73. Today I am grateful for Hymns

As part of my scripture study I like to listen to a hymn and then read the corresponding scriptures that are listed in the hymn book. I love the spirit that is felt by the hymns. Music can have a powerful influence on the lives of individuals, for good and bad. I am grateful for good music, particularly hymns. Hymns have the power to comfort in times of need, help us to feel spiritually uplifted and increase our understanding of gospel doctrines and principles.  

72. Today I am grateful for an extra hour of sleep

Early this morning Day Lights Savings Time ended and the clocks were moved back an hour. I heard of a few people who stayed up to watch the time change from 2am to 1am. I guess it would be kind of neat, like waiting for midnight Jan. 1 for a new year to start. Well, maybe not quite. However, I defiantly took advantage of sleeping in a bit by going to bed early and getting the extra hour of sleep. In fact, I slept in longer than expected. I like to wake up early on Sunday so I had set my alarm for what I had thought was 7:30 but really I had set it for 8:30. However, having gotten used to waking up in the dark, I ended up waking up at 8 because the sun was shining through my bedroom window.

71. Today I am grateful for The New Family Search program

It seems that many genealogy websites have been striving to create a “world pedigree”, a family tree linking the world together. The site that comes closest to this is The New.Familysearch website. It is really cool, I could write a lot about it but I would recommend for everyone to check it out for themselves and register. I have had and continue to have success with this program and I love it.

Several years ago I was a stake family history consultant and attended a meeting where this program was first introduced. A lot of work and planning went into this program as well as lots of beta testing. It combines various genealogical records and resources so there are often duplicate records for each person. I spent over a year (a few hours a week) combining duplicate records and adding/correcting information between this program and my database. It was time consuming but worth it. For those who think there is no genealogical work for them to do, combing duplicate records would be a worthwhile project to take on. You just might find distant relatives and an ancestor or two as well.  

70. Today I am grateful for the Poppy

In the 2 weeks leading up to Remembrance Day poppies are sold in Canada and throughout the Commonwealth. It is worn to remember the soldiers who died during the wars. I learned today that this year marks 90 years of poppies being distributed in Canada. I think it is important at this time to remember the sacrifices made by soldiers so that we can enjoy the freedom we live today.

69. Today I am grateful for my car

As the mornings get a bit cooler, I am grateful to have a car to drive to work rather than waiting for the bus in the cold. It also makes grocery shopping a lot easier. I am also grateful that my mom got a new car for her birthday so that I could buy her older car. Meaning I got a pretty good deal and trusted the people I bought it from. I am a bit nervous though for winter driving as I never experienced true winter driving in BC. If I can make it through the winter with me and my car in one piece, that will be another thing to be grateful for.

68. Today I am grateful for making it to November without any snow

One thing I have come to learn about Edmonton is that the winters are harsh. Part way through the winter I begin feeling as though I am living inside a snow globe. I usually like the snow for about 2 weeks and then I am ready for it to go away, not the 6 months it can last for. However, I do like the first snowfall.  I was born in Calgary and lived there for six years before moving to the Vancouver area and I remember going trick-or-treating in the snow. In fact, my first Halloween in Surrey I remember telling my dad that it can’t be Halloween because there was no snow. My dad, who grew up in Vancouver then explained “It doesn’t snow here on Halloween”. Well, this year Edmonton also enjoyed a snow-free Halloween. In fact we enjoyed a snow free October and beautiful weather. Listening to the radio this morning it was mentioned that the last time it did not snow in October was in 1963. I enjoy being part of the new statistic.

67.Today I am grateful for relatives in Edmonton

I moved out to Edmonton 5 years ago for school. While there were a few people I knew out here I didn’t have any family in Edmonton. My first year here I went home for the summer and during that summer I got an email from someone who had found some family history info I had posted on a website. He explained that he too was related to this family. He then mentioned that he had recently moved to Edmonton from England. I excitedly wrote back confirming that we were indeed 3^rd cousins once removed and mentioned that I too had recently moved to Edmonton. I met with him, his wife and daughter and instantly they welcomed me as a part of their family. He shared that he believes that no matter how distantly related, family is family. Although, when you have spent so much time researching your family history and corresponding with distant relatives, 3^rd cousins is actually pretty close.

In the past few years they have invited me over for dinner several times so I decide that it was about time that I made dinner for them. I am grateful for the opportunity that we had to enjoy dinner together today. For the times we have enjoyed in the past and the times we will continue to enjoy. It’s great to have wonderful friends in Edmonton but it is also nice to have relatives in the city as well.