Week 6

36)  I am grateful for this gratitude journal.  It entirely changes my perspective to be thinking of things to be grateful for each day.  I am grateful for Monday nights, that they are treated differently, that they are special.  I love my family and love spending time with them.  For the lesson, they like to act out scripture stories.  Tonight Maddie had the lesson and we acted out the story of Moses and the burning bush that she learned about in primary yesterday.  I know it was good for her, but it was good for me, too.  It helps to have a visual of the story to help cement it in my mind.  We also made a video for Jared's brother Kyle's birthday tomorrow.  Always a fun time when things are being recorded!

37)  I am grateful for my mom.  It has been fun to talk to my mom more than usual the last few weeks.  We always talk a lot, but they recently became temple workers and with things on the farm being crazy, it seems like we hadn't talked much for several weeks.  With all of the holidays and with Kelsi's wedding coming up in January, there was been a lot more that has needed to be talked about and it has been fun.  Today we talked a couple of times.  It is just fun to have such a good example, great friend, and someone who understands motherhood and what I believe so much.  I am lucky.

38)  I am grateful for date nights.  It can be so easy to get caught up in the day to day busyness, and it is so important for us to go on dates.  I love Jared, I'm so grateful to have my best friend to talk to every day and to share in all the fun(and frustrations) that go along with this journey through life.  He helps me be better and sets such a great example to me.  He is amazing.

39)  I am grateful for snow. It is so beautiful and sparkly and softens everything. My kids absolutely love (well Anderson isn't sure about it yet) and I'm looking forward to playing in the snow this winter often.

40)  I am grateful for the Savior.  His birth and His life are so amazing and I am grateful to be celebrating Him.  My goal this December is to really focus on Him and learn more about Him.

41)  I am grateful for a good friend who was exactly what I needed today.  I'm grateful that Heavenly Father places people in my life when I need them.  We learn so much from each other and have helped each other through many different aspects and stages of our lives.

42)  I am grateful for the words of the prophets.  Today I found several answers and lots of inspiration in just the way I needed them.  I am also grateful for the talks in Sacrament meeting today, I didn't get to hear all of them, but the parts I did felt like they were just for me.

Week 5

29)  I am grateful for our neighborhood. The kids have good friends to play with, carpool to school and soccer/t-ball/swimming, there is always someone willing to lend a hand on projects, good conversations and examples are all around us. I feel safe here. I like to walk/run/bike around the neighborhood and it is great for that, too.

30)  I am grateful for election day.  I enjoy working at the polls while my awesome husband takes the day off and takes care of the kids.  I am pretty lucky.  I am grateful for my right to vote and participate in our local government.

The things I'm grateful that my body does:

-Run and exercise.

-Lift and move things.

-Cook and prepare meals.

-Hold/kiss/cuddle my babies.

-Serve others.

-Sleep restfully.  

-Heal from sickness and injuries.

-Work in my home and yard and anywhere I'm needed.

-Throw balls to my kids.

-Jump- on the trampoline, in workouts, for fun.
-Dance parties.

31) I an grateful for goals. Big and small. They help me get on track and stay on track. There really is no standing still, we are always in motion. 

32) I am grateful for the moon and stars. Tonight I walked home from a meeting at the church. It was cloudy, but the wind shifted and suddenly I could see a very breathtaking view of the stars and an almost full moon that bathed the whole street with a soft glow. I'm grateful that I live in a place where I can see the stars. 

33) I am grateful for Anderson. He is such a busy little guy, so playing in toilets, climbing on furniture, emptying cupboard and making messes are common occurrences in our home. But I love watching him learn new things and new words. He gets so excited and is so proud of himself. He is constantly laughing and smiling and teasing. He loves to cuddle with me. He melts my heart. I sure love him! Tonight he had a hard time falling asleep so I sat by his crib and he just talked and smiled and rubbed my arm until he was out. So sweet. 

34) I am grateful for Briggs. He is hilarious, and his grin and laugh keeps me smiling. He is also respectful and kind to us. He likes to tease his sisters mercilessly and tackle poor Anderson (he can't wait until he is big enough to REALLY play). He patiently throws balls back and forth with Anderson, sit next to Emma while she so slowly reads to him, and plays pretend dress ups and house with Maddie. He gives me the best bear hugs and cuddles. He always tells me how much he missed me. He and I took a two hour nap together today, and he was just so sweet, rubbing my arm, face, etc. I'm a lucky mom!

