30 Days of Gratitude - Day 30 - This List

Today I am grateful for this simple blog project. I'm grateful that I was able to spend time thinking about what I am grateful for. This isn't the end, more and more things will pop up that I am grateful for it in the end.

Again, I'll say how grateful I am to have the sweetest, kindest, more wonderful husband in the world. He even makes me want to be a better person. I love you, darling! <3

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 29 - Favorite (Weird) Foods

I've mentioned it before, and I'll mention it again: I like weird food. Although, some foods that I thought were weird, like feta, are considered weird no more, so that a bonus.

Here are some of my favorite (weird) foods. A lot of them I can't eat anymore, but that's okay, I still like them.

1. Cheese. all kinds. feta and colby-jack are my favorite.
2. Pickled pigs feet. gross, i know. i blame my dad.
3. Artichokes. but not the heart. artichokes, incidentally, are the first solid food I ever ate. Thank you, Papa, for giving them to me when I was three months old. :D
4. Chocolate. I used to love dark or milk chocolate but now that I am on a strict "low oxalate diet", that kind of chocolate is out of the picture. White chocolate is the way to go! Yummy! (It's also sweeter than the other kind and when I had a piece of regular chocolate yesterday, I didn't like it. Eww.)
5. Soft pretzel. The homemade kind are the best, but I'll take a mall pretzel any day.
6. Cottage cheese. I like it either plain with some pomegranates mixed in or mixed with noodles.
   
7. Slim Jims. Let's not talk about how incredible unhealthy they are. Let's not talk about the incredible amount of sodium is in them. (The fat content really isn't that bad, though.) They are still yummy and I eat them.
   

So, there's a list of some of my favorite weird foods. What are your favorite weird foods?

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 28 - Blue Skies and Sunshine

We recently received a terrrrrrrible storm here and it was gross. There was at least a foot of snow and a terrible ice storm. I ended up having to call out of work because I couldn't get out of my driveway.

But today is different. Sure, it's still bitterly cold, we have some AWESOME icicles hanging down from the gutter (anyone know an effective way to get them off?), and the thought of going out tonight makes me cold, but... there's a blue sky and the sun is shining. I am so happy that I opened the blinds yesterday because I am seeing such a treat outside today. Gone is the gray boring sky that I dislike. Woohoo! So, blue sky thank you for coming to visit us today.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 27 - Christmas

Today, I am grateful for Christmas. I am grateful for decorations, trees, and family. But, most of all, I am grateful for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I am grateful that He atoned for my sins and that because of Him, I can return to live with my Heavenly Father again.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 26 - My In-Laws

So, I'm blessed with having the BEST in-laws a girl could ask for! I've heard stories my whole life of people that don't get along with their mother or father-in-law and I've been kind of scared that I would have the same problem. Well, it's not true. I have GREAT in-laws.

My mother-in-law, Barbara, is great. She is very kind and honest and thoughtful. One little example that means the world to me: So, she is an AWESOME baker. Cookies, cakes, you name it, she can make it. It's wonderful! Well, this summer we learned that I can't have chocolate. (This is tragic.) Well, she decided to make ME a special cookie with cranberries and WHITE chocolate (which I can have). They were delicious and I think it's sweet that she would take the time to make me a special cookie for no good reason than to just make me smile.

My father-in-law, Tom, is so sweet and kind. He will pick me up at our house and drive me to work (I'm still working on my driver's license. It's coming along, I just need to learn to park!) and not even complain about it, even if it does take up an hour of his time. He tells great stories and always makes me laugh. I love him!

I am so grateful to have such wonderful in-laws. :D

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 25 - A Job

(Please forgive me while I catch up on my 30 Days of Gratitude project. I started working before Thanksgiving and have been having a hard time blogging.)

Today I am grateful that I have a job. It's nothing glamorous, but it's something that keeps me busy and the extra money helps as well. My job is at, well, Walmart. I work in the apparel section and my job is to fold clothes and keep the area clean all day. It's boring and working with all women is kind of a headache, but at least I have a job and something to keep me busy. Woohoo!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 24 - Christmas Trees

Today, I am grateful for Christmas trees.

TJ and I bought our tree a few weeks ago for a super good deal and it sat in our car for awhile while until we brought it inside.

(Look. Here's the deal. I triple dog dare YOU to go and get us a live tree, bring it in to our house and put it up. The couch guys had trouble with a couch and I seriously think a tree would not be any easier!)

