Grateful

Our life has been insanity lately, but it's a good kind of busy. Please forgive me if I have been a little delayed on the uptake on returning emails, disks and phone calls. Between PTA reflections, birthday parties, IEP meetings, job stuff and preparations for the Utah New Moon event ...It's been a crazy last few weeks.

We finished up our CD and I made it on there singing "Esme"! Yippee. This means huge blessing for our family if we sell any albums. The artist, Daniel Jackson has set up a trust fund called the "Find Your Wings" foundation for autism awareness and treatment. Part of the money goes directly towards paying for our children's expensive medical interventions. We have seen huge improvements with the gluten free casein free diet and b-12 injections as well as supplements. But right now we can only afford to pay for our oldest son. I have also been blessed to be busy doing fall family portraits. It has been a life saver for our family and I can not thank my Heavenly Father enough. There are good people out there and wonderful friends who I have been able to capture on film and I will treasure the images and the memories.

Today I am grateful for the little things that make my life better and enjoyable...

Kneeling in Prayer

Pepperidge Farm Cookies

Microfleece Jammie bottoms

Maggie Stiefvater books

Bolthouse Farms Juice

the Primary Sacrament Program

Barnes and Noble

So You Think You Can Dance

Piano music

Yoga

Our fireplace

The new gluten free section at Target

Our washing machine and dryer

Fresh paint

My mom

Homemade baked goods

Fall leaves

Airborne

Dick's bakery

Yoga's Picture tag

Emmalee with her cousin Hailey at their dance recital.

This Picture Has A Story

Here are the rules:

*Open your first photo folder.

*Scroll down to the 10th picture.

(if you dont have 10 in that one, then go to the next folder that does).

*Post that photo and the story behind that photo on your blog.

*Tag 5 friends to do the same.

.

I tag Michele, Tiffany, Darci, Natalie and Aarin

Happy Fourth Emmy Lou Who

To our little ham and fun spunky spirit... You keep us busy with your talking and dancing!

Emmy loves the dogs, her baby dolls and dress ups. She was sneaky enough to get a Barbie from her grandma and dad...lucky girl, it is our first one. Yesterday she had her favorite three friends Mady, Shyann, and Jaycee over for a Kangaroo Zoo jumping adventure. She got a Tinkerbell costume, a crying baby, Princess Bingo, a Barbie couch, play food and a fairy doll. We love you Emmy for always bringing a chuckle into our home :)

Best Book In a Long Time

I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long time. "Shiver" by Maggie Stiefvater. Wow. I have been loving Young Adult fiction lately because so much of it is based loosely off of fairytales and explores the theme of first love. I remember mine...James Matthew Hancock. I was 18 and in college. Do you remember yours?

I love that these writers understand and tell about the love of books, the art in every day life. Here is the book trailer composed and illustrated by the author.

Halloween 2009

A Black Kitty

Two Baseball Players

A Fairy

A Witch

Three Halloween Parades

A Family Party

Trunk or Treat

A Garden Maze and

A Transformer

School Photos

Our kiddos got their school pictures back today. Love them :)

Our Little Witch

I loved these photos of Meg at the Gardner Halloween party this last weekend.

Miracles

I have never really struggled with believing that we are rewarded for our faith and sacrifice until the last few months. It happened little by little but I started to drift away from my center. I had some old wounds that needed healing, a huge trial of my faith with personal issues and a battle within myself. My depression really over shadows my faith sometimes and I think it is my trial in life. Depsite all I do to try to help myself it is never enough.

Along with that came real anxiety about going to family / social gatherings, church meetings and being around people. I just felt out of place, angry and forgotten.

Then last week I decided to buck up and do what I know is right. I took all four children to sacrament meeting and the wrestling match ensued, but at last we made it. I also decided that I was going to make sure I had paid a full tithe, 10% off all my earnings so far this year. Tithing is a law I have always been able to keep and have perfect faith that the belssings will be poured upon us.

I'm not the main breadwinner of our home, and Todd's employer has not paid him most of his earnings. We are currently waiting for over $13,000 in back wages. But I tossed in my widow's mite and I felt good about living the law 100%

The next day I got an order for an 8x10 and an 11x17 print as well as a book order from Amazon. Then I had inquiries about making 160 journals, four more prints and was spotlighted on a website. It came straight form Heavenly Father. Saturday I went to a photos shoot and she paid me six times what I normally charge. I was so overwhelmed. I told her she couldn't pay me that much and I tried to give it back to her....then tears welled up on the spot. He is so aware us personally.

Yesterday we all went to church again and I paid tithing on my new earnings. Faith, not fear. So I went to bed last night and woke up this morning to three inquiries for family sittings and sold another print on Etsy. Despite my imperfections and bitterness, the second I turn back to the Lord he blesses me in ways I could not bless myself. I know He lives. He loves us as we are and sees our needs.

If I Had A Milion Dollars

Or knew how to sew :)