Simple Pleasures of Life

"I am grateful for the smiles of an infant, the coos, the noises and especially the little giggle that tickles your soul! Ok..not just any infant but your child and especially your grandchild. The simplest things tonight brought me so much peace and joy in a very stress day, week and last few months. My eyes are full of tear of gratitude as I type this. This little baby Titan has brought me so much happiness and my heart has quadrupled! I LOVE FAMILY!!!!" - Grandma Chel

DAUGHTERS

"I am so excited to be a mom of three talented, gorgeous and strong daughters! I feel so fortunate. They are each so different and each holds a special place in my heart.

Whitni was my first and I wondered if I could love another one as much as her. We had the first three years together without sisters and I was able to stay at home and really enjoy my time with her and watch her grow. I am so proud of the women that she is and she is now my example as I watch her accomplish so much in her life and how she balances it all. She believes in herself and sets goals and achieves them. She is the responsible daughter and we can count on her as she watches over us all.

McKinli is the full of fun and loves to have fun. I love McKinli because she is ALWAYS positive no matter her circumstances. She believes in herself and can accomplish and has accomplished ANYTHING she sets her mind to. She gets a lot of attention for her beauty, which of course I think she is beautiful, however the deepest and richest part of McKinli is her heart. She truly cares about others and I rarely if ever hear her said bad things about people. You would not know that she tends to be shy because she is always so bubbly. She is STRONG and COURAGEOUS! Great mom too!

Matti is the FUNNIEST of all of us. She is a great best friend and helps us all keep our sense of humor. Most of the time we are laughing with her or at her silly comments. She, like her sisters, is so pretty. Matti has this natural beauty and her soul is all about HONESTY. She is loyal and honest and a good friend to all. She is athletic and probably the hardest worker when it comes to physical labor. She does it without complaining too. She is so HELPFUL to me and so LOVING. It is often that Matti is the one to come and wrap her arms around me FIRST and tell me how much she loves me!

I love my girls and hope that I can continue to be a better mom to them every day! I would spend all my life and all my time with them if I could!"

MY GRANDBABY, TITAN

"I am soo grateful to be a Grandma! Words can't describe the love that fills your heart when you see that generation become a part of your family. I love my kids more than life itself. I now love my grandson more than life itself too and a new chamber has opened up in my heart. He brings me such JOY to see his eyes light up or smile when you talk to him. I love seeing my daughter be an awesome mom and can't wait until Whitni and Matti are at a point in their life where they are mothers. I wondered if I was ready and felt too young to have a grandbaby but I LOVE, LOVE it! Thanks Titan for coming to be part of our family! Grandma loves you!"

SISTERS

"Today I am grateful for my sisters. I am so proud of my two little sisters and the women they have become. There are a few, rare moments in each person's life that you save in your mind as very precious moments. These are moments that when you think back on them, you immediately begin to get choked up and emotional. A lot of the precious moments I have had in life involve my sisters. When I was 16 my Mom, McKinli, and Matti decided to run a 5k together. Being the lazy teenager I was, I decided to be "cool" and not run the race, and drive the car down to where the finish line was to wait for my mom and sisters to cross the line. After a short time I saw my Mom and McKinli running towards the finish line together. But Matti was no where in sight. When McKinli and my Mom finally crossed the finish line I asked them what had happened to Matti? They said she had fallen behind and would catch up quickly. Matti couldn't have been more than 9 years old at the time. One by one the runners crossed the finish line and still no Matti. Finally we saw a police officer in his cop car following behind the second to the last runner of the race... Matti. She was running all alone and hadn't given up. As she crossed the finish line out of breath and exhausted, she flung into my Mother's arms and started sobbing. She had finished the race. I immediately began to get choked up and could not control my emotions. This day and this race taught me a very valuable lesson. Me, my Mom, and my sisters were all each other had at that time. We needed to stick together and make sure that each of us finished the race in life. We needed to encourage each other, support each other, and cheer each other on. That is one moment in my life I will never forget about my sisters.

