Bonjour!

Bonjour!
I’m a 52 year old mother of five amazing daughters and wife to a caring, sensitive AND sexy husband. I adore my family. I’m dedicated to my faith. I enjoy a good laugh. I'm nostalgic and love to reminisce. "Remember" is my favorite word in the English language. I love life! I’m passionate about music, food and {dreams of} traveling the world. I wanna be a castle and waterfall chaser. I’m fascinated with anything European. {PARIS! Hello!} I love celebrating anything and everything! I love to read, especially a good biography, mystery, Regency Era Romance or Historical fiction novel. I love thoughtful gift giving. To me the gift wrap is almost as important as the gift itself. I have a bit of an obsession with gift boxes and gift bags. As well as old world maps & globes, apothecary bottles and jars! I love being creative…bolts of ribbon, coordinating scrapbook papers, producing a table scape, or planning décor for a themed party puts a smile on my face. I love the details! I’m a freak for anything theme oriented. I enjoy event planning, but oddly enough do not like to host or entertain. I enjoy fashion, but have to really be in the mood to clothes shop. I love purses and funky costume jewelry. Especially big rings! I’d rather wear wedges or heels any day than flats. I enjoy decorating and searching for the perfect decorative pillow or picture. However, you’ll never see me frequent high-end stores. I'm more of a Ross, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning kind of gal. My favorite decor style is an old world rustic Italian chateau/Spanish Villa look with a hint of bohemian! OR a vintage shabby chic French country cottage/English cobblestone farmhouse. My #1 cookie-Molasses! Autumn is my favorite season. I’d go through childbirth a million times. I enjoy biking with my man, Pilates, and power walking. You’ll never find me in a gym working out. I love movies, whether watching them in the theatre or cuddled up on the couch with my family. I enjoy a good chick flick or real life drama! I'm a sucker for movies on the Hallmark & Great American Family Channel. I have a tender heart for the elderly. I adore Disneyland. I enjoy being in the canyon on a summer or fall evening at dusk. I love my friends. While I have some extroverted characteristics. I’m a self proclaimed introvert. I’m generally quiet, calm, reserved and pretty darn private. Why in the heck do I blog? It’s a creative way to record family history. I enjoy photography. I really don’t like to write, although I write in my journal often. My journals, patriarchal blessing, scriptures, quote book, and beloved Christmas tree filled with ornaments of family memories are among my prized possessions. I love the beach. I enjoy WWII history. I love a clean, orderly house, but ours usually looks lived in. ;) PBS Masterpiece is my friend. I adore Jane Austen films. They transport me to another time and place. If I had to choose another time period in which to live, early 19th Century England would be my pick. "Sense and Sensibility" is my all time favorite movie. My 3 favorite TV series are...BBC's Larkrise to Candleford, the 1950's Spanish Drama "Velvet," and the travel/food show "Somebody Feed Phil." My biggest pet peeve is people who blow their noses in public. So gross! {Take it to the bathroom people.} I’d go on a wine tasting vacation if it wasn’t against my religion. I’ve always wanted to adopt a baby from a foreign country. I’m an avid BYU football fan. I'm a Educational Support Professional. I tutor elementary kids in phonemic awareness, phonics, reading, fluency and comprehension. I love our campfires at Scofield Lake. I have a 'thing' for fairy gardens, Gallic French roosters, fresh flowers in a vase, pretty bowls & plates, yummy smelling candles & soap. I love summer rainstorms and warm baths. I'm a scripture podcast fanatic. I'm also a fan of several Fox News shows; Hannity and Dave Ramsey Talk Radio. I very much miss Rush Limbaugh! I hate when my kids have homework. I'd rather clean 20 toilets than give a talk or prayer in church. I have quite a collection of Madame Alexander Dolls, children's books, Disney pins, and quotes. My favorite quote is "Don't underestimate me. I know more than I say, think more than I speak & notice more than you realize." True True LOL! I always prefer sitting in a back row versus the front. {I'm sort of a seat snob..yikes} I also have high expectations for my lemonade, salsa, and french fries too. HA! I work well behind the scenes. I love a good Dateline, 20/20 or 48 Hour Mystery. I’m a night owl. I'd rather be cold than hot. I love to budget our finances! I enjoy being a chauffeur to my children. I'm not a huge fan of social media. I don't snap, pin or tweet. All I want for Christmas every year is a ticket to the Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert. It's my FAVORITE. I’m an Anglophile…a royal watcher who loves anything English! Especially tea parties! I would like to serve a church mission to England with Jaren someday. I'm queen of paper towel, used kitchen dishrags and sponges kinda make me squirm. You’ll rarely find me out of the house not ready for the day, except when driving the kids to school on the days I don't work. I feel naked without lipstick or lip gloss. Mismatched socks, chipped fingernail polish, chapped lips and brownie crumbs on the floor drive me nuts! I like to organize and BE organized..but not saying I always am. ;) I enjoy hiking to waterfalls, ATV’ing with my family and snowshoeing with the hubs. Although I enjoy collecting recipes and occasionally watch cooking shows... (Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, Paula Deen, Jamie Oliver, and the Pioneer Woman are my favorites) I’d rather not cook. Eating out is so much more fun. I'm a foodie. I live to EAT! LOL Trying new foods and restaurants is a favorite past-time, and believe it or not so is intermittent fasting. I'm not good at a lot of things... but gosh, if you need help with a themed celebration or someone to enjoy good food with, I'm your girl. I love the joy of anticipation and the celebration of holidays. Family traditions are important to me. I'm a memory preserver. I'm a pathological picture taker ;) a visual storyteller, and a lover of happy lists!

