day 22.

day twenty-two.  clothing

this is our closet.

yes, it is kind of a mess. but that is how it goes. it is clean one day and a mess the next. i am so grateful for clothes. for all the clothes that i have that never get warn, but take up room in my closet and make me feel like i have SO MANY CLOTHES! i am grateful for the clothes that i do wear and that they are slowly wearing out. cause you know what that means...i get new clothes! i am grateful that i am able to wear clean clothes everyday and that i have a place to put them when i take the off at night.  if anyone reading this wants to send me on a shopping spree, i would be all for it. no questions asked. 

days 17,18,19,20 and 21

i have a lot of catching up to do.

day seventeen.  memories.

m. and i at snow college homecoming. 

m. was an ambassador at snow before and after his mission so he had to go to the dance. and he asked me to go with him. the day of the dance was a very memorable day. and not really in a good way, but the night was much better. the dance was lame, i made my dress, m. looked awesome and had a sweet stache, my hair was real short and my feet hurt by the end of the night {naturally}. this was a very good day and i am grateful for the memory that i have of m. telling me that he loved me. not for the first time. and not for the last. but from his heart. he loved {loves} me. 

day eighteen.  something new.

this is my husband. age 12ish. 

i found this picture at my in-laws today and laughed my head off. it is so fun to me to find new pictures of my husband that i haven't seen before. i met him after he had lost all his baby fat and grew into his ears so to see these pictures is a whole new experience for me. i love finding new things. especially funny pictures. i am grateful that this silly little boy {who still loves basketball} is my husband. forever. oh how i love those ears! 

day nineteen.  best friend {s}.

these two gals are the best of the best. 

i have been friends with these girls for about 7 years and we have yet to fight, bicker or argue. i love these girls. i am so grateful that i can call them my friends. they are each so special in their own way. they make me laugh harder than almost anyone can. they both have hearts of gold and have been lucky enough to have found their soul mates {both of which are going to be dentists!}. i cannot thank the lord enough for blessing me with these two beauties. {i need a new picture of the 3 of us. this was the only one i had on hand.}

day twenty.  seasonal.

it snowed this weekend. 

as you can see, it didn't snow very much. i was expecting more, but it hasn't come yet. i am not one to jump for joy at the first sight of snow. i love when the seasons change. i love wearing coats and gloves and scarves and being cuddly warm, but the cold is what i am never prepared for. with that being said, i am grateful that i am able to experience the cold so that i am appreciate the warmth even more. i am so grateful for each beautiful season and that i live in the heart of the rockies and in the middle of a desert at the same time. how does that work? i don't really know. 

day twenty-one.  where you sleep.

this is our bed. 

yes, our comforter is very girly. a new one is the works. i am so grateful for our bed. it is so cozy. i am grateful that my parents got it for us when we got married and even moved it into our {old} apartment for us. we had to move it out, but that was way easier than getting it in. i am grateful that at the end of each day i have a place to rest my head. that i am able to be warm when i sleep and have a nice warm blanket on top of me. oh how i love my {our} bed. 

days 15 and 16.

day fifteen.   technology.

yes, that's the x factor on tv. 

i'm not huge fan. there're just nothing else on and m. is gone. i am so grateful for technology. i am grateful for my phone, for my computer, for my tv, for my camera, for the radio, for the fancy electronic instruments that allow m. to make his sweet, sweet music and for all the technology out there that is yet to be discovered that is going to change the world as we know it. can you imagine the world our children are going to grow up in? i am grateful that i am fortunate enough to have so much technology at my fingertips. sometimes i would like to get rid of all of it, but then i think about it and i think thats a really dumb idea. i love technology...but not as much as you, you see. 

day sixteen.  animals. 

 

this is an insect. 

let me be honest, i am not the biggest fan of animals. correction, i am not the biggest fan of pets. i think animals are great, but i don't want to have one. i am grateful that there are animals on the earth (and in space? who knows!) and that they bring so much joy to so many people. i am grateful that animals help make the world go round. it kinda freaks me out that there are animals that we don't know very much about. i guess it's kinda the same with humans. way to be cool animals. if i could, i would give you all high fives. but only if you promised not to eat me. 

day 14.

day fourteen.  movement.

temple of heaven. beijing china.  

i am grateful for this adorable chinese woman who was perfectly content twirling her long streamers in the courtyard of the temple of heaven. i am so grateful for movement. i am grateful that there are so many ways to interpret movement whether it be dancing, running, leaping, hunching, jumping, twirling, etc. i am grateful that most of us are capable of getting from one place to another just by placing one foot in front of the other. and for those of us that can't quite get around by ourselves, i am grateful that there are people in this world that help others move from place to place. i am grateful that the world is busy, moving, changing, evolving. 

i love movement. but i hate moving. (good thing we aren't going anywhere for a while.)

day 13.

day thirteen.   hands.

our hands. 

i am grateful for hands. i am grateful that i have all my fingers (and toes too). i am grateful for hand holding and thumb wars. i am grateful that m. has such strong guitar callused hands that make such beautiful music. i am grateful that our hands allow us to serve others. i am grateful for the many hands that have fed me throughout my life. i am grateful that i have a mallet finger (permanently bent) because that mallet brought me to my best han-ba-nan. i am grateful that there are so many things that we can do with out hands. give a wave, an i love you, and maybe if you're angry...that middle guy will creep up. oops. 

i am grateful for my "bird" hands. 

days 10, 11, and 12.

day ten.  nature.

this is an oldie but a goodie. 

