Lost on the couch

So I somehow got sick. Colds and bronchitis are going around rampantly so I won't point fingers. I have been coughing all week but last night (Thanksgiving mind you) it got much worse. Rather than doing my traditional Black Friday shopping, I took a sleeping pill and ended up sleep walking around my house and cough/choking. When I woke up, I felt like dog juice (family expression) and decided to stay in my sweats all day and relax and watch TV. After an hour, I was bored of everything on TV and then it hit me - I can watch "Lost"!

For anyone who hasn't become obsessed with Lost at some point in their life, you are missing out! Jake and I became obsessed with Lost last Christmas and quickly worked our way through the first 2 1/2 seasons thanks to Netflix instant streaming. In the spring, we slowly stopped watching it, due to prepping for our move, and being totally overwhelmed by how intense the plot is. Well, I am now back on the Lost wagon!!

So here I am - 2 PM on a holiday weekend and I am wrapped in my favorite quilt, in my sweats, sitting on my couch, eating a bowl of turkey chili with wheat thins and sipping DayQuil while watching Lost. Third season of Lost, here I come!!

When you take advice from your father in law...

Dave Ramsey, as I have mentioned before, is one of my financial icons. He gives great advice and is someone I really look up to. My father in law got me into Dave Ramsey almost 2 years ago and I thank him quite regularly for that! The best part about that is that my father in law has applied all the same concepts to his financial life - before Dave Ramsey was even around! So that makes my father in law the original Dave Ramsey!

My amazing father in law Danny McClellan

We got debt free in amazing time, thanks to living in my in laws basement apartment rent free, advice from my in laws regularly, and Dave Ramsey's book. We were able to put down 10% when we bought our beautiful house. Now, we are trying to build our emergency fund (3-6 months expenses in case one of us loses a job) and it is killing me!! I want so many things for our house and I am fighting with myself everyday whether or not to just go buy a new sectional or new king size sleep number bed or fence the backyard or re carpet the house or whatever is on my brain that day. And then I hear my father in law's voice in my head and I decide not to buy anything. We have started calling it "being McClellan-ized".

The day I became a McClellan

He is so amazing at telling me what I may not want to hear but what I need to hear. I think that's what a good dad does. He is really good at it too haha. He tells me how it is, not how I want it to be. As a result, I know that Jake and I would have an entirely different marriage and financial situation if we hadn't listened when my father in law voiced his opinions when we almost bought another house 2 years ago. For that (and many other reasons) I am so grateful for my father in law. He is an amazing dad (seriously - I love him so much) and the best grandpa ever.

My father in law with his awesome boys - Dustin, Jake & Clint

I am so grateful my husband had the chance to grow up with his dad in his life.

Jake & his dad :)

I am also so grateful that his parents stayed married despite how difficult marriage can be at times so that Jake and his brothers could grow up with their dad in their lives and in their home.

My amazing in laws - Dad & Mom McClellan

I am so grateful that he is a worthy priesthood holder and temple recommend holder - he is a wonderful example to his boys. And last but not least, I am so happy he will be our kids Grandpa. He is the most amazing Grandpa ever - I love watching him with Kenzie and Emrie.

Grandpa & Grandma with Kenzie & Emrie

If your father in law gives advice, in my experience, you should listen.

Gratitude Attitude

To celebrate this Thanksgiving, I decided to think of one thing for each day of the month of November that I am grateful for. If there was a picture to go with it, I included that. Otherwise - just use your imagination!! I am grateful for:



1. Being married to my Jake





2. The Gospel



3. Our puppy Max





4. My amazing family - I love my siblings and parents!





My sisters, Jake & me with my dad







5. My in laws - I seriously lucked out on having fabulous in laws!



6. Amazing friends!



7. Our House!!





8. Being an "Apple" family



9. So many temples in Utah!



10. Living in such a wonderful and safe community.

11. Being debt free except our mortgage!

12. Technology & Appliances - I love our washer & dryer & dishwasher!!

13. A functioning heater and AC in our home so we don't freeze or die of heat!

14. Our functioning, nice, paid for cars



15. Cafe Rio



16. Dave Ramsey's podcasts & books!



17. Our amazing jobs!!



18. Peanut Butter!



19. Living in the United States of America



20. BYU football



21. Christmas time!



22. Autumn in Utah

23. Easy access to so many church distribution stores and Deseret Book's!

24. My blog and gratitude journal

25. The color pink!!

26. The Scriptures



27. Bubble baths



28. My CHI Hair Straightener!



29. Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Lemon Zest Lotion



30. A garage I can park my Jeep in so that I don't have to scrape my windows!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." - John Fitzgerald Kennedy

**As a side note - I wrote this posting on Friday but published it on Sunday since I had so many things to post at once. So Sunday morning I posted it, and then I got asked to speak in Sacrament Meeting next Sunday (gulp!) on gratitude! Haha good thing I already had gratitude on the brain!

Thanksgiving Part 1

This Thanksgiving was going to be a bit different - Jake & I most likely wouldn't have been able to make it to my parent's house because Kenzie & Emrie will be here (YAY!!!), and my step siblings wouldn't be able to drive back down from Smithfield, and Brynne & Blake would be in Hawaii for their honeymoon, and Poppa wouldn't be coming back for Thanksgiving so we decided to do Thanksgiving a week early! 

We started off the night by giving Poppa his belated birthday present - a framed picture of one of the cabins at his Ranch in Northern California

I don't know what we were doing - making unattractive faces apparently!

Brynne & I flashing the camera!! 

One of the 2 tables

The other one 

My sexy man

Part of our Thanksgiving feast! We had turkey, potatoes and gravy, stuffing, rolls, green bean casserole, yams, cranberry sauce and caramel apple salad, plus pies!!

2 days before they were married!

Gorgeous mother!

This is my "this meat was recently hear a bone" face

Uncle Aaron and me

Brynne loves the drumstick!

Behind Brynne & Blake you can barely see Ron & Sharon - every single picture taken of them that night was so blurry! They were there too though! 

The amazing photographer!

The chef finally fixing herself a plate of food! 

The older I get, the more I am really starting to love Thanksgiving. I love the opportunity to be with family and remember all the reasons we have to be grateful!