Books

I've been on a reading kick lately. I've plowed through most everything that Issac Asimov wrote, and I'm working my way through Ian M. Banks, Harry Harrison, Neil Gaiman, C.S. Lewis, Philip K. Dick, Orson Scott Card  and a bunch of other lesser known Sci-Fi and Fantasy writers. It's so much fun to see the imagination of others at work. It's even more fun seeing the older works by authors like Asimov and Harrison and how they saw the future from the emerging technological world of the 50s and 60s. Great fun that.

I get a lot of enjoyment out of reading these types of books and it is always good to spend a quiet hour or two just letting my mind run away with the visions of what I read.

I'm grateful that there are creative people out there who want to share their talents.

Still thinking about the Atonement

After the experiences of yesterday, I find I am still quite caught up in thinking about the Atonement and our need for a Savior. Today, however, rather than focusing on our desperate need for an avenue to repent of our mistakes, I am more closely reminded of the healing and help that can come through applying the Atonement in our lives. It is a gift that gives so much vitality and support...and something I'm still learning about every day.

Can you ever express enough gratitude for such a gift?

The Atonement

At the end of a very, very long Sunday....all I really have to say is that I am continually reminded how grateful I am for a Savior and all of the myriad blessings that flow from the supernal gift of the Atonement.

There isn't anything more I could say that would have any more meaning.

Getting into shape

This coming summer Caleb and I will go backpacking at Philmont scout ranch. 10 days of backpacking where we'll cover a minimum of 50 miles, and potentially quite a bit more. I'm very excited....and very out of shape for it. Oh, I'm in pretty good physical shape. I work out every day (except Sunday) and I keep myself pretty fit....but I'm certainly not in the kind of shape I know I'll have to be in to be able to do that kind of backpacking and not feel like I'd like to die at the end of each day. It's a different type of exercise and a different type of shape you need to be in.

So, I've been slowly working my way into the kind of physical shape I know I need to be in. One of the activities I've been doing is running, specifically with the intent of trail-running. I don't get to do it more than once a week, but the rest of the days I spend in training for my Saturday trail runs. Today was a big milestone for me. It sounds silly, but I finally have gotten my legs into enough shape that I was able to run down the mountain. Usually I run up, then walk down; going down is much harder on your legs than going up. Up is more tiring but down is more wear and tear. But, today I ran down and was able to maintain a decent pace (actually, a pretty solid pace) and do it pain free.

So, today I'm grateful that my old, rapidly decaying body still has something left in the tank. I'm also grateful that I've had the wisdom to continue to take things slow and not expect too much. A good day overall.

Relaxing

Tonight we didn't have a lot to do. Nowhere that we needed to be tomorrow, nothing pressing on our weekend schedule. So what did we do? Not much. We sat in bed and watched a couple of movies....and we were both totally okay with that.

Today I'm grateful for the small moments of respite, when we can just decide to do nothing....and feel good about it.

Music in my life

I sing with a college choir out of MCC. It is one of the things I really enjoy. Tonight I was reminded of one of the reasons why I enjoy it. The details are unimportant, but it was re-emphasized to me how much passion and love for music the people around me in the choir have. From the director to all the voices, there is a great love of music and a desire to do our best as a group...it's really quite amazing. It can lead to some tense moments, some disagreements, and even hurt feelings, but it all stems from a desire to make something beautiful and from a deep passion for music.

For all the difficult moments, the end results are truly rewarding and I'm grateful that I get a chance to associate with such wonderful musicians.

I'm grateful....really, I am

Today, I did not have fun. I went to the "lab" to get some blood drawn for some bloodwork that needs to be done prior to my annual appointment with my nephrologist. I also have a bit of "bio-measurement" test that I'm supposed to do for my health insurance that is also supposed to be done at the same lab, so, why not kill two birds with one stone? I head over to the lab near my house that I normally go to (which was also listed by my health insurance company as one of the labs that does the measurement stuff they require), but they inform me they can only do the bloodwork, but not the measurement stuff - I have to go to another site for that. So, after I get stuck and they drain me of 3 vials of blood, I head for another location where I can get the health insurance stuff done.

After they take me back, I find out that they need to take blood as well for a cholesterol test. Fantastic. Now I get to be stuck a 2nd time. If I had know that I would have just gone to that location first. Oh well, that's why I have two arms. So, they measure me up (6' 4", 215 lbs) and then the nurse proceeds to stick my other arm, and promptly misses the vein (which I warned her about BTW - but they never believe me). So, then they call in the site expert and he decides to stick me again in the first arm that got stuck and just pick a different vein. So, now I have 3 new holes in my arm and I'm a bit peeved at phlebotamists in general.

