10 Things

Just a few of the blessings that make my life better and that make me happy.

1. The Gospel.  It's has meant various things to me in my life.  At first the Gospel to me was church, and church was a place to go, when I had no where else to go.  It's where I made friends and people were kind to me (for the most part).  I wasn't sure why at the time, I made it a priority to go by myself (sometimes I would drag my baby sisters along) when I was a teenager and my parents were inactive, but I thank God every day that I started down that path so I could get to where I am today.  I suspect much like love, the Gospel takes on new meaning with time and growth, because the Gospel is so much more to me than church, or a place to go, or my religious views and philosophies.  It is EVERYTHING.  Sometimes I wish I could write in words the whisperings of the spirit and the feelings involved when I am taught eternal truths, when I catch a glimpse of eternity and Gods love.  Yesterday when I sat in the hallway of church during sacrament meeting holding a very wiggly and hollering 2 year old, I listened to a mother and a convert to the church weep from joy over the things the Gospel has given her.  The spirit spoke so profoundly to me that I have been given the greatest blessings there are in life, I too cried with joy for the knowledge I've received.  Every Sunday or every moment I've ever given God a chance to communicate with me through the Holy Ghost, the spirit has testified and reaffirmed to my heart that this is His Gospel and He has blessed me every step of my life to have it be a part of who I am.  I am so undeserving, but oh so grateful for His love and patience with me and for His Plan of Happiness. 
2. Kindness.  I was checking out of Walmart late on day when the cashier gave me a smile and said you sure have beautiful eyes. It totally caught me off guard, there I was in my grubbies, make-up less, hair plastered to my head in a messy bun, feeling run down and homesick and one nice, thoughtful comment changed my night around.  Thank you "Mister" for finding something for me to feel good about.  Or the facebook friend who told me I still have a great body.  Because while I know my body is full to the brim with excess weight and I can't remember what it feels like to have a shape or a "figure", my body is indeed great, I just have to re-learn to feed it properly and give it the exercise it needs so the outside can be a reflection of the love and respect I should have for the gift of my otherwise healthy and functioning body.  And lastly the kindness of my neighbor Stacy.  I'm convinced she is part of the reason we ended up here.  I'd be so lonely without her.  We don't hang out often and we have lots of reason to be a little reserved around each other.  But it's nice to go out front and visit with her and let our kids play together.  My children adore her.  She is warm and friendly and caring and if I need eggs, sugar or milk I know I could ask her and not feel awkward about it.   
3. Ceiling fans.  Heat and humidity = miserable stagnant air.  And while I couldn't live without our AC, it's the breezy relief that the ceiling fans produce that make me oh so happy.  
4. My bread maker.  I hardly ever use it to actually make bread, but it gets used almost daily to make dough in.  Whether it be rolls, pizza dough, kolaches, or bread sticks, I get perfect dough EVERY time.  It makes me feel like I'm the worlds best baker. 
5. My Bissell.  While I'd prefer to never have to use one.  My carpet scrubber gets weekly use.  It does a super job of cleaning other wise disgusting and horrible messes. 
6. My garden.  It will always be a magical place for me to get lost in.  I adore growing things.  
7. Our neighborhood lake.  Honestly, there is something magical about it for me.  It's nothing special to the ordinary beholder, but for me it is a beautiful escape.  The one and only place I go to get away from it all.  It's beautiful to look at, it's calming to listen to.  If my kids didn't whine and bawl over being there for so long, I'd walk for miles around it. 
8. My dishwasher.  It's not a fancy one by any means, but it's the first one I've ever owned.  I still do a lot of my dishes by hand, because 25 years of doing them by hand makes it second nature, and it gives my kids and I time to work together. But it is so nice to have it when I need it.  I can throw a load in the dishwasher when company is headed over, or when there's so much to do it's nice to know I can split it up and have half the work done for me. 
9. A fridge with an ice and water dispenser.  Again it's a first for me.  And since the water down here tastes like it came straight from the pool and it never gets cold coming from the tap, I love having cold (filtered) non chlorine tasting water to drink.  Being able to throw a hand full of ice in my cup is just icing on the cake.
10. Kisses, whether it be Isaac's ever varying smooches, Livie's eagerness to plant one on you, Dylan's awkward I'm not sure I should still be kissing my mom kisses, or to the rare but passionate and fiery kisses from the Mr.  I can't get enough of them.