I am Thankful For...

...holidays.  I love the holiday season, though as I get older and live so a far away from family, I find I don't like it as much as I used too.  My family would be surprised how little I decorate now.  It is just not worth it. But I love the season of giving, the wonderful movies and music.  That makes me happy.

I am Thankful For...

...all the Veterans in my life.  I grew up as an Army BRAT so I know what it is like to live the life of the military.  I know what it is like to see your father leave in the middle of the night and not know when you will see him again.  To always have his 'kit' packed so at a moments notice he can leave.  To wake up with your mother crying because she isn't sure where your father is.  I had it easier than most.  My father was a surgeon so he was in the MASH tents and was protected but many of my friends fathers - especially when they went to Viet Nam - never saw them again.

My father served in WWII and so did Clyde's dad.  Clyde's Grandfather, Dr. B also served in WWI.  My father got his medical degree and then went back into the military in the 50's and stayed in until the late 70's.  He had quite an amazing career.  I met Clyde because of the draft during the Viet Nam War.  Without that we would have never met.  We now have a son-in-law, Brandon Nordell - in the Air Force.  He is with our daughter and their two daughters in Okinawa.  Of all of my daughters, Heather was not the daughter I thought would be a military wife but she is doing an admirable job.  Clyde works at the Newport Naval Base and about half of our ward is military.  I am proud to be here to help make their lives easier so they can serve our country and make our lives easier.

I am Thankful For...

...Indian Summers.  Our autumn here has been incredible.  The colors were not all that spectacular because of Hurricane Irene but the weather has been in the 60's and 70's so far for most of November.  We had such a miserable and cold October I was really concerned.  We even had snow the last weekend of October with the big Nor'easter that blew through here (it didn't stick but it was flying in the air here on the island.  It stuck other places in the Northeast).  Since then it has been October weather to make up for having November in October.  It has been beautiful.  Today we have Tropical Storm Sean making its presence known with rain but even then the temperature is in the upper 50's.  Can't complain to much.  We will see how long this lasts.

I am Thankful For...

...my amazing hairdresser.  Mariana is fun and has been my hairdresser for 7 years.  The only time she has not cut my hair was when I had my surgery and I couldn't get out for a few months.  Then a friend from the ward came in and did my hair for me.  Mariana has told me so much about her family that I could probably go and visit one of their dinners and know who was who and how things worked within the family.  She is so much fun.  Today is my 3rd of 9 free haircuts for a year.  I am looking forward to a fun visit with a good friend.

I have to say one thing I am not thankful for - being so far away from family.  This is ongoing with me.  I want to be close in proximity to grandchildren.  I so envy the people that get to have family close for all of the holidays or can just run down for a weekend.  It was so wonderful when the Davis' lived in Pennsylvania and we could literally take off and go for a few days.  Life moves on and pretty soon we will be around family - I hope.

Happy Birthday Mallory!

Yesterday was Mallory Hope Bahlmann's first birthday!  I cannot believe she is already a year old.  This year has certainly gone by fast.  Here she is at Hogel Zoo at about 7 months old.  She was so proud of herself.  She had such a cute halo of hair but her mother informs us that it now lays down flat most of the time now.  We love you Mallory.  We hope you had a wonderful birthday and you have a great second year of life!  I am very thankful you came into our lives.  So my thankful post today- Today I am thankful for Mallory and always - all of my grandchildren.  They make life worth living.

I am Thankful For...

Today I am for so many things I don't know which one to pick.  I will choose the opportunity to teach seminary.  I have a great class and as happens with most teachers in the Gospel - I probably learn more than they do.  We are studying the Old Testament.  It is interesting and a good challenge.

Thankful Post #1

Every year during the month of November I write a post about something I am thankful for everyday of the month - or I have up until this year.  Today I realized it is November!  Do not ask me why but for some reason I thought it was Ocober 35th or something but it just had not registered that it was November yet. 

Today I thankful that Stake Conference comes only twice a year.  I am a home body and becoming more and more of one.  To travel over an hour one way to get to a meeting is not my idea of fun.  To do that two days in a row is torture.  If the meetings were not so incredible it would not be such an incredible experience.  Today we are going to have sacrament as part of stake conference.  We will see how that goes.