G000000000000000 Cougars!!!!

Here is our shout out to our favorite team!!!

The Cougar Song
Brigham Young University

Rise all loyal cougars and hurl your challenge to the foe.You will fight, day or night, rain or snow. Loyal, strong, and trueWear the white and blue.While we sing, get set to spring.Come on Cougars it's up to you. Oh!

CHORUS:
Rise and shout, the Cougars are outalong the trail to fame and glory.Rise and shout, our cheers will ring out As you unfold your victr'y story.
On we go, to vanquish the foe for Alma Mater's sons and daughters.As we join in song, in praise of you, our faith is strong,We'll raise our colors high in the blue, And cheer our cougars of BYU.

Goooooooooooooooooo COUGARS!!!!
This Sat is the big game (BYU vs. UTAH)

Gratitude

So last year during November I was posting things I was grateful for daily. I found that it really helped me think about things I was thankful for on a daily basis, and really helped me enjoy and appreciate the Thanksgiving season a bit more.

This year I have been a bit more down in the dumps and frustrated with life - and I think that might be because I haven't been focusing on the things I'm grateful for, the blessings I have. I've looked too closely at what I don't have, or the things in my life that aren't perfect. So I'm going to work on being grateful a bit more in my life, and specifically this month. Here are just a couple of things I'm grateful for.

• The gift of sight - We get a lot of comments from people about being "BLIND" - since our business is The Blind Guy. And we joke about it right along with them - but I don't think there's a comment that goes by when I don't think, "Man, I'm lucky not to be blind!" To absorb the sights of our world - or more than anything - see my little boy's smiles - what a gift!
• Colors - (this kind of goes along with the last one....)I love that there is variety in life. From hair color, wall/paint color, color of people - I love that there are different colors of sunsets, clouds, grass, trees. I love that I can wear different colors, eat foods that are different colors, and decorate in different colors.
• Taste - This weekend when we were up in SLC for our anniversary we ate some tasty food. (ZTejas and Rumbi Island Grill both have AMAZING salads!) I feel so grateful that I can taste things and marvel at the different flavors. YUM!
• Technology - I think about life as I was a little kid and it was pretty great - but WOW! life is so amazing with all of the technology available to us. The thing I love the most about technology is how it can help us stay closer and in contact with the people we know and love. I love being able to chat with my mom on the webcam or instant messenger at any time of day. I love that my little sister can instant message me a question, or that my kids can talk to their grandparents on the computer. I love that we can have blogs, email, and other amazing things all because of technology.
• Books and libraries - The whole world can open up to us because of books. How sad it would be to not have books at our convenience. I was reading a story about "The Little House on the Prarie" times and thinking about how the pioneers and our ancestors from years ago didn't have bookshelves full of books - or libraries to borrow books from. We are blessed by books in so many ways. I love that I can teach my boys by reading them books. I love that we can be silly, we can learn gospel principles, or journey to a far-away land through the pages of a book. I feel blessed that we have 2 local libraries and a bookmobile! (And today is bookmobile day - yay!)
• Modern medicine - our lives are made better by medicines, doctors, and technologies that can help us live our best lives. I'm grateful for doctors who follow inspiration and promptings, and who better the health of those of us who need it.
• Music - I often complain that since I have had children I don't get any time to listen to my own music. I have thousands of songs on my ipod and computer - but we are frequently found singing the ABC song, a song from Primary, or something from Sesame Street. But you know what? I love it all! I love singing Gabe's night-time songs to him. My favorite in our night-time line up is "A Child's Prayer". As I sing him the words, "Heavenly Father - are you really there?" I feel like I am singing my feelings in a lot of ways. I love that music can have such emotion and feeling to it. I love how listening to a song can make me want to dance, relax, or think of love. Such power!
• Family who I love so much! I think one of the things in life that causes me so much saddness and frustration is not living closer to any family. I get so sad that we don't have family around for Sunday dinners or family shopping trips. I hate that I have a neice that was born in APRIL and I haven't even met her yet because she lives in Dallas - and another neice that was born in August and I've only held her for like 1/2 hour! I hate that our family has to travel at least 4 hours to see any of our family, and that every trip to see family feels so strained for time. I feel so conflicted trying to choose who we're going to see, and know that we can't do it all. (anway - this was supposed to be a GRATITUDE post - and I'm just complaing about this one) - but the only reason I'm complaining is because I am so grateful for the family I do have and wish we got to spend more time together!
• Sunshine
• Comfortable shoes and sandals
• Warm slippers to keep my cold toes warm at night
• flannel sheets
• Changes in seasons - I might not enjoy the cold - but it is nice that it's not hot all the time.

