29 Days of Gratitude: Parts I - X

This morning I was thinking about how much I sort of dislike this silly little holiday we call Valentine's Day. I know a lot of people agree with me that it is just another excuse for retailers to mark up prices and bank on people's sentimentality. I won't say that it is a pointless holiday, many people DO love it, but it's just not for me.

I decided to change my perception of Valentine's Day from that of love and romance to gratitude. Which I know we celebrate with Thanksgiving and Christmas, just humor me. I thought I would take each day out of the month and detail one thing daily that I am grateful for. Since it is the 11th I am playing catch up.

PART I: I love it when I can get Leah to eat something (anything really). The best part is when she eats her Crunch Berries in the morning (I know, a far cry from the healthier option of Cheerios, but she has to eat and she won't eat anything else for breakfast right now) and I go into the bathroom to do my hair. What I usually hear are a bunch these: "Mmmm," followed by, "Yummy," and ending with, "Thank you Mom!" Leah's gratitude is my gratitude.

PART DEUX: Cleaning. Any sort of cleaning - minus toilets and windows.

PART III: The feeling after cleaning. Don't you just love sitting down to a clean looking, clean smelling house? Freshly vaccumed carpets, sparkled sinks, beds made, t.v. off... baby asleep. Let's face it . The feeling only lasts until Leah wakes up and takes her toys out again, but I'll take it.

PART IV: Going to plays, musicals, symphonies, choral performances (including, but not limited to: BYU choirs singing anything, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, barbershop quartet specials on PBS, primary songs, nursery songs, you get the picture).


PART V: Opening windows in the Spring. I cannot wait until it is 70-ish degrees. The smells, sounds, and clarity that comes with the opening of a window is so refreshing.

PART VI: Books and reading. I love to read. I have always loved to read. Matt and I could talk forever about books together. We love to discuss different points of view and we love to get 'lost' in a good plot line.

PART VII: Online bill pay. Have you ever heard of such a wonderful thing? Just set up the account, and move the money every month! So simple and easy to keep track of!

PART VIII: The sound of our fish tank. It used to be that I enjoyed looking at the fish just as much as listening to the water. Well, our fish didn't like us as much and have all died. Whatever. We almost took the tank down, as it has only plastic plants and a few bubble stones in it, but I couldn't stand the thought of not having that relaxing and faint trickling sound of water running through the background.

PART IX: Chocolate dipped strawberries. Need I say more? I have so little self control when I am near chocolate dipped strawberries.

PART X: This list couldn't be complete without listing the people that I am so grateful for. My family. Maybe the next few PARTS will be dedicated to them. I'll start with Leah and Matt. I am so content with our little family. Our life is simple. We love each other and help each other. I never thought life could be so fulfilling. And I'm sure I'll feel that way every time we hit another milestone or add to our family. Between Leah's sweet and tangy personality and Matt's acceptance, hard work, humor, intelligence... the list goes on and on... we have it pretty good and function fairly well as a family unit. Can't complain. Nope, definitely can't complain.