Grateful, 2012

I enjoyed posting something I was grateful for every day in November in 2010 and 2011, and just forgot about it this year. But in church today, a speaker said, "Feeling grateful for something and not saying thank you is like wrapping a present and not giving it." So here are some of the presents of 2012:

1) Isaac is eating better. Last year, he would only eat cereal if it was dry. This year, he eats a full bowl of cereal, including the milk. One of the things that helped work this magic is that I have kid bowls with frogs on the bottom of them. I started saying, "eat all your cereal, and drink all the milk until you can see the frog at the bottom!" Even though they don't always use the frog bowls, both Isaac and Lucy have become excellent at eating all their cereal and drinking all their milk.
And Isaac discovered his love for rotisserie chicken this year. He loves the drumsticks, and eats them down to the bone. These also began as a kind of a game; he was digging up "dinosaur bones" as he ate. Now, he loves them, and it has added more protein to his life (along with ham and peanut butter). This has been a huge blessing, and it will make such a difference in his life to overcome being a picky eater. Also, I love having everyone eat the food I prepare. They don't always do it without whining (we're still working on that) but there is more peace and eating at my table and I am so glad!

2) We get to move into our own home here in our ward, and in our school district. In September, when we heard that we needed to move out of our town home because the owners were declaring bankruptcy, we worried about what to do. Every day meant more searching homes on KSL (to buy and rent) and driving around our neighborhood, checking to see who might be moving on the off chance that the house they leave may be where we should go. . .
Finding a home that will be great for our family is a blessing. Having confirmation that this is the right step for our family is so great. We've closed on the home, which would make you think we are living there now. But no. That isn't a blessing we get quite yet. The broker for our friends who live in our home is appalling. She shouldn't be on this list of things I'm grateful for. But I keep thinking, "This too shall pass. . . "We will eventually live in the home we just paid a whole lot of money for!

3) Our jobs bring blessings. The blessings of my job include incredible co-workers, a chance to serve students, intellectual stimulation every single day, getting to use my Master's degree, getting to be home with my kids, and feeling like I am growing in my profession all the time.
Doug's job blessings include us having enough money for food, clothing, shelter, and buying our second home. Also, he works with people who are helping him become a better writer.
My childcare job at the Apple (a gym in town) pays for my membership, and I work there every Friday from 8:30-11 am. The blessings of this little job are that I get to be with my kids during it, and I love meeting more people from the community who work there.
Volunteering at Isaac's school on Fridays also provides some extra blessings: I get to give extra hugs to Isaac at school, get to know his classmates, and help his teacher and aid know that I care about Isaac's experience in school.

4) Cuddling with my family heals my troubled soul.  This is one of my favorite blessings on earth. Cuddling with my kids as I read to them, or scratch their backs, or sit in church with them, or talk about life, (or in Brooklyn's case, as I hold her and sing her a lullaby before bed)--my soul is certainly not that troubled, but I feel it heal through these experiences. I feel so much peace and contentment when I get these treasured moments with my kids. I live for hugs and kisses, and love that I get to be with my family forever. I need the love I get from my family.

That's it for now, but I hope to post more blessings as I think about them.