yes. potty training.
because my 20 month old wants to.
that's right. be jealous, parents of toddlers everywhere!
I have the most awesome little girl ever. She amazes me everyday with her awesome-ness. Following are my Facebook status updates of the last 3 days chronicling the beginning of Munchkin's Potty Training Adventures. Because these are the fun things that should be in a journal of some kind, and not get lost in the black hole of Facebook status updates.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
Merry Christmas!
I saw this painting for the first time today...
And I have fallen in love with it! Someday, I want to be able to hang this beautiful painting in my home every Christmas.
May we all remember to give thanks for the greatest blessing we have all received-- Christ the Lord coming to earth to atone for man. If you'd like to learn more about my faith in Jesus Christ, please feel free to visit http://mormon.org/jesus-christ/
May we all remember to give thanks for the greatest blessing we have all received-- Christ the Lord coming to earth to atone for man. If you'd like to learn more about my faith in Jesus Christ, please feel free to visit http://mormon.org/jesus-christ/
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 12, 2011
Melting Chocolate
After 2 hours of fighting to melt chocolate and butterscotch chips in a double boiler--
After 5 minutes of melting chocolate and butterscotch chips in the microwave...
How to WIN
Heat on 50% power at 30 second intervals, stirring after each heating interval, until melted.
It may appear a bit "lumpy," and not completely melted, just stir for awhile and those little bits will melt, too.
 |
| FAIL |
After 5 minutes of melting chocolate and butterscotch chips in the microwave...
 |
| WIN |
Heat on 50% power at 30 second intervals, stirring after each heating interval, until melted.
It may appear a bit "lumpy," and not completely melted, just stir for awhile and those little bits will melt, too.
Mommy's Little Helper
Naomi is getting to be such a big girl! and so helpful! I just wanted to make a short list of the awesome things my daughter does to help mommy around the house. I've learned that if i want to be happy, spend quality time with my munchkin, and still have a clean house-- I need to include her in cleaning. She thinks it's fun, I get stuff done, and she's learning to be clean. Win.Win.Win.
Awesome Stuff That Naomi Does To Help Mommy
1. throws away her own dirty diapers-- seriously, when i'm done she will get up, grab her diaper, and go throw it away. Awesome, munchkin!
2. laundry-- she will seperate whites from colors and put them in the basket that i tell her too. and she's been doing this since she was 9 months!!! and if i sit her on top of our dryer, she'll help me load the washer (her favorite!), and then push the start button on the washer. she also puts the dryer sheet in the dryer and takes the clothes out of the dryer when they are done. seriously, this kid will be a laundry pro before her 2nd birthday!
3. putting away clean dishes-- after i dry the dishes, she will put them in the proper cabinet (if it's a lower cabinet, which is where we keep our plastic bowls, tupperware-type stuff, and pots and pans). she even knows where they go (i don't have to tell her), but that's probably because she spends much of her day taking the dishes in and out of the cabinets and playing with them. :-)
4. washing dishes/sink-- if i only have 1 or two big bowls or pots to wash, and they aren't too bad, i'll let munchkin sit on the counter by the sink and she likes to help "wash the bowl" by running the rag or a scrubbing wand around the bowl and playing in the water. when i empty the sink, she likes to "clean the sink." here's her doing just that:
5. she's also already learned to use only 1-2 toys at a time or 1 book at a time. when she's done with a book or toy, she puts it back on the shelf or toy box.
Could I have a more perfect child?! i'm going to find out in a few months! I love you, Munchkin!
Awesome Stuff That Naomi Does To Help Mommy
1. throws away her own dirty diapers-- seriously, when i'm done she will get up, grab her diaper, and go throw it away. Awesome, munchkin!
2. laundry-- she will seperate whites from colors and put them in the basket that i tell her too. and she's been doing this since she was 9 months!!! and if i sit her on top of our dryer, she'll help me load the washer (her favorite!), and then push the start button on the washer. she also puts the dryer sheet in the dryer and takes the clothes out of the dryer when they are done. seriously, this kid will be a laundry pro before her 2nd birthday!
 |
| helping with laundry at 9 months old! |
3. putting away clean dishes-- after i dry the dishes, she will put them in the proper cabinet (if it's a lower cabinet, which is where we keep our plastic bowls, tupperware-type stuff, and pots and pans). she even knows where they go (i don't have to tell her), but that's probably because she spends much of her day taking the dishes in and out of the cabinets and playing with them. :-)
4. washing dishes/sink-- if i only have 1 or two big bowls or pots to wash, and they aren't too bad, i'll let munchkin sit on the counter by the sink and she likes to help "wash the bowl" by running the rag or a scrubbing wand around the bowl and playing in the water. when i empty the sink, she likes to "clean the sink." here's her doing just that:
Could I have a more perfect child?! i'm going to find out in a few months! I love you, Munchkin!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Occupy My Thoughts, part 2
I know I've already made one post about my thoughts on teh Occupy Movement... but after I posted it, I didn't feel like I was able to say everything I wanted to. So here are some more ramblings, without, I'm sure, a clear conclusion. WARNING: it's pretty long...
