I am thankful for my parents.

Oh, how can I even begin to describe how thankful I am for my mom and dad? Well, I obviously can't, since I've been sitting here staring at the keyboard for several minutes. My mom and dad are, simply put, amazing. Throughout my life they have always been there for me and have always taught me to do what's right and to love doing it. From my mom I have learned the importance of loving everyone and serving them unselfishly. From my dad I have learned the value of hard work and integrity. They are always there for us, lending a hand in so many ways. I am so grateful that now that I am a grown-up (is it weird that I still feel like I should put that in quotation marks?), I count them as two of my best friends. They are wonderful grandparents to my kiddos, who count Nana and Bapa's house as merely an extension of home. Thank you, Mom and Dad, for being the most amazing parents anyone could ask for. And thank you, Heavenly Father, for blessing me with them as my mommy and daddy!

I'm thankful to be able to cook.

This year I have been getting more and more interested in cooking good, healthy, delicious, creative meals for my family, and I've been having a ton of fun doing it. I've even tried my hand at making up a few recipes that have turned out delicious (and a few that have turned out not so delicious, too...). Tonight I made some really yummy and very healthy chicken and wild rice chowder with whole wheat drop biscuits that was just the perfect meal for fall. I felt like such a good mom putting that on the table for my family! I'm thankful that the Lord created so many wonderful things for us to eat and that I can enjoy cooking them in a way that brings warmth and happiness to my family.

I am thankful for Family Home Evening!

Family Home Evening is definitely a work in progress in our family. (For those who aren't familiar with it, in our Church we are encouraged to have one night a week where we spend time together as a family and have a gospel-related lesson and, of course, treats!) With three kids 5 and under, trying to corral them for anything structured can be a challenge. Tonight, even though it was a little chaotic, was so fun -- Josh announced that HE was going to teach the lesson, and proceeded to tell us all about an automatic toothbrushing machine that he and Sammy invented. Then we talked about why we have Thanksgiving and what it means to be thankful, and each of us said some things we are thankful for. Josh said he was thankful for our family (I was just shocked he gave any kind of real answer, because when you ask Josh any kind of question you're most likely to get a big grin and a string of nonsense words), and Sammy said he was thankful that we have a nice warm home. Then the boys showed us their talents -- Sammy showed us how he could use a rubber bracelet to flip a foam block across the room and Josh did some kind of jump-spin move. I promised the boys they could have the chocolate-chippyest pieces of pumpkin bread if they'd sing the closing song with us, so they both shouted along to "I am a builder." Through all of this they were running around, jumping, wiggling, and climbing all over us. Our family home evenings might not be the everyone-sitting-reverently-enraptured picture from the Church art kit, but I hope we never forget the times like this we have with our little ones. Before we know it they'll be too big and too cool to want to climb on our laps or show us all their little talents and inventions, and I'm so thankful we have time set aside to spend just being together. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for helping us create time to experience sweet family moments without all the hustle and bustle and noise that usually accompanies our lives!

I am thankful for music!

I don't know if there is anything that affects my spirit more than music -- I love to sing and I love to listen to all sorts of music. Music to dance to, music to soothe, music to worship, music to just plain make you feel happy! Today I was sitting here at the computer and Sammy was next to me playing on his computer, and he started humming "There is Sunshine in My Soul." It was just such a sweet moment, listening to him almost unconsciously express the happiness in his heart through music. Just before that I was at choir practice singing the most beautiful Thanksgiving song, and it all made me so thankful for the gift of music! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving us this wonderful way to express our feelings, bear our testimonies, and have our spirits lifted!

I am thankful for a warm and beautiful home.

Today, as the wind and snow swirled outside the windows, I was especially grateful to have a wonderful home that keeps us safe from the elements and gives us a place to play, relax, learn, and just enjoy being a family. We have so much fun together, chasing each other around for tickle attacks, eating together, reading stories, having bathtime, snuggling, singing, and praying -- and that's just since dinner time! We've lived in this home for just over 5 years now, which is the longest I've ever lived anywhere. It's still a work in progress -- we're always adding or changing things here and there, and I'll be the first to admit it's not always as clean as I'd like it to be (if anyone sees my missing fairy cleaning lady, please send her my way!), but I'm so grateful that we have such a cozy place to build family memories together! Thank you, Heavenly Father, for blessing us with a wonderful, warm, secure, happy home!

I am thankful for veterans!

We live in the most privileged, most free, most full-of-opportunity country on earth, but that comes at a high cost -- the lives of many brave men and women, who fight not only to preserve our freedoms but also to help the oppressed across the world. All my grandfathers were veterans of either WWII or the Korean War, as were Dan's grandfathers. Our brother-in-law Zack is a Marine who served 3 tours in Iraq. They are just a very few of the thousands who have given of their time, strength, and even their life's blood for the cause of freedom. Thank you, to all veterans who are willing to sacrifice so much. We do not take your service for granted. Heavenly Father, please bless them with strength and bring them safely home!

Today I am thankful for...

... my incredible husband Dan. I don't know what I did to deserve the ideal husband, but I'm so thankful for him. He works really hard to support our family and make it possible for me to stay home with the kids, and I don't take that for granted one bit. He's funny and creative and loving. We are united in all the important areas and we work together so well as a team. He supports me in all my crazy creative ideas but is also good and gently keeping me grounded when I get a little too carried away. He doesn't get annoyed with all my quirks. I have complete faith and confidence in him. He is an amazing father to our kids, who absolutely adore him. You should see Eliza's face light up whenever he enters a room. For all this and a thousand other reasons, I thank my Heavenly Father every day for Dan.

Today I am thankful for...

...my three incredible, funny, sweet, crazy-making, loving, smart, goofy kids! Seriously, my life must have been so boring before I became a mom. We went to the children's museum today (Discovery Gateway up in SLC -- one of our fave places) and I had so much fun watching all three of them running around playing, experimenting, laughing, and just generally being themselves. Sammy built a huge, intricate building out of magnet blocks; Josh "fed" plastic carrots to the stuffed bunnies by throwing them in large quantities; and Eliza, finally liberated from the confines of the stroller, ran from one area to the next with a look of serious concentration on her face, obviously intent on trying every single thing she could get her hands on. They are their own little individuals, and it is an amazing experience to watch them grow and develop and even have a hand in shaping that process.

But even as they become more independent each day, all three of them still love to come to Mommy for a cuddle, for comfort, and to tell me their nonsensical-but-completely-hilarious-to-them jokes. I am trying really hard to cherish each moment I have with these little ones -- I know that all too soon they'll be too big to have Mommy at the center of their world. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for blessing me with these three wonderful little ones and entrusting me with such a responsibility.

Today, I'm thankful for...

I absolutely love Thanksgiving -- the whole month of November is just full of warm fuzzies as we contemplate the amazing number of blessings the Lord has given us. A few of my friends have been posting different things they are thankful for every day, and I decided to join in the fun!

Today I'm thankful for the wonderful neighborhood in which we live. Yesterday's weather was beautiful, and we spent a good chunk of the afternoon playing out in the front yard with a whole crew of neighbor kids. I'm thankful that my little ones have such great friends to create memories with. I'm thankful that we feel safe here, especially on our little double cul-de-sac which has nothing resembling traffic on the streets. I'm thankful for the grown-ups around here too, because we have some wonderful friends! We are really blessed to live here.