Grateful

I need to post more. And even more than just posting, I need to express more gratitude. I want to remember what things I am thankful for so that during the rough days, I can look back and know that things are not all that bad. So here are just a few thoughts...

I am so grateful that we are here in Missouri. I went visiting teaching tonight and shared the talk by Elder D. Todd Christofferson about the currant bush. It really made me think of how many times Heavenly Father has "cut us down" to direct our path in the right way for us. Not getting accepted to the University of Utah medical school twice was quite a blow. I still have days that I wish we were there now, but tonight I was very thankful that we are not. I am so blessed to be here in the midst of so many other wonderful people including the students and spouses, neighbors, church members, investigators, etc. etc. I especially thought about all the wonderful friends I've made that have been AMAZING examples to me. Watching other women struggle and pull through things makes me feel more motivated to pull through my own trials. It always seem like someone has it harder than me. If I try to open my eyes and look to how I can help other people, I see how strong they are and much stronger it is making me to be a part of these experiences.

I can really be grateful for Alex. He really works hard at what he does and amazes me every day with how much he can put on his plate and do great at it all! He was just elected Student Government Vice President of the school for next year and it doesn't seem to have changed anything. He still works hard and keeps up with his callings and makes time to be with me and Kyle. I was so proud of him for putting off an hour of study time so he could plant our garden with me. It meant a lot to me that I was important enough to him to sacrifice that time to be with me. He is my hero. And I am so proud of him everyday for working so hard, so that we can have a better future.

I am grateful for the lessons that Kyle teaches me every day. Patience. Unconditional love. Being able to say sorry, and even more, forgiving and forgetting. He is so sweet and loving and just wants to be loved back. He loves to be with Alex and me and copies everything we do. He always looks for my approval and tells me that he is a "big boy". He really is a big boy and I can't believe how much he does and how he has changed over the last two years. He is my little helper and little buddy. I don't know what I would do without his sweet spirit in my life.

I can't say enough how grateful I am for the really tough experiences we are going through right now. No income, and no sense of where we'll be next or what we should expect. I've really learned to be quite independant, more than I ever thought I could be. I've learned to trust in the Lord and to put my total faith in Him and His plan for us, whatever that may be. We want to do the right thing and I feel we've grown closer to Heavenly Father than ever before as we've depended on Him for so many answers and direction. I know that without His help, this part of our lives would be disastrous. I am so grateful for prayer and the guidance we can receive from God when we go to Him and simply ask for it.

A few other things on a lighter note...
I'm grateful for the rain. We get so much of it here. And I love it.
I'm grateful for fly swatters. They come in handy with many more bugs than flies.
I'm grateful for fans. When the AC is just not enough.
I'm grateful for mirrors. Flossing my teeth would never work without them.

And lastly... I'm grateful for Carmex. My lips have never looked this good. :)