What We Were Up To In January

What a month January has been!  It started with a wonderful trip to Texas!  For my Christmas present my family sent me to Texas where my mom's side of the family lives.  I had been really missing them and bummed that they hadn't met Suzy who is named after their sister, so I thought it'd be awesome to take her down to meet them.  They were all super excited too!  We all met at a hotel in San Antonio.  We had a great time mostly just hanging out with each other.  I loved getting to know my younger cousins better, they have grown up so much while I wasn't watching!  We also went to the River Walk.  It's beautiful, but I'm never going back on a Saturday night ever again!  It was crazy busy!  My favorite part, though, was playing a simple game called "if/then" with the group... we ended up laughing until tears come!  I know my mom was there with us laughing too, and full of joy that we were all together doing exactly what she'd be doing if she was here!

On January 14th my cousins Steven Young (well he's Todd's cousin too, but we won't get into that complicatedness) got married to a sweetheart named Gabbi!  First of all, I LOVED her dress!  And my second favorite part of their wedding was the "kids table", it kept my kiddos entertained pretty much the whole time!  I did a photo booth for them too.  I really enjoy doing that, and would love to have a real set up for it someday!  I'm very happy for this cute couple!

The week following that I took Suzy in for a fever she had had for six days.  I kept thinking it had to be just teething because she didn't have any other symptoms... but I was wrong.  After a couple tests they found out that she had Kawasaki Disease, inflammation and swelling of the blood vessels.  They admitted her to the hospital for an IVIG (basically antibodies into the vein through IV).  That was not fun.  They did an EKG the next morning, it showed a healthy heart so no damage was caused by the disease.  We still have one more blood test to go before they've declared her officially over it, but once she is the doc says he's never seen it come back!

It was an insanely busy month.  My Januarys are usually the quietest month of the whole year, so hopefully this isn't going to be the tone for the whole year!  But I'm excited for this year... Todd's general contracting business is progressing steadily!  Liv will be turning 8 and getting baptized in July!  Gary boy will start first grade and be in school all day!  Suzy turns one :P but that means all sorts of milestones for her!  And in March we'll be relaxing with the Young family in the Carribean on a cruiseliner!  Plus, all the things we don't know are coming (all good of course, no more hospital stays!)  Bring it on 2012!

Month of Gratitude - Day 30

I am grateful for gifts of all kinds.  I am grateful for the gifts you give and receive. I am grateful for gifts that are talents.  I am grateful to be able to share.  These are "football" (aka soccer) jersey Nate's sent to us for birthday presents.  This is what I love about a gift... it is thoughtful and unselfish.  It's whole purpose is to serve another.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this month of gratitude, and now I am ready to act on those things.  I am excited to share with others through my talents and other well thought out gifts how much I love those I am grateful for!

Month of Gratitude - Day 29

I am MORE than grateful for my mom!  She was/is a great example of a Christlike woman!  She raised us kids to be creative, to get good grades, to do what was asked of us.  She was kind.  She led by example.  She is my best friend!  I am even more grateful for Heavenly Father's plan that families can be eternal, because I am looking forward to crocheting by her side for the rest of eternity!

Month of Gratitude - Day 28

I am grateful for my brothers!  They are both serving LDS missions right now, and I am grateful for missionary work too!  I'm very proud of them and so happy that we are all great friends!  I am grateful for Linda's daughters, too, who are now my sisters!  And I am grateful for Todd's brothers and sister, also.  Siblings are amazing.  I am so grateful that we have these built-in friends!

Month of Gratitude - Day 27

I am very grateful for my dad's wife Linda.  She is incredibly talented, kind, and thoughtful!  She includes my family and brothers as if they were her own.  I am very grateful that my dad found such a wonderful person to share his life with!

Month of Gratitude - Day 26

I am grateful for traditions!  Since I was four-ish my dad has held season tickets to the Utah State University Aggie football games!  We went to their home games whether it was sunny, rainy, or snowing.  I am grateful for all the memories I have of these games.  So every now and then I get the chance to take my kiddos to a game, which we did today.  As I was watching my sweet Liv endure the cold I remembered being in her shoes.  I had no idea why we were torturing ourselves to watch this game, and that was when I started asking my dad about football.  "What's a down" "What do you mean, 'holding'"  "How can you even tell the difference!?" and so on.  I get so excited when I get to share this tradition with my kids, and I'm excited to see what traditions of our own we create and the kids will cherish!