35)  I am grateful for Jared's parents.  They do so much for us and for our children.  Today they happened to be driving past our church building as our Sacrament Meeting finished and stopped to pick up Anderson and take him to their house for a nap.  He was exhausted and it was just so nice.  They often do things like that for us.  Yesterday afternoon I went out to borrow a couple of tools to work on our barn and his parents just came over to help.  His dad always jumps into any projects Jared is working on.  My washer and dryer are having some issues and she asked me to just drop off my piles of laundry tomorrow and she will wash, dry and fold them all since it is her day off and she loves doing laundry.  Seriously, she loves it.  Jared's dad saddles up his horses and takes my kids for horse rides every single week, rain or shine.  He also takes them on 4-wheeler rides, even if they have to wear 4 layers of clothes.  We are very blessed to not only live less than 10 minutes from his parents, but to have a good relationship with them and benefit from their example of service and love.

Week 4

22)  I am grateful for education.  Emma's school is exactly what she needed.  Her teachers are who she needed this year.  I'm grateful for Emma's faith in choosing her school.  She prayed about it and told us where she needed to be.  Some days she is sad that she doesn't go to the school that so many of her friends go to, but I also regularly hear her say things like, "Good thing Heavenly Father wanted me to go to my school."  I'm grateful that her school requires parent involvement.  It makes a huge difference, I'm sure for the teacher, but also at home.  I love observing her in class and hearing the way her teacher is teaching so I can reinforce it and encourage her in certain areas.

I'm also grateful that I can continue to educate myself daily.  It is amazing the amount of knowledge you can glean through books and the internet.  I also learn a lot from the people I meet and the experiences I have.

23)  I am grateful for my family.  I was able to spend some extra time with my mom, sister and brother today.  My mom and I drove to Utah to help Kelsi as she shopped for wedding dresses.  It was fun to see her dressing up and so excited.  I am grateful to have a sister, she is pretty special to me.  Michael is a lucky guy.  And she is lucky to have him, too.

24)  I am grateful to be a mother.  Today was not particularly glamorous or exciting, but it was good.  I was able to spend quality time with each of my children.  I was able to hear about their day.  I was able to go to a Halloween party at pre-school.  I was able to cook for my children(my first ever "throw away meal").  I was able to read scriptures with them, say prayers with them, and tuck them into their beds.  I am grateful to go to bed tonight knowing that they will have food to eat in the morning, a school to go to, clothes to wear and knowing that they are so very loved.  I know Heavenly Father loves me because He sent these children to our home.

25)  I am grateful for visiting teaching.  It is one of my favorite callings.  I am always so grateful and blessed by those that I not only visit, but also a huge amount by those I am partners with and those that I visit.  I'm always amazed to learn that everyone is going through something, just have to get to know them.

26)  I am grateful for holidays!  I love having an excuse to do things out of the ordinary and routine.  I try not to stress out about making it be "perfect" because they never will be Pinterest worthy and that is more than ok with me.  It is about togetherness and making memories instead.  I am looking forward to the extra family time and the silliness and fun(and likely tantrums and tears that go along with sugar overload ;)  that will be a part of it.  Happy Halloween!

27)  I am grateful for family history work.  Jared and I have been learning so much about ourselves and each other as we have been trying to make progress withing our family lines.  We were able to go do baptisms for the dead this afternoon and it was great.  I love being in the temple, especially when it is for family.

28)  I am grateful for the people in my life.  My husband, my children, my parents, Jared's parents, my siblings, Jared's siblings, my friends, my ward members. I am influenced greatly by so many good people and I believe that so much of who I am is because of those around me.  Heavenly Father has placed me very specifically in situations and with people to learn the things He wants me to.  I'm trying to listen and take in all the things that I have the opportunity to.

On to Week 3

15)  I'm grateful for the mountains.  There is just something so calming there.  It makes my heart feel happy to be there, surrounded by it all.  The kids enjoy it, too.  We went tonight and it was exactly what I needed.  When we pulled into the parking lot, there were 2 huge moose hanging out on the hill for us to watch.  We are not quiet, so they knew we were there, but seemed unconcerned.  We took Molly with us, too, and she was in heaven.  The kids and Molly just ran and explored and ran some more.  It was a great night.

16)  After a BEAUTIFUL day yesterday, we woke up to windy and rainy today.  I am grateful for a warm house and clothes and a car to drive my kids to school.  I'm also grateful for school.  I miss Emma when she is gone, but she is learning so much that it is worth it.  I'm grateful that Maddie has a good pre-school that is just right for her and that we are able to put her in a pre-school.  I'm grateful that I can teach piano to trade for a day of pre-school for Briggs.  He thinks it is fun and it is giving him a good foundation.  Education is important, I'm grateful that it is so available to my children.

