For all those interested, Brigitte took 4th in her freestyle program and 6th in her showcase (It's a hard knock life). We are so proud of her for the hard work she put in and for her poise on the ice. I am amazed at her courage, she skates out there in front of all those people without any worries. The thing we are most proud about is her sportsmanship. She went up to the girls who won and let them know they did really great!! Then one of her club friends competed with her and came in behind her, this friend was upset, Brigitte went over to her a made a big deal about how great she did and helped cheer her up. (That is her friend in the first picture.) Within minutes the two were laughing and having a great time again. Now we are back to practicing for the next competition. The second picture is her waiting to get her skates on for her "Annie" routine.

Also wanted to add a few things for Thankful Thursday.

1. I am thankful for good books.

2. I am thankful for my home.

3. I am thankful for nieces and nephews.

4. I am thankful for my grandparents.

5. I am thankful for good music.

Food 4 Thought Friday ~
This week's questions
Breakfast
What is one thing you look forward to each day? Each week?

I really look forward to time with my family, whenever I might get it.


Lunch
Are you a hoarder or a chucker?

Definitely a chucker, sometimes to my own detriment. I often throw things away I later wish I had kept.

Dinner
Do your dinner meals consist mostly of home cooked meals, convenience foods (i.e. boxed, frozen, heat & serve, etc.), or fast food? Who does most of the cooking in your home?

Mostly home cooked meals. Sometimes convenience foods, we almost never eat out. I usually do the cooking in my house, although Brigitte has really started to spread her wings and helps with dinner lots of times.

Midnight Snack
Has the rising cost of gasoline caused you to restrict, limit, or alter anything in your life? If so what?

We really haven't restricted anything.

Recipe for this Week (instead of your recipe for life - what is it for just this week?)

Remember, in a year I will be laughing about almost everything happening now!!!

I saw this on Blake and Hannie's blog a while back and really liked the idea, so today is "Thankful Thursday". There are always so many things to be thankful for, but this week these are my top 10.

1. I have eyes to see the leaves change colors.

2. My daughter is healthy.

3. We have amazing neighbors.
4. Garden vegetables from our own garden.
5. Family close by.

6. Legs that work so I can walk anywhere I choose.
7. Prayer. If you are thankful for it too, I don't need to say more.

8. Sisters--Cyndi you are a Gailey Girl too.
9. Laughter in my home.
10. Good friends, you know, they help you through a Lucy moment.

Well, when it rains it pours!!! Last night I was making dinner and had started to preheat the oven. I got everything mixed up and ready to go in to bake when Brigitte said she smelled gas. I looked at the oven and it hadn't even started to heat up, but it had been dumping gas into the house. When John got home he said we lost one of the ignitors?! What?! Anyway, our range was in really bad shape when we bought the house and it was something we had planned on replacing, just not quite yet. So last night, my very sweet husband who had already worked overtime came home, went shopping for a new range with me, and then came home and installed it for us.

Once again, we are thankful it was nothing worse and that the remedy was relatively easy. And I am thankful to have a beautiful new range to cook on. It makes me want to bake up a storm, I now have two ovens!!! If you have been to Tif's house it is the same range she has, yes I'm a copycat, but a good idea is a good idea!!

Hooray for extracurricular activities!!!! Brigitte is old enough to join choir at the school, which means going early twice a week. Who knew that hour would be invaluable to me?! Having her there so quickly, I come home and start running to get things in order, then look at the clock and realize there is plenty of time. These days are so much easier when nothing has to be hurried.

How about you all? Do your kids to extracurricular activities? Does it allow you time to finish things without all the extra help?

Jackson Hole was a blast, and Brigitte apparently had fun too. When we showed up to pick her up she wasn't quite ready to go home. Grandma Donna and Aunt Kathy are way better to hang with than mom and dad!!!

While in Jackson, we went into Teton national forest, and did the hike at Jenny Lake into Hidden Falls. The sign says it is 2 1/2 miles, but it doesn't say how tough a hike it is!! Thankfully we made it, but chickened out on the way back and took the boat across the lake. That was the better two mile trek!! It is so incredibly gorgeous up there!! We continued up to the Jackson Lake Lodge, and the view there is just breathtaking, you see the huge mountains with the lake shining in the foreground. No wonder so many photographers head there!!
We also went to the Bar J Chuckwagon dinner. It's been 20 years since I was there, it is still just as hilarious as ever. We were cracking up, and our table was full of really interesting people. We met a couple from Maryland who flew into Denver, then began driving. The went to Glacier, Bryce and Jackson and everywhere in between. Another group was from Pocatello, and the couple across from us was from Ogden, go figure.

Overall, it was a great weekend for all!!!

Happy Anniversary to us!!! Tomorrow will be our 16th (feels like yesterday) anniversary. It's crazy to think I am old enough to have been married that long!! I thought it would be fun to give ten reasons I am still madly in love with my husband, so here goes:

1. He looks great in a pair of jeans!!! (that one is for my mom)
2. He is an incredible father and Brigitte adores him.
3. He reminds me to laugh!!
4. He does all the vacuuming in our house!!!
5. He can fix a leaky toilet and a damaged ceiling!
6. He is always up for whatever crazy idea I might get
7. He never makes me feel bad when I don't clean the house! He takes me out to dinner cuz he figures I've had a day!!
8. He thinks my cooking is better than his mother's.
9. He gives the best homework help so I don't have to.
10. He always plays (and fights) fair.

So this weekend we are off to Jackson Hole to celebrate. Thank heavens John's sister Kathy and her husband are willing to add one more child for a few days. Of course after nine what's one more!?

Brigitte has her first ice skating competition of the season on the 19th and 20th in Park City. She has been training really hard and she is really looking strong! That means lots of extra time the ice rink for me and John while she has been practicing. As soon as she gets out of school we are off to the rink to practice. Hockey moms will know this too, ice is never available when it would be convenient to take kids, only at really odd times throughout the day, and especially for hockey players, the night! Her competition falls during school on friday and then late saturday night. Who the heck schedules these things. My brothers hockey games were always really late at night when he was in high school. What are people thinking? It is my guess they have the same problem I do in an ice rink. It is so cold everything freezes up, including my brain until I can go outside to warm up and defrost! Anyway, she is doing to routines, one is to music from a video game, and then her showcase number is to "It's a Hard Knock Life". She is really excited to skate at the competition and we wish her luck!!