ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter Z

I am grateful for "Z"oos. I love going to the zoo. I think it is great that animals no longer capable of living and surviving in their natural habitats are given the chance to live. I think it is fun to be able to see animals I would probably not get the opportunity to otherwise see. We all went to the zoo this year on Brooklyn's birthday and had a great time. I have wonderful memories of visiting the zoo.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter Y

I am thankful for all of "Y"ou my friends and family. I realize there probably aren't that many people who read my blog but I am grateful for those of you who do. In reality I probably blog more for me than you, but it is nice of you to read what I write. I'm having a hard time putting my feelings into words lately. If tears counted there would be pages for you to read. It's hard when you know you are hurting someone you love. I'm having a hard time not feeling selfish for needing to focus on my self. Thank you for your love and support. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter X

I am thankful for "X"-Rays. Because of x-rays the doctor was able to determine my knees could be fixed with physical therapy rather than having them operated on again. Modern medical technology is amazing. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter W

I am thankful for my Grandma and Grandpa "W"right. I grew up living next door to my grandparents and it was a blessing. My Grandpa died when I was 10. It was devastating to lose someone who I saw everyday and was such a big part of my life. I'm glad we lived next to Grandma and were able to help her and keep her company for the 20 years she lived without him. It was like having a second Mom. I have to admit we didn't always see eye to eye and she wasn't afraid of telling me or anyone else what she thought. I sure loved her anyway.

I am grateful for the opportunity we had to take care of her the last few years of her life. It really brought Susan and our families together and helped us form the closeness and love we have for each other today. My grandparents taught me the importance of service and helping others. They were both great examples of that. They both lived what they taught and that was a great lesson for me. It's easy to talk the talk but walking the walk is harder to do. But they did that in every aspect of their lives.

I think about what advice my Grandma Ila would have for me today and I cry. I know she would be my biggest supporter. I would get her life is hard lecture, but it would be accompanied by total love, support, and compassion. Boy do I miss them. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter V

I am grateful for "V"acations. I always look forward to vacations from work and every day life. It's not that I don't like working or my life. I feel I give my employer all of me when I am there and that I do what I do well. I just know myself and that I need to take opportunities to recharge and refocus and time away helps me do that. I already talked the other day on here about my love for traveling and I think this is a part of that. I take every chance I get to step away from my every day life and decompress and I think I am a better employee and person because of that.

ARUP really emphasized the importance of a work/life balance and I can see the importance of that. I don't think it is healthy to become too focused on your work. If you work full-time then you already spend more time at work than doing anything else in your life. So when you get the chance, take a step back and don't feel guilty for doing so. When we die it is our family we take with us not what we have accomplished at work. If I had the money I would be taking advantage of time off next week and would be enjoying a much needed vacation. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter U

I am thankful I get to live in "U"tah and in particular Cache Valley. I love where I live. I have visited a lot of other places but am always glad to come home. What other state has such diverse climates and scenery? We have everything from desert and red rock to mountains and valleys. I do have to admit the cold is getting to me more this year than it has other years. I don't know if it's that I'm getting older, the arthritis that has developed in my knees making me more sensitive, or what. I haven't been warm at work at all this week. I'm going to have to break down and take in a heater. I'm just afraid of blowing a fuse. That would be embarrassing. 

I do have to admit that those who have always said Cache Valley is much colder than Salt Lake are right. I never thought it was that big of a difference until I lived down there for a couple of years. I can now say with certainty that there is about a 10 degree difference. I have learned the last two years that this girl is a country girl through and through. I am grateful to live in this beautiful valley and am blessed that so many of my family like living here too.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter T

Today I am thankful for the opportunities I get to "T"ravel. I love to see new sites and explore other places. In 2002 we went on an Alaskan cruise and it was amazing. The scenery was breathtaking and we had so much fun. In 2008 we went to Mexico and camped on the beach. Again breathtaking and amazing, but a totally different experience from Alaska. I hope in the future my circumstances enable me to see many more new and exciting places. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter S

I am thankful for my aunt "S"usan. Susan is my Mom's sister. While I was growing up Mom tended Susan's kids while she taught school at Wellsville Elementary so we have always spent a lot of time together. Susan is like a second Mom. She always has good advice. I really miss her and Craig since they moved to China. Things aren't the same without them around. They will be home on the 12th and we are all very excited. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter R

I am thankful for "R"ecipes. Sometimes I enjoy cooking and I am grateful I have recipes to follow and don't have to figure out how to make things taste good by myself. That is not a talent I have. I am a good cook and baker as long as I have a good recipe to follow. One of the perks of living with Marijka is if I buy the ingredients and find the recipe she will usually make it.

Here is the link to my current favorite recipe. It is delicious and perfect for this time of year.  

