Thanksgiving thanks!

The time has come to write about being thankful. I am thankful everyday for everything in my life. I am truly blessed everyday. I love the world that I live in. It has so many wonderful things to see and do. That is one thing Mike and I have been blessed with is the opportunity to see some of those things. There have been times that my breath has been taken away because of the beauty and majesty of what I am seeing. We live in such an incredible world and I love looking at it.

I am so very blessed with my amazing family. I have the best husband in the world. Heavenly Father knew just who would be best for me and helped us meet 31 years ago. How we met and came to be friends could only be a series of promptings we each followed and because we followed we found each other. I often look at him and wonder what I did to be blessed with such a great man in my life and I get to spend eternity with him. He truly is my heart! Wow, is all I can say! I love the moments we spend together and long to be with him when we are apart. I love exploring this wonderful world with him. We have 4 wonderful children. They are the light of my life. I find my world is complete when they are all with us and we are together as a family. They make me laugh on so many occasions and yet I have shed some sweet tears as well. I have learned since they have all become adults that my greatest tool to help them in life is prayer. I can't live their life and work through their trials but I can pray for them and get up and know the Lord will guide them along their way. Along with my children have come two wonderful daughters in law. I couldn't ask for better women for my boys. They seem to be exactly who they both need and wanted. How can life be any better? Oh, I know... 2 amazing men for my girls. I know they will come when the time is right. It will be fun to finally meet them.

How could I forget 2 amazing parents. As I have become a parent I see just how wonderful my parents were. They weren't perfect people but they were perfect parents for me. I think about them often and long to hear their voices. There are times I wish I could pick up the phone and just chat. But that isn't the case so I send them messages through Heavenly Father. I do miss their presence in my life. Although I know they are close by it would be amazing to see into their eyes and feel their arms around me and hear them say in my ear, I love you, once again. Mom and Dad oh how I miss you yet I am happy you get to rest from the cares of this life! I love you both very much.

I love my siblings. They make me smile. I love each of them and they probably don't know how much I miss them each day. I get busy in life and when I finally get to talk to them things just seem to pick right back up again where we left off. I love how I can laugh until my sides hurt or cry and feel their love. I know when the chips are down they will stand with me giving me added strength.

I have great friends. They are great listeners and are always there! Thanks for loving me all the time. You listen yet don't judge. You are the very definition of what all friends should be, thank you!

And last but not least is the Savior Jesus Christ. He is my everything! He has never left me alone in the adventures in this life. He gives me strength in all I do. I love the tender mercies He send me daily. I often talk to him throughout the day and give thanks for all I have. I know he lives. I know he cares about me. He is amazing and I do look forward to the day I get to see his face and feel his arms around me. Until then I hope I can live my life in a way so that he doesn't have to wait until I die to know my love for him. How truly blessed I am to have a relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ.

So for Thanksgiving 2009 I give thanks for so many things that it boggles my mind, why is it all mine? I can hardly believe it all! It would take years for me to write down everything I am thankful for so please... just accept for now, Thank You!

Fall

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love the cool air that replaces the heat and humidity. I love to sleep with my windows open but always manage to keep an eye open just in case some crazy person decides they want to climb in. Things in life just seem to go better. Exercising for sure is easier in cooler weather. The smell of wood burning in the air is wonderful. I love wearing clothes that keep me warm. I get to put socks on my feet again and not worry about my toe nail polish color. I love when my nose is cold, yet everything else is warm.

So many great things about this time of the year. Things seem to feel a bit more "beefy." Not in the food sense but like life has more substance to it. I love the thought that Thanksgiving is close and then on to Christmas. I wish fall stayed around longer but it seems to be ushered out all to soon by old man winter. I love fall!

Life as it is-

So I'm not sure life could get any busier than it has been so far. Mainly with Mike going out to CA every 2 weeks and being home for 2 weeks and you then add in church stuff we knew we needed to grab alone time together every chance we got. We have managed to grab a few moments together and landed on some great moments. One of those moments has been going with him when he visits other wards or branches. We aren't with each other but we love the drive time. We have had fun doing this together. My favorite Sunday's so far have been seeing friends we knew years ago when their ward or branch was in our stake. The Albany Stake was dissolved and Thomasville and Cario have been put back into our stake after a 10 year absence. It is wonderful to walk into a room and see people I haven't seen for a long time. This must be what Heaven is going to be like. I love vising the small branches and the amazing Spirit that resides there. Everyone is always so friendly and warm. They are so happy to have visitor and new people to talk to. But I love Sacrament Meetings the best. It gives me time to take in the sweet Spirit and I get to watch my sweet husband do the Lord's work. This new calling has truly been a huge blessing in our lives.

Mike came home recently from work with some wonderful news. He wont be going back to CA until mid Nov and then it will only be for a week. He will repeat that in Dec as well. That seems to be do-able for me. I don't like it when he is gone. Makes me feel incomplete but I have learned to tolerate it! And the kids have been wonderful at checking in on me. I have great kids!

Bryan will be graduating Dec 12th and that will be a wonderful day for the two of them. It's taken him some time but it has finally come to an end. Happy Graduation and congratulations son! Mike was slated at one time to be in CA on the 12th. He quickly told Ed... sorry I need to be home. Important day he can't miss and in the Lords wisdom plans have changed and this wont be a problem any more.