17)  I am grateful for the piano.  It is so therapeutic and I love when music is being played in our home.  I am grateful for my piano students, who share my love of the piano and make it so fun to teach.  I learn so much from them as they discover new things about music.  I am grateful that my parents sacrificed time and money so I could learn to play.

18)  I am grateful for my knowledge of the Plan of Salvation. It doesn't take away all the pain and sadness but I do find comfort. I'm grateful to know that families are forever. So so grateful.

19)  I am grateful for my body.  It may not be "perfect" but I can run and throw and almost keep up with my kids.  I am grateful that I've been able to create, carry and feed 4 babies with this body.  I'm grateful that I am learning how to care for and appreciate all that this body is capable of.  This morning we did our PT test and I was surprised by what I was able to do.  Surprised and excited.

20)  I am grateful for Jared.  I am grateful for him every day, but today he took care of so many things that I couldn't.  Repairing and patching drywall, taking apart our dishwasher, fixing it and re-assembling it, and tons of yard work projects.  Not to mention regular things like dishes, laundry, fulfilling his calling and taking care of the kids.  He is pretty amazing.

21)  I am grateful for our primary. We had our primary program today and they did great. The Spirit was so strong. It is a testament to the kind of parents and teachers they have, but speaks volumes about the strength and power I see in the kids each week. 

Week 2

8)  Today was a little crazier than I expected.  Emma is still on fall break, Jared was unavailable, and lots of things went wrong around the house, including a washer, a dryer, and water dripping through the ceiling from what appeared to be the bathtub above.  Ugh.  But my father-in-law showed up with hopefully the answer, and an appliance repairman will be here tomorrow, in the meantime, my neighbor is letting me do some laundry there.  I'm grateful for good friends and family who are always there for me.  Amidst the chaos, a nap for Briggs didn't happen, and it became clear that may have been a mistake.  We went to dance class for the girls and the boys were(as usual), restless and silly while waiting.  Briggs was ready to break, I could hear it in his tone and see it on his face.  We survived, though!  And on our way out the door, Briggs and I reached a stalemate over something silly.  I kept my cool and carried on.  In response, he didn't bat an eye and backed down.  As we walked out the doors, an observer commented, "Good job, Mom."  Why don't I say that to other parents more often?  Sometimes, on days like today, we need it!  I am grateful for a kind stranger.

9)  I am grateful for modern conveniences.  I loved watching the kids' faces light up when they talked to Jared on the phone while he was 2,000 miles away(he is getting on a plane and heading home as I'm typing this- YAY!).  My washer and dryer were fixed today and I was just so grateful to do a load of laundry.  We have running water and THREE bathrooms.  Inside our house.  It is ridiculous how spoiled we are.  When we are done eating, I put our dirty dishes in a dishwasher, press a button, an they come out clean an hour later!  When our house is hot or cold, I turn a dial and air fills the house to adjust the temperature accordingly.  When I was making dinner, I was able to choose between several cooking devices.  I was able to read a general conference talk from my phone.  When I need to go somewhere, I just hop in the car and I can cover distant very quickly.  I could go on and on.

10)  I am grateful for general conference.  I didn't get to listen to it all as well as I would have liked, but I am enjoying going back and re-reading the talks.  In the past, I have picked out a talk or two and thought, "Wow, that talk was for ME!!"  What I am realizing is that EVERY talk is for me.  There is literally something specific that touches me in each message.  How grateful I am for a loving Heavenly Father who finds ways to communicate with His children.  All we have to do is listen and follow Him.  I just finished re-reading the talk on the Sacrament, and I will never see it the same.  I love the visual image of Christ with His arms outstretched in mercy and the parallel between that and the young men reaching out their arms to offer the Sacrament.  So amazing!

11)  I am grateful for fall.  I LOVE this time of year.  It looks, sounds and smells beautiful.  We went to a corn maze and pumpkin patch this morning for a pre-school field trip and I just didn't want to go home.  Just way to wonderful.  The smiles and laughter from my kids were the best.

12)  I am grateful for temples.  We went to Utah today and there were several temples to see along the way. I also got to go into the Brigham City temple and we took the kids to temple square. There is such an overwhelming feeling of peace and happiness on temple grounds. I love being there. I miss our temple being 5 minutes away like it was in Twin Falls, but I'm grateful that we still only have to travel 40 minutes to attend a temple.

