Gratitude

The month of November always gives me time to reflect on the many things that I'm thankful for; this year was no different.  On this last day of November, as we head into the month of December, I am especially grateful for Christ, His birth, His life, and His Atonement.  Every year my gratitude for the Savior strengthens through the experiences and challenges which I am to endure on this journey of life.  It is because of Him that I'm able to push forward a better, stronger person.

Last November I was so grateful for the miracles of health and healing, and this year I continue to be ever grateful for those miracles.  I'm grateful for work, to be able to work and for good honest company's that I have a chance to be a part of.  I'm grateful to be able to travel and to see Heavenly Father's beautiful creations.  I'm grateful for my body that continues to heal, that it can bounce back from all it went through and that I'm able to work out as hard as I do at the gym.  I'm grateful the neuropathy due to the chemo is much improved.  I'm grateful for my family, the relationships we have with each other and the love that we share even more-so because of the trials that we have experienced together. I'm grateful that my testimony has never wavered, for the knowledge I have of the gospel and that I stand firmly planted in my faith.  I'm grateful for answers to prayers, even if they may take four years to be answered.  I'm grateful for the people the Lord puts in our paths to bring about answers to prayers, even if they have to bring about heartbreak and tears.  I'm grateful for the healing of a broken heart, which comes only through time, the gift of the atonement and more answered prayers.

I'm grateful for a bright future ahead of me, for the excitement of new chapters in life.  I'm grateful for happiness, for hope, for faith, for the support of loved ones and for light.  I love the following quotes on gratitude:

"May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father.  If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues."  -Thomas S. Monson

"When we give thanks in all things, we see hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose of life.  We are sent here to be tested.  There must be opposition in all things.  We are meant to learn and grow through that opposition, through meeting our challenges, and through teaching others to do the same." -Dallin H. Oaks

"I have found that, rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including seemingly small, sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness."  -Thomas S. Monson

Birthday and Thanksgiving FF

1.  Saturday when I arrived in Boise I had lunch with my sister-in-law Danielle, my friend Kaycee and my parents.  It was a fun time and always so good to catch up!
2.  Of course since I usually works Saturdays and can't watch football, I had to come home to enjoy me some college football.  I don't know why I love it so much but I do and I don't even care much whose playing.  I of course love to watch BSU play and win, which they did!
3.  I spent sometime with my parents, aunts, uncles and Grandpa Saturday evening and then had USwirl with Alisha and mom where we were able to fill our cups for $4.  Mom got me a cute apron and angle Christmas tree ornament.  I got a cute letter in the mail from Aidree and Bridget that totally made my day.

4.  Sunday I had a lovely visit with Grandma Betty and Grandpa Randy and the kids came over to have Birthday cake.
5.  Monday and Tuesday I had lunch with friends and also went to a movie both evenings with Alisha. We saw Meet The Mormons and Best of Me.  They were both good, I bought the soundtrack to Best of Me a few weeks ago which I am loving.
6.  Wednesday we spent the day in the kitchen cooking, dancing and eating!  I love the day before Thanksgiving.  Tony even dances with a broom.

7.  Wednesday night the kids all came over for Spaghetti dinner and the boys compared their facial hair for no shave November.  My brothers are kind of weird!

Stella and Kaison are sot stinking cute!

Mom the photobomber.

8.  Thanksgiving day was relaxing and warm here, in fact it has been near 60 every day here in Idaho, which isn't typical, but we will take it.  We did our own Turkey Trot in the morning so that we wouldn't feel so bad eating all of our delicious food.  Mom always has cute table decorations and the kids love the only time we have a jump house in the backyard.

9.  This morning I got a great deal on an Ipod mini (and we didn't even leave the house until 930) which I use when I work out.  Mine has pretty much died.  I love a good sale.  It was 170 at the Apple Store, 140 at Costco and 120 at Bestbuy.
10.  I'm on the third book of Big Stone Gap series.  It's really good and I'm so glad they have it on ebooks through my favorite Oak Bluffs Library.
11.  My nieces and nephews are so cute.  Stella and Grandpa call each other chicken hawk.  It's so funny.  This morning I ran into Stella and Becky at Fred Myers.  My dad called to see wear I was and I let Stella answer.  She say's "Hi grandpa, I'm shopping."  And then I hear her say, "no I'm not chicken hawk, your chicken hawk."  Two year olds are so much fun!  I would definitely consider adopting one someday!

