Our List of ABCs

It's the first week of school!  While it's a very busy time, I've been reminded by the passing of a couple of dear acquaintances of the importance of taking time to be grateful for what we have been blessed with.  I've been reminded of the importance of family, of faith and of the little things.  So, tonight I've taken a few minutes to reflect on some of the things I love and things I'm thankful for...and since it's the first week of school and the ABCs are on my mind...here's my list!

A: AROMA CANDLES! I spend too much money on them. I love how “comforting” they can make you feel. The sense of smell is definitely a powerful one.
B: BRENT…my hubby and very best friend! He’s an amazing husband, father and son!
C: COTE D’VOIRE…it’s amazing how much we already love the people of Africa and look forward to learning more about them, praying for them and serving them as Bailey serves as a missionary for the next two years.
D: a DAY started early with lots DONE before lunch! The trick is not sleeping in (which I also love to do sometimes!).
E: ELDER SHAFFER serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We pray for his success, health and safety several times a day. Our hope is to follow his example.
F: FREE TIME! It’s always great to discover a couple of hours in the week to plan something to do to relax, have fun or learn. (It just doesn’t seem to happen often enough.)
G: my GIRLS…truly two of my very best friends. We always have so much fun when we are together. They are there to jump in and help me out whenever I’m in a bind! I’m so blessed to be their mom.
H: HARVEST. It is our life…both spiritually and temporally.
I: INTERNET…what would we do without it? In addition to online shopping and web searching, I love that we’re able to hear about Bailey’s experiences from Africa just a second or two after he pushes send!
J: JOY GIVERS…I love being around people who are “joy givers.” Too many people these days are negative, pessimistic and zap your energy. It’s so refreshing to be around others who are happy and positive. They seem to build you up and leave you feeling better than when they arrived.
K: KNOWING how to COOK…I love cooking! One of my favorite TV channels is the Food Network. I love planning menus and trying new recipes. I always wish I had more time to spend in the kitchen.
L: LETTERS in the mail….LETTERS from loved ones….LETTERS from a missionary! LETTERS from a missionary in Africa!
M: MONSON (PRES. MONSON)…having a prophet to lead us is a blessing every day of our lives. We love him and are so thankful we have a living prophet to guide us.
N: NICE PEOPLE…like the guy who helped us at Sam’s the other day. We were loading three new filing cabinets into the back of Brent’s pick-up. He just hopped up into the truck and helped Brent and then just hopped back out and went on his way. Being nice should be a way of life for all of us. Something I need to continually work on.
O: ORGANIZED CLOSETS, DRAWERS and CUPBOARDS! I’m so much happier when everything’s straightened and organized. I love feeling organized and can’t stand it when things are a mess or are unorganized…DRIVES ME NUTS!
P: PRINCIPAL…hmmm…a principal. I can see in my mind’s eye what a “principal” image might be, and it isn’t one that I want to embrace. I want the school(s) that I work at to be better because I was there! I want to be a positive force for better educational opportunities for every child.
Q: QUIET ANGELS…people who continually walk into our lives, unannounced, help us however they can and quietly leave. We’re blessed by “angels” everyday.
R: the RISING of the SUN! It seems like everything’s always better after a good night’s rest. I love being able to see the sun rise every morning…it’s the best thing about my drive to work. I’m reminded of having a fresh new start and new opportunities every day.  I always am able to put things into a better perspective after sleeping on it.
S: SCHOOL! Love it! Always have!
T: TRANQUILITY HILL…that’s what our home teacher, Ted, officially named our home. To us, it’s the perfect name!  One of my favorite places in the world.
U: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY AGGIES…Love them! Go, Aggies! Go, Aggies! Hey! Hey! Hey!
V: fresh VEGETABLES from the garden. There’s nothing better than a summer supper of corn-on-the-cob, cucumbers, watermelon and a tomato sandwich…all grown in the garden. YUM!
W: WHEAT…reminds me of two of the greatest guys in the world…Brent and my dad! It reminds me of their hard work, their faith, their efforts and willingness to trust that every season will be better than the last.
X: X-TRA AMAZING SON-IN-LAW have blessed our family. Jordan adds a lot to our family. He is such a hard worker and good husband to our daughter. We’re sure grateful for him.
Y: YOUNG children…seriously! I just love them! They seem to be able to always brighten my day.
Z: ZUCCHINI from the garden. We love it dipped in egg, fried and served on saltines. We love yummy baked treats using it…especially zucchini bread and zucchini chocolate cake. And, this year we even tried bottling zucchini relish.

Oh, we're so blessed!