What I am Thankful for...

I have so much to be thankful for. As I sit and reflect on my blessings my heart is full. Here are some of the things I am especially thankful for this year:
-Ella smiles. Ella has been the smiliest of all my babies. Her smile lights up a room and it is hard not to be happy when she is smiling at me. I just love this little girl and I am so happy that she was able to join our family.
- A Latter-day Prophet. Recently my heart has been full of love and gratitude for our dear prophet Thomas S. Monson. I feel that in our world of uncertainty and confusion our prophet stands for truth and light. I feel peace when I hear him speak and I feel that I can face what ever problems life throws at me.

- My younger brother Matt. Matt is my oldest younger brother. I remember when I was a child I thought he was pretty much the most annoying thing ever. I don't know when exactly it happened but somewhere along the way Matt became one of my very best friends. I love Jared and the kids but sometimes I need to talk to other adults. Without fail every Sunday since he got home from his mission in May Matt gives me a call and just talks to me for a few hours. I know that as a college co-ed this is a bit of a sacrifice for him. I love talking to him and I don't think he realizes how much our Sunday conversations mean to me.

-Landon hugs. Every time I pick Landon up from preschool he runs to me proclaims "Mommy" and gives me the best hugs . It seriously melts my heart. I know that one day he will grow out of this so right now I am really enjoying these sweet little moments with my boy.

- Little girl hair. Tori's hair isn't super long, but it is long enough that I can do some cute things to it. I didn't get much hair until after I was 2 so it has been so fun being able to try our cute hairstyles on Tori.

- The kindness of strangers. This August I flew to Vegas all by myself with the little girls. Anyone who has flown a lone with small children knows that it is not fun and it is no small feat. I was absolutely dreading dragging the girls and all of our stuff from the plane to baggage claim. I had Ella in a sling, Tori in the stroller, my backpack on my back, my purse in one arm and Tori's carseat in the other ( I am sure I looked ridiculous). As I started to bound up the gate a young women and her mother stopped to help me. They carried Tori's carseat all the way to baggage claim and then let me use their phone to get a hold of my ride from the airport. This may seem like such a small thing but to me on that day that young women and her mom were my heroes. I could list so many more incidents like this that have happened in my life and I am so grateful for them because they really help me to remember all the good in the world.

- A cute Husband. Jared is such a patient rational husband and sometimes I don't make things easy for him. He rarely complains and is always willing to help me with whatever I ask of him. I love the father that he is and he really is a great husband. I really lucked out with him

- Family. Jared and I really have such great families. It often makes me sad that we live so far away from everyone but it is so great when they come to visit or we are able to go visit them. This year I am also thankful for family that extends beyond bloodlines. We have so many great friends out here that have invited us into their hearts and their homes. When I think about their love for me and my family it makes me a little emotional.

-Toy cars and trucks. Seriously these things provide many hours of good time fun for a certain three year old boy who lives at our house. My favorite is when he makes the cars talk to each other using different voices (he has his regular Landon voice, the monster voice, and the high pitched girly voice).
-Healthy, happy, beautiful children. I think all to often I take these things for granted. I have been given such sweet kids and a lot of times I focus on the negative, like how much they whine , or how messy they can be, or how they tend to cling to me and get in my way when I am trying to cook dinner. Just when I start to feel really sorry for myself I come across a little bit of perspective and I realize that I really am very blessed.