Thankful Me

You might be thinking, "What?! Kristi is writing another happy birthday blog post?!"  Forget the debate over whether spring has come or not, the correct name of the season is "birthday."  Oldest son's birthday is in February, and the other four kids have their birthdays all within a 5 week period in March and April.  Before you think to criticize our planning skills, you must realize that not all of the kids are our biological children, and one of our biological kids arrived 10 weeks early.  Even though we might not have planned on "birthday season," I actually kind of like having all the kids' birthdays close together on the calendar. 

My grandpa could play any stringed instrument.  I don't know the year the above photo was taken, but I would guess late 1930s.  (Though I didn't take the photo, I did add my thankfulme mark to it.  The photo is in my possession, and I would gladly give credit to the photographer if I knew who it was.  The last time I posted this photo online, and without a mark, someone used it without permission on another site.  I felt a little possessive; this is MY grandpa!)

I wish I captured the whole plane.  I didn't anticipate it being so close; I should have zoomed out. Thanks for skilled pilots, who put on a great show!

Last week, I wrote about having shoes and a flashlight near my bed in case of emergency.  This week, I worked on my water storage.

The visiting teaching message for April is definitely a good one for the Easter season:  The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: Savior and Redeemer . 

Sometimes I get a bit grumpy.  Sometimes all it takes is one grumpy moment to spawn multiple grumpy moments.  As this is not the "Ten Grumps of Grumpiness" blog hop, however, I will take various annoying situations and focus on the bigger picture.  I will look up, where the view and perspective are clearer.  I will be thankful!

I like to believe that I am familiar with current trends, but in reality, I'm afraid I'm more like Beatrice in this Esurance commercial:

Thanks for first birthdays, and all that follow.

Perhaps you have already seen the viral video of the KTLA news anchors diving under their desk yesterday:  

I have five children, and as every parent of more than one child knows, whatever you do with your oldest child sets a precedent for the others.  For example, if you publish a TToT post on one child's birthday, you better be prepared to publish birthday posts for all of the kids--except those who would be mortified, of course.

John made a comment the other day, telling me one way that blogging has changed me.  Of course, his statement inspired a blog post--because bloggers are like that, aren't we?   You will probably never see this on the Late Show with David Letterman, but here's my Top 10 List:

) Thanks for great organizations, like Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Few things drive me to distraction quicker than misplacing something.  I like to believe that I am an organized person.  As a student, I took meticulous notes, kept an organized notebook, and got my assignments turned in on time.  Decades later, I'm not quite so perfect in the organization department, but I generally can locate any needed item without too much effort.

Last week, I explained about how caring for my grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s, caused me to reflect on how many things I take for granted:  knowing relatives’ names, how they are related, and whether or not they are still alive.  As I’ve spent more time with Grandma, I’ve become accustomed to the rhythm of her days.  I’ve felt a bit like Bill Murray in Groundhog Day , as each day seems the same as the previous, including the conversations we have.  Included in the repeated conversations is advice to never get old and expressed frustration for not being able to remember significant life events.   Several times throughout my stay, Grandma would be stunned by the answers to the questions: Are my in-laws dead?  Is my husband dead?  Did I attend the funerals? I hope I did, but I don’t remember.  How could I forget something like that?  Even amongst the horror of sudden realization that loved ones have died, Grandma expresses her own Te...