Day 25: Play

 I am grateful for the time I get to spend playing,

with my daughters,

with my husband,

with my family.

 Scarlet pounced on Ella. She was not suspecting it!!

Scarlet is big and Ella is small so they're almost the same size now!!

 Scarlet modeling her Shrek mask.

 They love digging in the dirt!!

Don't they know they're girls!? 

Brent was a digger too. I guess it's genetic!!

 Ella stacks up the play dough into a tower and Scarlet knocks them down!!

She thinks it's hilarious!!

Why do I buy them toys again!?

Daddy throws out his back and makes his legs burn pushing little girls around on various plastic vehicles.

It's good for him!!

My brand new nephew Grayson.

He was precious.

He was sweet and cuddly and perfect.

Ella wanted to take him home. 

She was so gentle when she touched his feet.

I let her use the barest tips of her fingers to stroke the hair on the side of his head.

She was properly respectful and quiet at the hospital.

I was very grateful she listened to my instructions (threats) in the elevator!!

I am so very excited for my brother and his new son.

Day 24: Memories

I'm grateful for memories.

For fun times.

When life was easy.

Or when I thought it was hard and I look back and realize how good I had it!!

 I like to think back on the fun times of cheer and high school.

When life was about playing and falling in love.

That is not a time of my life I'd like to repeat, but it was fun while I was there!!

 My favorite memories are of my childhood.

My grandparents were alive and healthy.

I loved school.

My siblings were my best friends.

Every occasion was exciting.

Holidays were magic.

 I love to remember my girls being so little!! This is Ella at about 18 months.

I forgot she used to be so much more blond!!

But this picture was taken in about September so she was fresh off of the summer sun!!

 Scarlet at about 7 weeks old.

He hair line was so bad!!

And she was quiet!!

Her poor eyes kept that translucent, purple look for months!!

 Playing dress up with my brother and sister.

 My Aunt Jeanette sent me this Minnie Mouse for my birthday.

I loved her so much she eventually turned gray!!

She had to go EVERYWHERE!!

When she was some how misplaced, my mom had to hunt down a replacement!!

We used to love to play on my dad's 4 wheeler.

Hours of entertainment pretending to go for a ride or an adventure!!

Day 23: Sunday Meetings

Some Sundays I literally cringe at the thought of attending sacrament meeting. 

The thought of trying to keep my children quiet for over an hour is just asking the impossible!!

But this Sunday was wonderful. 

Scarlet and Ella sat mostly quiet and colored or played with their lace up animals.

No one threw a fit!!

We sat all the way to the front, just the 2nd row back!! I thought this was the best choice as it was this or the hallway, and I was close to an exit!!

A wonderful empty nest couple sat in front of us and were truly patient. When Scarlet had her giant brown puppy nom on the back of his head, he merely smiled indulgently at her and went back to listening.

I actually got to half listen to one of the speakers and she gave a lovely talk.

The music was up lifting.

Hymns speak to me and I am always so happy and excited when the music has the opportunity to sooth my spirit.

Ella wanted to go to primary.

We usually go straight home because Scarlet isn't supposed to be in any kind of play group or day care setting. Her immune system is spotty and it can get her very sick. More so than the average child.

But we didn't have anything else to do and one of her favorite cousins and aunt were in there, so we decided to chance it for a week!!

She did wonderful.

She played nice and had fun and enjoyed herself.

She rarely enjoys noise, people or other children. It was nice that we didn't have stress.

We had an awesome lunch at my parent's house and have been spending the rest of the day quietly playing and watching a Christmas movie. 

It's so nice to have a level of peace and calm once in awhile.

I am grateful for church leaders.

I'm grateful for ANYONE who is willing to have a church calling!!

Anyone who willing serves in the nursery deserves a special place in Heaven!!

Day 22: My Tahoe

She ain't what she used to be!!

She has a lot of miles and needs a few cosmetic things done, that we just don't have the extra money for.

But she has lots of power, plenty of room and a ton of cargo space.

AND she's paid off!! 

I'm especially grateful today of her 4 wheel drive.

All this beautiful rain has made my drive way an indescribable swamp.

The mud is incredible!!

SO SO SO soft and deep.

