Kiersten’s Blog

I started this blog a few days ago and realized today that it was never finished.

Today London is thankful for jump ropes.  I guess I need to teach her how to use them!

I am thankful for a Taylor’s job.  This is his 4th year working where he does and I still haven’t forgotten how blessed we were and still are that he not only has employment, but actually has a job that he enjoys and that supports our family.  I see how many people right now are out of work or underemployed and it’s overwhelming how blessed we are.  I may have mentioned this before, but I think it’s worth repeating.  When Taylor was in grad school looking for a job, he applied for many, many positions all over the country.  Some of them he was qualified for, but weren’t quite his area of expertise.  In fact, most of the job openings were that way.  We were pretty sure we would be moving to a faraway state where we knew nobody and where we would be days from family.  At one point he asked me if I could choose anywhere to live, where would it be.  San Diego was my immediate response.  I had dreamed of living here from the time I was young.  I didn’t think it would ever be a possibility and if it ever was possible for us to find a job here, I was sure it would be impossible for us to ever be able to afford to buy a house.  But then one day Taylor got a phone call inviting him to a job interview.  Upon returning home after the interview, he was sure the job was his.  After about 4 more interviews, each with increasing anxiety over the job that he was sure was his, he was finally offered the position.  Of all the jobs he had applied for, this was the one that most fit his qualifications and interests.  Except for a few people in a department where all of the full time faculty retired, there has been no new hiring of full time faculty members at his college since the year he was hired.  After this year he will be tenured.  Two years ago we were able to buy a home.  We are truly blessed that Taylor was able to get the job that he has.  I know we are being watched over and I hope that we can always remember how blessed we really are.

I don’t remember what London said she was thankful for today but I’ll edit this once I ask her tomorrow.

Today I am thankful for love (and, of course, London).  I’m thankful that I have so much in my life that I love.  I’m thankful for so much in my life that loves me!  I’m thankful for a loving husband.  I’m thankful for loving children.  I’m thankful for loving parents and loving siblings and loving in-laws.  The list goes on and on.  I’m especially thankful for a loving Heavenly Father and a loving Savior.  And in the words of Fillmore from Cars, “There’s a lot of love out there, you know, man.”

London is thankful for kangaroos.  I am thankful for my kids.  Most of the time.  We spent the day as a family at the zoo today, finishing it of with a trip to Ikea for some supplies to finish a project we started last week.  It was a long day and in the beginning, the kids were kind of cranky, but we ended up having a fun day together and I’m thankful to have such loving and fun kids.  Sure they fight.  Kind of  a lot, but they also really love each other.  They make each other happy and that makes me happy.  I’m sure thankful for them.

London is thankful for iguanas.  She couldn’t think of many words that start with the letter I.

I am thankful for Idaho.  Obviously I couldn’t think of many I words either, but I am thankful for Idaho.  If it wasn’t for Idaho, I would never have met my husband!  I’m thankful that I had the chance to live there for a number of years while attending college.  I’m thankful that I was able to vacation there this summer and remember what a nice place it is (when there isn’t snow).  And I’m thankful that I don’t live there anymore.  It’s a lovely place, but I’m happy to be out of the snow.

London is thankful for helping and happy faces.  Me too.  I just wish I could see more of them around here!

I am thankful for hot water.  This morning as I was running water for the kids’ bath, I couldn’t get it quite hot enough.  Taylor was showering at the same time.  It usually doesn’t matter, but there was something wrong today.  He came out and let me know that we didn’t have any hot water.  Great.  I really needed a shower.  As it turns out, the pilot light had somehow gone out on our water heater.  Taylor lit it and I was good to go 20 minutes later, although I was kind of expecting a cold shower.  When I got in, it was cold.  I put my head under the water and almost screamed, but then it started heating up.  At that moment, I was so thankful that we have hot water.  I remembered back to the time when I was pregnant with London and we had a slab leak in our apartment, making it so that we didn’t get much hot water at all.  I am thankful that I don’t have to deal with cold showers on a regular basis.  I’m thankful for hot water.

London is thankful for guitars.  Funny, because she has one but hardly plays it.  Whatever.

I am thankful for my garage.  It sounds like a funny thing, but this our first place we have lived in our married life where we could actually park our car in the garage and walk into our house (now that we have that lovely door).  We did live in a place for 8 months where we could park a car in the garage, but it was detached so it was easier not to.  Besides that, this is the first garage parking I have done in my whole life!  I love my garage!  I love that I can park a car in my garage, and I especially love that I can walk directly into my house from my garage.  Not only can I park a car in there, but we have somehow found room for countless other pieces of junk necessities.  It’s amazing how much stuff you can fit into a one car garage.  And I’m thankful for it!

I am thankful for freedom.  I am thankful to live where I can basically do as I please.  I can go where I want to go and do what I want to do.  I can worship how I want to worship.  I can get an education.  I can speak my mind.  There are so many things that I can do and freedoms I have.  I really am blessed.

London is thankful for food.  In fact, today I made tomato soup for dinner (it was my plan D, but it turned out really good and I used home-grown canned tomatoes from my mother-in-law).  Usually when London asks what we’re having for dinner and I tell her, her response is, “Ew, disgusting!”  Not so today.  When I told her we were having tomato soup, she said, “Yum!”  I was completely shocked.  Of all the things I make and of all the things she complains about, I can’t believe she actually likes tomato soup.  Unfortunately it didn’t blend to an absolutely smooth puree so she didn’t like it as much as she (or I) thought she might, but maybe next time we’ll have more luck.

Today London is thankful for eggs.  She loves hard boiled eggs.  She loves to crack them on her head.  She loves to take them to school in her lunch.  I blame it all on Ramona Quimby.  Now if only Ramona enjoyed eating other things I cook, we would be in business!

I am thankful for eyes.  I complain a lot about my eyes and how I can’t see.  If I don’t have my glasses on or contacts in, I really can’t see, but I can see enough that they can be corrected.  I still remember the first time I walked out of the optometrist’s office with my new glasses (at the ripe old age of 5) and being able to see the water tower from that area.  I had never been able to see it from there before.  I’m thankful for my eyes and the miracle they are.

London is thankful for dancing.  I am thankful for dentists.  Although I hate my dentist at the moment (I can switch this month!  Yay!) I’m thankful to be able to go to a dentist if I have problems.  You know how in Castaway, Tom Hanks has to knock out his tooth with an ice skate?  Yeah, I’m thankful I don’t have to do that.

I’m thankful for my car.  I’m thankful to have a car that runs well.  Now if only the A/C worked . . .

With her lips, London says she’s thankful for counting.  With her actions, she says she’s thankful for candy.  Me too.  I need to get rid of it.