My thoughts on the Occupy movement are pretty scattered, much like the movement seems to be. I don't know everything about it, and I'm not sure anyone does or can. But that doesn't stop everyone, myself included, from having seemingly very strong opinions about it. (Except for maybe Brad, he seems pretty immune to getting too worked up about it, and graciously listens to me blabber on about it all the time in an effort to try and sort my thoughts out loud and make sense of all my jumbled musings. Thanks,babe. You're incredible!)
I've heard many comments thrown about like,
-"Those occupiers just need to go get a job and quit whining!"
-"Maybe if they would get a job instead of standing in the street, they wouldn't be part of the 99%"
-"I got a college degree, worked during college, graduated without debt, and have a job. I'm not part of the 99% because I work hard."
-"I can't believe I'm paying taxes to support those lazy people."
And my honest, knee-jerk reaction is to think, "people who say those things are ignorant and they need to go live in poverty for a couple months." And then I stop myself, because if I believe that, then I would be making the same broad generalizations about them that caused my knee-jerk judgement of those commentators. Ironic, huh? I need to repent.
I'm trying to sort out why I have that knee-jerk reaction to those comments. Some of my attempts at an explination are:
-I know good people that do have jobs and work hard everyday, and do support ideals from the movement. Smart people, well-educated, people with jobs. People I look up to. So obviously those comments are off base, because I know that the occupiers are not a bunch of whiny unemployed people.
-My understanding of the 99% is not that "99% of America is lazy and whiny and wants a free handout." In fact, the people who go out to the protests have got to be something other than "lazy" when they spend their days camping, marching around, holding up signs, and sometimes risking arest for something they strongly believe in. ("Lazy" is what I am right now, just sitting at my computer and making comments about the Occupy Movement without actually doing anything productive about my opinion.) The 99% came from the understanding that 1% of our nation's population owns something like 40% of the nation's wealth... I could look up the exact info, but I'm being lazy right now. :-) ok, so I decided to be slightly less lazy and look up some sites, most cite (2003-2007) that the top 1% of the nation holds anywhere from 34.8%-42.1% of our nation's wealth. Just google "1% owns how much wealth").
-I got a college degree, worked while in school, and graduated without debt. I work hard. If I was to leave that statement as it was, it would be a half-truth, and thus a lie. I was also very blessed. I received Pell Grants to help pay my tuition and books and other school supplies-- in other words, money from hard working taxpayers. I went to a school where 70% of my tuition was subsidized by faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who paid their tithing (10% of their income donated to the LDS church). I received half-tuition need-based scholarships from my University to help me pay for books, materials, and my laptop. And I had a part-time student job as a custodian. I worked hard, yes, but all my hard work wouldn't have meant anything had it not been for those HUGE financial blessings.
-Taxes do more than welfare. And sometimes, welfare programs if used with discretion can be a huge blessing to people that are working hard. Your taxes supported my family, and we tried to use it wisely and are grateful for that program during the time that we needed it. I know my family can't be the only ones who tried to be wise with our blessing of state assistance. Not everyone that receives it lives on it and is a bunch of lazy bums. Not everyone that needs a hand-up is looking for a handout.
I know wonderful people on both sides of the spectrum, and I hear news about all the corruption on both sides.
Example 1. My Papa has worked hard every day of his life as best I know. He served in the US Navy when he was younger. He taught my family the meaning of hard-work and loving your family first from the day he stepped into our family. He has sacrificed his health and body to work some of the demanding jobs he has held, and still struggles to feed his family and lives with my aunt and her sons, instead of his own home with my grandma. But he has far too much pride to ever ask for any help, and so I see him physically weaker every time I see him. It makes my heart cry from the injustice of it-- a man works works his body until it seems almost broken and still struggles to make ends meet. In a perfect Zion world, a man and family that works that hard would at least be guaranteed to have their basic needs met.
Example 2. I have an aunt who, when she was a teenager, seemed like she had made choices that today might be a life's sentence to poverty. She had 2 children as a teenager. But she was blessed with a family that supported her, helped her get through high school. Years later, she would graduate with a Bachelors of Science for a local college. She'd get a job, and later be able to go and get her MBA at another local University. She's now a successful financial person at her company. She's not a greedy person-- in fact, she's quite the opposite. She has opened her home to my grandparents. She often helps out struggling family members, she buys the family's food. She's generous and kind, And she's even told me that, GASP!, she wouldn't mind paying MORE in taxes if it meant that it helped pay off the nation's debt and help those who are struggling.
Example 3. Medicaid paid for my first pregnancy and birth since Brad and I were still in school-- working hard but making hardly any money. We didn't choose to apply for food stamps until there was a day when i called my parents, who have things tough financially themselves, if they could just put $5 on a shared wal-mart gift card so we could go buy some food that week. My mom convinced me that I had to put my pride aside and do what my family needed at the time, and that was food stamps. Brad was working as much as he could as a student, and I stayed home out of necessity since any job I could get would only pay for quality babysitting for Naomi and not make us any better off than if I was at home, able to raise my daughter myself. While receiving food stamps, I tried to buy healthy meals for my family, and invite friends over for meals to share the blessing. Now that Brad has a good job, we don't continue getting food stamps and are happy to share our substance and abundance with others when we have it.