Another experience is when my little sister McKinli was trying out for the Bonneville High school cheerleading squad. She decided probably a month before try outs that she wanted to make the team. She didn't have much experience in tumbling or cheering, and to be honest, was really the shy type. I couldn't imagine her being a cheerleader, screaming at the top of her lungs at high school prep rallys. But she was determined to make the team. She practiced her heart out each week and finally the day of try outs came. My mom, Matti, and I waited patiently outside of Bonneville for the tryouts to get over. We had no idea whether or not she had made the team. When the girls were finally able to leave, they came bursting out the doors. Some girls were crying, others were jumping with joy. When we finally spotted McKinli, she looked like she was ready to burst into tears. She came right towards us and as best she could, told us she hadn't opened the letter that indicated whether or not she had made it. She didn't think she had done well and for sure thought the letter would be declining. She said she wanted to open it once we got back to the car. So we all hung our heads low, not really knowing what to say to her. As we started walking back towards the car, McKinli started to open her letter without us knowing. All of a sudden, she stopped in her tracks and screamed, "I made it!" and starting crying so hard! We all started jumping up and down and hugging her like crazy. There have only been a few rare occasions where I have seen McKinli cry in her whole life, and this was one of them. I was so proud of her that she had worked so hard, was determined, and made a dream of hers come true.

I am so thankful for my little sisters and the examples they are to me. They have given me some wonderful precious moments that I can savor forever. I am so glad to have the privilege of calling McKinli and Mattisyn my "sisters." -Whitni

My Mom & Sister

"Today and pretty much every day I am so grateful for my mom and my sister. I think I talk to them almost every day and they are such a great support system for me. I feel they are always giving and serving!

This week I drove them to the Huntsman Center for a check up for my mom's melanoma that was on her face. Everything is looking great and healing well. Good news! We stopped and shopped at Tai Pan and had lunch and I just enjoyed the conversation and company and it took my mind off other things.

Then, as always, they began serving me. I can never get ahead. As soon as I take some time to drive them or do some small thing, they repay me a hundred times more. I had a backyard FULL of leaves that Matti and I had been working at for hours and still had a ton left. My sister got raking them back into piles (Matti had done it but a breeze had blown them around), and even my mom holding the leaf bags, helped me to get a majority of them finished. What a great example they are to me of service to family. I hope that I can be the kind of mom and sister that they are to me and also that my girls will learn from their Aunt Shan's example how to serve their sisters. I hope that someday I will be in the position of GIVING. I don't have much money or time to give to them. I hope that turns around SOON but for today I am soooo grateful for the service which comes my way. Love you mom and Shan!"- Michele

Parents

"Me and brian are grateful for the love and support of both of our parents. Oh and Titan can be thankful for that too!" -McKinli

My Home

I am grateful to live in my house. To think that some people don't have homes, or have like mud houses. I never really stop and think what it would be like to not have a home because I have always had one. But i am very lucky to have a home, and such a nice home too! (: Its very comforting to know I always have a place to live. And not worry about anything like if someone will come take that away. I'm very grateful!(: - Matti Fennell. (:

Thankful for Fear

What a crazy thing to be thankful for but without this emotion we would not have a warning mechanism in our bodies to protect us and warn us. Although fear is not an emotion that God wants us to dwell on, it certainly makes HOPE that much sweeter. It motivates us outside our comfort zone and allows us to GROW which is why we are here. As long as we do not let it consume us or our thoughts, it can be a powerful emotion to push us to new heights. I was comforted from this hymn today.- Michele Adams

"How Firm a Foundation, Ye Saints of the Lord"

1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

2. In every condition, -- in sickness, in health,
In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth,
At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, --
As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3. "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

4. "When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not overflow;
For I will be with thee thy troubles to bless
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5. "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all-sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flames shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.

Powell Blessings for Today

"Brian is thankful the Sabbth Day because it reminds him of everything Heavenly Father and Jesus have done for us. And I am thankful for my, Brian and Titan's health!" - McKinli Fennell Powell

Thankful for Beautiful Shade Trees in the Summer...

and for the wonderful source of exercise they give me when raking their leaves in the Fall. Ok...maybe that is a little sarcastic and taking it a bit too far. This is what I am thankful for today:

1. The gorgeous day in which to rake the monstrous pile of leaves.
2. The warmth of the day today..67 degrees
3. The beautiful blue sky as a background setting to the gorgeous fall leaves on surrounding trees.
4. A strong back in which to rake rather than laying flat on my back feeling guilty for others doing my work.
5. A radio to listen to music and to sing and dance and embarrass Matti with...even though it was just us in the backyard.
6. More leaves for another day of fun...maybe several more days of fun.
7. A fun, ambitious, positive best friend to rake the leaves with me without complaint and laughing WITH me when i get leaves IN my pants and DOWN my shirt...oh and dog poop on my shoe that I don't discover until we get in Target. hehehe.

