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!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
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.
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.
Monday, November 16, 2009
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.
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.
Friday, November 13, 2009
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!
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!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
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!
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!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Abraham Lincoln's Way of Saying, "Thanks"
I received a call from the president of the Holladay, Utah Rotary club. She asked me to come speak about my book on November 18th. Because it will be right before Thanksgiving, she asked me to tie my book into Thanksgiving. I told her I would try and after I hung up the phone I laid my head on my desk and thought - how am I going to tell people to be thankful for a penny? I started Googling Thanksgiving and to my great surprise I found a way to connect it all! (I love Google!)
Did you know that the person who inspired the first American penny - also declared that the last Thursday of November would be Thanksgiving, making it a national holiday? That's right - president Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the civil war and other trials, came out with the Thanksgiving proclamation on October 3, 1863. He said people had forgotten God, who had preserved them in peace, strengthened them and given them so many blessings. He invited American citizens to solemnly, reverently and gratefully to acknowledge God with one heart and one voice with him.
I love President Lincoln. The more I learn about him, the more I am grateful for him and the courage he had to stand up and make a difference.
I definitely will look at Thanksgiving differently this year! I'm sad I won't be spending it with my extended family, but I am excited that I can start new traditions with my own little family.
Did you know that the person who inspired the first American penny - also declared that the last Thursday of November would be Thanksgiving, making it a national holiday? That's right - president Abraham Lincoln, in the midst of the civil war and other trials, came out with the Thanksgiving proclamation on October 3, 1863. He said people had forgotten God, who had preserved them in peace, strengthened them and given them so many blessings. He invited American citizens to solemnly, reverently and gratefully to acknowledge God with one heart and one voice with him.
I love President Lincoln. The more I learn about him, the more I am grateful for him and the courage he had to stand up and make a difference.
I definitely will look at Thanksgiving differently this year! I'm sad I won't be spending it with my extended family, but I am excited that I can start new traditions with my own little family.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Take a penny, leave a penny
Today was an unusual penny day. My sixteen year old son came home and handed me a penny and asked me if I had that one yet. As I looked at the shiny new Abraham Lincoln penny, I was in total shock! I asked him where he got it and he said it was in the "take a penny, leave a penny," cup sitting on the counter at 7-11 where he stopped to buy a drink earlier today. I was amazed because it was the third penny in the new series and I live in a small town where these new pennies don't just show up! When it first came out, I went on Ebay and paid $2.00 to get two of these uncirculated babies, and now one just shows up! WOW!
Earlier when I was waiting for two of my sons to get their haircut, I found the second penny in the new series just sitting on a display shelf next to some shampoo. This was the first time I had seen one of these pennies in Vernal. Soooooo...... two new pennies in one day, my aunt Joan must be looking down on me to let me know she is watching over me from heaven!
Maybe I should go on Ebay and sell this new penny for a ridiculous price of $2.00. Or.... maybe I will just put it in my wooden treasure box with the rest of my special pennies I have collected over the years and remember this special day!
Earlier when I was waiting for two of my sons to get their haircut, I found the second penny in the new series just sitting on a display shelf next to some shampoo. This was the first time I had seen one of these pennies in Vernal. Soooooo...... two new pennies in one day, my aunt Joan must be looking down on me to let me know she is watching over me from heaven!
Maybe I should go on Ebay and sell this new penny for a ridiculous price of $2.00. Or.... maybe I will just put it in my wooden treasure box with the rest of my special pennies I have collected over the years and remember this special day!
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