My Fam!

My Fam!

The Hubs and I

The Hubs and I

My Girls!

My Girls!

Kyleigh Dawn (28)

Kyleigh Dawn (28)

Emma Abigail (26)

Emma Abigail (26)

Hannah Isabelle (24)

Hannah Isabelle (24)

Brielle Olivia (19)

Brielle Olivia (19)

Kate Evangelene Lyllie (14)

Kate Evangelene Lyllie (14)

Mr. Charles "Bingley" Wentworth III (5 yrs.)

Colonel Edward Fitzwilliam "Darcy", Duke of Westridge (4 yrs.)

My Man!

My Man!

Good Times!

Good Times!

Wedding Day 5*17*22

Lillian "Lilly" Belle

Disney Food Fun! 2019

Disneyland Tips

What I Believe!

Our Missionary

We Bleed Blue! {Except for the Poppi}

My list of favorite movies!

Learn more about Dyslexia!

Music To My Ears!

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

What's on My Happy List?

"O Lord, that lends me life, lend me a heart replete with
thankfulness." Shakespeare, Henry VI, part 2


Tis the Season to be Thankful-
I love Thanksgiving!!! It has to be one of my
favorite holidays for sure! I am a descendant of William
Bradford who came over to America with the first
pilgrims on the Mayflower in 1620. After the first year
of terrible hardships and little success, Bradford, who
ended up being governor of Plymouth for many years,
proclaimed the first Thanksgiving in the Colony so that
the pilgrims could demonstrate gratitude for what they
did have. Way to go Will!

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories is our
traditional sit down breakfast where cinnamon rolls are
always on the menu. Before we eat we take a moment to
reflect on the meaning of the five kernels of corn that have
been placed on each one of our plates...and we read this
little story..."As the legend goes, in what is now New
England, it was customary to place five grains of corn
at each plate on Thanksgiving Day. It was a reminder
of those stark days of the first winter when the Pilgrims'
food was so scarce only five grains of corn at a time were
rationed to each person. The early settlers wanted their
children to remember the sacrifices, sufferings and
hardships that made it possible for a free people to settle
in a free land. They didn't want their descendants to forget
that on the day their ration was reduced to five grains of corn,
only seven healthy colonists remained to take care of the sick,
and nearly half their number lay buried on a windswept hillside."

As we eat we go around the table five times so that each family
member can say five different things they are thankful for....

With Thanksgiving tomorrow I thought I would blog just
a few things on my "grateful for" list....

Autumn, Archuleta, Amazing Race...
Brie, Book of Mormon, BYU, Bond....
Church, Crockpots, Clorox wipes, Cards....
Disneyland, Decorating, Dance recitals....
Emma, Emails, Europe, Eggnog...
Fireplaces, Football, Fashion...
Girlfriends, Grandparents, Gelato, Gift Giving...
Hannah, Heavenly Father, Home, Health, Holidays....
Il Divo, Internet, Ipods...
Jaren, Jalapeno Cheetos, Jeans...
Kyleigh, Kisses, Kinship...
Laughter, Learning, Licorice....
Music, Mimi's Restaurant, Movies....
Novels, No Homework for the kids, Nachos...
Ocean, Oranges, Oprah....
Prophets, Pilates, Paris, Pillows, Photography....
Quilts, Quietness, Quaker Oatmeal...
Reminiscing, Ribbon, Rainstorms...
Savior, Salsa Con Queso, Shoes, Sunday dinners....
Traditions, Tolberones, Temples....
USA, Umbrellas, Understanding...
Volunteering, Vacations, Vacuums...
Westlife, Waffles, Work, Weekends...
XOXO's....
Young Women's, Yogurt, Yes!....
Zermatt, Zucchini Bread.....

Pumpkin-
I love pumpkin...pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie, pumpkin
shakes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin seeds...you name it! Here
is a quick and easy pumpkin cookie recipe that we love.

1 Moist Deluxe Spice Cake Mix
3/4 of a 29 oz. can of Pumpkin
1/2 bag Chocolate Chips

Mix all together. Bake @350 for 10-12 minutes. YUM!



Visiting Teaching Thought-
I gave a baggie full of these treats to my Relief Society sisters this month
with this Thanksgiving message....
Bugle shaped snack crackers (Horn of Plenty)
Pretzels (arms folded in thanks and prayer)
Candy Corn (represents the first winter when the
pilgrims lived on 5 kernels of corn a day)
Candy fruits (celebration of the harvest)
Peanuts (the potential of next season's harvest,
if planted and well tended)

Happy Thanksgiving!

3 comments:

  1. LOVE your Thanksgiving list! It's brilliant! And so you!

    Also love the new look.

    And when are you coming to celebrate your ancestors in Plymouth HERE? My parents didn't come this year, but usually today will find us all at Plymouth, Walden Pond, or Lexington and Concord, the day after our feast.

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  2. I love the story with the five kernels of corn. You always have the most clever ways to celebrate a holiday! I also really enjoyed your Twilight post - you've got to read the books - much better than the movie (aren't they always!).

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  3. You are so good! You have the best traditions. I wish we had such deep traditions in our family! You have one for every holiday, and it makes it seem so much more meaningful! Love the ABC thankfuls! Thanks for my B-day email! Your great!

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