Happy THANKSgiving!

Most importantly ... I am eternally THANKFUL for my Savior. For all that I am THANKFUL for comes from Him. I am so blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in my life. I know that this is the true and living church. I am THANKFUL for my knowledge that He lives and loves me.

I pray that you will all have a wonderful THANKSGIVING!

Thankful!

How THANKFUL I am for modern conveniences! Heat that just comes on when my house gets cold. Electricity when I flip a switch. Water that runs freely. All these things that we don't even think about. They are just there, that make life so much more comfortable and easy! Very THANKFUL!

So Thankful!

My Family!

I am THANKFUL for my family!

Pretty much everyone knows what a great family I have.I have an amazing extended family as well! They are only a hop, skip, and jump away. We are lucky to have each other and to be so close.
THANKFUL!I really don't know how to express my THANKS for my family. What a lucky girl I am! After all ... do you KNOW who I am? I am a CHRISTENSEN! My parents are my rock. I don't know what I would do without them. I owe all that I am to them. They are amazing people.
So THANKFUL!

Thankful for ...

FRIENDS!

My whole life I have been very blessed with great friends.

Friends have been such an important part of my life. I am so THANKFUL for their love and support, for their true friendship. My friends are like an extension of my family.

I love them and am so THANKFUL for them!

Giving Thanks

I am THANKFUL to be a teacher!How lucky I am to have such a great job. I truly love my job. Sure, I would love to not have to work but when it comes right down to it ... I love my job. I am THANKFUL to have the opportunity everyday to teach AND to learn. My job is not only rewarding but it is fun. It is never dull (that is an understatement!) I love my kids. I believe passionately in what I am doing. I am very THANKFUL for amazing people I work with. My job, me being a teacher, enriches my life!
I am THANKFUL to be a teacher!

Thankful ... cont.

I am so THANKFUL for my home. I love my house. I love that my house is a home. It is a place that I want to be. I feel so blessed to have my own home.

More Thanks!

I am THANKFUL for my community!

I grew up in the best neighborhood, in the greatest country in the world! I am so THANKFUL for that blessing. There is so much love and support there. I know, without a doubt, that if I ever needed anything there are numerous people that would be there for me and for my family.

Anyone who knows me very well knows that I am a pretty patriotic girl.

I am THANKFUL for my country!

I am THANKFUL for my freedom!

I am THANKFUL for the men and women fighting to protect and preserve that freedom! This freedom is the foundation for so much of what I am THANKFUL for. I have been all over the world. I have seen some beautiful, amazing places on this earth. But there is no where that compares to this country. We are truly blessed people to be citizens of the United States of America!

Thankful ... cont.

I am THANKFUL for everyday that I don't have a headache!

Thankful!

As I was driving to school this morning is was very cold! (in the 20's) I was thinking how THANKFUL I am that I have a garage to park my car in so that my car windows are not all frozen over and that I don't have to scrape them in the morning! Just a small thing ... but something I am (seriously) THANKFUL for!

It is a month of Thanks. It is a time of year that we reflect on all that we are THANKFUL for. My dear friend Kim has spent the month posting things she is THANKFUL for on her blog. It has been so fun to read. I have so much to be THANKFUL for. I am going to follow Kim's lead by, for the next week, posting things I am THANKFUL for ... from parking my car in the garage to ....

Inspire

I was asked, "What INSPIRES you?"

That question got me to thinking ... What does inspire me? When do I feel inspired?

Autumn is a time of year that I often feel inspired. I love the colors of Fall. There is something magical about the light this time of year. Have you ever looked at the mountains at just the right moment, when the sunlight is coming across the valley and hitting the mountains .... it sorta sucks the air right out of you (in a good way)? Suddenly your whole soul just feels inspired! The air feels different this time of year. It is still warm but has a crispness to it. Inspiring! Maybe it is knowing that winter is coming. It will soon be time to stay inside, I start to get the bug to make things, to create. I don't feel that way any other time of year. Just Autumn.
Just a thought.
I had this conversation with my student teacher. For two art teachers this is a pretty normal conversation I think. I told her how after I had been asked, "what inspires you?" I had been thinking about it all weekend and how it made me think, how many people NEVER think about this, how many people never wonder what inspires them? (do you think about it?) Does everyone feel inspired? Oh I hope so!

Sparks 2009

Each of us has that right, that possibility, to invent ourselves daily. If a person does not invent herself, she will be invented. So, to be bodacious enough to invent ourselves is wise. -Maya Angelou

Creativity is piercing the mundane to find the marvelous. -Daniel Patrick Moynihan

My sister Cass was the keynote speaker at Spark. She did an amazing job! As she spoke I just kept thinking how proud I was to be her sister! She was so inspiring as she spoke about sparking your creativity.

Our fabulous friend Lala and her friend (and now our friend) Sandi came to town for this event. I can't think of more creative, fun people to Spark with!

Rekindle your creative fire by making time to play. -Mari Messer

When you come right down to it, all you have is yourself. Yourself is a sun with a thousand fires in your belly. The rest is nothing. -Pablo Picasso

The Spark girls put on a fantastic event! The decor was luscious, the classes inspiring, and so much cool free stuff!

Love life, engage in it, give it all you've got. love it with a passion, because life truly does give back, many times over, what you put into it. -Maya Angelou

One of the classes that we attended was a photography class. I am not really into photography so I became the 'model'. We got to try some cool new things. Very fun!

One sure-fire way to stay creative: force yourself to learn something new. -Harvey Mackay

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. -Albert Schweitzer

We finished the weekend with an all-nighter! We had the creative vibe and just had to make stuff! A fabulous weekend all around!

*** all quotes taken from Hun's presentation.

Spooky Halloween!

I wasn't really in a costume because I really AM a "MJ Super Fan"!

You can't tell in the picture but I have a tattoo of a tear with a MJ in the middle. I am even wearing white socks and black loafers.
What? You have a picture with MJ you say! Yes, Yes that's right. We are BF's!
And you can be BF's with anyone of your choosing with five minutes on Photoshop too!
Peter, Jennie, and Kids ... very scary!My Mom, Aunt, and Hun (sister)
Fabulous witches if I do say so myself!

Book Review

These Is My Words
Nancy E. Turner

I loved this book! A historical fiction diary of a girl, Sarah Prine, from the Arizona Territories. Sarah will make you laugh, she will make you cry and she will empower you all at the same time.
This is a must read!