Side note - this is not unusual. When I had my shoulder surgery they stuck me 9 times in different places trying to find a vein, then the IV came out when they moved me to the surgery table and had to stick me AGAIN. So, not only was I jacked up from the surgery, but I had 4 huge bruises on my hands, forearms and the crook of my arm from where they had failed to stick a vein.

HOWEVER....all that being said....I am still grateful for modern medicine. I would be in a lot worse shape than I am if it wasn't for competent doctors that have been able to keep me functioning in what resembles a reasonably healthy human shell. My family has also benefited immensely from having modern medicine inflicted on us. I kid, but really, even the bad experiences I had today remind me that for all the bad experiences, there are about as many miraculous things (can you use that word to describe the outcome of science and research?) that have been provided by the dedicated practitioners of the medical profession.

Jealousy and pride

Caleb and I went on a short hike today. When I was younger I would go to Squaw Peak and run up and then back down, my goal being to never have anyone pass me either up or down. There were only a couple of people that I ever ran into that could beat me. I did it all the time and it was a lot of fun, but I haven't really climbed Squaw Peak for years. So...today I took him down there to see how it would go. 

Dude beat me up to the top (easily) and then back down (easily). 

I wasn't terribly surprised, I kind of expected it, but there was a certain amount of jealousy that he could move better and faster than me now, although he still has a ways to go before he can match what I was able to do at my peak. I wish I could still move like that, but I'm too old and broken down. So there is the jealousy. At the same time....man that kid makes me proud. It's so much fun to watch him get bigger and stronger. I know he's going to surpass me in every way eventually, and I couldn't be happier about it. 

But that doesn't mean I don't get to complain about it.

Today I'm grateful for a son who makes my life more interesting.

Singing hymns

I love singing songs of worship. I love singing in general, but there is just a little something extra when the songs I sing involve praises to the Lord. There are a lot of hymns that I enjoy singing, but one of my favorites is "Where Can I Turn For Peace" - it was the message of that hymn that helped me most in my tie of need. Beyond that, when you sing about the things that are most meaningful to you can access an extra layer of emotion that can make your singing just that much better.

While I'm grateful for my talent and love of singing, I'm especially grateful that there are so many wonderful songs of praise that allow me to worship through music.

Time out for women

My wife got to go to Time Out For Women yesterday evening and today. I love the fact that she has these kinds of opportunities to go and be spiritually fed. I love the fact that she wants to have these kinds of opportunities. She comes back so excited and the time we spend together talking about what her thoughts were during the meetings is a really good time.

Today I'm grateful for a good wife who loves the Lord. That's a true blessing.

Fun with my favorite little girl

Tonight I got to go on a daddy-daughter date with my favorite little girl, Sabrina. She's been bugging me about it for a while, and I figured it was high time to have another one.

First we went to dinner. I asked her what she wanted and she said Chick-fil-A...not the most special of locations, but, what the heck. Then we went down to the animal adoption shop in the mall and played with a kitten there named Lance. Sabrina could not get enough. We were in that little room with the cat for a good 30 minutes. She tried to start crying as we left without adopting the cat (yea, right...like we were going to adopt it!), but I nipped that in the bud pretty quickly and no tears were shed.

We then went to Dillards and swung by the cosmetics section where Lisa Cullimore was nice enough to not only put some light make-up on her (lip gloss, light blush, and light eye-shadow) but also to give her a little gift box of perfume and lip gloss (Thanks, Lisa!). We then went over to all the fancy little-girl's dresses and picked one out that she liked and went to try it on. We took a picture and sent it to mommy.

She was in heaven the whole time. In fact, when she got home I told her to go run and take a shower before bed, and while she was showering Gavin went in to brush his teeth, she did nothing but chat at him in pretty excruciating detail about every little thing she did that night, and at one point even exclaimed "I was in heaven all night!" That is never a bad thing to hear.

Anyway, I'm very grateful that I have a daughter that loves me and still wants to hang out with me.

That's pretty darned cool.

Surprising opportunities

Tonight at my choir we were talking about auditions for an upcoming performance of a requiem from Mozart. Apparently not many people are trying out for the bass solo part. I have been thinking about it, and now I'm thinking I'll actually audition for the part. Even after years of study and practice I still have a fairly large amount of fear of singing solo in public. In a choir, not a problem. Solo - still pants-wettingly terrified.

