Thankful Thursday

Well, it's that thankful time of year, and I have seen lots of blogs with "Thankful Thursday" posts. Since I really do have a lot to be thankful for, I thought I would do one of my own. I will try not to make this post too long, but no promises.

First, I am so thankful for my family, and especially for my parents. They have always been so loving and supportive. My dad is also practically a superhero. I swear that man can fix anything! He actually just fixed my car earlier this week. There has definitely been more than one occasion that he has saved me from my car troubles. I even remember one time when I was living in Utah, I had told my parents that the car I was driving died. The next day when I got home from my classes, my parents were in the parking lot, and my dad was fixing the car. They made a special trip to Provo from Idaho Falls JUST to fix the car! I didn't ask them to; they just did it. That is just one of many stories that I could tell to show how supportive my parents are. The older I get, the more I realize how wonderful they really are.

Second, I am grateful for the role that religion has played in my life. This world has become a pretty scary and depressing place. There have been several times in my life where my faith is the only thing that has given me hope. I have had many prayers answered throughout my life, and I am grateful that I have something that can keep me going and help me survive in this crazy world. I am also grateful for the opportunity that I have to go to the temple. It really is a place of peace where my thoughts suddenly become clear and I am able to gain perspective on life.

Third, I am grateful for the educational opportunities I have had. I guess I'm kind of nerdy because I have always liked school...not so much the homework and tests, but the learning part. After I graduated from BYU, I went through sort of a hard phase because I felt like suddenly I wasn't progressing any more. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to be in grad school now (in spite of the stress) and keep learning and progressing. Who knows...maybe I will just become a professional student!

Fourth, I am grateful to be living in this country. In spite of the nosedive our economy has taken and the political mess we are in, we really do have a lot to be grateful for. Things may not be as good economically as they were a few years ago, but compared to many countries, we really do have it pretty good. I am grateful that I don't have to worry about where my next meal is coming from, and I am grateful that I have a nice warm bed to sleep in at night. There are so many small things that I take for granted, but I really am grateful to live in this country and have the freedoms and luxuries that come with being a U.S. citizen.

Okay, this post is starting to get a little bit long, so before I put you to sleep, I just want to add one more thing to my list. I am thankful for all of the beautiful things in nature. I love trees and flowers and sunsets and waterfalls. The list could go on and on. This earth really is a beautiful place if we just stop to see the beauty in it. I am reminded of that almost every day when I see a sunset from my apartment window. Here is a picture of one (but my camera doesn't do it justice). In this picture, Pocatello actually doesn't look so bad! :) HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!