Gratitude: Being Thankful for All That We Receive

Gratitude: Being Thankful for All That We Receive
Darrel L. Hammon 

Another Thanksgiving approaches us, a time to give thanks for all that we have, especially those things that have happened to us this year.

First and foremost, I am thankful for Joanne! She is a stalwart and very forgiving. We now have been married for over 36 years, and I am thank each and every day for her. She is the most incredible woman I know who does everything for me and for our family—and always has.

I am thankful for my two daughters, Anna Rose 

and Hailey! 

They are incredible young women with incredible talents, which they received for the most part—thankfully—from their mother. But Joanne and I both know they were blessed from on High with these gifts and talents. We are proud of them. Thanks to Christiaan and Joseph for being good  husbands to our daughters and good fathers to our grandchildren.

I am thankful for my grandchildren! Our four are the cutest and the most intelligent of all grandchildren. We watched Emiline start first grade... 

a

nd William 

William at Grandma/Grandpa Hammon's house

 and Clark in preschools this year. 

Clark ready to go to his first day of preschool

What they are all learning transcends my own early education. I didn’t even go to kindergarten, and here are William and Clark in preschool at age three, and this is William’s second year.

Avonlea, Darrel, and Joanne in Concordia, Kansas

We are thankful for technology! With Hailey and Joseph with Clark and Avonlea living 14 hours away, we utilize one of God’s greatest gift to grandparents—Skype—a lot. We can have incredible conversations with them. Plus, with our i-Phones, we can send them videos and talk to all of them. We enjoy sending video clips of ourselves singing happy birthday or just saying hello to all of our children and grandchildren.

I am thankful for modern medicine! During this past year, I have broken my ankle and had a couple of medical procedures done. I am so thankful I live where we do and have competent medical people.

Abby, Frederico, Frederico's Mother, Darrel in the DR at the ADR

We are thankful we can volunteer at the Volunteer Care Clinic in south Provo! Where else can you work with medical personnel and students who spend almost four hours each Thursday in helping those who are most in need?

Joanne taking blood from a patient at the Volunteer Care Clinic

I am thankful for my job at Utah Valley University (UVU)! I am having a good time being an educational entrepreneur once again. There is something to be said for helping people, including business and industry, find what they want educationally and then helping them to achieve their goals. More importantly, I work with the best people.

William with grapes

I am thankful I can read and write! Each time I sit down and read a book or write an essay or even in my journal, I thank all those elementary teachers—Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Poole, Miss Bowman, Mrs. Jeppsen, Mrs. Parks, Mrs. Eames, and others who taught me the fundamentals of reading and writing. 

My first children's book

I am thankful I can speak Spanish! My experiences on the potato farm, in Chile, in the Dominican Republic, and in every job I have ever had have aided my Spanish. When I speak it, most people understand me. This is definitely a gift from my Heavenly Father, and I need to use it every single day.

Missionaries from the Chile Concepción and Osorno missions

Another Thanksgiving approaches us, a time to give thanks for all that we have, especially those things that have happened to us this year.