Thanksgiving

Today I thought I'd post some of the things I'm thankful for. When you take a step back to look at your blessings, you realize how very abundant they are. So, without further ado...

I am thankful for:

Jared - truly the world's best husband. I don't think there are many men out there who would be willing to go to work all day, then come home and cook, take care of kids, take care of a pregnant wife on bedrest, keep the house clean, and still be happy. And he did this for two pregnancies in a row! Jared is truly an example to me. He is so thoughtful and caring. He has so much faith and is so strong. He treats me like a queen. I appreciate his ability to make us all smile and keep a happy and light atmosphere in our home. Hopefully someday I can be a little more like him.

Emily - she taught me how to be a mom. She has a very special place in my heart because she introduced me to the wonderful world of motherhood. I am amazed that she is so full of life and vigor. She is creative and adventurous. She is a great example of strength and persistence. She is soooo helpful, sometimes at the expense of her own enjoyment. She knows how to just enjoy life.

Josh - he keeps me laughing. You never know what he may say or do to make us burst into laughter. He is a sweet and tender person, and he reminds me frequently how important hugs are. He is so kind and loving to everyone. He is very good at doing what I ask the first time I ask. He is a real man in the making.

Rachel - she truly is the sweetest and most easy-going person I know. She is a daily reminder of God's hand in our lives. I will always look at her know that my happiness and well-being are important to Heavenly Father.

Caleb -just a bundle of sweetness! I have to admit - the dimples get me every time! He is a sweet reminder of faith and trust in God's plan, not mine. I can't imagine life without him!

Parents - I am lucky enough to have been taught and raised well. Even though my dad has passed on, I feel and see his goodness. And I am lucky enough to have my mom close enough to continue to experience her goodness. I'm also lucky to have a wonderful set of in-law parents who are great examples.

Health - even though I struggle in this area, I look at others and realize that my situation isn't so bad. It helps me get through those days when I feel just lousy. And I'm so thankful for every day that one of our kids isn't sick!

Not being pregnant this year!!! Don't get me wrong -I love each of my children dearly. But I'm so glad I can actually ENJOY the Thanksgiving meal this year!

Our home - we are so blessed to have such abundant space, and now we have the basement finished too! I wonder how people managed to live in such small homes and not kill each other?!?

Jared has a great job

We have 2 vehicles to get us where we need to go

The gospel - the older I get, the more I treasure my membership in the church and the blessings that come with it. I don't know how people make it through this life and all of its difficulties without the perspective and peace of the gospel. How blessed I am to know of my Savior and to have the gift of His atonement.

Spring - I love this season because it reminds me that there's always something good and beautiful just around the corner. You can't beat the beauty and freshness of newly blooming tulips, greening grass, and sunshine.

I could keep going, but at the risk of completely boring anyone reading this, I'll stop. I am truly blessed! I'm so thankful to know that I am a child of God and that He loves and cares enough about me to give me all these wonderful things that I truly don't deserve.

Flashback Friday

Today it's all about family. And we're not flashing back very far - just a little more than a month ago. I LOVE MY FAMILY!! Each of my kids is so special and so unique. I am so blessed and consider myself the luckiest woman on the planet!! Nothing in this world could make me happier than the four little bees buzzing around our house, and the man who glues us all together. It just doesn't get any better than this!

I LOVE YOU Jared, Emily, Josh, Rachel and Caleb! You are all my heroes.

5 Dollar Foot Long!

You know that unforgettable and highly annoying song on the Subway ads for their 5 dollar foot longs? We were doing some errands earlier today when the song came on the radio. Emily and Josh picked right up on it and started singing their own version, with harmony and everything. I was laughing so hard my cheeks hurt! Emily understands harmony a little more, so she was trying to get Josh to just stay on 1 note for the whole song. He did a great job until he got to the very last note, and then he changed his pitch to match Emily. She kept saying, "No!! You need to stay on this note, like this," and then she'd sing it for him. So Josh would do his part again, perfect until the last note, and the whole cycle started over. Jared and I could hardly keep our composure - it was seriously a music teacher's worst nightmare! But so cute at the same time.
So thank you Subway. I hate your ads, but they've helped to create a memory that will make me smile whenever I hear them.
Oh, and please accept my sincere apology if the song is in your head the rest of the day!

Baptism Day

Emily was baptized on Saturday, November 1, 2008. What a special day! All the milestones in life just keep getting better and better. Here is a picture of Emily in her beautiful dress after the services. Doesn't she look so perfect?!?!

Emily was baptized and confirmed by Jared, and it was in the very same building where he was baptized! That made the day even more special. We had lots of visitors - Grandma and Grandpa Ripplinger, Grandma Larsen, Uncle Eric, Aunt Stacie, Uncle James and Aunt Mindi, Uncle Jake and Aunt Darcy, and all the cousins, even brand new baby Brady. Emily said of her baptism, "I am happy and feel good inside that I got baptized." We are so happy for her too. The journey officially begins!

Here is a picture of our cute family.

Families are one of the best parts of the gospel. We are so thankful for ours, and so thankful that Emily made the decision to follow the Savior.

Now...notice Rachel in the picture above, wearing the same dress as Emily in the previous post. Unbelievable!!

Double Take!

Can you identify the children in this picture??

The answer is, of course, Emily and Joshua. Emily was 2 and Josh was about 3 months. I had to do a double take myself - almost unbelievable!! I think we've got the mold down! I will post current pictures in the coming days as proof. I think you'll be completely shocked too!