For Keeping Us In The Black

I know it's lame to complain about being poor during a recession when many of my dear friends have lost their jobs and both Tyler and I still are working. Also, there's a difference between being poor because we chose to work for non-profit organizations and poor because a spot isn't available for you. We feel very lucky. Which is the point of this entry.

Tyler and I work in education. For the first couple years of Tyler's career, an elementary school teacher's salary placed us below the poverty level. I started teaching at BYU Salt Lake Center because I wanted to, but, incidentally, it was kind of necessary. We live pretty modestly but we enjoy some major luxuries that should be entirely out of our means. Like food.

But we have never felt the rigors of the poverty line, and this is because we are surrounded by kind and generous people. I want to send out a great big THANK YOU to our family and friends who take care of us.

In the last little while, Talmage has learned that his parents provide nothing for him. He has taken to asking "Who gave this to me?" about various posessions. Here is a public thank you from Talmage for all the things he noticed this week (certainly not exhaustive of all the help we receive).

1. Thank you to Aunt Chandra for a torquoise, Hawaiian-print, button-down shirt.
2. Thank you to Grandma and Grandpa for Daddy's video camera.
3. Thank you to Aunt Barbara for a T-Rex.
4. Thank you to WH who gave clothes to Abi Hammer who gave Asher a Winnie-the-Pooh themed dressing gown.
5. Thank you to Juli Beaird for an outdoor mini-golf kit used to build indoor castles.
6. Thank you to Nana for Asher's sweater.
7. Thank you to Mama-kell for a Curious George book.
8. Thank you to Abel for Kid K'Nex.
9. Thank you to Collin and Ida for various race cars.

While Talmage was playing with his train set he asked me, "Who gave this to me?" I was excited and proud to take credit when he said, "Oh! I remember! Santa gave this to me!"

10. Thank you to Santa for Talmage's train set.