i am so grateful for nature. i am able for the time that i am able to spend in the sun while lying on the grass, that i live so close to the glorious rocky mountains that i could just go climb them if i wanted (i haven't ever wanted to yet), i am grateful that i am just a short drive away from one of the most beautiful canyons ever. this world is absolutely amazing and we are all so lucky to be here. 

way to be awesome, earth! 

 day eleven.  written words.

this is my journal. 

i am grateful for my journal. i am grateful that i was so diligent in my journal writing for about 5 years. i am sad that i haven't done very well that past couple of years, but i am grateful that the world of technology has given me this lovely blog that i kind of use a journal. i am so grateful that i have the ability to write down my thoughts and feelings. i am grateful for all the beautiful ways that each of us can write from poetry to music to facebook posts. i am grateful that there are so many people out there that write words for us to read. i am a big fan of words and reading them.  

day twelve.  something old.

this tiny ring belonged to my great grandma. 

it is super tiny and has a tiny diamond in it. i used to wear this necklace almost everyday. i never knew my great grandma. or my grandma. my grandma died when i was about five. she lived in california and my family lived in utah. we went for a visit when i was really little, but of course, i don't remember.  i am grateful that i have this necklace to remind me of the great women in my life. even though i never met my grandma, but i kind of feel like when i wear it, she is there with me and getting to know me and who i am. i am grateful that i have something  i can hold in my hand to remember her since i don't have memories to look back on. i am grateful for my grandma and that she gave me my mom. 

days 8 and 9.

day eight.   favorite color.

this was my dinner tonight.

i am not really one to choose favorites when it comes to things like movies, colors, songs, etc. but i guess if i were to have to choose i would say green. there are so many shades of green that are so lovely. i especially love green in the spring and summer when the grass is green, the trees are green and the world is so alive. i am grateful for green and that is a sign of life. i am a big fan of life.

day nine.  an inspiring person

this is my mom.

and this is the most recent picture i could access of her. it is from her visit to texas with my dad to see my sister and family. i am so grateful for my mom. she has always been someone that i have looked up to. she is the absolute hardest worker i know. she is smart, kind, funny, generous, and the best grandma in the world. i look forward to the time when she will be a grandma to my children.  i am grateful that m. and i live so close to my parents. so close infact that we are in the same ward! (i am actually at their house as i write this). my mom is the greatest. and just so you know, she may be small, but she can and will take you down if you mess with her.

 also. i have never seen her belly button. is that weird?

day 6 and 7.

day six.  books.

just a handful of my favorite books. 

i am very grateful for books. i am grateful for writers and for how they can take me to whole different world with their words. i am grateful that there are so many creative and artist people out there that can write such wonderful words. and i am grateful that i can read, comprehend and understand the words that are written. someday, i will write a book. you'll see.

day seven.  something funny.

meet the most friendly batman on the planet. 

 i am grateful for this guy and for joy that he brings into my life. i am grateful that almost everyday on our way to work, he makes up a new song about how much he loves me. i am grateful that he is there is the night to keep me warm and is there to laugh with me when i get the bedtime giggles. i am grateful that he only swears when it is appropriate or to be funny. i am grateful that he knows how to make me laugh even when i am in a bad mood. and i am grateful that he always asks me #1 or #2 when i go to the bathroom. i am so lucky. 

days 4 and 5.

day four.  leaves.

pink leaves outside my house. 

i am grateful for leaves. i love that they mark the changing of the seasons and that i live in a place where i am able to enjoy each and every season.  i love especially love fall time and that crunchy sound that leaves make when walking through on them.  i love that when the leaves are crunching it is fall time and fall time means that the holidays are coming and the holiday season is my favorite time of the year. i am also grateful for green leaves that provide shade on hot summer days. leaves are just like all of us; different colors, shapes and sizes. and all make the world more beautiful. 

day five.   the morning sky. 

this is not a picture of the morning sky today. 

this morning it snowed and i was not about to go outside into the cold and take a picture of the sky.  i am grateful for the morning sky and that i am able to be alive every morning and enjoy the day. i must admit that i am not really a morning person and this time of year i am at work before the sun comes up which isn't my favorite thing, but i am grateful to be alive and to see the beautiful morning sky that is different every single day. 

day 3.

day three.  happiness. 

easter in china. 

i chose this photo because the experience i had in china teaching the crazy and wonderful children was one of the happiest and most worth while experiences of my life. these children changed my life for the better. up until that point in my life, i don't think i had ever been that happy. to completely give myself to those children and to get their love in return was pure happiness. those children stole a piece of my heart and showed my what true happiness is.  

 and then there is this man. 

the man that i call my husband. the day that he and i got married was the happiest day of my life. i know that everyone says that, but it absolutely was. he and i had been together for so long but when we were finally husband and wife was pure and absolute bliss. my heart was pounding, my eyes were watering, and teeth got so dry that my lips stuck to them. at the moment we became husband and wife was heaven on earth. happiness to conquer the eternities. 

days 1 and 2.

30 days of gratitude. in photos.

day one.  my favorite food.

ice cream. not just this kind. any kind really. 

i am grateful for ice cream because sometimes at the end of a long day, i can eat some ice cream and it makes everything okay. of course, this isn't a very healthy food for me to call my favorite, but i cannot deny my love for the sweet {chocolate} ice cream treat. 

day two.  smiles.

like the one on my sweet niece lily. such a doll. 

there are about a million smiles i could put up here to show you, but i wanted to put this one up cause i took it this weekend and i thought it was the sweetest thing. i am grateful for smiles. i am grateful that they can brighten someones day and are so easy to give away. so go ahead, give someone a smile and let them know that you are happy to be alive.