Laptop

I'm grateful for my laptop and the wonderful world wide web that (often) accompanies it. A few years ago, Wade bought me a laptop since our home computer died (RIP old Betty). I've really enjoyed being mobile around the house as I edit photos, digitally scrapbook, blog, email, facebook, shop, or just research online. It's nice to sit on the couch with my kids and watch Tangled (love that movie!) while I work on a project on my laptop. Don't get me wrong, there are so many times I get tired of the media all around me and the noise and distractions that accompany it. So I'll turn off my computer and phone and play a game of "Go Fish" or "Bust a Move" with my kiddos. Thanks for teaching us that game, Ruthanne. We've been having a BLAST busting a move all around the house. You need to come over and join us. :)

Earlier this week,Wade's laptop died (RIP old George), so he's been taking mine all day to the office for work, and I am getting more done at home. haha Seriously though, it makes me appreciate that connection with the outside world when the internet isn't so accessible anymore. When it's my choice to turn off my computer or spend some time in the mountains without it, it's a nice break. But when it's out of my control, all of a sudden I feel like I need it, and I'm bummed that I'm behind on my Sunshine blog or that I have other computer projects to finish. It might be time for another trip to the mountains so I can disconnect myself from the lovely distractions I like to call media. Have you ever felt that way?

What are YOU grateful for?

Spirit of Dixie

I'm grateful for the spirit of Dixie. In the great room at the Dixie State College cabin where we held our family reunion, there's a large white "D" above the fireplace just like the "D" on the black mountain in St. George, my hometown. To me, that "D" represents family, friendship, connection, teamwork, education, celebration, and home. Although I've fallen in love with the four seasons of northern Utah, sunny St. George with the warmth and love of that undeniable Dixie spirit and those breathtaking red mountains will always be my home.
What are YOU grateful for?

Toyota Previa

I'm grateful for this little beauty and all the miles she has taken our family the last 2 years. When Wade's Honda was totaled in a car crash in 2009, we were so grateful the insurance company gave us some money to go towards the purchase of a new vehicle. So with that and our savings, we bought this '92 Toyota Previa for $2700. If any of you us well enough, you know we always pay cash for our vehicles and avoid car payments thanks to advice from our parents and Dave Ramsey. Hoping to expand our family soon, we thought a van would be perfect because of the bigger space and great gas milage. Wade promised his high school buddies he would never own a mini van, but when he saw this beauty, he was hooked. He must have a weakness for red heads and red cars, I guess. haha

What are YOU grateful for?

My Mom

I'm grateful for my mom and all she does to keep our family connected. She was so wonderful in planning our family reunion. It was a weekend which definitely helped us bond and feel closer as a family. We had a blast! She even set up "Grandma's Store" to reward good behavior for the grandchildren at the end of the reunion. This picture makes me laugh because she and Nicholas have such a great sense of humor. They are acting out that "Got Milk?" commercial where an American History fanatic is asked the $10,000 question, "Who shot Alexander Hamilton?" Hilarious! Check it out on YouTube after you finish reading this post. :)

My mom is so fun. Everyone who meets her falls in love with her bubbly personality and witty sense of humor. Her positive attitude and beautiful smile are contagious. She's warm, compassionate, thoughtful, selfless, hard-working, a great listener, understanding, smart as a whip, a caring nurse, a talented pianist, and devoted to her husband, family, and God. I truly look to her as a role model for every aspect of my life. She's an angel. I'm grateful for the unconditional and abundant love she shows me. You're the best mom!

What are YOU grateful for?

Talents

I'm grateful for talents, my own and those that others share with me. At the cabin in Pine Valley, we had a family talent show that I will never forget! Wade and I sang, "I Am a Child of God" in French with our children, my brother and his girls sang a Taylor Swift song (Steve, you're the man. You must love those little girls a lot!), my son did animal impersonations, my daughter and her cousin danced while another cousin played an up beat song on the piano, and much more. I'm so grateful we have a talent show at every reunion because it is always one of the highlights for me. It's so cool to see the confidence grow within my children and my nieces and nephews as they share their special gifts with us all.

What are YOU grateful for?

