Count Your Many Blessings...{name them one by one}

Last year as a family we did our grateful banner, so this year I jumped on the bandwagon taking one picture a day, for the 21 days before Thanksgiving. It was a lot of fun and some days it was hard to decide on only one thing to take a picture of. Here is a collage of all my pictures and some of the many things I am grateful for this year.

1. Maelyn... of course she was the first on my list this year since she has just joined our family. It is always a sweet feeling to bring a new baby into this world. Out of all the crazy things that could go wrong I am so grateful our family has such a sweet little girl that is healthy.
2. Love me a clean toilet (or a clean house for that matter)! This day I stayed home from getting together with some friends to clean my toilets that have been neglected for WAY too long!
3. Grateful for sleep. With a new baby there are a lot of sleepless nights and some long days. Luckily for us Maelyn learned to sleep through the night really early and I was a whole new mommy with a few extra hours of sleep.
4. Beautiful weather in November. Living in Utah you never really know what weather you are going to get. November usually is freezing already but we enjoyed amazing fall weather! Loved being able to let the boys go outside to play and feel like I could take Maelyn out too. 
5. Modern Technology. I have a love hate relationship with this because it causes a lot of frustration in my life but I would take the frustrations just to have the convenience... for example... my washer and dryer!
6. GOD BLESS AMERICA...enough said!
7. Love my job! This day was my first day back to work after maternity leave but I couldn't ask for a better boss and a group of girls to go back to. Its been a great 7 1/2 years!
8. Everything Young Womens...the girls, the leaders, the personal progress program. This year I earned my second honor bee. 
9. Shelter from the storm... Just when I said I was grateful for beautiful fall weather we got pounded with a crazy wind/snow storm that blew part of our backyard fence down. It was the first cold of the season and I couldn't imagine being out on the streets and not in my warm home surrounded by my family.
10. Love being a MOMMY! My kids are the hardest but greatest thing that have happened to us. They test me every day and teach me patience and love like I would have never known. 
11. Primary teachers! They are the best teachers us parents could have on our side helping teach the same principles that we are trying to teach in our home.
12. Of course Nate has to be on this list. He is the rock to our family. All his hard work, patience and love get us through every crazy day. 
13. Grateful for memories. Love reminiscing of old laughs and good times which brings me to...
14. Grateful to have such amazing neighbors and friends to create memories with! 
15. Everyone needs a mom... and I have a pretty awesome one! She is so talented and always giving of her time and talents to our family.
16. I also have an awesome Mother in law! She is always up for an adventure and always thinking of how to make someone else happy.
17. Grateful for sick days and medicine. A yucky bug has wiped this Jackson out. So sad watching your kids be sick but it's always nice to put aside the to do list and enjoy some good snuggle time 
18. Grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to be a member of His church 
19. Grateful for pictures! I love the story and memories they capture. 
20. Grateful for Matt McFarland (or any photographer for that matter) helping us out last minute! I am obsessed with capturing family pictures and the different stages we are at. These little personalities only last for a short time
21. Love this "wing nut"...(Jackson). He has no idea how amazing and sweet he is (when he wants to be). We Love you Jack's! 
22. I know I said only 21, but there wasn't a day that went by that I wasn't grateful for Andersen. He is the life of our family and always keeping things funny for us.

It is so easy to get caught up in the negative in our lives or wishing you had more so I am grateful to have spent the last 3 weeks thinking of all my many blessings. I love my life and all that is in it!