I have an awesome brother who does so much for me. And in college I am lucky enough to have FHE brothers, and not FHE brothers who are basically my brothers. So I wanted to write up a little something dedicated to them.

My brother is crazy, smart, funny, and quirky. He’s himself no matter what. He invites me over to dinner and drives me places, and I know if I need anything, he’ll be there. So thanks Ben for being the best brother I have 😉

My FHE brothers. They are all so different, and fun, and crazy. They have come over to give blessings, do homework, make fun of us, and never get mad when we just walk into their room. Jesse and Andrew are way too cool for me 😉 Jack and Dyl are the kind of guys that are your best friend in a romantic comedy. Kurtis is going to bleach his tips. Just kidding, but he’s so funny without even trying to be. And Ian…bless his heart. He’s one of the sweetest guys I know. He’s so smart and funny. Ian is just…Ian. And I love them all.
   

And those other boys. Michael and Gabe and Dillon and Cade and Nick and Josh. I haven’t known them for that long, but I know they would drop anything to come help me. That’s why it’s so hard to realize that three of them are going to be gone next semester. They tease and come sit on our couch while we talk, they’ve made Randy feel like their good friend even though they just met him, and have made me feel like I have someone who will take care of me.

Basically I have awesome guys in my life. Of course Randy is the best by far (sorry boys…;)) but I have some awesome friends who make me laugh and always watch out for me. And made us all promise we wouldn’t get married until they get home and we can hang out some more. So thanks guys, for watching out for us and being my friend.

So I was sitting in my room for approximately the length of one romantic comedy tonight, feeling sorry for myself for a million reasons. And then I realized I needed to blog. So I started thinking about what I was thankful for today. And sitting down, typing this out has made me realize it. I am so grateful for my trials. I am grateful for them because they’ve made me stronger. I am so blessed because through my trials I have been able to come to know how much my Heavenly Father loves me. Every single one of my trials comes at a point where I’m starting to get comfortable, and maybe not relying on my Heavenly Father as much as I should. Then during a trial I have to turn to Him for help. And He always helps me, and along the way I find out once again how much He loves me and looks out for me. So today, I am grateful for the times when life isn’t easy and when things get rough. They’re the times that ultimately make me the happiest. And I couldn’t think of a better way to end this month of gratitude. So look for more gratitude posts, I’m sure they’ll pop up here and there. Have a wonderful December everyone:)

November 29. Today I am grateful for my past. I don’t have a perfect past, nobody does. There are some things I wish I could change. Things I wish I had or hadn’t said. Things I wish I had or hadn’t done. People I should have helped and more times when I should have been happy. But everything that has happened, everyone that I have encountered has made me who I am today. And that’s something to be thankful for. So even though the past is full of imperfection, regret, and nostalgia, I don’t think I would really change a thing. Because I like who I am and more importantly, I like where I’m headed. I like the person I’m trying to become. And because of the person I was, I can become that person. That person who is nicer and more patient, more loving and helpful. So today, I am grateful to all the people I know or have known, all the mistakes I have made and all the things I have learned. Here’s to all the things that happened to make me, me.

Throwback Thursday photos anyone?

November 27–Today I am grateful for the Book of Mormon. I’m reading it for my BOM class, and also reading it from beginning to end in a specific time frame for a personal reason. Can I just say that I love reading and rereading, but always getting something new out of that amazing book. It truly is a gift from Heavenly Father, and it is one that I treasure. If you haven’t read it in a while, or haven’t read it at all, please do. I promise it’ll change your life.

November 28–Today I am grateful for bathtubs. At college I don’t have a bathtub, just a shower (which is still a wonderful thing in and of itself.) But there is something glorious about bathtubs. And today I’m missing mine at home.

In other news, college is hard. Gearing up for finals is stressful. Gearing up for cleaning checks and final walk-through’s is stressful. Not feeling so hot on top of all of that is stressful too. But I am still a lucky girl. And I won’t forget that anytime soon.

