Gratitude

(From the Brat Factor)

Most people do not realize the many health benefits of gratitude. Studies indicate that thankfulness is directly linked to physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Compared to people who do not live a lifestyle of thankfulness, research shows that grateful people:

1. Experience higher levels of alertness, enthusiasm, determination optimism and energy

2. Experience less depression

3. Better manage stress

4. Are more likely to help others

5. Exercise more regularly

6. Make more progress towards their personal goals

7. Have stronger immune systems

8. Have fewer symptoms of physical illness

Those are some impressive benefits that can be yours without even increasing your physical activity or changing your nutrition plan. All that is required is a grateful heart.

Are you a thankful person? If you are unsure, then it may be in your best interest to consider the following questions:

Are you the type of person who dwells on the good or on the bad things that happen to you?

Do you tell others about the blessings in your life as much as you tell them when things go wrong?

Are you considerate of the people closest to you or do you often take them for granted?

Are you thankful only when things are going well or do you look for blessings even when bad things happen?

Is there someone you admire who is a thankful person?

What other attributes do you admire about him/her?

Are you leaving a legacy of thankfulness that others will remember you by?

There is nothing complicated about gratitude. Quite simply, thankfulness is a choice. To say we feel grateful is not to say that everything in our life is great. It just means that in spite of all we see that is worthy of complaint, there is far more we can choose to focus on that is worthy of thank- fulness. Why not choose to extend the tradition of giving thanks through the entire year, instead of limiting it to the Holiday Season? You’re physical, emotional, and spiritual health will all reap the benefits of a thankful heart. The choice is yours.

My Awards

I recieved this award from Tammy at http://pinkstinx.blogspot.com/. Check it out, its a great blog.

Here are the rules for this one:
1. Mention the blog that gave it to you and comment on their blog to let them know you’ve posted your award.
2. Publish these rules.
3. Share 6 values that are important to you and 6 things you do not support.
4. Grant the prize to 6 people.
Six Important Values/Beliefs:

1. Family
2. God
3. Honesty
4. Love
5. Friends
6. Peace

Nix Support For These Values/Beliefs:

1. Unforgiving
2. Greed
3. Selfishness
4. Hate in any form
5. Negativity
6. Bitterness

I like to award these to
1. Momstheword at http://momstheword--livingforhim.blogspot.com/. Sorry to say I don't know her name but I read her blog everyday.
2. Tammy at http://www.ltwitchell.blogspot.com/
3. Becky at http://www.beckysquire.com/. I read her blog everyday too but she probably doesn't even know.
4. Toostie at http://tootsietime.blogspot.com/. I don't know her very well but you all have to check out the beautiful tree she has posted on her site.
5. Chocolateonmycranium at http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/ whom I also don't know personally but read her posts constantly.
6. http://prettyorganizedpalace.blogspot.com/ whose name I also don't know but read all the time.

Jello Jigglers

Tonight, we made Jello Jigglers. I have alphabet cutters and used them to make the names of my children. I wish I would've taken pictures as the turned out so cute. This week in our preschool, we will be studying the moon. Maybe I'll make some more in lemon flavor, cut them out in circle shapes and cover them with whipped topping. If I use sugar-free jello and sugar-free whipped topping, it should be less than 100 calories per serving.

A New Baby and a Sick Puppy

At midnight last night (or would that be this morning), my sister called and hung up. It took me calling back 4 times before someone picked up the phone. She told me that my niece had her baby on Thursday. He was 7 lbs 8 oz, 20.5 inches long. My other niece had told my sister that the baby had aspirated some fluid and was in the NICU. Scary place for a baby to be (at least for the parents) but those nurses are so nice and helpful. Today, I found out they moved him to a new hospital because he has a hole in his lung and this hospital has state of the art equipment.

My hubby's sister's dog (got that?) Jasmine was found on her porch yesterday convulsing. They took her to the emergency room. The hospital ran all kinds of test but all tests came up negative. The vet thinks she either got in to snail bait or has epilepsy. My SIL was having a really hard time. Jasmine is a really good dog and loved by all who know her.

We are asking for prayers for them both.

Thought for the Day

Perhaps most significant of all classrooms is the classroom of the home. It is in the home that we form our attitudes, our deeply held beliefs. It is in the home that hope is fostered or destroyed. Our homes are the laboratories of our lives. What we do there determines the course of our lives when we leave home. Dr. Stuart E. Rosenberg wrote in his book The Road to Confidence, ‘Despite all new inventions and modern designs, fads and fetishes, no one has yet invented, or will ever invent, a satisfying substitute for one’s own family.'”President Thomas S. Monson, “Precious Children—A Gift from God,” Ensign, Nov 1991, 68

Preschool - Trains

This week we focused on trains. We read Freight Train by Donald Crews which is a wonderful book, colorful and vibrant. We also read The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper. We read the poem Shiny New Train by Katrina Lybbert and acted out the poem Trains by James S. Tippett. We talked about the different kinds of trains, freight trains, passenger trains, etc. We talked about how train starts with the letter T. We made a train out of geometrical shapes. We also talked about the letter 10 and counted to ten in Spanish and English.

Wordless Wednesday

"Mom, take my picture. Cheese."

Check out more Wordless Wednesday pictures at MomDot