11.30.2014 - for gratitude

Grateful for gratitude. Grateful to have a heart full of gratitude. When I do, I live with more peace, I am much more content, I feel so happy. And I love those feelings.

11.29.2014 - for packer family

Today was Thanksmas. The kids most favorite day of the year...seriously. I am so grateful for every single one of these people. I love them so much. I feel so happy knowing if I ever needed any of them, they would be there in a heartbeat. I am so blessed to be a part of this family. 

11.28.2014 - for enough

Today is Black Friday. I think about so many people out spending lots and lots of money. (hopefully at some wicked prices) I don't know any of their situations. Maybe they have been sacrificing buying things all year to make their Christmas purchases now, maybe they are burning a hole through their credit card, maybe they are rich, maybe they are poor. I don't know. But as a sit down to look over our budget, I feel so grateful that I have a husband who provides for our family. We always seem to have enough. 

11.27.2014 - for generations

^^ Rudger, Justin's mom, and her parents ^^

Justin and I come from some pretty amazing people. I love them dearly. On this Thanksgiving Day I am most thankful for those people in my life and for those who have gone before me. My mom has said to me on many occasions that I should thank Heavenly Father for those ancestors, because the choices that they made are the reason that I am where I am today. It helps me to remember that those choices I make on a daily basis will have a lasting affect on those that come after me. 

I love going here and reading some amazing stories of my ancestors. 

11.26.2014 - for our view

I know I've said it before, but I'm just gonna say it one or maybe a hundred more times. I love our view.

11.25.2014 - for an abundance of paper

Lately, the boys most favorite activity is drawing. Especially Levi, he will spend hours and hours drawing pictures. One of his most used gifts from Christmas last year was a sturdy green cardboard box that was full of plain old computer paper and crayons and markers. 

We have gone through tons and tons of papers. We save a big handful of pictures and then when the boys aren't looking I throw the rest in the recycle. I love how much we can use electronics for. But for me, it could never replace some paper and a pencil.

11.24.2014 - for answered prayers

Last year Taylor fell down and had to get stitches on his forehead. It was a dark, snowy, wintery evening. A friend took our other children until Justin could get home. As we were driving there we got lost in a neighborhood with steep roads. As we were driving up one road I realized the van would not be able to make it so I tried to pull into a driveway to turn around. It was so slippery, I was certain we would either crash into a car or just lose control and roll down the hill and possibly crash into a house. I was nervous, but calm at the same time. We made it out and got to the hospital safely. 

At the hospital I was talking to Justin on the phone, he said when he got home with the kids. They knelt down to say a prayer to bless Taylor and to make sure that mommy and Taylor would make it to the hospital safely. We realized that prayer was said right when we were on that steep hill. 

It was a tender mercy for our family. I feel so grateful knowing that Heavenly Father is so aware of us and continually answers prayers in big things and little things.