13)  I am grateful for Saturdays. Even busy Saturdays, because Saturdays ALWAYS involve family time, and I love that. Today is the last day of soccer, and I'm looking forward to even more open Saturdays in the future!  I also like projects. So does Jared. We often throw those into our Saturdays, too. Hopefully that happens today. :)

14)  I am grateful for my ward.  I know I have said it many many times, but we are living in the BEST ward ever.  It is the kind of ward where everyone rallies together when flash flooding happens, moving from house to house bailing out basements or sandbagging.  It is the kind of ward where I ask for help setting up chairs and I suddenly have more chairs than I know what to do with.  It is the kind of ward where the children's powerful testimonies take more time than the adult's.  It is the kind of ward where too many people sign up for desserts for a funeral and the Relief Society president has to call to have sisters NOT bring a dessert.  It is the kind of ward where I learn new things all the time.  I am so grateful to be surrounded by such amazing people.

Gratitude- Week 1

I'm going to be posting my gratitude journal here for this month and next...

1) I am grateful that I had piles of laundry and dishes to get done and that I stayed up late working on them.  During that extra 1.5 hours, I was able to soothe children 8 times.  (8!)  I know that if I hadn't been up they would have been crying and I may or may not have heard them, and if I did, I would have been grumpy from being woken up just after going to sleep.  I wouldn't trade those moments.

2) I am grateful for good friends.  The kind that motivate me to wake up at 5am to go to our ridiculous workout class.  The kind who happily watch all my kids.  The kind who loan me cake pans in the middle of the night, and throw in their favorite cake recipe books while they are at it.  The kind who don't bat an eye when they walk into my messy house.  The kind who tag team with me when one of my children start throwing a temper tantrum.  The kind who encourage me to be better through their example and the conversations we have.  The kind who drive my girls to soccer or school when I'm running late.  The kind of friends who are more like family than friends.  I'm SO grateful.

3) I am grateful for the temple. We are lucky to have it only 40 minutes away.  I took the Twin Falls temple being only a few minutes away for granted, so I'm trying not to make that mistake again. I'm grateful for the feeling I have while I'm there. Sometimes I literally just close my eyes and breath it in. It is refreshing, and I need to fill my cup often. I'm grateful for the thoughts and inspiration I have while there. I'm grateful to look around and see that we're not alone in this journey through life, I am reminded that many have come before us and many will come after. It is all so tightly woven within eternity.

4)  I am grateful for Emma's fall break.  She has this week and next off from school.  She is enjoying sleeping in and doing leisurely things... like taking a bath and eating a bowl of cheerios at her pace. :)  I'm enjoying extra cuddles and talks and not having rushed mornings.  In short, I have learned that I love school breaks, maybe even more than when I was a kid!

5)  I am grateful for challenges that put me outside my comfort zone, that make me stretch and grow.  They are good for me, even if I can't always see it at the time.  I'm grateful that Jared likes a good challenge and encourages our family to "do hard things" daily.  Step by step, I can accomplish anything Heavenly Father places before me.

6)  I am grateful for time with my family.  The girls had soccer games at the same time this morning, and then we had nothing we HAD to do or go.  We got a few little projects done around the house, but mainly we were able to hang out and the kids were able to just run around and play and enjoy the beautiful fall weather.  It was a good day.  To end the day, Jared and I were able to attend the adult session of our stake conference, followed by treats and visiting at our neighbor's house afterward.  I am grateful for dates with Jared.

7)  I am grateful for Sundays.  I had our bedroom window open last night and woke up to the sound of rain.  It was the perfect start to my day.  I look forward to Sundays and taking a break from the normal routine of life to focus even more on faith and family.

Briggs- Age 3

This is a little questionaire that I plan on doing with my kids every year on their birthday starting when they turn 3.
1. What is your favorite color? Blue
2. What is your favorite toy? Motorcycle
3. What is your favorite fruit? Apples and Pineapples
4. What is your favorite TV show? Daniel Tiger
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Hot dogs
6. What is your favorite outift? Basketball shorts
7. What is your favorite game? Basketball
8. What is your favorite snack? Almonds
9. What is your favorite animal? Horses
10. What is your favorite song? Curious George
11. What is your favorite book? "Just Like My Dad"
12. Who is your best friend?  Mom
13. What is your favorite cereal? Chex
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Play on the tramp.
15. What is your favorite drink? Hot Cocoa
16. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  A granola bar.
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Toast
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Pizza
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Dad.
21. What is your favorite movie? How to Train Your Dragon
22. Favorite movie character? Buzz Lightyear
23. What is your favorite scripture story? Jesus in a manger.
24. What is your favorite primary song? "Away in a Manger"
25. Where is your favorite place to go? The park.