Thankful: day 17

I'm thankful for medicine. Paisley had her two month checkup today and the poor thing had to get poked 3 times. I hate having to hold my baby when they give them shots. The look of betrayal they give you is possibly one of the worst feelings ever. On the flip side I'm sure having her get a disease would be worse so I will be grateful for the few minutes of pain she has to endure instead of an extended period of time for catching something that now can be prevented by a shot. I'm also thankful for tylenol so that the effects of her shots can be avoided and she can still be a happy baby.

Thankful: day 16

I'm thankful for good friends. When you say the word friends I typically think of childhood. I grew up in an awesome neighborhood where we were all friends. We'd spend the summers playing night games and winters sledding. Some of my favorite memories are when my mom was gone and we'd have the neighborhood over to play crazy games my mom would have never let us play. I also had my "crew" I hung out with all through jr high and high school. I don't think it's very common to keep the same best friends through all those years but we were always together and those 5 girls are still my favorite people in the world even though we only see each other every few years. Now that I'm grown I also have some pretty great friends. They help me out with my kids and listen and give me good advice when I need it. It's funny that when you are a grown up you don't have to ask for permission to play with your friends but instead use your kids as an excuse to play. I'm glad I have friends in my life!

Thankful: day 15

I'm thankful for knowledge. Huntley had school today and when I got home from work she was thrilled to tell me everything she learned. I love watching her learn and grow and the fact she is in her sponge stage and soaking everything up in the world around her. I'm thankful both Chris and I had/have the opportunity to go to school. I'm glad I was able to get my degree and use it to help take care of my family. During school I couldn't wait to hurry up and get done but now at times I actually miss it and the challenges it brought. Maybe that means I need to look at getting my masters. Then again maybe I should just be happy doing classes for Chris every now and then, at least they are free. Which also leads to being thankful for financial aid. Hooray for being poor and getting free schooling.

Thankful: day 14

I'm thankful for tender mercies and the evidence of my heavenly father in my life. Today was one of those no good horrible very bad days and I was having a hard time figuring out what to do to make it better. Of course my husband and mom knew the answer but sometimes actually doing what you know needs to be done and doing what needs to be done is hard and I didn't feel I had the courage to do what needed to be done. As I was sitting and stewing over my problem I decided to try and read a book my mom had given me a few days ago. The book recapped a talk given during a past general conference by Elder Bednar about the tender mercies of the lord. Our father in heaven knows us and what we are going through and allows us to have experiences in order to feel his love. The world may call these coincidences but as I look back on my life I've had too many coincidences that have given me proof that things happen for a reason and there is a higher power that has a hand in our life. As I thought about this I immediately began to feel better and have more peace about what I needed to do. To top things off as I began to read on the book shared an experience of a woman who had to make the same decision as I do and her positive outcome. I'm not expecting my situation to work out the same as hers but I do know that the outcome will be the ideal outcome for me and that I have no need to fear. I'm thankful that even though I can have bad days my Heavenly Father is always there for me and can provide me with the comfort I need.

Thankful: day 13

I'm thankful for my home. When we started looking for houses we found our current house and another that had already been remodeled for the same price. At the time Chris and I thought it would be fun to buy the one that needed a lot of work because it would be so much fun to redo everything and make it our own. During this process we've discovered several things things about ourselves. Number one being we aren't very patient. Hence the two toned wallpaper our dining room is sporting and the fact every room has a project started and not one is finished. Second being we need to make more money because remodeling requires a lot of it. Third, we really wish Scott lived closer because he has lots of skills that we'd love to take advantage of. Finally we found out that even though our house drives us crazy at least we have a house and can provide a place for our girls to make shelters of their own in. Below Hunt discovered trying to make a tent out of a moving swing is about as productive as her parents remodeling skills.

Thankful: day 12

Today was cold. We spent the day doing chores and watching movies and only venturing outside to get a few groceries. Today made me extremely thankful for running water and indoor plumbing. I can't imagine having to potty train a toddler on a freezing day and running out to an outhouse. Or having to get my girls ready for Sunday by boiling water for their bath. Yes I'll stick to modern day living and my water heater that is as old as me. Any tips on killing a water heater would be appreciated. Only one more month until our home warranty is up.

Thankful: day 11

Huntley has started dressing herself in the morning. She is very independent and wants to match things on her own. Somedays I just have to bite my tongue and let her stay in what she chooses to put on. Occasionally it's embarrassing to be seen in public with her but she is learning agency and how to make her own choices. Of course the country we live in is the ultimate example of freedom of choice. I'm thankful for this freedom and all those who have fought to ensure it. I'm glad I live in a place and time where I can make my own choices and not be ridiculed or harassed for them and I'm glad there are those willing to sacrifice so that my children will be able to have the freedom to choose as well.