A Grand View at Grand Lake

So, I'm seriously behind on posting. Here is the beautiful view from the house we rented at Thanksgiving.  (I took so many pictures that I have to divide the posts up into subjects. It might be Christmas before I'm finished.)

Grand Fun on the Grand Lake

 We had one of the best Thanksgivings ever relaxing in a lake house on the Grand Lake in Oklahoma. We spent time with some of our favorite people eating lots of food, looking at beautiful scenery, playing games and laughing.  We had a great time with MaMaw, Grady, Auntie Jan, Uncle Joe and Uncle Jeffrey (not pictured).  I took lots of pictures so the story will come in installments.  

We tried our hand at taking our own family photos.  Fred got the award for most photogenic.  He just stood there and smiled in all his pictures.  Pretty sure, Dad and Jonathan tied for most shots with the goofiest facial expressions.  I get the prize for the weirdest poses.

I love my family and I think we got some pictures that show what an awesome family we are!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30

I am thankful for the Christmas season and the opportunity to spend time with family and to enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.  I love Christmas and all the hope and joy that it brings.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29

I am thankful for Grandma and PawPaw Larry.  They are super fun and they are always willing to play cards and games with Jonathan.  That makes him so happy - you cannot even begin to understand.  We are so grateful for them and love them very much.

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30 Days of Gratitude - Day 28

I am so very thankful for my Aunt Judy.  I think about her and remember her all the time, but I especially remember her during this time of the year.  There are several reasons that she stays on my mind at Thanksgiving and Christmas: 1) She left this earthly world on November 22, 2010 - right before Thanksgiving.  2) She loved spending time with her family and loved the holidays.  3) And, most importantly, she taught me to count my blessings each and every day.  What an amazing person she was.  She will always be Our Sweet Judy!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 27

 We are grateful for cousins. They make life more fun and they are our first friends.  

I love my cousins and I am thankful for the relationships that I have with them.  I am very grateful for the relationship that my kids have with their cousins.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 26

I am very grateful for my dad.  He is the best dad ever!  I wish I had been more grateful as a teenager.  

My dad is pretty special.  He will go anywhere and do anything for me.  And, he is a pretty good hiking, camping and kayaking buddy.  Again, things I didn't figure out or appreciate until I was an adult.  

I am grateful for my dad and thankful for all of the amazing things he does for our family!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 25

So, on Day 7 I talked about friends, but I was specifically talking about girlfriends.  I didn't make that clear, but you could sort of tell based on the crazy picture!

On Day 25, I talk about friends again.  These are those family friends - new and old - that we love like family.  How blessed we are to have so many amazing people in our lives.

How very grateful we are for the Garstkas, Millers, DiSpignos, Moffitts and Palmers. (Listed in order of their pictures not their importance!)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 24

I am thankful for precious Jaiden.  She is a wonderful example to everyone she comes in contact with.  I have had so much fun getting to know her over the last 3+ years.  She makes me laugh and she amazes me with all of her many talents.  We had a great time on Friday watching both her and Emilee in Suessical the Musical.  (And, Anndrea did a great job on set crew!)

I am grateful for the sweet friendship Jaiden and Jessie have.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 23

 I am so very grateful that I have been called to be a leader in our Young Women's program at church.

These girls inspire me each and everyday.  I am so touched by their goodness and faithfulness.

I am glad that I have the ability to laugh at myself, because there are times that I have to do things that take me far outside of my comfort zone.  I have played human foosball and line danced.  Two things that I'm not good at!  I have so much fun hanging out with our youth that it really doesn't matter how silly I look.

I know that this calling will not last forever, so I am just trying to enjoy these precious youth.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 22

I love the Young Women leaders that I serve with.  They are so amazing and teach me so much every time I am around them.  I know that they love our youth and would do anything for them.  How very grateful I am that I get to soak up the wonderfulness of these ladies every Wednesday and Sunday (and in between as we text each other or meet to discuss YW type stuff).  These are the ladies that went to camp, but there are more of them and each and every one of them are amazing!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 21

I love this crazy place that I work.  This is an old picture and many of the faces have changed, but I love the people that I work with.  I have been at Nouveau 19 years.  So much has changed over the years, but I am glad to be here.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 20

Today, I am thankful for music and those that have the gift of musicality (is that a word?).  I love music.  I listen to it all day long.  I listen to all types of music and I have to confess that I started listening to Christmas music several weeks ago.  I love that Jonathan is in band.  It makes my heart happy.  I enjoy listening to the band at football games and watching them during half-time.  I really think there should be a movement to bring back marches.  I am going to sound like an old woman, but I think high school bands should play more marches!  Just saying!  

