Thanksgiving

gratitude
grat-i-tood

–noun

the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours.

May it be a day filled with gratitude, quiet reflection, loved ones, laughter and many happy, joyful moments.

Runaway.....

After a bitter brawl between brothers, Matt's bright brain began to build a brilliant plan to bring their battle to an end.

Runaway.

Not the solution I was thinking of.

Though you gotta hand it to him, not many seven-year-olds would think to take a 'memree' (Matt explained "... like a photo of my family to help me remember them.") or 'tooth suplies'.

While he had better not ever, ever test out his plan, the facts remain. I may have a sentimental dentist on my hands. Finally something I could live with.

Countdown

thrill
(thrĭl)

v.

To cause to feel a sudden intense sensation; excite greatly.
To give great pleasure to; delight.

My current state: THRILLED.

WHY? In a few hours my parents, two of my brothers and a sister-in-law will boarding plane headed to ME! It has been EIGHT long year since we shared Thanksgiving with family. So this event is long overdue. Yes, I have been cleaning for weeks and yes, there is still work to be done, but with each project I cross off my list, I get the feeling that they are really coming, here and it makes my heart skip a beat. I am so excited to spend the day with my little family and my mom, dad, brother Rhett, brother Jeff and his wife Sarah. Todd and Kristi and girls are coming from Louisville too, so it will be an incredible bunch.

You might think by having it here I have the added bonus of finally having my entire house really clean all at the same time. I say yes and no. I do really think will they notice the scrubbed floor boards or just dusted lamp shades? Nope, but it does give you reason to knock out all those projects you just hadn't gotten around to doing, too bad it just never lasts long with many little kids waiting in the wings to undo your most recent project.

I have been busy, but that is a great thing because it makes the days go by faster and there will be less time to sit and wait. Waiting is never fun. I don't think I've sat down much over the past couple of days. In fact today I went to the neighborhood Wal-mart, Target, Super Wal-mart, a gas station (for a specific candy) and had the plumber come to check out and fix our 'haunted' pipes (he did). You would think after all and with it now past midnight I would be ready to crash. Again, nope. I am just so excited for tomorrow.

What makes it special? Is it the clean sheets, carpet or van? Is is the stuffing, turkey and homemade rolls? Is it that we all get time off from work and school? All these things are a part of this holiday this year, but all that really matters is that we are together. Yes, there will be family members missing, but they will be here with us in our hearts and probably on the phone.

Man, I love Thanksgiving. Great food, friends, family and a time to stop and think about all my blessings. That could take a while. Thank heavens they are almost here so I can stop and sit still, think and enjoy them, my life and realize even more all I have to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Stake Conference

This past weekend we had the privilege to have Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles preside and speak at our stake conference.

When I got word that he was coming, I was so excited to attend and hear him speak. I love listening to our church leaders during General Conference and couldn't wait to hear his message in person.

It is not often that we have an apostle come to Kentucky. In the eight years we have lived here, the only other time I remember one coming was back in Louisville in 2002 when Elder Holland came. It is a rare and true delight to have them come to us.

I had not planned on attending the Saturday evening adult session knowing babysitter would be scares, but as luck would have it, while I was visiting teaching my friend who we were visiting asked if I would like to share her baby sitter. It took a fraction of a second to say yes. It was a perfect set up. (Thanks Ashlee!)

So for the first time in my memory since we had kids, Rich and I attended the adult meeting. We were blessed again to sit by friends that saved us seats on the third row (Thanks Hydes!) and I felt humbled to be so close to an Apostle of Jesus Christ.

When Elder Scott stood at the pulpit and spoke, the familarity of his voice and tone made me feel peace. It was so amazing that he was there, right in front of us. He took a very casual approach to his delivery of his talk. He had a power point presentation that had statements he had written and wanted to share with us. He then asked for volunteers from the audience to read the topic and then asked if anyone would like to share something that would go along with the statement.

You could not have paid me enough to stand in front of the large group and Elder Scott and share something, but it was a great way to get us all thinking what we personally thought about the topic. I was scribbling down ideas and thoughts trying to soak it all in.

My favorite thing he shared was about our personal character. Elder Scott said,

"The way we build character is by making constant, correct decisions. This does not mean all of the choices have to be hard ones. With each decision we are adding layers. Many think that character is built when we have a difficult trial in our lives. This in not the case. A person's character is shown when a trial comes, it is not made."

