A few of my favorite things...

In honor of Thanksgiving here are a few of my favorite things I am grateful for:


This is our neighbor Pam. We LOVE Pam. Pam and Steve are empty nesters that have made Lee and I feel so welcome. They treat Keaton like a grandchild and are always so kind to Lee and I. When Lee and I told them we were going to build a fire in the front yard Halloween night and Lee was going to do scones they did warm cider and Pam dressed up like a Mummy. In the darkness of Halloween it was FABULOUS. I think Keaton has a little bit of a crush on Pam :)

I think the second thing I am really grateful is family. I am always a tad bit sad when it is not the Earley year for Thanksgiving. Lees' family is really good at making a nice holiday so we had a great time (I think Keaton went on about 20 tractor rides... not enough in his mind). Keaton has 15 cousins on that side (here are just a few making silly faces, Keats caught right on without prompting, go figure). We are also terribly thankful for the Earley side of the fam. Keaton got to play with most of them yesterday too. We were so lucky to have Garret and his family here to celebrate the twins 1 year old birthday.

Maybe this one is weird but it is my list not yours :) I am thankful for this little timer. It seriously was one of the best wedding gifts we got. I have figured out that I have a little bit of a short attention span. I know I can do anything for 15 minutes. You can get a lot done in 15 minutes. When I clean I tell myself I only have to do each room for 15 minutes (this probably explains a lot to anyone who has been to my house). It is a great motivator to me to see that time click on and know I only have a few short minutes on any ugly task.

I am also thankful for "knuckles". Keaton never took a pacifier. I have often felt a little disappointed I did not have that crutch. When Keaton was about 9 mos old though he started doing "knuckles". Whenever he is sad, nervous, tired or bored he pinches my knuckles. He will do it for hours on end if he could. It kinda works out good. I always have my hand with me and it is not nearly as embarrassing as a 3 year old with a pacey.

I am also thankful for the modern miracle of furnaces. Here is the dreaded red sticker that shut us off 10 days ago. Does anyone have any idea how NICE having heat is? We came home the other night and it was 50 degrees in here....SERIOUSLY!!! I am here to say we have 5 space heaters in this house (2 don't work at all) and space heaters don't work. They just don't cut it. I am sad to say we are beginning to acclimate and when we get out in regular society where people use such crazy luxuries as heat we sweat... yuck I know. We are hoping in the next few days our furnace will show up and we can be snugly again.

I am thankful for warm fireplaces (see above). I am amazed at how much wood we have had to go through this week. We are glad we have Papa Palmer with the big wood pile in the back of his house.

I am thankful for a husband who risks life and limb to always get lights on our house (yes, they are pretty simple, just how we like 'em :). I didn't grow up with lights. It is nice my husband is into making us have some great traditions.

I had to laugh at a girl I work with. She was complaining that her boyfriend always made them go out into the cold to pick out a tree at a lot and then they had to light it and she had to vacuum too often. In the 5 years we have had Christmas together Lee has taken us up to the Uintahs (3.5 hours away) and we have hunted a tree. Keaton has LOVED it. It is quite an event. Usually we have some extra Palmers along and we always cut a tree for my Dad. This year we trekked over Flaming Gorge for 3 hours looking for this tree. We took a picnic and made a fun afternoon out of it. (yes, Lee is 6'4" tall, yes, this tree is next in line for the governors mansion).

This is just a few of my favorite things. What blessings are you grateful for?