{One Last Thankful List}

Maybe you all are getting sick of my Thankful lists, but here's one last list in honor of the final day of November........

• Christmas Shopping~ I finally started and I feel less stressed now. Granted I have more to do, but I always feel better once I actually get a good start. Derrick and I headed north on Saturday and got a lot done. What can I say, we make a good team! I have to shout out a big THANKS to Lis and Jer for keeping our kids, on a non school day no less. If you know our kids, and especially all six of them together, you know that we really owe them!
• Thanksgiving~ With everything going on in our lives and all the changes around us, it's easy for me to get discouraged. But, if I remember to look at all that I have to be thankful for and focus on that, I feel much better. Hopefully, I can keep the spirit of Thanksgiving in our home all year.
• Melatonin~ I'm not sure how much I've written about our sleep dramas with Carlie lately, but it's been a long month or two. For some reason she has been either getting up in the middle of the night (like 3 or 4) and wanting to play, or staying up until between eleven and twelve each night. We've tried lots of different things, nothing worked until we tried Melatonin. It's a natural substance our body makes helping us to sleep. It's worked wonders! Carlie has been in bed and asleep by nine the last five nights, YIPPIE! I'm hoping that we can use this to get her adjusted to a normal sleep routine.
• Sunday Naps~ Is there anything better after a long day at church? Sunday is a day of rest, right?
• Christmas Music and Memories~ Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year and it was my Grandma Ainge's VERY favorite time of year. She loved the lights, the food, giving and family, but most of all she loved the music and she taught all of us to love Christmas music. Some of my favorite memories are of my mom, all her sisters and the granddaughters around Grandma's piano as she played for us. Silver Bells was on the radio the other day and I cried, I've missed hearing my Grandma play that beautiful song (no one plays it like she did). This Christmas day it will be three years since she passed away and I'm truly thankful for all the wonderful memories I have of her.

{Wednesday's THANKFUL List}

I don't think I've ever posted this many times in a week? Here goes......

• I'm thankful for our extended families. We have such wonderful people in our lives and I feel pretty lucky to have them all!
• I'm thankful we were able to move back to what we both consider home. After we were married, I wasn't sure if I wanted to come back or not. We've never been unhappy in any of the other places we've lived, but this is HOME and I'm glad we get to be here.
• I'm thankful I got to sleep in this morning, and hopefully tomorrow morning too.
• I'm thankful my mom asked me to make pies for dinner tomorrow. I love making pies! As I was working on the crusts, Derrick came in and said "This makes you happy, doesn't it? Making pies and Christmas music....Yep, it makes me pretty happy!

{Thankful}

Today on my THANKFUL list.........

• I'm thankful for my washer and dryer (both sets). Don't get me wrong I really don't love doing laundry, but I'm thankful that they make it an easier job. As I did 12 batches or so of laundry yesterday, I couldn't help but think how we have it pretty easy really.
• I'm thankful that this past weekend I finally started my Christmas shopping. I'm a slacker, I know! I always say I'm going to start early, but I never do. Next year for sure ;)
• I'm thankful for my little family (some days more than others). Yesterday for some reason was a hard day, but when I really think about it, I wouldn't trade it. My husband and my kiddos are my life and I'm thankful for them.
• I'm thankful for no homework for the next 5 days! For some reason, homework is a big challenge at our house. It's actually a trade off.....kids and hubby home for five days vs. no homework??? Maybe at the end of the weekend I'll be begging for homework, we'll see?

{Thankful Week}

In honor of Thanksgiving this week, I'm going to try and post a few things each day that I am thankful for. Some will be big things and some smaller things that just make me smile.

• I'm thankful for friends....both old friends and new! This past week was filled with girlfriend time for me and I loved every minute of it. I got reacquainted with some old friends and also met some new friends at Ann's Twilight party, which was super fun I must say! I am thankful I got to spend some time with Ann. I feel lucky to have her, she has always been one of my biggest supporters and cheerleaders, a great listening ear and is my definition of a true friend. I feel lucky that I can count my sister as a best friend also.

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown.

• I'm thankful for my cute little sister-in-law, Sydney. It was her 9th birthday yesterday....seriously where did 9 years go? For the last 2 years we've been lucky enough to get to have her come to our house after school once or twice a week. The boys love it when she comes and they all play good together. Carlie idolizes Sydney and follows her everywhere.


• I'm thankful for the Gospel. I feel bad about the years that I didn't choose to make it a priority in my life and all the learning that I missed out on during that time. I'm thankful to get to go to Primary every week and for the special spirit that is there.


• I'm thankful for Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Apple Pie Caramel Apples. YUMMMY! I'm also really bugged (and a bit grateful) that I have to drive two and a half hours to get one. If I get desperate, I'll have to get domestic and try and make one?
  

