Just Keep on Going

This winter has been terrible so far.  My arthritis has gotten worse and we are now considering a "chemo" drug to see if it helps.  I finally and back to walking like a normal person, the last 4 weeks have been extremely painful and challenging mentally to keep things in perspective.  It is easy to forget how blessed I am and get lost in the self pity and loneliness that feels like it can be consuming.  I need to take a good look around and realize how much I have been given and how much more I need to give back.  I find myself sad and depressed and lashing out at my family, something I try not to do, but sometimes feel is the only option.  I am trying to come up with some New Year resolutions and I am struggling to see anything positive that is up coming.  Even my birthday was hard, not sure what this is all about, but I am determined to get over myself and keep moving forward.  I have come to a realization that my Iaido is done and over with, my Dr keeps telling me if I want to be walking in 5 years I will do what he tells me.  I will, I just don't know how to overcome the hole that has been created.  Earlier this week I was actually feeling much better, but I am not getting pain and stiffness in my neck and Oh My Heck, I really have been doing everything right, not sure why I keep getting knocked down.  My saving graces right now are my weekly temple attendance (it makes me laugh the the ladies know who I am now), and my young women's calling.  The girls continue to inspire and uplift me at every turn.  Well I best stop whining now and get off my butt and do something.  Keep smiling, I am going to try!

December Has Been Crazy Busy

December started off with the Wood Family annual Christmas activity.  My mom gets us all together to do something every year.  This years excursion was to see The Forgotten Carol's at cottonwood high school.  It was a very fun night and we all enjoyed it.  The music was wonderful, the show it didn't see too much of due to a head, but it was wonderful.

Next came the making of neighborhood treats to share. This year I made Carmel apples, and Carmel pretzel sticks made gourmet with milk and white chocolate drizzle and some with nuts and some with peppermint sticks.

 Then came the decorating the tree, what fun this year!  Clara is old enough to want to help but young enough not to know how.  All the kids had fun decorating the tree!

Next was the making of gingerbread houses and let the kids the freedom to do as they pleased.  This year mom bought gingerbread house boxes.  It made it easy for the kids to get things up and running quickly.  The kids had a ton of fun and their house turned out super cute and fun!

 Next up in traditions is the Robinson Family Christmas party.  It is always on the 23rd come rain, snow or shine.  This year grandpa did a spotlight on the birth of Joseph Smith and how it coincides with the celebration of the birth of our Savior.  It was a touching moment.

Then came Christmas Eve at our house, with games, presents, kids, cookies, stories and fun.  I am not sure that I like the kids new Shock game, but everything else was super fun!

The boys then showed me how to do a pants head dance, and I laughed the whole time!

Here is Taylor showing me how to make a moose of myself!

Hunter break dancing.

Next comes Christmas morning.  Which is really more Christmas noon.  I got up early and and made raspberry rolls (which didn't turn out right).  I also made homemade baked doughnuts that were delicious.  Definitely a make again thing.  They were easy and wonderful and everyone seemed to like them!

From My House to ours, may The Reason for the Season, bring peace, love, hope and joy!  Merry Christmas!

30 Days of Thanks #30

So today should be my big finale, but I am so sick that my mom had to come get me from work, I couldn't drive myself home.  I will do my big finale as soon as I feel better

30 Days of Thanks #29

Today I am thankful for a hot bath, that after writing this post I am going to sit in and hopefully feel better.  I have come down with a sinus infection and feel like my head is going to explode.  The hot shower I took this morning seemed to help, I hope a bath tonight will be equally helpful.  Hot water, house, heating, towels, clothes, food, job.  I am thankful for all the essentials that I regularly take for granted. 

30 Days of Thanks # 28

As this month draws to an end, I would be ungrateful if I failed to be thankful to the most important person in my life.  Our brother and our Savior Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful for the knowledge of knowing that when I make mistakes I can repent and be forgiven completely.  I am thankful for his atoning sacrifice which makes it possible to return to live with Him and our loving Heavenly Father.  The calming reassurance that our lives have hope, that we can return, that we will be forgiven, that those things will be remembered no more is beautiful and something I am truly grateful for!  With the celebration of his birth just around the corner, I am going to try to be better, be more like him, to love him more, to serve him more, to forgive and forget more, to accept more, to judge less.  This list can go on and on and on! 

