Grateful Sundays

If you concentrate on finding what is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul."-- Rabbi Harold Kuchen

Here are a few things I'm grateful for this week.

* The Beauty of Springtime. Last week we enjoyed the slow pace of a few rainy days. After the rain left, the beauty of spring has blossomed everywhere. I have a giant yellow rose bush that is just beyond the driveway that I enjoy every time I go in or out of the garage. This week, the roses have just blown up all over their mother bush. Roses are an interesting thing. They remind me that things of beauty or that are worthwhile in life are not without their thorns. That along life's path, there will oft be times of trial or tumult. But if we endure it well, the thorns will lead to the most exquisite blossom, the thing of beauty that we would have missed, if we had let the pain of the thorns thwart our experience. For the Beauty of Springtime, Thank You.

* The Right to Peaceably Assemble. This week on April 15th, not only were our taxes due, but there were thousands of TEA (Taxed Enough Already) parties all over the country. Contrary to what the media would have you believe, thousands of people from coast to coast, peaceably assembled to show their concern for the direction our current president is taking this country. I am so grateful that we live in a country where we can voice our opinion without fear of repercussion. For our right to peaceably assemble to have our voices heard, Thank You.

* Dinner Time. I have to admit, we don't always have or make the time to sit together as a family and enjoy dinner and the conversations that follow. Most often, we each 'cafeteria style' with Mom making a meal and everyone eating when his/her schedule permits. If someone doesn't like what Mom makes, there's always a frozen burrito or PB and J. This week, because of the rain, we were able to actually sit down together at the kitchen table, sans television or radio and just visit with each other and catch up. It is so nice to have my Handsome Husband home. I'm sure he appreciated a home-cooked meal and the opportunity to catch up on the wonderful, busy happenings with each of us. I love my family. They are each unique and special in their own ways. It is a privilege to pass through this mortal journey with them. For the opportunity to sit with them at dinner time, Thank You.

Grateful Sundays

"Great men have always recognized the greatness of God and their dependence upon him, and they have with regularity rendered to him gratitude and thanksgiving....To the Lord Jesus, who bought us with a great price, we owe an undying debt of gratitude. It is impossible for us, weak mortals as we are, to fully comprehend and appreciate the suffering he endured on the cross so that he might gain for us victory over death. And even less can we understand the suffering he endured in Gethsemane so that we might obtain forgiveness of our sins." Marion G. Romney

This Easter Sunday, here are a few things I'm grateful for.

* Blueberries. This week, I picked up my order of blueberries from Marybeth Bohn's Bithell Farm's fruit and seafood order. (All 4 boxes and 56 pounds of them!!) These are the most delicious blueberries you will ever taste in your life! I eat them every morning with my grapefruit. By the time I finish my grapfruit, these tiny morsels of delicacy have thawed just enough to pop in my mouth with the most delicous, juicy goodness. And it doesn't hurt that my Handsome Husband's favorite dessert in all the world is Homemade Blueberry Pie. Believe me, by the time Miss Marybeth is ready to send in her fall Bithell Farm's order, we will be ready for more blueberries! For the best blueberries ever, Thank You!

* Wonderful Youth Leaders. This weekend, Mikenzie participated in our stake's Youth Conference. They all wore shirts that read "Service in Action" as they did 2 days worth of service for the Haltom City Senior Citizens Center. After a full hot day of service, a spaghetti dinner and awesome speaker at the stake center, all of the girls stayed at Sister Caroline Briggs home Friday night and were treated to a delicious breakfast Saturday morning before they were off and running again. After another long, hot rewarding day, they all showered and headed back to the stake center for another delicious dinner and a dance. I picked her up Saturday night, tired, sore and sunburned but glad for having participated in this most rewarding project. This morning, all the youth who participated in this event, met for a special testimony meeting at 8 a.m. My own daughter, as well as the other youth in our stake were richly rewarded and spiritually fed these last few days by numerous adult leaders in our ward and in our stake who truly love and care about these youth. I am so grateful for the sacrifice of their time, their effort and the love that they put towards planning all the lessons and activities that my daughters participate in. For Wonderful Youth Leaders, Thank You.