Example 4. I also know a person who for some unknown reason to me, has absolutely no apparent will to do anything productive in society. Who sits at home watching tv and sleeping, making no effort to even get a job. Hell, this person even somehow can miraculously get other people to fill out his/her paperwork to get welfare. And it's mind-boggling. I don't know many people like this, just one, so I know that they exist, but it's not what everyone that gets welfare looks like. And this person isn't out at the Occupy protests; this person is still at home sleeping or watching youtube, and likely doesn't even know about the Occupy Movement or what it stands for.
Example 5. Huge companies are getting government bailouts and the execs are getting ridiculous end-of-year bonuses. I'm not against an end-of-year bonus, but companies that need to be bailed out shouldn't be rewarding their top execs that put them in those positions. (google: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailouts)
Example 6. congress members appear to be in the money-holders' pockets. through campaign contributions, lobbying, and out-right bribes, wealthy corporations and individuals can control someone who should be a "representative of the people." but when they answer to who's paying them, it's not most of the country, unfortunately. and even worse, when a tough challenge is placed before them, they will choose to just not do anything and wait until they are re-elected instead of doing their jobs (google: super committee failure).
See! It's freaking complicated! there are so many different situations, so many good and honest and hard working people that get screwed. there are corrupt people in positions of power. and there are people like me, who are very blessed to live the average life. i don't know why i was so much more blessed to get out of the cycle of poverty when so many i love are still trapped in it. i'm not anymore special than they are. some of them work harder in a day than i have or ever will work in my life (except maybe when i'm giving birth-- i'll give myself some serious credit for that one!), but we still have food and now we have health insurance. i don't know why people who work every day until their bones are weak have to still stay up at night wondering how to feed their family. and i don't know why there are people who can get away with treating their employees that way.
i don't know why our government system has become so corrupt, and the money changers on wall street seem just as corrupt, and they seem corrupt together. but as a good American citizen, I (and all other American citizens, including the occupiers and non-occupiers) have the right and RESPONSIBILITY to contribute to the well-being of said society. a few hundred years ago, there were some crazy people with radical ideas that believed their government had become corrupt, and charged too much in taxes, and they weren't going to just keep working with their heads down and deal with the injustice. these people helped form our nation. it's a part of our heritage, and so i have to respect and pay attention to the Occupy Movement. I may not agree with everything they say (because, let's face it, those in the movement have contradicted themselves a few times and are still trying to figure out what they are fighting for), but it deserves my attention. it deserves my constant self-reflection and participation in my community and in the democratic process.
more ramblings to come, i'm sure... this just got too long to keep going. here's a reward for sticing to the end:
i love this little girl!
My thoughts on the Occupy movement are pretty scattered, much like the movement seems to be. I don't know everything about it, and I'm not sure anyone does or can. But that doesn't stop everyone, myself included, from having seemingly very strong opinions about it. (Except for maybe Brad, he seems pretty immune to getting too worked up about it, and graciously listens to me blabber on about it all the time in an effort to try and sort my thoughts out loud and make sense of all my jumbled musings. Thanks,babe. You're incredible!)
I've heard many comments thrown about like,
-"Those occupiers just need to go get a job and quit whining!"
-"Maybe if they would get a job instead of standing in the street, they wouldn't be part of the 99%"
-"I got a college degree, worked during college, graduated without debt, and have a job. I'm not part of the 99% because I work hard."
-"I can't believe I'm paying taxes to support those lazy people."
And my honest, knee-jerk reaction is to think, "people who say those things are ignorant and they need to go live in poverty for a couple months." And then I stop myself, because if I believe that, then I would be making the same broad generalizations about them that caused my knee-jerk judgement of those commentators. Ironic, huh? I need to repent.
I'm trying to sort out why I have that knee-jerk reaction to those comments. Some of my attempts at an explination are:
-I know good people that do have jobs and work hard everyday, and do support ideals from the movement. Smart people, well-educated, people with jobs. People I look up to. So obviously those comments are off base, because I know that the occupiers are not a bunch of whiny unemployed people.
-My understanding of the 99% is not that "99% of America is lazy and whiny and wants a free handout." In fact, the people who go out to the protests have got to be something other than "lazy" when they spend their days camping, marching around, holding up signs, and sometimes risking arest for something they strongly believe in. ("Lazy" is what I am right now, just sitting at my computer and making comments about the Occupy Movement without actually doing anything productive about my opinion.) The 99% came from the understanding that 1% of our nation's population owns something like 40% of the nation's wealth... I could look up the exact info, but I'm being lazy right now. :-) ok, so I decided to be slightly less lazy and look up some sites, most cite (2003-2007) that the top 1% of the nation holds anywhere from 34.8%-42.1% of our nation's wealth. Just google "1% owns how much wealth").
-I got a college degree, worked while in school, and graduated without debt. I work hard. If I was to leave that statement as it was, it would be a half-truth, and thus a lie. I was also very blessed. I received Pell Grants to help pay my tuition and books and other school supplies-- in other words, money from hard working taxpayers. I went to a school where 70% of my tuition was subsidized by faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who paid their tithing (10% of their income donated to the LDS church). I received half-tuition need-based scholarships from my University to help me pay for books, materials, and my laptop. And I had a part-time student job as a custodian. I worked hard, yes, but all my hard work wouldn't have meant anything had it not been for those HUGE financial blessings.
