Throughout the month of November we put things on leaves that we were grateful for and made it into a gratitude tree. I especially loved seeing what Paige would write down and how excited she was to do it. She would also think of things that Baylor likes and do some leaves for her little sister. Here are the things we came up with: the beach, special occasions, Baylor's big toothy smile, tender mercies, pinterest, oranges, temples, animals, traditions, church, sweatpants, blankies, doctors, cousins, Paige- the best big sister ever, balls, the world, vaccines/medicine, running water, nap time, general conference, outside, the sun, house, baby doll, food, pina colada, thrift store finds, moms, shoes, veterans, freedom, mama and daddy, warmth, our prophet- President Nelson, outdoor adventures, sunsets, our pet fishes, stuffed animals, seasons, grandparents, education, peanut butter cookies, horchata, Goodwill Outlet, fruit, school, birthdays, music, Addison, sports, a body, swings, a clean house, pants, TV, Daniel Tiger show, clothes, chocolate, nature, love, my teachers and friends at school, IVF, super yummy food, family, good health, Christ's Atonement, a comfy bed, City of Covington (work), colors- because if we didn't have colors the Earth would be plain, Survivor, gospel, and cars. That is quite the list and we are so grateful for all the big and little things in our lives!
For our Relief Society activity in November we talked about giving and the important of service. We were given a paper with a gratitude challenge to come up with 100 things we are grateful for and it had some prompts so here we go:
-10 living people I am grateful for: Nate, Paige, Baylor, my parents, Nate's parents, friends in the ward, teachers that have impacted my life (especially Coach Hill, Coach Portela, and Mrs. Anthony), my family- siblings, in-laws, nieces and nephews (I am lucky to have so many people to love and who love me), the greatest friends growing up that made school and my life growing up so much fun, Paige's teachers and friends. I know that isn't 10 specific people but I have so many people in my life that I am grateful for!-10 people that have died- Grandma Peterson, Grandpa Peterson, Grandpa Walker, Nate's grandparents (I only met one but I am grateful for them all for raising and being a part of some pretty important people in my life), my pioneer ancestors who chose the gospel and taught it to their families and sacrificed so much, Joseph Smith Jr, Jesus Christ, those that have fought and died for our country and freedom, the founding fathers for their courage and sacrifices in creating this wonderful country, and the people in the scriptures that wrote down their testimonies and life stories to help me get through my own journey on this Earth.
-10 physical abilities- my legs and ability to exercise and keep up with my children, my body and it's ability to have a baby (I have struggled with this one with everything that I have to go through to get a baby inside of me but I am grateful that once there is a baby inside me that I have a body for the baby to grow and develop), my ability to create, my ability to clean, my ability to communicate- talking and listening, my ability to laugh and smile, my ability to taste/smell food and cook my own food, my ability to see the beautiful world around me- we live on such a beautiful world and that I get to see the people I love, my ability to feel whether good or bad, it makes me who I am and have more empathy for people, and the ability to feel the Spirit and feel the love of Heavenly Father through it.
-10 material possessions- a roof over my head, cars to take us places, money that helps us live in this world, my Kitchen Aid mixer, clothes, kitchen utensils/oven to cook all sorts of delicious food, a comfy bed with warm blankets, books to read especially the scriptures and Harry Potter, disposable diapers, medicine/vaccines/IVF
-10 things about nature- I love being outside and there are so many things but here are 10- the beach/beach combing, thick forests that I can hike through that help me escape the busy world and feed my soul, waterfalls, animals that roam around in the wild that I get glimpses of, lakes to play in and go kayaking/boating/paddle boarding on, the majestic oceans, national parks that highlight different areas of nature in different states, gardens, fresh cut grass, and sunsets/rainbows
-10 things about today that I am grateful for- the ability to go to and fro and get things done around town that I need to do, Nate and his job so that we have the ability to buy the things we need, our ability to be really good at saving money so that we can afford IVF and other things that we want to do, the school environment and having fun activities going on to participate in, Paige's teachers that have taught her so much and making school fun and enjoyable for her, nap time so that I can get things done that are harder to do when Baylor is awake, for Baylor and keeping me company throughout the day and making me smile every day, a clean house because clutter makes me crazy so I love that I have the ability to stay up on keeping the house clean, church callings that push me and make me a better person, and the Christmas season that is so joyful and makes me so happy.
-10 places on Earth I am grateful for- Firth, Idaho- my home town where I grew up and where my parents live now, Kent, WA- where we live now and the life we have created together, BYU-Idaho- the place where Nate and I met and where I got my college degree, Idaho Falls Temple- where Nate and I got married, the Puget Sound- a place where we love to go to get some beach time in but isn't as far away as the actual ocean, New York- where I was born and where many early church places are, Paige's school where her teachers and friends are and where she is getting an education, Covington, WA- where Nate works and where I do most of my grocery shopping, Soos Creek Trail- where we go on walks all the time since it so close to us, and all the state parks in Washington where we often go to on our outdoor adventures
-10 modern day inventions- running water, electricity, the internet, FaceTime, cellphones, cars, airplanes even though it is expensive to fly but makes trips so much quicker, ovens and stove tops, google maps to help us find new places, and Hulu/TV
-10 foods- chocolate, delicious desserts, lasagna, bread, fruit, Mexican food, pizza, BBQ, lemonade and Sprite, and soups
-10 things about the gospel- the Atonement, the scriptures, temples, modern day prophets and apostles, repentance, prayer, revelation, priesthood blessings, agency, and Family Home Evening/Come Follow Me
We had a really awesome Thanksgiving. It was filled with lots of fun and cousin time and lots of yummy food. We did some quick family pictures before our feast.
Two family pictures and hopefully in at least one of them everyone has their eyes open. :)
We had dinner at the church. There is plenty of space there for us all and we had the gym to do some fun activities in.
After dinner we had a nerf war- the kids had lots of fun and the adults would take turns going in and out. It was a great family activity that everyone enjoyed.
We enjoyed all of our delicious pies later in the evening at Anna and Scott's house. It was fun to visit with everyone and just be with family. Happy Thanksgiving!
No comments:
Post a Comment