Thanksgiving

Day 5 -

I have had a tremendously busy weekend but as one of my best friends, Kim Hansen says, "It's all good."

Yesterday afternoon we had a family work party and got the house decorated with Christmas decorations. I admit that it is a bit early for this, but my husbands mother is coming out for Thanksgiving and she LOVES Christmas with all of it's decorations, so we pulled out every decoration we own and spent hours spreading cheer through out the house. Because of the economy this year, I haven't bought one Christmas decoration for our new house, but I am amazed that I still have more than enough decorations to fill every corner.

I keep thinking of the kids in Africa and how they have nothing, yet they are so happy and content with what they have. Koins for Kenya, or rather Bret Van Leeuwen has taught me, that we are so blessed to live where we do with all of the abundant blessings we have.

Day 4 -

I am so grateful for an amazing husband. I have been so busy with book signings for "The Power Of A Penny," and my new church calling as the Young Women's president, he has had to step in and be mom and dad. If anything ever happened to me, I have no doubt he wouldn't struggle at all to fill my shoes. He cooks, cleans, and does hair better than me. What a lucky woman I am to have him in my life!

New Penny design released

The U.S. Mint released the penny design which will replace the Lincoln Memorial on the back of the penny I grew up with. It is going to have the Union Shield on it which has thirteen stripes to represent the thirteen states that came together to form the first union. I am so grateful to the people who are pushing for these new pennies as a way to remind people of our past and the history that so many fought for so we can worship and live in a free country. I am also grateful for the Pilgrams who struggled and suffered immensely to provide a better life for their families which has in turn helped me in my life!

THANKFUL

Day 8 of Thanksgiving

I missed yesterday's "day of Thanksgiving" because I was in Salt Lake all day. I had the golden opportunity to talk about my book to the Holladay Rotary club and then to listen to Bret VanLeeuwen share amazing stories about his experiences in Africa. It just fueled my desire to go to Kenya! I'm so thankful for Bret starting up Koins for Kenya. I may be small just like one penny, but when combined with many others, mighty changes can occur!

Day 7 of Thanksgiving

I sat and watched my horses this morning and I am so grateful they came into my life. My husband gave me a beautiful black and white paint for my 15th wedding anniversary four and a half years ago and since then, a dozen other horses have drifted into my life in one way or another. I feel like they are my children in a way. Each one has a different personality. Some I get along with better than others. But they have all taught me to have confidence and overcome fear. The gave me a purpose in my life to overcome doubt and dispair. Don't get me wrong, I love my three boys and husband more than life itself, but they don't depend on me to feed them everyday and provide them with water. The boys are all pretty self sufficient, but if I don't take care of the horses, no one will. Not only are they amazing to look at, I love to get a "horsey hug" when I am down. There is nothing better than putting your hands under their manes on a cold day to warm them up!

9 Days Until Thanksgiving

My husband told me about a friend of his who has been so depressed lately he can't even get out of bed. He said he told him we all feel that way sometimes...especially lately with the economy, all the evil happening in the world etc. Then he said, I think we all need to go to Kenya and try living with out electricity, running water and the comforts we enjoy to help us be grateful for what we have been blessed with. Bret VanLeeuwen, the founder of Koins for Kenya tells some amazing stories of how the people in Kenya are living without any of these comforts and it makes me appreciate all that I am so lucky to have. Yes things are tough in the world right now, but I am grateful for all of the amazing blessings I am surrounded with.

Tomorrow I will be speaking the Holladay, Utah Rotary Club about my book, "The Power Of A Penny: The Priceless Journey Of One Penny," with Bret VanLeeuwen. I am excited to hear more amazing stories that will help me realize how truely blessed I am.

More of 13 Days of Thanksgiving

It was a very busy weekend so I am behind on counting down my 13 Days of Thanksgiving. Sooo......

Day 12 of my 13 Days of Thanksgiving

At my book signing in Grand Junction, I met a very nice man named, John Lichty. He was scheduled to do a book signing at Borders right after me. He wrote a book called, "Raising Charlie," which is about his golden retriever who died from cancer. One thing I have loved about doing these book signings is that I always meet new people. Meeting new people is like adding a new spice to a favorite recipe to make it better. I am so thankful I have had the opportunity to travel and do these book signings so I can meet people that I otherwise wouldn't have had a chance to meet.

Day 11 of the 13 Days of Thanksgiving

Yesterday, I had my boys pull out my old Christmas tree and I started to decorate it with some fun ornaments my husband and I bought while we were in Grand Junction. We found them in a store in the cute downtown area of Grand Junction called, Heirlooms for Hospice. It is a very special second hand store that sells items donated from generous people. All of the money they receive goes to Hospice to help families that are dealing with a love one who is dying. It is run by volunteers and they are so happy to be there.

In years past, I have donated a decorated trees to the Festival of Trees in Salt Lake and when I moved to Vernal a few years ago, I did a tree for the "Trees for Charity" which runs as a part of the Vernal Holly Days right after Thanksgiving. Times are tough right now and I thought I couldn't afford to do a tree this year because I usually spend $800 and up to decorate. But when I found these ornaments for .50 cents and $1, I knew I had to donate a tree this year. I am so thankful for the wonderful people who donated these ornaments. I am sure when they donated them, they had no idea that not only would they be helping the Hospice people, but their generosity would also be helping a child on another continent to have clean water to drink - possibly saving their life!

Day 10 of the 13 Days of Thanksgiving

I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who places people in your life just at the right time to help you with something you need to learn. I have a son who is wondering if there really is a God and I have been struggling to help him know that God does live and loves him. Our Bishop, Steve Jones has stepped up and rather than preaching to Alex, he has made a special effort to teach by example.

The pilgrams dug more graves then they built huts when they arrived in this country but they still stopped and spent one day giving thanks to a good who helped them come here so they could worship as they desired. During this holiday season, I hope we all remember why we really celebrate Thanksgiving - and it's not just to eat turkey.

13 Days of Thanksgiving

In a recent Google quest for Thanksgiving poems for a church program I am working on, I came across a website where a lady encourages people to blog the 30 days of Thanksgiving. I am sad that I came across this seventeen days later than I did, but I am excited to blog my, "13 days of Thanksgiving."

Day 1 of Thanksgiving:
We woke up to our first real snow this morning. My husband and two older boys were so excited because they love to snowmobile. I am so grateful they are looking forward to spending time together doing something they love. I am grateful that they like to spend time with each other and that they truely love one another.

My youngest and I weren't as excited about the snow. I am more of a fair weather person, but it is beautiful!

Tomorrow I have a book signing scheduled in Grand Junction, Colorado. So, my husband and I decided to go tonight and take our boys for a little vacation. We are hoping to go see a movie, do a little Christmas shopping and enjoy each others company!

I didn't know that!

This weekend was busy as usual! We went to Salt Lake and stayed at the cabin with our neighbors the Baums. We had a little Halloween party with our kids and the next morning we went to Salt Lake so we could go to my nephew, Scott's baptism. It was so fun to be with all of my family, even if it was just for a few hours. Then we rushed home just in time for our neighborhood trunk or treat party. The weather was just perfect! Just chilly enough for a sweater but no need for gloves and a hat like in the recent years.

One of my friends was telling me that she read my book and she had another use for pennies. She said when her husband bought some flowers for her not to long ago, the florist told him to drop a few pennies into the bottom of the vase before filling it with water and the flowers. She said amazingly, it worked! Thanks for the tip Michelle!