Project: Gratitude, Day 7

Today (and every day when I finish a great run) I feel so grateful for my body. In particular, I am grateful that it is well-functioning and puts up with all of the demands I place upon it. As examples, the Redrock Relay and the Halloween Half Marathon. Despite running it into the ground during both of these events, it is happily handling the daily grind as I get ready for another beating in April. I am grateful that I have a body that works exactly the way it is supposed to and that I enjoy using it to its fullest capacity. That's my favorite. And that is also why today I choose to be grateful for my body.

Project: Gratitude, Day 6

Today (and every day) I am grateful for this boy. I don't know how much he's going to appreciate me writing a blog dedicated entirely to him, but just like he had to put up with playing dress-up on Halloween, he's going to have to put up with me raving about him to the world :)

Speaking of Halloween... Here we are as Jack and Sally from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
He hates dressing up, but he told me that I could do whatever I wanted for costumes.
I think this picture pretty effectively sums up our respective feelings about the night.

Anyway back to the subject. Michael Everton. My favorite person I have ever met. He makes me happy. He listens to me. He makes me a better person. He puts up with my craziness. He makes me laugh. And he loves me despite my many...oddities. Because of these reasons and so many more, he is what I am most grateful for today.

Ps: this is my favorite picture of us. Except for the fact that my pallid skin makes me appear almost Twilight-esque, I love it. And him.

Project: Gratitude, Day 5

Today I am grateful for my calling. Yes, you read that right. I'm grateful for my calling. I love teaching Gospel Doctrine! This lesson touched me so deeply as I taught the ten people (ha) who came to my class.

We discussed trials and how they shape us. I had a thought that one of the reasons we have trials is to be able to empathize with others. I was thinking that one of the reasons I go through trials might be because I might have a child some day who has to face the exact same problem and I'll know how to comfort him or her because I have been through that same situation. This got me thinking a little. I realized that this is the very point of the Atonement. Jesus Christ has experienced every single trial that I go through and every intimate detail of pain that I feel. Why? So that He would be able to know how to comfort me because He has suffered through that exact experience. Every time I think about this incredible gift, I am overwhelmed by the amount of love that went into the planning of this life. That's what it all is about. Love.

The point is that I had this revelation because I have the opportunity to teach every other week in my ward. Because of this, today I am grateful for my calling.

Project: Gratitude, Day 4

Yesterday I was grateful for my boys, but today I feel especially grateful for the girls I have been privileged to be friends with in my life.

The daughters Barfuss (Emily and Whitney in the first picture and Rachel in the next). I would just like to say that I am really grateful that we are still friends after more than a decade.
I think that's a sign for something :)

SHS (From the left: Sara/Ally/Jill/Jessica/Beth/me).
Coolest high school clique. Ever. Not to mention incredible friends.

My Dormies (From the left: Crystal/Loraina/me/Lauren/Hannah/Meagan).
I don't think anything can compare with the fun we had together. Love love love.

And today...
(Top row from the left: Audrey/Lene/me/Sarie;
Bottom row from the left: Sara/Lynne/Rachel/Rachelle).
I love all of you. Way too much.

Thank you all for being such amazing friends. I am grateful for each one of you!

Project: Gratitude, Day 3

Today, I am grateful for the weekend. Specifically, I am excited about this combination of men in my life (in order of appearance) all within the same four-hour period of time:

Yep, I am grateful for the ability to take a break from life and have fun. Especially when the last boy is involved. And the first... Because my heart belonged to him first so I think it's only fair to be able to appreciate them both together.

Ps: I saw this video last Thanksgiving season and loved it. Mr. Red-Striped-T-Shirt is my favorite, fyi. So here you go, blogosphere, enjoy!

Project: Gratitude, Day 2

After taking a 2-hour lunch today with this kid...

figuring out what I am grateful for is easy.

I am grateful for this eternal bff...

This lovable goofball who chose to give two years of his life to preach the gospel in California...

This punk who thinks he's too cool for school (but loves us all deep down somewhere):

This little sharer of interest in brightly-colored toenails, who is so easy to love...

And these two who put up with way too much grief from me in high school, who I will never be able to adequately thank for all that they've given me...

To all six of you (yes, even you, Colten): I love you and am so grateful for you!

Project: Gratitude, Day 1

Though already ten days into November, I have decided to spite the University and never-ending slew of homework and celebrate the holidays!

I'm just going to pretend that I didn't forget a whole 10 days worth of gratitude and plunge headfirst (because let's face it, that's how I approach most ideas that pop into my mind anyway) into the first day of Project: Gratitude.

Of all of the incredible blessings in my life, which am I most grateful for today?

There are many, many answers that pop into my mind, but of them all, the blessing I am most grateful for is the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Story Time:
A few weeks ago I was having a hard time. I was frustrated with myself (as is a common human experience, I believe) for not doing as well as I thought I should have been in several different areas of my life. After dwelling on this for awhile, the thought came into my mind that Heavenly Father doesn't see me in terms of my failures and struggles. When I look at myself, sometimes this is all I can see, but when Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ look at me, they see who I will become. I am not measured by them in terms of what I can (or can't) do, but by how hard I am trying to become that person They already see in me.

Isn't that amazing?

More than anything else, that is what I am so overwhelmingly grateful for each day of my life.

Because of Him, I can change.