We love our tree. It's 6.5 feet tall and very plush. The branches are okay. (Not my favorite. I wanted the more expensive real looking branches, but we have a budget to keep.) Rubi LOVES it. Well, she loves jumping on it, playing in it, biting it (!) and all kind of activities that TJ and I don't approve of. I try to remember that she is just a kitty and excited about the new "toy", but it's hard when you just want her out from there.

As a side note, she's still as cute and sweet as ever. Currently, she's sitting right next to me, purring up a storm. CUTE!

Anyway, Christmas tree, we're glad you are here. I am excited to finally see you decorated on Friday.

(And this concludes the marathon blog posting as I caught up from slacking for a week.)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 23 - Eyes

Today, I am grateful for my eyes.

(I know, you are thinking, "What's with all the body parts lately?!")

I am grateful for my eyes because, well, by themselves, they are terrible. Awful. No good. Very bad. (No, I'm not moving to Australia!) But, with correction, they are great. Wonderful. SO good.

When I was born, my eyes weren't developed enough and I had to have surgery when I was very little. One eye was corrected properly and the second, although the doctor said he fixed it, he didn't even touch it. So I was left with one good eye and one terrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrible eye that has never worked properly. After years of only using one eye, I finally met an ophthalmologist that provided me the proper prescription and I've been seeing like a champ! With both eyes! (Never at the same time, though.)

Then, today, I went to the ophthalmologist's and receive the holy grail of eye wear - contacts. For years (and years and years) I was told that I couldn't wear glasses for this reason or that and I guess technology finally caught up with my bad eye and I am currently wearing my very first pair of (trial) contacts. WOOHOO!

So, here's what I like:

I can see. Out of both eyes. For the first time ever.

Here's what I don't like:

Putting them in. I'm still learning. Getting them out. It's hard. (It does get easier, right?)

So, yes. Today, I am grateful that I have eyes to see.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 22 - Feet

Today, I am grateful for my feet. I am grateful that I am able to walk and run and skip.

Lately, my feet have hurt a LOT after work. The other day, they hurt so bad I was up all night because they were throbbing so bad that I couldn't take the pain. The next day, they hurt a little, but not quite so bad. Then, yesterday, they didn't hurt nearly as much as the day before. Today, they hurt a little, but enough that I quickly forgot about it and moved on with my work. I am so glad that they have stopped hurting so bad and I realize what a great blessing having something as simple as feet to walk and run.

So, feet, you are wonderful. Everyone massage your feet for me today, they'll appreciate it.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 21 - My Husband (again)

Today, I'm grateful for my husband. He is such a sweet man and loves me unconditionally. I can't wait for him to receive his PERFECT Christmas gift. He's so sweet and kind and loving and handsome.

I know I've said it before, but I am so keeping him forever.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 20 - Kerry Green

Today, I am grateful for a great friend of mine. Her name is Kerry and she is what I like to call my, "Mormon Mama". She's a wonderful friend and I am so grateful for all the help and guidance she so freely offers. I know that I can talk to her about anything in the world and that she'll understand and offer me relevant advice, much like my own mother (who is a perfect example of greatness) but with a more LDS tilt. I'm grateful for that. And her. And her amazing family that has taken me and treats me so kind.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 19 - America

Today I am grateful to live in America. I am grateful for the freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and other freedoms that I am blessed to have. Most importantly, though, I am grateful for those courageous men and women that fought to give em these freedoms. Without them, who knows where we'd be.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 18 - Roommates

Today, I am grateful for roommates. I've had my share of roommates and I am grateful for every one of them. They are some of the greatest people I've ever known and I've learned something special from each of them.

I wonder how many I've had. Let's count them.

SJC Roommates

1. Christine (Not my favorite person, but she taught me that it's better to be kind to others than to treat them poorly. She was so mean to me for absolutely no reason. Jerk. At least I learned how not to behave from her.)
2. Sabrina
3. Meghan (Technically, we were and weren't roommates because she was in London at the time, but she did help me keep the room clean in her absence.)

Utah Roommates

1. Amy
2. Marieliz
3. Jessie
4. Meri
5. Keri
6. Michelle
7. Kate (?)
8. Amy (different one!)
9. Krislyn
10. Christy
11. Meredith
12. Megan
13. Meagan
14. Natee
15. Susie
    
16. Marne
17. Kristy
18. Nikki
19. Cate
20. Crystal
21. Carla
22. Rachel
23. Wendi
24. Alison
25. Sarah
26. Megan
27. Vashti
    

So, after the math we have 26+3=29 roommates and friends.