Your Spouse

"I am thankful for my husband!" -McKinli Powell
"I am thankful for my wife!" - Brian Powell

Thankful for Animals

"I am so thankful that Heavenly Father put animals on this earth. Particulary dogs. No matter what type of day I have had, good or bad, my puppy is the one thing on earth that knows exactly how to cheer me up. Dogs are so loyal and love you no matter how long they have been waiting for you to come home. They don't get inpatient for you - they are always overjoyed when they see you, and give you unconditonal love - always. I love when I pull into my driveway after a long day at work, and as I get my mail and proceed to walk into my house, I can hear my dog Harli in the backyard jumping up and down against the fence because she knows I am home. Heavenly Father has given us so many beautiful creations on this earth for the sole intent to bring us joy. Today - I am grateful for Harli, she brings so much joy into mine and Jess' life." - Whitni Dickson

My family

" I am very grateful for my family. I wanted to start off with something so big and so simple. They mean the world to me, I can honestly say i wouldnt change them for the world. I would do anything & everything for every one of them. They have helped me so much with everything in life, friends, school, sports, and just when i need someone to talk to. They have always been here for me and I'm very glad I have them. I don't tell them enough but I love them more than anything. And i don't think they realize how much they have helped me and how much they mean to me. My sisters, Whitni and McKinli i look up to with everything. They may not know it, but I do. Whitni with getting married in the temple, and McKinli on how such a strong mother she is. And hopefully one day I can too. But trust me not for a long time! (: My parents, are the greatest parents in the world. They do everything they can for me and my sisters. They keep me going and never wanting to give up on anything. My little (half) brother Will, well he is just a little ball of fun(; haha. He is the funniest, cutest little brother ever! I hope I can be a good example to him one day. Well, I love you guys more than anything! (: Thanks for everything you do! I really appreciate it!" - Mattisyn Fennell. (:

My Health

"As a small child I seemed to have a low immune system and over the years it has caused me some sick days. However, I am grateful for a body which has withstood some of the many stresses I have put it through. It has taken me through severe morning sickness, divorce, heavy work and family life schedules, financial stress, death of family members, and etc. I am grateful to have survived swine flu back in May when it has taken the life of many. I am grateful for my body's ability to heal from my herniated discs and making it possible to resume life again. So maybe my immune system is stronger than I think. I count every day that I am able to be productive and living as a blessing!" -Michele

Talents & Blessings

"I am grateful for the talents I have been given. I take them for granted so often and I have tossed many talents aside that my Father in Heaven has blessed me with. I am so grateful for my patriarchal blessing and that when I am feeling down or discouraged, I can turn to that sacred blessing for guidance and remember all the abilities and talents the Lord has given me to uplift me and encourage me to endure. I know that we have talents for many reasons. We are given special gifts to help others along their journeys and show them a glimpse of hope. We are given talents to help us feel better about ourselves. When we are serving others it is such a rewarding feeling... and I know when we are putting our talents to good use, we are pleasing Him." - Whitni Fennell Dickson

Titan B Powell

This is the blessing that McKinli and Brian are most thankful for today. (They were not near a computer).

A Blog of Blessings

Because our family no longer lives under the same roof...or even the same cities I would like to start a Thanksgiving blog. Each day I am asking each of the family members to utilize the month of November to list something they are thankful for each day. I think this will be fun and reflective for our family. As the mom...I will start. Yes....Brian and Jess...Titan....I want your blessings too. :)

TODAY: I am thankful to be a MOM! No calling, no career, no award could be greater or mean more to me than the privilege I have had of being a mom and raising such amazingly talented and beautiful daughters!! I am also excited to have two son-in-laws and the Priesthood back in our family. Who could ask for more?

I have not always been the best mom and have made lots of mistakes but hopefully my family knows that they mean the world to me and I consider motherhood the greatest calling...the toughest calling...the most rewarding calling a woman could ever have!
Your turn family.....