"One day while pondering I realized that there is a relationship between faith and character. The greater our faith is in Jesus Christ, the stronger our character is increased and increased character enhances our ability to exercise even greater faith."

I loved these statements. They were just so logical and sound and TRUE. I knew the things he were sharing with us were from Heavenly Father. I know now even more than before that we do have a living prophet on the earth and that we are so blessed to have righteous men that lead and guide us and help us grow in faith and character and understanding.

As we sang the closing hymn Abide with Me 'Tis Eventide, the words touched me for I knew that night I had been spiritually fed and I truly did want that spirit to abide with me. I hope I do more each day to increase my character and faith.

The next day we were able to attend stake conference as a family and let the boys hear Elder Scott's message about strengthening our families, especially our children. After the meeting we waited and the boys were able to shake Elder Scott's hand. I hope it is a moment they will always cherish and never forget.

This Thanksgiving, the two things I am most grateful for are The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and my family. What else on earth could compete with these two priceless, precious things? I am indeed blessed and very grateful to have both in my life. And I know just who to thank.

The Missionary Training Center

For the past four year my parents have been serving at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. Back in November 2004, my dad was called to be a counselor in one of the branch presidencies. Two years ago he became a branch president over Elders and Sisters going to Spanish and English speaking missions and has currently been over missionaries who will be serving in Cantonese and English speaking missions.

In those past 48 months my parents have spent hundreds of hours traveling from Salem to the center just below the Provo Temple. Countless hours of precious time have been freely given as my parents attended the Tuesday night Devotional, welcoming new Elders and Sisters on Wednesday night, visited them late in their dorms on Thursday and later Friday nights and weeks upon weeks of Sunday worship have been shared in priesthood, Relief Society and sacrament meetings. Talks have been prepared, interviews have been given and each and I know they made every young missionary that entered knew they were special, wanted, loved and needed and that they were in the right place and the Lord was grateful for their desire to learn and serve. The Lord loves his missionaries. When you are called to help assist in their preparation to serve, you and your family are strengthened and blessed through your efforts.

Two weeks ago, Sunday came with mixed emotions, because it was my parents final day at the MTC. My dad was released from his calling. Their time has come to a close and as all LDS members know, for good or bad, no calling lasts forever. Change has come and can be difficult even when it is expected.

While I know he has mixed emotions about leaving, I too feel a range of feelings about him leaving. I know that my dad's calling blessed our family. It gave me and my family the special privilege and opportunity to enter the MTC, feel the spirit that abides there and let my children spend time with the full time missionaries.

When we have been home over the past few years, my family and I have been blessed to attend sacrament meeting at the MTC with my parents. We would often eat in the cafeteria with the Elders and Sisters before the meeting. I always ran into men and women I know and love who are serving there just like my parents. We often saw Elders from back home who were there being trained. My time there helped increased my testimony and appreciation of the work that these young men and women commit themselves to do.

My favorite part was listening to my parents talks. I was able to be in the audience three times when they were the speakers. I loved their messages and I will always cherish hearing their testimonies of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What a legacy of faith I personally have in my life.

I know the highlight for my parents was sharing my little brother Kurt's MTC time together. They saw each other often and even ate dinner together on Sunday. It was the perfect way to send him off. It also gave my youngest brother Rhett the opportunity to spend time with the missionaries as he will soon be able to serve himself.

I loved going to the MTC. I knew what a blessing it was to be there with them, since I never went on a mission and never had the chance to see what really goes on. When I was young, I had long wondered what I would find inside the walls of the MTC. When my older brother entered the MTC I had to simply give him a hug outside of Chili's in Orem and then rush over to a class at BYU while the rest of my family drove up near the temple to see him off. I met Rich when I was 19 and married at 20, so that meant no mission for me. I didn't set foot inside until I was 23 years old. I finally was able to attend the meeting with my family when my little brother Brad checked in to prepare for his mission to Spain, but even then it was a quick 30 minute talk and a quick goodbye. I still didn't fully know what it would be like to be there as a missionary. Yes, Rich served a mission to New Zealand and three of my brothers have been missionaries, Kurt is currently a missionary in Taiwan and Rhett will submit his papers in just over a year and a half, but I still did not have the personal experience they had. When I finally got the chance to enter beyond the foyer, it was more than I had imagined. This is the Lord's work and you know it the second you step through the front door.