(Not including the best roommate I've ever had, my HUSBAND!)

That's quite a bit, I think. And I'm grateful for everyone one of them. Thank you for being in my life for as short or as long a time as you were. I've learned a lot from you! Thanks!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 17 - Cousin Laura

Today, I'm grateful for my amazing and wonderful cousin Laura. She was a bridesmaid for our wedding and she was (and will always be) a complete rock star!


Laura worked hard to be a great bridesmaid and was there for me when I needed her. She had a LOT going on in her life and still took the time out to go bridesmaid dress shopping with me (we chose the PERFECT one for her) and even though she hurt her shoulder, she still walked down the aisle and partook in all the bridesmaid duties of our special day, including dancing and an endless array of pictures. (And she refused to wear her shoulder brace because it didn't match her dress. I told her to wear it many times, but she refused. She's stubborn just like me.)

So, Laura, we love you. You are a great cousin and friend and we are so grateful to have you in our lives.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 16 - Volcanoes

Today, I am grateful for volcanoes.

I know exactly what you are thinking. How could I possibly be grateful for a volcano?! Well, this spring, right around our wedding, there was that terrrrrrrrrible volcano in Iceland and it shut off air traffic to and from most of Europe.

And TJ's best man lives in England.


After many days of stress and panic and plans A, B, and C, Jon finally arrived the Friday before the wedding and in PERFECT time to help us set up the reception hall and accompany TJ in his day-of-the-wedding adventures.

I am so thankful for that volcano because it showed to me just how much Jon cared about TJ and, in turn, me. And he happened to take a suit with him that matched our tuxedos perfectly. (What?! I'm grateful for the little things!) Jon is a great guy (a little odd, I'll admit, but he has the best intentions) and I'm so glad I was able to meet him and have him spend our wedding weekend with us.

Jon, you rock. I can't wait to meet your wife and boys. We'll be there in 2012!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 15 - Cousins

Today, I am grateful for my cousins: Dan, Kevin, Laura, Bobby, Kristen, Rachel, Grant, Garrett, Matthew, Josh, Nick, and Connor.

I have always been lucky to 1) know all my first cousins (you wouldn't believe how many people don't know their cousins!), 2) have grown up with the majority of them, and 3) to have such good childhood memories with them. Because of them.

One of my favorites, is when I, along with Danny, Kevin, Laura, and a few others from the neighborhood would play wiffle ball in their backyard. We always would play with ghost players (obviously) and by the time we were ten, we didn't need base markers anymore because the backyard had four distinct bases in the grass. I remember when my uncle tried to plant grass in the backyard. Let's just say, it didn't last very long.

I had a really fun childhood and I'm really grateful for the cousins that I grew up with. I was an only child, but I never really felt like one because I had so many wonderful cousins to play with as a kid.

So, yes. Cousins. They are something to be grateful for. Tell yours how much you love them, I certainly will.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 14 - Naps

Today, I am grateful for naps.

I know I'm totally grateful for something silly, but there are some days where all you want to do is nap until the cows come home. And today, I did. It was beautiful. TJ and I are enjoying our new couch and I'm enjoying that I can take a wonderful, long, nap on it.

So, yes, naps. They are great. :D

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 13 - Nursery

Today, I am grateful for the my calling as the Nursery leader in my ward.

I am so thankful that I have my calling and that I get to work with the 18 month old babies to the three year old kids. I can honestly say that this is the hardest calling I've ever had. (And I'm talking from experience. I've done everything from Relief Society presidency to Sunday School presidency and everything in between and the Nursery wins for most challenging.) Yes, it can be hard when a child doesn't want to come to class because he is scared and new to the ward, and sometimes working with parents is a little difficult, but nothing (and I mean nothing) tops it for rewarding.

I love the kids in my class! Here is what I love about my four most regular kids. :D

"G" loves me. She tells her mom that I am the fun teacher and we have so much fun together. We usually match on Sundays, too. Her mom says that she thinks we coordinate and call each other every Saturday night so that we will match. I love the bond that I have with her, and I'll miss her when she is a sunbeam next year.

