November is generally the month that everyone expresses what they are thankful for. I got on Facebook during the month of November and saw people everyday post one thing that they were thankful for that day. I have done something similar, only not as public. Each day of November, I had in my mind when I woke up in the morning that I would find something that I am eternally grateful for. (re-reading that made me think of Toy Story. "You have saved our lives, we are eternally grateful!" Good movie btw). I've been obsessed with Disney lately... SO ANYWAY... Each day I have written down something and I figured I would compile it all together here.
Before I start the list though, I just want to write down how I felt while I watched the sunset tonight. I absolutely LOVE sunsets. They just make me so incredibly happy inside! I try my best to watch the sunset every evening because no matter how crappy of a day it had been, or how angry or distracted I felt, the sunset was always good - it was always something to look forward to. That transition from day to night is something incredibly special.
So now, the list!! So for the month of November, I have written down and truly thought about 30 things I am eternally grateful for:
Day 1. The Gospel and the Atonement
I cannot truly express how grateful I have been for the gospel and atonement since I've been up at college. It has been my life support, my rock, my brace that has kept me standing. It is so comforting to know that the Savior has felt every heartache I have felt. Every pain I have had to endure. He knows and He can help us through! We just have to turn to him in prayer and faith. The gospel is the greatest light in this dark and dreary world. There are SO MANY bad things going on, SO MUCH temptation and so many reasons that one can be miserable. Life is hard. But with the gospel in my life, things have been so much more clear, so much more endurable and it has brought the greatest happiness in my life. Yes, I have bad days, I have sad days, and I have times where I feel like giving up. But because of those bad times, I have truly been able to appreciate the good times.
Day 2. Family
I absolutely love my family. More than I can express into words. I am so grateful for the knowledge and opportunity that I have to know that we can be together forever. Death will never separate us. We are eternal. My family are some of the few people who understand me. They care about me and only want the best for me - just like I do for them. I can be my total self around them and feel accepted. And nowadays, that can be a really hard thing to come by sometimes. I know they will support me in whatever decisions I make and they will love me no matter what. And I love them no matter what. This life would be completely pointless and would never have joy, if it weren't for families.
Day 3. Music
My senior year of high school completely changed my life. I had just quit dance after being on the drill team and was looking for something else to be passionate about. I had been in choir classes before and loved them, but never found myself a die-hard music fan - until my wonderful friends forced me into auditioning for madrigals. After my amazing madrigal experience, not only am I in love with music, but I gave gained a greater APPRECIATION for music and for musicians. Now, I am the first to admit that I am not the most talented or gifted when it comes to instruments, singing, rhythms, reading music, etc. (Unlike my friend Jarom Hansen who is completely amazing). But now, when I go to a concert, recital, or hear songs on the radio, I know how hard it is for me and I truly know what an amazing thing it is to be able to put together a really good song. My friends and I have even gotten a little "band" together and we play as often as we can. We're working on recording a few songs right now.
