Feeling Quite Blessed and Thankful!

I just want to start off this post by saying that Clark made me feel bad about the last post. He said I might have offended people and so if any of you belong to PETA, I apologize for wanting pigeons to die. But they don't pay my mortgage and I want my house to last and look nice and if it means shooting a couple of birds, so be it.


Well...Thanksgiving came and went much too quickly. But it was sooooooo WONDERFUL! Aside from having to work the night before Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving, it was so nice to catch up with family and share a warm, delicious meal with some of the most important people in my life. Mom and Dad Tobler drove down from Vegas. I had prepared some things the night before: Mom's Thanksgiving Green Jello and Pumpkin Cheesecake and I had purchased most of the major food staples in advance to make cooking on Thanksgiving day very simple. Since I had to rest my old bones in order to prepare for another night of work, Clark and Mom and Dad Tobler prepared the rest of the meal.

Thank you all so much! I loved every bite of everything that was prepared!

Clark prepared his famous mashed potatoes and the green bean casserole. Mom Tobler brought some pre-made homemade rolls, a pumpkin pie, and cooked the turkey to perfection. Then (and I think this was a joint effort) Clark and the parentals determined how to best cook the ham I bought. I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention what else we had but everything was so delicious!

At 8 am on Black Friday I came home from work and went directly to bed. While I was sleeping, Clark and the parentals started doing some much anticipated house work! Shrubs out front were pruned, knobs and pulls were added to cabinets in the kitchen and- since we're cheap and don't want to invest in a new oven yet- Dad Tobler painted our oven to match the rest of the appliances! And all I had to do was wake up in the afternoon and enjoy the work that I didn't have to do. Thanks for all your help Mom and Dad! And Clark, thank you for making sure the pulls were properly aligned. I love you!

Man, do I feel so blessed. I was out on a run Saturday afternoon just counting my blessings- literally. I was thinking how since Thanksgiving dinner I had not felt one once of hunger. Sure, I was still opening the fridge and eating but had I been hungry at all for food? Absolutely not. There was such an abundance I just kept eating. How lucky are we to live in such a prosperous country? Sure there may be a recession and times may not be as good as they were but do we every truly hurt for the essentials? Food, shelter, clothing? I am just so thankful for all of the blessings that Heavenly Father has bestowed upon me. Thankful to have been able to share the holiday with my husband and our parents. Thankful for helping hands and joyful memories. Thankful to be employed and able to provide for my family. Thankful for the free country in which we live.

Ok, that's my two cents. I'll post the pics now.

Everyone working hard. I am proud of myself for not running on Thanksgiving. One day off won't kill me, right?






Clark truly makes some mean mashed potatoes.



Clark bought a screen door...and tied it to the roof of the Lumina :)



Dad Tobler went to town on our shrubs and bushes. Thanks a bunch!





Oh my gosh. These ice scrapers and snow ball thrower are ridiculous. Especially here in AZ and especially if the person who buys one doesn't go up to the mountains.



This was the best copy I had. Mom and Dad Tobler, you better post a different one!



I can't believe how good knobs and pulls can make a kitchen look.



And our lovely now black oven.



I hope all you Toblers are getting serious about the talent show at Christmas. Clark and I plan on performing a mean rendition of....something. We'll think of it soon enough.