"Iz" is wonderful. She calls me her "nursery lady" and she loves me, too. When her family moved into the ward, her mom brought her to class, and played with her for a little while and then left so she could go to church. Well, "Iz" wasn't not too happy about that, so she spend the first class in tears. And part of the second. But! By the third week, she was fine and we've been inseparable ever sense. Last week, I was kind of having a rough day (I was tired, I think) and "Iz" said to me, "You look so pretty today." It melted my heart. I love her so much. :)

"MJ" is new to our class, and the youngest and I'd say she adjusted the best out of all the kids I've ever seen. She comes right in, lets me hold her, and then plays with the other kids and is a model student. I love her so much!! I love that she'll give me hugs when I ask. She smiles when I talk to her, and she is so easy going. She is a joy to be around and I love her. A lot.

"A" is sweet. I've had her sense she was just 18 months and we're pretty tight. When her mother says my name, she gets excited to play with me. She hugs me. She is learning to share well with others. She loves her friends and is always giving them hugs. She has finally learned to stop eating everyone's snack, and just her own. She is kind and sweet and I love her.

So, those are "my" babies. I love them so much. I love teaching them our little lessons. I love how well they learn and how smart they are. They are the highlight of my week and I will be sad if I am ever released from that calling. :)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 12 - New Couches

I am grateful that today we are getting a new couch. :D

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 11 - Relief Society Monthly Meetings

Today, I am grateful for the Relief Society and their monthly meetings. They used to be called Homemaking meetings, then Enrichment Meetings, some time in there, they were called Home, Family, and Personal Enrichment meetings... Whatever their name is, I am grateful for them!

The Relief Society is a great organization! Women of the church, 18 and over, fellowship each other to bring one another closer to Christ. It is a perfect organization! Once a month, the women of the Relief Society get together and spend quality time together doing something fun. And eating yummy treats! I am grateful for the fellowship and unity that Relief Society brings. I'm also grateful to be in a ward where there are a few "younger married" couples for me to be friends with. When we were in our meeting tonight, there were four of us that were learning about canning for the first time and I am so thankful that there were people that have the same experience (or lack thereof) of canning with me. I felt so happy to be with people that are just like me, in the same time of life as me, it was a wonderful feeling that I haven't felt since I was in a singles ward back in Provo. :D It was a wonderful tender mercy and I am so thankful for it! :D

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 10 - CT Friends Part 1

Today, I'm going to start blogging about a few of my favorite Connecticut friends. I have a lot, so this is just the beginning.

April and John:

I love April and John! They are from Utah, but because I didn't know them there, they are Connecticut friends. Weird how that works, huh? First off, they helped us paint our living room! (And it looks GREAT!) April and John are a wonderful couple and we enjoy them both. And, they are our official double date couple! Yes! :D (Harry Potter, baby!)

April is a great friend! She really cares about those around her and loves helping people. She drove Sarah and I with her to Time Out For Women this year and we had SUCH a blast! It was great spending two whole days with her! She is also an amazing mother and I hope to be like her one day.

John is a great guy. TJ and I both enjoy his sense of humor. He is also a GREAT dad! He always has nice things to say about people and we love playing games with him. And did I mention that he helped paint our living room? Because that was awesome.

They have the most beautiful girls in the whole world and I love them dearly. Their oldest girl is the sweetest little girl, ever. I love getting hugs from her! And she is so smart, too. I just enjoy being around her and sweet personality. Their younger daughter is so adorable, I want to steal her and make her mine. First, she loves me. She comes in to Nursery and has no problems staying, and that is impressive for an eighteen month old. She's also just so sweet and has the most adorable smile and I love the way April does her hair. SO cute! We had the opportunity to babysit them for one night and it was perfect. I got to cuddle with the younger one and TJ got to play with the older one and talk about colors and just play. It was awesome. I really, really, hope we get to babysit again soon!

April and John, we love you and are SO glad you are our friends. :D

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 9 - Medicine

I am so thankful for modern medicine and all that it does to help people. I am grateful for people that go out of their way to learn to be doctors and nurses and physical therapists and secretaries (like my mommy). I am thankful for safe prescriptions that make my -itises become tolerable. Yesterday, I was having a minor ache and pain and I was thinking about how much worse it could have been if I didn't have medicine to fix it. And a doctor to prescribe that medicine. And universities that teach medicine. And scientists that create the medicine. So, modern medicine, you basically rock and I'm thankful that you keep me healthy. Ish. (It is me we're talking about people. I'm always broken somehow. ;)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 8 - KitchenAid

Today, I'm grateful for something kind of silly - my KitchenAid mixer. I know I've already blogged about it before, but I am still happy to have it. His name is Lance. ;)

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 7 - A New Job

Today, I'm grateful that I was offered a part-time seasonal job this week. What a blessing! I start in two weeks and get to work the through the holidays, and if they really like me (and I pray they do!), I could be hired on to work for them for the rest of the year, too. And then, forever. (Or until we have baby. Whichever.)