Things I Love Right Now

I am so in love Garth Brooks new song Mom.  I'm so grateful for my mom and all she has taught me.  I told Aunt Leslie that it would make her cry.  She said nothing makes her cry, except of course this song.

I hope that I exemplify all 50 of these attributes of an amazing woman and am ever grateful for all of the women in my life who do.

This is my all time favorite go-to chicken recipe.  I omit the oil though.  Bake it, grill it, enjoy it!

I enjoy scenes everyday from Martha's Vineyard even without being there, because of these talented photographers of vineyard colors and so can you!

Last weekend, Tristen recommended the first book of the series Big Stone Gap which I read this past week. It was a fun read.  I'm looking forward to the next 2 books.  I really can't wait to see the movie.  Ashley Judd is one of my most favorite actresses and I love anything vintage!

I read Richard Paul Evans new book Mistletoe Promise in less than 24 hours.  Such a beautiful and fun book!

I love wearing my Lucky Jeans and am so glad this year to be able to wear and button my jeans.  Yesterday I took the tags off of a new pair that I had bought just a few weeks before my Ovarian Cancer Diagnosis.  Oh, the things you take for granted.

Before I went back to work after having Ovarian Cancer, some friends got me the perfume Sensuous  which I love.  If you are looking for a new scent, this one's for you.

Brook Whites music video Something Divine is so beautiful!

Orange Cranberry Sauce

I love this recipe.  I make it every Thanksgiving.  I think my favorite part of making this recipe is hearing the pop of the fresh cranberries.  Most people don't eat cranberry sauce, but I do!  I especially love it the next day on a turkey sandwich.  This isn't my recipe, but of course I have to add my touch of vanilla to make it even better.  I half this recipe and I grade the orange zest.  The other dish I also make is Pams Pomegranate Salad. So delicious!  You know where I'll be and what I'll be doing tomorrow; in my momma's kitchen of course!

Ingredients
2 (8-ounce) packages cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 orange, zest cut into strips and juiced
1/2 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
*1 cap of vanilla
Directions
Put all the ingredients into a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the cranberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature or cool and refrigerate. Remove the cinnamon stick before serving.

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Final Decision FF

1.  Last Friday I met up with my friends the Sondrups at Liberty Market where we had lunch on the patio in NOVEMBER.  It was such fun.  I really enjoy spending time with these great friends of mine and of course I love me a delicious Cuban sandwich.
2.  Allegiant Airlines didn't disappoint.  I loved how small the Mesa airport is, how easy it was to go through security and how easy parking was.  I will definitely be flying this airline often, especially because it will be close once I find a home close by.
3.  Speaking of which...I accepted a job in Casa Grande, AZ at an Urgent Care, working for EMP the company I worked for in the ER in Charlotte.  This is a fabulous physician owned company, with wonderful benefits!  I am excited to work 9, 12 hour shifts a month; 108 hours a month is considered full time. I won't however start working until late February or early March because it takes that long to get credentialed.  Oh the joys of paperwork in medicine (something they don't tell you about when you are in school.)  I'm so happy to have finally made this decision after 3 months of thinking and praying for the right opportunity.  Casa Grande is between Phoenix and Tucson.  I will live on the outskirts of Phoenix.  I got the sweetest email from a friend last week that helped me more than she will ever know she said, quoting my friend Laurens husbands talk that I actually remember, "'I don't think there are any WRONG decisions when you are trying to do what will bring you closer to the Lord'. Both of his choices were GOOD choices. There wasn't a WRONG choice. Whew! I guess my point is, I think we're going to meet the Lord and realize that things weren't as complicated as we thought. As long as you are trying to be closer to the Lord, there are no wrong decisions. Different paths on how to get there, maybe. When you make your decision, don't look back. Don't second guess yourself."
4.  When I was in SLC on Monday I interviewed for an amazing job, doing both medicine and health promotion (using my undergrad degree and grad degree).  But I would have had to work 5 days a week, which I didn't want to do.  However they have 2 clinics in Phoenix and opening another one this Spring.  After speaking with them this week I will have the opportunity to work some with this company in Phoenix as well.  I'm excited to see what the future holds with my career!
5.  Friday mom, Tenielle, Tristen, Aidree, Bridget and I went to Disney on Ice.  It was fun to watch Aidree and Bridget be entertained by their favorite Disney Characters.
6.  Saturday morning we had pedicures and then took Tanners girlfriend Kayla dress shopping for her big day.  We then had dinner as a family.  When I say big day for Kayla it means she got baptized.  And the sweetest thing was that Tanner got to baptize her.  The service was beautiful.  My dad spoke, her cousin and her bishop.  I loved her bishops talk about how he believed there really weren't coincidences in life, but that Heavenly Father puts people and experiences in our lives for a reason.  (pictures to come).
7.  Sunday services were wonderful and so was Kaylas confirmation performed by my dad.  The high councilman and his wife spoke on marriage and family.  I loved the story Fanny's Dream that the high councilman told. It gave me hope in finding a good man.
8.  After church we visited our friends who have 6 week old twins and I had a lovely chat with my dear friend Jenny!  We are already planning our next vacation!
9.  Monday I stopped by and saw my friends Jaime and Kristen before I flew back to Phoenix.  I sure love my friends!
10.  Tomorrow I will fly home for my birthday and Thanksgiving for a whole week!  Oh how I love a break from work and to relax at home!
11.  Today is my Grandma Youngs Birthday.  She would have been 89 today.  I miss her cherry filled Christmas cookies!