Rivers and Streams

I'm grateful for rivers and streams. It reminds me how life continues to flow, even amid adversity. The sight, sound, and smell of the water is calming and reassuring. When we went on a hike as a family in Pine Valley this weekend with my parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, every time we came upon a stream, we would stop just to admire it's beauty and power...and of course to give the kids a chance to throw rocks in the water. How could they resist?

What are YOU grateful for?

Mountains

I'm grateful for the mountains. The last 4 days in magestic Pine Valley has been so rejuvinating for my soul. Although I'm grateful for modern technology (ie: my laptop, and cell phone), a whole weekend without it helped me reprioritize and refocus. There's something about the mountains where you can't help but feel an abundance of gratitude and joy! I love it. I'm still trying to figure out a way to convince my hubby that we need to live in the mountains all year round. Any suggestions? ;)

What are YOU grateful for?

My Son

I'm grateful for my son. He is a handsome, energetic, courageous boy who teaches me more than I could ever hope to teach him, I believe. Everyday, I watch him, and I just marvel at his strength of character and determination. He's a born leader, and others are just drawn to him. He's got this tough side, and has flat out told me he would beat up any bad guys that every tried to hurt me. But he's also got this sensitive side, and immediately comes to my side, wraps his arms around me, and tells me not to cry, if I'm ever struggling and having a hard day. Oh, what would I do without this boy? I just love him.

What are YOU grateful for?

My Little Princess

I'm grateful for my little princess. This afternoon, we went on a mommy-daughter date to the Princess Festival at Thanksgiving Point. It was amazing! It was so special to watch my daughter's eyes light up with delight meeting her favorite princesses like Ariel and Rapunzel. But the best part was just spending quality one-on-one time with her. She is a beautiful, creative, bright, and energetic girl, and I'm grateful for the joy she brings into my life.

What are YOU grateful for?

Zumba

I'm grateful for Zumba and other fun ways to help me stay in shape. I never miss my Zumba class! I am on the front row every week, but because of some other obligations, I've missed the last two classes. It was soooo good to be back, moving my body to some cool tunes, burning calories, and just having fun. I love it! Are there any other Zumba fans out there?

What are YOU grateful for?

To Be a Mama

I'm grateful to be a mama, with all the joys and struggles that accompany that role. Tonight, Wade and I took the children to the $1 movie theater to see African Cats. What a powerful documentary! I loved every minute of it, especially the message that mothers in the wild protect their babes with all their heart. It made me want to hold my little ones a little tighter and protect them from the world, just as the lioness does with her cubs.

What are YOU grateful for?

My Sweetheart

I'm grateful for my sweetheart and how good he is to my children and to me. From this picture, you can tell he's a silly and fun daddy, but I also adore his calming influence on all of us. He's so patient, gentle, kind, understanding, hardworking, and very dedicated to his role as Father. Thank you Wade for the wonderful example you are to our little ones. Happy Father's Day!

What are YOU grateful for?

My Dad

Considering tomorrow is Father's Day, I want to say how grateful I am for my dad. He always taught me to treat others with love and respect, especially my mom. He taught me how to work hard. He taught me a love of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as he testified of Him often. He taught me to have an open mind. He taught me to appreciate my country and take an active role to take care of it. And he taught me to love home and family. He truly is Superman.

What are YOU grateful for?

Friday Family Fun Night

I'm grateful for Friday Family Fun Night! Each Friday evening, we plan something extra fun to do together as a family, just the 5 of us. Tonight, we went swimming at Holladay Lions Rec Center and then cashed in our FREE MEAL at Cafe Rio. Yay! Since the pork salad and kids quessadillas were free, we thought it would be a nice treat to also order chili con queso with chips. YUMO! I could not believe my taste buds. It was seriously heavenly. Have you ever tried it? As we ate dinner together, we talked about our Summer Bucket List, just like I had created with the young women at Youth Conference last weekend. My son wants to go to visit the horses at Wheeler Farm, swimming at Holladay Lions, and eat at restaurants more often, my daughter wants to ride her bike every day and sleepover with cousins at the family reunion next weekend, Wade wants to go to Raging Waters with his side of the family and mountain bike in Moab with the boys, I want to pass off an entire value with my Personal Progress and play 5 hymns on the piano (like I could when I was younger), and the baby wants to eat more strawberries and bananas (she didn't tell me that since she's can't talk, but I think that's what she would have said.)

What are YOU grateful for?

