Unexpected Thanksgiving Blessings

On Thanksgiving I was happily working away in the kitchen making buttermilk rolls and apple pies for our feast when my husband helped my son Connor in looking like he came off the set of some kind of horror movie looking all bloody and dazed.

He was totally "out" of it.  As I turned around to get some ice for his poor beat up face, his eyes rolled back in his head and he started to have a small seizure, and passed out. He came to, but was not talking and responding. It was AWFUL!

My husband and I were so scared!  I started to call 911 but Brad and TJ were getting him into the car and racing tot he hospital before I could even get out our address. 

 

I found out later that someone in our neighborhood found him unconscious in the middle of the road.  He had been on his longboard going down a big hill.  They were about to call 911 when he came to.  They said he got up, grabbed his skateboard, saying he was fine and would just walk home.  Thankfully this good Samaritan insisted on driving him home and told us later that Connor was worried about getting blood on his car and kept saying thank you!  Connor has no memory of this at all.

After they left I immediately went in my room and knelt in prayer asking Heavenly Father to help my son and then I called my Mom who contacted our family requesting prayers.

It means so much to me to know that I have family and friends  who love me and my children and will exercise their faith on our behalf.  We have a might army of "prayer warriors" (as they say here in the South) and I am SO grateful!!

 

He spent a few hours getting Xrays and CT scans at the hospital.

Brad said he was confused and not able to answer questions right.  Although the one question he did answer correctly was who the current president is--he said "Unfortunately, Obama"  We were big Mitt Romney supporters:) He did ask Brad for a blessing and our Bishop and good friend came and helped Brad fulfill that request.  There was a big improvement in his behavior after that. 

They found a brain bleed and decided that he should be transferred to a bigger hospital downtown that has  trauma unit and neurologist there.

The brain bleed even though small was a worry and they take that very seriously, especially since he had experienced some small seizures and loss of consciousness. 

Thankfully, there were no broken bones (just lots of road rash)!

 

My boys were all so worried and honestly I hope this experience helps remind them to NEVER skateboard without their helmets! They all had tears in their eyes--especially Bridger.  I am sure this brought back lots of scary memories for him of being in the ICU a couple of years ago.

 

Connor and I spent the night in the hospital and when they ran another CTscan the brain bleed was gone!!  I know it was a HUGE blessing!

 

We were able to go home the next day with anti seizure and severe headache medication and the orders to take it easy!

 

 I can't tell you how thankful we are!! I know it could have been a lot worse!!

 

He has been in a lot of pain, dizzy and tired but he will heal completely.

Thank you so much for all the thoughts, faith and prayers for our boy!

 We have the best friends and family ever!
 

 He has been showered with love and concern.

Some of our friends brought him over cookies looking like this:

Good thing Connor has such a great sense of humor!

 

We spent the rest of the Thanksgiving weekend together at home.

One night we made Connor a bed on the couch and watched a Christmas movie together.  My heart was full to the brim!  I sure love this wild and crazy band of boys I have.  Nothing brings me more happiness or is more important to me than my family.  I love them so much.

 

Hopefully next year Thanksgiving will be far less eventful!

Thankful in Any Circumstance

Food for thought on my kitchen counter:)

 

I called my Dad last week to see how he was doing because my Mom had told me about some serious hip and back problems he was having.  It broke my heart to hear my Mom describe how much pain and discomfort he has been in  lately.  I thought he would be pretty discouraged but as we chatted I was so impressed with his attitude!  He chuckled about what a cripple he feels like lately and that yes he has been in a lot of pain and basically everything was hard to do, but he steered the conversation to something he had learned.  He is the High Priest Group leader at our church and was preparing to teach a Sunday lesson.  The subject was this talk  "Grateful in Any Circumstance".  He said as he studied it he realized the power and need for him to thankful.  He told me that this trial of his health right now made him so grateful that for the majority of his life he had been "strong as an ox" and was able to work long and hard without discomfort.  He told me that he started expressing this gratitude in his prayers...thanking God for all those years of great strength and health.

My Dad and Coleman a couple years back:)

 I was really touched by his desire to be grateful!  When I got off the phone I read the talk myself and have been trying to follow his example to be thankful in EVERY circumstance in my life, especially the difficult ones.  It reminded me of a part in one of my all time favorite books 'The Hiding Place' by Corrie Ten Boom...(have you read this book?  It is awesome!!)  They are in a concentration camp and her sister Betsy thanks Heavenly Father for the fleas which constantly torment them.  Corrie thinks this is just absurd!  She hates the fleas and can't think of a reason to be grateful for them.  Betsy reminds her that in the Bible it says to give thanks for everything.  Later they find out that they were able to keep their smuggled in Bible and read it to the ladies in their little area because the fleas were so bad that the guards wouldn't come near them.  So even though Corrie couldn't see it at the time--she was grateful for those awful fleas.

