Thanksgiving, and the First Snow of the Season

Thanksgiving is the time of year

when family gets together,

thru rain or ice and blowing snow

amidst the wintry weather.

A spicy fragrance fills the air

of cranberries, turkey and pumpkin pie.

And when the feast is all prepared,

there is heard a thankful sigh.

As the family gathers around the table

to eat the feast before them,

a thankful heart is felt by all

for blessings bestowed upon them.

Off on an adventure went our merry bunch

to see what lay before us.

But fog and snow was all around

and icy roads beneath us.

The town of Joseph is full of art

and statues of bronze all around,

in memory of our western past,

and honors to Chief Joseph abound.
(Joseph, Oregon)

In Elgin Valley stands an old, old church

weathered, worn and beaten.

It is a monument to those pioneers

who gave all to build the kingdom.

(remains of the Pine Creek Chapel)

The winter storm has now passed us by

and left behind the traces

of cold and wind and freezing air,

but we have smiling faces!

(Tollgate area, Blue Mountains, Oregon)

Over the river and through the woods

to Grandmother's house we went.

It wasn't a sleigh but our car knew the way.....

A Holiday season well spent!

Being Thankful

It's easy to fall into a pattern of complacency when everything in your life seems to be falling into place without too much effort. On the other hand when there are struggles and disappointments, we can be too quick to complain or get discouraged. I don't think that I would be wrong if I said that most everyone has fit into both of these two categories at one time or another.

I tend to find myself in the "discouraged" category more often than I would like.......and yet.......there are so many things to be thankful for. I felt the need to share some of those things that I am most thankful for.

I am thankful for a loving and supportive husband, whose greatest desire is to make me happy.

I am thankful for three of the most wonderful children a parent could every ask for........I am thankful that each of them has married well and have given me 6 precious grandchildren.

I am thankful for the best parents in the world, who taught me the gospel, who helped me learn from my mistakes and always encouraged me to do the best I can at whatever I attempted to do.

I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who loves me no matter how many times I fall down.....and encourages me to get up and try again.

I am thankful for this beautiful earth that we live on.....for the change of the seasons....for the diversity of it's magnificent landscapes. Sometimes I wonder how Heaven could be any more beautiful.

I am thankful that I have two eyes, two ears, two hands, and two feet that allow me to see, hear, travel and touch all the beauty in the world.

I am thankful for the talents that the Lord has blessed me with, that I may have the opportunity to share them with others, and enrich their lives in some small way.

I am thankful to live upon the earth at this time and in this place, the United States of America. I am so thankful for the blessings of freedom which we enjoy........there is no nation like it on earth. I am thankful for those who have preceded me and fought and died for those freedoms which I enjoy.

I am thankful for my heritage......my grandparents and great grandparents who had the courage to come to a new land, learn a new language in many cases and leave everything that was familiar to them, and embark on a new life.

I an thankful for my membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints......for the atoning sacrifice of the Savior, for a prophet who receives revelation from the Lord. Without the gospel, my life would have no direction.......I would be like a ship without a rudder being tossed every which way the wind blows. This is the foundation upon which I am built. This is who I am.

So even though I find myself getting discouraged, frustrated and disappointed in life, it helps to stop and count my blessings....because there are many. When I do so, the discouragements and disappointments don't seem so big and over-shadowing. So stop for a few moments........think about all the things that you DO have and are blessed with, before you start complaining about the things that you DON'T have. If we look at life with an eternal perspective, our problems and trials become very small and insignificant and very endurable.

It's time to be thankful.