Music changes lives not only in the way it changed mine, but physiologically as well; When we listen to songs, it does something inside of us- changes our emotions, our thoughts, and our motives. It's deep and it's impossible to fully understand. In some ways, it can be very dangerous but also very inspiring. For me, it's been much more inspiring. I'm striving my best to learn to play my guitar better and get back into piano. I've missed singing so much since i've been out of high school, so I have been making an effort to be a part of institute choir. Music just makes me happy :)
Day 4. Food
Since I've been up at college, I have been sooooo grateful for food. Especially my moms food. I'm super lucky if I get any type of meat with my meals these days. My parents always take me wherever I want to eat when I go home to visit. Usually it's Costa Vida, or a steak house. Being a poor college student, I sure don't go out to eat much. Every once and while though it's super nice to splurge a little. I mostly miss the conversations that were shared at the dinner table. I was lucky enough to grow up in a home where eating dinner together as a family was very important. Every so often we would change things up and watch a movie in the living room while we ate, but those times at the table were important. I've also been learning to cook and bake a lot more than I used to. It's something i've found that I highly enjoy (even if the food doesn't turn out perfectly :P )
Day 5. My Job
Today, I'm thankful for my job. Being up at college and seeing all these kids who don't have one makes me feel truly blessed. I have always loved clothes. They're what I would ask for during every birthday and Christmas. My closet is bigger than I can even handle sometimes. Working at a retail clothing store hasn't helped the addiction much either... but I enjoy it. I work at Maurices in the Logan mall. Previously, I worked at the Maurices in the Layton mall. This has been my first REAL job (besides babysitting and the 4 days that I "worked" at the concession stand for Clinton City). It was the very first job I interviewed for, and I got it. I got hired under an amazing manager who taught me everything that there was to know about working in retail. It has stretched me as a person also because I have to go up and talk to many many people that I do not know. I have gained many amazing friendships and relationships through Maurices and I wouldn't trade them for anything. There are days when I really don't want to go in to work, but once i'm there, and once i'm surrounded by the sweet girls I work with, I forget all about "work". It's more fun than anything. I love making girls and women feel beautiful and comfortable with themselves. Maurices is a place where I can walk in and feel totally comfortable with myself as well. Every woman deserves to feel that way. Maurices also has the best store policy out there and it allows us to become friends with our customers - rather than just being the annoying associate that stands there and pressures you to buy something. I hate those....
Day 6. The U.S of A.
Well... today was the big election!! After hearing all the interviews and debates for the past year, you would think that our country was the worst place ever. There are a lot of things that need to be fixed and repaired, but looking past all the concerns, I am so grateful that this is the country that I was born into. America is a very rare place on this Earth. A very BLESSED place on Earth. We have so much more than we need and so much more than other countries do. We should be happy with what we have and take care of it.
Obama has been re-elected. And as much as I am not super excited about that, I know that there is a reason that Romney didn't get it. I'm glad that I have some insight towards that reason. We just best be prepared:) We must now stick back together as a country and learn to support our leaders, no matter who they are, because the truth is, life is 1000x harder when you don't have people that support you.
Day 7. Hobbies
Today is hobbies!! I made my first cake all by myself today! How sad is that.... :/ I'm so grateful that this world is full of so many options and activities that we can participate in! I love crafts, playing guitar, watching movies and TV shows, baking, going on walks, and yes.... even organizing. Soooo much fun:) and sooo yummy! I love filling my precious times with things that I enjoy.
Day 8. My Home Ward
I love the kids in my old ward... so much. And today I really miss them and the good times that we had. I'm so grateful that they are a part of my life. When I moved to Clinton, honestly, I was really scared I didn't know anyone and missed my friends from Layton dearly. My first few months of going to church, I was the only girl that went to young women's. I made friends with the leaders, but there were no girls because the ward had just split. Over time, more girls entered and moved in. Emily Swapp being the best next door neighbor you could ever ask for. At first, we never talked to the young men.. we all thought they were weird, and they thought we were annoying. But our friendships all grew stronger. Our youth was small in numbers, but we were as close as they came. We were a family. And still are. It's hard to be away from everyone while we're growing up, but i'll always love them. They changed my life <3
Day 9. Learning
I once heard a man ask a young women about my age what she wanted to be when she grew up. She replied, "A college student! I wish I could just be a college student forever!" When I heard her say this, I thought, "what the crap... who in the world would want to go to school for the rest of their lives...? she's dumb". But as I've reflected on this while i've been up at college, i'm realizing that I was the dumb one. She was the super logical one! Ya, maybe I wouldn't like taking exams, sitting through lectures, taking pop quizzes, and going through finals week every semester for the rest of my life- but I'm finally starting to see what she was saying. This world is INCREDIBLE. There are so many different aspects to it. Whether it's studying how humans function, learning about the universe, gaining knowledge on how to start a business, learning about greek myths, helping others to solve personal issues, designing interiors of homes, making engines for cars, studying microscopic diseases, listening to politics or issues that we have as social groups. Knowledge is EVERYWHERE and there is so much to learn! Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed. It really would be awesome to be a college student for the rest of life and dedicate life to learning. But the truth of the matter is, we don't have to be college students to learn.