 

Some of my favorite parts of the talk my Dad had read (link above)--the whole talk is great!!

 

"We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?

Being grateful in times of distress does not mean that we are pleased with our circumstances. It does mean that through the eyes of faith we look beyond our present-day challenges.

This is not a gratitude of the lips but of the soul. It is a gratitude that heals the heart and expands the mind."

 

  I really do believe that everything in life--every experience... even every heartache can somehow be for our blessing and benefit when we put our trust in God and be grateful.  I know that I always feel so much happier when I am thankful.

 

"How blessed we are if we recognize God’s handiwork in the marvelous tapestry of life. Gratitude to our Father in Heaven broadens our perception and clears our vision. It inspires humility and fosters empathy toward our fellowmen and all of God’s creation. Gratitude is a catalyst to all Christlike attributes! A thankful heart is the parent of all virtues.^"

 

^{So a grateful heart really is the beginning of GREATNESS!}

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Inspiration & Printables

 

Just wanted to share a few images that have inspired me as I prepare for Thanksgiving.  I am so excited for the upcoming celebration:)  Monday evening we had a family home evening lesson on Gratitude. 

I love that we have a time each year to focus on the importance of giving thanks.

 

I know Gratitude is a key to happiness in this life and the "beginning of greatness"!

 

I am loving the natural elements like leaves, nuts, vines, berries, flowers and gourds.  Paired with soft candles--it's enchanting!

betterhomesandgardens.com 

 streetscenevintage.blogspot.com

designspongeonline.com 

 Southernliving.com

 Marthastewart.com

Goodhousekeeping.com

bunchesandbits.blogspot.com

 

Now for some darling (and FREE) Thanksgiving Printables from some very talented people.

 

Print here. 

Thanks blovelyevents!

 

Print here.

Thanks Pizzazzerie!!

 

Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday,

and may we live with a thankful heart all year long!

Have a happy Wednesday!

 

 

Physiologically Impossible...

 I know that we have all moved on to Christmas now but ...I have to record this sweet day.

My heart was very full this past Thanksgiving.

 One of my favorite parts of the day is setting the table for my family.

I take my time and enjoy the process of creating something pretty.  It was so fun to get out the "good stuff" and think of the loving friends and family that gave us each plate, crystal goblet and piece of silver.  I felt such gratitude for the generous gifts we received on our wedding day over 16 years ago.   

I was also thankful for...
 my Mom who helped me set the table and cook. It was so fun to have her there.
...a thoughtful husband who went out and found a pretty tablecloth the day before.  I was feeling bad that I didn't have one for Thanksgiving that fit with the leaf.  I had planned on getting one but with our emergency with Bridger I never got to anything on my To Do list..

 Mostly I was thankful for this big rowdy bunch of boys who grumbled about having to put on a nice shirt for dinner.  Even though they can be quite a handful at times, I love being their Mother.  At dinner we went around the table and said what we were thankful for--I had a little lump in my throat as I listened.  There was plenty of silly ones, like gratitude for certain football teams winning or thankful that a certain brother wasn't being annoying,  but their were also some sweet heartfelt sentiments.  Bridger was thankful that Heavenly Father "helped me get through all that stuff at the hospital" ... I was too:)  We of course found so many blessings to count.

I came across this quote and I know it to be true:

"It's physiologically impossible to be grateful and stressed at the same time because the two emotional states release different types of hormones."

Kathleen Hall PhD. Founder of the Stress Institute in Atlanta, Georgia

Good House Keeping, July 2008, p48

She is right--we had a a very HAPPY day being thankful.  Works like magic!

A Month of Daily Thanksgiving

My goal this month is to take the time to appreciate all the beauty and blessings of life and to be GRATEFUL.

I am planning on posting something I am thankful for everyday.

I truly belive that a secret to happpiness is a grateful heart:)

Today I will start with my family.

I am so thankful for these boys that are mine.

Even though they can be crazy loud and produce such messes, I love them with all my heart:)

Here is to a HAPPY month of THANKSGIVING!

November Plans

My mind has been spinning today with plans. I have so much to do! I love this time of year for so many reasons.

First, I love a season dedicated to gratitude. I have so much to be thankful for and I never want to forget that. Second, I can't help but love this time of year for the anticipation of what is around the corner...Christmas!

My heart is overflowing with gratitude for Jesus Christ and I can not wait to celebrate His birth.