30 Days of Thanks #27

Today I am thankful for this wonderful blog that I have to express myself, my life, my feelings, my heartaches, my joys, my stupid thoughts that make some of you laugh.  It seems to be more so lately that I get to put down my real feelings with out a fear of someone freaking out, or getting angry at me.  I am grateful for the journal that this has become, I hope to print it out in book form for all posterity.  Keep coming back, I am sure eventually I will be able to say something that will totally steam you or something that you will totally need to hear!  Love you all!

30 Days of Thanks # 26

Today I am thankful for the kind and considerate people who I stood in line with today.  What a pleasure to have such nice people to talk to while freezing my butt off in bitter cold weather.  We got tons of Sub for Santa stuff which will certainly make someones holiday season! 

30 Days of Thanks # 25

Today, it is easy to say that I am grateful for Thanksgiving.  The holiday is one that holds a dear place in my heart.  The family, friends, food, fun, it just warms my heart.  May the Lord bless you and keep you during this wonderful season.  And to all you crazy people, Happy shopping, don't touch a thing in my cart!

30 Days of Thanks # 24

So today I am thankful for, my favorite Thanksgiving dessert, you guessed it PIE.  I am thankful for pumpkin, apple, pecan, cranberry lemon, and lemon meringue.  This is what I am making for the feast, except, the pumpkin, pecan, apple and cranberry lemon are all ready done!  Only need to do a lemon meringue.  Yummy, yummy, stop by tomorrow around 5:30 or 6 pm for pie.  Love you all!

30 Days of Thanks #23

Today I am thankful for preparedness.  While this blizzard is going to rage on, I am thankful for everyone in my life who makes sure that I am prepared for different and various situations.  I am confident knowing that driving to work tomorrow if anything happens I will have whatever I need in my trunk.  My 72 hr kit, a sleeping bag, a good pair of shoes, blankets, flares, water, food, fix a flat, jumper cables among other things.  People like my mom, my friend Laurel, my extended family and everyone else who helps me stay on top of emergency preparedness.  Love you all!

30 Days of Thanks # 22

Today I am thankful for butter.  Again this sounds a little bizarre, but butter makes everything better.  Like when you wake up at 5:30am to get ready for work, and get upstairs at 6:30 and start getting your things ready to go when you realize that you have a Dr's appt at 8:30 and are not expected at work until after.  So I did what I do best, I made all the pie crust's that I will be needing for the big holiday on Thursday.  All 8 of them are resting comfortably in the coolness of my refrigerator.  But what do you say makes it so special, it's the butter.  Butter makes everything better.  I made some browned butter cranberry lime muffins on Saturday, and OH MY they were wonderful.  Just proving my point that butter makes life better.  It definitely helps out in the baking department at least! 

30 Days of Thanks # 21

Today I am grateful for quiet thoughtful moments of reflection.  Last night I was having a hard time getting everything done that I wanted done.  I was feeling stressed out and generally not a happy camper.  I sat for a moment on my bed at the verge of tears.  Almost crying kills me, I hate crying, it makes me feel like a child that can't get over themselves.  I said a simple quiet prayer and everything changed.  I felt enveloped in a warm, loving, blanket.  I know that if I would take more time for contemplation that I would not have so many of these moments.  I also know that Satan is working really hard to break me down.  So goal for this week, take a few moments amidst the craziness of Thanksgiving and reflect on what I am really here to do, what I need to be doing right this moment. 

30 Days of Thanks # 20

Today I am thankful for the holiday season.  This starts with Thanksgiving and continues on into Christmas and New Year's.  They always seem to make me happy and reflective on things that have had an impact on me through the last year.  The baking, the Christmas carols and music, the festive lights, the shopping the smells of the holidays are upon me and I am grateful for the influence they have on my mind and my thoughts.  I turn to thoughts of my Savior and his humble circumstances and the many miracles that he did.  I reflect on the many miracles I have seen in my life, and it makes me realize how truly blessed I am. 

