We put up our traditional "thankful tree" this weekend:
It's a little sparse right now, but by Thanksgiving this baby will be heavy-laden with blessings. (We add a few leaves each morning at breakfast.)
Our girls got so excited about our tree that they decided to make their own this year too.
I love that it's November. I LOVE Thanksgiving. I love having an opportunity to reflect on blessings. Because it really is true that being thankful is directly equal to being happy.
I had such a full heart all weekend.
For many reasons:
--Dave got home from a week in China. We were all so glad to finally have him home.
--I got to watch another Primary Program. They always make me cry, especially when they sing this song. It makes me so thankful for families and that God let us be a part of them...forever.
--I got to have a few "dates" with those girls pictured above, and they helped me plant some beauty flowers at our house. Flowers make me happy.
--I got caught up in noticing how much progress Lucy is making going to preschool.
--Dave and I got to finally have the "big talk" with Grace...it deserves a post of it's own so more on that later.
--Lucy "conducted" our family home evening (we do the lesson part on Sundays). I loved watching Claire help her.
--Max passed us the sacrament in his new suit:
But one of the biggest things that made my heart so full this weekend was that I ran into Stephanie Nielsen at Blissfest. The girls and I just happened to run into her (we didn't get there until after all the big crowds) and got her all to ourselves for quite a while. I cannot believe how strong she is. That same wonderful spirit I met when we both started teaching classes at Blissful Living Studio just shone through her and it really affected me so much. I thought it was interesting that after we left the only impression my girls talked about is how nice she is. That inner beauty just radiates out of her, and, burned or not, she is beautiful.
I'm so thankful for her example of courage, and for the power that she has...that we all have... from Heaven if we'll only ask for it, to get through our trials in life whether they be big or small. My favorite scripture is in Isaiah 41:10 & 13. "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee...For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee."
He wants to be there for us, we need only to ask and let Him in. And for that, I am so very thankful.Labels: thankfulness, thoughts
Our girls got so excited about our tree that they decided to make their own this year too.
