Thankful 2013

Thankful 2013

Day 1 Today I am thankful to have a job where I can have the freedom to come and go as I need to in order to accomplish the things that I used to have anxiety over when I couldn't just leave work to go home and take care of them.... like raking leaves in the rain.

Day 2 Today I am thankful for food storage... for the freedom to choose to store extra food, for a place to keep extra food on hand, for the ability to budget to have the means to acquire it, and finally for the knowledge to know how to turn it into something yummy!

Day 3  Day 3 see blog post

Day 4 Today I am thankful for my family... I have sibs and kids/grandkids scattered from Washington to Texas to New Jersey. I am grateful for the technology that allows me to keep in touch with them on a very personal level and keep up with what's going on in their lives...  you ALL so much!!!

Day 5 Today I am thankful for roots.... big, strong, deep roots that keep me grounded and give me a greater sense of belonging on this earth. I am grateful for the legacy that my ancestors have left for me and the struggles they went through to allow me to have the gospel of Christ in my life. I am privileged to have personally known some pretty amazing people during their turn on this earth. I try every day to remember many of the so that I never lose the closeness I feel to those who have passed on.

Day 6 Today I am thankful for friends. I like to think that we had close friends before we came to this life and every now and then we come across these friends here on earth. I feel there are those people who, when we meet up, our spirits immediately recognize the familiarity of each other and you feel such a deep connection. Once you have reunited with one of these friends, not even geography can separate the connection.  I have run across a few of these dear friends in my days and they are such a blessing to me.  I am also grateful for the everyday friends. Those people who attempt to understand me on a daily basis… the ones who tolerate my shortcomings… those people who give me a hug or a smile or a card or tell me that I look nice when we both know that I am having a bad hair day…. the ones who gently try to help me see new perspectives so that I can be a little better today than I was yesterday. Whatever would I do without you!

Day 7 Today I am thankful for storms. Storms can be cleansing... both weather related storms and personal storms. During storms, the dirt and filth can get washed away and afterward, things are fresh and clean. Storms can do damage, like knock down trees and help us to take stock of the weakness in our life so we know in which areas we need to do some pruning and grooming to be able to withstand the next storm that comes along. Storms can also bring darkness into our lives by blocking the sun in the sky and Christ in our lives. Going through the storms helps us to better recognize and appreciate the light. So, yes, I am thankful for stormy weather. It is an opportunity for reflection and growth. It is also right after a storm that we see the rainbow. A promise from God….  it’s comforting to me to have the knowledge that God always keeps His promises!

Day 8 Today I am actually thankful for second chances. I am thankful for the opportunity to connect with people that I didn't have the chance to get to know when I first met them for whatever reason. I am glad that people who may have misjudged me at some point in my life (or whom I may have misjudged) are now a part of my life. I am richer because of your influence and examples! I am also thankful for second chances in the regards that we have the opportunity, through the Atonement to start over and do a little better the next time.... for the opportunity to improve and keep attempting to perfect our imperfections.

Day 9 Today I am thankful for perspectives. I am happy that I have people in my life that I can have deep, thought provoking conversations with…that help me to be able to consider things from a different point of view, but still love me when I don’t get it, or if even if I do get it, but respectfully disagree. I am grateful for the ability to have a conversation with God and have Him help me to understand things in a new light.

Day 10 Today I am thankful for opportunities I have to teach. I am not sure if anyone else gets anything out of my lessons, but I certainly learn so much from the chance to REALLY ponder and pray about the topic. Not just my opportunity to teach the 15 year old SS class, but for all the other opportunities that come along to help me to stretch and grow personally as I try to better understand things that will bring me closer to God.

Day 11 Today I am thankful for all the men and women who put their lives on hold and leave their families to protect our freedoms. I am thankful that I can go to sleep at night without fear of the dangers of war. I am thankful that I can wake up in the morning and dress how I want and go where I want and do what I want. I am thankful that I live in a place where we are free to exercise our free agency in so many ways. I am thankful for the freedom to express myself and to share my thoughts and ideas without fear of retribution (although some of you might wish to censor me a bit..lol). I am thankful that my dad taught me respect for this country and the flag and the men and women who protect it. He taught me what it truly means to be patriotic!

Day 12 Today I am thankful for family… for parents who raised me to know right from wrong. For siblings (and their spouses) who have taught me how important it is to stay close to each other. For a hubs that not only loves me, but tolerates me unconditionally. For kids who are so awesome they make me look like a great mom. For their spouses for putting up with my kids’ quirks.  For my sweet ,sweet grandkids who bring so much joy into my life. For the in-laws (and the outlaws..LOL).  For cousins and aunts and uncles who have taught me that friends may come and go, but family is forever. You ALL complete me in so many ways and are all such great examples to me of unconditional love and kindness and forgiveness and tolerance and patience….. when I grow up I want to be just like YOU!

Day 13 Today I am thankful for a nice hot shower and the fact that I no longer smell like frankincense! I am also thankful for a great friend who shared her frankincense..and white fir... and deep blue.... and her other magic potions last night so I could enjoy an evening with a little less pain in my muscles!

