Things to be grateful for

So I know it is not quite November (the month of gratitude) yet, but as I reflected on my day yesterday, I realized that I had an exceptionally good day and that thought caused me to think about how blessed my life is. Sure there are things that are not perfect and there are days that are serious struggles, but in reality, I am truly blessed in many ways. I think too often my focus slips to thoughts of 'I wish we had the time and money to add baseboards in our basement" or "I wish we had another bathroom in this house" or "I wish I were 10 pounds lighter" or "I wish I knew where our life was headed..."  you know, those types of things, instead of focusing on what really matters and what IS going well in my life.

I have three beautiful kids who are healthy and doing well. I have a husband who is dedicated to me and my family. We have the Gospel. We have a home, (who cares that there is only one bathroom for the five of us- it's a home nonetheless). I have a job that I love and a renewed desire to further my talents and abilities in that area. We have the potential to grow our family more when the time is right. We have tons of extended family members and friends who support us and love us for who we are, not for the kind of cars we drive (clunkers) or for the money in our pockets (not a lot). Anyway, life is good.

A few everyday blessings (from yesterday):

*Participating in a beautiful face-to-face meeting with an adoptive couple of mine (this means they were meeting an expectant mother who is considering placing her child with them). The room was on fire with the Spirit. I am embarrassed to admit how often I cried in the two hour meeting (I am supposed to at least TRY to keep it together), so I won't. It is just such an amazing privilege to be a part of such sacred work.

*Meeting a dear friend for lunch to catch up. Great food & great friendship- doesn't get much better than that. I love knowing that certain people in my life will always be friends, no matter the distance between us or the amount of time it has been since we have seen each other. This friend is one of those. She lives in Alaska and I live here, but regardless, when we see each other, it is so good.

*I got to attend an advisory board meeting for my office of my work yesterday in place of my boss who is out of town. I didn't know that such a meeting could be so cool. I loved getting a glimpse of the overall scope of the services our agency provides and how it fits into the overall plan and goals for the church. We discussed a lot about missionary work and how, with the new announcement that young men may serve full-time missions at age 18 and young women at 19, the work is hastening forward. It was an indescribable feeling- getting a little glimpse of what is to come.

*Coming home to one of my girls getting her nails painted a rainbow of colors, the other tucked safely in bed, and my little guy shouting "mama!" as he saw me. Nothing better than coming home to a happy (and perhaps chaotic) scene at home.

*Just before hitting the sack, I heard my baby (not so baby anymore, but still my baby) crying and went in to comfort him. He stuck out his hand and as I held it, his crying stopped and his breathing slowed. What a precious moment with my son.

*Checking on my girls before going to sleep and having one (the one who is the lightest sleeper in the world) pop her little head up and give me her biggest grin before laying her head back down. Melt my heart.

*Reading a few chapters of a good book before falling asleep. I love reading and I love having this time to unwind before bed...I know reading time can be a rare privilege for busy moms, but I am usually lucky enough that I can get enough "me" time in this way.

Just a few little things that were on my mind as I went to bed last night. Any fabulous "everyday" moments that you had recently? (you don't really have to answer that here as I know that commenting on blogs is a pain these days--but you can if you want!)