A return to Gratitude

Today I am grateful for family.  We've experienced some trials over the past year with more on the horizon.  Our family is stronger because of the experiences we've been through the past year.  We spend more time together, we enjoy each other more fully because we know that at any moment those people we hold most dear could be gone.  It got me thinking about the many things in life that we take for granted- things that for one reason or another become so routine that we fail to recognize the wonder of their presence in our lives.  And when we fail to acknowledge them, it seems most likely that our gratitude for what we have is lacking.  So I've decided to raise the bar  in the purpose of this blog.  To take it from a pictoral of the 'high points" in my life to an expression of gratitude for those things in life that I tend to take for granted, but are deeply important, nonetheless, and for which I should be constantly grateful.  I've decided that the more thankful I am for the little things or moments that are routinely available, the more complete will be my gratitude for "big" things and the greater will be my joy in all things. If I make this a habit, I believe that  I will never experience disappointment for what I have.  I am eternally grateful to my parents, especially my Dad, who taught me to appreciate what I have and to take care of what I have, for it is a blessing from Heavenly Father.  I remember him sitting at the kitchen table on a winter's day, rubbing mink oil into a pair of well-worn leather boots.  I asked him why he didn't just buy some new boots.  He taught me a good lesson that day by telling me that those boots were still good boots and if he took care of them by rubbing in the oil to keep the leather supple and by keeping them dry, the boots would last him for a long time to come.  Those few words have stayed with me and I try very hard to follow his words of council.  I have more material possessions than I could ever have dreamed possible as a little girl and I truly have a sense that each one is a blessing to be husbanded carefully and to appreciate.  And the greatest of all these blessings is my wonderful, loving family.

A new tradition was started a couple of years ago and it has become a much anticipated event.  The saturday after Thanksgiving the guys go to Antelope Island to ride horses and look at the buffalo.  Some years the group of participants is quite large, others small, but it is always fun for the boys to spend a day with their Dad and Pa doing something that they enjoy.
They go on a ride before lunch then come back to the trailers and eat a delicious lunch, which everyone takes part in providing.  Then after lunch they go on another long ride.  This was the maiden voyage of the new horse trailer and I guess everything went well because I didn't hear any complaints.
Jackson has had more than his fair share of crashes on a horse, so even though Cocoa is a good, well trained horse, Daddy and Pa were wise enough to use a lead rope.  You'd think that he would be safe then, but no, he was involved in two buckin' horse experiences.  First, a lady who had no control over her horse let her horse pick a fight with Cocoa.  And since Cocoa is not one to back down from a fight, he put up his dukes and let loose a can of whoop horse butt with the result of Jackson ending up on the ground.  Later, as Pa was leading Cocoa calmly down the path, something  happened to upset Cocoa and Jackson ended up on the ground again.  Although Jackson was understandably upset, he told his Dad that he was going to "get back on and cowboy up".  They ended the day with dinner at McDonalds and came home tired, but pleased with their day.  Shaylyn, Kasen and I had a good day too.  I got my Christmas tree decorated, then we went to Logan for lunch and Christmas shopping.  It was a nice, leisurely day- the kind you need to have every now and then where there are no deadlines or things that have to be done.  Shane and his family were in Arco, enjoying their Boyer family members.

We had a FHE lesson on prophets and apostles.  It was fun to learn each apostle's names, their order in the presidency or twelve, and a little something personal about each one.  We read the scripture about the Watchman on the tower, then we had a competition to build towers using toothpicks and marshmallows.

Shane, Alycia and Jackson got ahead quickly with a great technique of building cubes which was soon copied by the other teams. But they were already experts and were able to build faster and taller than the other teams and when the time was up, they were the winners! 

We ate ice cream cones for the treat.  We were going to make a Christmas craft, but it was getting late and it was a school night so we visited and enjoyed each other's company, then sadly said, "Goodnight". 

Dixon was a great helper.  He is capable of doing so many things and is a great hand to have around.  He gave the welcome, passed out materials and led the song. Cooper said the prayer.  Cooper's prayer was very well done and very thorough!  Again, I'm so thankful for my family.  They are always there to help me and to give me love and my life purpose.  Each one is indispensable in my life and make life worth living.  I don't tell them nearly enough how important they are to me, or just how boring and miserable it is when they are gone, but I hope that they know that they are my greatest joy and my best accomplishment.