Thankful Sunday #5

We are packing up and moving back to Arizona this week! So this will be the last of this series of thankful posts for the time being. I am thankful for:

1. Boxes. Boxes. Boxes. I am thankful for good boxes that we got from the cannery in Mesa and are still, three moves later (working on the fourth), good and sturdy. And I'm thankful that so many of them are packed and stacked against the wall in our bedroom. Many more will join them this week.

2. Getting to church this morning with no bad feelings or sad kids. We weren't on time...but we were all happy, which was an improvement over some other occasions. Joshua decided this morning, as we were hurrying to get him dressed, that he did not want to wear diapers any more. Suffice it to say, it took a little longer to get him ready than we had anticipated. But it was okay. And Adam did great getting ready, which was very helpful.

3. Life experiences that give perspective and understanding.

4. Painters. They didn't paint our apartment before we moved in, so hopefully they were already planning on painting after we move out :). We've done really well at keeping the walls clean, until today, when Joshua got ahold of a red Sharpie marker and added this lovely artwork to my closet door:

Turns out even Magic Erasers don't take that stuff off! But what a cute artist. We sure love him.

5. Simple Christmases. This year will be a little different because we're moving in the middle of December, but you know, I think it will be just as nice. We'll be together, and we'll be with family, and it will be a good opportunity to remember what Christmas is really about, without getting caught up in the details. I love to remember our Savior, that he began life even more humbly than we, that he gave us a perfect example, that he went through all that he did, for us. I love him, and love the chance to celebrate his birth with my children, and teach them about him.

6. The gift of song. I have always loved to sing, and now that I've become a mother, this talent has become even more special to me. I love to sing to my children, and I'm grateful for a voice that was made to sing lullabies.

7. Great movies. We watched one of my favorites, It's a Wonderful Life, on Friday. I am grateful for the chance to share movies like that with my children. They lift me up and help me remember what is most important.

Love you all! Merry Christmas!

Thankful Sunday #4--Only One to Go!

1. Prayer. I am so thankful that I can pour out my heart to my Father in Heaven, and I know that He hears and answers my prayers.
2. Inspiration. Those little whispers that tell me what I need to know and do to be a better mother and wife (and everything else). I'm talking mainly about little things, like when it occurs to me, all of a sudden, that the reason Adam isn't cooperating is because he's tired, not just disobedient. I believe those flashes of knowledge, wisdom or understanding are a gift from a loving Father in Heaven who knows I'm doing my best but still really need His help.
3. Low gas prices. We went to Utah for Thanksgiving for about $20 round trip. Amazing! (Hopefully they'll hold steady until we drive to Mesa in two weeks....)
4. True friends. Thank you!
5. Plants. Greenery always makes the world seem like a brighter place. And I love having a husband who takes care of all of our plants, even the ones that are "mine". It's so nice of him!
6. Enough. We've always had enough. We have food to eat, clothes to wear, a car that runs, everything we really need (and more). What a gift it is to have enough!
7. Richness. We are rich in love, life, and family. We may not be rich in money, but I think this is better.

Thankful Sunday #3--Count your many blessings

1. One kind husband. John is a wonderful example of patience and love. He is my best friend and I can always turn to him when I need to talk or cry or laugh or whatever. I'm glad to have a husband I can lean on.2. Two sweet little boys. I've learned this week a little more of what a special and sacred trust it is to be a mother of boys, and I am eternally thankful to have the chance. I only hope I do it as well as they need me to.

3. Three loving brothers. Much of what I need to know for #2, I learned from these good boys that I grew up with. They have always been so good to me, and I love them very much. I'm so glad to be their sister. (Shown here with our grandparents, Leath and Thelma Cluff, in about 1990.)

4. Four+ years in Rexburg, Idaho. I came here as an 18-year-old, graduated with my Associates Degree at 19 and thought I would never be back. And yet, here we are. But, you know, I love it here. It is a special place, and I am so grateful that I could be a student here and that John is now (and almost done!). I love that along with the rigorous secular education available here, there is also a strong focus on spiritual learning. It really was the best place for me in those first years away from home when I was still figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be. And it's been so good for John, and a wonderful experience for our family.

5. Five(ish) months in Willard, Utah. We had such good experiences this summer! Our ward was wonderful, and even though we weren't there for very long, we made great friends, Adam was in the best Nursery class ever (they were so good!), we were able to give meaningful service, and we learned so much. It was a wonderful opportunity for us and we are so grateful to Barney and Della Barnett, who invited us to come and live down there for free while John interned for them at Willard Bay Gardens. We love you, Barney and Della!

