Thankful for This Guy!

My favorite guy just turned, in the words of his brother, a very big gun number! I am so thankful for him and all he does for our family. He had to take a Calculus final on his birthday- not cool! But hopefully we made it fun for him afterward. We had Cold Stone cake, which I might have accidentally thawed too long! I forgot to get a number candle for his cake, so we are adding up the numbers on the cake to equal his! We also told Dad what we liked about him- the kids were all jumping up and down and yelling things out. They liked his toughness, how fun he is, how he helps us be better people and what a good toe popper is- don't know what a toe popper is? Obviously you don't have a Rob at your home!Among other things, I got him two new books to read at night. Every night, that we don't get into bed way too late, I read to the kids, then I read to Rob to help him fall asleep. Ok, I just laughed when I wrote that, but it's true- Sort of endearing of him, like a cute little boy. So, I knew we were going to be done with our book (Pirates Latitude) soon, hence the need for new books. We stayed up late and finished the book and now we have two to choose from- a Steve Berry and a Dave Barry! I got mixed up on which Berry/Barry I was looking for at Barnes and Nobles, so in the end I got both! Rob chose the Dave Barry one to read next. hmm, I wonder if that one will actually put him to sleep?
While we were eating our melted ice cream cake Joseph lost another tooth. That boy can't seem to keep the teeth he looses. He has lost at least half of his teeth that have fallen out. A few of them he swallows and the others have been lost by dropping them. I can't believe he waits until they are so loose that they literary fall out of his head and down his throat without him noticing! He told me his mouth hurt on that side yesterday, but he didn't know why? Really? He has this whole super-taster thing going on where he gags on just about anything that isn't peanut butter or chocolate or meat, but he doesn't know when his tooth is loose. What is that all about? He gave his tooth to Rob to keep safe for him. Rob put it on the kitchen counter and then I wiped down the kitchen counter and sent the tooth flying under the stove! Don't worry, we got it out. Whew! But then the tooth fairy almost forgot to show up. I swear that fairy doesn't have all her wits about her some days.

Good entertainment

It's so hard to find these days! But I love it when I find it.

I just finished the Book Thief. Good book! Set in Nazi Germany and from a German's point of view. Actually it is narrated by Death, but it's a story of a little girl growing up during that time. They do hide a Jew in their house for some time and most of the characters get killed off, except the Jew. There now, I have diffused the tension and you can read it without thinking you are getting invested in a bunch of characters that they are going to kill off. I love when Death at the end talks about how some people's souls are lighter because they have left so much of it other places. I also love how sarcastic Death can be.

I have enjoyed being part of this book club. I enjoyed my time in Virginia where they were reading more classical literature and biographies, also. This book club reads more modern literature, but I don't think it is any less well written. In fact, I think a lot of "classics" aren't really good at all. When I went to Emma's school's open house one of the mothers got all upset that in English they weren't reading more classical literature. The teacher explained that the kids don't like it and then end up not liking to read, because of the things they are forced to read in school. I thought it made perfect sense! I was lucky to miss Hemingway, because of moves and Lord of the Flies and Catcher in the Rye. I can't believe I got out of all of it! yeah me!! I did take it upon myself to read Hemingway- Old man and the Sea and Farewell to Arms. Both were stupid and a waste of my precious reading time! Yes, that's right, I said it! Hemingway is stupid! I refuse to read the other two.

We have just recently found The Big Bang Theory on TV. We DVR it every week now and it makes me laugh and laugh! And you know what- not one gay person on the whole thing so far- amazing!!

I can't find a movie worth writing about lately. Seen any good ones?

Tradition!

Have you got your hands up in the air with a little stamp of your foot when you sang that title! 'cause you know you just sang it, not said it! Good movie, yes?! I am grateful for good movies. There are so few of them these days. I almost never want to go see a movie anymore! They are all rated R or horror films. I can not believe people go to see all these horror films! Of course at this very moment my 5 year old is watching The Lord of the Rings. I told him, "you should want to be watching Aladdin." He said, "what's Aladdin?" I said, "exactly!" Younger ones never get the same exposure as the older ones did! The boys have watched the Lord of the Rings like a thousand times. We only have The Fellowship of the Rings, because we thought the rest were too violent to be in the house. So Sam is just reading the books instead. Hmmm!
I am also grateful for traditions! At my home we used to have a big piece of paper in November hung on the door that we wrote down what we were thankful for on. Then it turned into making placemats with cut out pictures from magazines of things we were thankful for. At our house we do this too, but I change up how it is done. For the second year, I made a tree and have cut out individual leaves
(I'm grateful for my slice machine that does this for me!) that we all write something we are thankful for on and then attach them each day. The tree is getting rather full, already. We have also made it a rule that we are only giving Thankful prayers at night. No asking for stuff at all, just thank you's. We have had some rather short prayers lately! I am hoping that eventually it will get easier as we go along! The kids were getting into a rut of just saying memorized sentences, so we are trying to kill two birds with one stone here. What are some of your traditions to remember thankfulness?

