2 great things in my life....

Today's post is in dedication to Joseph Smith it's his birthday you know.  I could write a lot about how many great things Joseph Smith has brought into my life but for consistancy sake I will keep it to two.

2 - The Book of Mormon. I love this book and know that it was written by God, the power in its daily teachings for me is overwhelming.

1 - Restoration of the Priesthood. There has been some "talk" about women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Well I happen to be a women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I love it. I love the priesthood and respect all worthy priesthood holders. The priesthood is one of the greatest things in my life because of it I have made covenents with my Father in Heaven to enable me to return to Him one day if I endure to the end.
xoxo
Barb

3 great things in my life....

I love shovelling snow I know kind of weird isn't it but that is today's theme: Three reason's to shovel snow.

3 - Because you can. One reason I love to shovel snow is that I know that there will be one day where I might not be able to physically do it so I enjoy the movement and exertion of shovelling.

2 - It is a reason to be outside. I love being outside but being productive outside is even better. I love it when your lungs sting from the cold air and a red runny nose and ice crystals in my eyelashes. I love dressing up in layers and then sweating so you start to peel them off.

1 - It's better than shovelling poop. Yes, I have shoveled my fair share of poop physically and metaphorically.  Shovelling snow is even better than vacum tracks, you get immediate results it looks better and you can see what you have accomplished.

xoxo
Barb

4 great things in my life....

It does take an extra effort but it is totally worth every once in a while to stay in your pj's all day. Which brings us to today's theme; Why to stay in my pj's today and refuse to leave the house.

4 - Because it hasn't happened in over a month.

3 - Because my laundry pile is taller than my youngest child.

2 - Because it is snowing outside.

1 - Because I have two new library Christmas movies I haven't watched yet. Merry Christmas to me.

xoxox
Barb

5 great things in my life....

5 is my favourite number I think it began because I loved kindergarten a lot and I was 5 when I went, also I was born in the 5th month along with my Grandmas Pilling.  Then again it has just always hung around and comes in useful when people ask what's your favourite number?  Today's theme 5 people I love most in the world.

5 - Jesse, my best friend for over 22 years, he is the yin to my yang, and I really cannot begin to express how much I love him but more so how much I REALLY  like him most of the time.

4 - Ryan since I already posted about him I feel like it would be redundant to do it again, but I really love him.

3 - Sara if any of you have had a child who has been seriously ill you can understand that you relationship with that child is different from your other children it is not something you think will happen or want to happen but it just happens from hours and hours of waiting, driving and staying in hospitals. Sara is  the kid that I always say I hope you get a kid like you when you grow up but I mean it in a good way she helps me all the time. She makes me think maybe just maybe I am not the worst parent in the world. She does kind acts of service ie cleaning the kitchen, reading to younger siblings....

2 - Annie is so beautiful that she scares me, she holds tremendous power over people. She has a will of iron and I pray a lot that she uses her powers for good and not evil. When Annie likes me she really likes me and when she doesn't I try to remember that I am the adult. She loves animals of all kinds and is a true farm girl.  She hurts more than any of my other children, I mean her emotions are very strong she is either absolutely delightful or  well .... She keeps us on our toes and I cannot imagine life without her.

1 - Maggie the baby not in the way where she gets or wants everything but in the way that people dote on her. It might have to do with the red hair but she just has a fairy princess, polite, and grown up air about her. She can play with Annie, Sara and Ryan all in the same moment, she is remarkable independent and still lets me snuggle her even though she is four.

6 great things in my life....

6 - Ward Christmas parties.

5 - Getting your excercise in first thing in the morning.

4 - School Christmas plays.

3 - Snuggling little people.

2 - Being tired when you go to sleep.

1 - Memory foam matress.

xoxo

Barb

7 great things in my life...

7 things that I love about  my girlfriends... You know who you are!

7 - Road trips

6 - Running

5 - Walking

4 - Volleyball

3 - Tearful phone calls

2 - Moive nights

1 - Honesty

I absolutely cherish you thank you for your friendship.
xoxo
Barb

8 great things in my life...

 Today 8 Scriptures I would like to share with the families that have lost their loved ones in Connecticut. 

8 - Alma 40: 11 -  Now, concerning the ^astate of the soul between ^bdeath and the resurrection—Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are ^ctaken ^dhome to that God who gave them life.

7 - Moroni 8: 10 - 12  -  Behold I say unto you that this thing shall ye teach—repentance and baptism unto those who are ^aaccountable and capable of committing sin; yea, teach parents that they must repent and be baptized, and humble themselves as their little^bchildren, and they shall all be saved with their little children. And their little ^achildren need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the ^bremission of sins. But little ^achildren are alive in Christ, even from the foundation of the world; if not so, God is a partial God, and also a changeable God, and a ^brespecter to persons; for how many little children have died without baptism!

