Grateful

So today I find myself in one of those sappy, reflective moods. Not my favorite mood, too girly. But here I am, so I'm going to drag the poor, unsuspecting readers of this blog with me. I would like to take a moment and think of some of the things I'm grateful for. We'll consider this the Thanksgiving blog since I, once again, forgot to take pictures of my family on Thanksgiving.

I am grateful for.....

• Brian. Every moment of every day and all the days to come. What could I possibly say to define the depth of love and friendship we share. After all these years, to still look at him in the morning, or over dinner of cereal because I just don't want to cook, or when I see him after a long day and feel like we're the only two people who have what we have, I still feel desperately worried that forever isn't going to be long enough with him.
• Tyler and Jake. Although grateful isn't the word at 4:30am when Jake comes in all chipper wanting breakfast, I am profoundly grateful for these two little dudes. Nothing feels sweeter than two little arms when they wrap around your neck. Or soft little checks pressed against mine. I'm grateful for the laughs, for the tears, and all the mess of emotions and life in between.
• Abby the cat. What can I say? I get deep satisfaction when I'm not so thrilled with Brian and somehow my cat seems to sense the need to avenge my crankiness by clawing his legs. Abby is always there to keep us safe from flys and the occasional pipe cleaner that gets out of hand.
• My home. although small and old and cold and messy and.....oh wait, I'm being grateful here...I never realized how much a stupid piece of land would mean to me until faced with the need to leave it. And the day we reversed that decision and took it off the market was truly one of the happier "material" memories I will ever have.
• My job. Everyone should have the opportunity to serve food to complete strangers at some point in their lives. Nothing else can teach you the value of please and thank you like that can. I am grateful to relieve Brian of some of the burden of supporting a family while he continues to recover.
• My parents. I'm grateful for the best example of unconditional love and sacrifice a person could have. And for the wonderful grandparents they are.
• I'm grateful for my "corn warming bag". Little people with poor circulation should never live in places with cold winters. But if they are silly enough to do it, I hope they have a creation I like to call the corn warming bag to pop in the microwave before bed to heat up their toes and blankies before they get in.
• I'm grateful for the way a Christmas tree can make you smile and cry at once. Why is that? Is it the way the lights look heavenly? Is it the ornaments that reflect the meaning and years of our lives? Whatever the reason, I look at my tree and it moves me in a way most objects can't. I'm grateful for the chance every year to find tears in my eyes because of a fake tree.
• Friends. I've had to re-define my idea of friends over the years as time gets more crunched with kids and jobs and committees, but no matter what, they are the people that love us no matter what. I'm grateful for those people.
• I'm grateful for people everywhere who give their time, money, talents and occasionally their lives for the good of others.
• Lastly, but not least. I am deeply, eternally grateful for a loving Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ. So many moments in my life are what they are because of their love. Everything I have is a result of His grace. I don't know where I would be without my Savior and His Sacrifice for me but I do know, most of the things I'm most grateful for would not be mine.

I feel better. To tell you the truth, I honestly was in the middle of a little pity party. I have to work tonight. On FHE. On Monday. when I usually don't work. The irony is my boss probably thought he was doing me a favor giving me an extra shift. And a dinner shift too. I spent a good hour trying to find someone to pick it up, to no avail.

So I hop on my blog ( you know the drill, see if an entry has magically appeared) and I scrolled down to my slide show and "my soundtrack" was playing. Now I hate to admit this, because now you'll know I'm sappy underneath, but I started watching my slide show and listening to my music and I just cried and cried....and cried. I have so much to be grateful for. what a crybaby! So I have to work one day this week that I normally don't! What am I whining about?! So now you know. This is what provoked the list. And the list is what provoked the smile on my face that was not there an hour ago. I'm grateful for my life and everything that includes, good, bad, and ugly. I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving.