Be thankful...day 10

"Be thankful when you are tired and weary because it means you've made a difference." (Source unknown.)

I saw this quote at Michelle's violin teacher's house, and by Thursday, I am always tired and often weary, so it struck me. I am not certain that being tired and weary ALWAYS means you are making a difference, but I hope that often it does. So today, I am thankful for being tired and weary regularly. I believe I am making a difference in the lives of the students I teach. I know I am making a difference for my own children. I hope, in some small way, I am making a difference in the lives of the women in my ward. I still truly believe that whatever service or help I provide, I am so richly blessed and learn and benefit so much more than those I serve. I have had this calling for nearly a year now, and it has changed me. So today I give thanks for my tiredness and weariness.

Gratitude Day 9

Today I am thankful for music. I am thankful for the role music plays in my life and in my family member's lives. I am not very musically inclined, but I am very thankful that we have had the means to provide our children with music lessons. Michelle loves and is gaining more confidence in the violin. She is so excited because this past week she moved up to a 1/2 violin size and her new violin is a bit nicer and has a bit better sound. She also gets to play a special part in her Christmas concert at school. I am so happy to see how much she is enjoying the violin.

Both Ella and Michelle are improving on the piano as well. They have worked hard to prepare for their piano recital.

They both have wonderful teachers that not only teach them music, but two women who are positive role models and wonderful examples of Christlike women who serve and bless others through their music and through the way they live their lives. I am so thankful for both Linda and Jami and the influence they have on my children. I am grateful that they have teachers who I am happy to have them emulate.

Music brings beauty to our home. It is teaching my children responsibility and time management. It is helping them develop talents....talents that they will be able to use to bless their lives but also the lives of others.

Music is also a great teaching tool. I have noticed that many of my students and also my own children remember things better if I can teach it with a song.

Music can invite the spirit. Music can help us feel closer to our Father in Heaven. It is no accident that our church meetings begin and end with songs.

Michelle's violin concert was wonderful. I blogged about it here.

Michelle and Ella had a piano recital last night. It was held in the chapel at the stake center. Michelle played Minuet in G by Bach and Clair de Lune by Debussy. She got a bit nervous and made some mistakes on the Minuet, but she kept going and didn't get too flustered, so I was proud of her. She played Clair de Lune beautifully. Ella played Sonata Theme by Mozart and Distant Bells by Louis Streabogg. Both songs were challenging for her, but she did so well! She really shined up there. I was so happy for her. I am proud of them both.

I also loved the KitKat piano keys that Jami made as a refreshment. So cute!
Girls after piano recital

Nearly a month ago, Alfredo and I attended the Josh Groban concert. It was my birthday gift to him. We were supposed to have nose bleed seats, but when we arrived, we were reassigned. We ended up on the floor, on the 20th row. It was amazing. His violinist was incredible and we kept wishing Michelle could see and hear him. Josh Groban was funny and entertaining and he sang beautifully. It was so fun to be there together. Our photos weren't great...taken on Alfredo's cell, but oh, we had a great time. So thankful for wonderful music.

Thankful...Day 8

I saw this awesome quote on Pinterest. "Thanksgiving is a day, thanksliving is a lifestyle." I know that I am happier when I count my blessings and focus on all that I have than when I focus on what I want. I want to make thanksliving part of my lifestyle.

Today I am thankful for sleep. I came home from work early today and I was exhausted. Gabby and I put on a movie and I took a nap for almost an hour. I felt so much better after getting some rest. I am thankful for my sweet children that let me sleep for a little while.

Thankful...Day 7

May you always be blessed
With walls for the wind
A roof for the rain
A warm cup of tea by the fire.
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all that your heart may desire.

--Irish Blessing

I saw this and thought it was beautiful...and a great reminder of how very blessed I am...to have all that I need and much of what I want. To be surrounded by people I love. To have a wonderful home. To be happy. I am so blessed.

Thankful...Day 6

Anyone who knows me will not be in the least bit surprised about what I am grateful for today. I am thankful for books. I love books for so many reasons. Some of these reasons are listed below, in no particular order.