We are so planning for the up and coming holidays. We will get to enjoy Rob and Brittany for only a few days. They wont have much time off since they are both working full time jobs. But we will take what we can get. I suggested not giving presents but going away somewhere as a family. Mike was ok with that until I suggested that maybe we still give no presents and save all our money and use it for when WE go away for our anniversary. His eyes lit up like he had won a million dollars. HAHAHA... Ya have to love life! With everything that has gone on I wouldn't trade this for anything. We have been truly blessed and we know where those blessings have come from.

Cemetery Romping

I read an article about someone who went to the Salt Lake City Cemetery and looked for the Prophets and Apostles. I thought that sounds very fun. So we did it. One of the favorite memories I have of our trip is stopping the car and everyone piling out of the car and taking off in different directions. I would hear, I found Pres ________ come and see. I found Elder _______ come and see. The interesting thing was there was a lightening storm and a bad wind blowing but we just kept running through the graves finding people and taking pictures.

Some graves we snapped a picture and we were off to find the next one. Others who we had known and loved we lingered a bit and said a silent thank you for the influence they were in our lives. Some people we looked for were people we had heard about our whole lives.

If you happen to find yourself with a few hours with nothing to do check out the Salt Lake City Cemetery and pick up a "Prominent People of the LDS Church map." You too will find yourself running and announcing look who I have found!

Mike and Alyse went up to the Olympic Venue in Park City and got a small taste of what was up there. We tried to take the kids on Saturday but they had a special thing going on and we didn't want to pay their going price. So we tried again on Tuesday and were able to get on a tour of the Venue. For those of you who live there and haven't done this you need to take your kids and do it. It is very interesting and you might even have time to take a zipline or two. Perhaps you would like to make a run down the bobsled track. Yes you can do those things. It is a bit pricey but I am sure worth every penny. So much to do and so little time and money do to do it in.

This is the home to a few countries who train for winter skiing type activities. But you can take a tour that doesn't cost very much and they will show you the bottom of the slopes and then the top. You will see the bobsled run, the skeleton and the luge runs. You will stand up at the top of the 120 and 240 ski jumps. One interesting fact we learned is they start to train kids at age 4-6 for the ski jumping sports. Kids that young aren't afraid and when they tell them to jump the only question they ask is how far. So by the time kids are 9-11 they are jumping from the 120 and 240 hills. Amazing and must cost a fortune!

Makes you proud to be an American. It was a great day to be in Park City!

Self Discovery

This has been a long week. I chalk it all up to Mike being gone to California. I mean we are normal pretty busy with life when he is here but the operative word is- here. There hasn't been much time to chat with him this past week so our communication level is way down. 10 mins here or there just doesn't seem to fill my "need" cup that only he can fill. I miss my 2nd half. Life just doesn't seem to be as full when he isn't coming through the door each night.

I have had to deal with a few issues since he left last Sunday and while I have done just that, it doesn't seem to be the same. I don't know how someone who is single does it and I have some good friends who are in that boat and with children. I truly don't know how they continually do it by themselves? I miss his balance in my life. My mom use to say "you two are equally yoked." I have come to understand that phrase better the longer we are married. When one person leaves it's harder to carry the yoke. I miss my best friend and hope the time goes by quickly. Life is just better when there are two of you working at it side by side all the time. Doing it alone stinks!

We are very thankful for this opportunity that Mike has been given. I am sure whatever he is asked to do he will be amazing at. I just wish it wasn't across the country where he has to be amazing! But alas this is our life right now and I will be happy since all aspects of our lives we are doing quite well, we have great jobs, our children are doing well and they are happy! We truly are blessed. But for now... I miss my main squeeze!

I listened

One of the hardest things in life I think is not really to hear the voice of the Spirit but to recognize it and act on what you have been told. There have been times when I have been made aware later that I not only listened but I did what was suggested.

Yesterday was the first Tuesday of the month and I have a meeting with the Stake Presidency to go over the months calendaring items. My calling is to pass the info along to the wards and branches. I do a few other things as well but this is my main duty.

Mike has been out of town and so he missed this meeting. Yesterday morning I was sitting down to read my scriptures and I had a thought that said something to the effect- wouldn't it be funny if this was Mike's turn to do the scripture in the meeting and since he isn't there they turn to you and say, so how about if you give us a scripture in Pres. Ladle's place. I kind of chuckled inside and thought what are the chances.

I get to the meeting and everyone is chatting a little bit and they go to start the meeting. Pres. Campbell says gee it is Pres. Ladle's turn to do the scripture I think Sister Ladle ought to take his turn. Of course they all looked at me and I said, anyone have any scriptures? I would love to do it.

I was handed some scriptures and turned to what I had read that morning. Mosiah 5: 15 (I love King Benjamin)

15- Therefore, I would that ye should be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in good works, that Christ, the Lord God Omnipotent, may seal you his, that you may be brought to heaven, that ye may have everlasting salvation and eternal life, through the wisdom, and power, and justice, and mercy of him who created all things, in heaven and in earth, who is God above all. Amen.

I shared with them Pres. Wilcox's book I am reading and how Jesus Christ longs to seal us to him. And that in the end... it will be me and Jesus walking back hand in hand towards Heavenly Father "after all WE (Jesus and I) can do".

I loved this experience and am thankful I heard, recognized and acted upon. Shows me again that the Lord cares about the little things in our lives. Promptings ROCK! I hope I hear and act on more of them.