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/savory-stuffed-pumpkin

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter P

I am thankful for my mom "P"aula. She is the best mom in the world. I know she is always there for me. A couple of weeks ago when Kyle and I first split up she spent the week with me in Salt Lake. She was there to dry my tears, hug me, hold me up, give me a shoulder to cry on, tuck me in bed, and help me find somewhere to live. She has helped me move so many times in the last month we have lost track. I moved out of my temporary digs in Salt Lake yesterday and I am so glad to be home and know I am here for awhile. My life has been so up in the air the last few months it is good to feel a little settled. I start my new job on Tuesday. Mom makes me feel so welcome and loved.  I love her more than words can say. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter O

I am thankful for "O"rthopedic doctors. Several years ago my knees were injured in a car accident. As a result I now have arthritis in both of them. My right knee is the worse. Lately it has been giving me a lot of trouble. Lots of pain and problems walking. I have calcification on my quadriceps tendon and a small bone spur. I start physical therapy tomorrow. I'm hoping they can help manage the pain. Dr. Willick is pretty sure I won't need surgery after the physical therapy. Let's hope he is right.

Grrr!

For some reason my last 2 posts have completely disappeared. I'll rewrite them when I'm not so tired and can think clearly.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter N

I am thankful for "N"aps. I would kill to be able to take a good nap right now, but I'm not sleeping and unfortunately that seems to include naps. I can't shut my mind off. It just runs in a thousand different directions all the time. It is very frustrating to say the least. 

There is nothing better than a Sunday afternoon nap. You don't have to feel guilty about the stuff you should be doing, because it's Sunday.  I think they are my favorite thing ever.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter M

Today I am thankful for the M&M's, my little sisters Marlee and Marijka. I'm thankful for their patience when I constantly call them by each others name instead of their own. I'm thankful for their love and support. I'm thankful for their willingness to help me out when I need it. I'm so grateful to have them in my family. They each bring their own unique personalities to our family mix and life wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without them in it.I'm grateful for Marlee's sense of humor and for Marijka's strength. This Saturday will be like the 6th time they have helped me either pack up or move stuff from one place to the other in the last couple of months and they are still willing to help. That says a lot. I wouldn't have made it through the last month or two without them and my Mom. So today and always I am thankful for my little sisters.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter L

Today I am thankful for "L"ily. LIly is my shiatsu. She is a funny dog. When I first got her she had a thing about men and now she is permanently attached to Kyle and loves my Dad. She has a hearing problem so when I call her I have to pitch my voice really high so she can hear me. Lily hates the texture of grass. In the summer she will pee on the cement if I don't watch her. She is fine with snow and will go out on the lawn all winter, but as soon as the grass comes back she is done with that. 

She generally doesn't like to snuggle at night but every once in awhile she will sleep right up next to my head. I don't know if she has a bad day or what the deal is.  I left her with Kyle because I felt he needed her love right now, but Hydee wants her out of the house so I guess I will be taking her with me on Saturday. I feel really bad for Kyle. I know how much he loves and is attached to her. It is going to break his heart.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter K

It has been 2 1/2 weeks since Kyle and I separated. It is so hard. I miss him and yet at the same time it's as if a weight has been lifted off of me. I am grateful for "K"yle. I'm grateful for the love he has given me for the past 4 years. I'm grateful for the compassion and patience he has taught me. I'm grateful for the big heart he has. I'm grateful for the man is he is and hope he knows no matter what happens I will always love him.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter J

Today I am thankful for "J"analee. I have a headache since last night that has been increasing in intensity all day. She brought me some Tylenol over tonight and I couldn't be more grateful for it.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter I

I am thankful for "I"maginations. I love to see the things the kids in my life come up with. Princesses,  Super Mario, Jim Clark, dragons, Minnie Mouse. The possibilities are endless when you have an imagination. I wish I still had the imagination to come up with great ideas like they do. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter H

 

Heading Out For A Ride

I am thankful for "H"orses. Horses are beautiful animals and I love watching them. My favorite are palominos. I think their coloring is  beautiful. The Man From Snowy River is one of my favorite movies due to the horses. There isn't anything better for relieving stress than a horse ride in October through the fall leaves in the mountains on a warm sunny day. Since I was young I have loved getting up to deer camp in hopes of fitting in a horse ride. I always rode Duchess and was so sad when she died. Unfortunately I haven't made it the last two years. Maybe now that I am moving back to the promised land I will be able to get in a ride next year.