{Excitement}

I have been looking forward to this weekend for MONTHS! First, it was Bunko at my house tonight. I love it when it's my turn for Bunko, really I do. I stress out, but my house gets cleaned better than usual. In fact last night the Elders Quorum Presidency came over to visit with us last night and Derrick told them that they picked a good time to come since Bunko was going to be here and all I'd done all week was clean and it looked better than usual....all true, but he got a pretty dirty look for that smart remark. We had such a good time, we always do. We have the best group and my stomach always hurts from laughing. I have to shout out a big THANKS to Lis, she got most of my prizes for me and she did a spectacular job!
The other reason I've been looking forward to this weekend......Girls night and the Twilight movie and sleepover, with my BFF Ann and a bunch of her friends. I've met a few of them, and I've gotten to know some from blogging. I'm just super excited for a girls night out and a little break. YIPPEE!

How could I forget? One of the best parts of Bunko is the FOOD. I tried a new recipe this time (it was my SIL's and I'd tried it, just not made it) and it turned out yummy, so I thought I'd share.
** Chile Verde**
Shredded Pork Roast (Katy uses the Hormel, precooked roast)
2 cans chopped Chile
2 cans diced tomatoes, drained (the Mexican variety are good)
1 can Black Beans
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Kidney Beans (drain and rinse all the beans)
1 bunch cilantro
1 T. chili powder
1 T. Oregano
1 t. Cumin
1 t. garlic powder
Dump everything into your crock pot (save 1/2 the cilantro for garnish) cook on low for 6 hours or so.
Garnish with Frito's, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and cilantro and limes to squeeze over the top. (I put my Frito's on the top, so they won't get soggy, my SIL's put them on the bottom. YUM!

**Ice Cream Dessert**
3 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 C margarine
1 1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 C coconut
1 1/2 C nuts
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream
Melt butter and brown sugar together until blended. Add other ingredients (rice krispies first). Place 1/2 in the bottom of a 9 x13 pan. Open box of Ice Cream and slice into slabs 1/2 inch thick then place over the top of the mixture, smooth the top. Remaining mix goes on top. Freeze well. Great with carmel, chocolate, or danish desert and strawberries on top.

{Stampin' Again}

I'm not sure why, but lately I've been a card making/Stampin' Up! slump. Don't get me wrong, I still love it, but I'm just not finding the time to work on things and also to hold my card nights. People keep asking me about it, and to be honest, I think they've about given up on me. I really just need to get it together. Bunko is at my house this week and I had a request for cards as one or two of the prizes, which forced me to get to it! Of course I left it to almost the last minute, but I made 24 cards tonight....YEA! I also put together some kits for the activity day girls in our ward to make this week. Maybe this is the kick in the behind that I need? Anyhow, I'm excited that I actually did something and had to share. Hopefully I can keep it up and get back on track!

For some reason I can't get this picture to turn? Isn't the sock monkey the cutest? And the 'Pick a Petal" set that I did the flower with is so FUN to play with!

The Happy Days card at the top was so easy, gotta love the Stampin' Around Wheels. I bet Lisa is wondering if I am ever going to give back her "Baroque Motifs" set.... probably not, I like it too much! A couple of Christmas cards.

Are you ready for my FAVORITE card I've made recently????

Isn't it darling???? I was so happy with how it turned out.

{Help!}

Ok, my faithful blog readers and friends, I am in desperate need of your HELP!

This mess is my current filing system. Yep, I'm serious. Not kidding a bit. It's pretty pathetic, I know. Not to mention unsightly and embarrassing and honestly, it looks worse in person. I have to hope I have at least a half hour, preferably an hour if I need to find anything in that mess. The one plus to this lovely system... filing's a breeze, just dump it on the top of the heap....and tada, done!

Ok, in all seriousness, this has got to change and soon. So here is my question, and PLEASE, I really, really want your input. What do you keep? How long do you keep it? In particular, how long do you keep the regular monthly bills, one month, two, a year? What about hospital and Doctor bills? Insurance stuff, statements and bills? Pay stubs? How about the kids school work?

I really used to do ok at this, but obviously not so much any more. The last time I truly cleaned out my files was just before Thanksgiving in 2005. We burned a bunch of stuff and started to get things in order. We had changed auto insurance a year or so earlier and we got rid of the older stuff from the previous company. I think that was on Wednesday, Thanksgiving was Thursday and Friday we just hung out at home. Anyway, long story short, Friday evening I was served with papers saying I was being sued because of an auto accident I was in, after almost 2 years had passed. So, what now? I had just barely burned all the information I needed? After many, many calls and much searching I finally found one policy I had missed with the numbers and information I needed. So, now you see why I have a hard time getting rid of papers? I know that really doesn't excuse my filing mess, there is no reason it should look like that. So tell me what works for you and what guidelines do you use when throwing things out? I've admitted that this is a problem and I'm ready to change! HELP ME!