thankful {part five}: a big ol' list

(in no particular order)

technology

scriptures

bobby pins

regular paychecks

health insurance

laundry facilities

transportation

hammocks

hair products

glittery things

choir music

new music from favorite   bands

just dance

netflix

zumba

byu sports

tailgating

fairy lights

christmas music

family outings

cold medicine

the mountains

church meetings

the office & parks and rec

shoes

concerts

hot running water

plumbing

electricity

comfy bed

funny videos

laughing in general

good books

anti-virus software

founding fathers

joseph smith

modern prophets

general conference

musicals

this american life

disneyland

moisturizer

colored jeans

mocassins

singing

band-aids

puppies

laws

snow and rain

blankets just out of the dryer

sunglasses

hair bows

air conditioning/heat

brownies+ice cream

costa vida

snow boots

prayer

tithing

trees and flowers

chocolate shakes

pie

summer walks

temples

the salt lake temple

gmail

 shakespeare

roller coasters

thai food

indian food

doctors

babies

stories

polka dots

water

thanksgiving food

dr. pepper

good movies

dance parties

dresses

extended family

miguel’s

letters

long-distance calls

family reunions

the plan of salvation

the atonement

thankful {part four}: sunsets

if you've seen my instagram feed, you know i have kind of a thing for sunsets. i'll let you in on a secret: the sunset pics i post on IG are only a small portion of the sunset pics i actually take.

i just can't resist!

is there anything more beautiful than a sunset? is there anything more majestic than the sky? i submit that there is not!! the sky is constantly changing--what you see in one instant is completely different than what you might see in the next. it's awesome!

so, basically, i take a lot of pictures of sunsets/the sky in general. pretty much whenever i can, i take a picture of the sky. i'm outside and i'm like, it's so beautiful! i'm grateful for the beauty of the sky. it's so simple, but so grand at the same time.

the only thing about sunsets and the sky generally is that it's really hard to really capture their essence in a picture. but you know that doesn't stop me from trying anyway :)

 

the above picture through my rose-colored sunglasses

thankful {part three}: little miracles

i've been struck recently by the way that good things happen in my life. i always expect these grand happenings, where i see this beam of light and hear a chorus of angels , whenever i discover what i'm supposed to do or be.

that's never how it is.

and i even know, intuitively, that that's pretty much how it is for everybody (see this talk). but i guess i usually at least want a little voice nudging me along. it's usually not like that.

it usually happens that i have a thought one day to do something, something random that i wasn't really planning on, and then something good, even great, comes from that. really, usually something perfect for me happens. so, i'm thankful for those little nonverbal nudges that teach me to trust in myself along with the Lord. i'm thankful for the tender mercies that i can see in my life everyday.

thankful {part two}: family ties

i am really grateful for my family. it wasn't in the plan to be living at home, especially not for as long as i have been. but it has actually been pretty great. i'm grateful that we like each other as well as love each other--we like spending time together. i'm grateful that my parents were willing to let me stay here while i figured out what i was doing and then, when i did kinda figure it out, they still let me stay.

i'm grateful that i was raised in a home where the gospel was a central theme. along with that, though, my parents taught common sense and common courtesy and real life skills that i think a lot of people my age lack today. i'm not saying i'm perfect or that i know how to navigate every possible life situation, but i'm pretty sure (based on my own experience...) that my siblings and i have a leg up on some of our fellow youths, and that's a direct result of our upbringing.

i''m grateful for each of my siblings. meredith, who is my best friend, my only former roommate i still talk to regularly, the person who knows all my weird idiosyncrasies and random thoughts. bergen, my fellow reader, the one of us who is truly thoughtful and selfless in so many ways, the middle child who IS LOVED AND APPRECIATED (seriously, berg. we love you.). and carter, my hilarious brother, a dedicated future missionary, my basement buddy. we all have a ton of fun together--there's basically no one else i would rather go to disneyland with :)

my family is awesome, and i am so lucky to be a part of it.

thankful {part one}: faith

it's that time of year again, my favorite time, really: the month of thanks leading up to thanksgiving, which leads up to christmas. i'm this close to listening to christmas music, but i'm holding off for at least one more week :) so, in the spirit of thanksgiving, i'm doing my annual series of thankful posts. (hopefully this year i'll be more consistent and not remember in the last week..)

to start:

i am grateful for my faith. this is way more all-encompassing than just one little blog post, but pretty much everything great in my life boils back down to my belief in a loving Heavenly Father who wants to bless His children and see them happy. i know He knows me and knows what i need and what i am worried about and the desires of my heart, and i know He answers prayers. i am sorely lacking in many ways, but i try to raise my voice in thanksgiving when i can for all those amazing things that i have because of my beliefs.

happy november! more thanks to come!