Gratitude List

Every year during the week of Thanksgiving we always have a Family Home Evening where we make a list of things we are Thankful for. It's always been a neat activity to reflect on all our blessings. Really our list could be a lot longer but we have to cut it off because of bedtime. Here is our list this year in no particular order.

Good Family
Dogs
My Eternal Family
John’s good job
Buddy
Good Books
Dental/medical insurance
Beautiful Wife :)
Jesus Christ
Heavenly Father
Our new house
Grandmas and Grandpas
Good songs
Nephi
Alan’s teacher
BYU
Toys
Scriptures
San Francisco Sourdough
Good Friends
Chocolate
Cakes
Computers
Cars
Trampoline
TV
Good shoes
Latter Day Prophets
Our pond with fish (On the kids list-NOT mine)
Jump Ropes
New recipes
Enthusiastic kids
Blankets
Paper
Mom get’s to stay home with Alan and Hyrum
A good boss
Pillows
Alan is good at math
Mom can do preschool with Hyrum
Temples
Beds
Churches
Nice Clothes
Indoor plumbing
Learn new tricks (OK I’m not sure how this one got on the list because I’m not sure what it means either)
Crayons
Done painting the kitchen
Laptops
Prayer
Bikes
Making friends in our new ward
Our quiet neighborhood
Beautiful mommy :)
Ideas
A new Temple being built close by
Electricity
Jokes
Good classes
Relief Society
Dads
Movies
Backpacks
Our old ward
The Earth
National Parks

Family Pictures

Recently I got in touch with a friend who I grew up with who coincidentally also moved to the Valley of the Sun. The news got even better when I found out that he's a great photographer. He recently took our family pictures and I think they turned out great. Here are a few of my favorites.

I sure do love that goofy kid.

Look at us! We could be engaged!

I took the liberty of titling this one

"Look out!"

I Can't Find My Video Camera Charger

Really, do you think this was the best way to pack this stuff?

My Latest Project

I really like our house but it definitely has a really old feel to it. I'm trying to modernize it a little bit, but that can be difficult to do when you just spent all your savings on a down payment. So we are going for a more economical approach. I found the tutorial HERE.

There is a lot of gold in my house. Ugly gold too. Here's the before.

OK that's not actually the before because I forgot to take a before picture and this is another light in my kitchen that looks similar. Just imagine two of these to make it even wackier. Got it? OK here's the after.

I did this one too. I almost forgot to take a before picture.

And . . . . . The after

I'm still trying to figure out what to do to replace the beaded lampshades. At least it is less ugly.

Have you been ghosted?

Have you been ghosted, or perhaps Booed? Do you have any idea what I'm talking about? Our last ward did this and we discovered that our new neighborhood does it too. Basically someone ding dong ditches some goodies at your house and you are left with a sign to hang on your door to show that you have already been "Ghosted", and instructions to do the same to two other houses. Let me tell you, you either want to be one of the first people to get this, or the very last.

We were ghosted a few days ago and when we went out to do our ghosting we saw no less than three cars driving around our little neighborhood trying to ghost someone too. It can be a little awkward when your neighbor comes out of his house to get his treats and and sees you across the street ghosting someone else. No really neighbor it wasn't me. It was one of the other 3 families out driving around. And this neighborhood doesn't do a measly plate of cookies. No, you give a whole bucket full of goodies and toys. When we went out two nights ago we had a difficult time finding a house that hadn't been done. Especially trying to find a house with kids as one of our buckets had stickers pencils and erasers in it. Not one that we thought our empty nester neighbors would appreciate. But we finally had to pick some random houses and were glad to be done.

I guess then that I can' t blame the neighbors who saw fit to ghost us last night despite the ghost sign already on our door. At least I got my wish this time and we were done on the last night so that I feel guilty about not doing it again.

By The Way . . . .

Alan moved his backpack back how it was. I think he got tired of the straps falling off his shoulders.