Another dose of gratitude before we leave town...

Well, I can't tell you how much it has blessed my December to try to focus on my blessings. It really has opened the way for me to feel so much more joy than I would have been able to otherwise. So we're getting ready to drive to Utah soon and I thought that I would do one more post before we take off!


I'm grateful that I got to sing to Audrey this morning. Audrey is a woman I have known since I was little--and she used to play for me and my siblings to sing in church. Amazing pianist and musician, and such a sweet lady. She suffered a stroke last year and then her husband passed away shortly after. My good friend Lisa thought it would be fun for a few of us "young moms" to go carol to her and she offered to watch all of our kiddos while we went. The whole experience was the spirit of Christmas. I know Audrey is so frustrated by all the things she can't do anymore--like play the piano--but she still feels music in her heart just as strong. She waved her arms and directed us on a few of the songs and joined right in on Jingle Bells and even sang the "ha ha ha" part. I'm grateful for the power of music to say what words can't, and for how our hearts can sing, even if our mouths can't even remember the words. My Christmas is complete. :)

I'm grateful that my boys love singing "Angels We Have Heard on High." Several nights, as we have gathered around the tree to sing carols, instead of peacefully sitting by the glow of the lights my boys have stood up and joined hands with each other and danced around the room as we sing. Pure joy. So fun to watch.

I'm grateful for all the kicks from the little lady in my tummy. It's one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. It's like, "tap, tap! Keep it up, mom! You get to meet me soon!" I love that my cousin brought me over a few baby girl clothes and Ethan held up a pair of pajamas and said, "Oh! Those are cute! I just want to hug her right now, mom!" Me too, Ethan.

I'm grateful for the way my focus on gratitude has spilled into the whole family. :) The other day Ethan came and randomly hugged me throughout the day like 15 times and said things like, "Thanks for letting me go to Franklin, mom. It's a great school." Or, "Thanks for buying this piano, mom. I'm glad we have it." Or, "I'm really grateful we have a house, mom." (These kinds of statements are not incredibly typical for Ethan, so it has been a great gift to me to hear them!!!) The feeling of gratitude in our home this month has been like a sweet air freshener, wafting in every room and reminding us of our blessings!!!

I'm grateful for all the stories and songs and traditions of Christmas that give us a piece of the puzzle of God's love for us and the significance of the Savior to each of us. I love getting a few more pieces of that puzzle every year and standing back in awe as I comprehend more of God's greatness and his plan.


Well Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sorry for lots of boring posts without pictures! We'll remedy that in a couple weeks. :)