* A Long Weekend. Just when I needed a little extra sleep, here comes a 3-day weekend. I am always grateful for an extra day to spend with the kids, just catching up on whatever needs to be done around the house. This long weekend, we spent together coloring Easter eggs, watching Bolt, Bedtime Stories, Tales of Despereax and eating Easter candy. We held hands as we walked the mall, bought new dresses and church pants and enjoyed Mexican food together. For the opportunity to enjoy a very longed for long weekend, Thank You.

* My Handsome Husband. My Handsome Husband has been out of the country for what seems like weeks. I am so grateful that he loves his job, even amidst these turbulent economic times. I know that while he is away he is always thinking of us. Such was evident when we got home from shopping and were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting at our door, wishing us a happy Easter from my Handsome Husband and my kids' dad. For everything my Handsome Husband does to provide us with a wonderful life, even while he is away, Thank You.

* Easter. It wouldn't be a Grateful Sunday if I didn't take this opportunity to thank my Heavenly Father for the gift of his Beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. I am thankful for his life, his example, his atonement and his willingness to sacrifice himself so that we all might live with Him again someday with our families and loved ones. For this gift, this Easter Sunday, I will always be eternally grateful. Thank You.

Easter - One of My Favorite Holidays

Easter is tops on my list of favorite holidays. I love springtime and the simpleness of this holiday. Eggs, chocolate, a yummy family dinner, and the opportunity to really think about the true meaning of this holiday, the resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Here's a few snapshots of our Easter here at Just Fitz.

Kellie and Blake had a great time coloring Easter eggs. They really got tricky when they discovered they could write with crayons on the eggs, dye them and see what they wrote in crayon show through the coloring. I'm so glad my kids still get a 'kick' out of the simple things in life.

Kellie was so excited to show how tricky she could be with her 2-toned egg.

Kellie, "Now nobody can eat this one 'cept me!"

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This year the Easter Bunny visited us on Saturday morning. He knew that Sunday would be very busy with church beginning at 8:30. And with Mikenzie needing to be at a special Sacrament Meeting for the conclusion of her Youth Conference activity at 8:00 a.m. that morning. We were pleasantly surprised and grateful he decided to pay us a visit a day early. Who knows, we might just see if he can come a day early every year. It definately made for a wonderful, special, focused on the Savior, Easter Sunday.

Can you believe I actually caught the Easter Bunny in the act? Luckily, the kids didn't!

"On your mark, get set, GO!"

Kellie's strategy was to head to the left.

Who will get the most eggs?

" No, there are not any eggs in the pool!"

Searching for the 'really' hidden eggs.

Oh my goodness! Blake found eggs hidden in the trees!

What a funny Easter Bunny.

Kellie's Easter basket was hidden out on the trampoline!

The Best Boy in the World's basket was up in the tree!

I think the birds thought Sydnie's basket would

make the perfect nest.

"Don't look at my Bed Head!!"

What do you think?

They all scored!!

*** I missed my Handsome Husband who spent the last few weeks in China and Japan. He said there was no mention of Easter or Easter Bunnies anywhere. I think we might be able to save him an Easter Egg or two. (Not so sure about the ham and funeral potatoes. They were YUMMY!)

We also missed our sweet Mikenzie, who left early Friday morning for Youth Conference to join over 200 other youth from our stake who spent their whole Easter break providing service as they helped to build Haltom City's first park dedicated to senior citizens. Each of these youth wore shirts with their theme: Examples in Action. She spent two days shoveling sand into wheel barrows for the quarter mile of sidewalk the youth paved with cement among other tasks. She was exhausted, sore and sunburned when I picked her up late Saturday night after their dance. But she was so happy and full of joy for having the opportunity to serve others and for a job well done by all of the youth in our stake.