Day 14 Today I am thankful for things that give me physical comfort. In no particular order: soup and homemade rolls, homemade mac and cheese, salted caramel hot chocolate… sweat shirts and yoga pants…  the cold side of the pillow, fluffy down comforters and  memory foam…  massage, heating pads, muscle relaxers, and pain medication.. and most importantly hugs!

Day 15 Today I am thankful for employees so that I don't have to carry the whole load myself! We have been so blessed with two people who have really high integrity and an awesome work ethic. I enjoy coming to work each day and associating with such great people!

Day 16 Today I am thankful for snuggles from my sweet Oakley and her smile that lights up whenever someone talks to her. I am thankful for all our grandbabies and for the sweet spirits that they have. My only regret is that we don't get to have snuggles from our Texas babies more often!

Day 17 Today I am thankful to the knowledge that I have of the Savior and the Atonement and for the peace and comfort that has brought into my life over the years. I am comforted each day when I am able to spend time on my knees asking for forgiveness and for the ability to start fresh each day and know that I don't have to be perfect, and it's ok to strive to do and be just a little better than I was the day before!

Day 18 Today I am thankful for customers! Without them, I would be able to do a job that I love... I wouldn't be able to spend all day with my hubs.. and I wouldn't have met so many awesome people in our community! Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for supporting our business!!!

Day 19 Today I am thankful for intelligence.... I was pondering how far I have come in a year in learning what I needed to know to do something that I have never done before and be able to open a business with my husband in an industry that neither of us had any experience in. When I first started taking the classes to get my insurance license, I was really afraid that I would not be able to understand enough to be able to sell it. (I was never good with legal language...LOL) But through a lot of prayer and a priesthood blessing, even this old dog was able to learn something new and be able to apply it in a way that can help and bless other people's lives. I am also thankful for common sense. This is an important aspect of intelligence and I have discovered that it is not so common.

Day 20 Today I am thankful for Karma. While I don't wish ill fortune on anyone (ok, that's a lie....) I guess I should say, while I strive to do better at not wishing bad juju on anyone..... Let me just say that when someone does something intentionally hurtful towards me or someone I care about, and I choose to turn the other cheek and just let it go, it is nice to know that there are forces at work in the universe that will eventually set things right! It makes it easier to let things go when you understand the cosmic power of Karma!

Day 21 Today I am thankful for my body. Feet and legs that take me where I need to go, arms that let me hug people and hands that allow me to serve others, eyes that let me appreciate the beauty of the earth, ears that let me hear Christmas music, a heart that allows me to feel pain... and to feel love, a mind that lets me discern right from wrong and a spirit that allows me to know and feel things that my physical body is not capable of.

Day 22 Today I am thankful for sunshine. It might mean that I can see my breath when I step outside and I may have to be inconvenienced by having to scrape my windows, but it is a most welcome unexpected thing this time of year when it is normally quite dreary around here. It also makes me a little homesick... since it's very much like Idaho weather, but I'll take it!!!

Day23 Today I am thankful for the tradition of pumpkin cheesecake and everything it represents!

Day 24 Today I am thankful for gratitude... I gained some great new perspectives today that I hadn't thought about before. One person mentioned that he would be as rich as Midas if he could just touch gratitude daily! LOVED that idea. I am going to continue doing my daily dose of gratitude long after November is over. (Don't worry, I won't bore you with them beyond this month). Thank you Sherri Hathaway and Michael McGraw for your thoughts today... it was a great meeting!

Day 25 I broke a cardinal rule today of the tradition of pumpkin cheesecake. Someone that we gave a pie to offered me a slice... and I did eat! It was delicious to the taste and very desirable for breakfast. I have now been called to repentance.... thankfully, there are not a lot of things in this world that we can't repent of and try to be a little better tomorrow. So today, I am thankful for the gift of repentance so that on days when I am weak and give in to temptation, I don't have to live forever in my sin!

Day 26 Today I am thankful for an awesome landlord who fixes things quickly when something wears out or breaks down... (and it's kind of nice to be able to call someone ELSE to repair or replace stuff!!!!) YAY! for having a dryer again so my company doesn't have to sleep on dirty sheets!!!

Day 27 Today I am thankful that I don’t have to do anything today except hang out with the fam. ... glad that Em & Coty &Diane were able to get here safely.

Day 28 Today I am thankful for soggy dressing, under cooked rolls, lumpy potatoes, runny gravy, dry turkey and for the hands that helped me prepare it. Because it means that I have more than enough to eat and a family to share it with!

Day 29 We went to see Frozen tonight.... on the way home the kids were quoting every line in the movie and laughing about it. Wayne's mom said: I really like the way they did the colors on the ice. Nana: Grandma, you do realize it was a cartoon, right? HAHAHA.... Today I am thankful for laughter. I love the way our family always finds humor in almost everything. I am thankful for the moments when we laugh so hard we leak!

Day 30 With all the chaos of this week, which included 10 people, 3 dogs and a tv simultaneously making noise, lots of cooking, shopping and wrapping and trying to keep everyone happy, fed and entertained.... tonight, I sit alone in a dark room, listening to the clock tick and a stuffy baby sleeping on my shoulder.... immensely grateful for solitude!