Gratitude

I have seen many people do the gratitude posts through out the month of November and I thought this would be an extra great thing for me to do. Right now I tend to sometimes think more about "poor me" than all the things I am blessed with so this month I am going to think of something every day I am grateful for. Instead of a new post everyday I am just going to add them to this one.

Day1: My kids. Even on days where Koen is grounded (today) and where Brigs is out of control (everyday) I am so grateful they are mine. I am so glad I get to be their mom. That I get to teach them and they get to teach me. That I get their big kisses and sweet hugs. That they are wild and fun and naughty and crazy all rolled into one. They are pretty awesome and I am really lucky.

Day2: Breathing. It is such a simple thing we almost all take for granted every day. I will however never forget how grateful I am to be able to breathe. Free and easy, with no help. Pierce couldn't. It is bizarre to me how a body can look SO perfect but be missing that vital function. I am recovering from a head cold and I wasn't able to breathe well through out it. I am glad that isn't the normal for me. I am glad I have lungs and muscles that function properly so I can breathe.

Day3: Family. We spent the night with my side of the family tonight and had such a great time. While we did my sister in law Britton babysat. I have the best family on both sides. They are so fun and so helpful. They were great with the whole Pierce thing and offered us so much love and support. I couldn't ask for better.

Day4: Music. I LOVE music. Most kinds and I wish I could listen to it all day long. Unfortunately when I turn on music it often gets turned to Transformers or Power Rangers theme songs which hang down around the bottom of my list. :) I love dancing around the house to music. I love feeling the spirit from music. I love knowing every word to a song. I just love it. My current top CD picks are Adele, Demi Lovato and Katy Perry.

Day5: Good neighbors. This morning we had a breakfast with our activity days girls and their moms. A couple of my close neighbors have girls in our group. After the breakfast we just sat around and chatted. I seriously have the best neighbors. They were amazing this past summer and I am so glad we live where we do.

Day6: Food. What else could make you grateful for for food like fasting can? I haven't fasted a lot in the last few year because I have been pregnant or nursing, so it has been hard for me to get back into it. I LOVE food. I am glad we have so much variety and glad I dont have to go hungry. :)

Day7: Internet. Mostly for blogs and email today but everything else is wonderful too. I am just so glad I have a place to record the things we do and my thoughts. I love reading back about things we did and reliving them a little bit. It has also been a great place for me to work through my grief. It is bitter/sweet to read back through Pierces and life and the first few months of my grieving but I am SO glad I have it. Email is amazing too. Isn't it great we can get/send whatever we want so easy? Phil's grandma sent daily emails during Pierce's life and that would not have been possible with out the internet.

Day8: Generosity. As in from other. We have had so much geared toward us in the past few months. From friends, family and mere aquatints. It is really humbling. I have learned a lot about selflessness and Christlike love. Thank you.

Day9: Friends. I am so glad I have such nice friends. I have a lot of really good ones. Thanks for being my friend.

Day10: WONDERFUL husband. Wow he is pretty much the bomb. It is crazy how you get to know different parts of people through experiences. I am so grateful for the man Phil is. He is such a strength to me. I am grateful that even though I am leaving today I know my kids will be in the best hands. He is the best dad.

Day11: Girls Trips For husbands who watch kids. Friend who go. People who plan it. People who cook. For the break from life. :)

Day12: Memories/pictures. Today is 4 months since P passed away. I am so glad I have my memories of him. I can't imagine if I didn't have pictures. They help reinforce those memories. I love the feelings they can evoke.

Day13: Primary Children. Why is the Primary program so cute? Why am I on the verge of tears the whole time? Their sweet little innocent selves singing about things that are of utmost importance just makes my heart sing and my emotions go crazy. :)

Day14: Sleep. I love to sleep. Literally love it. Today my kiddos let me sleep in somewhat. It was so so nice. Now if only I had a baby cramping my sleeping style. ;)

Day15: Money. I know it is such a monetary thing, but I feel like we have been pretty blessed in this dept. I am so glad that Phil currently has a good job and that we have the money to buy the things we need and a lot of things we want.

