A Grateful Hart

I've decided I have the gift of keeping a journal, but not the gift of keeping up with my blog.

I love this time of year! There is such a sweet spirit during the holidays. As soon as I get a whiff of the season (which around here is Christmas displays instead of cold weather), my Christmas tree goes up! It makes me feel like the season lasted longer than it did. It's crazy to some, but I love it! To me, Thanksgiving and Christmas go hand-in-hand; The birth of our Savior is something to be grateful for!

Well, here are some other things I am grateful for: a loving Heavenly Father; the atonement of Jesus Christ; being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; for Allen - he is such a good man, a loving husband and devoted father who gives up his time so unselfishly for his family; for Natalie and her strong spirit and warm smile; for Aaron and his sense of humor and his "mucho" snuggles; for the love and support from extended family and friends, who more than put up with me when I worry too much. I love them all so much; for the little comforts of life; for the opportunities to serve and love others; for my ward family; for the things (including trials) that help my testimony grow; for my home, which provides a safe haven from the world; for a living prophet; for a temple so close; for the many freedoms we have; for the few talents I have and others I may not know of yet :); for tender mercies from my Heavenly Father; for personal revelation; for good music and movies; for yummy food that seems to surface more at the end of the year; for my family heritage, especially my pioneer ancestors who went through harder times than me; and for this time of year when we can reflect on the things we are grateful for.

Disneyland

Disneyland is one of my favorite places! There is something about being there that makes me forget about life. We went Halloween weekend. We met Eli and Kyle's family there and we had a great time riding rides with their kids. Disneyland is fun with little kids! Allen volunteered to babysit the three littlest kids so Shauna and Lauralee could go on a ride with all of us. When we came back two of them were screaming and had been for a while. I felt horrible that I didn't stay and help him; next time I won't leave him alone :) Natalie & Aaron took off with their friends most of the time and occassionally Allen and I enjoyed being alone or meeting up with some friends who were there. I always have such a perfect time at Disneyland. Even though my feet and legs were sore and swollen from walking so much, it was worth it!

P.S. I'd post pictures, but we were too busy having fun that we forgot we had a camera :) If I find some, I'll post them.