Grateful...

I just spent a lovely Thanksgiving with my husband, R and A, our daughters, Sydney, my mother-in-law, Perry, my father-in-law and my brother-in-law, Doug. It was my first time ever hosting a holiday celebration in my home, and it was fun! It wasn't perfect (the stuffing was dry, the cheesy onions weren't cooked through and one of the batches of rolls were a little burned on the bottom) but I'd say it went well. We all enjoyed visiting and eating and then most of us followed that up with a nap. We played Settlers of Catan, ate pie and now we are gearing up for some Mario Cart Wii. We will probably invite the Elders to join us for some games after the kids are down.

I talked to my company about what they are thankful for and learned some things. Most of us are thankful for the same top five things. Without rank, here are all the things we mentioned for our top five (there were some variations, so there are more than five):

Health
Prayer
Family
Spouse
Job
Gospel of Jesus Christ
United States of America
Food
Cabin (this was Sydney's)

The last five seem to show more our personalities, likes and dislikes more than the first five, which held a lot of commonality. Here's what everyone said (it was agreed upon that ranking such precious things is nearly impossible):

Chris: yard, cuddles, parents, forgiveness, pizza
Perry: Hugh Nibley, math/engineering, present age, memorable family experiences, mechanical things
Sydney: having our home paid off, singing, music, books, church calling (she's the primary chorister)
Doug: service, travel, future wife, memories, blenders
R: "piggy, blankie, mario cart, my house, my family, my money, my piano"

Here are the things that came to me when I thought up my list. I'll include all ten because I actually varied more than I thought I would on the top five.

1-5: Family, Gospel of Jesus Christ, friends, financial security, knowledge/education. I wouldn't say these things are ranked, but they do stand clearly a head of the following five. I was the only person to rank friendship so high, and I guess for me, there isn't much of a difference between friends and family except that family is obligatory and friends can be carefully chosen. By obligatory I don't mean to downgrade the ties that bind, I love my family like true friends, the only difference I guess for me is that they have to love me no matter what, and friends don't. I imagine that if I had sisters, I might not value friendship so high. I'm just a girl who really values female bonding and girly stuff, and I have friends who are like sisters to me. Thank goodness for sisters-in-law, too! I put them in the friend and the family category, and we are young and our friendships often don't get the same nurturing as friends who live close by, but we will be sisters/friends forever, and I envision that over time ours will be some of my most valued relationships. Parents are in a league of their own--there's only one mom and one dad, and mine are the greatest! By education, I mean any kind of learning I do from knitting class, getting stains out, earning a formal degree ten years ago and learning to be more forgiving or patient. I love learning and feel very grateful to feel as though I am able to do so continually, every minute of every day. I guess this is also tied in with progress. I love to feel like my life is not stagnant, that I continually have the opportunity to progress and become a better person.

5-10: sovereignty/freedom, service to others, modern communication (email, telephone, cell phone, Internet), hobbies, music (wouldn't be possibly to so fully enjoy without my ipod). I really value having sovereign power over my own life. I don't mean that I'm all-powerful, if I were, I'd have a nine month old baby sleeping upstairs. I know I'm not in charge of the grand scheme, but I am so grateful for choices and for power to make choices based on things I believe in. This affects me so often...from birthing options, vaccines, educating my kids, medicine, nutrition...these are all things for which I am grateful for choices and options. I think I'm grateful for these things particularly because of the uncertain changes that lie a head for our nation. I'm excited to see what those changes might be, and hopeful that they will encompass all the opportunity that I currently enjoy. Service is such a part of my life, as I know it is for most of us. I just can't imagine how my life would be if I woke up everyday unaware of the lives of those around me and solely concerned with my own life. I was shocked recently to witness Simon Cowell admit on Oprah that there, on her stage, he knew for the first time in his entire 40 plus years that it makes you feel good inside to be generous with others. I could not believe my ears, and I was immediately so grateful to have been raised to know that nothing I have is mine because of me, and that giving time and means to others gives back to my life in ways that cannot be described.

So those are the comments I had on my mind about what I'm thankful for. I loved asking my loved ones about what is dear to them, and knowing that I'm at the top of their list!