Horses and my cousin Brian have also caused me to be ridiculed frequently over the years. When I was young and thought Brian was the expert on all things he told me horses never lie down so if they do they are sick or dying. I of course believed him and passed on my knowledge to my siblings. This resulted in me being teased to this day. If I am in their presence and we see a horse lying down the teasing immediately starts about how it must be dead. It's a good thing I love my family.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter G

I am thankful for my "G"irlfriends. I have great friends. The kind of friends that you can go months without talking to and then when you connect it is as if you haven't even been apart. You can pick up right where you left off and it's great. Low maintenance friendships are the best.

They are there for me when I need them and I love them all.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter F

I am thankful for my "F"amily. Those I was born with and those I have adopted along the way. My family have gotten me through many challenges in my life. It is a great comfort to know they are always there for me. I am so fortunate to be so close to my aunt Susan's family as well. They are a great support. I am so grateful that they share their kids with me. They bring such joy to my life. I love those kids and would do anything for them.

I am so excited to be moving back to Wellsville. I feel I have missed out on so much by living in Salt Lake the last two years. I haven't been to a "cousin party" in forever. I miss them.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter E

Today I am thankful for "E"ditors. Most of you probably don't know that I work with a team of editors. It is what they do for ARUP and they do a fabulous job. I love this team and the support they have given me over the past 2 years. 

I have taken a new job in Logan as a bookkeeper for Aquamira Technologies and will be moving back to Logan. My last day here at ARUP is next Friday. I am going to miss my coworkers so much. When I got this job 2 years ago it was an answer to my prayers. Having Greg Kratz as my supervisor was a direct gift from my Heavenly Father to me.  Greg is probably the most compassionate person I know. As I have dealt with my trials over the past 2 years he has been there every step of the way. He has never made me feel guilty or asked anything of me that I couldn't give and I thank him for that. He is the best supervisor in the world. He meets with each of us every 2 weeks and gives us feedback, asks our opinion, and encourages us to better ourselves. For me this has been incredibly helpful.

I am going to miss all of the people I work with. They all add something different to my life. I also know that it is time to move on and things are falling into place for that to happen. 

If I just had an editor to edit my blog posts think how much better they would read.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter D

I am thankful for my Dad. I can't even count the number of things he does for me all the time. I had pretty much the worst week ever last week and he made mashed potatoes and gravy for dinner yesterday and I know it was just for me. And when I got to their place Thursday night he even had chocolate milk in the fridge.

On my last day at the Cache School District we were carpooling. When I picked him up he told me to go to Smith's.  He came out with chocolate milk and dessert and we sat in the car and ate it while I cried. He said we were "wollowing" in my sorrow, but then we were going to have to pick it up and move on.

He calls me Kamster and if I'm sitting in the recliner when he comes in the front door I can count on my hair being messed up as he walks by and ruffles it with his hand. He is 110% supportive of me and my decisions. I can count on his total support. He is always willing to give me a blessing to help me through my current crisis (of which there have been way too many the last few years).

I love his quirky sense of humor. You never know what he might come up with next. I appreciate and love my Dad so much and am so very grateful for him and the wonderful influence he is in my life.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter C

For the letter "C" I am grateful for children. The world would be so boring without them. For the last 2 years Kyle and I have lived in a neighborhood where everyone was either older or single with no children. The feeling is just different. When you go outside it is quiet and there is no noise. 

In the new neighborhood his parents moved to you go outside and hear kids playing. The sound of bikes and skateboards. The sounds of life. 

Kyle and I haven't been able to have a baby and it is a void in my life. I am so grateful for the wonderful women in my life who share their children with me. They bring me so much joy. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child is a wonderful blessing. 

 

My parents had their annual Halloween party Friday night and the kids had a blast. Besides the favorite homemade root beer making we tried something new. Marlee and Janalee mixed warm water, dawn dish soap and dry ice and it made an awesome fountain of bubbles. The kids loved it and it was really cool. When you popped the bubble it would release a cool vapor. We all love it.

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter B

For letter the letter "B" I am going with beds. I am so grateful to have something soft to sleep on. I think it's something most of us take for granted until we go camping or if circumstances force us to wonder where we are going to lay our head at night.

I see all those who have run onto hard times and are living on the streets or in a car and I am overcome with gratitude for the blessings I have. 

ABC's of Thanksgiving: Letter A

I am going to take this idea and use it for my blog instead of Facebook. I'll do my best to keep up with it everyday, but who knows.

So for the letter "A". There are lots of things I could do with this letter, but I'm going to go with ARUP. This is the company I work for. This job came along when I needed it and was an answer to many prayers. 

The people I work with are the salt of the earth. They have gotten me through the last 2 years. They are here for me everyday. Their smiling faces and positive attitudes are a balm to my soul. They are kind and compassionate and go out of their way to let me know they care.

The health clinic here has been a great thing for Kyle. The staff works so hard to keep him on track with his health and goals. The benefits here are really good and have helped us a lot.