However, I know I have been blessed with a talent and I haven't made the most of it in a long time, so I'm going to go ahead and put my terrified britches on the line and give it a shot.

So, oddly enough, I'm grateful today for opportunities to scare the heebie-jeebies out of me.

It's good to get out of your comfort zone....or so I'm told anyway.

Working with the young women

There are many things that I do in the church that provide a lot of joy and satisfaction. I won't provide a comprehensive list, suffice it to say that right near the top of the list is working with the young women. The young women in our ward are truly exceptional. There is a wonderful spirituality and willingness to serve. They are the type of young women that I want my daughter to watch and emulate, and I can think of no greater compliment. They are wonderful daughters of God.

Boy am I grateful that I get to work with them.

The ability to work

Sitting here thinking about what I'm grateful for can sometimes surprise me. Today is one of those times. I don't often think about my work as a great blessing. Oh, sure, there are some great aspects of my jobs that are blessings, for example, being able to work from home is at the top of that list. However, I rarely appreciate just how much of a blessing it is to actually be able to work and to have a job that provides what we need. Not a lot extra, but enough, and that's just fine.

So, amid all the other things that are fairly constant in my life, and as much as I might not enjoy every moment I spend working, I'm still very grateful for my jobs.

Awesome kids

Sabrina is quite the kid. She told me yesterday that she wanted to give the lesson for FHE. She does this on a fairly regular basis, she gets so excited about what she learns in primary and just needs to share. So, we invited some friends over for dinner and then had our FHE. Her lesson was on testimony; she had an object lesson as well - it was pretty dang cute. It was also extremely gratifying to see my 7 yr old daughter having such a love for the gospel. It is so much fun to see their excitement and their love of sharing with others.

So, yep...I'm grateful for my daughter. She's a great little gal with a bright future.

Sundays are always good

So, here was the schedule: 6:30 bishopric meeting, 8:30 church, 12:00 ward council, 1:00 count tithes and offerings, 1:30 BYC, 2:00 head home (briefly) and give the wife a kiss, 2:30 choir practice, 3:00 change clothes and chat with the kids a little, 3:30 start dinner, 4:00 eat dinner, 5:00 play "Mexican train" with the kids and convince Caleb to make snickerdoodles, 5:30 call a friend to borrow some brown sugar because we don't have enough, 6:00 help Caleb make the cookies while the kids start getting ready for bed. 6:30 eat some cookies, 7:00 take a plate over to the friends as a thanks for loaning the sugar, 8:00 come home and sit down to finish a few things on the computer and write this post, 9:00 crawl into bed and watch a little TV with the wife, 10:00 (or thereabouts)...sleep.

Now, that might sound like a long day, and in many ways it is. But it is also a great day. During all of those activities I get to be with wonderful people (friends and family) doing wonderful things (generally spiritual) and mostly just enjoying a day unlike any other.

So, yes, I'm grateful for Sundays. They're my favorite day.

A good kid

We got to watch Caleb play with his volleyball club today, they didn't win much, but they are still learning. It got me thinking about the fact that he's really a good kid. Together we go hiking, we geek out on cars, we enjoy games (video and board). He's essentially a mini-me....and I love it. It's good to have a son that isn't just your son, but also your friend. I'll share more specific stories at another time, but for now, I just need to express the gratitude I have for having Caleb as my son.

Grateful for a patient wife

It seems that November is a month when a lot of people choose to express their gratitude. With all of my inconsistencies of late, why not jump on board the bandwagon. With a bunch of other people posting daily, it will serve as a good reminder to me to not be quite so lazy about it myself.

Let's do this.

Today I am grateful for my wife. But not just for any reason, and not a reason that you would find typical. Let me explain. My wife loves me and she loves our kids. She also wants to make sure that I have good relationships with all of our kids. She knows that I have difficulties occasionally and knows exactly what those difficulties are, but here's the thing: she never harps on me about it. Every once in a while, if we're talking together about difficult things and she can tell that I'm open to it, she'll mention something. Never in a blaming or accusatory way, but in a "this is what you do" kind of a way. She is very careful and knows that if she were to jump on me all the time it would only cause anger and hard feelings. So, very patiently and very carefully she has tried to help me see where I can improve.

