Thankful Me

One of the best things about being involved in the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop is the chance I've had to "meet" other bloggers, like Joy, from I Can Say Mama .  Joy is having her own blog hop to wrap up 2013.  Sounds like fun to me!  

I'm one of those people who get excited at the prospect of making resolutions.  Weight loss goals?  Count me in!  Exercise?  You bet!  Completely organize all the closets in my house?  Of course!  While I'm at it, I might as well refresh my memory of español--or even more challenging, calculus. 

Each month, women from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints share a gospel message with each other.  I'll have the chance not only to hear the message from my visiting teachers, but also to share it with the women I visit.   January's topic is titled, "The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ:  Exemplar."   He set a perfect example for us to follow.  

I know I told you that the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop was taking a break until January, but apparently I was just kidding!  We just couldn't stay away from sharing our gratitude.  This last hop of the year, though, features not 10, but 12 Things of Thankful--one for each month of the year.  I might cheat a bit, though, as I don't think I can limit myself to just one thing on some months. January :   John blessed our granddaughter in church. Guide dog puppy Reno returned for formal training, and Drexel arrived. February : I shared how my mom helped clear up a childhood misconception. Believe it or not, my parents were NOT married in this building : March :  I enjoyed sharing memories of John's first car. April :   Thanks to good syrup, John and I have enjoyed 26 happy years of marriage.   Also in April, I was able to fulfill a long-time dream to find another Anglia for John.   May :  I'm tha...

Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, from my family to yours!   Thanks for family gatherings, tripods, and self-timers!

Even though the hosts of the Ten Things of Thankful are officially on break until January, our faithful leader, Lizzie, wisely decided to continue the hop. So, with "Muppet Christmas Carol" playing in the background, I'm taking a minute to share some of my Thankfuls.

"Are you ready for Christmas?"   "No, I still need to finish the shopping, and I haven't even begun to bake yet."  (sigh) Chances are, you've asked or been asked the "Are you ready" question at least once ( a day!) this month.  The assumption is that Christmas requires a huge to-do list.  December runs on making, and checking, lists.  However, like the arrival of a baby ( and isn't this what Christmas is all about, anyway? ) , Christmas comes regardless of whether we think we are ready.  source

I'm not sure that the rest of the world appreciates just how cold it really can get here in southern California.  In last week's Ten Things of Thankful post, I expressed gratitude for the guide dog puppy club canceling our entry in the parade.  Just so you can understand the kind of weather we've been dealing with, please watch the following:

  Thanks for our local guide dog puppy club, and for shared times together.

Just last week we celebrated Thanksgiving, but after the events of this week, I think I should celebrate again.  Luckily, I am linking up with the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop, so I have a platform to share my thankful thoughts. 

Yesterday, I did something that some people might not understand.  I took a baby (with no older siblings) to Disneyland.  My youngest daughter accompanied us.  True, it's nearly impossible the baby will remember her visit, and we did not ride many rides, but we enjoyed ourselves by focusing our attention on the atmosphere of the Happiest Place on Earth. Just look at all those smiling faces!

Thanksgiving Day has come and gone, but my home is still filled with visitors.  I'm thankful for the time I get to spend with relatives, and am thankful for your understanding if I am a bit tardy in responding to your comments this weekend. 

Tweet (I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm on twitter now!  ThankfulMe @ thankful_me ) : Puppy versus philodendron. Puppy in crate. Philodendron relocated to inaccessible office. Hoover wins. Thankful for my carpet cleaner!   Thanks for life's little exciting moments, and carpet cleaners.

When I first saw  this pattern for a reading quilt, I loved the idea.  Open books form the design on the quilt front, and a label on the back serves as a place to record titles of favorite books.  

As this is the 25th week of the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop, I thought I should make this post particularly meaningful.  I'm a glass-half-full kind of person by nature, but I wanted to come up with a post that was a bit challenging for me, and thus this post was born.

"Over the river and through the woods, to Grandmother's house we go. . . " Growing up, some years we did go to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving, and other years, the grandparents would come to our house.  

December's visiting teaching message can be found here , and is about the divine mission of Jesus Christ.  I especially liked the quote from Elder D. Todd Christofferson.   Thanks for Jesus Christ, who is the perfect example to follow, and who is the Savior of the world.