6 - 1 Corinthians 15:22 - For as in ^aAdam all ^bdie, even so in ^cChrist shall all be made^dalive.

5 - Alma 40: 23 - The ^asoul shall be ^brestored to the ^cbody, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a ^dhair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and ^eperfect frame.

4 - Isaiah 25:8 - He will swallow up ^adeath in ^bvictory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces;... 

3 - Matthew 28:6 - He is not here: for he is ^arisen, as he said. Come, see the place where the ^bLord lay.

2 - D&C 121:7-8 -  My son, ^apeace be unto thy soul; thine ^badversity and thine afflictions shall be but a ^csmall moment; And then, if thou ^aendure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy ^bfoes.

1  - 1Nephi 11:16-17 - And he said unto me: Knowest thou the ^acondescension of God? And I said unto him: I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you. I know that these scriptures are true and that they can and will offer some measure of peace for you. 
xoxo
Barb

9 great things in my life....

Favourite Christmas Carol

9 - Oh Holy Night bucket list item to sing this in front of someone someday

8 - Carol of the Bells (oh can't you hear it la la la dum dum didy dum) it makes me want to dance.

7 - Silent Night simple and beautiful should be sung at night by yourself looking up at the stars.

6 - Oh Little Town of Bethlehem  when I hear this song I can close my eyes and be there.

5 - Angels We have Heard on High (sorry but I love ohohohohohhohohohoh)

4 - I heard the bells on Christmas Day really is there more powerful words than these?
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.” 
3 - Stars were Gleaming Favourite primary tune ever it is so simply, yet beautiful I always remember my mom singing it.

2 - O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, it is almost erie but I love the monk like chatting of it.

1 - What Child is this? or sometimes called Greenleaves this is my Grandma Pilling's favourite Christmas song too. I miss my Grandma it has been over ten years that I have held her wrinkly hands and seen her twinkly smile. There are so so so many conversations I would love to have with her and will someday.
xoxo
Barb

10 great things in my life....

SISTERS

10 - Rita, will always be my older wiser sister one I will always want to a little bit more like. Her acts of service are enumerable.

9 - Stephanie, has all the skills I lack I am convinced together we are the perfect woman.  She will eventually be a million because of the cuteness of her crafts. In heaven we will have adjoining back yards.

8 - Pam, is the sister I shared a room with when I was young and while I  love all my sisters very much there is something special about the sister you grew up with braiding my little ponies hair till 1 in the morning.

7 - Cari, I love my sister Cari she lives across the lake from me and we do share a back yard and it is heaven. Our children will eventually call us mom 1 or mom 2, she is my back up in all things.

6 - Marina, and I have so many of the same interests, she is the baby of the family and was wise enough to learn from all our mistakes.

5 - Jenny, is so beautiful, she is currently in school, I love her testimony, and commitment to her family. I don't like how far away she lives.

4 - Katie, is one of the strongest women I know, she has faced the forces of Hades and stared them down. She after all this still smiles everyday.

3 - Shauna,  is a person you can call at 3 in the morning crying and it would be ok. Her passion for writing and reading ignites mine and I love her for it.

2 - Karen, is superwoman no really she is I marvel at her fortitude, patience, and love for her family. She also is really fun on a road trip.

1 - Jill, I have known Jill since she was 5 it seems amazing now, I love her so much and am so proud of the choices she has made in her life.

0 - Sarah, my darling Sarah. My favourite thing about Sarah is the twinkle in her eye, to meet and see her you would think her a fine woman, but she is something of a rogue and I love her for it.

xoxo
Barb

11 Great things in my life....

BROTHER-IN- LAWS

11 - Brent, he is my running guru, funny, weirdly smart, and a great goal setter.

12 - Wayne, is the best planter of gardens, is always so welcoming in his home, and a great card or board game player.

10 - Shawn, is a great Calgary Flames fan (Sorry but I think my Uncle Randy is the best), a really good son, and the best accountant that I know.

9 - Dan, is the most balanced person I know seriously he can score the three pointer with no time left to win the game, be the lead in a musical, and get bucked off a horse and get back on.

8 - Kim, is one of the busiest men I know. But it is a good kind of busy he is always helping people I was lucky enough to grow up with Kim and always have and always will love him.

7 - Christen - is one of the toughest guys I know. I can't imagine what he lives with every day, he is Captain Moroni personified in my life. I admire him greatly.

