ABC's of Gratitude

I wanted to make a list of some of the things I am most grateful from the past year. So here's my ABC's of Gratitude.

A- Aunts, I have some great aunts who constantly show me and my family all the love and support we need, plus make the best Texas Sheet cake. My kids also are lucky enough to have 8 aunts who I know love my kids and who I appreciate so much.

B- Brother and Brother-in-laws, My brother is only 9 but he is so much fun and loves my kids. Ben only has one brother and they have a special bond that only brothers share. We both have some great brother-in-laws that have added to our families in ways we never knew before.

C- Crafts and Creativity, My new found joy and direction in life. Crafts have become a saving grace in my life and I'm so grateful for my husband letting my buy supplies and things to craft with.

D- Dads, I have the best Dad! He has always been there for me and worked so hard to make sure we were taken care of. My husband is now a very similar dad. He works so hard for our little family and takes such good care of us.

E- Electricity, I mean really, candles would be such a hazard in my house. Also without the power company, my hubby wouldn't have a job.

F- Family, Duh! How could I not be grateful for my family, I am eternally grateful for my family!

G- Grandparents, My kids have a set of great great grandparents and 5 great grandparents. How awesome is that! I love my grandparents and I'm so glad my kids have gotten to know them. I'm sad that all of my kids didn't get to know my grammy Day and Grandpa Jensen as much as I would have liked. I am so grateful for my parents and in-laws that are super wonderful grandparents.

H- Hubby, I have an amazing husband who loves me more than I can even comprehend. I love him so much and am so grateful for all that he has done for me and for all the love he shows me. I love you Benny!

I- Ice cream, it's a great bribery treat for my kids, what else can I say.

J- Justin's Jeep, This may seem silly to some but I love that my new brother-in-law has a jeep and the patience to take my kids for a ride. Every jeep we see on the road, my kids yell "that looks like Justin's". I am grateful for the memories being created.

K- Kitty, We love our spoiled, crazy, wild kitty cat. My favorite is Soren running back in forth in the house with a shoelace and a fat orange ball chasing behind him. You should hear the giggles this activity brings.

L- Love, There is so much love in my house. I have always wanted my kids to know that I love them. I grew up feeling very loved and I wanted it to be the same way in my house. Some of Soren's first words have "uv too" which translates to "love you too". All of my kids can give the sign language sign for I love you and it can seen alot around my house. Shelby's new saying is "I love you a hundred", that's a whole bunch of love.

M- Moms, My mom is amazing. I don't know what I would do without her. I realized how important she is when we moved to Utah for a year and I only saw her a handful of times. It was really hard not to see and talk to her everyday. She has done so much for my family and I will be forever grateful for her unconditional love and support. Ben's mom is equally amazing. If not for her we would way worse off. She has lovingly opened her home to us and we are grateful for that.

N- New, New experiences, new family members, new schedules, and new clothes.

O- Offspring, and no not the band. I am grateful for my kids. Each one is so different and brings something different to our family. I feel so lucky to be their mom and to be the one entrusted to raise them in this life. Some days I want to string them up by their cute fat toes, but overall I just want them to stay little and cuddle in my lap forever.

P- Patience, Like I said before, some days I wish I had a little bit more patience but I am grateful for what I do have and what I have gained over the last year.

Q- Quiet moments, They are few and far between but I am grateful for them when I get them.

R- Reading, I love to read and I have read so many good books this year. I'm sure several of you have read them as well :) but I have also read a few other ones that have either strengthened my testimony or entertained my for days.

S- Sisters, Sisters there were never such devoted sisters. I have two beautiful and sweet sisters who I love so much. We may have had some issues growing up but I am so grateful for our relationships now as adults. Ben also has some great sisters, 6 of them actually, which means I have 6 awesome sisters-in-law. I am so grateful to have felt like I belong amongst these close sisters and I'm grateful for them and putting up with, lets just say, my different ways.

T- Temples, I am so grateful for the sealing powers and ordinances performed in temples. I know that my family will be together forever because Ben and I went through the temple and are sealed for time and all eternity. This last trip up to Utah we were able to see several temples along the way and my kids thought it was great fun trying to be the first one to spot them. I am grateful that they are learning already about the importance of temples and hope that they can make the righteous decisions that will get them there as well.

U- Uncles- I have some really great hilarious uncles that will keep you laughing. I am glad that my kids are learning "knuckles" from one of these funny guys. My kids are also lucky enough to have 7 fun uncles, who even though my kid tries to give them wedgies, still manage to have fun and love them.

V- Voices- This is my attempt to fit in Music somewhere. I love music and I can't even begin to describe how it touches me. There are so many songs that I can't help but tear up. The words speak directly to my soul and brighten my days.

W- World of Warcraft, I know it's something most wives would definitely not be grateful for but I'm not most wives. I play WoW and I'm proud to say I'm duel-wielding sword speced. Ben and I play together and it's an escape from reality for us. We go to distant lands and fight fantasy monsters all while having a laugh and spending time together.

X- Xbox, Yet another unusual thing to be grateful for. Ben is really a 9 year old boy at heart and he likes his games. I am grateful that he would rather be playing xbox than out at some bar doing who knows what. I am especially grateful when he plays with Stryder and I see the little boy excitement over new unlocked guys and levels, come out of both of them.

Y- Youth, I am grateful for the youthful energy that flows freely from my home. Some days I don't feel as young as I actually am but for the most part I am grateful for my young age and for having my kids at such a young age too.

Z- Zany Antics, My kids keep my laughing all day with some of the funny things they say and do. Soren has this new dance where he basically just shakes his butt back and forth. I can't help but laugh every time.

Of course I realize that I wouldn't have any of these things if not for my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. That is a debt that I will forever try to make up and I am eternally grateful for all He has done for me. I know I have been blessed beyond belief and I will always continue to strive to live worthy of that which he has given me. As the season of Christmas comes I hope I can have the true spirit of Christmas in my home and continue to count my blessings.