Thank You, Jesus (said reverently)

I am thankful for a month of publicly listing blessings. Some mornings I have struggled to think of something new, a blessing I hadn't already listed. I loved how many of them overlapped, merged. Thankful for family/love/children/parents/cousins/gatherings all fit together. I want to keep a grateful attitude all year long.
"Ten Lepers" by James C. Christensen

I would hope that I would have turned back to say "thank you." But I am horrible about that social etiquette of thank you notes. Never did that from all our wedding gifts. I feel some true shame on that note. Didn't save the ragged notebook paper with the list of gifts. I was pregnant, sick, busy student, but that is not excuse.

Sometimes immediate, in person offers of gratitude are more spontaneous, heartfelt. But social rules do count for good manners. And I have failed dreadfully at this.

That is why my kids are pestered into writing notes. I want them to be better than I am.

I was blessed to take a watercolor class from the artist at the top of this post. Magnificent talent. Fun to watch. His creative fantasy worlds delight me.

I am thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. For His birth, His example, His baptism, His teachings, His love, His suffering for me, His death, His conquering of death and sin so I can repent and be resurrected. That is good news!

It is easy for me to think of myself as a rejoicing (wingless) angel singing at His birth and thankful for Him.

Gratitude for Mom

Happy BIRTHDAY! I am grateful for her life and the many things she has taught me. I owe her everything. I wouldn't be here without her. Sister Mom and Elder Dad are serving full time missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in St. Croix.


Mom and her 7 siblings at her mom's funeral.

I've been thinking about the influence of families on our goals, our in-jokes (our humor!), our religious-ness or lack of it, or traditions, our choices. How is my mom similar to her siblings? How am I like her, and in turn, like my aunts and uncles?

Being thankful for Dad, is included in grateful for Mom, too. I am so glad they found each other, made the committment to one another, made covenants with God in the temple to be faithful and have children! Yeah, that is me! Families matter. Children matter. They are the most important priority. ANYTHING that takes us away from that is wrong, wrong wrong.
Families can be together forever.

Potato Blessings

One of my entertaining nightmares is running out of food. People leaving hungry. So there is always huge amounts, just in case.
Check out that big bowl of mashed white goodness at Roxie's elbow. John makes excellent potatoes.
I am thankful for food enough to share. I hung all the listed blessings from this blog and John's attached them to the dinning room chandelier, including "toilet paper." Yes, it is worth mentioning. We had a brief table side conversation on the benefits of soft white over scratchy brown paper.

Shared Interests

I am thankful for interests/hobbies/causes in common.

Thanksgiving almost wouldn't be complete without a quick trip to Cranberry. What a great named town!

David & Julie were there all week. Getting 13 cousins together to have crazy fun play was a priority, and being with siblings was a sweet bonus.

I am thankful for the fabric/quilting/architectural salvage collecting/parenting/crocheting/antiques with patina/thrift store shopping/art appreciation tastes we have in common.



Quick cranberry discussion: I got this cranberry sauce from listening to NPR. Just 3 ingredients, and it looks like Pepto Dismal (BRIGHT pink!) and very sour without sugar, so I added Spend-a-lot in honor of my in-laws.

Back to the real Cranberry
Thanks to Lu and family for hosting a fun gathering!

Photography: 2nd Chances & Flattering Tips

I am thankful for photography. For the things I see in pictures. For the faces, the expressions, the way the lighting matters...Taking lots and lots of photos of family has helped me see better. I would love to take some classes and learn more from a professional.

John's cousin, Audrey, looks like she is related, yes?! Since Roxie looks so much like John, maybe she will look like this in 20 years?


I don't think John looks like his sister Amy very much. But our daughter, Emmalyn, takes after her Landbeck aunties.

I show you this unflattering picture of me (no, I am not just talking, I was being silly, on purpose! But showing you this, then I can show you these sister-in-law shots, for demonstration purposes.)



Introducing Sara, the artist and makeup professional. With monster shot lighting from below.


Max took this candid shot, and I think it is beautiful! A real look from a hard-to-photograph sister-in-law!




This is Amy, the attorney, works in the JAG office on post. Not a flattering shot, color is off and yellow, bad lighting, bad flash nightmare. She looks pretty here. Head tilt. Picasa-fixed some of the scary shadows. Still not a perfect photo, but better.



Aunt Lisa, caught off-guard. Is it better to warn someone you are about to take their picture, or not?

Candid shot, with her great smile.


I love this photo, even with the blurry movement. John took this. I like this kind of picture better than group shot lined-up in a row remembrances of the day.

