Gratitude

Rick and I are so looking forward to Thanksgiving, with 2 of the kids coming and also Alyona. The sacrament meeting talks were on gratitude. For a good part of this year, I  really didn't think I had a lot to be grateful for. I am feeling better now (even tho my jaw is completely screwed up and my ears still ring) and I can be grateful for modern medicine and the help it is giving me. And while this feels horrible to me, others have it much worse.

Ginger, Rick's sister, got Hepatitis C soon after she graduated from high school, it destroyed her liver and she had to have a tranplant. Then lymphoma attacks her and she battles that with chemo and other medical stuff, now her liver is not doing its job again. I think it's from all the chemo she had to have to battle the second cancer. She is such a strong, believing Christian and not only talks the talk, but walks the walk in every facet of her life. Surely it would be better for her to stay on this earth and raise her 3 young children, ages 4, 6, and 11.

So, as I think about my blessings, I have a lot, even when I didn't think so. And here goes:

• my great husband
• my 4 wonderful children
• my 3 beautiful ggrrls
• my new daughters to be - Alyona and Jessica
• a safe place to live
• modern living, i.e. running hot water, electricity, abundant food, easy travel
• this one should have been first - my belief in and love of the Savior
• Rick's job
• friendships - my Philly VT companion called me yesterday, she has moved to Florida, wonderful to hear her voice. She said let's make sure we don't lose touch with each other
• medicine, whether natural or medical docs

And the list could go on and on

And don't forget the prickly pears...

Rick and I found a new walk several weeks ago. It had a large green space in the center (I would never go off the sidewalk or path, too afraid of rattlesnakes and other fun wildlife) that was filled with prickly pears, and I do love prickly pears. Have you ever touched one? They prickle.

Mom's helper

 They both look so cute. Stella does help Paige entertain Macy a lot.

Contrast in black and white.

More mushrooms

I do like nature, and mushrooms in someone's front yard qualify. These sprang up quickly because they weren't there yesterday when I was walking. Looks like they are attending an outdoor event. I only hope that it's political and they are on my side of the aisle.

Mushroom

I have been walking every day for 30-60 min. I came across this really fancy looking mushroom in someone's yard. I've never seen anything like it before, and I saw some really different mushrooms in Blanton Woods. I like odd and unique plants, along with the completely normal.

Christmas presents

Since I have only gotten a Christmas list from Paige for her family, I have decided to get everyone else these items:
1. We all love Torchy's, so Torchy Taco t-shirts.

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There are a bunch of new political books out:

• Things That Matter, Charles Krauthammer
• Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, Rush Limbaugh
• America the Beautiful, Ben Carson
• Good Tidings and Great Joy, Sarah Palin

Some fun ones:

• Si-cology, Si Robertson
• Being Dead is No Excuse, Gayden Metcalfe

Some useful ones:

• Debt Free Living in a Debt Filled Word, Trevor Thomas

Merry Christmas to all!!

More Macy

Out shopping for slippers. Can't quite tell what kind they are. Has her cute little maxie skirt on.

Macy and her suckers

Halloween 2012 Paige, Kincade, and the girls finished having all the fun they were up for Trick or Treating, I was still handing out goodies. Macy went over to the candy basket and was choosing out the suckers. When they got home from Trick or Treating this year, Paige told the girls to get a piece of candy and they could eat it before bed. Stella choose something chocolatey and Macy choose...a sucker.  They got to choose a few treats each day, and Macy always choose suckers. Here she has a ring pop and a dumdum sucker.

It reminded me of the pic of her I posted of her with the 2 pacifiers.

I also should mention that Stella and Paige stayed out waaay after Macy and Kincade had given it up.

Hair

Yippee!! I went to the hair stylist here in Cedar Park that I thought I could like. Last time she followed Kirby's formula for the color and it was too yellow (gold), at any rate I didn't like it. She said different products give different colors. This time she went darker. It is waaay darker than I have ever had it, even darker than my natural color, but I like it. Also the cut was cute and I like it. She gave me a few tips on styling that might help.
Yay.