Goodbye Mr. J

Yes,  it has been several months since you have heard about Mr. J for good reason.  I'm sure you have figured out that Mr. J and I haven't been together now for 3 months.  It hasn't been the easiest 3 months for me, however I finally feel like I am moving on and back to my normal routine of life without him.  I've never experienced so much love and so much hurt from one person.  But the bottom line is that Mr. J and I are on 2 different spiritual levels.  I don't know if he thought he could be who I wanted him to be, if he decided he didn't want to be the person he let me think he was or what really happened, but things changed in a matter of 1 week and not because of me.  I've discovered that Mr. J has major communication issues when it comes to communicating any sort of problem or concern and that he is a quitter.  We all know I'm far from being a quitter.  I will fight tooth and nail before ever giving up on anything.  We never had an argument or disagreement.  I've also discovered that Mr. J has a problem with being honest and not just with me.  My biggest pet peeve, besides cupboard doors and drawers being left open, is when someone isn't completely honest with me.  There have never been any harsh words between us, even though sometimes I would have liked to say what was on my mind.  I have learned in my life that it isn't worth it to say hurtful things and so I choose to put on a happy face and keep my thoughts to myself.  I harbor no ill feelings towards him and have forgiven him, because really it only hurts me if I don't forgive.  

I've wondered why Mr. J had to come into my life at the time he did.  I've been through so much over the past few years and likely cried as many tears over him as I did when diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer.  But the Lord see's the bigger picture.  Tanner needed rescued this past Summer and Mr. J was the one who was able to rescue him.  It is because of this, that Tanner his given up some bad habits and returned to church.  Because of this wonderful thing that has come about, I would dare say that I'd do it all over again.

I see Mr. J and his little A's at church.  I love hugging those sweet kids and am sad for them that I'm not in their lives, they have got to be so confused.  Because of Mr. J's guilt he has a hard time talking with me or even looking me in the eye, even though I have no problem chatting with him.  I'm sad that he has made some bad choices and hope that he comes around to making better choices in the future.  

Tanner paid me the greatest compliment when he told my mom, "Terah has shown that she can love anyone, no matter their baggage (and let me tell you, Mr. J had more baggage than anyone I've ever dated).  She can over-look their baggage and love them regardless, but she deserves much better."  Even Mr. J told me that I deserved someone better than him, which I am glad he realized, before it was too late.

I'm disappointed that things didn't work out between us.  I had so much fun with Mr. J and his little A's, made some great memories and learned that I can love 3 people regardless of their baggage.  I'm confident that there is someone better for me, who I will be happier with and who is on my same spiritual level.

