Fall Colors

There are many things in life that I love. On the top of my list is the changing colors of the trees on the mountains. I am so thankful for them. They remind me that change is good, change is beautiful. I love how the colors usher in a new season filled with the chill of excitement. The changing colors also remind me that I have a loving Heavenly Father who created this amazing Earth.

Prayer

Yes, I am thankful for prayer. And up until recently I couldn't honestly say that I have been truely grateful for prayer. I'm sure I have been, I just didn't recognize the power it had in my life until recently.
If you read my other blog you know by now that my family and I took a trip to Disneyland last week. We had a GREAT time. The week proceeding our departure was one of the worst I have experienced. A trip to Disneyland for 7 people doesn't come cheap. I didn't count Grace since she didn't cost anything. The ENTIRE week before we left Isabel, Annika and Beckham were sick. They all complained of a stomach ache, sore throat accompanied by a fever. I became sick with worry. I was on my knees morning and night praying for them to get better before we left. I realize that this might be a very selfish prayer. But it was so important to me. And my prayer was answered. Not one of my kids were sick the entire time.
I guess I always knew that my prayers were answered. But it makes a world of difference when you see them come to fruition.
This is not the only prayer of mine that has been answered recently. There are others that continue to strengthen my testimony of the power of prayer which continues to strengthen my faith.

Good Neighbors

Thank goodness for Good Neighbors. They always come through in a bind. They look past my short comings and my slowly dissolving brain. They help me through a spastic day. They help keep me sane.

I am grateful to them for their help, their kind words, their phone calls out of the blue just to see how I'm doing. I know the Lord sent friends and neighbors to be his helpers. To extend his reach just that much farther.

Dishwashers

And I'm not talking about kids. Dishwashers have to be one of the greatest inventions of our time. They make cleaning the kitchen a BREEZE!!!! I don't have to worry about washing silverware, which growing up, I loathed and still loath. I can shove as many forks, knifes, spoons into the dishwasher as humanly possible, it's GREAT!!! I don't have to worry about my hands getting wrinkling, or getting burned when I forgot to leave the water running at a scalding temperature. It's nice to be able to start the dishes and walk away to do something else and come back to it when I'm good and ready to put them away.

I love technology, I am grateful for Dishwashers.

My Ears

I am so thankful for my ears that I can hear. There are so many wonderful sounds that I enjoy in my life. A quiet house, thunder and lightening, the uneven pattern of rain falling on my roof, the wind wanting to tear down my house, babies laughter, children's laughter, bird's chirpping, drawing a bath, any Coldplay song, My husaband and children telling me they love me, compliments, onions and veggies hitting a hot pan.

Sounds intensify my life.

My knees

I am grateful for my knees and their ability to bend. Bending is what helps me kneel next to my bed and say my prayers. I begin to feel my knees when I have been there for a while, confirming to me that I am having a meaningful one sided conversation with my Heavenly Father.

Despite the fact that I inherited the "Edward's" knees, I don't mind showing them off with a skirt.

I am grateful that my knees bend easily going up and down stairs. Since I have a lot of stairs in my home, knees are very useful.

My heart

I am so grateful for my heart. It's beating reminds me that I AM a live and here to EXPERIENCE this life. I love how it beats harder after running, walking or my new fav., swimming. I love how it pushes the blood to my whole body making my skin tingle and feel that much more a live.

I love how my heart aches for my children. Wanting them to feel safe, happy and loved.

I love how it feels when the spirit testifies of truth. The warmth and comfort that brings to me.

I love how my heart still beats for my husband. How it's grown more and more in love with him.

My belly

Yes, I am thankful for my beautiful belly. No matter how bulbous it is at the moment. It expands and contracts with how my life is currently going. I appreciate every stretch mark that details the 6 miracles I painfully bore. Each stretch mark is a reminder to me of those accomplishments, and that is a beautiful thing. My belly button reminds me of my own mother and the sacrifices that she went through to bring me into this world, to raise me and for the sacrifices that she still to this day makes for ME.