While I was a bit saddened to see my dad's time come to an end, there was a sliver lining for me in their release. It was our Sacrament meeting program the last day my dad served in the MTC. There was a confirmation of a new member (young mother of two) who was baptized the night before, two speakers that shared their recent conversion story, a homecoming address from an Elder in our ward that recently returned from serving in the SLC south mission, a testimony shared by a new full time missionary that was just assigned to our ward and the closing song was Called to Serve. It was a missionary day through and through. It was perfect.

As I belted out the missionary theme I had many thoughts. I was grateful for my dad's calling, for the blessing it was to my and my family and for the new knowledge I was able to acquire from visiting the MTC. I am honored to have a brother currently out serving and am more appreciative of the two sets of missionaries (Elders and Sisters) that have been assigned to our ward. But what thrilled me the most was to think about the future when my own children will be numbered among the Lord's servants. Their time in the MTC has given them perspective and a testimony they couldn't have gained any other way. This was my greatest blessing.

Thanks Dad for letting us share in this calling. We are all better because of it. I love you!

Straight from their mouth.....

I called Matt over to have a taste of a treat I brought home. After swallowing one big mouthful he happily declared, "Yum. It's good Mom. It tastes purplish."

My Weakness

I have a problem. I love games. I always have. It doesn't matter if it is a board game, card game or video game I am up for the challenge. I think I was the child that was always begging someone to play something with me. Anything. Everything. I loved them all.

I loved Atari when it came out when I was small and we lived in Salt Lake. I think my mom gave it to my dad for Father's Day. It was a gift to us all. Pong, Space Invaders, Pac Man, Asteroids and the castle one where you had to find the key to unlock the door and retrieve the trophy before the dragons gobbled yo up,are a few that I loved to play. A few years ago I bought the PS2 game that has 80 Atari games and for under twenty dollars. That would have been priceless back in the day. I have also bought the handheld plug in that uses the same paddle as the original machine. It brings back such memories gripping the black stick and pushing the red button. Later came the Nintendo system which brought Mario, Dig Dug, Spy Hunter and Frogger. What graphics, music and story lines! When we got married Rich got a PlayStation for his birthday. I knew it was as much mine as his. When I was finishing up my undergrad at BYU I loved playing Frogger in our little condo in Provo in between reading sessions. While we were in Louisville I spent days, weeks even trying to win Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I never could get past Quirrel/Voldemort on the very last level. That still bugs me. The boys were young and sat watching, cheering me on as we moved farther into the game. I currently love racing the boys on Crash Tag Team and am always proud I can hold my own against the youngins.

I love handheld games too. My favorite when I was young was my dad's baseball game that had one red dot indicating the batter and ball. Then technology took flight, creating true handheld gaming systems. I got my first Gameboy back when they weighed two pounds, required 4 AA batteries and were not back lit. I played it on the ski bus every Saturday as we rode up to Sundance and later Park West. I bought an electronic handheld Yahtzee games when were were first married and play it often when we travel. In fact I think we own two or three. Between the boys and I we have two zipper bags of Gameboy games and most of them were purchased because I thought they looked like fun. There are certain games I hide away when we travel because I could not bear to lose them. I played my Gameboy everyday while I was on bed rest with Josh and Matt. And sometimes I will play it while I ride my exercise bike. This Christmas Trey's number one item is a Nintendo DS lite. Seems the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

I love playing card games and have so many dear and precious memories having fierce games of Hearts with my family on vacation and at home. Our New Years party is centered around Tripoley, a card game that mixes Poker and Hearts and Michigan Rummy. My dad played it as a kid and now mine play it as well. I remember the day my dad taught me how to play Solitaire as a child. He emphasises how difficult it was to win and that it rarely happens and then went on to win the game with his first hand. I was hooked. I could spend hours on the computer playing Hearts, Solitaire or Spider Solitaire. When we go home to Utah to visit I find my dad on the computer playing card games too. I love it.

