Grateful.

"We need to be more grateful. It's one of the marks of strong character, to have a feeling of thanksgiving and gratitude for blessings that are ours. We need more of that spirit in our homes, in our daily associations, in church, everywhere. It's so easy to cultivate the spirit of appreciation." 
- Ezra Taft Benson

it is 10:17 and I am in my bed. to go to sleep. this is a joyous occasion. as most nights as I am laying in bed I replay the day. what went well? what could have been better? what can i learn from today to make tomorrow better? oh yes, and over analyze everything. as i went through my day i thought about what we did at FHE (family home evening) tonight. It was a thanksgiving celebration. complete with hand turkeys, gratitude lists, and oreo turkeys. so as i laid in my bed i started running through all the things i am grateful for. i then realized a. i need to be better at blogging and b. it would be good to have this list for a tough day... so here it is- the things i am grateful for... in no particular order

Family. sunday dinners. family texts. little kids. nieces and nephews. phones. skype. technology. indoor plumbing. showers. razors. alarm clocks. roommates. pillow talk. the gospel. the book of mormon. the scriptures. modern day revelation. Thomas S. Monson. Apostles. the priesthood. my testimony. the atonement. Jesus Christ. The first vision. patriarchal blessings. general conference. stake conference. church every sunday. fast sundays. testimony meetings. Clothes. A job. Megan. Jesse. Friends. A place to sleep. blankets. pillows. charlie (my car). laptops. music. piano music. christmas. thanksgiving. food. cookie dough. late night talks with friends. adventures. the mountains. cascade springs. long drives. random texts. being healthy. the gym. byu. education. knowledge. teachers. pens. pencils. candles. bubble baths. movies. the internet. being financially stable. letters. the united states of america. fall. summer. air conditioning. fireworks. christmas lights. snow. snow plows. coats. mittens. hats. heaters. ski lifts. a father who will take me skiing. a father who will dance with me. a father who loves me. a father who loves my mother. a mother who loves me. a mother who will talk to me as i walk to school. choices. free agency. efy. trials. changing leaves. eternal families. the temple. lessons learned. backpacks. jeans. cardigans. refrigerators. the holy ghost. friends to study with. friends to avoid studying with. the testing center. surprises. cafe rio. spicy thai. stoves. ovens. microwaves. clean water. milk. sugar. ice cream. chocolate. taco soup. camelback water bottles. scrabblecheat.com. clarity. pictures. cameras. video cameras. memories. parks. play grounds. sand boxes. the beach. pools. hot tubs. kites. umbrellas. soap. face wash. shampoo. conditioner. deodorant. good smells. burberry brit. airplanes. london. shutterfly. efy. cali. rachel. morgan. eliza. tambrea. paul. thomas. jason. james. sarah. everyone. bedtime stories. picture books. hymns. iPods. cereal. freedom. safety. missionaries. highways. security. google. facebook. blogger. piggy back rides. forehead kisses. cuddling. dancing. cleaning supplies. electricity. lights. the mail system. amy grant. christmas music. bon jovi. pricilla ahn. regina spector. josh groban. joshua radin. carrie underwood. lady antebellum. taylor swift. keith urban. musicals. public transportation. running buddies. hyde park. opportunities. study abroad programs. email. growing up. kissing. couches. tables. chairs. a dishwasher. locks on our doors. having family nearby.  hulu. chuck. grocery stores. outdoor ice skating rinks. small town cafes. canyons. reservoirs. dating. heart break- so i appreciate love. my body. water skiing. hiking. riding bikes. running. looking for crawdads, "hiking" the Y, swimming suits. my BYU sweatpants, sweatshirts, comfy shirts. sales and clearance racks. hats. sunglasses. youtube. nauvoo. salt lake. joseph smith. brigham young. the early saints. alexander doniphan. CES firesides. BYU devotionals. sledding. hot chocolate. water colors. crafts. imagination. lds.org. geneology. examples set before me. older siblings. halloween candy. bike rides with my dad. crisp air. clean air. nature. trees. doodling. pets. birds. bug repellent. boy bands. old friends. new friends. pretty pictures. art. plays. sports. amazing seat to the BYU games. getting to shoot the cannon. being able to go to london. fulfilling dreams. our loft. insurance. doctors. dentists. my eye sight. being able to smell. taste. feel. pain- so i can know joy. forgiveness. repentance. truth. being able to hear. being able to walk. wildflowers. flowers in general. seats with backs on them. tissues. toilet paper. sponges. blow dryers. straighteners. curling irons. hair ties. makeup. tweezers. sickness- so i appreciate being healthy. modern medicine. advice from parents. advice from friends. young women leaders. relief society presidents. church callings. girls nights. sleep overs. heart to heart conversations. conversations about relationships. my major: marriage and family. love sacs. motorcycle rides. summer days. grass. picnics. windows. beds. the ability to forget. the elderly. the feeling of being in a home. having a home. the city. spring. blossoms. vegetables. fruits. bread. keri's amazing desserts. blind dates. service- both the ability to serve and be served. massages. random acts of kindness. little notes. chargers. outlets. garbage men. dumpsters. past jobs. custodians. fast food workers. wendy's dollar menu. police officers. fire fighters. stop lights. stop signs. speed limits. government. the sun. the moon. the stars. telescopes. science. journals. books. harry potter. the hunger games. words with friends. the ability to write. being literate. sanitation. pumpkins. farmers. elementary school. high school. high school friends. growing up in Illinois (outside of Utah). the missionaries who taught my father. laughter. the future.

it is now 11:07. 50 minutes later. there are so many things I am grateful for and so many people in my life and opportunities i have had that it is impossible to list them all. I truly am grateful for all I have, and grateful to a heavenly father who has blessed me with so much! happy november!!