-Taxes do more than welfare. And sometimes, welfare programs if used with discretion can be a huge blessing to people that are working hard. Your taxes supported my family, and we tried to use it wisely and are grateful for that program during the time that we needed it. I know my family can't be the only ones who tried to be wise with our blessing of state assistance. Not everyone that receives it lives on it and is a bunch of lazy bums. Not everyone that needs a hand-up is looking for a handout.
I know wonderful people on both sides of the spectrum, and I hear news about all the corruption on both sides.
Example 1. My Papa has worked hard every day of his life as best I know. He served in the US Navy when he was younger. He taught my family the meaning of hard-work and loving your family first from the day he stepped into our family. He has sacrificed his health and body to work some of the demanding jobs he has held, and still struggles to feed his family and lives with my aunt and her sons, instead of his own home with my grandma. But he has far too much pride to ever ask for any help, and so I see him physically weaker every time I see him. It makes my heart cry from the injustice of it-- a man works works his body until it seems almost broken and still struggles to make ends meet. In a perfect Zion world, a man and family that works that hard would at least be guaranteed to have their basic needs met.
Example 2. I have an aunt who, when she was a teenager, seemed like she had made choices that today might be a life's sentence to poverty. She had 2 children as a teenager. But she was blessed with a family that supported her, helped her get through high school. Years later, she would graduate with a Bachelors of Science for a local college. She'd get a job, and later be able to go and get her MBA at another local University. She's now a successful financial person at her company. She's not a greedy person-- in fact, she's quite the opposite. She has opened her home to my grandparents. She often helps out struggling family members, she buys the family's food. She's generous and kind, And she's even told me that, GASP!, she wouldn't mind paying MORE in taxes if it meant that it helped pay off the nation's debt and help those who are struggling.
Example 3. Medicaid paid for my first pregnancy and birth since Brad and I were still in school-- working hard but making hardly any money. We didn't choose to apply for food stamps until there was a day when i called my parents, who have things tough financially themselves, if they could just put $5 on a shared wal-mart gift card so we could go buy some food that week. My mom convinced me that I had to put my pride aside and do what my family needed at the time, and that was food stamps. Brad was working as much as he could as a student, and I stayed home out of necessity since any job I could get would only pay for quality babysitting for Naomi and not make us any better off than if I was at home, able to raise my daughter myself. While receiving food stamps, I tried to buy healthy meals for my family, and invite friends over for meals to share the blessing. Now that Brad has a good job, we don't continue getting food stamps and are happy to share our substance and abundance with others when we have it.
Example 4. I also know a person who for some unknown reason to me, has absolutely no apparent will to do anything productive in society. Who sits at home watching tv and sleeping, making no effort to even get a job. Hell, this person even somehow can miraculously get other people to fill out his/her paperwork to get welfare. And it's mind-boggling. I don't know many people like this, just one, so I know that they exist, but it's not what everyone that gets welfare looks like. And this person isn't out at the Occupy protests; this person is still at home sleeping or watching youtube, and likely doesn't even know about the Occupy Movement or what it stands for.
Example 5. Huge companies are getting government bailouts and the execs are getting ridiculous end-of-year bonuses. I'm not against an end-of-year bonus, but companies that need to be bailed out shouldn't be rewarding their top execs that put them in those positions. (google: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac bailouts)
Example 6. congress members appear to be in the money-holders' pockets. through campaign contributions, lobbying, and out-right bribes, wealthy corporations and individuals can control someone who should be a "representative of the people." but when they answer to who's paying them, it's not most of the country, unfortunately. and even worse, when a tough challenge is placed before them, they will choose to just not do anything and wait until they are re-elected instead of doing their jobs (google: super committee failure).
See! It's freaking complicated! there are so many different situations, so many good and honest and hard working people that get screwed. there are corrupt people in positions of power. and there are people like me, who are very blessed to live the average life. i don't know why i was so much more blessed to get out of the cycle of poverty when so many i love are still trapped in it. i'm not anymore special than they are. some of them work harder in a day than i have or ever will work in my life (except maybe when i'm giving birth-- i'll give myself some serious credit for that one!), but we still have food and now we have health insurance. i don't know why people who work every day until their bones are weak have to still stay up at night wondering how to feed their family. and i don't know why there are people who can get away with treating their employees that way.
i don't know why our government system has become so corrupt, and the money changers on wall street seem just as corrupt, and they seem corrupt together. but as a good American citizen, I (and all other American citizens, including the occupiers and non-occupiers) have the right and RESPONSIBILITY to contribute to the well-being of said society. a few hundred years ago, there were some crazy people with radical ideas that believed their government had become corrupt, and charged too much in taxes, and they weren't going to just keep working with their heads down and deal with the injustice. these people helped form our nation. it's a part of our heritage, and so i have to respect and pay attention to the Occupy Movement. I may not agree with everything they say (because, let's face it, those in the movement have contradicted themselves a few times and are still trying to figure out what they are fighting for), but it deserves my attention. it deserves my constant self-reflection and participation in my community and in the democratic process.
more ramblings to come, i'm sure... this just got too long to keep going. here's a reward for sticing to the end:
Friday, November 25, 2011
The Many Faces of Naomi-- in 1 Minute!