I could go on - and I probably should - but I am grateful for so many things. Please - leave a comment and tell me something YOU are grateful for today!

WE are going private wit hour mullen clan blog, so if you would like to continue to check it, I need your email address. Just go to my site, and leave me your email address.

help

Okay everyone, I have been a blogger since May and still have not been able to figure out all the customizations i want. How do you all customize the template (background) on your blogs. I have only been able to find the templates on the blog site. They seem to be the base for the others but i want to add the fun designs to the sides. Anyone who can, please help me keep up with the Ellis' share your secrets. PLEASE

4 Generations

We were blessed to have a visit from Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Marilyn today. Jessica and I were involved with the Primary Program and it was great. The time went by way too fast. . . but it was a nice visit.

Gabe the Mighty Warrior

Cory and Joanna had given a lesson in FHE last week about Heleman and the stripling warriors. I had told Gabe he needed a sword to bury. I found some cute armor at the $ store so here's Gabe, the mighty, mighty warrior!

Forgot First Post

Saturday we went on a bike outing to Stokes Nature Trail with Gabe, Hunter, Chase, Kori, and Genevieve. It was a nice ride with the kids and had fun with the bikes. That night we came home and had spaghetti with the boys!

Saturday Outing

When we came home we had spaghetti and the boys had fun slurping the noodles. Sorry Mom and Dad.

Crockpot Recipe on my blog

Go to PhD in Motherhood for a recipe for Mexican Chicken Chowder

Life at our house

We haven't posted in a while - sorry about that. Life keeps us plenty busy. I'm better at keeping up on our personal blog - but not as good on here.

Here are some pictures of our boys from Halloween this year. Gabe was Buzz Lightyear and Hunter was a cute little monkey. I also found them the cutest little skeleton pajamas that they loved wearing to celebrate halloween (they glow in the dark!)

Cory and I also celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary this week which is crazy (seems like it was just yesterday in so many ways). We're going away for this next weekend to officially celebrate.

Other than that it's just the same old stuff for us right now - work and keeping up with the boys. Hunter started walking - so it really is a lot of work keeping up with him.

Hope everyone is doing well, and getting ready for the other holidays that are coming up. Gabe has asked every morning since Halloween, "Is today Thanksgiving? You said it was after Halloween." So we're getting ready - looking forward to spending it with all of our family!

Here's a 2 for 1 deal

Shelly came over with the girls (Sydney and Sammy) and went trick or treating with us...so you get a 2 for 1 deal here...my family and Shelly's girls. I had to include the 2nd picture as all 3 girl's faces were hilarious! Shelly and I walked their legs off! Hope the girls slept good that night, Shelly! Grandma and Grandpa Ellis also came and visited with Garrin while we went out with the girls.

Timber

We've been doing Halloween and cutting down trees. Next week we're doing our primary program. So I've been a bit stressed out and busy.

Where is Everyone?

Calling all Ellis's Where is everybody? Well, we are here. Here are a few updated pictures for everyone. We are so excited to go back to Utah for a week the week of Thanksgiving and spend the week with my family. This weekend we are going to Boise for our nephew's blessing. Spencer's dad is flying in so we are excited to spend the weekend with him and the rest of the Mullen's. We took fall pictures last week. Here are some. Check out our blog for the rest. What is everyone else up to?