I'm so grateful for this blessing. It is huge! I've been looking for a job for over a year and to finally have one, however short the time is, is a huge blessing. Thank You so much! :D

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 6 - Our House

So, when I married TJ, I also married a house. And I love it. And I am grateful for it.*


I love knowing that since TJ owns the place, I can paint it whatever colors I want.** We have security in knowing where we live and for how long. We have a washer and dryer in our house and it works. We know how many pets work for how big our house is. Have I mentioned we can paint whenever we want? Because we can. ;)

A couple of months ago, we had some great friends (stay tuned for our CT friends post) come over and help us paint our living room the most beautiful shade of blue, ever. It looks amazing and classy and neat. Then, we decided to mount our television on the wall and put corner shelves underneath it so that we could get rid of the media center cabinet***. Then, a few days later, we bought a couch. A pretty couch! With a chaise lounge! (See here.) These amazing things could not happen if we didn't have such a great house.

Yes, we have plans to build our dream house and we have fun talking about it, but we really do love this place. With 3 or 4 bedrooms, a nice kitchen (that I've filled with things such as my Kitchen Aid), and being located in a great side of town (in the city, but not of the city ;), this is a great little place. I'm so grateful that my husband had the foresight to buy this great house for us. Thank you, love.

*I'm not trying to steal all of Jeepy's ideas. I had this idea before I saw her post! Really...
**Within reason. And technically, he does have veto power over my choices, but since he is severely color blind, I can just tell him that bright orange is just a "nice shade" of whatever color he can't see. Heh. ;)
***Read: ugly.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 5 - Utah Friends

Although I'm not there at the moment, one thing I am super grateful for is the time that I spent in Utah. There, I met some of the most amazing people I've ever known. Today, I am thankful for my "Utah friends".

Meagan: Jeepy, as TJ and I like to call her, is one of my favorite people on the planet. I love talking to her most every day. We seem to have gone through everything together: we dated our husbands around the same time, were engaged the same weekend, were married exactly 6 months apart, she was a bridesmaid at my wedding, and her husband took our wedding photos. (I was so happy to say that I was flying my photographer in from Utah. I felt so posh.) She is always there, even if it is either by online chatting or text message, and I'm really grateful that we were able to be roommates for so long. She is one of the most amazing, kind, and gentle people you will ever know. And she drives a great car. ;)

Steve and Vashti: I looooove my Steve and Vashti. They are some of the most amazing people I've ever known. They love me unconditionally, and I love them the same. I am so excited for their future and all the greatness that is to come. ;) Steve and Vashti took their first vacation as a married couple so they could come to my wedding. Sweet, huh? I was so glad they stayed with TJ so I was able to spend more time with them. I hope to see them again soon!

Alison: Although Alison is currently living in Pennsylvania, she'll always be a Utah friend because were roommates and met in Provo. Alison is one of the funniest and nicest people you will ever know. She is also fiercely loyal and will stay by your side and care about you forever. She's amazing. TJ and I had the opportunity to visit her once she finished her mission in California and we had a great time visiting with her and her family and going to the fair. (I, personally, loved the orange and vanilla ice cream cone.)

Nikki: Nikki is currently serving her mission in Poland. I miss her a lot. She's so great. We have been friends for what seems like forever (since, like, 2007?) and I'm so glad we've known each other so long. :) Nikki is smart, fun, hilarious, and a joy to be around. She is neat (very important for a room-roommate) and kind. I can't wait for her to be home so that Alison and I can visit her in Florida. (And I really do expect to go there and see her in Florida.) She should be home December 23, 2010.

Marne: I love Marne. She's amazing and wonderful and smart. I miss her terribly. We have a lot in common and I can always count on her honesty. I hope to see her again soon. She makes the BEST Halloween costumes, ever. :D

There are a lot more Utah friends that I have that I haven't mentioned. Don't you worry, I'm not done yet. ;)

I love you all and miss you all a lot. See you soon!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 4 - My Church

I am so glad to be doing the 30 Days of Gratitude Challenge. It is allowing me to think about those people and "things" I am grateful for. Today, I am grateful for my church. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I love it. It's not always easy, but it is definitely worth it.