Brad just started taking pictures of Naomi before dinner, and he captured quite a wide range of faces. So here they are-- in 1 minute-- the many faces of a Naomi Munchkin!
(ps: anyone know how to get the pictures to set next to each other?)
(ps: anyone know how to get the pictures to set next to each other?)
Friday, November 18, 2011
A Thankful Heart is a Happy Heart
the other night, we were reading the Book of Mormon as a family in Alma Chapter 63. At the end of the chapter, Moroni talks about how the wars have started to go away and the people are prospering greatly, "they began to multiply and to wax exceedingly strong... and they began to grow exceedingly rich". He goes on to mention, "Notwithstanding their riches, or their strength, or their prosperity, they were not lifted up in the pride of their eyes; neither were they slow to remember the Lord their God; but they did humble themselves exceedingly before Him." (emphasis added).
I thought about this a lot that night. It reminded me to always give thanks to the Lord for His blessings; and our family has been exceedingly blessed this year. So, in celebration of Thanksgiving this year, and this being my 100th blog post, I'm making a list of 100 things I am thankful for this year. (Plus it's good for my health! Check out this article about how gratitude is good for the body and soul.)
1.My knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings me so much joy!
2. The Atonement of Jesus Christ. His life, His sacrifice and death, and His resurrection gives my life meaning and purpose. I am forgiven of my sins, strengthened in my weaknesses, and given strength for all my trials because of the Atonement. I cannot express my gratitude for this blessing enough.
3. My family has been sealed in the temple of God for eternity. My marriage will not end with "til death do you part" and our children will always be sealed to us despite any possible tragedy.
4. My husband is a worthy Priesthood holder who has authority and power to bless our family in the name of Christ when it is needed. We are very blessed!
5. Naomi. She is just the most wonderful child I have ever had the privilege of meeting and she is my daughter! She is always happy, forgiving, and loving. I can't imagine life without her in our family!
6. Baby Neeley #2-- we don't know who this amazing spirit is yet, but we are so excited to meet him/her. We feel so grateful to have children in our family!
7-10. The Scriptures-- including the Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. I'm so grateful for the truths in these books and the joy it brings to our family when we read them.
11. My parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They all raised me in our "family village," many of them teaching me invaluable life lessons. I"m so thankful to have the family I did growing up.
12. My in-laws, all of them! They are incredible people who have made me part of their family since the moment Brad told them about me. I'm grateful to share the Neeley name.
13. Brad's job. This has been a blessing we have desired since... ever, really. It's wonderful to be putting Brad's education to work and having him support our family.
14. My education and degree from Brigham Young University. This was a major life goal of mine, and I'm so grateful Heavenly Father helped me achieve it!
15. Pell Grants. Those babies paid for my education; I could not have gone to college without these.
16. Tithe paying members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. These wonderful and faithful people subsidized my tuition at BYU (and that of all other BYU students) by up to 70%.
17. People that donate to scholarship funds. I received at least a half tuition scholarship to all but 1 semester at BYU-- those funds helped me to buy my books every semester.
18. Our time spent living in Utah. I give Utah a hard time, and living there was a truggle for our family for many reasons. But we became stronger while living there, made great friends, and learned valuable lessons. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
19. Personal revelation. We felt strongly guided by the Lord in our decision to leave Utah and move in with Brad's parents, even without any job offers. We felt really crazy trying to explain it out loud (and still do), but everything has worked together for our good.
20. Our apartment in Alliance, Ohio. It's wonderful, warm, spacious and cozy, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms! We love it.
21. Living closer to family-- Brad's family is only 1 hour away, and mine is 9 hours away instead of the 25 it was while we were in Utah.
22. Brad's supervisor. There was a day a couple weeks back when he stayed late to work on some projects, but insisted that Brad come home and spend time with his family because he knew how important family is. I'm so glad that Brad's boss, and the company, support families!
23. Food stamps. This made a huge difference for our family on many occasions that last year. We are thankfully making enough money now to not need them, but when we were not, I was very grateful our country had this program available.
24. Medicaid. This program paid for my pregnancy and birth of Naomi, and he health care for the first year of her life. It was a great blessing to us. We are grateful to be able to afford our own insurance now through Brad's work, but are grateful that Medicaid was available when we needed it.
25. My membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It has blessed my life in more ways than I can count. A few of the ways include-- teaching me the gospel of Jesus Christ, meeting wonderful people and friends, providing opportunities to serve others, teaching good values and preparing me to be a good wife/mother. The list could go on...
26. Being able to pay tithing-- or 10% of our income we give to the Lord, through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. this commandment is connected to a promise-- "that the windows of heaven shall pour out its blessings that we shall not have room to receive it." This has been more true this year that I have recognized than ever before!
27. Webcams-- it's wonderful to see and communicate with family that is far away!
28. Facebook-- such an easy and convenient way to keep in touch with friends and family!
29. Nap time-- for Naomi and for me. :-)
30. Crock pots-- the easiest dinners in the world!
31. Zumba-- it's a fun exercise that helped me learn that i really do love to move and workout. I lost 45 lbs before getting pregnant, and that means this little bun gets a happier and healthy home to grow in for his/her first 9 months of life!
