In the Spirit of Thanksgiving

A friend of mine posted a video on her blog titled "In The Spirit of Thanksgiving" where people on the streets of New York were asked one question: What are you thankful for?

The answers were great. You got the typical, health, family, job answers. And you got the religious answers. And you even got some funny answers, like Macaroni and Cheese, and Not being yelled at by a cabbie. I am not gonna post the message here, but I will leave you this link. Go check it out if you get a spare 5 minutes. It's great!

In the meantime, it's my turn to list all my many blessings that I find myself grateful for. Many of my friends have taken on a challenge to post on their Facebook status something they are thankful for every day through November. I chose not to do it as I have made it a bit of a tradition to post a blog list just before (or after) Thanksgiving day. Today seems as good a day as any so here I go!

In no particular order, I am thankful for:

My health. Though this pregnancy hasn't necessarily been a great experience, and though I have some aches and pains I haven't dealt with for either of my other pregnancies, I do have to appreciate that all in all, I have been healthy. I have (so far) been blessed to not get any flu bugs or nasty colds, or other such viruses. And for that, how can I NOT be grateful?

My husband. Joe is such an amazing man. I feel so privileged to have him in my life. He is such a sweet husband, and father. He loves his girls. And none of us girls doubt that love. He is genuine, he is caring, and he is extremely funny. He is such a help around the house. Especially when my energy is low from pregnancy. He cooks better than me, he cleans better than me, and he doesn't mind helping out. He is a fantastic father. He helps when the girls are sick, he can make them laugh and loves to cuddle on the couch with them. He is also a hotty...

Lilia. She is such a fantastic kid! She is smart, and beautiful, and funny. She has been out thinking me since she was three, and though it can be frustrating, it makes me proud to have such a smart kiddo. She is a fantastic big sister, and though she has the ability to be a bit overbearing, her sister adores her. She is growing up so fast, and becoming such a beautiful girl (as opposed to the adorable toddler she once was). She loves to dance, and sing, and tell jokes. She is always willing to help me when I am cooking (or baking) and has a knack for reading that I hope she continues to work on and grows to love. She has some perfectly awesome 5 year old common sense, and frequently has me giggling at her insights. She is so much fun to talk to, and I am thankful she is my big girl.

Lacey. She is so very different from her sister. She is tough, and quiet, and so very cute! Anyone who is a parent knows how dangerous it is when the kids are out of your line of vision and being quiet. Problem is, Lacey is ALWAYS quiet. I can never tell if she is up to something naughty, because she is just as quiet then as she is when she is behaving. She is perfectly content to be left alone to do her own thing (for good and bad). She is a tough little cookie, and though she gets sick easier than her sister, she is a trouper and comes through each illness with flying colors. She is such a sweet girl. No matter how naughty she has been, if she looks at me with her big eyes and says, "Sowwy Momma." How can I not melt? She loves to sing as well, she is talking more and more and everything that comes out of her mouth makes us smile. Especially, "whatcha doin?" I feel very blessed to have the privilege of being her Momma, and love her hugs and kisses.

Matthew. Okay, so maybe it's a bit premature to for sure be naming him, but we do feel pretty confident that his name is Matthew. Though he isn't born yet, I am grateful for all the activity I can feel. He moves around so much that I can honestly say I have never had that scared feeling of wondering if everything is okay with him. I love this little guy already, and can hardly wait to meet him in 10 weeks.

The Gospel (and all it entails) . I am not so eloquent as some of my other friends at voicing my thoughts and feelings about my religious beliefs, but I will say this. I love the gospel for everything it offers me in my life. For the hope of the future, the knowledge of the past, the gift of today, and for the knowledge I have of Christ and HF. I love my church, I love my prophet, I love my Savior, and I love the scriptures. I know Christ died for me, and that because of him, and his sacrifice, I can not only be forgiven of all my indiscretions, but also that I can more easily overcome the feelings of anger toward those who have wronged me, and hurt me.

My family. My mother is one of my very best friends, and I cherish all her insight and wisdom. My brothers are good friends and great babysitters (hehe), and I love them dearly. My sisters, though we don't talk often, are great women, who deserve the best, and I love them both. The rest of my extended family is amazing, and close knit, and funny, and supportive. I look forward to seeing many of them over the next few months.

My in-laws. Though we have had our rough patches in the past, I do love them. They are wonderful, and supportive, and beautiful (inside and out). My father in law in particular holds a special place in my heart. He is such a sweet and amazing dad. Not just to Joe, but to me as well.

My friends. Not just my tried and true bestest friend ever (Ju). But the newer ones that I keep finding on life's path. For those friends who call to see if I need help with my sick kids. Who offer to pick something up at the store when I am in need and without a car, or bring me their maternity clothes when I realize (to my horror) that I have outgrown the ones I own. To friends who make me laugh and let me cry (hysterically) about my freakish fears and worries.

(Now on to some less serious ones)

The beautiful weather of late. It has been great to have a warmer Halloween, and only a light snow fall so far.

My house. As flawed as it is, it is still mine, and I am grateful that we have a house at all in this economy.

Joe's job. His job is a great blessing to us.

Warm blankets and hot chocolate.

Good movies. Especially the two we watched this weekend- Star Trek and New In Town. I recommend both to everyone.

New recipes (only the good ones though).

Holiday (and Pre-Holiday) Parties.

Our car.

Holiday food. More specifically, Butterscotch Yams, Turkey, Honey Baked Ham, homemade mashed potatoes, pumpkin stuff, My mother's homemade Christmas candy... I could continue, but it's really just making me more hungry...

Unsolicited hugs and kisses from my kids.

Cuddling on the couch watching movies with Joe.

Being joined on the couch by both the girls making us a really big jumbled mess of arms and legs attempting to cuddle on the couch.

The laughter I hear regularly when my girls are playing nicely with each other.

The crock pot.

1/4 of a cow at a good price.

My memory foam mattress topper.

Warm socks.

Comfy sweaters that are really cute, too.

Kindergarten Carpool.

Happy kids in the morning who like to join me in bed for a few minutes.

The dog- but only because my hubby and the kids love her so much...

I think that's a good start. I may come back and add to this, but for now, I'll call it good. Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I hope it's wonderful!