Month of Gratitude - Day 25

I am grateful for outings with my kids.  They don't have to be fancy, just something special.  I'm grateful that even simple things can please my them!

Month of Gratitude - Day 23

I am grateful for my aunts and uncles!  They have each played a part in raising me through their examples and advice.  Plus, they are all hilarious!

Month of Gratitude - Day 22

I am very grateful for our van!  I never thought I'd be a minivan owner, and now I couldn't be happier to have one in the driveway!  This vehicle has taken a lot of stress out of my life, thank heaven!

Month of Gratitude - Day 21

I am grateful for Heritage Makers.  It is the company through which I am able to digitally make beautiful books.  These books are my family's history.  They do so much more than just put pictures on a page... they record memories that I NEVER want to loose!

If you want to learn more contact me or go to www.heritagemakers.com/tamiyoung

Month of Gratitude - Day 20

I am grateful for my eyes.  I complain about them sometimes because I can't seem to get the right prescription to see clearly, but I'm grateful that I can see!  I can't imagine not seeing Liv dance, are the smile in Suzy's eyes, or watch the actions Gary makes his toys do when his imagination is at work.  I am so grateful to have eyes so that I might see the beauty all around me!

Month of Gratitude - Day 19

I am grateful for baking! I am not good at cooking, at all, but I love to bake! It makes good yummieness that I can share with others!

Month of Gratitude - Day 18

I am grateful for dance sessions in the kitchen with my kiddos!

Month of Gratitude - Day 17

I am VERY grateful for my camera!  It is part of me!  I don't know what I'd do without the ability to freeze a moment in time!  (btw, this picture was taken/posted by my aunt Kris... it's kind of fun to see me in action!)

Month of Gratitude - Day 16

I am incredibly grateful for my grandparents!  Gma Norma, Gpa Monty, Gma Betty, Gma Alma Young, Gma & Gpa Dodge, and Gma & Gpa Sudweeks!  They all set amazing examples and have heavily influenced my life!  I love this picture of Gma & Gpa M because it brings back a fond memory I have of dancing with Gpa in their living room when I was in high school.  They were teaching me how to swing dance, and I remember thinking it was the coolest thing that my grandparents still danced together!

Month of Gratitude - Day 15

If it wasn't for the necessity of water from winter I would say I wasn't grateful for winter. I don't like winter. But what I have fallen in love with is fall! I am grateful for the beautiful way that winter is welcomed in, it makes it a little bit worth the cold!

Month of Gratitude - Day 14

I am grateful for clean floors.  It is my goal to once a week vacuum and mop the floors.  But it never fails that within a half hour of doing any clean up the floors are cluttered with toys again.  But I realized something this weekend... one day my kiddos will be gone and I will have clean floors pretty much all the time.  So today I am grateful for cluttered floors, because it means my house is filled with children!

Month of Gratitude - Day 13

I am grateful for Jesus Christ.  I am grateful for His example, His love, His atonement, His sacrifice, and His resurrection.  I am grateful to have His spirit with me.  I am grateful to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and to have the gospel as part of my every day life!  I am grateful to have an eternal family!  I am excited to some day be able to be with Him again and thank Him personally for all He did for me!

Month of Gratitude - Day 12

I am grateful for spiritual uplifts!  Today I went to Time Out for Women, I loved having my cup refilled and getting to know friends better and even making new friends!  Every one of us is busy, it's good to have a time out!

Month of Gratitude - Day 11

I am incredibly grateful for my dad!  For one, he never killed me!  Not after the several car accidents, the late night with boyfriends, my stubbornness, independence, and so on!  He is supportive of the things I do.  He loves my kiddos very much.  It's fun to watch him play with them, it reminds me of the fun I've had with him!  Love you, Daddy!