Day of Thanksgiving...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I will admit, I have not been feeling very Thankful this week, and I have a bad attitude and I need to fix it. I have a slight problem when it comes to stress. Just a little one. One that causes me to freak out at the wrong times, over react to stupid things, not sleep, think of the worst possible scenarios, and eat alot of chocolate. I am finishing off a large bag of M&Ms right now as we speak.

And really its kind of stupid. I cannot control everything, but I want to.

I cannot make people get things done faster, but I want to.

I cannot plan out the next few weeks to fall exactly where I would like them too, 

when I would like them to, but I want to.

I have a slight problem with Control Issues.

It is Thanksgiving though. A time to reflect and look at all that I have, all that I have been given by my Heavenly Father. And right now, I need to. Because all I can think about is all the stress in my life, how I can't control it, and how I want to and all the other things that go along with it.

Though I am enjoying the M&Ms...

So here is my list of 10 things I am Thankful for:

1. My husband - He is my strength, and my rock. We have had difficulties and pulled through. I have had difficulties and he pulls me through. He makes myself and the kids laugh, and I will be forever grateful for that...especially with weeks like this.

2. My Gracie - she drives me absolutely bonkers...especially now that we are hitting that preteen era, but she is my sun. She is almost always so happy and carefree. She laughs at everything, and is SO GOOD with her brothers. I wish I could be more like her...that's probably why she drives me nuts!

3. My Brody - He is so smart, and kind and thoughtful...and so much like his dad. The quiet shutdown type when he's upset and mad. But the rest of the time, he is a great kid and such a great helper. He helps keep me sane from the chaos.

4. My Cooper - He is my energizer bunny, and I only wish I had enough to keep up with him. He is so silly and goofy. He keeps us all laughing. I'm also grateful for him, because, being the baby, he has reminded me of how fast time goes, and how much I need to enjoy the little things in life.

5. My House - It is warm, it is dry, it is beautiful. I am not a great decorator, but it is my home. It has our families touches everywhere, and I love that.

6. My Parents - I love my mom and dad. I am so grateful for being able to live close again, and I am so grateful for them being in my children's lives. I talk to my mom almost everyday!

7. Dustin's Parents - I am lucky and I have 2 moms and dads! I am so grateful that there are in my kids' lives as well, and that they are so helpful with them. I am so grateful for them raising the son that they did so that we have the Husband and Father that we do.

8. Our families - I'm talking brothers, sisters, aunts uncles and cousins. I am grateful for being so close to so many of them again. I love watching nieces and nephews grow up. I love having family dinners and evenings playing and enjoying together.

9. Our friends - my adopted family. I am so grateful for my friends. I am especially grateful for my friends in California, the ones who pulled me through some of the hardest times of my life, though they probably didn't even realize it! My friends are the family that I have gotten to pick!

10. Our health - We are healthy, our kids are healthy. We do not have to worry about any major medical concerns and I am forever grateful. 

I know the list is much much longer, but it would take me a LONG time to write ALL the things I am grateful for. But I'm glad I did write these things. Sometimes when life is hard, stressful and not going our way, we tend to look at all the bad stuff and forget all the good things that are happening to us. The little things that make life beautiful. The feel of the autumn breeze on your skin, the sound of my children's laughter, the smell of pumpkin pie in the oven, the taste of ice cream melting in your mouth. All the little things that make the big picture even better. All the little things that make up life. All the little things that make dealing with the stress and confusion all that much easier.

I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for all my blessings that he has given me and helped me obtain. I am thankful for friends, family and possessions that we have. For freedom and the gospel and the knowledge of the truth. For children and laughter and cool breezes and warm sun.

And for M&Ms...