Over the last week or so I have come to realize just how patient and careful she is. I have finally begun to notice for myself what she has been talking to me and warning me about. This is where she's been trying to get me for years, but she knew I'd have to get there on my own if I was going to stand a chance of making a change. I now see very clearly where my shortcomings lie and what their effect has been. I have no idea how to fix them, I have no idea how to go about changing the habits of a lifetime, but I'm now in a place where I realize that I must change. I'm ready to try anything, to get whatever help I need.

So, thank you, my dear, sweet, patient, loving wife. I don't know why you put up with me, I will never really understand how you are able to be so patient with me...but I'm inexpressibly grateful for your love and your patience.

The wisdom of others

This past weekend was General Conference for the LDS church. It was excellent as always to listen to the general authorities, apostles and first presidency address us. You can learn quite a bit listening to them if you are paying attention. I'm formulating some more extensive thoughts about some aspects of events surrounding GC, but for now I would simply like to express my gratitude for the careful thought and inspiration that is dedicated by so many wise and learned men as they prepare their messages for us. I have learned much (as I always do) and am grateful for the opportunity to learn more.

Remembering the past

After reading recent posts, it shouldn't be hard to figure out that I've been feeling not quite up to par spiritually for some time now. However, quite unexpectedly, this blog has provided me with a rather clear manifestation of the workings of God in my life.

Last week my sister Laura sent me an e-mail. It seems she was preparing for a lesson she was going to teach in Relief Society about temple work. She had read some of the posts on this blog and remembered a short tribute I wrote to my Grandpa Miller. She wanted me to send her the link to my blog so she could find that post as I had expressed some of the feelings and memories that we apparently shared, but felt that I had expressed them in a way that she could not. I forwarded her the link and didn't really think much of it. 

Fast forward about a week, and this morning my mom called and wanted to thank me for writing the post. She was in tears as she recounted how grateful she was for what I had written and how grateful she was to now know, because she had never realized before, how great an impact her father had on my life.

What in the heck was going on here? I remember having written the post, but didn't remember much about the specific content - it simply cannot have been that good. So, it was time to find the post and re-read it. It turns out it was the first post I wrote for this blog, and you know what? It was pretty good. More importantly, it meant something to me again. Re-reading the post I was able to remember why I wrote it and what I felt when I wrote it and to feel again those same memories that mean so much to me. I could instantly feel and see the hand of the Lord - he knew my struggles, knew my weakness and helped to transport my mind back to times of strength. He had brought back precious memories of strong examples of faith and service and remembered experiences of joyful relationships strengthened by shared love of the Lord. 

Living in the immediate present can be wonderful at times: paying attention and being mindful of what is around you and those you love, but the past can be a powerful tool and we forget it at our peril. I am grateful to the Lord for the gift of the Spirit which can "bring all things to your remembrance" (John 14:26) and has brought these precious memories and feelings back to my heart.

Righting the ship

In the last few months I've been struggling quite a bit with being consistent in my daily routine of faith. I have pondered over the reasons for why it has been so difficult. I'm not claiming a crisis of faith or a lack of belief, I'm merely saying that I haven't felt a real need to engage in all the daily acts of faith that should accompany a life of devotion to God.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that my conclusion is that I simply need to be more grateful in recognizing the source of my blessings. Oh, I know all of that already and I recognize it readily, but I need to make that gratitude more deeply felt and more personally expressed. If others are struggling in the same way, this may or may not be an answer that fits your needs, but it works for me.

To that end I have also begun thinking about this blog. As originally intended I was planning on following the model set forth by President Eyring in his conference address ("O Remember, Remember" - General Conference, Oct. 2007), wherein this blog would be a record of how I had seen the hand of the Lord in my life or the life of my family. Initially it began that way but quickly morphed into a record of simple gratitude for things that were meaningful to me. I was pleased to be able to record those feelings, and I don't believe that a gratitude journal is anything other than a very good thing and a worthy endeavor, but for me....it apparently wasn't enough.

For this blog to have meaning for me it needs to focus my attention and my thoughts in another direction. I need to not be simply grateful for what I have (although that helps), I need to actively seek out and recognize the moments when I receive blessings from the Lord in whatever form they take.

The explanation for why this is necessary in my life is fairly basic: I am independent. I don't like relying on the service or help of others, I feel like I can do it all myself using my own industry and intelligence. I don't like feeling that I need to rely on anyone else. Some might consider this a strength, but I have found that the more I swing over to the "independence" side of my personality, the less I like who I become. As I am able to allow the help and love of other people into my life, the opposite effect occurs and I enjoy who I have become.