Lightening speed communication!

I love that I can send a copy of my skit that I wrote to my mom, my mother-in-law and the Counselor in the RS presidency to review in 10 seconds! I love that I can call my Mom on the other side of the country and get her in seconds. I love that I could IM with my husband when he was all the way over in Iraq! Lightening speed communication is wonderful. Of course it has made us all totally impatient. I loved that youtube video that went around with this guy on one of the late night shows saying how everything was awesome but no one was happy. He said, he saw teenagers pushing and pushing buttons and complaining about how it wouldn't go fast enough. He told them, give it a minute. It's going to space and back!! Well, can't it go to space just a little faster! Remember rotatory phones, heck remember when you actually had to push buttons and remember phone numbers? I think it may be decreasing our mental capacity too. I have a hard time remembering my husband's phone number and I have to admit, I have no idea what my daughter's is- I just push the button next to the picture of her sweet face! There used to be a time we didn't need to be in constant communication, but now we can't live without it! Emma has to have a phone. Her schedule is so teenage unpredictable. Rob has to have a phone. His college life is so unpredictable. I have to have a phone. My mother life is so unpredictable! Pretty soon Sam's going to need one too. He is starting to get unpredictable!

Opportunities to grow

Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes care of this for almost anyone! I am a relatively shy, not very confident person generally. When I moved from Virginia to Germany, my last two years of High school, I made a point of coming out of my shell a little. I was tired of not having very many friends and not knowing who to sit with at lunch, etc. I used to make goals for myself- speak at least three times in a group conversation, speak to at least 2 people at a party, etc. My last two years of High School were a lot more fun than the first two! Since then I have continued to get better at public speaking and teaching. One group I have always been a little wary of, though is the 13-15 year olds. They are a very judgmental group! So, what do I get called to as soon as I arrive in this area? Answer: Teaching scriptures to 14-15 year olds! Not only that, but we are in the Old Testament right now- in Isaiah and Jeremiah. Hello, I don't even know what they are saying! How am I suppose to expand and make Isaiah and Jeremiah interesting to teenagers? Growth!

I was asked just recently to be on the committee for the Relief Societies Christmas party. I came up with a theme and they liked it so went with it, but now they had no idea what to do for the program. I felt a little responsible so I wrote one up real quick, even though it wasn't my assignment and e-mailed it to the lady that was in charge as an idea of what she could do. Guess whose in charge of the program now! My husband is shaking his head and grumbling under his breath right this minute- at the gym- just because he knows by telepathy what I have done! Needless to say I have started listening to Christmas music a little early this year! LOL. I need a song that fits with the angel coming to see Joseph and telling him to take Mary as his wife. Any ideas? Growth!

Children- no explanation needed there! Growth!!

Living together as husband and wife- again no explanation needed there! Growth!

My question is why we have to have our ears and nose continue to grow as we get older and what are all these crazy hairs? That's some growth I could do without!

Education

Yesterday I was thankful for education. I may not be the best writer, the fastest reader or the most eloquent speaker, but I can read some amazing books written by creative and eloquent writers, I can write a coherent sentence that I won't be ashamed of later in life and I can speak English and even some German. I have been reading The Book Thief, lately. It is set in Nazi Germany and I can actually understand most of the German phrases in the book years after living in Germany. If we end up in Belgium (one of 5-6 options for our next assignment), I thought this knowledge would give me a head-start in learning to communicate. Nope, I was wrong. We looked it up real quick. Belgium has 3 official languages and the predominantly spoken is actually French! Oh, well, the other nice thing about education is, that it never stops!

Grateful

We were reminded in our 5th Sunday combined meeting of the talk by Elder Eyring who stated that he kept a journal daily of the things he saw day to day of the hand of the Lord in his life or his childrens'. We talked a lot about gratitude and the benefits of it. I have decided to try and write something each day that I have been grateful for that day. Today I am grateful to have money to worry about, money to budget, money to buy things that I want and need. It has been stressful these past few months getting back onto a budget. Since I am not working, we actually have to do it again. (I have been trying to get a job, but the place I want to work is so regulated that they won't let me get in the front door the way I always do it. Very frustrating! I may end up somewhere else because of it. I just really wanted to work at a Trauma center again!) Anyway, to have enough money to budget is a real blessing. One that I am truly grateful for!