I have had to use 4 low the last 2 days just to get in and out of the drive way!!

Still won't complain about the beautiful rain though!!

It can get as muddy as it wants!! 

Day 21: Rain

I love the rain.

I try to appreciate the desert.

And from mid-September to early June, I really do!!

I'm grateful I can run any time of year, and that ice is not something I fear.

But June to mid September, I DO NOT.

I hate the extreme heat. I can handle it until it starts getting over 105, then I start to twitch.

 I love winter days where the rain just weeps from the sky for hours, or days.

I love the gray, dreary skies.

I love dripping eaves and wet leaves.

I am grateful for rain and winter. I survived summer!!

Day 18, 19, 20

I got distracted and had stuff going on!!

I admit I forgot about my every day posting!!

Day 18

I am grateful for fitness!!

I am currently doing Insanity twice a week.

Holy crap is it tough!!

But I'm grateful for a body that is willing to try!!

Even if Shaun T is asking way too much of me!!

I put this picture in the middle because it is of fitness and friends!!

Day 19

I'm grateful for friends.

The good ones.

Not the ones who only come around when they want something.

The ones who care about me and listen to me.

I'm grateful for compassion of kind people.

Day 20

I want to say it again.

I am grateful for my family.

My brother had his first child yesterday.

When I hugged him at the hospital today, I looked at him and thought,

"You are still 17 in my mind. How can you have a child?! You're not old enough!"

But he does!!

A beautiful, healthy son.

I love my own daughters so much.

I love Brent and appreciate him every day.

Day 17: Me

I am grateful for the spirit my Father in Heaven gave me.

There are plenty of things I am NOT.

I am NOT:

Patient

Tolerant of stupidity

Easy going. AT ALL.

Secure

My body and I have a love/hate relationship.

I have a temper which I will not hold back if I feel like it has the right to show itself. If I am angry there is a good reason. I have to be pushed REAL hard to let that sucker out!!

But there are a few things I can say about myself.

I feel like I have grown into a loving, generous person.

I feel comfortable calling myself intelligent and loyal.

I am self aware.

I am forgiving. 

The above mentioned insecurity would like to say, "At least, I think I am."

Day 16: Time

Today I am grateful for time.

Time spent with family.

Time playing with my children.

Times Brent gets to sit next to me in church.

Time spent in prayer.

A couple days a week I work out with a few of my friends at the church. Sometimes I like to go sit in the chapel and just think and contemplate. I feel peace in the silence and the time spent reflecting on my life. 

I'm grateful for the time Brent takes to give me and his girls attention. 

Day 15: My Feet

Now it may seem like this is an odd thing to be grateful for.

But I rolled my foot yesterday.

While it is fine and no lasting damage was made, it's very sore today.

It has some mild restricted movement and every time I move I'm reminded it's a little compromised.

It is reminding me what life would be like with out it.

 I am grateful for the gift of being able to walk.

I can walk, dance, run.

Chase my children.

I'm grateful I am relatively healthy!

Day 14: Peace

I'm grateful for a peaceful home.

I'm grateful I live in harmony with my family.

Yes, we disagree.

Yes, we argue.

But in the end there is a peaceful love between us all.

I am grateful for friends who share that peace.

They build me up and support me.

That list includes family members who I trust and cherish.

I am grateful for the peace of the sunrise.

I love to watch the mountains become drenched in pink and the day begin.

I thankful for the stillness of a full moon night.

I am grateful for the peace of my children's sleeping faces.

I hold them in my arms and see their relaxed faces, and I pray with all my might that they know how much I love them.

I am grateful for the peace I feel when I run.

The cold wind stings my face.

I am left with only the sound of my beating heart and my heavy breath.

I am grateful for the peace my Heavenly Father can envelope my heart with when it is filled with anguish.

Day 13: Humor

Ella and I have many interesting comments through out the day. Some of them make me cry with laughter. My most recent, favorite conversation.

I was telling Brent and Ella about the parakeet I had as a child. I was too young to have such a fussy pet and did NOT appreciate its 5 am singing. It got beak rot, but my family wasn't in a place to spend money on the expensive bills to cure the poor bird. One day my mom decided to paint my room. She shut the door to keep the fumes out of the living areas of the house, and did not think to remove my beloved bird. Sadly, he died from the fumes!!
I was candidly telling the tale and asked Ella and Brent if we should have another bird. (Obviously I came to my senses 5 SECONDS later.) Ella quickly jumped on board with the idea.