It's a terrible catch 22: be myself, and feel strong but unhappy, or reject my innate tendencies and feel vulnerable but happy.

So, while my posts may not be consistent yet in frequency, I will be dedicating them to be more consistent thematically, and hopefully I can return to being a less independent, but happier, individual.

Great weekend

Jared and I had the opportunity to take Caleb up to Utah this past weekend to General Conference and to tour around the church sites there. It was such a fun weekend. Jared and Caleb were able to go to the Priesthood session of G.C. on Saturday night with Brad, Noah and cousin Jared. They had a wonderful time and I think it was really neat for Caleb to be in the conference center with 21,000 men and boys listening to the prophet and apostles. On Sunday, Jared, Caleb and I were able to go to the afternoon session of conference. I loved being there and especially feeling the strong spirit as the audience went completely silent in under 2 minutes as the prophet walked into the conference center to begin the session. How wonderful it is to be gathered with so many other saints and know that we all have the same goal of trying to be like Jesus and learning how to together. I find it interesting that after having this wonderful experience over the weekend, I come home and have to read such negative things about some things that were said by my prophet. I respect everyone's right to choose to believe what they want and to find their own journey in life. I feel as if I am a kind, tolerant person, but sometimes it is hard to not feel hurt and want to lash out by things that are said - especially by someone that until only recently believed as I did. Now, this blog is for the opportunity to express my gratefulness, not to complain about things I really don't understand. So, with all this being said, I am truly grateful for a living prophet. I know that even though I struggle, I can follow his guidance and council and find more peace and happiness than the world could ever give me. I know that as I continue to struggle through my life and through the challenges that I face each day, I can turn to a loving Heavenly Father and feel comforted and feel peace and find direction. Looking to worldly things will never bring me the happiness and joy and peace that following the Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring. I will not let Satan lead me astray.

Place to ponder

I find that when I really need somewhere to go and think and be alone, I end up at Samantha's grave. It gives me peace, quiet and I feel close to her and the spirit there. I went there today and wrote in my journal and pondered the things I need to change in my life and what direction I wanted my life to go. I did not come home with all the answers - which I usually don't, but I came home with a feeling of gratitude that I have this special place to go to. I am grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who allows me to still feel close to my daughter when I really need it. That is such a huge blessing in my life.

Consistency is the thing

Okay, so, I haven't been doing so well with being consistent on this blog. I know I want it to be a daily thing for me, and I know that it should be a daily thing, I just have difficulty some days in finding the willpower to sit down and get it done.

My life is full of unnecessary habits. Better described as "things I do that take away from other things that should be a priority and make me a better person." Habits that are easy and entertaining, but ultimately unfulfilling. This is, or course, the worst place to be. Not really doing anything wrong which would trigger a more drastic reaction, just a bunch of little things that are easy to live with that take up time.

So, with the little pity party I've just written, what could I find in my life that I can be thankful for? Therein lies the heart of the problem: I get so caught up in ignoring the things that matter that I have difficulty recognizing the real blessings that operate in my life.

I will not print any meaningless resolutions or heady revelations or promises. Instead, I will simply say that I am grateful that I have a loving Heavenly Father who still blesses me with a spirit of kindness and awareness of who I am. I still know that this is not who I am, and that I can get back to a state of clarity and happiness. I'm grateful that I still have the ability to change and the knowledge that I can.

Good Friends

Just waiting to go out with my great friend - Tiffany. She is moving to Utah in the next couple of days and I am extremely sad. I hate that she is going, but I know this is what is best for her family. I hate saying goodbye to my friends. I don't do it well. I wish I never had too. 3 years ago, I had to say goodbye to Alisha and it took me a long time to get over that. So, I assume it will take me a long time to get over Tiffany going. But, having said all of that, I am so grateful for wonderful friends that teach me, listen to me, share in my life and love me for who I am. Alisha and Tiffany have blessed my life in so many ways over the past 6-8 years. They have laughed with me, cried with me, counsiled me, served me and generally loved me. I have learned how to be a better friend, wife, mother, and person because of their examples. I will never forget them in my life and I thank my Heavenly Father for the blessing of associating with them. Good luck in your new adventure Tiffany. I will miss you terribly, but am so happy that you have gotten what you truly want and deserve!