Thanksgiving is over. And yet, my gratitude posts aren’t. I really like this whole being thankful thing. So I’m finishing out the month of gratitude posts and hopefully doing more posts full of things I am blessed with. Because I am blessed with a lot.

November 25. Today I am glad for Christmas. I got to decorate my house with my family, listen to Christmas music ALL DAY and even decorate our little apartment with a wimpy tree and twinkle lights. There’s something awesome about Christmas. And I am sad that a majority of December I won’t be with my family, I am so glad that I can feel close to them when the Christmas tree scents are everywhere, as well as every time I hear Jingle Bell Rock. So yay for the season of giving, and I am grateful I live in a place where I can celebrate, and remember.

November 26. Today I am glad for electricity. I cooked dinner today, and I think I would have died as a pioneer. I can make decent food, but only if I have the oven and the stove working for me. So I am grateful for dear old Ben and his discovery of electricity, and for Edison who finally turned on the light, and all those other guys who made my life so much easier. Thank you.:)

In other news. Being reunited with my best friends is awesome. And I hit Sarah in the eye with a cookie, for which I am truly sorry. Also Mom, I miss you. Thanks for letting me cry yesterday. Have a wonderful day everyone!

I am behind in this blogging every day of November thing. So let’s catch-up (once again) and get November taken care of eh?

November 22. Thanksgiving day. Today I am grateful for my knowledge of and opportunity to have an eternal family. My extended family is just awesome and I love spending time with them, especially during the holidays. They are wonderful people who make me laugh, sympathize when necessary, and never fail to ask what’s going on in my life. I wouldn’t be who I am without them and I am grateful for them all, from Grandpa down to little Lindsay.

November 23. It’s the day after Thanksgiving, also known as BLACK FRIDAY. So today I am grateful for all the wonderful service workers who provide many services for me, and you, each day. From doctors, to firemen, to retail clerks, to lawyers, to police officers, to the computer guy, to the dentist, to cooks, to teachers, and all the other professions that allow me to live the way I live, thank you for all you do.

November 24. Today I am so grateful the talks I can have with my parents. I’m not perfect (mom can attest to that eh?) but I am so grateful my parents overlook that about me and always find the time to sit up and chat with me about anything even though I was rude ten minutes earlier. They’re the best, and I love knowing they’ll listen to me and also give the best advice about everything. So thanks Mom and Dad. Love you!

So many things are happening that make me unable to blog! So here’s the 20 and 21, and tonight I will post the 22:)

November 20
I am grateful that I have such a wonderful place to call home. True, Kaysville is funny and small and everything, but the memories I have here are amazing. I love my house here, my neighbors and especially my family. I love that I can walk around the corner to my Grandma’s house. I love the high school and the theatre and the ballet studio and everything. I don’t miss Kaysville as much as I miss the people, the memories, the little things. So here’s to being back in Kaysville and having such an amazing place, and such amazing people, to call my home.

November 21
Today I am grateful for mission calls. Randy got his call today and I am a basket case of emotions. The whole day was long and dragged out and I’m sure it was fifty times worse for him. And then we were sitting there and he was reading it and I still think it all may be a dream. And I heard the emotion in his voice, and saw his face when he read it, and I knew he was going to Japan. He wanted to more than anything in the whole world. And he’s going there, to Fukuoka to be exact. And when he said that I knew it was perfect. I’m not sure what kind of sound escaped from my mouth but I am so happy for him. Then he picked me up and spun me around and it was so perfect. I am so proud of that boy I can’t even explain it. So today I am so grateful that the Lord knows us so well to know exactly when Randy needed to go, to know exactly where he needed to go, and to allow me to be a part of his life for so long. Here’s to my best friend and the many lives he’s going to change with the help of the Lord.

Happy Thanksgiving all….another post to come after the festivities of the day!

