{I'm Thankful For....}

It's been way to long since I did a gratitude post. It's not that I haven't had anything to be grateful for, I just haven't taken the time to sit down and make a little list. So here goes, in no particular order......

• My Mom~ Yesterday was my mom's birthday, I won't say which one. I have been truly blessed, my mom is one of my very best friends. She is a great listener and gives good advice, but only if I ask for it. She's an example of the kind of wife and mother I want to be. She is an excellent teacher who puts her heart and soul into teaching. She is patient and kind... I could go on and on, but I want her to know how grateful I am for her!
• Eternal Families~ I am so thankful to know that we can be with our families forever. I've had the chance over the last month to attend two funerals. One for Derrick's cousin Trent, who was disabled and passed away at 26, and one for a family friend and life-long neighbor of ours. At both funerals, of course there were tears, but there was such a strong spirit of hope, and also faith in the plan of salvation and the promise that we can be together again!
• My little town~ I'm thankful for my little home town and the opportunity we had to come home! We've lived many places in the 14 years Derrick and I have been married, and 3 years ago we were able to move back to the little town I grew up in. When I say little, I mean little, according to the 2000 census, our population totaled 254! I was never un-happy anywhere else and we were content, but nothing compares to "home" in my book. There is such a comfort to me in raising my children here, knowing my neighbors, seeing my kids grow to love the people who have had such an impact on my life. There is truly for me, "No place like HOME".

May 24, 2003~ Manti LDS Temple

Renae Ainge, Jeremy Teeples, Lisa Teeples, Monica Dearden, Carlene Beckstrand, Robert Beckstrand, Shad Beckstrand & Julia Sigler

• My Temple Recommend~ A few weeks ago I renewed my Temple Recommend and was reminded how thankful I am for that particular slip of paper. I am truly thankful for the blessings of the Temple in my life. I pray that I will always remember to be thankful for, and worthy of this blessing.
• A lunch date with Kaleb~ On Friday Derrick spent the day at the fair in Delta at a booth for Dearden Equipment, and took Brock with him. Carlie went to play with her cousin Addie for the afternoon, which that left just Kaleb and I. When I asked him if he wanted to go on a date, he gave me a funny look and said ummm, NO! But he did agree to lunch at Subway. After lunch, we went to the library and picked out some books for him before we headed home. What fun I had visiting with my little man, he's growing up to fast and I really feel like I need to make it a priority to spend one on one time with each of my kids, before they'd rather not hang out with their mom.
• Good Friends~ I am thankful for all my good friends....my church friends, old friends, bloggy friends, best friends....all of you! I'm thankful for your advice, support, wisdom, laughter, tears. You build me up and encourage me, you make me want to be a better person. I can't imagine where I would be without each of you!