Shannon and family, who were home with sick kids. Brodi's birth grandparents are buying our home though, so BJ's kids will be back at this house very often for visits! Maybe we can sneak in a visit or two as well.

We have made such wonderful memories in this house. I will miss it, but we'll make many more memories at our new house. Posts of our new house will come once we get settled.