So blessed...

I have to get serious for a minute but don't worry, it won't last long, I'm not a very serious person!

I'm so blessed in my life right now, even though health wise I'm not feeling my best and Carson is sick too.

Since I've gotten into Facebook, I've gotten to hear about all the trials***(see note at the bottom) in my friends lives. For instance, a gal that I knew in high school has got to be one of the toughest people I know! Her husband was in a motorcycle accident (not his fault, a car hit him) this year and they've been trying to recover from that. Then she finds out her dad has cancer. Then she has a miscarriage. HOLY CRAP!! If that was me they would have to put me in a padded room because I would have lost it! Or my other dear friends who are struggling in their marriages, or with their families, or with depression, or with health problems, or with WHATEVER!! But its these same people who are the most amazing, telling about the blessings in their lives, pulling through with a smile on their face and the eagerness to help out their family and friends. WOW!! What an awesome example of how to live your life. YOU ROCK!!

I heard a saying that goes something like this "If everyone put all our problems in a pile, we would quickly take ours back." Seriously, isn't that so true? I mean, I know how to deal with my problems most of the time because they usually stem from the same source: family. Now this doesn't mean my entire family, just a few select people who chose to whine, be unhappy and somehow manage to try to find reasons that its my fault. Its all very annoying but not tragic in any way (which I'm grateful for!!) because when I calm down, after all the inevitable drama that comes with it, I know its their crap and not mine.

I'm blessed with a happy marriage, the best kids a mom could ask for, healthy kids, health in general, good parents, awesome friends, an amazing ward who knows that I'm crazy but likes me anyway, great neighbors that more than cancel out the psycho ones, getting to traveling all over the place. The list could go on and on but I'll stop for now.

So if you've got a minute, count your blessings.


***DISCLAIMER!! I love that I hear about all the happy stuff too. AND I promise that I'm not thinking that you are whining! You are just being real and I love it! Fake people drive me crazy so keep it real and keep it coming~!!***

A Good Day! The blitchfest is over!

After all of my complaining lately, I thought that I should share some good news! Today was a GREAT day!

We won our court case against a slime ball who didn't pay for their landscape. We got the amount owed, attorney's fees plus interest, which will continue to accumulate until the whole amount is paid. Whoo-Hoo! The funniest part? It is a lawyer who owes it to us! And he didn't even bother to show up to court! Worked out in our favor. Now we get to go after his assets. Maybe he has a laptop that I can replace mine with, LOL!

I went to lunch with my niece Tia and her adorable daughter, Rylee. We went to a new place here called Pirate's Island or something like that. Its a really cool place. The local paper was there and they took pictures of "Cap'n Jack" serving us lunch. Well, I don't think he got me in any of the pictures but he definitely got Rylee and Tia. Glad I was sitting in the corner! Then the kids went to the arcade and played for a while.

I got home and on my door step were all 3 of my monthly scrapbooking auto ships and my new DVR. YAY! I really love my cute kits that I get every month and someday I fully intend to use them. And my DVR just gives me warm happy feelings.

Then, later on the doorbell rang and my candles that I ordered are here. More importantly, my auto air fresheners are here. I love good smellies.

Oh and we found our new toy hauler! We sold our RV a few months ago because it just wasn't what we needed. We found a toy hauler for more than half the price and tons more room. I can't wait to go out and use it. It is fabulous!

***I do have to take Caleb to the orthodontist because he has an under bite and his front top teeth are getting beaten up by the front bottom teeth. But we had anticipated this and so we will finally be using some of the money we saved up for braces for our kids. So not bad news necessarily, just news! Caleb is not happy about getting braces. But he will get over it when he can have multi-colored rubber bands on his braces. That's the part he keeps talking about.***

I'm very grateful...

This is a phrase that I have been using a lot lately. Because I have a roof over my head. Because my husband is still working even though construction is frustratingly slow. Because my kids are healthy and happy. I'm so grateful for the little things in my life. I'm grateful that I listened to that still, small voice about getting my food storage stocked.

I'm going to keep trying to stay positive about everything because I have to. It is the only way I can think these days. Because I know that our great country will get through this.

Things to be grateful for (other than the things listed above, LOL)

~Gas prices! Yay! So much cheaper. Its nice when your fuel bill is cut in half. We own several work trucks for our landscaping business so this is something that eases our stress. And I'm sure its easing the stress for everyone else too!

~Good friends. Anytime I need to whine, I'm so grateful to those friends who listen and tell me everything is going to be fine. They always cheer me up and help me to see the positive side to every situation. They even tell me when I am wrong and I appreciate their honesty! You guys rock!

~The holiday season. I. LOVE. IT! I love Thanksgiving with all my family just there, with no where else to be. I love the turkey and the plans of what to cook with it after. I love when I feel the spirit of Christmas hit. I love the music, the lights, the decorations. It really is the most wonderful time of the year!

~OK this might sound lame but I'm grateful for online shopping. I love being able to price shop without leaving the house. Plus, I have gotten some killer deals on Christmas presents and they even shipped them for free!

~I'm grateful that my mom and step dad can fly out for Christmas this year. Its going to be a quick visit but I'm so thrilled that they are coming out!

~My kind neighbors who have made us feel welcome when other neighbors were literally complaining about us nonstop for B.S. reasons (really long story.) You are one of the reasons we aren't going anywhere. Our house will be off the market at the end of this year. Thank you for those who stopped by and stood up for us, you will never know how much that has meant to us.

~Those friends that I don't talk to very often but when I call them, its like we just talked yesterday. I'm so glad that we are friends and I'm looking forward to the days when we can see each other more often.

~Blogging. Even though I don't do it even as often as I like, I'm so glad that I can have a record of the things that our family is doing because I would hate to forget these years with them.

I hope that everyone who reads this can take the time to think of all the things that they are grateful for in their lives. It has helped me with that being sucked into a "black hole" perception that is everywhere these days.

I feel like I just wrote a talk for Church! LOL But its what I'm feeling and I'm sure someday I will be able to look back and be grateful that I took the time to write this.