30 Days of Gratitude (days 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5)

I've seen a few people doing this, and since I'm not creative enough to come up with things on my own.........

1. I am so, so, so thankful for my family. I would go crazy without them. I am so happy that Kit and I moved to Roosevelt where we can be closer to them. I think it drives Kit crazy sometimes because if we have nothing to do we go to my parent's house. My mom does make better food than I do, so I don't think he minds that part. My family is always there for me. I know that I can always count on them when I need help. I hate to ask for help, and they know that, so they never hesitate to offer.

2. I am thankful for my home. Kit and I spent 10 months in a tiny little apartment that didn't even have a silverware drawer! We had to do our dishes by hand, and we would always say that someday we would miss it. I can honestly say I do not miss doing all of my dishes by hand one bit! Don't get me wrong, I was happy to have a place to live where the rent was not outrageous, but I am so happy not to live there anymore.

My new house has enough room in the kitchen for all of the kitchen stuff we got for our wedding. We have a dishwasher, a huge freezer/fridge, a pretty big pantry, a laundry room that is not in the bathroom, two jet tubs (they don't get used very often), a walk-in closet, two extra rooms, and a garage. What more could I ask for? Well, the yard is not in yet, but someday it will be and I will be grateful for that too.

3. I am thankful for our little Koda. Dogs are the best. No matter what happens, they still love you. Koda is always so happy to see us. She just wants to jump on our laps and lick us to death. I get really upset with her sometimes because she refuses to let me walk through the room without grabbing on to my pant leg with her teeth and going for a ride. We can usually find a reason to laugh at her everyday. For Halloween, she was a bumble bee. She was super cute. We went to my mom's and everytime she would go to jump on or off the couch, someone would laugh because she looked like a little bee flying through the air.

4. I am thankful for my job. I really hate it some days, but there are other days that I feel so fulfilled. Those days come when a cute, loving child gets adopted by gracious, loving parents. I was able to see a foster child get adopted by probably the best parents out there and then see them get sealed together as a family a few days later. This was the most precious thing I have seen. I think I will remember it forever (partly because the sealer's name was Wilford Woodruff). I knew in my heart that it was meant to be that way. The baby, smiled through the whole thing. If it weren't for this family, this child wouldn't have been able to have the blessing of having the gospel in his life.

I am thankful that through my job, I am able to see children get opportunities they would never otherwise have. I am thankful that I am able to see changes for the better in the parents that I work with.

5. I am thankful for trials. I know that a lot of people say this. I don't understand why certain things have happened in my life and I probably never will. I have lost a lot of people who have meant so much to me. I have seen people I love with illness and hardships. I know that through all of these things there is something I can learn. I know that I can become a stronger person and grow in my testimony and relationship with my Heavenly Father.

I will never understand why Lily and Chip died and when I get to Heaven I am going to rough them up! Now, more than three years later, I can't imagine how my life would be without Kade, Kolby and Baily as my brothers and sister. They mean the world to me and I would do anything for them. They are such examples to me everyday. I cannot imagine the pain they feel everyday, but I know they will be rewarded for everything they have had to go through.

I have watched my Grandma struggle with cancer for almost 5 years. This has brought us all so much closer as a family. We did not have a close relationship at all when I was younger for so many reasons. All of those reasons just went away when she got sick. We all started to say, "I love you" more often, and really meant it.

I would not be who I am today if it weren't for the trials I have. My small everyday trials help me to learn and grow. Kit lost his job, but that too has helped me to be humble and grateful. I knew that I had to put my trust in God to help us make it through. My family has been such a support because they have been able to give him some work to do until things pick back up. He has also been offered another job, that we are still thinking about. I think it has brought us closer together. It has been a trial. We had been planning a trip to Disneyland. The ironic thing is I was driving past the airport in SLC when I got the news. Yes, I cried because I would not be boarding one of those planes in a few months. I cried everyday for about four days. That is a scary feeling, not knowing what to do and having no control over the situation. I am so thankful that I have my job and I can handle all of the bills. The income that Kit will be making by doing some work for my family and the business will be just what we need to help with the food and any extras that come up. I know that after this I will work harder on getting my food storage and putting money into savings.

So.... there are my 5. I didn't put Kit yet, but I will by the end of the month.