32. That our car works! It's had it's more than fair share of troubles this year, but we have always been able to depend on it when we needed it.
33. Blogger-- so i can make and share this list with all of you! Though I commend you if you're still reading this!
34. Indoor plumbing-- a modern convenience that i really could NOT live without!
35. clean drinking water
36. warm socks! :-) especially the fuzzy ones, but all socks are great. except maybe wool socks since I'm allergic to wool...
37. asthma inhalers-- they have helped me breath and saved my life on more than a few occasions.
38. nail clippers-- it's the simple things, really.
39. prayer-- i can speak with my Heavenly Father and He can communicate with me.
40. my calling to be a primary teacher-- i'm so excited to be able to teach!!!
41. brad's calling in the Young Men's organization-- he's going to be such an incredible example to those young men! and with our callings together, we get to serve all the children and youth of our ward.
42. my family's health-- we're all healthy and happy. what more could we ask for?
43. The Snell family-- they befriended us the first week we were new in our ward and have become great friends!
44. the Wright family-- Tim helped us move in, they gave us a love seat, recliner, and bed frame when we moved in and had no furniture, and they are just awesome friends!
45. the Chicago Bears-- they are having a great season!
46. the Steelers-- are also having a great season.
47. our piano-- i'm learning to play and I'm so glad we have this instrument in our home to give me the opportunity to develop new talents.
48. rubber bands-- so i don't have to wear maternity pants yet! (any women who has been pregnant will understand this)
49. hulu.com-- so when we miss watching house or biggest loser, we can catch up. :-)
50. myfitnesspal.com-- it helped me track my food intake and guide me to healthier choices to help me in my journey to being healthier!
51. books-- i love reading!
52. blenders-- i love to make smoothies!
53. toilet brush-- so i don't actually have to touch the inside of a toilet with my own hands to clean it.
54. e-mail-- so much faster than snail mail, and cheaper!
55. snail mail-- nothing can compare to the joy getting a snail mail letter can, except a snail mail package...
56. online shopping-- i hate shopping in stores, so being able to shop online, and get good deals- is awesome!
57. the internet-- it makes quite a few of the above possible, and my husband does web programming, so the existence of the internet and my husband's programming of it helps put food on our table.
58. pierogies-- with alfredo sauce, quite possibly to most delicious comfort food ever created. Mmmm!
59. central heating in the winter-- i love staying warm!
60. air conditioning in the summer-- i love to not be melting!
61. ice cream, and sherbet, and other frozen desserts-- yum yum yum-ness.
62. Thanksgiving (the holiday)-- family, food, a reminder to be thankful.
63. Christmas-- a time to remember the birth of our Savior and His love for us.
64. carpet-- it makes the floor soft and warmer to walk on! my favorite flooring type.
65. that Brad is willing to go out on Black Friday-- because I don't care how good the deals are, I will NEVER go out shopping in that kind of madness!
66. that we have a master bathroom-- it's so nice to have a bathroom that's ours and no one else uses it!
67. my sewing machine, and Natalie Gentry for giving it to me-- sewing is a new talent i learned after graduation and i love it!
68. knowing how to crochet-- Sandy Matteson taught me when i was in Young Women's, and now I make warm scarves!
69. warm scarves-- a winter essential!
70. that we live close to our ward-- some members of our ward have to drive almost an hour just to come to church. we're only 10 minutes away!
71. our freezer and refrigerator-- it keeps our food fresh longer!
72. that Brad is teaching me how to play the piano-- he's sharing one of his talents with me, what a sweetie!
73. Repentance-- that I can learn from my mistakes, correct them, and through the Atonement of Christ, be made perfect someday.
74. dishwasher-- i don't have to wash all our dishes by hand!!! and it saves so much time!
75. exhaust vent and light above our stove-- i didn't realize how much this meant to me until our last apartment didn't have it.
76. our washer and dryer!!!
77. i get to be a stay-at-home mom! i get to spend my days with naomi, teaching her, and watching her grow and learn. I'm very blessed to get this opportunity!
78. we're not responsible for lawn care... seriously, brad and i have no idea what to do beyond raking leaves and shoveling snow, so i'm glad our apartment complex takes care of that!
79. for movements like Beauty Redefined. they have a powerful and important message and are getting it out there. go check it out!
80. our new insurance company WILL cover my pregnancy! we are so relieved, and thank you for your prayers and concern!
81. smoothies-- yum!
82. oxi-clean-- to save the new carpet from above mentioned smoothies. :-)
83. diaper rash cream-- helps munchkin feel better!
84. hot showers-- so relaxing and refreshing!
85. spell check.
86. book shelves-- they help me and my house stay organized
87. potatoes-- the most delicious and versitle food on the planet. i haven't found a potato that i don't like.
88. that my daughter loves books-- they are her favorite toys, right before balls, cars, a nerf gun, and coloring
89. razors-- clean shaven armpits, legs, and husband!
90. deodorant-- so we all smell good!
91. disposable diapers-- while expensive, i don't have the stomach to clean cloth diapers
92. pants with stretching waistbands to wear while pregnant
93. exfoliating facewash-- makes my face feel fresh and clean!
