Gratitude Week: Last Day!

In honor of Thanksgiving, I will be Blogging each day this week about those things I feel most grateful for this year. Fair warning--they're bound to range from the inspiring to the mundane. But such is life, no?Tonight I'm realizing how many things--how many people--I have not expressed gratitude for this week. And though it might seem a bit cliche, its what we do. Come along for the ride, won't you?

I am grateful for so many good friends who entertain me, love me, craft with me, support me, and listen to me. Sometimes all at the same time. Shout outs to Greg, Arianne, Jamie, Emily, Andrea, Jen, Elisa, Mariah, Keith, Toffer...and the list goes on and on.

I am grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I feel so blessed to be a part of it, and for all the aspects that make my life amazing every day. I'm grateful for General Conferences, missionaries (like my lil' bro!), the scriptures, Preach My Gospel, CES Firesides, Institute, and the Temple.

I'm grateful for places that make me happy--Hale Center Theater, Yogurtland, Smart Cookie, Disneyland, Mom & Dad's house, and the Gene Fullmer Rec Center.

I'm grateful for Biggest Loser for inspiring me every Tuesday night to work out harder Wednesday morning. In this same vein, I am grateful for Livestrong.com. Their Calorie Counter application has made a major difference in my health this year.

I'm grateful for Sensodyne toothpaste that doesn't aggravate canker sores.

I'm grateful for Hulu.com. My TV reception is often terrible and my schedule is often packed. I'm glad I can still watch my favorite TV Shows on my own schedule.

I am grateful for books. I'm especially grateful for Favorite Books that continue to be amazing old friends every time I open them.

I am grateful for Student Teachers that make my work life easier by giving me more time to do things other than teach.

I am grateful for Groupon, for obvious reasons.

I am grateful for water--the greatest beverage in the world.

I am grateful for goal setting. I haven't done a sticker chart in a while, but my "27 in my 27th" list has been a great motivator this year.

I'm grateful to all of you who are still reading this. Life is good. This list could go on endlessly, so I'll make it end. Now.

Happy Gratitude Week 2010!!

Picture from Wordpress

Gratitude Week: Friday

In honor of Thanksgiving, I will be Blogging each day this week about those things I feel most grateful for this year. Fair warning--they're bound to range from the inspiring to the mundane. But such is life, no?
Today I'm grateful for music. I may or may not have just engaged in a short solo Kitchen Dance to my current Pandora Station. And that may or may not have been the reason for my great feelings of gratitude today.

I love music. I love making music, listening to music, dancing to music, and sometimes even pretending to compose music. Yes, pretending. I am NEVER successful so its more like an imaginative game.

I have eclectic music tastes and most artists and genres will pass muster with me. I love songs with a good beat that I can dance or run to. I love songs with great lyrics that move me and make me thing. I love music with no lyrics at all.

I appreciate that I have some musical ability to sing and play music. And I appreciate that I can recognize rhythm.

I am grateful that we live in a world with so many types of music, because really life without music would be sad indeed. No soundtracks to backup your movies or your life. No tunes to wake you up in the morning. Nothing to car dance to in the middle of a traffic jam. No beautiful hymns to join in with during Church services. No happiness, I'm sure.

I love music. I'm grateful for music. And, if you don't mind, I think I'll jump back in with some more kitchen dancing since this is wrapping up pretty quick. Having music in my life--for that I am truly grateful.

Click here for one of my favorites to dance to!

Photo from howstuffworks.com

Gratitude Week: Thanksgiving Day!

In honor of Thanksgiving, I will be Blogging each day this week about those things I feel most grateful for this year. Fair warning--they're bound to range from the inspiring to the mundane. But such is life, no?
I'm composing this Blog post from the comfort of my couch, Esteban. I'm cozy in pajamas and I know the warmth and happiness of bedtime is just around the corner. I'm looking forward to bedtime because I am all tuckered out with the games, visiting, and other Thanksgiving festivities. And I'm also really, really FULL. My belly is tight with turkey, stuffing, rolls, mint slush, cranberry fluff salad, and multiple slices of pie. In this situation, its hard to settle on just one thing to write about in a post on gratitude. But then I realize that I'm literally "settled on" the perfect topic.

Tonight I am grateful for my home and everything inside it--including Esteban the Couch. Three bedrooms, a ginormous walk-in closet, two bathrooms, plenty of storage, and a lovely living room/kitchen space make up my little house. And I love my little house. I'm so grateful that all the pieces fell into place this past Spring, allowing me to become the homeowner of this merry pad.

I'm grateful that just over a year ago I decided to grow up a bit and purchase a wonderful bed and an heavenly mattress set. Its the centerpiece of my bedroom and it makes bedtime one of my favorite parts of the entire day.

I'm grateful that my foray into furniture shopping this autumn was so successful. I left Furniture Row the new owner of not only the coziest couch this side of the Mississippi, but also a chair that perfectly matches my home interior and is comfy to boot! (For those of you wondering about the coziest couch on the other side of the River, it can be found in a 3rd floor apartment on Broadway in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City.)

I'm grateful that being inside my house gives me a peaceful, happy feeling. A feeling that makes me look forward--everyday--to going home. That's what we all deserve, really. So on this Thanksgiving Night, safe and happy and warm in my lovely little home, I'm feeling truly grateful.