Recognition is nice

While on a business call today I had someone give me some very solid but unexpected recognition. I had worked on a project that was somewhat unusual and had to really work hard to get even minor ideas of mine passed through. The perception from many was that my influence and effect on the project was minimal. 

However, in the call today we were re-visiting the project and my partner basically said that my efforts were largely underestimated and that they were critical to their success and something that they all found invaluable. 

It was unexpected, and came at just the time when I needed it to boost my mood and morale. 

A little inspiration

Today my wife left for Las Vegas to help out her sister do some painting and decorating of her house. She took Sabrina with her which left me with my two boys. This could have been a bad idea.

For those that aren't aware, my son Gavin and I have our issues. He is a loving and very intelligent child, but he has some obsessive compulsive issues that create a lot of stress in our relationship. I don't understand how he makes decisions or how he interprets the input from his environment, and often his reactions seem specifically targeted to drive me to the maximum level of crazy. Usually Marci is there to act as a buffer for me - when I reach maximum level of frustration, I can turn it over to Marci and she can take over while I cool off.

Needless to say, with Marci being gone for several days I was not looking forward to managing Gavin on my own.

However, tonight...it wasn't so bad. I had to take him with me to drop Caleb off at church for YM and then I needed to drop by Costco to grab a few things. Early on I got the impression that I should try really hard to just let Gavin be himself and not worry too much about it. As we went around Gavin continued to act in ways that would normally have driven me insane...nothing bad, just doing things that I usually consider annoying to others or unwise in public places...but I was ready to let that all slide by and just let it go. It was a surprisingly easy evening.

I'm not sure if I'd be able to manage that kind of zen every time we go out, and I had never even tried before, but it seemed to work out. Now if I can only figure out how to have the same kind of calm when there are things that are urgent or required and the resulting fallout when trying to get Gavin to go along.

The example of others

Today I have been thinking about the example of others. 

On Saturday we went to Brother (!) Killian's farm to do a photo shoot for a gal for her senior pictures. We were having fun and moving around to various locations when suddenly Bro. Killian comes out of his house in his bare feet and hands my wife a huge 9x14 tray of cinnamon rolls. No reason - he just knew we were there and wanted to give them to us. 

It might sound like a silly experience, and something quite random and small - but it is also an example of a man who has spent a lifetime learning how to be generous and kind. He just wanted to be generous and didn't hesitate to be so. He has been a marvelous example for me in many ways and it was a blessing for me to be a recipient of his personal generosity.

So...that is the end goal. To have a lifetime of serving and generosity and kindness and then to pass that along to others by way of example. That's not a bad life at all.

Amazing Man

I am so grateful for an amazing husband that indulges me in many ways and truly wants to see me happy. As Jared has mentioned in a previous post, I have been doing some work on our house. It is something that I love to do and yet, it always costs lots of money. So, when I have extra to spend (which is not often) I want to make changes to our house. Some of these projects I can do myself, but most of them I need his help with. He does not sign on for these project, but he willingly will help me. I know he sometimes grumbles inside when I start something new in anticipation of having to change his plans for a Saturday to help me finish a project, but he always makes those changes and helps me out. It is something that makes me love him even more and helps me appreciate how good he is to me. He is such a good man and I am truly blessed to have him as my husband. Thank you for giving up working out, going hiking, or just doing something that you enjoy more so that you can help me out and make me happy. All of your efforts do not go unnoticed. I love you!!

Completing projects

Every once in a while my wife decides to re-do our house. This winter/spring was one of those times. She has re-painted Sabrina's room, our room and our bathroom. She has gotten new carpet for our room and the two kids rooms. She has put a frame around our bathroom mirror, installed a new light fixture, a new towel rod and 2 new shelves in the toilet room. She has purchased new nightstands and a "bench" for our bed. We have been living in a wreck of a house for weeks now. Thankfully, today, the carpet was finally installed and we have returned most of our house back to normal.

Today, I am grateful that the number of projects we have been working on has now been reduced significantly, and the only thing we have left to do is paint the cabinets in both bathrooms (a task we will be paying someone else to do), and then paint the kid's bathroom.

The end is in sight, and I couldn't be more grateful.

Another Sunday in the books

I'm not quite sure what to be thankful for today. The day was, generally, just like any other Sabbath day...full of all that is good in life. Nothing really remarkable for me stood out, just a general sense of rightness and goodness. It is a blessing to be able to have a ward that we enjoy so much, and it is a blessing to be in a position to serve all of the fine members here. 

Seems like that's plenty of blessings to be thankful for right there.