I'm grateful that we are always able to progress in this life. There is always something that we can work towards. Life is never "boring". If you get to a point where you feel like it is, go read a book, or take a class - learn something and put that knowledge that you have gained to work.
Day 10. Letters
Today I am grateful for the personal written word that I receive from others. This last weekend I had a bit of a fight with one of my really good friends. He stopped by my apartment today and left a letter for me to read that eventually helped to end the conflict. I absolutely love letters! Whether they are notes passed around in class, letters from loved ones across the world, "thinking of you" cards, or love letters, it is a super special thing for me to receive something that someone else had taken the time to think of me and write down something that they wanted to tell me. Words also seem to flow a lot easier for me when I'm writing. Person to person, I have found that I have a really hard time communicating sometimes. But with letters, I can take the time to really think through what I would like to say and say something how I really want to say it. Plus, it's ALWAYS nice to receive mail in the mailbox... that's just an extra plus ;)
Day 11. A Fireplace
Today, I was rearranging the furniture in our apartment - again - (it's a weird habit of mine). The apartment was super cold, I was playing Christmas music while pushing the couches around and I was really wishing I had a fireplace to warm up next to. I put our TV up against a new wall and was telling my roommates how much I missed a fireplace. Sarah went and got her laptop, hooked it up to our TV and put her cursor in the search bar to visit YouTube. How weird is this? We found a video of a fire that had been recorded for an hour and a half. Who would sit there and record a fire for an hour and a half? In the middle of the video we could even see a hand go in and start poking the fire, it was super entertaining. How freaking grateful I am for that video! We got the fire to play on our TV and we listened to the familiar crackling sound. It may not have been giving off heat, but all of a sudden our living room was so much cozier. Never again will I take advantage of a fireplace!
Day 12. Soldiers
Today is Veterans day so I would like to express my appreciation to those soldiers who are serving and have served this beautiful country that we are so lucky to live in. I have to privilege to know a few people very close to me who have faithfully served our country. I have seen how hard it is for them and how much they have sacrificed. Some truly do give up everything so that we may be safe, protected, and free. I could never do what they do and I really look up to them and wish I had their strength.
Day 13. My Bed.
Whoo!! I love my bed:) I got a super good nights sleep last night and it was all thanks the this baby. I have the most comfy bed in the whole apartment! And my roommates know it ;) I often find them cuddling in it. Now, my bed at college is nothing compared to my bed at home. At home I have a full - because it's one of the only ones that is long enough for me. That is a great bed and I often miss it, but this one isn't too bad, so no complaining here. I'm grateful for this today because, well.. college is rough, and sleep is extremely important - especially during test weeks. Many people don't have the luxury of having a mattress - let alone a memory foam mattress... So today I'm thankful for my bed.
Day 14. Phone Calls.
Back in high school, the big thing was texting. We only called friends if we didn't have time to type a message, and we didn't bother calling our family, because we would see them soon enough. Since i've been at college, i've used more minutes on my cell phone in one month than I think I used to in 6th months put together. I call my parents, brothers, and my friends that are all off at different colleges. And the conversations aren't just the quick 5 minute catch ups. They can be as long as hours. Whether it's talking to my mom on my 20 minute walk to class, or calling one of my guy friends and talking for a couple hours before I go to sleep, i'm on the phone a whole lot more. Skyping and Facetiming has also been a huge blessing.
When I first moved up here, I would call my mom every day, It's not that often now - maybe once or twice a week, but those conversations with her are the highlight of my week. So today, i'm grateful for phone calls.
Day 15. Nature
USU is BEAutiful.. not matter what the season. I feel soooo blessed to be able to go to school in such a beautiful place. During the fall - the colors on the mountains were to die for! And after the little bit of snow that we have already received this winter, the scenery is still just as beautiful - if not more.
I love nature so much. One of my favorite things to do is to go on walks or go sit on a bench that has a really nice view and do homework there or just spend time there. This Earth is gorgeous - the Lord has blessed us with so many beautiful things. This campus is just rich in abundance <3
Day 16. Lazy Days
I love being busy, I really do. But it's super important to have those lazy days where you do absolutely nothing. I usually make snacks, watch movies, or do some activities around the house. Goofing of is also needed. Sometimes it's really important to just let your body relax - i've been known to over-do things way too often. So today i'm grateful for those lazy days where you have time just to slow down for a bit.
