Gratitude

I didn't post something that I'm grateful for everyday. I wanted to wait to do it all at once. I have so much to be grateful for in my life right now.

I am grateful for:

1. My husband. He takes such great care of me. He is always putting my needs before his own. Some might say I'm spoiled but really I feel like we both are just putting the other person's happiness before our own. He never hesitates to help me with whatever I need and is always there to comfort me and drop what he is doing if I need anything. I love that he always says I love you and I never have to wonder if he loves me because he shows me each and every day.
2. Good doctors . We have had wonderful experiences with doctors helping us through our fertility issues. They have been positive and great at listening to us and working with us to make sure I'm healthy during the process and that we understand why things are happening.
3. My education. I may not be using my degree right now but I'm grateful that getting that degree gives me knowledge of working with children and the option of going to work if I need or want to.
4. Sunshine. It always seems like we don't have enough of these days but I love it when we have a beautiful sunny, blue sky day. It just makes me happy to go outside and be in the sunshine and sit in my apartment and let the light come in.
5. Heat. I know this one may seem silly but its been cold here lately especially at night so I'm grateful that we have heat for our house and car so we can be comfortable.
6. Our cars. I'm grateful that we have 2 cars but only pay for one. We can go anywhere we want quickly and comfortably. They make it easier to travel and go get things at the last minute.
7. Technology. We don't live right by our families. Skype and facetime on our computers let us talk to and see our families anytime we want.
8. Holidays. I know it may seem strange but I am grateful that we have this time of year that feels so special and people just seem kinder and happier. It also seems to give us a new focus on family and what is important in life.
9. My eternal marriage in the temple. I am grateful that Mike and I have been sealed in the temple and that we will be together forever and that any children we might have someday will also be ours for eternity.
10. The Book of Mormon and Bible.
11. A living prophet President Thomas S. Monson. I am grateful that we are led by a prophet who receives revelation from Heavenly Father to lead and guide us and teach us what we should do to bring us happiness.
12. Friends who love and care about us. I don't consider us to have tons and tons of friends but I wouldn't trade the ones I do for anything.
13. Prayer! I'm grateful that I can pray to my Heavenly Father and that he always listens and answers.
14. That I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I love the gospel in all its simplicity and truthfulness. I'm grateful that the gospel never changes and that I can always rely on my Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ.
15. Family traditions. I am grateful for the traditions that my parents established while we were growing up but also for the ones Mike has shared with me since we got married. I'm also grateful for the opportunity to start new traditions with Mike and someday our children.
16. My camera, I love taking pictures and I love that the pictures I've taken allow me to go back and remember wonderful memories and people from years past.
17. My Savior Jesus Christ and his unconditional love for me and the patience he has with me.
18. Our apartment. I'm grateful that Mike and I have such a nice place to live. Its not the fanciest but it is ours and we are able to have what we need. I am grateful that we have a safe place to live and that it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
19. The temple. I love that we have a temple close to us where we can go to feel close to the Lord. We can serve others which I love doing because I completely forget about my own problems. I love the peace I feel when I am in the temple and that when I am there I never want to leave.
20. The beautiful world that was created for us. We live in such a beautiful world. I love to see the ocean and to go see the majestic mountains. I love taking drives and seeing beautiful landscapes and being able to appreciate the wonderful gift of the earth.
21. I am grateful for my phone. I'm grateful that I have a way to contact someone immediately if I need anything and a way to easily talk to family and friends who might be far away.
22. I am grateful that I live in this country. I do not always agree with what is happening in politics but I am grateful to live in a free country.
23. I am grateful for electricity. We benefit from this so much...lights, heat, all of our appliances that we use. It helps to keep us comfortable and makes life easier.
24. I am grateful for clean water. This allows me to be able to take a nice hot shower every night and be clean. I use it for cooking and drinking and so many other things too numerous to mention. Really where would we be without it?
25. A good night's sleep. I love when I can go to bed early and cuddle up and just rest. It is so wonderful to get a peaceful nights sleep and wake up in the morning feeling well rested.
26. I'm grateful for appliances like microwaves and refrigerators. The microwave makes it easier to save food that we can easily heat up later and I love that it is convenient to keep our food cold so that it lasts longer.
27. I'm grateful for grocery stores. They make it so much easier for me to quickly get the food that we need and to get things when they may not be in season. I'm also grateful that we have so many so close to where we live so it is easy to get food and a variety of food so we can eat all the things we like as well as new things.
28. I am grateful for my family. Both my immediate family and extended family. I am also grateful for the family I married into. I'm grateful for each person's love and support.
29. I am grateful for good books. I love reading so I'm grateful that we have so many wonderful books we can read and that I have the ability to read them. I love the books that entertain me and also those books that are full of information so that I can always learn more.
30. I am grateful for Mike's education. I am grateful that he is able to go to school and learn to become a chiropractor. I appreciate that he tries so hard to do well so that he will be able to provide for me and our future children. I'm also grateful that he has found something that makes him so happy.

I know that I could have listed so many more things because I have so many things to be thankful for and so many blessings in my life. I am grateful for all of the friends, family and things I have been blessed with by my Father in Heaven. Happy Thanksgiving everyone! May we remember to be grateful all year long.

Countdown to Christmas

This year I decided I wanted a new Christmas tradition for Mike and I. We have the traditions that we brought with us from our families that we did growing up but we didn't have anything that was just ours. So in October we were in Barnes and Noble and I saw advent calendars for Christmas. I really liked the idea but I didn't just want a piece of candy everyday. Also why would anyone want to eat a piece of candy that is at least 3 months old?

I was inspired by a friend of mine who made her own and each day she chose a scripture from the story of Christ's birth to read and an activity to do as a family. I loved this idea because I could customize it to be exactly what we would enjoy. Instead of copying her design I decided to figure out a way to make my own. I decided to use paper for mine since that is cheap and colorful.

This is the finished product! I'm so happy with how it turned out! I did the numbers in a zig zag just so all the colors wouldn't line up with each other. Each day has a special Christmas activity for us to do as a family. It was so much fun to think of fun things we could do :) I also made it as a surprise for Mike so he has no idea what we are going to be doing. I figured that's 24 days worth of surprises for him and me really since at this point I don't remember everything I typed up and I definitely don't remember which day is which. We'll be in Charleston on the 14th so we can do those with my family too. I'm so excited to start this new tradition!