I am BLESSED

I love Thanksgiving. It gives everyone time to think about how blessed they are. This is something that I have always tried to impress in my children. Every night before family prayer we say something that we are thankful for that day. It reminds all of us that Heavenly Father blesses our daily lives. I hope that my children will grow up with gratitude in their hearts and realize that Heavenly Father Knows us and does bless each one of us daily. It is especially great to listen to thankfuls when I am going through hard times. But this is Thanksgiving season so I thought I might jot down a few of my MANY BLESSINGS. (I could never have the time to list even a fraction of my blessings that is why I do it every night with my family and in my prayers.)



1- My husband who loves and supports me in everything I do and want to do. I am thankful for a hard working husband who has the same goals as I do. He works so hard so that I can be here for my children and hopefully be the mother Heavenly Father intended me to be when he gave me the most special children to guide through this life.



2- My three beautiful, fantastic, wonderful caring children! This only makes me the most blessed person on earth to be the mother to such wonderful children. Everyday they make me laugh, swell with pride and joy, humble me, amaze me, and leave me wondering and being thankful for my Heavenly Father who loves me enough to send them to me!



3- My father who has been one of my biggest supporter (with my mom) all my life. He has always been such a great example of spiritual strength, physical strength and love to me. I am also grateful for him being the best Grandpa I could have ever asked for. My children all cherish the time that they spend with him as I do. He also makes us all laugh!



4- The rest of my family. Sometimes I think Heavenly Father could not possibly bless me any more than he already has and then I think of my wonderful brother and sisters and all their families. I love my nieces and nephews - the time I spend with them is priceless. I am also grateful for my wonderful aunt and uncle who has always shown me such great love and kindness and now show my children. I am grateful for my great uncle who is an inspiration to all of us. I am grateful for Bryce's family adn the love they show my family.



5- I am thankful for the gospel that is the guiding principle in my life. I am thankful that I can go to the temple. I am thankful for my primary class (With my little Cody) I am so thankful that I can go to partake of the sacrament every week and feel my Savior's atoning love for me.



6- I am thankful for the United States of America. I feel blessed that I live in a country that Heavenly Father has blessed even before it was formed.



7- I am blessed with security. I mean I am grateful that Bryce has a good job, we have a warm house to live in, there is plenty of food in my cupboards, and we have money in the bank. I feel so grateful to my Father in Heaven for blessing us.



8- I am grateful for the fun and silly times I get to spend with my family. I love playing games, playing sports, doing crafts, doing homework, reading books together (We are reading the 3rd in the Dragon Slippers series - love it!), watching movies and just hanging out. I am SO grateful for those simple times that don't cost anything but are building a lifetime of memories!



9- I am grateful for the scriptures. I love my person study and my family study. I love it when my children ask questions and we dig deeper in the scriptures. I am taking an institute class on the Old Testament and loving it. I have not studied the OT since my freshman year in High school. (I know we study it every 4 years in gospel doctrine but I have youth Sunday school and primary callings.) It has been a blast and I love it.



10-I am grateful for the my mother and the Heavenly Father's tender mercies. If anyone does not know my mother passed away almost 12 years ago. This has been the hardest thing that I have had to deal with in my life. My mom is great. I used to have so much fun with her laughing at different dumb things. One thing I have not thought of for years was the "little brown church" song. There is a song about a little brown church on the hill. Mom was singing it once and said, "Let's all go to the little brown church on the hill with the little brown jug." The little brown jug? I said, "What little brown jug? One filled with moonshine-So we can all get drunk, mom?" Of course my Mom just sang it wrong that one time but that was enough we would tease her about going to the church with the jug of moonshine to get drunk. Like I said I have not thought of it for years. I have been thinking of my mom a lot lately with Thanksgiving coming up and my whole family going home to Colorado. I am filled with so much joy but I am a little sad knowing Mom won't be there. I know Satan has been working hard on me to discourage me. So here I was last week- missing my mom, discouraged, stressed over a bad day. I had a ton of things going on but I said forget it I am going to relax for 30 mins. I turned on the TV to catch some news and low and behold I see the Andy Griffith show on. I think to myself "Mayberry is better than any news" and settle in to watch it. The next thought that comes into my mind was "I used to watch this in the afternoons with mom." My mom never watched TV but she loved Andy Griffith show, Lucy and the Dick Van Dyke show. There were reruns in the afternoon and we all watched them when I was little. But here is the real tender mercy - here I am watching Andy and he starts singing "the little brown church" song. I know this may sound crazy, but I know that my Heavenly Father and my Mom are looking down on me and know when I need them and what I need. So there I was crying and laughing watching Andy sit on his front porch singing.

I AM SO BLESSED! THANK YOU!