94. brad's smartphone-- his work pays for it, and it helps us find stuff while we're out of the house away from the computer.
95. pinterest-- so many recipe ideas that i can easily find!
96. see's candy! specifically the dark chocolate butters and chocolate caramel patties
97. contacts-- so brad can see clearly
98. toothbrush and toothpaste-- for fresh breath!
99. microwave-- for quick easy heating of food. life is so convenient!
100. life! i am so blessed to be here on this earth, alive, and to enjoy all the blessings associated with it.
I thought about this a lot that night. It reminded me to always give thanks to the Lord for His blessings; and our family has been exceedingly blessed this year. So, in celebration of Thanksgiving this year, and this being my 100th blog post, I'm making a list of 100 things I am thankful for this year. (Plus it's good for my health! Check out this article about how gratitude is good for the body and soul.)
1.My knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It brings me so much joy!
2. The Atonement of Jesus Christ. His life, His sacrifice and death, and His resurrection gives my life meaning and purpose. I am forgiven of my sins, strengthened in my weaknesses, and given strength for all my trials because of the Atonement. I cannot express my gratitude for this blessing enough.
3. My family has been sealed in the temple of God for eternity. My marriage will not end with "til death do you part" and our children will always be sealed to us despite any possible tragedy.
4. My husband is a worthy Priesthood holder who has authority and power to bless our family in the name of Christ when it is needed. We are very blessed!
5. Naomi. She is just the most wonderful child I have ever had the privilege of meeting and she is my daughter! She is always happy, forgiving, and loving. I can't imagine life without her in our family!
6. Baby Neeley #2-- we don't know who this amazing spirit is yet, but we are so excited to meet him/her. We feel so grateful to have children in our family!
7-10. The Scriptures-- including the Bible, The Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. I'm so grateful for the truths in these books and the joy it brings to our family when we read them.
11. My parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They all raised me in our "family village," many of them teaching me invaluable life lessons. I"m so thankful to have the family I did growing up.
12. My in-laws, all of them! They are incredible people who have made me part of their family since the moment Brad told them about me. I'm grateful to share the Neeley name.
13. Brad's job. This has been a blessing we have desired since... ever, really. It's wonderful to be putting Brad's education to work and having him support our family.
14. My education and degree from Brigham Young University. This was a major life goal of mine, and I'm so grateful Heavenly Father helped me achieve it!
15. Pell Grants. Those babies paid for my education; I could not have gone to college without these.
16. Tithe paying members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. These wonderful and faithful people subsidized my tuition at BYU (and that of all other BYU students) by up to 70%.
17. People that donate to scholarship funds. I received at least a half tuition scholarship to all but 1 semester at BYU-- those funds helped me to buy my books every semester.
18. Our time spent living in Utah. I give Utah a hard time, and living there was a truggle for our family for many reasons. But we became stronger while living there, made great friends, and learned valuable lessons. I wouldn't trade it for anything.
19. Personal revelation. We felt strongly guided by the Lord in our decision to leave Utah and move in with Brad's parents, even without any job offers. We felt really crazy trying to explain it out loud (and still do), but everything has worked together for our good.
20. Our apartment in Alliance, Ohio. It's wonderful, warm, spacious and cozy, 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms! We love it.
21. Living closer to family-- Brad's family is only 1 hour away, and mine is 9 hours away instead of the 25 it was while we were in Utah.
22. Brad's supervisor. There was a day a couple weeks back when he stayed late to work on some projects, but insisted that Brad come home and spend time with his family because he knew how important family is. I'm so glad that Brad's boss, and the company, support families!
23. Food stamps. This made a huge difference for our family on many occasions that last year. We are thankfully making enough money now to not need them, but when we were not, I was very grateful our country had this program available.
24. Medicaid. This program paid for my pregnancy and birth of Naomi, and he health care for the first year of her life. It was a great blessing to us. We are grateful to be able to afford our own insurance now through Brad's work, but are grateful that Medicaid was available when we needed it.
25. My membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It has blessed my life in more ways than I can count. A few of the ways include-- teaching me the gospel of Jesus Christ, meeting wonderful people and friends, providing opportunities to serve others, teaching good values and preparing me to be a good wife/mother. The list could go on...
26. Being able to pay tithing-- or 10% of our income we give to the Lord, through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. this commandment is connected to a promise-- "that the windows of heaven shall pour out its blessings that we shall not have room to receive it." This has been more true this year that I have recognized than ever before!
27. Webcams-- it's wonderful to see and communicate with family that is far away!
28. Facebook-- such an easy and convenient way to keep in touch with friends and family!
29. Nap time-- for Naomi and for me. :-)
30. Crock pots-- the easiest dinners in the world!
31. Zumba-- it's a fun exercise that helped me learn that i really do love to move and workout. I lost 45 lbs before getting pregnant, and that means this little bun gets a happier and healthy home to grow in for his/her first 9 months of life!
32. That our car works! It's had it's more than fair share of troubles this year, but we have always been able to depend on it when we needed it.
33. Blogger-- so i can make and share this list with all of you! Though I commend you if you're still reading this!
34. Indoor plumbing-- a modern convenience that i really could NOT live without!
35. clean drinking water
36. warm socks! :-) especially the fuzzy ones, but all socks are great. except maybe wool socks since I'm allergic to wool...