This is what it looks like and I super like it.

Holidays

I love this season of the year, starting in Sept. I love Fall, weather and trees changing, it feels so fresh and new. I enjoy Halloween. But Thanksgiving and Christmas have to be my favs. This year Jason and a friend, Chris and Alyona, Braden and wife and child, and maybe Lee and Emily (altho Scott texted me yesterday to say they are getting a divorce, sad for them) will all be coming. I do love a crowd for Thanksgiving.

My Thanksgiving Dinner is set - I have fixed the same food for maybe 10 years - it works well for me.

Then Rick and I are off to Utah for Christmas. Really looking forward to seeing the ggrrls, especially little Hattie, and our sons and their girlfriends (that word doesn't seem to fit).

And since I haven't talked about my ears recently, I must say that flying upsets my ears for 2 days; that day, the day after, and sometimes even the third day. They ring louder, and my head feels full and funny, that might also have to do with the change in altitude when I go north to the Rockies. I think the pressurized plane and just the plane noise are what does it. And, of course, I get the same loverly experience when I fly back home. Oh, well, I think I am dealing with it better. (Rick and Jason might disagree.)

A few times when things were especially noisy or loud at Paige's house, Macy would put her hands over her ears, look at me, and declare that the noise was hurting her ears. Wonder where she got that from?

Last night Kincade Facetimed us, and was bringing Hattie up close to the camera, she looked so cute, her little face and body filling the space.

PaPaw volunteered to put Hattie to sleep...

...so he took her up to her room to rock her. But maybe Hattie put PaPaw to sleep!

Macy

Paige fixed a sandwich for Stella and Macy for lunch. Since Macy likes spicy foods, she took a bite, then immediately took off the top bread and complained because there wasn't any mustard on her sandwich. She does like her food spicy.

Stella

Paige and I were driving home from Stella's dance class on Mon, and Stella told Paige something like this (can't remember exactly): "I'm glad we're home, mom, because I need to hydrate."

I looked at her, wondering where she gets her vocabulary.

Ggrrls

Stella and Hattie

Stella reading!!

A little cutie, being a big girl

Ready for the blessing

Also ready for the blessing

Halloween at Paige's

Two little ggrrls, Stella is Taffeta (I think that's right, from some movie), and Macy is Strawberry Shortcake. Hattie was Waldo, from Where's Waldo, Pagie was dressed like a pig and had a sign which had a quote from Animal Farm, Kincade was a 50s greaser.

Zion's National Park

Mom and I drove thro the park until we came to Checker Board Mt. It was so pretty. It's been a long time since I took the shuttle thro the part you can't drive. Next time, I would love to do that and go on a few of the short hikes.

Back Home

SOOOO nice to be back home.
I enjoyed my time in Utah. Spent 1 week with mom, and then little over 1 week with Paige, culminating in the baby blessing of little Hattie.

I really enjoyed my time with mom, perhaps because it wasn't so long. When I first started staying there, I spent 2 months, of 2 times each, and the later times were 2 or 3 weeks. Way too long. It really burnt me out from enjoying going.

I get back to see this monstrosity of a house they are building behind us. Really makes me unhappy to see it. I think it is even destroying the value of our home, it is so bad. Makes me angry at the developers, that they are so willing to hurt others so they can profit more.

I have lots of pics and will be putting them on blogging posts in the days to come.

Really nice to be home, even tho I miss the ggrrls and my kids. Hattie is changing each day more and more. She laughs out loud now. She is a lot of work, holding and caring for her, but when I'm home, I miss getting to do that.

Stella slept with me every night, and Macy would come down to my room each morning. We would sit on the bed and talk. I let them play a few games on my iPad (Kincade put some kid games on). Fun, fun, fun.

Ears are ringing like crazy today. Something about the plane ride, the pressure, really upsets my ears for the first day after. Tomorrow I see Doc Peppard.