During the course of the day, I listen to all kinds of music.  My current favorite song is Glorious.  You may or may not know, but I had a hysterectomy in January.  My hormones are MESSED up right now.  My sweet daughter was playing a YouTube video of that song. It was a super fan cut, which means it was tons of different people doing covers of that song and it was all spliced together.  I sat and cried and cried, because I was so moved.  You should definitely check it out. My favorite versions are David Archuleta or Lucy Scholl.  I like them both.  But, there are tons of different versions out there, because David challenged his fans to cover his song.

Music is not my talent, but I am so thankful to those that have that gift and choose to share it.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19

I am grateful for a girl name Sarah.  I don't know her very well.  She just started working at our office a short time ago.  When I say a short time ago, I mean that she  has probably only been with us a couple of weeks.  She is young.  Twenty-four years old.  I have never even worked with her on a single project.  She spent an hour with me during her first week.  I basically had to tell her what I did at Nouveau and explain to her some basic processes that might affect her.  I remember thinking that she was super cute.

I usually work with our Product Dept. on lots of different projects, but so far, I haven't worked with her.  However, I try to greet her every time I see her and I just continue to think she is a really neat and cute person.

Fast forward to today.  I am in a prayer group at work.  Honestly, it kind of freaks me out, because they say and do things differently than I do.  However, it is always nice to meet up with co-workers and talk about their needs and pray about them.  Sarah came to our Prayer Lunch today.  She listened intently.  We went around the table and took turns putting in prayer requests.  For whatever reason, sweet Sarah took an interest in my request.  She followed me back to my office afterwards and asked if we could pray again.  What a sweet person.  We talked for a moment and then this sweet 24 year old girl said a prayer.  The spirit was felt so strong in my office.  And, that is how Sarah became one of my favorite people at Nouveau Eyewear even though I've only known her for a couple of weeks.

It is no secret that I love young people.  They are just so amazing.  Sarah is no different.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 18

I am so thankful for the Personal Progress program.  I think that it is an inspired program.  It teaches our Young Women how to develop their talents and abilities and to fulfill their divine mission.  It helps them to form habits that will prepare them adulthood and the Personal Progress program is basically a temple prep class. Young Women have the opportunity to go through the program and earn a medallion.  After that, they can complete additional requirements and earn an Honor Bee.  I love that even parents, leaders and women who might not have already earned their medallion can also go through the program.  Yesterday, I received my medallion and Sydney earned her Honor Bee.  I am so excited for us and I am so thankful for Sydney.  She has always inspired me to work harder on my Personal Progress. She made sure that I finished my last project.  She checked in on me and really encouraged me to get it finished.  I love that sweet girl.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17

Today is World Prematurity Day.  

I am thankful for our little preemie - Jessica Taylor Fortenberry.

I am thankful for our 4 lb.1oz little cutie that spent 2 1/2 weeks in the NICU.  She spent quite a few days -more than I can count and more than I care to remember with her weight sitting at 3 lb. 12 oz. She just refused to gain weight.  She had to spend time learning how to take a bottle.  She had to learn how to keep her body temperature up and she had to go through a course of antibiotics before she could go home.  Thankfully, she was only on oxygen for just a short time. (Maybe just a few hours - I don't really know, because I was pretty much out of it when they explained the oxygen part to me.)  I am thankful for our journey.  It gave us just a small glimpse at what many parents go through.  We are very blessed!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 16

Our family was sealed in the Dallas, Texas Temple on November 16, 2013.  To the members of our church, the word sealing means that a man, woman and their children are joined together for eternity. The sealing must take place in a temple and we were very fortunate to have friends join us.  We were missing one very special family member.  If she chooses, we can still go back to the temple one day with her.  And, oh what a celebration that will be!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 15

I am thankful for The Book of Mormon and the opportunity that I had to read it again this year.  I am especially grateful that I had the opportunity to read a huge chunk of it with the Young Women.  How amazing it was to feel the spirit as we read verse after verse, chapter after chapter together.

I love The Book of Mormon and the guidance it gives to my life!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14

I am thankful for sweet missionaries that are such an amazing example to me.  They are so young and out doing such wonderful things.  And, then they send me emails and letters.  I don't even know what to think about that.  I just know that I should try to emulate their actions because they are the most Christlike people you will ever meet.

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30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13

Today and everyday, I am thankful for my Mom!  She is the most awesome and amazing person in the world.  She is patient and kind and is a great example of service.  She serves her community and her family and has been doing so my whole life.  I hope that I can be just like her.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 12

I am thankful for the amazing youth in our church.  I love each and every one of them to pieces.

I am thankful that Jonathan has the opportunity to attend seminary every weekday morning at 6:00 a.m. (yes, you read that right).  I am thankful that he gets to enjoy fun and spiritual activities and classes with these precious individuals every Wednesday and Sunday.

"Choose your friends with caution; plan your future with purpose; and frame your life with faith."

-Thomas S. Monson