Sleep

I'm grateful for sleep. I was awake again with my little one at 4am this morning so when I finally fell back asleep at 6am, I was SO thankful that Wade took care of our other two children so I could get more sleep. What a sweetheart! I really needed that rest so I could conquer the day with more energy.

PS) This photo is a 9 day old version of my 9 month old. I thought it would be a fun one to share since she looks cuter sleeping than I do. :)

What are YOU grateful for?

Road Construction

I'm grateful for road contruction. I know, usually we all raise our fists and curse those frustrating ROAD CLOSED signs. But today, as I was in Lehi taking dinner to a friend, in the middle of TONS of road contrustion, I suddenly envisioned the nice roads that are being built because of the contruction. Maybe there is something to be grateful for about that, right?

What are YOU grateful for?

Phone

I'm grateful for my phone. What WOULD we do without it, right? I can't tell you the number of times this device has saved me...

sending hubby quick text that I'm in labor and to come home NOW or
lost in the middle of Ogden...again...and need directions fast or
feeling super discouraged and just need to hear my mommy's voice :)

What a blessing technology can be! Since I'm so social and thrive on connecting with others, I absolutely love my regular phone conversations with my close family and friends, particularly the ones who live farther away. This week for some reason I've been forgetting to charge my phone overnight so I end up away from home in the middle of the day with no working phone! That has definitley helped me appreciate even more the ability to connect instantly with others.

What are YOU grateful for?

My Family

I'm grateful for my family. Along with my Grandma, my parents were also in town this weekend. It was SO good to be with them! My sisters and I have been talking on the phone everyday lately to plan Ruthanne's baby shower, plan our upcoming family reunion, and just be there for one another. I adore my family and feel blessed to be so close to them.

What are YOU grateful for?

Edgehill Young Women

I'm grateful for these beautiful, virtuous young women! They are such lovely examples to me, and I feel blessed to know each one of them. I am REALLY going to miss them when we move in 3 weeks!!! This past weekend was Youth Conference at the Rasmussen's cabin in Heber. (We missed you Carley, Abi, and Aimee) We focused on living up to our privileges by being and doing our best (based on two talks from our last General Conference.) I think I learned as much as the girls did. I came home with a stronger resolve to tackle my "bucket list" and make it a memorable summer.

What are YOU grateful for?

To Share My Love and Joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my love and joy of the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others. Today was a really special day for our family. Our good friend, Craig, was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He has been a powerful example to us all, quitting smoking after 25 years, because he has realized the blessings that will come from obeying the word of wisdom. He's been learning about the Gospel 2 -3 evenings a week in our home for the past 4 months. As we have been diving into the scriptures with Craig and the missionaries, gleaning new insights each time, a greater abundance of peace has been prevalent in our home. It's a beautiful feeling, and I hope I can always have enough courage to learn about other religions and teach others about my own. As my Presbyterian friend would say, "God is good." Isn't it the truth? :)

What are YOU grateful for?

Grandma Ruth

I'm grateful for my Grandma Ruth. She's in town for my sister's baby shower, and we're lucky enough to have her stay with us. She read my older two children bedtime stories tonight and held my babygirl for an hour, certain that there is not a prettier baby around. Grandmas can be byased like that, and no one minds one bit. Of course, mommies can be byased, too, right? Oh, how I adore this sweet woman with her wisdom and warmth.

What are YOU grateful for?

Classic Movies

I'm grateful for classic movies like Shop Around the Corner, The Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, My Fair Lady, Gone With The Wind, Little Women, Heidi, Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and of course, my favorite, Anne of Green Gables. Tonight, I'm cuddling up with my honey to watch another classic, An Affair to Remember, while we enjoy some homemade cookie dough (and laughter because that movie is VERY cheesy). If you're not familiar with it, think Sleepless in Seattle. It's the film they're all obsessed with in that movie. Good times.

What are YOU grateful for?

Local Library

I'm grateful for our local library that provides us with some quality children's literature, not to mention some phenomenal programs to keep us engaged over the summer. Today I met my friend, Traci, at the library so our children could enjoy storytime together before heading to the park for a picnic and playtime. What's neat about today was that it reminded me of the day we met for the first time at that same library for storytime when our oldest daughters were babies over 5 years ago. Crazy how time flies, right? Our favorite librarian was there today, and was so delighted to see us both, which made it even more fun. When Traci showed me the summer library schedule with all the magic shows, puppet shows, animal greetings, science experiments, storytimes, and craft fairs, all for FREE, I was elated! They really went all out this summer to create amazing experiences for us all, and for that I'm very grateful! We will definitely be spending some time at the library this summer. Anyone want to join us?