With that in mind, here is what is on my To Do list for November:

1. Figure out a fun way to make GRATITUDE real this month for my family. {done! see it here}

2. Invite friends over for Thankgiving, since sadly we won't be with family this year (yes I am feeling a little homesick with the holidays coming).

3. Plan our Thanksgiving menu. Find a southern cornbread stuffing recipe--do you know of a good one?

4. Polish the silver, iron the table linens.

5. Pick up Bath and Bodyworks 'Leaves' wallflower for an autumn scent for my home and the 'Balsam Fur' for next month. Then my house will smell like it is graced with a real tree instead of my not-so-real one! {done! and it smells wonderful--have you tried these scents? you should}

6. Plant the box of tulip bulbs that have been sitting in my garage for a month!

7. Get a family pciture taken and order Christmas cards.

8. Go over my Christmas planner and get organized.

9. Pick up wrapping paper and supplies to get my wrapping station well stocked and ready to work!

10. Order George C. Scott version of a ' Christmas Carol',and 'Its a Wonderful Life' in color both in DVD to replace the VHS cassettes that we have watched for years. Last year I decided it was time to upgrade. {done! Amazon makes it so easy!}

11. Plan our Christmas Tree decorating party for the day after Thanksgiving. Yes, we don't waste any time around here to deck the halls!

OK Enough--it is turning into a Christmas list:)

I am seriously having a hard time not putting my christmas playlist on the IPOD. Soon...David Archuletta's angelic 'First Noel' will be filling our home. I LOVE that version!! Can't wait!

What are your plans for November?

Thankful Tree

I wanted to find a way to help my family focus on gratitude this month. I truly believe that having a thankful heart is the key to happiness and abundance in life.

I am a little late in starting for the month--but I made this 'Thankful Tree' this morning anyway. It is a cut out from my friend's cricut machine( that I happened to have for a family tree project I had in mind). Anyway, I glued it on a 12x12 cardstock and I have a little bowl full of paper leaves.

My plan: Every evening at dinner go around the table and each person say something they are thankful for. After dinner we can write it on a leaf and glue it onto our tree. Simple--but I think my boys will enjoy watching the tree fill with leaves and hopefully they will develop a habit of thankfulness.

I added the first leaf this morning with the words Family.

Here is a sweet message to get you in the mood "The Divine Gift of Gratitude"

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

{image via Southern Living}

I love this day and the opportunity it gives to look at all the blessings in my life. I have so much to be thankful for. At the top of my list is my family, the good health we enjoy, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. These are just my most precious blessings....everything good and happy in my life starts with these. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day and get to spend it with those you love!

Enjoy this video of random people in New York City sharing what they are thankful for...

In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

Teacher Appreciation Dinner

We invited the boy's school teachers over for dinner last night. We are very blessed with fantastic teachers! We set the dining room with our best and the boys helped me make a nice dinner to show the treachers how grateful we are for their service.

On the Menu:

Balsamic Roasted Pork Loin

Buttery Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes

Rosemay and Brown Sugar glazed Acorn Squash

Spinach, feta, pinenut and apple Salad
Buttermilk Rolls

Perfect Brownies and Vanilla Bean ice cream

(*Click for recipe links)

After dinner the boys presented them with mini clipboards that we covered with fun patterened paper using the always fun Modge Podge! It was a sweet night. This may become a yearly tradition.

Thank you Jordan for the lovely idea!

Gracing my Thanksgiving table this year...

I think these are just the perfect addition to my Thanksgiving table. I plan to print them on white cardstock. I love the simple, classic design...beautiful! Click here for the free download. Thank you Vale Design!

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions? I would love to hear about them!

Holidays are Here!

Thanksgiving Spread! Yum!

We got so busy eating I forgot to take more pictures! But, here is one of that very darling (and very popular) little Eliza with my silly boys! Connor is wearing Grandpa's reading glasses...I have no idea why??

And now for CHRISTMAS!!
We went to see the lights on Temple Square--we were there the first night!

(A lighted nativity is behind them on the water--very cool!)

Eric, Britt, Gabe, Erin, Jed and Benny and Eliza-

Coleman and TJ-

Grandpa and Bridger-

The Sisters--Mindy, Erin, Melanie, Brittany and our beautiful Mom-I sure LOVE these women!

Grandma and her oldest grandsons-

Our darling little Eliza, and a bit of our darling Coleman!

Cute little handmade hat--thanks to Brittany!

We ran into our cousin Sarah, who is on the staff at Temple Square that oversees the fabulous exterior illumination! We all thanked her profusely, then took pictures with her, then got her autograph!! Thank you Sarah--the light display is amazing!!