I'm grateful for...

I can't help it. I've been feeling incredibly grateful for all that I have been blessed with this past week. I was eating lunch with my little girls yesterday and we were eating the best, juicy, pop in your mouth grapes. I looked outside and saw snow on the trees and I was grateful that I could be eating good (really good) grapes when there was snow outside. There are lots of people in the world who don't get that luxury and they can only eat what they grow. I'm lucky to live near the convenient grocery store that gets deliveries from all over the world so that I can eat grapes in the winter! Isn't that amazing!!

I'm also grateful for...
*Blankets--my kids favorite ones that they drag around the house. They offer warmth & comfort.
*The school bus --I'm so glad I don't have to take my kids to school everyday-especially the mornings!
*The school bus Driver -- I can't imagine riding in the same vehicle with 50 noisy, rowdy kids!
*Naps -- the ones my girls take and give me an hour of free time almost every day.
*The Ensign - how great is it that I can read and reread the Conference talks...the early Saints never got to do that!!
*Good Friends -- I'm so glad that I have a few good friends that I can vent to, talk with, and laugh with about silly things like deodarant smells (inside story there!)
*My kids--when I stop being so consumed with all the things that NEED to get done, I really, genuinly enjoy my kids. It's a good reminder that laundry and dusting will wait, but sometimes we only have today to be together. I love hearing Josh laugh, or Emma ask "Okay, mom?" when I sneeze, or Leah say "Okay Emma?" when Emma sneezes. Leah gives the BEST kisses and hugs before bed, and Annie is okay if she looks a little silly when she walks out the door (what confidence!!). Jake makes up the most amazing and silly stories ever!! I truly love them.
*my husband -- the other night my car battery was dead, and it was parked in the garage. It was so nice that I could depend on him to fix it with the battery charger (would I have ever though of that? I just wanted to know how far the jumper cables would reach). He is such an example of selfless service to the people in our ward...he sincerely cares about all of them. Also, don't tell anyone, but he called me twice yesterday. He did ask me a question, but he didn't really have a lot to say; he was the one that called though. I think he just wanted to talk to me. I must be wearing off on him after all these years.

Simple things, but when you add them together, it means alot. I'm sure I'll come up with more in the next weeks too. What are you thankful for today? Make a list...you'll surprise yourself!

"To express gratitude is gracious and honorable, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch Heaven."

President Thomas S Monson