Thankful Thursday # 2

This week I am thankful for the Ensign. I have always enjoyed reading the monthly magazine, but I have grown even more fond of it lately. My favorite issues are May and November. I love reading through the conference talks, and find myself checking often to see if the next one has come in. I love opening an issue to find that they have a touched on a topic that has been on my mind lately. I love hearing the thoughts from the General Authorities, as well as learning from experiences of other members of the church. This year I subscribed to the Liahona which has been a fun experience (and has shown me how much I have lost my Portuguese!) I really am so grateful for these magazines!

An Ideal Wintertime Experience

One of the benefits of living in a frigidly cold area is the annual outdoor skating rink. Each year they (I'm not sure who they are, but they are awesome!) turn one of the city parks into a huge ice rink. The park sits down the hill from the temple, so as you skate you get to enjoy the beautiful view of the lit temple.

Yesterday night my ward went skating. It was WONDERFUL! I have always enjoyed ice skating (I was a bit obsessed with roller blading as a child, and ice skating is so similar it takes me back in time!)

There was lots of skating, falling, chains, and pulling terrified people around the rink while they tried to stay upright (that makes it sound like we were torturing people. I promise we weren't).

There was even some break dancing on the ice, and a few rounds of the hokey pokey.

I always love ice skating, but skating at the park is more than just skating. It sounds corny, but it really is a whole experience!

Pictures with Kim

My friend Kim and I both bought new cameras and took photography classes last year. A few weeks ago we agreed to be models for each other. We were hoping for a beautiful, snow covered day. The day before it did snow. However, when we went to take pictures the snow was gone, and had left dreary, brown grass exposed. Not the most beautiful backdrop, but we still had fun!

Kim: (isn't she gorgeous? I love her hat!)

That's me!

And because every armature photographer needs a picture of them taking a picture: ;-)

Then the tripod took a picture of the two of us together:

this one makes me giggle. YAY for fast shutter speeds!

And because no photo shoot would be complete without a goofy photo:

Thanks, Kim!

Thankful Thursday #1

One of my goals with the new year is to do better with blogging. Last year my sister was super faithful doing Thankful Thursday posts. My Goal is to follow her example, and post about something I am thankful for each Thursday.

Today I am thankful for blogging. I know that journaling is so important. I know that we have been commanded to keep a record of our lives, but I am terrible at keeping a journal! I always have been. Blogging has provided a way for me to keep track of the events in my life, and pictures, in a very simple way. It also gives me a way to keep in touch with friends and family who live far away. I feel like I know my friends kids, even if I have never met them, because I follow their lives on blogs.

I still haven't made my blog books for 2009 or 2010, but I LOVE my book from 2008. Its a journal/scrapbook combined.

I may not have a blog that hundreds of people follow and comment on, but I am okay with that. That was never the purpose for my blog. My blog gives me an outlet for my thoughts. It records my personal history, and it helps me to look at events in my life in a different way. I am thankful for blogging!

So much for that wish . . .

The wishbone from our Christmas turkey had been sitting in the window sill drying out for a while, so I decided it was time to make a wish. I grabbed Liz, and the wishbone, and we each took a side. We began pulling and nothing happened. Then, all of the sudden, it shattered! This is what we could find:

So since neither of us got the piece with the head on it, and that piece seems to have disappeared all together, does it mean we were wishing for the wrong things? So much for those wishes. I guess we are all out of luck!

The Finger Food Feast Extravaganza

Every New Years we have our annual finger food feast. Every year I share pictures of this blessed event. This year I thought I would give you a little background.

The New Year finger food feast started so long ago I don't even remember a New Years without it. It started out simple - pigs in a blanket, finger sandwiches, etc. On New Years Eve we would enjoy all sorts of finger foods we never got to eat otherwise, and then we would watch movies until it was time to bang pots and pans outside and yell "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

Over the years the FFF has evolved. The foods are still finger foods, though the spread has changed. There are a few foods that stay from year to year (bacon wrapped water chestnuts, bagel bites, jello jigglers, vegetable tray) but each year we try a few new finger foods. It is very rare to find a finger food that everyone likes well enough that it gets to be added to the permanent menu.

The Rules for the Finger Food Feast:

1. Everything must be eaten with either your fingers, or a toothpick. No utensils are allowed on the table.
2. After everyone has had a chance to fill up their plates for the first time, anything left over is fair game.
3. Absolutely NO calorie counting allowed! It's only once a year!
   

When it began we would always have our feast on New Years Eve. Now it is more common for us to have it on New Years Day. Either way, I love it, and it is one of my very favorite family traditions!

Out with the old . . .

I have been thinking a lot about the past year, and the year to come this week. I have made a list of things that I want to do in the year 2011. I wouldn't call them resolutions (though some of them are) most of them are just things that I want to do during the year. Here they are (at least the ones I am willing to share):

• Quit using the snooze button
  
• Leave the country
• Eat at In-N-Out
• Publish a book (more to come on this one)
• write at least 1 thank you card a week
• Read the scriptures every day (all 365 of them!)
• Run a 10K
• Take a yoga or dance class
• Learn how to cook with mushrooms
• Read 75 books
• Blog 3 times each week
• Try a new recipe each month
• Look for the positive
• Go skydiving
  
• Have a fabulous year!

Welcome, 2011! It's going to be a great year!