Sunrise and sunset

The other day Karlee left for school, and shortly after she called me. She said "Mom you should go and look at the sunrise", (she really said sunset, and we laughed because it was the sunrise). She said it was really pretty and that it reminded her of me. Anyone who knows me at all knows that I love to watch the sunrise and the sunset. I often take pictures of them and send them to friends. I stop the car and make whoever is with me look at the beauty. Here is the picture of that morning Karlee had me go look at the sunrise.

 

 

Later during the week, Kiersten called me and she had seen my post to Instagram, it was a sunset pic. She said that she was driving and she was going to call me to look at the same sunset that she saw on my Instagram. It too reminded her of me. It made me so happy, that the sunset made her think of me. Here is the picture of the beautiful sunset.

 

 

 

 

My whole life I have loved sunsets. I have pictures that I have taken from when I was young. I still pull over and take pictures of the sun. I have lots and lots on my phone.  The sun makes me happy. It reminds me that my Heavenly Father loves me and that he wants me to have joy in my life, and that he created this beautiful world to bring me joy. Life doesn't just have to be endured, it is to be enjoyed. I am so thankful to each and every one of you. Thank you for bringing me joy, and for helping me to see the beauty that surrounds me. Reach out to others, and make a difference:) It only takes one small thing....a kind word, a smile, open a door. Write someone a note. Make a treat. Call your Mom or Dad, a friend, or your Grandma, or Grandpa. Be a good friend! Look for opportunities to take the ugly out of someone's day. Just like the quote says. I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.

 

 



 

 









Halloween and a little gratitude

If you know me at all, you know I love candy. I decorate with candy and I have candy on my desk. (You are welcome James N Jones DDS). My love of Halloween started with my love of candy. I found a sign a while ago that said "I love you more than candy". I send a picture of it to Troy or my kids, and then they know that it is a special day. When I was a kid,  I would go trick or treating for hours. I would eat all of my candy within a couple of days. I trick or treated until I was 30. It isn't an age limit, it is a height limit, so in that case I can trick or treat until I am really old. I am over trick or treating after going last year with Karlee and her friends, but I love trick or treating. The other day Troy and I were talking about my candy decorations in my house. I had just filled them up, and they looked really cute. Troy said "You really do love Halloween. Is that why you have all of those jars of candy, so you can celebrate Halloween all year?".

 

This year I dressed up two times. I went to our ward party as a biker chick per Nicole Wheeler's request. One of the cute little girls in my ward totally noticed that I was a biker chick a different year. I think she was only 11, but she remembered. After she reminded me that I already wore that costume, she said I was totally rockin it.  Lizzy Poll was so scared of my fake tattoo sleeves. It took her a minute to see that they were fake.  All of the young women leaders wore some type of biker chick costume.

 I went as that last year, and so I wanted to be something different at work. I wore my baseball uniform from 1987.

 

 It brought back some awesome memories. I was thinking about the good ol days in Riverdale growing up and trick or treating with my friends. I thought a lot about Dena because we were on a lot of softball teams together and we always went trick or treating together. I don't know what it was about Riverdale, but it seems like we all loved Halloween. I am so grateful for good friends.
 

Halloween has evolved through the years. I would go trick or treating with my kids and when they would yell "MOM" I would have to remind them that most mom's aren't trick or treating and they should let me trick or treat without getting busted:) I am not even sure why I would go trick or treating, other than I love candy and I love a challenge. I am sure I thought I was funny because until last year no one questioned why the old lady was trick or treating. I finally decided trick or treating is over-rated, and I think I have officially retired.

As an adult I painted pumpkins for years and years. I figure I painted around 5000 pumpkins. I started to find joy in giving someone a little something without an expectation.  I have learned something about myself along the way. I love little random acts of kindness. I can surprise someone around Halloween and they don't expect it at all, but it makes them really happy. It is a holiday that you don't have to give someone something back because it isn't expected. I notice lots of others do the same thing. Families and friends gather. It seems like if you let it, Halloween can be the start of the holiday season.

 Halloween has turned my heart to gratitude. It is the last holiday before Thanksgiving. Our hearts are automatically turned to being grateful during the month of November and so for me Halloween is just where I start. 
 

I recently read an awesome article from Oprah. It talks about how to have more gratitude in your heart.

Every day you should have gratitude meditation. This should be about 15 minutes. Sit still and thank the world (Or your Heavenly Father) for every single thing that you can think of. The wind, the trees, the gas in the car, the brief breeze in the hot day, the gift of touch, smell, taste, sight and you get the idea. Fill up your core with gratitude.

One gratitude gift a day- Reach out to someone different each and every single day and say thank you.
 

Pay it forward- Let someone go ahead of you in line, pay for someone's drink or food at a drive up or gas station. give the gift of listening, do something for someone else.....put this on the list for each day. Small acts bring big results. Change the world with just being the change.
 

FOCUS ON THE POSITVE- Be the positive force in the world and turn away from the negative.
 

When you live in gratitude it reminds you at every twist and turn of your day how amazing life can really be. When you focus on the positive it changes everything. Take the time to pay attention to your life and fill yourself up with gratitude. When you are unleashing the wave of gratitude into your life you are living the best life.