30 Days of Thanks #19

Today this is going to sound really worldly, but I am thankful for Harry Potter.  I had a great opportunity to see the new one last night at 7:45pm, I didn't even have to stay up until midnight.  It was so awesome!  All the hype and controversy led up to it, when in reality, I am not sure that I would even call what they were saying "nudity" was actually nudity?  Go figure, my standards over the last year or so have increased dramatically to the point that I don't normally go see PG-13 movies because they are really rated R.  Harry Potter was scary and dark, but not bad in my eyes.  I would recommend it to those who feel like they can handle a little bit of scary, dark, and dreary.  Well done, well acted, well everything.  I give it **** 1/2 stars. 

30 Days of Thanks #18

Today I am thankful for my family.  I have written things about my mom and my niece, but I am talking my whole family, even those people that I really don't get along with that well.  The Lord sent us here to be part of a family for a reason.  I know that stuff happens and families are torn apart by unforeseen circumstances, but it is that family unit that keeps us solid and moving forward in faith.  My grandparents have a very special love for each of us, and they are a huge part of my family and my life for that matter.  I know that my aunts and uncles have helped me in many ways, of course brothers and sister in law's and nieces and nephews etc....  The list could go on and on, but when it comes down to it, we all need each other for some reason or another, even if it's just to annoy another family member (of that's how it feels sometimes).  To all of my family, I love you all.  Even if you are far away, I want to know what you are doing and what is happening in your life. 

30 Days of Thanks #17

Today I am thankful for dirt.  The brown stuff that makes my plants grow!  My garden this year was hugely successful because of the dirt.  Every year for the past 6-7 yrs in the fall time, I try to till in leaves and grass to keep thing going and up to date with "organic fertilizer" the leaves and the grass.  That was my objective today and I accomplished it.  It did take all day though so that was a bummer.  It was totally against everything my Dr has been telling me to do.  And right now after sitting the the bath tub for about an hour, I know that I will pay dearly for going against what he said.  Sitting here I can feel my joints start to stiffen up, but I got it done and now it can snow and freeze and do what ever it wants because it is done!  Too bad that I have to work tomorrow, we will see how that goes. 

30 Days of Thanks #16

Today I am thankful for my mom. If you don't know my mom you don't know the nicest, most honest, most caring person in the world! She is always doings stuff for my and my brothers and their kids. She cooks dinner, she keeps things clean, she lets me vent to her when I need to vent, she puts me in my place when it's needed. She has always loved me no matter what! Even when I make terrible choices and don't want to be responsible for them, she still cares and to me that is all the matters. Lately she seems really overwhelmed so I am trying to clean and organize different parts of our house to make her feel better. So far, so good! I have done the laundry room (which looked like a bomb had gone off for over 9 months)! and I have cleaned and organized the pantry (also a war zone). I know that it has taken some pressure off of her, and tomorrow (if I have time) I am going to organized the butler's pantry and get things put away! Surprise, surprise for her! I love her with all my heart, might, mind and strength and don't know what I would do without her!

30 Days of Thanks #15

I was struggling today with what I was thankful for, then I thought about my niece Whitney who always is happy and smiley and loves to read. She was complaining that she didn't have enough to read and needed something to read. Especially since she is going to San Diego over Thanksgiving for a soccer tournament. So she left my house with a bag full of books and a book on her nose, it was hilarious! She is so head strong and determined, just like my, and I love her and I am grateful for everything she does and represents!

30 Days of Thanks #14

Today I am thankful for the Sabbath day. I have made a lot of adjustments with what I do on the Sabbath Day and after reading the Old Testament and about how our Sabbath day observance is a physical manifestation of our covenants with the Lord, my sabbath day observance has become so much more. I have really tried to limit what kind of things I do, say, see, watch and read. I try to focus on spiritual things only, development of talents and family togetherness. I have tried to watch church sponsored or church related DVDs, movies and or uplifting programs that help me keep my mind clean. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had to put things in greater perspective and really keep the sabbath day holy. I know that by doing this my testimony has grown and the blessing are evident.