Day 17. Temples and Answers
This morning, my roommates and I woke up and went to the temple. It was kind of an early morning- at least, it was early for a saturday. This was the first time I had ever done baptisms in the Logan temple. We went in, got changed, and sat on the benches and waited to be called in. As I sat there and read the scriptures, I started receiving answers and new insights to some things that have been troubling me lately. As much as I prayed for these answers to come previously, they never got answered. But as soon as I stepped inside the temple and had some time to think in there, everything started to become clear. It's amazing the spirit and comfort that one can feel in the temple. Everything just seems right when you're inside.
So today, i'm grateful for these beautiful structures and the miracles that happen inside. I'm so excited to go there someday with my future hubby.
Day 18. Home
There really is no place like home. And i'm not only thankful for the home itself, but the city and community as well. I absolutely love Clinton, Utah. It wouldn't be home without the friends and neighbors that are around us. There isn't anything that makes me more excited than when I go home for a weekend or a holiday. I love it there. Driving around the familiar streets and remembering memories of the stupid things my friends and I used to do at the park, or by the street, it's so fun:) I love my home.
Day 19. Friends
Wow, today I'm grateful for my wonderful friends. I got home yesterday to spend Thanksgiving break here in Clinton with my friends and family. Tonight, a group of us got together to catch up. At first, we started to record one of our new songs, and then after recording, we just sat and talked all night. Some of these girls I haven't seen since graduation. It was so amazing to see them. We have other things planned to do this week, but seeing their faces tonight just reminded me how lucky I am. We are all off doing our own things, but no matter what, we are still there for each other. We all have completely different trials and struggles, but by putting aside our differences (because we are all quite different) we are able to lift each other up. We went through a lot together during grade school. Drama, stress, and dark times, but I know that these girls (and so many other friends that aren't in this picture) will be my friends for life. We will always have a special connection because of the things we have gone through together. So today, i'm grateful for the friends who have helped to shape me into who I am today.
Day 20. Children
Soo... I just had to share this picture.. hahaha it makes me laugh so much! Needless to say, my cousin was my first kiss:) I love kids.... I loved when I was a kid, and I love my nieces, and nephews tremendously. There's a certain spirit that kids have that is so special. Their innocence and ability to learn is so amazing. Especially during this holiday season coming up, I love being around kids and I love to feel the excitement of the holidays and be able to live Christmas through their eyes. They might not know all the knowledge and have all the experiences that we as adults have, but there is so much that we can learn, or rather, re-learn from them.
I'm grateful also for being a child. A child of my wonderful parents, and a child of our Father and Mother in heaven. Today, i'm grateful for children.
Day 21. Entertainment
Okay... so those of you that know me, know that I am a complete movie junkie... I love movies. And on those "lazy days" listed above, usually I just watch movie after movie after movie. Romance, action, historical, you name it.
Concerts.... I love concerts! My friends and I have been to many. Next week actually we are heading to one of my favorite band's concerts. YELLOWCARD!! (as an after-statement, the concert was the best I have ever been to.... <3)
Going to dance concerts and music performances are also some of my favorite! Especially during this time of year.
Tonight I had the opportunity to go to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert as a date with my dear friend Shiloh. Man... it was an amazing concert! THAT is how Christmas music should be done! The lighting was incredible and the show was super phenomenal!
Today, I'm grateful for entertainment!
Day 22. The words "I Love You"
Nowadays, it seems like people take these words ever so lightly. I hear people say it here, and there, and I've had it said to me before from people that aren't family. The truth of the matter is, the words don't count unless you mean it. They don't count unless it comes from the heart. So today, I'm grateful for the people who say it, mean it, and show it. Love is the key to open the gate of happiness.
