28 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful for creative children.  My second son came up with a very clever choice while we were playing "I Spy" while driving home the other night.  He said, "I spy with my little eye / something that is flying."  Several guesses by the rest of us came up with nothing, so he gave us a clue that it was pretending to fly.  We still couldn't figure out what it was until I glanced over at him and saw him flapping his arms up and down.  Yes, he had chosen himself and given the clue that he was flying.  :D

2) I'm thankful for spiritual children.  A few days ago, my daughter was telling me that she had a dream in which Jesus saw her and came down and gave her a great big hug.  She then said, "I'm going to try to not make any more mistakes so that it can really happen!"

3) I'm thankful for loving children.  My youngest son was very excited that he was awake before I left for work today, so he played peek-a-boo with me by hiding behind the door, then opening and closing it so he could see me.  As I was getting ready to put my shoes on, he wanted to sit on my lap.  When I told him that I couldn't have him on my lap while I was putting my shoes on, he waited patiently for me to finish and then asked me to hold him.

4) I'm thankful for diligent children.  My oldest son has seemed to respond well to the challenge of having to pick himself up and keep trying after his recent struggles at his program.  He was asked to give the opening prayer at an activity that we were able to attend last night and gave a heartfelt prayer.  He earned his way back to full privileges after losing all privileges due to his struggles, and he seems to be willing to do whatever it takes to move forward.

27 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful for the power of the priesthood and the chance that my dad and I had to give my oldest son a blessing last night.  I felt God's love for my son as I tried to speak the words that He would have my son hear as he deals with his struggles and trials.

2) I'm thankful for those people who give so much of themselves to help others.  I try to do as much as I can to pull my own weight and be self sufficient, but we all need some help sometimes, and I appreciate those who are so willing to give help where needed.

3) I'm thankful for the talents that God has blessed me with.  They make my life more enjoyable and fulfilling, and they also give me opportunities to offer assistance to others in need.

24 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful to have my wife safely home from her cruise.  The kids were all excited to see her too, and we have all enjoyed being reunited again.  The kids were all in my spot in bed by the time I was done showering and getting ready for work this morning so they could spend some more time with Mommy.  :D

2) I'm thankful that my wife was able to get some productive business work done while on the cruise.  That was the stated reason for the trip in the first place, and I wondered how that might go with flaky internet access on the ship, but they were able to get a lot done in the time they spent because they weren't interrupted.

3) I'm thankful for the good feedback I've been receiving about my work contributions.  I'm trying to do the best I can for the projects I work on, and it's nice that people are noticing that.  It helps the project, and that in turn helps me support my family.

22 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful that things have gone so well during the time my wife has been on her cruise.  We've certainly missed her, and life will be a lot easier and smoother when she returns, but we haven't completely fallen to pieces either, so that's a victory!

2) I'm thankful for the many people who have played an important part in making these last few days work as well as they have.  You are all wonderful!

3) I'm thankful for the chance to speak with my oldest son on the phone last night from his program and learn that he has been working hard to earn back some privileges that he had lost due to poor behavior over the weekend.  We all fall down in life - it's the getting up again and continuing to work that separates success from failure, and it makes me happy to see that he's doing that.

21 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful that my kids were open to the idea of helping me with a semi-large project that we're hoping to get done before my wife gets home from her cruise in a few days.  They were good help to me in the first part of it that we tackled last night.

2) I'm thankful to work for a company and in an environment where I was able to work extra hours over the summer to save up time off, and that I'm now able to work fewer than eight hours a day while I'm trying to take care of everything with the kids for my wife.  I really enjoy working for my current company, Software Technology Group.

3) I'm thankful for the improving financial position my family is working toward, especially as this has been happening during a recession.  When I first met my wife and saw that she was an only child of parents who appeared to have little financial education, I assumed that there would never be an inheritance worth much of anything and thought I had planned accordingly.  I'm thankful that my wife's father showed his true dedication to his daughter by keeping a life insurance policy in force in spite of the many financial difficulties he faced before his passing, and I'm thankful for the humility that has come to me as I realize that my supposed financial education had me in the same position that I was looking down my nose at my in-laws about.  I hope I can stop being so judgmental about people.

20 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful that my wife has the chance to be on a cruise with friends for the next few days.  I think a chance to relax will be very good for her.

2) I'm thankful for the chance to spend quality time with my children.  They are great people!

3) I'm thankful for the people my wife lined up to watch the kids while I'm at work so that I can get a few hours in!

16 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful for a good night's rest.  I always function better if I've slept well.

2) I'm thankful for my health.  I am very overweight, but I'm fortunate that the medicines that I am taking are holding off some of the effects of that for now.  I need to do a better job of losing weight while I have the chance.

3) I'm thankful for my wife's overall good attitude in the face of her health problems.  I can't think of very many days in our married life that she has been pain free.  Her positive outlook on life is an inspiration to me to keep going on in spite of difficulties.

14 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful that God made me in such a way that I will NEVER tire of looking at my beautiful wife!

2) I'm thankful that God made me in such a way that I will NEVER tire of touching my beautiful wife!

3) I'm thankful that God gave me such a beautiful wife!

