30 Thankfuls

30 Blessings in my life.

1-Robbie-I am thankful to have a man that I love and that is willing to love me in all my craziness. He is truly amazing and I know the Lord was looking out for me when we got together. Not many men could deal with all that I am. I am one lucky gal. And is not bad to look at either-Hottie, Hottie!!
2-Hair-Every time someone asks me what I am thankful for this is what I want to say. I love getting my hair colored and washed and combed and cut and played with. I love looking a peoples hair. I have an unfortunate flaw that when I talk to someone I like to look at their hair so people are always asking if they have something in it.
3-My Children-I am not maternal. Those are not ordinary feelings for me. I struggle with all things motherly but fortunately the Lord blessed me with the 3 beautiful children that he has allowed me to help raise. I am not the best mom but I could not love three people more. They bring out such joy and anger and love and humor and kindness and frustration in me. I thank my Heavenly Father daily for allowing me to be a part of their lives.
4-Mrs. Rash- My first grade teacher who taught me how to read.By the by in this grade I was in love with George Flores-He was Gene Simmons from Kiss one year for Halloween and I fell head over heals.
5-Books-I love reading. It is one of my favorite things to do. I have discovered recorded audio books that I can download from our library website and listen to while I am crafting. Thankful for it.
6-My parents-I am thankful for the two great people who raised me. I am thankful they taught me the gospel by living it and being good examples. They are two of the most unselfish people I know and are always trying to help their children. I love my parents so much.
7-Holly-Holly was inspired to do a boutique this year for Christmas. Her sister was inspired to ask me to participate in it. I have had a "job" for 11 weeks now making Christmas crafts. I can not begin to explain my gratitude for this. Painting is so therapeutic for me. Really I break even with the money part but money isn't what it is about. Don't tell Rob, he thinks I'm getting rich.
8-Sun-I am a seasonal crazy person. I was meant to live on the equator and not in a place that the sun goes down at 5 and comes up at 8. I am thankful for any appearance it puts in from October until May.
9-Maren-I am so thankful for my sister. We are close in age and so growing up was either great or awful. I am thankful for my relationship with her now. She is an amazing woman who can do anything. She was blessed with all the things I wanted. She is an amazing mother to Skyler. I wish I was half the mother she is. I am so glad we live close. Every time Robbie suggests moving I ask him if we can get Steve a job there so that Maren and Skyler can come too. I love having such a great sister and friend.
10-Digital Camera-I love our digital camera. I love how much fun it is to take photos and immediately be able to see how cute they are. Malia also loves it very much.
11-DI-So Thankful for the Deseret Industries-I would be clothe less and have nothing in my house if not for this thrift store. I am a repurposer. Second hand clothes are always way better than new clothes because they normally are all ready worn in and you only pay a fraction fraction of the original price. Thankfully my children feel the same way and I am also thankful that we live in an affluent area and the donations are exceptional.Thankful that I choose to shop there but I don't have to.
12-Robbie's Job-I confess that being the wife of a school teacher is not that glamorous. But he is also the driver ed teacher and the football coach and the wrestling coach. This it all the more glamorous. I am so Thankful for the school Robbie teaches and coaches at. His jobs have been good to us. It has allowed me to stay at home with our children. We do some creative budgeting but we are never without. Robbie loves his job and would probably do it for free. OK not the Drivers Ed part-they need to pay him triple for that.
13-My family-I am the oldest daughter and the second child in a family of 5 boys and 2 girls. My brother Scot is 3 years my senior. My sister Maren is 20 months younger than me. Then comes Layne, Tanner, Braiden and McKay. I am 11 years older than the twins Braiden and McKay. Big families never have enough money and their is always some fight going on but I loved being a part of a big family. I love getting together with them now. We have so much fun. I am blessed to come from a great family.
14-Baths-I am thankful for a tub that I can fill to the brim with hot steamy water and soak and read in. In the winter I bathe every night for several hours. Unfortunately we only have one bathroom.
15-Cell phones-I am thankful that I can call Senor any time I want and for the most part he picks up or texts me back. I always can get a hold of my children. They do not have cells but all of their friends do.
16-Sunbeams-I am thankful to be the Sunbeam teacher at church. These are the 3-4 year olds. I love having them come up to me and saying, "Darf vadoor used to be good. He was Anikan". It was very important that L. let me know this bit of information. J. tells me every Sunday that he is a different age and that we are to call him Peter Parker. I am blessed by their joy.
17-Running-I am thankful for the ability I have to run. I love it and crave it. I have been on hiatus since June and have started again. It is agony right now but it will get better.
18-Katelyn's Chocolate Cream Pies-I am thankful that she is so talented and can make the pies that I crave and that I can pay her to make them for me. What a blessing!!
19-A big fat FBI Suburban-I am thankful for this car and its hauling ability. I am now hauling more kids around and can cram more junk in the back. It also has seat warmer. I LOVE this little feature. Warm buns couldn't be better.
20-The Gospel-I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am thankful its teachings. I know this church is true. It is not something I do because my parents did it. I was 19 when I decided this church was going to have my full commitment. Being a member of this church is not easy. It is time consuming and hard but it is so true and I am blessed daily by being a part of it.
21-Blogging-I am thankful for this way to journal my life with photos and words.
22-Fake fingernails-I love long fake nails. There is something feminine about nails and how they make even my sausage fingers look pretty. I also love taking my fake nails off. After you do, you can resume putting your contacts in without poking your eye out. You pick your nose. Stick your finger in your ear without cutting it. You can do up buttons without having to ask for help. The downside of having them off though is no more click click click noise as you tap your finger on everything.
23-Tape-Thankful for this because honestly how would Malia entertain herself if she wasn't taping something to the wall or to herself. As I write she is taping up her finger because she is sure she broke it from catching a football at the Turkey bowl. She seriously just said, "Thank you emergency kit for your tape".
24-Teachers-I am thankful for the great teachers my children have had at school and at church as well as coaches. These people have such a huge impact on them. Now as I have teenage boys, their leaders and coaches are way smarter than mom or dad. We are blessed to live in a great place. We have amazing teachers and coaches. I am truly blessed by this.
25-Vickie Gunter Blankets-I am so thankful for the blanket Vickie made me for my birthday a couple of years ago. I am like Malia now and take my blankie everywhere. It is the warmest and best thing ever.
26-In-Laws-I have the best sister-in-laws ever. I am lucky that I love and get along with them all. I have great brother-in-laws who are funny and full of life. I have an amazing mother-in-law whom I adore. She is crazy and wonderful and nutty and has the biggest heart. She loves me like a daughter and treats me like one. I have a great father-in-law who has to deal with all of us crazies. He taught his son to be the great man I fell in love with.
27-Girlfriends-I am thankful to have a great assortment of friends. Sharidi is one of my best girlfriends. She is pregnant and due in the spring. I love how loud and friendly and crazy and easy going she is. I have the great friends in the coaches wives. I love being able to sit with them and have so much fun. I miss seeing them when the season is over. Michelle, Tashina, Barb, Lida, Sheri, Kristin, Jan are some of the best women I know. I love them. I am thankful for their great husbands as well and how good they are to him. I have the greatest friends from the woman I worked with in the Young Women's program and now in the Primary. I couldn't ask for better woman in my life.
28-No bake cookies-Thankful that they are NO BAKE and can be eaten as a breakfast food. They have oatmeal in them so there.
29-Mary Kay cosmetics-I love them. They are so stinking expensive but I love them. Great cover up. I wear makeup maybe twice a week but I still love them and am kind of obsessive about them.
30-My bed-I have the most comfortable bed ever. I am thankful that I don't have to sleep on the floor or somewhere hard