6 - Terry, makes me smile all the time because I know he likes me and Terri doesn't talk to just every one but he always talks to me. He is my biking guru, and has knowledge of all things sport related.

5- Steve, he is so smiley, rough and teddy bear soft, incredible patient with his kids and will make an excellent Doctor.

4 - Lane, is almost an exact replica of Jesse so of course I love him, and he also has "mad" wood working skills, and loves draft horses just like me.

3 - Brady's sense of humor is one of favourites you have to be listening and watching to catch it. He knows how to be a true blue friend, and is so great to his wife.

2 - I only have one brother David so I will fit him in here but I love having a brother we have fenced together, played catch, done some naughty things and raced barefoot in the snow to the fence and back every year since I can remember.

1 - I don't really have a lot of girlfriends and truth be known I really like hanging out with boys, and so having so many Brother in laws is a really GREAT THING IN MY LIFE.

xoxo
Barb

12 great things in my life...

I don't know how I messed up with the days but since it is 12-12-12 I am restarting the countdown on 12. Today's theme is 12 Christmas activities I do with my family almost every year.

12 - Put up the tree on November 12.

11 - Put up outdoor Christmas lights this year has been a set back becasue the hail storm in August destroyed many of them but we put what we could and will start collecting them again. I pride myself on being able to see the lights from the highway!!

10 - Make sugar cookies to be eaten with candy cane hot chocolate and delivered to neighbours.

9 - Christmas Eve upwrap PJ's.

8 -  Go Caroling

7 - Drive around and look at Christmas lights.

6 - Watch Christmas Movies

5 - Shop for anonymous gifts (Either for a family or from an angel tree or toys for tots)

4 - We wrap up Christmas Stories and then the kids get to choose one to unwrap and we read one every night. (Totally haven't done yet for this year oh well)

3 - Act out the Nativity

2 - Go sledding (we have our own version if there isn't any snow we pull sleds behind motorbikes on the ice.)

1 - Try to instill and remember that Christ is the Reason for the Season.

What is your favourite Christmas Tradition?
xoxo
Barb

15 great things in my life...

Todays theme is organizations that I love (or if someone gave me $1 million dollars to donate to different charites here are 15 which would get $ 66, 666.67 each)

15 - The Perpetual Education Fund

14 - Mothers Without Borders

13 - Mountain View Parent Council

12 - Help for Hati 

11 - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Missionary Fund

10 - Childrens Miracle Network

 9 - Ronald McDonald House

 8 - Alberta Children's Hospital Foundation

 7 - Kainai Food Bank

6 - St Paul Treatment Centre I believe the only way to keep our town safe is to help people.

5 - Doninican Starfish Foundation 

4 - Ryan G. Salmon Misson/Education Fund

3 - Sara J. Salmon Mission /Education Fund

2 - Annie R. Salmon Mission/Education Fund

1 - Maggie M. Salmon Mission/Education Fund

Ok there are lot's more and the last four are well ... selfish but they really are good Charities.
xoxo
Barb

16 great things in my life....

 Today's theme SALADS. Here are 16 things I love to put in a salad

16 - Iceberg lettuce (duh)

15 - Red peppers

14 - Orange peppers

13 - Yellow peppers (come on 16 is a lot of things)

12 - Sliced Almonds

11 - Craisins

10 - Celery

 9 - Cumbers

8 - Tomotoes (only at the last minute)

7 - Feta Cheese (Alright you got me any cheese)

6 - Sunflower seeds

5 - Coconut

4 - Avocodes

3 - Cubed chicken

2 - Mangos

1 - Apples

What is your favourite topping on a salad?
xoxo
Barb

17 great things in my life...

Back to themes.  Todays theme is 17 books that should be read to children...

17 - Tale of Despereaux

16 - The  Miraculous  Journey of Edward Toulane

15 - Toys Go Out guaranteed laugh out loud.

14 - Oh the Places You'll Go

13 - Silly Sally

12 - Harry Potter series

11 - Harris and Me

10 - Rascal

9 - Ronald Dahl BFG, James in the Giant Peach, Danny the Champion of the World, Matilda, and Esio Trot but maybe not The Witches too scary.

8 - Skippy Jon Jones (only if you can do a really good spanish accent)

7 - Madeline (In an old house in Paris that was covered in vines, lived twelve little girls in two straight lines ..)

6 - The Henry and Mudge series

5 - Most of all of Jan Brett books but if I had to choose it would be The Hat, The Mitten, and The Umbrella probably my favourite illustrators. 

4 - The Whipping Boy

3 - If your not from the prairie

2 - Robert Munch Come on pretty much all of the them!

1 -  The Grinch