4) I'm thankful that God gave me a wife whose incredible outer beauty is exceeded by her amazing inner beauty!

13 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful for a productive and enjoyable weekend spent with family.  We were able to sell our minivan, even if it was for about 20% less than we had hoped for.  We went to Logan, UT for the Utah State University Football game (a 38 - 17 victory that wasn't that close), and we got to take the whole family to visit our oldest son at his program Sunday night.  He is making good progress the last few weeks, and we are all enjoying the rewards that come with his progress.

2) I'm thankful for the good message that was presented at the devotional that our family attended last night with my son.  Dr. Michael Ballam gave an enjoyable and uplifting presentation on keeping our focus on benefiting others through our efforts in order to receive divine assistance.  When we focus on building ourselves up instead of others, we are left to our own power rather than receiving extra help.  When we have the extra, divine assistance, we can accomplish anything that we truly set our minds to.  I thought it was a great way to show that taking responsibility for ourselves doesn't just mean that we accept responsibility for the wrong things that we do, but that it also means that we can truly make our lives whatever we want them to be by taking responsibility for making them what we want.

3) I'm thankful that my parents were able to attend the devotional with us to give my son additional love and support.  It has been so wonderful to have them so close by this past year as they have served as missionaries.

09 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful for the joys of parenthood.  There are certainly a lot of struggles involved with being a parent, but the joys are very sweet indeed.  My heart is warmed each day when my children come running up to me when I get home from work to get a hug.  My youngest son enjoying his birthday presents immensely, yet remembering to be very polite and thankful to those around him, was both cute and heartwarming.  My second son's humor and twinkle in his eye when he knows he's just said (or about to say) something funny is a pleasure to behold.  My daughter's enthusiasm for pretty much everything always makes me smile.  My oldest son's quick wit and yet deep thinking is a blessing to me as well as him.  The list goes on and on.

2) I'm thankful for having extended family nearby.  We still don't see them as often as we would like, but at least we see them.  It was a strange time when my parents were serving a nearly two year long mission in New York and we never got the chance to go visit them.

3) I'm thankful for the daily reminders I receive that demonstrate God's love and knowledge of me and my family.  Each time I think of the great good He has brought to us, I feel such gratitude and wonder, and it's nice to feel that every day.

08 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful for my youngest child, now three years old, and the joy he has brought to our family.  Our family would certainly be incomplete without him!

2) I'm thankful for the blessings that we can receive from God through His priesthood, which has been restored to the earth.  My wife and I are able to attend His temples to participate in the eternal salvation of ourselves and all of His children, the entire family is able to receive blessings of healing and comfort, the sacrament is administered, and we are baptized by the same authority that Christ was, all because the priesthood is on the earth again.

3) I'm thankful for the traditions that my family is creating as we raise our children.  It's strange how a fun, seemingly one time act suddenly becomes a family favorite, and over time turns into a family tradition.  A few examples in our family is having brownies as a treat on Sunday evenings and having donuts for breakfast on birthdays.

07 Sep 2010

1) I'm grateful for the family experiences we had yesterday as we spent some time working together in the morning before loading up and heading to Lagoon, an amusement park, for a reward to our children for helping out around the house.  The kids really enjoyed their time there, and my wife and I enjoyed spending time with them making memories.

2) I'm thankful for the perfect weather (for me) yesterday.  There was hardly a cloud in the sky, yet the temperatures remained in the low to mid 70s.  There was an occasional small breeze and plenty of shade to be had, and it was pretty easy to warm up a bit by stepping into the sun and cool down a bit by staying in the shade.

3) I know I say this a lot, but I am thankful for the amazing woman that I have the great fortune to be married to.  She perseveres through trial and tribulation with a kindness, generosity, and humor that are unique and wonderful.  I couldn't be more blessed in my choice of companion.

03 Sep 2010

1) I'm thankful that my wife tries to enjoy the things that I enjoy.  She likes to spend time with me, so rather than resenting me for having interests outside of the things she already liked, she tries to learn about the things I like as well.  I need to make sure that I do the same for her.

2) I'm thankful that my wife and I both understand that there are things that only one of us is going to like, and that it is okay for her to have a girls night to watch chick flicks or okay for me to have a football party, as examples.  We try to support each other by making sure we have everything in place to allow the other to participate, and we also try to make sure that we don't let ourselves do so many things apart that we end up not spending enough time together.

3) I'm thankful that my wife and I have found common interests that neither one of us were aware of beforehand.  As much fun as learning something new is, it is even better when you can share it with your favorite person in the whole world and learn from what they are doing with it as well!

01 Sep 2010

1) I'm grateful that, at least sometimes, I'm able to recognize that being tired is affecting the way I interact with those around me.  I try to either be what seems to me as extra nice (in hopes that it's not too much less than my normal niceness) or get some rest when that happens.

2) I'm thankful for good examples in everyday life all around me.  I see family members pulling together, friends helping friends, and strangers reaching out to become new friends.  The only downside is that I can get to feeling that there is even MORE I need to try to squeeze into my life.

3) I'm thankful for being able to recognize that there are many things that I spend time on during my days that are of lesser importance.  Now if I can just start getting myself to stop spending time on those things and more time doing the things of greater importance, that would be a step in the right direction!