Here's the newspaper article from the Fort Worth Star Telegram about their weekend.

I think President Mannion's remarks in the newspaper were perfect, "Adult men and women assume the responsibility to make sure that our kids get a chance to transform into adulthood and teach the real values that the Savior taught." What a perfect way to celebrate Easter, serving others as the Savior did. Perfect. Just perfect.

An Easter Thought From My Visiting Teachers

Have I mentioned lately how much I enjoy my Visiting Teachers? On Saturday, my visiting teachers stopped by with a little surprise. These adorable lambs are made out of cupcakes.


Here is the handout that accompanied these delicious and adorable, tiny treats.

"Jesus, as the unblemished or sinless lamb whose bones could not be broken, died so that spiritual death might 'pass over' those who come unto Him. As the blood of the first Passover sacrifice was spread on the doors of each Israelite home, so too did the blood of Christ flow upon the wood of the cross. The Gospel of John suggests that Passover began at sunset the day Jesus was crucified. In this scenario the pashal lambs, which were sacrificed before the beginning of Passover so that they would be ready in time for the eal, would have been sacrified in the temple at the very time that Jesus was dying on the cross - sometime between 3-5 p.m. "

Your Challenge - recommit yourself to studying the scriptures daily and immerse in them so you will have the power of the Spirit to attend to your needs and help you attend to others around you.

Your Promise - knowledge that will bring you peace and help you focus your energies on eternal principles.

Thank you, Visiting Teachers, for feeding me spiritually and just being my friends!

Grateful Sundays

To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven. - Johannes Q. Gaertner

It's April already. Here's a few things I'm thankful for this week.

* Visiting Teaching. I have an awesome visiting teaching companion. And I think we visit the sweetest sisters in our ward. This week we visited one sister and visited and had lunch with our other two sisters. I thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to visit with these special sisters, share in their lives and discuss a simple gospel message. As I have gotten older and wiser, I have come to understand that being a visiting teacher blesses me more than the sisters I visit. Undoubtedly, I have been blessed by their lives, their challenges and their testimonies. For making me a better person because of visiting teaching, Thank You.

* Good Books. This week I finished a great book. Same Kind of Different as Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. This is not only a short novel, but also a true story which takes place right here in our own Fort Worth. On the back cover it reads, "It begins outside a burning plantation in Louisiana...and an East Texas honky-tonk...and without a doubt, in the heart of God. It unfolds in a Hollywood hacienda..an upscale New York gallery...a downtown dumpster...a Texas ranch. Gritty with pain and betrayal and brutality, it also shines with an unexpected, life-changing love. This is is one of the most inspirational and emotionally stories of faith, fortitude and friendship that I have ever read. This story illustrates that truly one person can make a difference; that the Lord is always in charge; and that unconditional love is possible. For a good book that makes me want to do better and be better, Thank You.

* Good Movies. This weekend we watched two movies that were really enjoyable. First, Marley and Me starring Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. If you've ever had a dog or loved animals, you'll love this movie. It reminds me that some members of our family might just have four legs and a tail. Keep your tissue box handy. Second, Fireproof starring Kirt Cameron. What a great movie that illustrates the difficulties that some marriages encounter and how, with enough effort and love, a marriage can become better and stronger than before. I watched this twice with my girls. (The Handsome Husband is out of town.) This is definitely a good date-night movie. For the opportunity to enjoy two wholesome movies, Thank You.

* General Conference. I always enjoy the opportunity to hear from our Prophet and the apostles twice a year. (The opportunity to sleep in on Sunday is an added bonus.) I am so thankful to know that we are indeed led by these inspired men who are instructed by the Lord through His Spirit. I am thankful for their instruction which gives me a 'power boost' and makes me want to be more obedient, to show more love, to be a better mother, a better missionary and just be a better Daughter of God. For the inspired messages at this General Conference, Thank You.