Five for Friday's # 3

Although we did not have Thanksgiving dinner at our house yesterday, it did not keep a huge mess from forming. I don't know what happened because I had worked on it all week and was pretty clean on Wednesday. Oh well. Life goes on. But right now I don't want to think about it so I am going to sit down and take a moment to think about what I am grateful for.

1. Although very messy and dirty at the moment, I am very grateful for my home. I love living in the area we are in. We are in an amazing ward and in a fun neighborhood. I love the conveniences that my home has to offer. I love turning on the fireplaces when the weather gets cold. I love sitting in my jetted bathtub when I need some time alone. And although our new home is bigger and much nicer, I can't say that I am any happier than when we lived in our little house up in Ogden. My home is not defined by what is in it but rather who is in it.

2. I am grateful for our jobs. We are blessed to have a good income which supports our family. I am blessed to have a job where I can have the best of both worlds. I can be a mom who spends the majority of my time with my kids. And I can also get out of the house 1 day a week to work, socialize, and do something that I love to do. I feel secure knowing that if I ever needed to, I have a job that could support our family. I am so glad that Tim can also do something that he finds purpose in and enjoys doing. He loves his new job and was actually named one of "Utah's Legal Elite" by the Utah Business Magazine in his field.

3. I am grateful for our cars. It is always an eye opener how much we depend on them when one of the cars is out of commission. This hasn't happened recently but it used to happen all of the time. Tim was always good about taking the bus when this happened so that I could still have the car with the kids. It is so nice to be able to go where I want when I want.

4. I am grateful for the education of those people around me. I am glad that there are people who can fix things from cars to hearts. I remember when Tim and I were meeting with the surgeon right before Ethan's first surgery, I felt very compelled to thank the surgeon for the education that he received which gave us a chance at life. I know how much time, money, and effort it takes to follow through to get a good education (whether it be a trade or college). I am grateful for those who rise to the challenge.

5. I am grateful for music. Whether it I need it to comfort my baby in the hospital or to get me moving so I can clean my kitchen, I love good music. I dance when nobody is looking and I sing at the top of my lungs when I am in the car by myself. I love that I can either create or temper any mood that I may be in with the right song. I also love that my kids love music and we can all sing in the car together while running errands. I can't promise that we sing on key or know all the words, but I do know that we all have a smile on our face.

---Allison