Photo by Me

Gratitude Week: Wednesday

In honor of Thanksgiving, I will be Blogging each day this week about those things I feel most grateful for this year. Fair warning--they're bound to range from the inspiring to the mundane. But such is life, no?

Today I'm grateful for my job. Perhaps I'm feeling so grateful because there's no work until Monday and its payday, but be that as it may I am grateful for steady employment.

I've been teaching history for going on six years now. Despite the occasional "craptacular" day, I really enjoy my job. I appreciate that its different every day--a new topic to teach with a new lesson plan. And since you're dealing with the constantly changing teenage psyche, its usually an adventure.

I appreciate that I have amazing students this year who make me laugh and keep me on my toes.

I appreciate my awesome co-workers. I've made some lasting friendships with other teachers at my school.

I appreciate colleagues who encourage me to tackle crazy things like National Boards (I passed!), Gilder Lehrman seminars, and even new positions that will stretch me in ways I never considered.

I also appreciate having a second teaching position once a week with an entirely different set of learners. The extra pay is nice, and working with an older group of students is kind of refreshing. Plus I can get away with watching the Spot Collins classic, Newsies, for class by tying it into our study of Labor Unions. Woohoo!

As one who loves to be productive, I appreciate having a job and a place to work each day. And I'm really grateful my job is fun and rewarding to boot! On this Thanksgiving Eve, pondering how this job allows me holidays, weekends, and other large chunks of time OFF work...I'm even more grateful. So thinking of my awesome job, tonight I am truly thankful.

Photo from dorisday.net

Gratitude Week: Tuesday

In honor of Thanksgiving, I will be Blogging each day this week about those things I feel most grateful for this year. Fair warning--they're bound to range from the inspiring to the mundane. But such is life, no?

Today I'm grateful for warm things. Its blustery, blizzardy snowy-ness outside. And the temps are bitter cold. The very idea of having to go out in it tomorrow to drive to work is disgusting. With an attitude of gratitude, though, I can say I'm honestly grateful for all the warmth I'm surrounded by right now.

I'm grateful for sweatshirts. Hoodies are amazing. I'm wearing two.

I'm grateful for hot chocolate. I like to boil the water on the stove so its uber-hot, thus allowing me to warm my hands for minutes on end around the toasty cup.

I'm grateful for my furnace.

I'm grateful for slipper socks. Especially the blue and gray kind with Mickey Mouse on top. I love that the "sock" aspect allows me to wear them and my black fuzzy slippers. That's right--doubled up on the slippers, too.

I'm grateful for blankets. I love piling blankets on my bed so that I can burrow under them and sleep toasty warm with cold air surrounding me. That's actually how I sleep best. And I'm certainly grateful for sleep, but that's another post for another day.

I'm also grateful for those things--some intangible--that make me feel warm inside. Things like exchanging texts with a friend while we both watch a favorite TV show in our respective homes, making exciting plans, getting a package in the mail, or wearing a new outfit and wearing it well.

I love warmth--especially on a snowy night. To be warm on a night like this? For that I am truly grateful.

Picture from coverbrowser.com

Gratitude Week: Monday

In honor of Thanksgiving, I will be Blogging each day this week about those things I feel most grateful for this year. Fair warning--they're bound to range from the inspiring to the mundane. But such is life, no?


Today I'm thankful for my family. All of them! Growing up I never really thought of myself as close to my family, but now I can see that we are TIGHT. And its awesome.

I'm grateful for amazing parents who love me and support me in all I do. I love that they get excited when I come by {which I do ALL the time}, and invite me to movies and dinner and all sorts of things.

I'm grateful for siblings who I can talk to and hang out with pretty much anytime and its a good time. I'm grateful that we're all friends now, despite many fights and unfortunate words sometimes thrown at each other as kids.

I'm grateful for some pretty awesome in-laws who I actually like. Am I alone in fearing my siblings would marry strange and/or creepy people? I'm glad they didn't.

I'm grateful for my adorable nephews and niece. I seriously love these kids and cannot get enough of them! So glad they came to our family.

The bonus in all of this is that with Thanksgiving being a low-key family holiday--I'll get to see them lots and lots. And for that, I am truly grateful.

Gratitude Week: Sunday

In honor of Thanksgiving, I will be Blogging each day this week about those things I feel most grateful for this year. Fair warning--they're bound to range from the inspiring to the mundane. But such is life, no?

I am grateful for Dessert, especially that of the Baked Goods variety. Perhaps this stems from my experiment last year of abstaining from all sweets for a school year. Or perhaps its because its the American Way. In either case, I am so grateful for the wide variety of treats available to me. Whether homemade or created in a bakery, I find great happiness in the occasional treat. To be more specific, this year I am especially thankful for:

• Smart Cookies
• Ginger/Molasses Cookies (in all their varieties)
• Red Velvet Cake
• Pie
  
• Nearly Perfect Chocolate Chip cookies (I found multiple in NYC)
• Crumbs Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

This has been a splendid year for the baked goods in my life. And for this, I am truly grateful.

When Life Gets You Down...

...I guess its time to count your blessings!!