More Thankful.

I meant to follow-up my last post with another, more substantive gratitude list. Instead, I chose to drive on snowy roads, field worried calls, hold my newest nephew, play with my less new nephew, stand in line at Kohl's 3 in the morning where I did not by a thing, eat myself into a chick-flick-watching coma, and hang out with my family.  Thanksgiving has passed, but not the gratitude in my heart. So...

I am grateful for my family. They make me laugh, make me mad, give me hugs, let me grow, feed me, encourage me, pinch me, tease me, share a kitchen with me, teach me, worry about me, and love me. I am so grateful for them. I've been thinking more and more lately that I would choose them to be my best friends if I wasn't thrown in a family with them. What luck.

I am grateful for my friends. I have a good handful of friends that I can call to tell about my newest endeavor, latest heartache, or yet another story of how cute my nephews are. They love me and they think the best of me.

I am grateful for my job. Yes, really. My actual job isn't too bad, but it's the people I work with. They are awesome. I've learned a thing or two about real estate and how to handle difficult people and conversations. I see good people living even better lives and it makes me keep hope in people. They are such a good support to me.

I am grateful to serve in Primary. At church, the Primary takes care of (the little ones) and teaches kids from 18 months-11-year-olds during a 2-hr block of our 3-hr church. At first I was not overly excited. I mean, those little rascals can be scary sometimes. They often have wet hands, most often from being in their mouths, chatty mouths, except for when you want them to use them to sing, wiggly little bodies that do everything but sit still. And then they sit on your lap, sing at the top of their lungs, tell you a sweet little tidbit about Jesus, listen, participate, learn...

I am grateful for opportunities. This means going to school, getting together with new people to make freezer meals, being able to experience a live concert, to do new things and to grow my abilities and interests... 

And I'm grateful to move into the Christmas season, hoping I feel its spirit as strongly as the Thanksgiving spirit of thankfulness.