Day 4

Today I am grateful for sleep.

It seems like during the week I never get enough sleep.

I always tell myself that I'm going to go to bed early, then I never do.

It seems like I get to bed an hour or even 2 later than I want to.

So on the weekends I play catch up on sleep.

Last night was one of those nights that I was absolutely exhausted,

I woke up this morning 11 1/2 hours later from when I went to bed.

Talk about being exhausted!

So today I'm and grateful that I have caught up on my sleep and I'm able to relax this weekend.

Happy New Year's Eve!

Day 3

Today I am grateful for my job.

Next Tuesday will be the year mark that I started working here at the

Department of Workforce Services.

I have felt so many emotions with this job:

confusion, frustration, anger, sadness, happiness, heartbreak, and gratitude.

There's a lot more adjectives I could place on this list, but those are the first ones that come to mind.

My job is hard.

I talk with people every day that are down on their luck and

have turned to the state for welfare assistance.

This past month was my first December here and it was an eye opener.

There have been multiple times this month that I have teared-up or cried quietly in my cubicle

 from the heart breaking stories I hear.

There are people out there that genuinely need this assistance and that is what makes

my job so fulfilling to do.

On the other hand,

I take great satisfaction is catching people who try to cheat the system or

 commit welfare fraud. I feel like I'm finally doing my part in making sure that my

tax dollars go to people who need it.

This job has done one MAJOR thing for me.

I am SO unbelievably blessed.

I have food in my cupboards, shelter over my head, and a warm place to sleep at night.

 A lot of the people I talk to don't have any of these things.

So while I'm here I will count my blessings and try to remember that I am a lucky girl.

Day 2

Today I am thankful for Seasons.

I'm lucky enough to live somewhere that has all four seasons,

with some longer than others. (yes Winter, I'm talking to you)

I love all the blooming flowers in the springtime.

While I'm not a huge fan of all the gloomy rain, I love that it turns everything from brown to green!

Summer is by far my favorite season.

 It's the time to be outside camping, barbequing, swimming, bonfires,

and spending time outside with friends and family.

I love the hot weather!

Fall is a pretty season with the changing of colors

and feeling the nights getting cooler- finally relief from the sweltering summer nights!

Winter is by far my least favorite season.

My favorite winter was when I lived in Florida, and I wore shorts Christmas Day.

Still there's something magical about a white Christmas. 

If I still went snowboarding, I'm sure I'd feel different.

It seems like an endless season when I'm pretty sure I'll never be warm ever again.

I love how snow caps the mountains and gives everything a majestic feeling,

but in my opinion it can just stay on the grass and mountains.

If you've ever driven in snow, you understand my sentiment.

So there you go, I'm grateful for seasons.

Stay tuned for tomorrow!

Day 1

I am grateful for the most important person in my life, my husband Josh.

My life really wouldn't have been the same without him.

Before he came along I wanted to be a big shot career girl working

in an Embassy half-way across the world. I hadn't really
considered having kids, let alone giving up a career to be a mom.

These past couple weeks have made me seen my husband from a different perspective and I'm more in love with him now that when we got married 3 1/2 years ago.

We can laugh together, cry together, be absolutely weird together (without too much judgement).

He takes great care of me, which he completely proved when I was writhing in pain from my kidney stone and couldn't take care of myself very well. He's a great nurse!

He helped me get my priorities straight by falling in love with him.

I can't imagine my life any other way- it's funny how things change.

I no longer want to be a big shot career girl. While I still have ambitions and career aspirations, first and foremost I want to be a mom and a good wife.

Things haven't happened as I've wanted them to, especially struggling with infertility, but he's been there every step of the way to talk about things and letting me cry.

God willing, one day I will be a mom. That will be the biggest and most important career of my life.

Also, I'm grateful for your drive and hard work.

You have worked so hard these past couple years to get your schooling finished.

I'm thankful for your ambition and your dreams of what we both hope to acomplish one day.

So babe, thanks for giving me perspective. I don't know how my life would have turned out without you.

Thanks for taking me on fun dates, introducing me to great friends, and going on adventures to nowhere.

Love you lots and lots!

Being Grateful

I've reflected a lot these past couple weeks of how much I have to be grateful for.

I'm healthy (let's forget about that whole kidney stone fiasco in Vegas),

 I have an amazing husband who is my best friend,

I have a job that I love,

A family that is always there for me,

Great friends who let me talk,

And a faith that has gotten me through my darkest days.

While I still have struggles and can feel pretty low at times, 

I want to focus on the good this upcoming year.

So this blog is having another facelift.

I'm going to start a new year's resolution early

and try to name one thing each day that I am

GRATEFUL

for.

I have had days where I have felt depressed that my life isn't going the direction that I want it to go.

But, that's life isn't it? 

You can plan all you want,

 but Murphy's law and karma will always come into play and twist

 those outcomes to what was not expected- both good and bad.

There are days where I feel like there's a rain cloud looming over me and I can't see the sun

or the good in things.

So I'd like to try and name just ONE thing each day that I am grateful for.

I'm lucky enough to have a job where I deal with people 

who are by far, worse off than I hope I'll ever be.

They help me to realize that I have

MILLIONS 

of blessings in my life.

And it's time I started recognizing them.

Stay tuned.