5. (Bonus) Five years this month, married to my best friend. Woohoo! Looking forward to an eternity more. Love you, Babe!

6. Six hundred dollars spent on an old truck that took us to Willard and back and has facilitated John's business this semester. It's been a great truck, and we'll be sad to see it go.

7. Seven days this week to rest and pack and eat and pack some more! John doesn't have school this week, and we have lots to do, so we are grateful for the time to do it. We're hoping to pack up most of our belongings this week...wish us luck!

Thankful Sunday #2

1. A living prophet (see previous post). Yes, I put that last week too.

2. Nice neighbors! We had our very cool neighbors over for dinner tonight and it reminded me how grateful I am to have had so many awesome neighbors, both while we've been here and in Mesa when we were first married. I'm going to try and list them all....
-Cynthia, Risa, Kimberly, Jory,... at the lovely cottage on Mesa Drive
In Rexburg:
-Dan and Katie and their children, Isaac and Audrey
-Aaron and Hillary
-Steve and Debbie and their children, Elizabeth and Henry
In Willard:
-the snake under our steps (I didn't mind that neighbor because he evicted our other neighbor, the mouse in our kitchen. And then the snake moved out too.)
-Barney and Della
Back in Rexburg:
-Jason and Alissa
Not bad for just five years of marriage! And they've all been wonderful too. We truly feel blessed.

3. Good books. A good story always brightens my day. Unless I get stuck in my book and forget to do everything else I'm supposed to do...that doesn't brighten my day. Some of my favorites are:
-Little Women
-Les Miserables
-The LDS Mother's Almanac
-The Chronicles of Narnia
-Anne of Green Gables books (all of them)
-Peter Pan
and the list goes on.

4. Primary programs. Ours was today, and even though Adam got scared and wouldn't sing or speak for the first half, it was still lovely. I love to hear (and watch) little children sing. Especially in this ward where the oldest Primary child is seven years old. Aside from Adam's bashfulness, which he got over when John went up and helped him, the Sunbeams really rose to the occasion and did very well! We were proud of them. Isn't Adam so cute? This was taken last week before church.

5. A reliable car. I think I take this for granted too often, but it really is a blessing to have a car that starts up and gets us where we want to go, every time. And to have a husband who takes good care of our car so it stays reliable. John is great about changing the oil and windshield wipers and making sure there's gas in the car. He takes good care of us.

6. Our small apartment. It isn't that small compared to some, but it is small enough that we can clean it up pretty quickly and make it look like it's been that way all along. (Heehee.) I like that. Not that I'll mind having something bigger when the time comes, but this has been perfect for our family while we've been here.

7. I am grateful for the technology, and the freedom, to express my thoughts and feelings and share them with you from far away, and that you can share yours with me. It helps me to read your stories and be strengthened by your faith and positive attitudes. And it helps to have a link to our far-off families that we miss so much.

8. (bonus) A little boy who loves to sing. He's singing "My Redeemer Lives" right now, and it is beautiful.

I hope I will do better this week at remembering what really matters, and rejoicing in the living beauty that surrounds me every day.

And I'll try to remember these lines from a favorite hymn:
That soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I cannot desert to his foes!
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake!
Even with all the turmoil in the world today, I know we'll be okay, and it will work out. I'm thankful for that.

Love, Anna

Inspirational thoughts

"Stresses in our lives come regardless of our circumstances. We must deal with them the best we can. But we should not let them get in the way of what is most important—and what is most important almost always involves the people around us. Often we assume that they must know how much we love them. But we should never assume; we should let them know. Wrote William Shakespeare, “They do not love that do not show their love.”3 We will never regret the kind words spoken or the affection shown. Rather, our regrets will come if such things are omitted from our relationships with those who mean the most to us.

"Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say “I love you” more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of “what if” and “if only.” Said author Harriet Beecher Stowe, “The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone.”4

“Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”6

The ancient Roman philosopher Horace admonished, “Whatever hour God has blessed you with, take it with grateful hand, nor postpone your joys from year to year, so that in whatever place you have been, you may say that you have lived happily.”

These are quotes from President Monson's conference talk last month. They helped me today so I thought I would share them with you. The whole talk is worth reading, and you can find it here. I love President Monson, and am always inspired and lifted by the messages he shares. I know he is a true prophet and there is safety in following his counsel, and I will continue to do so, the very best I can. We live in challenging times, and I am so grateful to have the guidance of a prophet, along with the guidance of the Holy Ghost, as I try to navigate the path of life.