I have a truly blessed life and am so thankful for it.

Cold and Brisk and Hot and Steamy

At the end of wrestling season last year, the parents gave us a nights stay at The Armstrong Mansion Inn in downtown SLC. Well we just barely used it. It was a hot and steamy and cold and brisk date. We started it off eating at Hires Big H. How romantic is that. OK not romantic but some seriously good grub. I love the burgers and fries there. We were going to go to McDonald's but we splurged and threw caution to the wind and went Big H. Actually we ate there because we could quickly get to the stadium.

OH but wait-this was the romantic part of our get away. Utah beating TCU. Most people when they get a free room they stay in the room and "occupy" it. Not us! We got the room and put our ski clothes on and went and watched the big game. This was the cold and brisk part of the date.

Usually the stadium is full of red but this was a special black out night and everyone wore black. It was crazy. I forgot the camera so these are from my phone.

OK really now to the romantic part- We left with 5 minutes to go. I have been married to Robbie 16 years. We never get to games late and we never, ever, ever, ever leave games early. He sacrificed and we left early and guess what? This was the only action in the game and we missed it.

For some this would be nothing but for Robbie to do that for me it is TLA-True Love Always!!

The Armstrong Inn is kind of a themed place. Every room is named after a month. We stayed in the basement in the September Woods room. These pictures really don't do it justice but it was really nice. So to the hot and steamy part. They have the biggest Jacuzzi tub ever. I love bubble baths. I soak in our tub almost every night( really this is my hide out) especially in the winter. This tub was HUGE!!!!

I had a great time. The company couldn't have been better and we did what we love-Football and baths!

How Much!!??

Got the bill for Brits leg this week. The drill bit was $706.00. Yes that is correct. Not a typo really SEVEN HUNDRED AND SIX DOLLARS for the bit. The screw was $400.00. It cost less to drug the kid up.
But at least he won't limp. That's a plus right?

Love the GUNTERS

Last weekend Robbie's Grandma Helen and Grandpa Jimmy had a dinner at a restaurant. Grandmas health hasn't been the best. She is doing radiation again on her leg. I love this lady. So many of Robbie's family showed up. I love getting to see them all. Jeff(Rob's Dad) is one of 13 children. There is only 5 years between Rob and the youngest uncle and so he was just another brother and that is how the uncles and aunts treat him. It is a huge family and I love the crazies that are in it(Robbie and I included) Robbie, Grandpa Jimmy, Grandma Helen, and Me

Derek Gunter-One thing about the Gunter's is that they have curly hair. My children have a little wave but not mounds of curls. I love it. When Rob grows his hair out it doesn't get long it gets BIG!!

Hals kids

Davey and Robbie-When we moved to Preston Dave was only 12 and as lurpy as can be but we loved him. He was so good to Britton and Breckin. It makes me sad to think that now my baby boy is that lurpy 12 year old. Robbie coached and taught Dave. One year he went to Mexico with us and it was quite the experience. We now call him Diesel Dave not little Davey.

This is Malia with Brittany, Derek's sister. Notice the curls.
Brittaney and Nick live in SLC and so we see them more often. Ashley just moved back as well

Uncle Lem in the Camo sitting down, Lonny, Hal, Britton, and PaulTyson Jehoshaphat.

I married into a great family. I really do love them all. They are so much fun to be around. I am really lucky that I love all of Robs brothers and all of my sister in laws!!!

YOU ARE INVITED