Day 23. Precious Momentos
Confession... I'm a hoarder.... haha NOT as bad as those on the TV show... Those are completely gross and disturbing (especially the one where they found like 127 cats in her house) but I love to hold onto things. Whether it's ticket stubs, corsages from high school dances, or those plastic bracelets you get from competitions or events. I keep them all in a safe little box back home. I do know when to throw things away though... I'm also quite a clean freak, but I love going through and looking back at all the activities that i've participated in and the memories that are attached to those. You know how when a random song pops on the radio and all of a sudden memories from 7th grade dance competitions or your summer of 2011 pop into your head? That's what happens when I go and look through these items. I love how something so little can remind you of so much.
Day 24. Hugs
Hugs are more than just wrapping your arms around someone, they can be much deeper than that. Sometimes you have those days where all you want and need is a hug- maybe nothing else will make you feel better. Sometime on those days, there is no one there to give you a hug, and that is when you really start to appreciate the gesture. It's important to feel loved and comforted. And hugs are important.
Day 25. My Height
Now this is actually quite a difficult thing for me to be thankful for. You may not know this, but I used to be - and still am to a point - super self-conscious about my height. It's something that I used to absolutely HATE. When I was little (figuratively) -maybe I should have said "younger"- I used to wish that my peers would grow super fast so that I wasn't the tall freak anymore. Boys never liked me more than a friend because I was taller than them and apparently super intimidating. All my friends were always scared of me when they first met me. I had major confidence issues growing up. My mom and I would set goals at the start of every school year that I was to work on that year, and for many many years, "Be confident in myself" was always number 1. I was in the back row on every dance routine - not only because of my height, but because I was never confident in myself to burst out of the bubble. I grew up having the worst posture because I would always try to shlump over to make myself shorter.
As I grew older and got into high school, people started to catch up to me (mostly the boys). Things started to get a lot better and I started to feel more comfortable in my skin.
Today, i'm actually quite thankful for it. People come up to me -no joke- EVERY DAY and ask me if I play basketball or volleyball. I'm super bad with sports like that... so I always say no. They usually just nod their head and walk away thinking to themselves "what a shame". I may not play sports... but I will marry a super tall man and our tall babies will play sports - SCHOLARSHIPS!! haha :) Nope.. no sports for me. I was a dancer and that's all that I cared about.
I do take advantage of it a lot though. All my pots and pans are stored in the highest cupboards in the kitchen. My little roommate Melanie always has to bring the stool over to get a plate out of the cupboard. :)
When I'm at concerts, I never have to worry about being trampled to death. I just say "MOVE" and the people part like the red sea. My friends are grateful for that because we always get up to the very front of the crowds.
Clothes?? Now that's the difficult one because I LOVE clothes. I've had to come up with my own types of styles in certain categories because I'm not the size 0 5"6' girl that most clothes are made for. Pants are impossible to find....
Also... I'm too tall to be Belle at Disneyworld now... The day that happened, I was completely heartbroken.
No matter all the obstacles that my height has put in my path though, it's taught me many lessons and it's something unique to me. Even if people know me as the "tall chick" they still notice me. It's made me many friendships.
So today, I'm thankful for my height.
Day 26. Traveling
Traveling... there is nothing more exciting to me than hopping on a plane, staring out the window as we fly higher and higher and then landing in unfamiliar territory. This world is completely beautiful. It's full of so much history and so many cultures. I absolutely love to travel and experience the world. My dream in life is to visit Paris, London, and Italy... I've been to almost every state in the U.S. (even if it was just driving through) and so now it's about time to start the country count down. I'm so grateful to have grown up in a home where traveling has been something that my parents have loved. Even though we look like tourists everywhere we go with my parents, I'm grateful for the experiences and places that I have gone with them. We try to take one big trip a year. This next year? NEW YORK again!! Last year was Alaska. I just love traveling :)
(happiest day of my life ^^^ Harry Potter World with the family:):))
Day 27. Technology
Facebook, twitter, instagram, cell phones, laptops, tv's, ipads... our world is full of technology and it forever will be now. Technology can be a super big distraction, but it is also an amazing thing and it's important for us to use it wisely. I'm grateful for technology and then relationships that I have been able to keep through these social networks. I'm grateful for the learning opportunities that these devices have given us. I mean, we can pull up google, or the book of mormon, from a few swipes on our iphones... Completely amazing. Technology is great!