Me: Should we get a pretty tweety bird? Like a blue one or a white one?
Ella: Hmmmm.... How about a HAWK!!
Me: *face palm* Such a savage child. Hawks are too big. They eat small animals not bird seed.
Ella: We can catch mice for it!!
Me: No sweetie. What about a song bird?
Ella: What about an eagle!!
Me: Eagles are even bigger than hawks!! It would eat Molly!!
Ella: *laughing* She's too fat!!.........Ok, a turkey!! Then we can eat it!!!

My daughter, the warm hearted animal lover.

Brent has a sense of humor that always makes me laugh. He passed that to our children. It's a good thing too because I tend to be more serious!!

Day 12: The Gospel

I am grateful I am a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I am grateful for my ancestors who had to journey out to this desert to build up the church.

I'm grateful for the principles of the gospel that guide me. They answer the deep question of why I am here, and where I am going. 

I am grateful for the plan of salvation and for eternal families.

I am grateful for prayer. It is deeply comforting to know I can talk to my Father in Heaven whenever I need or want to.

I am grateful for the priesthood and that my husband holds it worthily.

I am grateful for my Savior.

For his sacrifice and Atonement.

Day 11: Nature

I am grateful for the beauty of the earth. 

My favorite season is Fall.

I feel like I survived the prison of summer and have become free!! 

 I love the rain.

 I love God's creations.

I love animals and birds.

I love the silence and calm of the out doors.

My wild spirit calls to nature.

One day when the girls are older we will do more in depth perusals of it!!

Day 10: My Freedom

I am grateful for the country I live in and the freedoms I enjoy.

I am grateful for those who selflessly serve. 

I am grateful for the families that send their sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers or sisters off to war.

My cousin sends her husband out to fight on a regular basis and is so strong.

She is always positive and I've never heard her complain.

I would be lonely and pitiful if Brent didn't come home every night.

I revere the women out there who fall asleep with out their husband as he is in a foreign country, where there is a very high probability those citizens hate him. 

I know this country was set apart as a chosen place for the gospel to be restored.

I am grateful to be here.

God bless america.

Day 9: Sleep

I am not a sleeper. I need about 6 hours a night and that's good enough. 

I don't really need naps and rarely take them.

BUT, I am also an insomniac. There are nights I will literally never fall asleep.

I will merely doze off for a few minutes at a time and then get up again.

Sometimes I will only get 45 minutes of sleep all added together.

It leads to a very tiring day the next day.

Usually those are the days Scarlet decides not to nap or I have something important to do and I'm not able to try to make up the rest.

So today I am grateful for sleep.

Ella did not sleep until she was a year and I FORCED her to!!

Now she does very well!!

I am grateful that she responded to the training!!

I'm grateful Scarlet has been a good sleeper since she came home to us. 

That is a wonderful blessing!!

Day 8: My Morning Walk

Every morning for almost 2 years my mom and I have gone for a walk.

It is the favorite part of my day!! The air is cool.

The day is fresh.

It invigorates me and gets my juices flowing .

 My girls LOVE it!!

They sing little songs and love to spot quail, rabbits and the occasional peacock.

 And don't let the term "walk" fool you!!

This is no casual saunter down the street!! 

My mom doesn't think it's worth our time unless we're half running!!

This is one of Ella and Scarlet's favorite parts. Our neighbor's houses. 

This street is so beautiful. It never gets old walking around it. 

Day 7: Brent's Family

I'm grateful that my husband comes from a good family.

I always wanted more bothers and sisters and when I married him I got 5!!

This is an old picture and doesn't even show the spouses or all the children!!

And the pictures with the children still do not show the 5 that have came along since!!

I'm grateful that he was raised in a righteous, respectful home.

I love to sit and listen to him, his brothers and dad all start "debating" something!! 

Personally I think they are too polite and do not properly shout at one another!!

But the discussions and comparisons used are hilarious!!