What are YOU grateful for?

Uplifting Music

I'm grateful for uplifting music. When I turn on my favorite upbeat tunes, I can't help but sing, dance, and clean my house super quick so then I have more time to play. :) And when I turn on my favorite peaceful tunes, I feel calm and more patient and loving with those around me. Music has a powerful influence on our thoughts and actions. I'm grateful for the good music in my life that makes my heart happy.

What are YOU grateful for?

Strong Legs

I'm grateful for strong legs to help me walk, run, dance, and carry my babies. At my daughter's dance recital Saturday, there was a petite little girl whose mother was behind her helping her dance since her legs weren't strong enough to dance on her own. It was precious. Then this morning as I was at the gym running on the treadmill to prepare for Saturday's 5k, I saw someone on the news put his wheelchair aside and walk for the first time at his high school graduation. Wow, did you see it on the news, too? I definitely take my legs for granted among many other things. I am SO blessed.

What are YOU grateful for?

Sunshine

I'm grateful for sunshine! I agree with my friend, Johnny, I'm a total Sunshine Girl and am just genuinely happier in the summer. Today, after church, we walked to the park as a family and just enjoyed the beautiful warm weather. I was born and raised in Southern Utah, which is famous for it's year round sunshine, so it took me a while to get used to Northern Utah's 4 seasons. Now I don't mind the snow, but I definitely prefer sunny days, baby!

What are YOU grateful for?

To Rock My Baby To Sleep

I'm grateful for the opportunity to rock my baby to sleep in the middle of the night. As I spent 2 hours trying to calm my little one last night while the rest of the house was still, I reflected on how blessed I feel to be a mother. Every mother prays her baby will sleep through the night so that SHE can sleep, too. But it's also quite precious to know the powerful calming affect only YOU as a mother can have on that tiny babe when she does awaken. Life is good.

What are YOU grateful for?

Trials

I'm grateful for my trials and how they build my character and teach me remarkable life lessons. And I'm grateful for a Savior who calms the storms in my life. I wanted to post a picture of a child praying because I've been on my knees so much this week, pleading for guidance, forgiveness, and comfort. But then I remembered this painting by Greg Olsen. It's one of my favorites. It helps me remember I'm not alone because He is there and understands my pain. The depiction of two children helps me recognize that others have their own trials to bare. It's selfish for me to sit and stew too much over my own trials when I don't know what others are struggling with. Isn't it interesting that the moment you help someone else in need, you forgot about yourself, and then your trials don't seem quite as challenging? That's going to be my goal this weekend. Does anyone want me to serve them...free babysitting, house cleaning, homemade pizza, foot rub...any takers? :)

What are YOU grateful for?

My Baby Girl

I'm grateful for my baby girl. We are in the process of selling our home, buying a new home, negotiating with agents, keeping the place immaculate for potential buyers (even with my 3 kids around), dejunking, packing, stress central, right? It's been crazy stressful around here, but every time I look into this face, I feel peace. She is my angel. Her smile lights up a room, and I hope to be just like her when I grow up.

What are YOU grateful for?

Matching Socks

I would like to dedicate my first post to Leslie Householder and my friends from Genius Bootcamp, who provided an enriching environment in which I was inspired with the idea for this blog in the first place. My soul purpose in life is to spread joy, and I plan to do just that, one day at a time.

I'm grateful for matching socks. :) What are YOU grateful for?

Why a Daily Gratitude Blog?

Do you ever feel down, discouraged, or depressed? I know I have, and it's because I have forgotten to count my blessings. I have learned that tuning my heart to gratitude makes ALL the difference! So friends, I share this blog with you...the sunshine in my soul, something to be grateful for everyday.

I've always been a happy girl, but as I've struggled with Postpartum Depression this last year, I have had to make a conscious effort to CHOOSE gratitude, love, and joy rather than self-pity and sadness. It's a daily choice, and I'm so grateful you've joined me in my journey on this blog. Please feel free to leave a comment and share your daily gratitude. :)