Thursday, November 22, 2007
Giving Thanks
This month I began taking pictures of things I am grateful for. It was neat to look at the everyday things in my life in this light. I was reminded of so many seemingly little things that make such a difference in my life! Appliances, for example, alleviate so much of a burden on my time, allowing me to engage in more meaningful tasks. How many women in history have been blessed by dishwashers, washers and dryers, etc.? While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with the amount of laundry to “do” I have to remember how long it would take to clean clothes by hand!
Speaking of family-friendly...
There are so many gadgets, gizmos, and products which make raising children so much nicer - disposable diapers being a very important one.
This exercise of looking at daily occurrences through grateful eyes helped me remember that the crumbs on my floor were really a blessing (one I have noticed before as well). They indicate that I was allowed to stay in bed another 15 minutes before feeding the kids! I'm grateful for any extra sleep I can manage!
I LOVE my central vac! This vacuum cleaner is so much more powerful than a regular vacuum, and it takes all the dirt, dust, cereal, and bugs to a big can in the garage (so I'm not worried about spiders living in a vacuum bag in my house). If we ever build I’d definitely get one of these!
The window in my bathroom displays a gorgeous painting every morning. Fall is my favorite time of year for this view as I love the colorful autumn leaves. I can see trees, mountain, blue sky and clouds, and I love it! The Lord’s creations are truly remarkable.
This picture sums up the 2 highest items of gratitude on my list: the restored gospel and my husband!
The Church brings so much light and goodness into my life. I can’t imagine being without it. Life isn’t easy because of it, but is made lighter and more understandable.
Marrying Jon was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Time has only revealed even more amazing qualities in him! I am a very lucky woman!
I’ve been blessed with four beautiful, healthy babies. While bringing them into the world hasn’t been the easiest thing for me, I would do it all over again for what they have brought into my life. I love each one more than I can express. Raising them is quite an adventure; one I am very grateful for!
Natalie
Amy
Adam
Andrew
I cannot be grateful enough for my computer! Since defecting 2.5 years ago to a Mac, I can never go back to the dark side of PCs, and can't imagine that I ever lived without a Mac! It makes my life simpler, and enables me to do really neat things very easily. I love my Mac!
My van has been so amazing! Timing worked out well with Jon graduating from school shortly before our fourth child was born. Up to that point, we had 3 car seats across the back seat in our Accord. What a luxury this van has been for us! Besides being extremely comfortable and family-friendly in every way, the automatic doors are the best feature. Need I say more?
We have said over and over how great of a blessing this house has been to us. We moved in (a little reluctantly on my part) when Natalie was 4 months old. Besides having a yard, covered parking, and plenty of room, we have been able to host so much family and so many events here. Its proximity to BYU and now to Jon’s work is not taken for granted! As an added blessing, it has always been affordable for us to live here, which is helping us now to save for our own home.
I could go on and on about the blessings in my life, but I will end here (as this is getting very long). Suffice it to say that I feel very blessed! I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful and brought the spirit of gratitude and giving into your heart as well.
(at the school parking lot)