Cause everyone who knows Mr. Bowler, knows he can tell a story!!

Day 6: My Family

I love all of my Aunts and Uncles.

They are giving, loving people. 

 I feel like each of them has taught me a valuable lesson for life.

I have cousins I consider friends.

I had amazing grandparents that unconditionally loved me.

This picture is of my cousin after he had returned home from his mission in Argentina.

He's not super affectionate and when we sat down to take the picture, my sister and I couldn't help pouncing on him!!

You can tell how much he liked it.

This is one of my favorite pictures because it was before digital cameras where you can capture a perfect moment.

And it is one of the few photos in existence of  this particular cousin SMILING!!

He is the oldest son of one of the Aunts I am most fond of!!

Grandpa and Grandma Leavitt.

I miss these two people every day.

They were genuine, loyal, loving people.

Grandma Pauline and Grandpa George.

I am not as close to my dad's parents as my mother's,

but they taught me the importance of honesty and selflessness.

Day 5: My Brother and Sister

 I am grateful for supportive, kind siblings.

I love them very much.

I'm grateful that we are friends as well as family.

I love their spouses, who have become like a brother and a sister.

I love their children. They are like a little extra part I get to also love.

 My little brother.

My big  elder sister.

Day 4: My Parents

I am very grateful that I was born to goodly parents.

I am grateful that they raised me to be respectful, honest and kind.

I'm grateful we live close.

I am so glad my children have them.

Day 3: My Cat

Molly is apart of our family.

I love it when she sleeps on me when I'm trying to read.

I like to share my blanket with her when it's cold.

I like that she plays with my kids.

If the blanket in the picture is unfolded and unguarded too long, 

she will be laying on it in a matter of seconds!!

I love cats.

Even ungrateful, moody ones.

Like Molly!!

Day 2: My Daughters

I love my little girls. 

 I love their laughter.

 I am so happy they like each other and will play together.

Ella still calls Scarlet "our baby".

 They are sweet and kind.

They are smart and funny.

I am so grateful to be a mother to my two children..

They are very challenging, but the days I see all the hard work pay off it is very rewarding!!

Day 1: Brent

I am grateful that Brent is my eternal companion. 

He is a good man with extraordinary patience and long suffering. 

He is a wonderful father.

He does an excellent job at providing for our family and I'm very proud of the work he does. 

He is supportive.

He is our calm among the storm.

And I think he's pretty cute!! :)

I love him very much. 

Halloween

We started off our week by going to the pumpkin patch with Ella's class.

 She told me she wanted to find the tiniest one!!

I think if she didn't succeed she came pretty close!!

I was an awful windy day, but we did it!!

 These are the 2 little girls I was in charge of.

They did awesome!!

No one got ran over or lost!!

 Ella and I decided a couple of months ago that the girls would be black kitty cats for Halloween.

I enjoy making the costumes, even if the ears came out a little too big!!

Scarlet doesn't quite have an opinion on what she gets to be yet!!

 Blessed of all days, Scarlet finally found something she likes!!

She hates crowds, people, parties, people.

I was worried she would NOT enjoy trick or treating but she LOVED it!!

 She would tell them trick or treat, meow for them, and then say thank you!!

Very happy for her!!

 Brent's pumpkin and Ella's pumpkin.

She picked it, cleaned it, drew its face AND carved it!!

There was a little bit of help with the carving. I had to help her use the little carving saws.

 I made a kitty pumpkin, as per tradition, and Scarlet's is supposed to be a girl.

She did NOT enjoy pumpkin carving and could NOT be persuaded to stick her hand inside!!

When I told Ella we needed to clean out their guts, she told me,

"Oh mommy, that's a yucky word. Let's say seeds and goo instead."

My big kitty. Her ears fit her a little better but still kind of on the large side!!

I rarely brag about my children. I find it in bad taste. But I think it's only fair to take a moment to be well pleased with Ella. She is doing fantastic in school!! I had a glowing parent teacher conference with her teacher last week. I LOVE her teacher!! I am so happy that she is doing well and that she looks forward to school every day. She is very sweet and has a tender heart. I feel like her teacher has really nurtured that in her.

We are now moving toward thanksgiving!! Yay!! One of my favorite times!!