Day 28. Goodbye's
As hard as they are.... I'm grateful for them. Because every "goodbye" is another "hello". Every end is a new beginning. Every tear comes from a memory, and everything that is now behind us, means we're that much closer to enduring to the end. Stay strong, because the the future is ALWAYS brighter than the present. The best is ALWAYS yet to come.
Day 29. Missionaries
I love missionaries... there is no doubt about it. Emily Swapp and I always had a weird obsession with missionaries.. haha We'd give each other missionary calendars, missionary action figures, and we even had little keychains that said "I love my missionary". Within this last year, I have said "see you later" to so many of my dear friends. Especially our brothers from our Clinton ward: Devan and Scotty, and Kaden gets his call here this next week. It's completely crazy! As much as I miss them though, I can see how much these missions are helping them to grow. They sound SO GOOD and they inspire me every day to do and be better.
Now, I know that i've talked about the mission change a ton lately, but it's always on my mind and so I have to include it in my updates. I went to the temple on 17th and had many of my questions answered. I think i've decided that unless something else changed between now and then, I will be leaving on an LDS mission after this next semester. Probably around July or August. Now I did say "unless something else happens" So this isn't a for positive thing yet, but it's pretty real. I'm preparing the best that I can and as I have started to prepare, I am already seeing the many blessings that missionary work brings into not only my life, but the lives around me. Hopefully i'll start my papers within the next month or so after the holidays.
I feel so blessed to be a part of this new HUGE change that is taking place in the world. There are 88 kids in my singles ward right now that have missionary accounts and will be leaving within the next 7 months. 88!!! In only MY ward in Logan.... The MTC's are backed up for months and they are having to move people through a lot faster than they used to.
There is a greater work out there that needs to be done. And as inadequate and unprepared as I feel right now, I'm grateful that I have the next 6 months to focus and prepare myself better. I'm sure i'll still feel inadequate when the time comes, but the thing I want most is to go out and tell the world that they can be eternally happy and that they can share eternity with the people that they love the most. Because these are the messages that bring me the most hope and comfort in my times of trouble. I want to serve.
I'm soooo grateful for missionaries. If it wasn't for the missionaries and the amazing examples of my moms friends growing up, she might not have ever accepted the gospel, and I might not have been so lucky as to be born in a family that has the gospel.
The least that I can do is go out and help those that are looking for some guidance in their lives. I always used to love missionaries, and I still do and always will.
Day 30. Trials
Trials.... oh they are so bittersweet.... We all hate them, but then afterwards, hopefully we are all grateful for them. These last 6 months have been full of trials in my life. Both big and small, but the hardest ones that I have every had to go through.
Yeah... they suck, but they have also reminded me of all of these things that I have mentioned above, they have reminded me of all my blessings. If it weren't for trials, we would never be able to humble ourselves to see our true blessings. So today, I am humbled, and i'm thankful for these trials that I have had to endure... because they are shaping me into being more like Christ. And there is nothing more that I want than to be like my older brother. He's my example, my savior, and my light.
So there is the big list... now, there are so many other things to be thankful for... these are just the things I focused on each day.
Just like sunsets, many of our blessings get overlooked or blown off. But like I said earlier, no matter how crappy or dark a day might seem- the sunset is always there.
Every trial has a blessing that we should be grateful for. Every dark day has a beautiful sunset.
And just as I try my best to watch the sunset everyday, we should all try find our blessings more often than just in the month of November.
I heard a quote once that said "What if you woke up in the morning with only the things that you thanked God for the night before." That's truly an eye opener for me. I know I need to be more grateful.
I hope you all had a tremendous Thanksgiving- you better be getting excited for Christmas! (yes, that means playing Christmas music) This really is the best time of the year.
Comment below about one thing that YOU'RE thankful for, and remember that today and this upcoming week.
Happy Holidays! And have a beautiful and memorable December. Tis the season of Christ <3