Thankful for Turkey Plus

I am thankful for the years of celebrating our blessings!

Looking back over the years and the electronic photo archives... (this one is at Grandma Sandy's house).

2003 at Hope House. Peach hallway walls before the green hills mural, the bright turquoise experiment. Light teal living room before the gold. Luanna & Bob came south to us, Babcocks north with friends in tow.



In 2004 we celebrated at Bailey Road Hope House again, beige dinning room walls (before "Wenge" walls and cloud ceiling).



In 2005 we went north, to Cranberry, for Thanksgiving. The year of Aunt Laura's polar fleece hats!
2005 was year Michael & Sare got married. Here is a big picture of the quilt from yesterday's post with Ellie getting a kiss from her dad!

In 2006 almost all of my siblings and family gathered in Cranberry, PA for a marvelous reunion/feast.
In 2007 we celebrated the day in Virginia Beach!

Two years ago we looked like this:
2008 family gathering.

Last year I was painting in Utah for Thanksgiving, and ate with Emma (met her boyfriend before he flew home to CA), my parents, Becca & son, Michael & family, Steven & fiance... Here in Maryland John made a turkey without me. No stuffing. Bought rolls.

THIS 2010 year he made the rolls by himself! And did the turkey brine on his own. We had a talk about which pan to cook it in. He had already put it in one that I didn't think fit our oven. He politely and in a manner of peace put it in the one I wanted, and we both saw that his original choice had been better. I am thankful that he is willing to humor me, try it my way, to keep peace.

We have 2 crockpots full of Julie Babcock's sourdough bread, artichocke, parmesan, mushroom stuffing cooking away. Such a good idea to free up oven!

I tried a crazy cranberry relish I heard on NPR: fresh cranberries cook until pop, add horseradish and sourcream. Bright pink color, very tasty! That is chillin in the fridge.

Shrimp salsa was on the original menu plan, but I might save that for Sunday with leftovers. Guests are bringing salad, pies, veggies.

Trying to stay relaxed, un-stressed. We had rolls last night for dinner, and they are all cooked excpet for one batch we will put in after the turkey comes out--so they are hot and for the delicious hot bread smell!

Tonight I am working (serving a hoity-toity feast) and tomorrow early we will go see many, many cousins in Cranberry!

So much to be thankful for.

Friends

I am thankful for friends.

If you haven't met Wallace & Gromit yet, you are in for a treat. Nick Park's creation. I've always wondered why a dog is man's best friend. I never had a dog. I try to be nice to neighbor's dogs. I am growing very fond of 3-legged Penny at work. She greets me with cheerful full-body excitement and comes up to me throughout the day for behind-the-ear scratches. Maybe it is their complete acceptance and devotion that makes them our friends?
Some of my earliest friends included Mr. Rogers. Yes, really. He sang about it. He was always so cheerful and positive and kind! I know it was his job, but he was really good at it, and I felt loved.
I love seeing friends within families: my brother being a friend to his daughter and in-laws and nieces and nephews. He includes them, plays with them. (Ellie is on the quilt I made for her parents!)
I have been thankful my children are friends with one another. I hope they continue to do upkeep on their sibling relationships as they all grow into adulthood.
Some friends start out when they are thrown together as babies/children! Not by choice, by proximity!
Some of my friends start out as assignments, at Church. But then we choose to hang out together after the meetings and at each other's homes! I am thankful for the friends John has cultivated among good, fun-filled and funny men!

I am thankful for the good friendships our children have made at school.


Some friendships last years and years! I think of my best friend from middle school, Jamie. My family moved right before high school, and I grieved at leaving behind a good group of friends. I missed them so much, I was ready to walk back to Iowa to see them.







This friend from middle school was the only other LDS member in the whole school. From the reunion website I see that she is doing well--and I wish I could track her down and tell her I am sorry I wasn't a better friend. I didn't include her the way I should have in my circle. I wasn't very nice. I regret it, to this day. If anyone knows how I can contact Cindy Watson ________ (married name?), please let me know. I've tried to find her and apologize and congratulate her one her beautiful family!

I appreciate friends who teach me, share ideas with me.
Truly good relationships make you a better person. They uplift you, bring you closer to Christ.Art photography of John the Baptist and Jesus, by Mark Mabry, one of my favorite example of friend/cousins.


I am thankful for siblings and cousins who are friends! What a great feeling to have long lost cousins facebook-friend request you!






I've been blessed with great friends! I am so thankful for you. Some I have only "talked" to through email and blog comments. Some I see almost every day (L. J. I do not have a picture of you! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?).

Thank you. I am grateful for you. Wouldn't be the same without you.