Day16: My Calling. I am an Activity Day leader and I literally love it. It is my most favorite calling. I love doing little activities with the girls and getting to know them. We currently have 9 girls and they are each so different and special. I really just love it.

Day17: Entertainment. Today I saw Twilight Breaking Dawn part 1. I just think it is so fun to have fun things to go do. I love just getting out and doing something that is just for fun. Fun it was. :)

Day18: Showers. Or should I say running water in general. I am so glad I have running water and a warm shower. The shower is such a nice break from a hectic day or a get me goin first thing in the morning. Seriously one of my most favorite things.

Day19: Temples. Today Phil's little sister went through the temple for the first time. I feel so grateful to have a place to go to get away from the world and feel the spirit. It was such a special day with Phil's whole family in the temple except one brother. I like to think that we may have had a few other visitors too, like Phil's Mom and Mr P. :)

Day20: Church. I feel like lately at church there has been a lot of things that are "just for me." I am so grateful for the people who study out their topics and present them so wonderfully. Today the High Council speaker was fabulous. I felt the spirit so strongly as a he talked about fasting and being prayerful. I have learned that just because things we pray for don't always turn out the way we plan or would want our prayers are still heard and answered according to the Lords will.

Day21: Health. I am so grateful that each day I wake up I feel good and healthy. Maybe a little tired, but healthy. ;) I feel so lucky to not have any ailments that plaque me or my family. I think health is something I took for granted before having Pierce and realizing how bad it can be when that is taken away from you. Each day I have a healthy body I will be grateful.

Day22: Laughter. Can you imagine a world without laughter. I love the way it brightens my day, puts a smile on my face and at that moment everything is happy and perfect.

Day23: My house. My Dad has a worker who doesn't have a house and this is just unfathomable to me and my kids. I have never known a time where we didn't have a house and I am so grateful for that. I am glad I have a place to keep me safe and warm. A place to put all my stuff. A place to create memories with my kids. A place to call my home.

Day24: Thanksgiving day!!! I am glad we have a day to sit back and think about all the things we are blessed with. Sometimes it takes a certain day to remember things. I am glad I could take time this whole month to think about my blessing.

Day25: Being a SAHM. I love being home with my kids. Although I cant wait to get my Nursing degree, it isn't because I want to work, I want to have accomplished that. There is no job that seems better to me right now than being with my kids. I love that today we can hang out in our sweats because their is no way we are fighting the crowd, and listen to Christmas music. I love that I get to see all the cute things they do and raise them the way I want. Thank you Phil for supporting me in that. :)

Day26: Prayer. What a blessing to be able to pray when ever we want. I love the comfort that I feel when I offer sincere heart felt prayers. I love that When I pray alone I dont have to worry what anyone else thinks and I can just lay it all out there. I love that I can bawl my way through a prayer and it not even matter because I am saying it in my head. :) Really just so grateful for it.

Day27: Families Can Be Together Forever. Like the song. We sang this at the hospital when Pierce was blessed and his cousins sang it at his funeral. For some reason or another my relief society and ward think it is a great idea to sing it like EVERY week. No joke. We really did sing it today and last Sunday and at least 6 times since Pierce passed away. Although I have to kind of zone out during it, I am grateful for the words and the simple truths it tells.

Day28: Car. Wow who wouldn't be glad they have a car. I know I dont want to walk Koen to school, haul my groceries in my hands home, and you know Phil wouldn't be hip on his commute with out a car. ;) I am glad I have 2 reliable cars that get us where we need to go, fit all our junk and all of us. Ü

Day29: Zumba. I love shaking my booty at Zumba. I love going and taking my mind of things and exercising. Working out and running have been so good for me mentally in the past 4 months. It gives me another thing to focus my mind on and it is a good let out. Too bad it cant be working "so good" for me in the physical dept too. ;)

Day30: BLM's. Not because it is fun to be a part of this club, but for the support and love I have felt from so many other Mom's who have lots babies. It is nice to know I am not alone. Someone else felt how I do. Someone else did it. Someone else made it. Someone else missed their baby everyday. Someone else wishes things could have gone differently. All these someone elses have been great examples to me. THANK YOU!

I really liked doing this. I am blessed with so many things. It is nice to step back and realize them. I decided to repost this at the end of the month.