Answers to Random Questions about 2013

One of the best things about being involved in the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop is the chance I've had to "meet" other bloggers, like Joy, from I Can Say Mama.  Joy is having her own blog hop to wrap up 2013.  Sounds like fun to me!  

Time for Change! Resolutions

I'm one of those people who get excited at the prospect of making resolutions.  Weight loss goals?  Count me in!  Exercise?  You bet!  Completely organize all the closets in my house?  Of course!  While I'm at it, I might as well refresh my memory of español--or even more challenging, calculus. 

January 2014 Visiting Teaching Handout

Each month, women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share a gospel message with each other.  I'll have the chance not only to hear the message from my visiting teachers, but also to share it with the women I visit.  

January's topic is titled, "The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ:  Exemplar."  He set a perfect example for us to follow.  

TWELVE Things of Thankful: 2013 in Review

I know I told you that the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop was taking a break until January, but apparently I was just kidding!  We just couldn't stay away from sharing our gratitude.  This last hop of the year, though, features not 10, but 12 Things of Thankful--one for each month of the year.  I might cheat a bit, though, as I don't think I can limit myself to just one thing on some months.

January:  
John blessed our granddaughter in church.

Guide dog puppy Reno returned for formal training, and Drexel arrived.




February:
I shared how my mom helped clear up a childhood misconception.
Believe it or not, my parents were NOT married in this building:



March: 
I enjoyed sharing memories of John's first car.




April:  
Thanks to good syrup, John and I have enjoyed 26 happy years of marriage.

 

Also in April, I was able to fulfill a long-time dream to find another Anglia for John.

 

May:  I'm thankful for blogging.  (Though my blog has changed a bit since that post was written, the general reasons are the same.) 

June:  I learned about the 10 Things of Thankful Blog Hop, and jumped at the chance to participate. 



July:  I was welcomed as a co-host of the TToT!

August:   We (my siblings, our families, and our parents) had a wonderful family reunion, which began as a surprise to my mom on her birthday. 





Following our reunion at Yellowstone, I attended Brigham Young University's Education Week.



To finish off the month, oldest daughter and I ran our first-ever 10 K race!






September: I'm thankful for freedom of speech, and friendship that allows for differences.

October:  I'm glad I was in the right place at the right time, even though I didn't recognize it at the time.

November:  Granddaughter celebrated her 1st birthday.

 

Thanksgiving brought a houseful of family members. 

 

December:  Granddaughter number 2 made her appearance!

 

Christmas Eve brought all of our children and grandchildren together, and we took a photo with everyone in it.  





I'm thankful for the opportunities of 2013, and look forward to the upcoming year. 

Please consider joining us in this, the last (yes, I think I'm serious this time) TToT blog hop of 2013.  The more the merrier!  

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An InLinkz Link-up

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, from my family to yours!

 




Thanks for family gatherings, tripods, and self-timers!

Ten Things of Thankful: Christmas Edition

Even though the hosts of the Ten Things of Thankful are officially on break until January, our faithful leader, Lizzie, wisely decided to continue the hop. So, with "Muppet Christmas Carol" playing in the background, I'm taking a minute to share some of my Thankfuls.

Are You Ready for Christmas?

"Are you ready for Christmas?" 

"No, I still need to finish the shopping, and I haven't even begun to bake yet."  (sigh)

Chances are, you've asked or been asked the "Are you ready" question at least once (a day!) this month.  The assumption is that Christmas requires a huge to-do list.  December runs on making, and checking, lists.  However, like the arrival of a baby (and isn't this what Christmas is all about, anyway?), Christmas comes regardless of whether we think we are ready. 

source

Ten Things of Thankful: Baby, It's Cold Outside (and Inside, too) Edition

I'm not sure that the rest of the world appreciates just how cold it really can get here in southern California.  In last week's Ten Things of Thankful post, I expressed gratitude for the guide dog puppy club canceling our entry in the parade.  Just so you can understand the kind of weather we've been dealing with, please watch the following:

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday: Guide Dog Christmas Party

 

Thanks for our local guide dog puppy club, and for shared times together.

Ten Things of Thankful: It's December Edition

Just last week we celebrated Thanksgiving, but after the events of this week, I think I should celebrate again.  Luckily, I am linking up with the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop, so I have a platform to share my thankful thoughts. 

Tuesday Time to Tackle: Disneyland with a One-Year-Old

Yesterday, I did something that some people might not understand.  I took a baby (with no older siblings) to Disneyland.  My youngest daughter accompanied us.  True, it's nearly impossible the baby will remember her visit, and we did not ride many rides, but we enjoyed ourselves by focusing our attention on the atmosphere of the Happiest Place on Earth.

Just look at all those smiling faces!

Ten Things of Thankful: Thanksgiving Edition

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, but my home is still filled with visitors.  I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with relatives, and am thankful for your understanding if I am a bit tardy in responding to your comments this weekend. 

(Nearly) Wordless Wednesday: I'm Thankful for a Carpet Cleaner

Tweet (I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm on twitter now!  ThankfulMe @ thankful_me ) :

Puppy versus philodendron. Puppy in crate. Philodendron relocated to inaccessible office. Hoover wins. Thankful for my carpet cleaner!

 

Thanks for life's little exciting moments, and carpet cleaners.

Tuesday Time to Tackle: Reading Quilt Finished!

When I first saw  this pattern for a reading quilt, I loved the idea.  Open books form the design on the quilt front, and a label on the back serves as a place to record titles of favorite books.

 

Ten Things of Thankful: Desert Edition

As this is the 25th week of the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop, I thought I should make this post particularly meaningful.  I'm a glass-half-full kind of person by nature, but I wanted to come up with a post that was a bit challenging for me, and thus this post was born.

Friday Family History: Thanksgiving Memories

"Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go. . . " Growing up, some years we did go to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving, and other years, the grandparents would come to our house.  

Thursday Thoughts: December 2013 Visiting Teaching Message

December's visiting teaching message can be found here, and is about the divine mission of Jesus Christ.  I especially liked the quote from Elder D. Todd Christofferson.

 





Thanks for Jesus Christ, who is the perfect example to follow, and who is the Savior of the world.