52 Weeks of Blessings- week 52-- my new web cam

With this handy-dandy little camera, I can be seen by family and friends far away.  If those friends and family have one too then I get to see them too.  Closing the gaps of miles one small camera at a time!  

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 51 -- peace and comfort

For me this blessing project has been an opportunity to look beyond the everyday blessings of food and shelter.  I have tried to dig a little deeper for the blessings I post.  Yes there have been the basics of a warm home when it is -20 without the wind chill, family and friends but also I have mentioned my testimony, youth programs that help me to teach my children to choose the right and be accountable for their choices and my Saviour.  

This week I would like to highlight Nana, Troy's grandmother.  

I have known her a mere 16 years and what a blessing it has been to have her be a part of my life. She is so talented.  These hands were tools of creation. Countless cards, {She made these when Shantel was born.}
ornaments,

{Nana made ornaments for each grandchild and great grandchild until this year.  These are just a very small sampling.}
cakes 

{see the bear off to the side?  She made two of them for our open house.}

crafts,

and paintings

they have made.  

When we all lived in Vegas, I made a point of going over to visit with her and Papa.  The kids enjoyed playing with the toys their dad played with as a kid and hanging out {as much as little kids and 'hang out'} with their great grandparents. She took me to her ward's SuperSaturday Craft days.   I never got the opportunity to really know my grandma Grace because she didn't drive. I feel it is very important to know your family and extended family.  I urge you to visit with your family members and get to know them.  I want my children to be able to say that they knew their family.  We have been so fortunate to have her near us again.  She is 81 and she chooses to no longer take her medications for various health issues, one of which is diabetes.  This has caused her body to weaken, her eye sight is starting to fail and she is often confused.  It is hard to watch someone you love go through this.  It is hard to watch her daughter and son-in-law deal with the stress of this.  It is hard to watch my own children learn these lessons and to watch them watch their Nana become old and frail.

How does this story mesh with the title of peace and comfort?  I feel peace and comfort in the knowledge that when she is ready to pass on, she will be with her husband, her parents, family and friends who have already traveled this path.  Yes, it is hard to see, but to have lived your life the best you knew how, to have loved and been loved, that is peace and comfort for you and your family.  Will she be missed when her time comes?  Yes!  But it is peace and comfort to have fought the good fight and won.  

Today she asked me when Christmas was.  After I told her, she just said, "Thursday. I was just wondering."  Will she be here for Christmas? New Years?  Easter?  4th of July?  Her next birthday?  Thanksgiving?  No one knows, but we hold to that peace and comfort given to us by our Saviour!

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 50 -- facebook

This week's blessing is Facebook.  Silly, maybe, maybe not!  I've found so many classmates and old friends. I find it interesting to see what everyone's been up to these past years.  It is nice to get back in touch with others. I love seeing the family pictures and adventures. I would encourage you to get a facebook and start finding your old pals and those you went to school with.  I've even got a few blogging buds on my friend list.  It brings a smile to my face when I find another old mate! You might just chat with someone you haven't seen or heard from in years!  Another fun way to keep up to date with family and friends!  

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 49-- Forever Families

Oops, I was out of town on Sunday and Monday so I didn't get my blessings post up!

Week 49 -- forever families

We were in Spokane for the sealing of my sisters two children.  It was a long road for them.  Javin is almost 3 and Orissa is almost 1.  

It was an awesome experience and made me reflect back to when we had Robby sealed to us.

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 48 Christmas

The magic, love, hope and promise of Christmas seen in a child's eye.
The careful removal of their ornaments.
Choosing the right branch.
Each child making the choice for where to place it.
Carefully placing them high
and low.
Each child remembering Christmases past 
and dreaming of Christmases to come.  

But most importantly remembering the true meaning and magic of that first Christmas.

What a blessing Christ is in our lives!

52 Weeks of Blessings- weeks 45- internet price, 46-knowledge and 47-free babysitting

Since I was away and could not afford to pay for the net on the ship {the net prices were: $100 for 250 minutes, $50 for 100 minutes or $0.75 a minute -pay as you surf!}  I missed two weeks of blessing posts!  

Blessing # 45 will be the wonderful price I pay for internet since anything cheaper than the ship is a blessing!  I shall never complain about my phone/internet/cable bill again!

Here were are in our motel room in Tampa Florida .... notice the open Mac?  Yeah, free with the room!  {Unlike the ship ... grrrrrr probably my biggest complaint of the trip!}

Blessing#46  is knowledge gained by visiting these places:
Belize
Guatemala
Mexico

{more to come in the following days}

Blessing #47 is That my parents and my children survived their 10 days together.  I have a sneaking suspicion that they even enjoyed it!  Thank you SO much Mom & Dad for willingly watching our brood.  Thank you to my in-laws for taking us on this wonderful vacation!