When I was a child, any day I could play the board game Life or Careers or Battleship with Greg was a very good one. My dad had two games from his childhood Stratego and Dog Fight. They smelled a bit musty and old and the boxes were a bit yellow with age and every time we were lucky enough to have them retrieved from their place high up in the closet I pictured my dad playing these exact game with his brothers as a child. Two years ago I bought my own Dog Fight game and love playing with my own family. I always think of my dad when we play it and I usually have to call him to verify rules. It's fun to include him when we live so far away. I loved traveling on long car rides with my family while we read and answered Trivial Pursuit questions. I was very happy when they put out a new edition that's questions were better suited for my knowledge. I have loved playing Trivial Pursuit, Scattergories and Scrabble with Rich. He always wins at the trivia and I always win on the letter games. You can guess which ones I encourage him to play. All these games are amazing, but one games stands out in my mind. The very coolest games EVER is called Dark Tower. My Grandpa Nance had one and it had to be a very special time to play. I didn't play it often, but I never forgot it. Thanks to eBay I bought my dad his own Dark Tower for Christmas two years ago. I think it will always be the gift I cannot top. Playing it is one of the highlights of our trip back home.

Nowadays, I play games with the girls and games with the boys and I think it is one of the best ways to make memories. Some of my favorite times have been playing games with my family. But I will admit, sometimes I get a bit out of control. Chores do not get done, things get put off and the kids and I turn a bit into zombies while we are in 'the zone'. Moderation in all things right? I just have a hard time when I am enjoying it as much as them.

And this week has been one of those 'play' times. I discovered a new love. Sure, Rich thinks I am a degenerate, but that has yet to stop me ever from playing on, so I continue to relish my new found thrill. And while he laughs at me, I smile knowing that I am sharing this with my kids. This is the beauty and blessing of games. The truth is most games involved other people. It makes you converse, share, laugh and play. It is a the perfect way to bond and I'll always think that. The entertainment bit is a bonus, but what I love most are the relationships it builds and strengthens. That alone far surpasses any score or level I'll ever obtain on a game.

So, back to my new obsession. A few weeks I took note that Josh logged on to the computer every day after school. He would always go to one place and one place only: Webkinz.com. Yes, Trey got a husky dog when he turned eight and has played now and then over the past year and a half, but when Josh signed in and began hunting for gems I was intrigued. I went and stood by his side and watched as he dug for a prize. The animation is lovely and the idea is original. You purchase a stuffed animal with a code that allows you to take care of your pet online. Games give you KinzCash which you can use to purchase items for your room or food or clothes for your pet. But the part I loved was seeing Josh open a letter and receive a gift from Trey. There also was a note in his inbox from a neighbor. After Josh read it, he wrote him a thank you note back before me moved on to play. Then I watched as Matt, Trey and Josh took turns playing checkers and Connect Four and I couldn't help but think I wanted part of the action.

Then I had a light bulb moment. A few months ago I bought the boys new Webkinz for Trey's birthday at the Limited Too. (It's a total girl store, but has the best selection by far.) As I waited to pay I noticed that if you bought a regular priced animal you could buy a certain few toys for only $5.99. Then I noticed this cutie: a White Terrier. I had seen it long ago, but never would have paid upwards of $17.00 for a stuffed animal that girls were to young to use. The low price made me reconsider and I bought two and tucked them away in the closet to bring out for Brynn and Kaitlyn at Christmas.

As I stood next to the boys, I realized I could remove the tag, register the dog and play along with my kids. My boys laughed as I adopted Brynn and Kaitlyn's pets and explored the site. They were quick to show me where to go and what to do. That night I sent each boy a gift from me. The next day they were overjoyed to have a package waiting for them in their inbox. Later that day Josh sent Brynn's dog pants and a bow and Kaitlyn received a shirt and pants. Trey sent a stuffed cat and Josh mailed teddy bears. I sent shirts, food, baseballs and mitts, soccer balls, and frogs to the boys' animals. They mailed back thank you notes and new prizes. I loved seeing their gratitude even for a virtual item. It was nice to see them think of others besides themselves.

So there you have it. My name is Cheryl and I play Webkinz. And I love it. No shame there. My kids love it and Rich gets good healthy hearty laugh each night watching Josh and I play goldfish together, witness Trey drag me over to the screen to have me help him select a toy for his brothers and see Matt help me win the next level. Bonding time in my book. Time well spent because lets face it, in the long run they won't remember the night we folded laundry or loaded the dishwasher, but they will remember getting gifts and sweet notes in their web mailbox from their mama and when they creamed me four straight times in checkers. They know who loves them. And that makes it totally worth every second.

Let it snow!!

