Happier Post

I decided that since I was so negative in my post yesterday, I need to really count my blessings and be more positive. So here are some wonderful blessings I am thankful for in my life (in no particular order):

MALO: Malo is the best husband; he is a kind and loving man and a phenomenol father. He is also creative and has so many wonderful ideas and plans. With him, I know that anything is possible. He is a really handy man and can do pretty much anything he puts his mind to. I feel so grateful to be married to him and of course there are struggles, as in any marriage, but he is amazing and I love him so much. When I count my blessings, he is always right up there.

ASPEN: No expansion needed, really. She is the most amazing blessing that has ever come into our lives. I know she was meant to be in our family....and the 5 years it took for that to happen is 100% worth waiting for. I often just stare at her and my eyes fill up with tears because I am so grateful for her. I want to be a better person just so I can be a better mom to her. Malo and I both love her so much; our lives are so much more complete with her. Not a day goes by that we do not thank our Heavenly Father for her and for trusting us with this little one in our home. She is definitely the greatest....and one smile from her can make all of my worries subside for awhile. I love this little one more than I ever knew it was possible to love....and I have a lot of love!! :-)

MY FAMILY: Not just Malo and Aspen and my wonderful pups, but the rest of my family...my mom, my brother & his family, my sister. They have always been an amazing support in my life and they are simply the best!

THE GOSPEL: Where would any of us be, really, without our Heavenly Father's love and without the Atonement. I am so grateful we have the truth and that we have our Savior, Jesus Christ. I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me and I feel incredibly blessed to have that knowledge in my life.

MY FRIENDS: I have been blessed throughout my entire life with wonderful friends. Friends I know I can call anytime for anything, friends I know love me and would do anything for me. Friends that I am willing to do the same for. I am not sure why I have been blessed with such great friends, but I appreciate them all!! :-)

FREEDOM: I am so grateful for the freedoms we enjoy in this company. I know a lot of people are frustrated with the US right now, and I know many of our own citizens are bad-mouthing our country and our leaders and by so doing, are bad-mouthing the very things that give them the freedom to do so. I get so frustrated with people who complain and talk about how they hate being an American, well, then move to another country where you will be killed for voicing those opinions. But wait....that could take me on a whole new soap box, so I'll stop. But I truly feel blessed to live in a free country and there is nowhere else I would rather be.

OTHERS: This post I just realized could go on and on forever....because once you start counting your blessings, you realize how good life is and how much you have....even if its not temporal or tangible things, but what is most important in this life are really what I call the 5 "f"s: Faith, Freedom, Food, Family and Friends. :-) But here are just a few more things I am grateful for....

• Sunshine!
• Rain!
• Snow!
• Thunder and Lightning storms
• Changing Seasons
• Food, especially cheese
• A body that works (for the most part!)
• A career that I love (even though I don't want to be working *right now*)
• A beautiful house that is truly a home
• Books to read
• The Scriptures
• Pictures/scrapbooking
• Animals
• Water
• The mountains
• The ocean and beach
• Appliances that work
• Music

OKay.....I feel better than yesterday, now I will stop! :-)