Grate: 7

Today on pinterest I found this picture of a saying. First of all, I'm going to make one for my Thanksgiving decor. Secondly, and most importantly: How true is this?!
True story: Just days ago I sat at Brandon's laptop typing my "Grate:1" list. I was scanning the room and my brain for things I was grateful for that day. They just kept coming, more and more, over and over, things I was grateful for. As I was listing my blessings Landon came up to talk to me. Same kid I've had all day, speaking in the same voice I'd been listening to all day. However, this time I listened to him while looking for things to be grateful for and, surprise, I ended up being grateful for him.
Now, I am always grateful for Landon, but it brought me so much joy to remember why. I was so very grateful for all his little nuances. Grateful for his size, his voice, his personality. Then I started noticing Cooper sitting on the floor next to me and I listened to his little voice, his imagination, his interactions with his sister... this process kept going with each child, each and every thing I saw, every thing I thought of.
There is so much joy in counting your blessing. Each blessing is like a little "I love you" note and as my blessings kept tallying up I couldn't help but say to myself "My life rocks!"
The Lord has blessed us with so much. It is phenominal to me, this process of counting (remembering) blessings. Life is good. There are a million reasons to be happy. If you don't believe me, start counting (remembering) your blessings.

• husband is done with harvest!! (so fantastic to have him home)
• a casual day out with hubby
• jimmy johns
• healthy kiddos
• snortable flu "shots"
• paying off debt
• family workout time
• sore muscles - such a fantastic (and painful) feeling
  
• NAPTIME
• my husband: so caring
• daughter
• paying children quarters to clean the kitchen
• food network magazine
• my dad
• a beautiful paint job on my house
• daughter's ballerina bun
• bath time
• general conference
• fantastic neighbors
• piano lessons
• public library
• new windshield wipers
• family time
• motivation
• sense of accomplishment
• coats
• brothers
• thanksgiving
• a helpmate
• having an infant in our home
• bookclub
• my children
• lds.org
  

After the kids did my Jillian Micheals workout video with me, we read scriptures and headed to bed. I spent some time in their room reading stories and helping Cooper with his letters. We are reading The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for bookclub. After finishing the first chapter we sat on the floor (past our bedtime) and colored pictures of what we had just read.
Now I sit here typing this blog post and Max is sprawled across my lap with his hands behind his head sound asleep.

This.
This is what I am grateful for.
Family.
What a blessing it is to be surrounded by those I love so dearly and to be reminded, through them, of how much my Father in Heaven loves me and the beautiful, comforting, fantastic, joy filled plan He has for us, His children.
God is SO GOOD.