I love that the Church is so family orientated. I love that no matter where I go, the Church is always the same. I love that it is a church of service and I get to look out for and helps others. I love being able to teach the Best nursery class (18 months to 3 year old children) ever. I love getting to learn new things. I love going out with the missionaries to teach the gospel. I love the testimony that I have of the truth. I love that it is a church that loves other churches and respects them (Article of Faith 11). I love that it allows me to stand for truth and righteousness without apology.

I know the Church is true and is led by modern day prophets and apostles. To learn more, click here.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 3 - Rubi

I'm grateful to have a very sweet, adorable, kitty named Rubi Monster. She is, absolutely, the best cat in the world. She has a very feisty personality that I adore. I'm so grateful for her companionship throughout the day!


I love animals. They have always been something super important to me. My first pet was a dog, a cacapoo, named Penny. She was very sweet and little and I loooooooooooooved her. One day, when I was like 7 or 8, she started biting a lot and my parents said that she wasn't safe to have in the home anymore. So, they told me they "took her to the farm." I always, my whole life, thought that meant that they took her to be killed (yuck!) and was very sad. Well, I asked my mother about this a few months ago and guess what?! It turns out that they DID send her to a farm to live. My mom even told me the name of the friend she sent Penny to live with. Needless to say, I felt much better after that.

Ok, back to Rubi. She is fun. Before we picked her up from my aunt's house, we bought her the cutest little kitty bed. It is blue and soft and comfy and for the first few months that she had it, she HATED it. We'd put her in it, she'd just right out. We'd put treats in there, she'd leave them alone. It was frustrating, because we spent so much money on it, to see it going to waste. I thought of selling it, but I didn't know anyone to buy it, so that was out. Then, miraculosly, we caught her in there one day and now it's her Favorite Spot in the Whole World. Phew! Finally! I'm glad she enjoys it!

Well, that's enough about Rubi Monster for now. She's such a sweet little girl and we are SO glad to have her with us.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 2 - My Parents

I have the greatest parents in the world.

I'm not joking, they are amazing. They love me, unconditionally, the support me in my choices, they are kind and generous. Essentially, they are wonderful and I couldn't have asked for a better set of parents.

I was lucky growing up as an only child. I didn't ever want for anything and Christmas was an exercise in excess, at least to a six year old. If there was ever a toy that was "cool", it was under the tree. I was lucky. And happy. But it wasn't just that, they taught me how to give back to others that weren't as blessed as I was. Every Thanksgiving, we'd gather up supplies to share with the unfortunate in our area and drop them off anonymously. I believe, strongly, that it is important to help others help themselves and I learned that virtue from my parents.

TJ and I started a tradition with my parents this year. (Well, we started it and hope that it becomes a tradition.) This September we all went down to Baltimore, MD together to see an Orioles/Red Sox game (GO SOX!) and then spent the rest of Labor Day weekend exploring the Inner Harbor. I can honestly say that it was the BEST vacation I have gone on this year (except our honeymoon. That was perfect.) TJ and my dad even got to spend some quality time together and tour an old submarine while my mom and I checked out an enormous Barnes & Noble. Maryland is definitely one of the places that I'd like to visit again. I don't know where we'll go next year, but my parents will join us and it'll be great.

I love my family. They are wonderful!

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 1 - My Husband

Hello.

Well, it is finally November. I have already failed at my resolution for this year (I'm not close to where I should be with posts right now) and although I feel discouraged about a few things, I do feel hopeful and excited for others. Since it is November, I figured what better month than to start a month of gratitude here on the ole blog.



The first "thing" I am grateful for is my husband. He is an amazing man and I could not have possibly married anyone better. He is my best friend, soul mate, eternal cuddle buddy, and much more. He works so hard to provide for our little family of two and even though I am unemployed right now, he still allows me a little bit of play room when I really need it. He makes me laugh. He makes me smile. He likes my friends. He makes me cry when I laugh so hard I turn blue. He is sweet and kind to everyone he knows. He is fiercely loyal to his family and friends. He let me get a kitty and he loves her just as much as I do. He is gentle. He loves to snuggle. He bought us a couch so that I would be able to cuddle on him without hurting my hip anymore. Arthritis is NOT something I am grateful for. Or is it?

I love my husband and I am so glad we are married.

TJ, I love you. Thank you for being my Prince Charming.