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 44 -- time with my parents

My parents don't live close and so it is always a blessing when they come to visit.  As mentioned in my previous post, they have come to visit and to watch my kids while we take a vacation.

Since they got here, I've tried to make the most of this time with them.  The same day they arrived, I got my dad to join me on a the 4-wheelers....

We just went to our close riding spot for a few quick runs on the trails.  Saturday afternoon was beautiful, so I took my parents on the 4-wheelers up to Makoshika State Park.  Dad drove one and I took the other with mom on the back.  Today we took them out to the OHV park.  Since we don't have a trailer, we loaded the green one in the truck bed and I road tripped the red one out with Mom riding double.
Here's Dad preparing for a trail ride with Troy.  
Off they head....
Mom and I tended the kids.

Can you see them?
Here they are a little further down the trail.
Up the hill they went.  I was impressed with my Dad!
I backed the zoom off a bit to give a better idea of where they were.
They came down, a bit.
This is a backed-off shot of the area they are in, in the above photo.
Here they come down the side.  I was a tiny bit worried that Troy was going to convince my dad to go over the edge!  That is the way we usually descend this hill!  When we first arrived I had taken my parents on a much milder trail.  They both enjoyed the rides.  On the way back home Dad drove and I rode double behind him.  Now my job is to get my mom to drive!  :)

We have also played several games with them on the Wii ...
Here is Scott getting ready to bowl with his Grumpa!  Grammie, EmmaLece and I went for a lengthy walk!  
Saturday evening after dinner we played a few rounds of darts.  Grumpa was such a sport and let the twins take aim on his turn.
Of course we had to give the Wii Fit a try!  Here's my Dad hoola hooping!  So funny!  :D
EmmaLece and her Grammie doing a few torso twists!

I hope that my kids soak in all this time with their Grandparents.  I know I always loved going to visit my own grandparents.  Since they are Rv-ers, we get to have them visit us.  Time with parents and grandparents is such a blessing!

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 43 --Prophets

President Thomas S. Monson

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

I feel so blessed to live in this day and age.  To have a living prophet on the earth.  To have General Conference to see and hear him speak the words our Heavenly Father and Jesus would have us hear. I feel so blessed to have a testimony and to be a member of His church.

We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet

Brightly

Hymns, We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet, no. 19

1. We thank thee, O God, for a prophet
To guide us in these latter days.
We thank thee for sending the gospel
To lighten our minds with its rays.
We thank thee for every blessing
Bestowed by thy bounteous hand.
We feel it a pleasure to serve thee
And love to obey thy command.

2. When dark clouds of trouble hang o’er us
And threaten our peace to destroy,
There is hope smiling brightly before us,
And we know that deliv’rance is nigh.
We doubt not the Lord nor his goodness.
We’ve proved him in days that are past.
The wicked who fight against Zion
Will surely be smitten at last.

3. We’ll sing of his goodness and mercy.
We’ll praise him by day and by night,
Rejoice in his glorious gospel,
And bask in its life-giving light.
Thus on to eternal perfection
The honest and faithful will go,
While they who reject this glad message
Shall never such happiness know.

Text: William Fowler, 1830–1865

Music: Caroline Sheridan Norton, 1808–ca. 1877

52 Weeks of Blessings- week 42 --nature MYWorld

This week's blessing is of the beauty of nature!  I love the outdoors and want to share some of my favorite places before it gets cold and I'll just be loving the indoors.  
The Mission Mnts.  I love this range located in northwestern Montana.
Flathead lake surrounded by the mountains.  
Glacier National Park
A beautiful lake surrounded by the mountains of Glacier.  These first four pictures were taken while I was still in high school.  Some friends came up from UT and we took a trip to Canada. We had a great time.  

 Just for fun I thought I'd throw this one of my sister, Ryanne, and I on that trip in Glacier.

Having grown up in the beauty of Western MT, I was sure there would be nothing to compare in Eastern MT. I was wrong!  Right up the road from me {maybe a mile} is a beautiful state park, Makoshika. 
A natural bridge.  Because of erosion, this trail has been closed.
Looking out over the beauty of the badlands.  
One of my favorite formations in the park is this one.

Thanks for visiting the beauties of nature here in the vastly beautiful state of Montana!

I've decided to link up to the new MyWorld site