Some books help me to really recognize and appreciate how many blessings I have living in this land of freedom with relative wealth. Some books teach me how to do things such as be a better parent. Some books help me learn about history, science, geography, cultures or other topics.

Reading helps me connect with my children. We listen to books on CD together on the relatively long car ride to and from school each day. I read to them most nights before bed. Michelle is reading some fifth grade level books in Spanish this year, and it is challenging for her. So often I read the book in English and she reads it in Spanish and we talk about it.

Reading holds many pleasant memories for me from throughout my life, including with my parents and sisters growing up.

One of my favorite parts of being a teacher is reading aloud to my students and watching them learn to read better and catch an excitement for reading.

Reading has helped me develop friendships. I am in a book club and have come to really love the other women in my book club, and our shared reading as well as our shared lives have been a blessing to me. In addition, I have made online friends on Goodreads that I have never met but that I still feel a connection to.

But perhaps, the reason I am most thankful for reading is that after a long day of being a full time teacher, a mom, a wife, a friend, and a Relief Society President, reading gives me a chance to unwind, relax and energize myself. It allows me to refocus so that I can do it all again tomorrow, usually fairly happily.

And most importantly, in the eternal scheme of things, some books (and I think in many ways, most books I read even though not religious in nature) help me increase my love for the Savior and help me strengthen my testimony.
After all, Alma 30:44 says, "But Alma said unto him: Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." All things denote there is a God. Including good books.

I am a bit obessed with them...so here's the stack of books I am reading/listening to either by myself or with my children. (And this doesn't include the picture books I read to Gabby daily and often to the other girls as well.)

Thankful...Day 5

I am thankful for hot chocolate. I love hot chocolate. I like it all year round (and I like ice cream all year round..I kind of alternate between the two...one day I'll have a cup of hot chocolate and the next I'll have a bowl of ice cream).

As I've gotten older, I have gotten a bit pickier about my hot chocolate. I will drink any kind, especially if it has whipped cream in it. However, I have a favorite. I buy it just for myself. I like Stevens brand Hazelnut flavor hot chocolate. I buy the big containers of plain or mint hot chocolate for my children, but the Hazelnut is just for me. Yum! Absolutely love it!

Halloween

In past years, the girls have not been able to dress up in their costumes for school. But this year, they were. That made Halloween extra fun and special for them. Ella even got her dad to paint her face.

They had parties at school and had a lot of fun. Gabby was a bit annoyed, though, because she was dressed as Cleo DeNile from Monster High and she said that all day kids asked her what she was.

That evening, after violin lessons, we hurried home and got ready to go trick-or-treating. We met up with friends to trick-or-treat together.

Of course, we had to visit the two best houses in our neighborhood. The Gustafson's had their annual spook alley which Ella and Michelle both went through. I was proud of Ella because she doesn't like to be scared, and so I was surprised she went through, but she did. And the Gustafsons were serving cotton candy on glow sticks. So. Very. Cool. (I personally don't like cotton candy, so I passed on that, but they are still so very cool.) I absolutely love my neighborhood. In fact, that could easily count as today's gratitude idea...but I already wrote about missionary work...and I kind of already wrote about my neighborhood (my ward) on Friday. Then we visited lots of other homes on our way to the Kings. The Kings have scones and hot chocolate each year. Our very favorite stop. In fact, I think Gabby could ALMOST go without trick or treating if we just went to the Kings. Yum!

Somehow this was one of the best, perhaps the best, Halloween yet. It was the first time in a decade that I haven't pushed a stroller...okay, so really, it was the first time since I was a kid and went trick-or-treating as a child that I wasn't pushing a stroller. The weather was a tiny bit chilly, but it wasn't snowing or raining or absolutely freezing.

And I had a great day at school. Most of my students dressed up. We had a parade around the school, and my students and so many others were just darling. We did Halloween activities, wrote Halloween stories, watched It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. My favorite part was I turned on Halloween music during the party and many of the kids got up and danced. I don't have a Halloween CD, so I just went to Youtube and chose Halloween songs to listen to and we even watched a couple of the videos that were cute like Monster Mash and 5 Litlte Pumpkins. The kids worked and played and danced and told me I was the best teacher ever. It was a great day.