Today I am grateful for books. I love reading more than just about anything. I love words and I love writing (see I’m writing a blog…weird right?) I can’t get enough of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, or Pride and Prejudice, or A Tale of Two Cities, or Harry Potter, or any fiction novel full of cheesy lines and predictable plots. There’s something to me about losing yourself in someone else’s life, someone else’s story. I can’t tell you how many times I find myself writing a sentence about things that are going on in my life, snippets of a possible story that I’ll probably never get around to writing. So as I am grateful for books and words and writers, I would like to share a few of these sentences or snippets. Here goes nothing.

She couldn’t help being beautiful. There’s just something about long eyelashes and deep blue eyes, framed under raven black hair that call up memories of princesses and dragons.

She didn’t know if today was upside down or if she was. She just knew that for some reason, she couldn’t move her mouth properly.

There’s something exciting about a Monday, something unexpected and yet so mundane and ordinary you can’t help but laugh about it.

The crisp air felt like September. It tasted like September. It smelt and felt and sounded like September. It was like sharp pencils and squeaky desks, new clothes and no scuff marks on the gym floor. That’s what the wind was today.

Normally snow was her least favorite thing, but on a night like tonight it was too perfect. It fell softly like too much whipped cream, and was the most mesmerizing color under the street lights.

He sang songs, took out the trash, rubbed her feet, brought ice cream instead of flowers, shared his soda and popcorn, and always let her choose the movie. He was perfect.

She loved the way her high heels sounded on the pavement. A woman never stops traffic in ballet flats or tennis shoes; it’s in heels.

Well enough for tonight:)

Be prepared for a HUGE post. I haven’t posted in far too long and I have three days to cover!

November 16. Today I am grateful for the things that make my house, my house. I love the beautiful piano and the computer room and my bedroom and our kitchen and flopping on the living room couch and my chair in the basement and my closet and fold out mirrors. There’s something amazing and wonderful about going home.

November 17. Today I am grateful that I had the chance to do Musical Productions. I am so blessed to have spent two years working with some amazing people and learning so much. I wouldn’t trade my time in Productions for anything in the world. Curtains and Fiddler and the Revue’s that came after were so perfect and I can’t even explain it. There’s something magical about showing up to the empty auditorium at 6:00 AM and dancing your heart out while trying to sing at the same time. There’s something wonderful about sitting in Bonnie’s basement and going over lines and songs and crying with everyone. There’s something fun about staging the show and watching it fall together right before your eyes. There’s something incredible about opening night and the anticipation before every single show. There’s something amazing about singing and acting with your best friends and knowing they’re right behind you. And something perfect about the flood of emotion you feel when you have to walk off for the last time and leave everything. So today I am grateful for every single person involved and every single memory I have of my time on that stage.

November 18. Today I am grateful for sleep. I didn’t get a lot of that today. And then I took a nap. On Rachel’s bed. With Rach and Sar and Al. And then Lau came in and promptly left again because we were all asleep. So today I am grateful for realizing how important sleep is and the fact that in two days I get to go home and do a lot more sleeping.

Today I am grateful for ballet. My sisters opened The Nutcracker tonight and I couldn’t be more proud of them. Dance is a huge part of who I am, and I know I would be totally different without it. There’s something amazing about being on the stage, about dressing up in the pretty costume and wearing makeup, about putting on pointe shoes for the first time, about putting your warm hand on a cold barre, about taking that final bow before the curtain closes. I can’t even explain it. I miss it more than words can say and I am so grateful my mom was inspired to enroll me in ballet when I was three years old. It was literally the best thing she could have done for me. So today, as my wonderful sisters open a show, here’s a shout-out to the art form that literally shaped who I am today. Here’s to every plie and tondue and pirouette and fouette and corset costume and burned toe shoe ribbon and baby powdered gel pad and the thousands of bobby pins and the girls who became my family as we spent 5+ hours together each week. Here’s to dance.