37. asthma inhalers-- they have helped me breath and saved my life on more than a few occasions.
38. nail clippers-- it's the simple things, really.
39. prayer-- i can speak with my Heavenly Father and He can communicate with me.
40. my calling to be a primary teacher-- i'm so excited to be able to teach!!!
41. brad's calling in the Young Men's organization-- he's going to be such an incredible example to those young men! and with our callings together, we get to serve all the children and youth of our ward.
42. my family's health-- we're all healthy and happy. what more could we ask for?
43. The Snell family-- they befriended us the first week we were new in our ward and have become great friends!
44. the Wright family-- Tim helped us move in, they gave us a love seat, recliner, and bed frame when we moved in and had no furniture, and they are just awesome friends!
45. the Chicago Bears-- they are having a great season!
46. the Steelers-- are also having a great season.
47. our piano-- i'm learning to play and I'm so glad we have this instrument in our home to give me the opportunity to develop new talents.
48. rubber bands-- so i don't have to wear maternity pants yet! (any women who has been pregnant will understand this)
49. hulu.com-- so when we miss watching house or biggest loser, we can catch up. :-)
50. myfitnesspal.com-- it helped me track my food intake and guide me to healthier choices to help me in my journey to being healthier!
51. books-- i love reading!
52. blenders-- i love to make smoothies!
53. toilet brush-- so i don't actually have to touch the inside of a toilet with my own hands to clean it.
54. e-mail-- so much faster than snail mail, and cheaper!
55. snail mail-- nothing can compare to the joy getting a snail mail letter can, except a snail mail package...
56. online shopping-- i hate shopping in stores, so being able to shop online, and get good deals- is awesome!
57. the internet-- it makes quite a few of the above possible, and my husband does web programming, so the existence of the internet and my husband's programming of it helps put food on our table.
58. pierogies-- with alfredo sauce, quite possibly to most delicious comfort food ever created. Mmmm!
59. central heating in the winter-- i love staying warm!
60. air conditioning in the summer-- i love to not be melting!
61. ice cream, and sherbet, and other frozen desserts-- yum yum yum-ness.
62. Thanksgiving (the holiday)-- family, food, a reminder to be thankful.
63. Christmas-- a time to remember the birth of our Savior and His love for us.
64. carpet-- it makes the floor soft and warmer to walk on! my favorite flooring type.
65. that Brad is willing to go out on Black Friday-- because I don't care how good the deals are, I will NEVER go out shopping in that kind of madness!
66. that we have a master bathroom-- it's so nice to have a bathroom that's ours and no one else uses it!
67. my sewing machine, and Natalie Gentry for giving it to me-- sewing is a new talent i learned after graduation and i love it!
69. warm scarves-- a winter essential!
70. that we live close to our ward-- some members of our ward have to drive almost an hour just to come to church. we're only 10 minutes away!
71. our freezer and refrigerator-- it keeps our food fresh longer!
72. that Brad is teaching me how to play the piano-- he's sharing one of his talents with me, what a sweetie!
73. Repentance-- that I can learn from my mistakes, correct them, and through the Atonement of Christ, be made perfect someday.
74. dishwasher-- i don't have to wash all our dishes by hand!!! and it saves so much time!
75. exhaust vent and light above our stove-- i didn't realize how much this meant to me until our last apartment didn't have it.
76. our washer and dryer!!!
77. i get to be a stay-at-home mom! i get to spend my days with naomi, teaching her, and watching her grow and learn. I'm very blessed to get this opportunity!
78. we're not responsible for lawn care... seriously, brad and i have no idea what to do beyond raking leaves and shoveling snow, so i'm glad our apartment complex takes care of that!
79. for movements like Beauty Redefined. they have a powerful and important message and are getting it out there. go check it out!
80. our new insurance company WILL cover my pregnancy! we are so relieved, and thank you for your prayers and concern!
81. smoothies-- yum!
82. oxi-clean-- to save the new carpet from above mentioned smoothies. :-)
83. diaper rash cream-- helps munchkin feel better!
84. hot showers-- so relaxing and refreshing!
85. spell check.
86. book shelves-- they help me and my house stay organized
87. potatoes-- the most delicious and versitle food on the planet. i haven't found a potato that i don't like.
88. that my daughter loves books-- they are her favorite toys, right before balls, cars, a nerf gun, and coloring
89. razors-- clean shaven armpits, legs, and husband!
90. deodorant-- so we all smell good!
91. disposable diapers-- while expensive, i don't have the stomach to clean cloth diapers
92. pants with stretching waistbands to wear while pregnant
93. exfoliating facewash-- makes my face feel fresh and clean!
94. brad's smartphone-- his work pays for it, and it helps us find stuff while we're out of the house away from the computer.
95. pinterest-- so many recipe ideas that i can easily find!
96. see's candy! specifically the dark chocolate butters and chocolate caramel patties
97. contacts-- so brad can see clearly
98. toothbrush and toothpaste-- for fresh breath!
99. microwave-- for quick easy heating of food. life is so convenient!
100. life! i am so blessed to be here on this earth, alive, and to enjoy all the blessings associated with it.
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