Giving Thanks

I wish to send everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving wish. What a joyous time of year. I truly am so thankful for the blessings in my life. I have been feeling a bit unsettled during these tumultuous times. Sometimes I get too caught up in the "world's events" and feel too anxious. When I remember the important stuff and focus on the gospel principles, then I feel at peace. How grateful I am for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ and for all the blessings in my life. Here is a quick list of my top 10 blessings:

1) My beautiful children, all four of them. They enrich my life and bring me so much happiness and joy and laughter and tears and worry, I am grateful to be called "mom" (I could be called worse)!

2) My cute love muffin. He works so hard to provide for our family and still manages to be the best dad ever and do a dish or two. He vacuums the stairs as needed and will always take out the trash. He is a blessing to my children and me!

3) My mother and my mother-in-law. What two wonderful examples of strength and womanhood. How grateful I am for their wisdom and their wit.

4) My testimony of truth. I know the truthfulness of the gospel, I know the richness of its blessings and I am so grateful for my Savior and his love for me.

5) My employment. I have a job, a great job that allows me the flexibility to meet the needs of my four active and busy children. I am close in proximity to them and to my home. Employment is becoming increasingly more difficult to find and I have a job that allows me to serve others and help bring more souls unto Christ.

6) My home. Although the mortgage is more than I had bargained for...it is a nice home with sufficient space for all my children and their friends and for family and strangers who may stop by. I have great neighbors and it keeps us warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

7) Food on my table. I have been able to feed my family because I have been blessed with food in my kitchen. There have been some difficult times when there was less food, but nonetheless, there has always been food. No one goes hungry at our home. Infact, some of us probably should go a little more hungry a time or two to help reduce the waist line size.

8) Energy and health. I am so grateful to be blessed with the necessary energy to do all that I am required to do. There are many who may think that I have too much energy...but it has a purpose. I usually can work 8 hours out of the home and then work 8 hours in the home and chauffer my children and attend their events, fulfill a church responsibility, be the homework monitor, feed the family, attempt to clean up a mess or two and still have enough strength to make it to my bed after locking all the doors and turning off all the lights at night. I have been blessed with lots of energy and good health.

9) Call to serve. I have always loved any calling I have been given within the church and that I have the opportunity to serve.

10) The best of the best of friends. I have so many friends who are the best of the best. They laugh with me and at me, they cry with me, they pray for me, they teach me, they endure me, they influence me, they are always there for me, they love me. What a true blessing it is to have so many to call "friend." They all make my life better and there are many, some are far away, some are next door. No matter where they are they are loved by me.

How was that for a top 10? I am truly thankful and need to spend more time showing gratitude.

Thanksgiving was so nice. I cooked for my mom and brother and for my sister-in-law. Eric's boss and his family also joined us. It was a pretty casual meal, nothing too fancy, but traditional, except for the yams part. I hate yams, so I never remember to include them on my menu. My mother loves yams baked with marshmallows on top, sorry mom, I forgot! We also spent some time enjoying pie with the Thomas side of the family. It was a great time. We missed Missi and family and Adam and family, and Justin, the fireman who was protecting the community, maybe next time.

Now for the Christmas countdown. It is total madness, not much time left to decorate the house, trim the tree, buy the gifts and partake of the Spirit of the season. Happy Holidays!