Thankful Thursday - a day late

1. Tom - he's going to fix our car over Thanksgiving weekend. Yeah!!! And he's doing it for less than we would pay at the mechanic.

2. Dad - he arranged for Tom to fix our car. This is a big deal to me, because my check engine light has been on for over two months now, and the car is guzzling gasoline.

3. Lower gas prices - since the car is guzzling it.

4. Thanksgiving - I am so excited to go to Delta for a few days next week. It will be our first Thanksgiving in Delta (even though our family moved there in 1991). We've always come up to Huntsville.

5. Good co-workers - it's been a rough week at work, and I'm so grateful to everyone there who has stepped up and covered shifts.

6. Jeff - he just informed me that every thing I'm grateful for should be about him. So as you can see, everything that I'm grateful for on this day has ended with him. Hee hee hee.

It's About Time!!

Thanks, Audra, for hinting that I need to get my Heartfelt Creations site up. I've been working on it, and I'm proud to announce that I have made the beginning steps! Yeah!!! Click here to see what I'm talking about. I still have to add wedding cakes, crocheted toddler dresses, crocheted hats, other blessing/christening outfits for girls and boys, and headbands and bows, but it's coming!

And in other "it's about time" news, Faith now has two teeth! And she's almost crawling. Here's a video:



I think it's pretty cute. Not quite the rug burn that poor Matthew got when he was learning to crawl (if anyone wants to go down memory lane, click here). But still cute. If she could just get that chubby tummy off the floor....

And so it begins....

Michael has discovered "why?":

While watching "Beauty and the Beast" today he asked:
"Why did Gaston fall down?" (at the end)
Me: Because he was being mean to the Beast and he slipped and fell.
Why was he being mean?
Because he didn't like the Beast.
Why doesn't he like the Beast?
Because the beast likes Belle, and Belle likes the Beast.
Why does the beast like Belle?
Because she's nice, and she's pretty.

(he stops to think)

Gaston was mean?
Yes.
Why was he mean?

At this point, I see that we are going in a circle, so I say, "I don't know."
Why you don't know?
Just because.
Because why?

Does anyone know how long this lasts? We're on day four.

Have You Ever......

You are supposed to highlight the things from the list that you've done.

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby's diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said "I love you" and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris (Idaho)
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights (we used to see reddish lights over the mountains at Grandma's and always called them the Northern Lights - I don't know if that's really what they were. Yes, I copied this word-for-word from Mandi)
16. Gone to a huge sports game ("Huge" is a matter of opinion, you know)
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty - actually, they don't let you do this anymore, since 9/11
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31. Hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don't
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone - not a physical fight, though
67. Bounced a check
68. Read - and understood - your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job - never fired, but I was furloughed from IRS when the work ran out
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a boat trip that lasted more than 2 days - does a river trip count?
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions - actually, I did the firing
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103. Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all four
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Cooked a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway (or equivalent to your country) play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book - if you count online publishing
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one - miniature golf, baby
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted (drawn)
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away - we used to "run away" to a spot on Grandpa's farm
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem (doesn't mean it was a good one!)
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a camp fire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long-lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Written a letter to the editor

Thankful Thursday

1. My Pampered Chef chopper - it makes it very easy to make just about anything into bite-size chunks that Faith can eat by herself.f

2. Honesty - this morning Michael came crying into the kitchen. I asked him what was wrong, and he said that Hunter had hit him. When I asked why, he said, "Because I hit him!"

3. April - yesterday morning my friend April called and offered to take my kids so I could go to the temple. I took her up on it, and it was so nice. Next week I'll take hers.

4. The temple - I did initiatories when I went, and it was so calming and reassuring to be reminded of the blessings that can be ours.

5. Opportunities I have - to work the polls, to go to the temple, to watch Melissa's kids, to teach my own kids. I'm really very blessed.

Happenings of Late

For Halloween, Michael was a monkey and Faith was a skunk. I was going to try to find a big yellow hat so that Michael could be Curious George and Jeff could be the Man in the Yellow Hat, but it didn't end up happening. The kids had a great time seeing Grandma and Grandpa Hansen, and Grandma and Grandpa Sabin, and then trick-or-treating around the neighborhood. It was fun. The day before Halloween, we went to our ward's trunk-or-treat, and Jeff took the kids around to the different cars while I handed out our treats. So many people told Jeff that he had cute boys. So when we dressed them up again to go trick-or-treating, I stuck a flower on Faith's costume so people would know she's not a boy.

I just wanted to share this cute photo of Hunter, Michael, and Walker. They were "making a job" on the couch (piling all the pillows on the couch and covering it with a blanket), and when they finished, they were proud of their work and posed for a photo.

And here is Michael in the leaves that he and Jeff raked up.

And finally, I just want to say something about the election. I worked the polls that day, and I was so touched to see how important it was to some citizens that they vote. There was a lot of confusion, because they have reorganized the districts in my area and now people don't vote where they used to. Some people were sent from one polling place to ours, only to be sent back to the first one they went to. The inconvenience to them was unfortunate, but even though some of them were upset, every one of them showed every intention of returning to that other place to cast their vote. One lady was not a native-born citizen. She must have been Vietnamese or Cambodian (last name Phuun). She came to vote, and since this is her first time voting, she had to show photo ID. She didn't have it with her, so she walked home (in the snow) to get it, then walked back. I'm sure there are many others all over who saw this same kind of commitment. But it just hit me what a great thing it is to live in this country. Whether you are happy with the outcome of the presidential election or not, you have to agree that it is a great blessing to live here where our voices are heard.

I have a lot of concerns about President-Elect Obama. My biggest concerns have to do with his stand on abortion, and that he will likely be choosing our next two Supreme Court Justices. But I am optimistic, because has proven himself to be a great motivator, and he has already made it clear that he will expect Americans to step up and do better. And if this country needs anything, it is motivation and high expectations. Even though I disagree with him on some fundamental issues, I believe that he is a good man. And I also know that no matter who is president, nothing he can do will have as much influence on me or my family as what I do. So things will be okay.

Funny Story

So Jeff decided to fix the fluorescent light in the basement today. It stopped working quite a while ago, and we found out that we had to replace the ballast in it. So Jeff went to the store and got what we needed. But while he was fixing it, he accidentally pushed a bolt that was hanging down up into the ceiling. There was no way to get it out, and we needed that bolt to fasten the new ballast into the fixture. So he looked at me and said, "We're going to have to get into the attic." Or maybe I said it to him. Getting into the attic has been a big fear of mine, for some reason. We have never actually looked in our attic. I have visions of me opening the entrance and having spiders crawl out all over me. So I haven't brought myself to take a look yet. Feeling resigned to finally do it, I went upstairs to change into a long-sleeved shirt so the insulation wouldn't make me itch all over. Five minutes later, as I'm coming back down the stairs, I met him on his way up. And you know what he said? "We don't have to get into the attic. The light's in the basement!" It took me a minute, but then I realized that the ceiling of the basement does not lead into the attic. Phew. No spiders today!! But we still had to figure out how to get the bolt out. Well, we never figured it out. We rigged up another solution. But yes, you'll be happy to know that I am indeed smart enough to figure out that I would never have gotten to the top side of that light fixture by getting into the attic.