So Blessed

What do I really have to complain about?

Yesterday, as I was feeding the twins lunch, I began thinking about my life as a whole & how blessed

I truly am.

I have 3 beautiful, healthy, fun, smart, energetic boys that I get to love on everyday.

I have 1 amazing, hard working, tender-loving, helpful husband who is my best friend.

I have a beautiful home big enough to fit all 5 of us comfortably w/ all the necessities our family needs.

I have not suffered the pains that these amazing individuals & families have, & if I do someday experience similar trials, their stories of faith & hope amidst immense trail will buoy me up. ( Their stories are incredible! I promise your perspective on how hard your trials are will change if you listen to these episodes on the Mormon Channel of "Enduring it Well".)

No, life is not perfect or easy everyday, & sometimes a little crazy at my house, but I cannot be ungrateful for the life I have been given from the Lord. For he has given me much!

So I share with you what I am grateful for.

I am grateful that I am healthy & that I have a body that functions in every way that it should.

I am grateful to be a mom. To be able to stay home with my boys & teach & raise them in a gospel centered home.

I am grateful for my eternal marriage to my eternal companion.

I am grateful that my husband helps out often with the dishes, meals, the kids, & the house in general w/ out me asking quite often. And when I do ask him for help, he so willingly jumps right in.

I am grateful that Jace enjoys spending time with me. Talking with me. Going on dates with me. Just hanging out with me. And that he would rather spend his time with me, than to ever play time-wasting video games or something else of the like. ( I do not intend to offend anyone about video game playing. It's just my opinion that there is no real lasting value that comes from them.)

I am grateful that we own 2 well running cars that I do not have to worry if they'll break down any time soon.

I am grateful that my husband has a steady job w/ a steady income. That in these hard economic times, we do not worry if we will have enough money to pay the bills.

I am grateful that my husband holds the priesthood worthily. And to know that at any time, if ever my kids or I need a blessing, he's willing & able.

I am grateful to have been raised in the gospel, by two loving parents & with 3 fun-loving sisters.

I am grateful to have grown up with the priesthood in my home as well & to have benefited from my father

living worthily to bless me & my siblings throughout the years.

I am grateful for the calling that I currently am in. I know I have been blessed with inspiration from the Lord to do certain things or share certain things with these young girls to bless their lives. They are fun to be around & make me smile & laugh.

I am grateful to have danced most of my whole life & to have taught dance for a few years, to share what I love with others.

I am grateful that I've never broken a bone in my life or that I've never had to stay in a hospital, other than having my babies.

I am grateful for the modern conveniences & technologies that we take for granted everyday. Electricity, heating & cooling systems, cars, computers, phones, TVs, etc.

I am grateful for the opportunity to experience living in a whole other state & scenery.

I am grateful to have grown up in Arizona around so many other members of the church which provided

good friends, church leaders, seminary, institute, & the temple.

I am grateful to have lived so close to the Mesa, AZ. Temple. Only 15 minutes to get there. How simple it was then. :)

I am grateful that it is still possible for us to be able to attend the temple. The closest temple is the Oklahoma City temple, 3 1/2 hrs. away one way. And am grateful that its not days worth away from us as it is for many still. It is a long day, but it is possible to make a round trip to the temple in 1 day.

I am grateful to have direction for my life through the means of my patriarchal blessing, the scriptures, & our prophets & apostles. As well as the Holy Ghost to guide my life daily.

I am grateful that my pregnancies & deliveries have gone healthy & well without complications.

I am so grateful that Grant does not have wheat or dairy allergies. That he will likely out-grow his egg allergy & that we have the information we need to save his life in case he comes in contact with peanut products of any kind.

I am grateful to have the education that I do have & that I can always continue learning & growing no matter what stage of life I'm in or where I'm at.

I am grateful for the many ways that the church is making it easier to share the gospel with others.

I am grateful for the knowledge I have of Christs gospel & how it continually blesses my life every hour of every day.

I am grateful for the testimony I have of the truthfulness of the principles of the gospel.

I am grateful that I have not struggled with the ability to have children.

I am grateful that my eyes function w/out the aid of glasses or contacts. That I can see my family's faces everyday & the beauties of this earth.

I am grateful for the power of choice & agency. That I can choose to live the best I can everyday.

I am grateful for nature & the beautiful warm days that I get to be in it & enjoy it with my children.

I am grateful for the freedoms that I enjoy in this country everyday. To have the freedom to speak my mind,

learn what I desire, & to believe in the faith of my choice.

I am grateful for modern medical technologies to help catch any health problems quickly & early. We've been particularly blessed with that for Grant.

I am grateful for the experiences that I've had in my life to learn from in many different ways.

I am grateful for music. For it can lift me up, inspire me, make me feel happy, energetic, & loving.

I am grateful for the desire I've had to learn more about the Prophet Joseph Smith lately & how his life & example has inspired me to become a better & higher me.

I am grateful for the positive example of those around me that inspire me to serve, learn, & love in new ways.

I am grateful to know that as the world becomes more black & white between right & wrong, that I'll always have the guidance of the principles of the gospel to fall back on for support. And to know that if I follow Christ's gospel, that I will not be lost.

I am grateful for the chance to see my children learning something new every day! It truly is an amazing thing.

Especially when your child becomes very inquisitive & asks questions of "How come this or that?" or  "Why did they do that?" or "What does that mean when they say in the scriptures, ". . . there were a great number, so many that they didn't number them . . .?"."

I am grateful to see my 3 1/2 yr. old remembering the gospel principles & stories of the scriptures that we are teaching him.

I am grateful for dear friends who will listen. Who are positive examples to me. Who relate well, do not judge, & just encourage me.

I am grateful for the increased promptings of the spirit, enlightenment of some gospel principles, & an increased amount of feeling the spirit being present because of choosing to follow the counsel that our stake president gave 3 weeks ago in reading specific amounts of the New Testament & Book of Mormon daily. I can see & feel a difference in my life every single day. The Lord is real & He is there for me & you.

I am grateful for the atonement. That chance that I have everyday, to try again to be better then the last. To renew my covenants w/ the Lord every week by partaking of the sacrament. He is so merciful to give us another chance time & time again to make our weaknesses become strengths.

These are just some of my many, many blessings that I am grateful for & to be blessed with.

I realize that life can be messy, hard, chaotic, crazy, gut-wrenchingly difficult, unknown, & unkind; & it often times is, yet that does not mean that my Father in Heaven is not fully aware of me & my needs & the

needs of my family & that he does not love me. Because I know he loves me perfectly, even though

I cannot always see how & why things are.

He wants the very best for me & for me to be happy as well.

These are the things that I MUST  remember when the going gets tough.

For remembering these many blessings can give me the strength I need

to endure my trials well, if I choose it.

This life was not meant to be easy.

We are here on this earth to learn & grow. And only

He knows perfectly what I need, to make that happen in the ways

I need it most.

I heard one of the brethren of the Twelve recently say in his

interview on the Mormon Radio Channel, "Conversations" that,

"Difficult isn't bad. Difficult is just difficult."

It's in those difficult times, that we can grow the very most.

I fully believe that we are far more blessed in many ways, than we will ever know about or realize.

So I challenge you to,

 "Count your many blessing. Name them one by one. And it will surprise what the Lord has done."