Thanksgiving

I have been contemplating this post for a few days now, but all my thoughts are overshadowed by the irony of what I just experienced in relation to giving thanks. I just went to Harmons, which is not my favorite grocery store because they are always more expensive; however, I was able to stop inside at the bank, the post office, the bakery, the grocery store, and the movie rental store all in just a half hour of Emma's hour and a half nap. Can you imagine how long all those errands would have taken me if it weren't for the Harmons just down the street? I probably wouldn't have stopped by the bakery or the video store, but still, the post office alone would have taken me more time than all those errands combined. And even still, I think about how lucky I am to be able to mail pictures to my brother in Alaska in a few short days for just $1.90. And how lucky I am to be able to buy produce. And to be able to make salsa using the last of the tomatoes from our garden. I am grateful that we have time to run errands and are not stuck doing chores all day or working all day long to earn a living. I'm grateful that Jake has a great office job where he is home on Holidays and even extra days like today, the day before Thanksgiving. I am grateful to know I have a car to drive to run my errands, and a warm home to return to in order to get out of the snow and cold again. I am grateful for things that I don't need, but have anyway like a DVD player, because I LOVE watching movies. Which reminds me I'm grateful for the library just five minutes away where I can access almost any information or leisurely book or movie for the small price of a fine every now and then which I can never seem to fully avoid. I'm grateful for my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a multitude of reasons, but especially for inspired council on how to best live my life to enjoy the greatest freedom and happiness. I am also grateful for diversity in this world and that some would disagree with my prior statement. I am grateful for Emma and the wonder of being a mom. I am grateful that I find so much joy in motherhood. I am grateful for the many examples I have of people who find joy in motherhood and excel at the job! I am grateful for family. I am grateful for my mother, who is overjoyed at being a grandma and who is always as delighted as I am by any new little thing Emma picks up. I am also grateful that she is so willing to watch Emma anytime so I can spend time with the love of my life or just to have a break from being a mom. I am grateful for brothers and sisters-in-law who not only are great siblings, but who are also the best aunts and uncles in the world. I'm also grateful for my dear dad who I just adore and who is such a great example to me. My dad who is also such a cute grandpa and an excellent father. My dad who I always love to talk to. I am also grateful for my brothers' girlfriends who bring out the best in them and take such good care of them. I am grateful for strangers (or better said, people I don't know yet) who go the extra mile by extending some small kindness, such as waving at Emma so she can wave back, or checking two ways I can mail a package to see which is cheaper and then letting me use tape and a sharpie as I switch to a different mailing envelope, or even the teenage boy who surprised me by commenting on how cute Emma is when we were at the library. I'm grateful for many great examples in my life and for the power of example. I'm grateful for a memory and for the things that I take note of and 'treasure up continually.' I'm so grateful for Emma who smiles at me so often and brings so much delight to my day. I'm grateful for who she is and how she always surprises me. I'm also grateful that she is on a schedule! I am grateful for my dear mother-in-law who has and does sacrifice so much for her children and who also delights in being a grandma. I am grateful for the many things she has to offer and the things she is able to teach me. I am grateful for the way she offers different things than my mom because everyone knows there is no one better to ask than mom and now I have a mom I can go to for almost every question. I am grateful for my education and the people I have been able to meet through my work. I am grateful for good decisions in the past that have changed my life for the better and changed my life forever! I am so grateful to live close to my mom. I am also grateful for my grandparents. I am grateful for my father-in-law who cares so much for all of us children and who I also enjoy talking to. I am grateful to live in a free land. I am grateful for my friends and for Jake's friends who are so fun to have in our lives and who don't give up on us even when we are so bad at keeping in touch. And most of all, I am grateful for the two men in my life who make all the difference, my Savior, and my husband. My life is worth so much more because of their love and influence. I know I'll never be able to properly show my love and gratitude for them. Happy Thanksgiving. Feel free to comment with what you are grateful for.