I haven't been feeling as Matt would say, 'all holly and jolly' yet and that was fine by me. I wanted to enjoy all Thanksgiving had to offer before I rushed into the next holiday. In fact, I thought it was strange to see Wal-mart decked out with Christmas displays and full size trees two weeks before Turkey day and hear Christmas carols blasting on the overhead sound system. I haven't set out on my Santa shopping extravaganza and I haven't made any gifts for family yet. Sure, we have happily eaten through four boxes of candy canes, but that was even pushing my limit.But all my set in stone feelings melted as quickly as a tiny bit of ice that lands on your palm when this unexpectedly arrived last night. As each snowflake fell I felt Christmas magic start to flow through my veins. As we drove through the winter scene on the way to Trey's basketball practice I though of the old classic song Silver Bells and the phrase, " Strings of street lights, Even stop lights, Blink a bright red and green." I put on the Chipmunk Christmas Song and we sang along. I finally let the idea of Christmas sink and knew I ready for it to arrive. When we got home the boys and girls laughed, chased and fell in the snow. A winter wonderland. I think the song from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas sums it up best.

Fah who for-aze! Fah who for-aze!

Dah who dor-aze! Dah who dor-aze!

Welcome Christmas, Welcome Christmas,

Come this way! Come this way!

Fah who for-aze! Fah who for-aze!

Dah who dor-aze! Dah who dor-aze!

Welcome Christmas, Welcome Christmas,

Christmas Day. Christmas Day.

VPE Family Night

It was a night of "B's": Baskets, Books, Boxed dinners and Basketball experiments. Thursday night was the Fall Family Dinner at Veterans Park Elementary. (It was a CRAZY busy day- Thanksgiving feast, family dinner, basketball practice for Trey and a baby shower for the girls!!)

Each class selected a theme and asked students to donate items for a gift basket that was raffled off to make money for the PTA. Josh, Matt and Mrs. Corales Trey's class basketNext we headed toward the library. On the walls are the sheets showing the students and their pets. Kaitlyn scanned the wall for her brothers' pictures. She found all three.The book fair was in the library. Josh wanted this, Matt wanted that, but the line was the entire lenght of the room, so I convinced them to get these items via Amazon.com at a later date. They agreed.The gym was transformed into a science fair maze. Trey's project looked great. And we ended the night with boxed dinners in the cafeteria, our second meal there that day.

Josh and Alec

Kaitlyn, Matt and BrynnSammy and Trey

No we didn't win a basket, buy a book or win the science fair, but it was a great night. The only thing missing was Rich who had lecture. Thankfully there's always next year!

Thanksgiving Feast

Thursday the girls and I went to share lunch with the boys during their huge Thanksgiving Feast. No the children did not dress up, sing songs or eat the same food as the pilgrims. We simply had a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls and pumpkin pie meal that tasted almost as good as homemade. The girls were thrilled about coming. Kaitlyn was dressed and ready and almost looked like she could have fit in as a student.Brynn insisted we bring the her baby turkey. I agreed the bird brought a nice added touch to our table.Trey eats first at 11:20 AM.Kaitlyn packed a lunch all by herself: Oreos, fruit snacks and more fruit snacks. Yummy.Josh and Matt's classes arrive around 11:45 AM.I love the ceiling in the lunchroom. It was my favorite part of the school when we did our first tour two and a half years ago.The principal, Ms. McVey, got a food handlers permit so she could serve lunch to the students.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Science Fair Project

The month of November brought along one of Trey's biggest school assignments: creating a science fair project. Last year he did one, but this was the first year he was required to make a poster and show his work at the annual family dinner night.Trey selected to study if the amount of air in a basketball would affect how high the ball would bounce. These were his supplies: basketballs, measuring tape, pump, air pressure gage, paper and pencil.Trey's hypothesis was that the ball with the highest pressure of air would bounce the highest.Rich was the driving force behind the experiment. He went out and bought the pressure gage and assisted while Trey added air to the balls. He helped him with the actual test and record the data. I was the one who helped create the poster. It was a good partnership for all.Rich dropped the ball from 8 feet from the floor. We all watched and stated how high we thought the ball went. Trey held the tape and returned the ball to Rich. We had tested three various air pressures and repeated the drop numerous time and then averaged the numbers.Trey was able to prove his hypothesis was correct. They ball with the most pressure did bounce the highest. Trey created his poster, took it to school and gave an oral presentation in class where he discussed his topic and fielded questions from his classmates about his subject. He got a perfect 55/55.

Here it was on display last night. A job well done. We love you Trey!