It's a 80 Degree November FF!

1.  I am so loving the fact that it's the middle of November and its still in the 80's here.  It makes me really want to take the job here!  I don't care that it gets close to 120 in the Summer, at least it isn't snowing here.  Still trying to decide...
2.  Raspberries have been super cheap here which means I have been eating them every night!  I would say that if I could choose only 1 fruit to eat for the rest of my life it would be raspberries!
3.  We had dinner at Laura's on Sunday and celebrated her cute daughters 7th birthday.  It has been so much fun to spend time with my cousins and their darling kids.  Did you know I have 43 first cousins on my dads side and 8 cousins on my mom's side.  When I was a kid (and even now) we use to all gather at our grandparents on Sundays.  I'm grateful for my cousins and the memories and relationships I have with them.

4.  I had some major retail therapy at Talbots on Saturday.  I love a good sale!
5.  I'm going to SLC today for a very quick, spur of the moment trip.  I love that 3 days ago I got a plane ticket for 112 round trip on Allegiant Airlines.  We shall see how this works...Cheap is kind of scary, but better than over 600 on Delta.
6.  Aunt Leslie made her famous crustless pumpkin pie last week. Oh yum!  What a great thing to come home to at night!  And to think it's healthy!  Thanks to her I'll share the recipe:

2 eggs
3 slices of bread she uses her homemade wheat bread
2 cups or 1/2 can pumpkin
1 can fat free evaporated milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

She say's the key is not to let this get too done.  Bake 350 for 30 minutes or until the knife comes out a little bit wet.
7.  I'm still waiting on the grapefruit to hurry up and ripen.  I had one the other day, but it wasn't quite done.  Soon though, very soon!

Decisions

I have a very big decision that I need to make in the next 2 weeks.  I feel like I did when I finished graduate school, because I'm making the same kind of decisions I did then.  I think it is harder this time though, because I have experience.

The decision you ask....where do I live and which job do I take?

I have two amazing opportunities, two very different opportunities and in two different states.  I have weighted each of the pro's and con's of both opportunities over and over in my mind and they both would be wonderful.

The decision I make will ultimately determine the people that I will effect and who will have an effect on my life, what kind of house I will live in and what ward I will go to.  It will most definitely determine my happiness.  I can be happy anywhere and would be happy I'm sure with whatever decision I make, but...where the Lord's plan for me is yet to be determined.

And so, I will continue to be extremely faithful and prayerful and let you know when the decision has been made.  A few extra prayers said in my behalf won't hurt either.

Halloween 2014

Our Halloween celebrations were top notch here in Phoenix.  It was so nice to be wearing a skirt and sandals and actually be too warm while we were trick or treating.  Before trick or treating however we started the evening off at my cousin Deborah's.  She goes all out with the Halloween dinner.  It was delicious and her decorations were so cute!  My contribution to the meal were bone bread sticks or at least they were suppose to look like that...they did have the bone appearance before they raised too long.

I loved the pictures of the costumes of my nieces and nephews that were sent my way.  Isn't social media and text messages wonderful?  My costume was easy peasy!  I especially loved the pizza costume.  I mean really how often do you see a pizza costume?

Deborah is so funny!

After dinner we went to my cousin Laura's and went trick or treating with her cute kids.  It really was so fun.  Most people in her community were sitting out in their driveways handing out candy.  This was a new concept to me and one I thought was awesome.  Some of the neighbors were actually having parties in their driveways.

Of course the best part of the evening was dumping out all of the candy!  These kids got a lot of candy and no junk candy.  I also got a little candy myself!

Brette's Breadsticks

1 T. Yeast

1 1/2 C Warm Water

2 T Sugar

1/2 t. Salt

3 C. Flour

Dissolve yeast in water.  Add sugar.  Let set 5 minutes.  Add salt and flour.  Kneed for 3 minutes while adding flour.  Melt 1/2-3/4 cube of butter in a 9x13 pan.  Place bread sticks in pan.  Sprinkle with garlic salt and paremsian cheese.  Let rise 15 minutes.  Bake @ 375 for 15-20 minutes.