100 things

The Ensign this month has a youth challenge called the gratitude challenge. I thought that since thanksgiving just passed and christmas is coming up, its a good time of the year to think about the things I am thankful for.. so I am going to take the challenge.

1. Write 10 physical abilities you are grateful for -

1. I am grateful for the ability to see without pain. When I had iritis, every time I opened my eyes there was excruciating pain. It was not fun.
2. I am grateful for the ability to walk without pain. When I was pregnant with Archimedes, my hip hurt me so bad some days that Andre had to help me walk from the bedroom to the bathroom and that is about all the movement I would do for the day. I am so grateful that I don't have to deal with that every day.
3. I am grateful for the ability to run without getting tired. I can't run as far as I'd like to,but I am honestly in better shape right now then I have been probably since high school.
4. I am grateful for the ability to sit and relax.
5. I am grateful for the ability I have to play the piano. I don't get to do it hardly ever since we don't have one in our home, but when I do get to play, I love it.
6. I am grateful for the ability I have to hold babies. I love to hold Archimedes and I love that I can provide service for other through babysitting.
7. I am grateful for the ability to hug. Isn't hugging the best feeling ever? There is nothing I love more than giving Andre a big hug when he gets home from school.
8. I am grateful for the ability I have to type. I can't imagine having to write everything out!
9. I am grateful for the ability to clean... I haven't done it in awhile but it is so rewarding when its actually done.
10. I am grateful for the ability to cook. Andre loves it so much when I cook a hot meal, and more and more Archimedes is able to eat what I cook. I love being able to provide this service for my family.

2. Write 10 material possessions you are grateful for

1. I am grateful for my computer. Without it, I would not have the ability to be a stay at home mom and go to school at the same time.
2. I am grateful for our car. It is a car my parents are letting us borrow and I am SO glad we have it. I don't know what we would have done if they hadn't given it to us.
3. I am grateful for my stroller. Some days, being able to take a walk with Archimedes is all that keeps me sane :)
4. I am grateful for my cellphone, which keeps me connected with friends and family, and keeps me safe in emergencies
5. I am grateful for our christmas tree. Note to self - blinking lights are not as peaceful as non-blinking lights.
6. I am grateful for the exersaucer that Desarae Kirkham let us borrow. The thing is seriously a life saver sometimes.
7. I am grateful for my camera. It gives me a hobby that is all my own. When I edit pictures.. I don't even know how to describe it. I absolutely love working with pictures.
8. I am grateful for the box that Andre made me. He carved it out of a solid piece of.. oak.. i think. It is amazing.
9. I am grateful for my Vacuum. For the first year of our marriage we had crappy little vacuums that didn't even make the crinkle noise when you vacuum stuff. It is amazing the difference a nice vacuum makes.. now if only I would use it...
10. I am grateful for the rocking chair in the baby's room. I don't know what I would do without it.

3. Write 10 living people you are grateful for

1. I am grateful for my husband. He works so hard to take care of me and Archimedes. He has long days at the school and still always comes home happy and ready to help. He is an amazing father and a wonderful husband.
2. I am grateful for Archimedes. He is the joy of my life. I never imagined I would love being a mother so much.
3. I am grateful for my mother. She is such a strong person and taught me everything I know about being a good person and a good mother.
4. I am grateful for my dad. He is so strong spiritually and an amazing provider for his family, but he never let his job get in the way of raising his kids.
5. I am grateful for my mother in law. She is an amazing example and is a really good listener. She has wonderful advice on everything from the gospel to mothering to food storage.
6. I am grateful for my little brother. Well, all my brothers really, for different reasons, but right now especially for my little brother and the sacrifices he has made to be serving a mission in Peru.
7. I am grateful for Jeffrey Hendrix. He was a very good friend to me in college. I don't think he'll ever know how much he helped me get through some tough times.
8. I am grateful for my grandparents, all four of them. They are all such amazing people in different ways. My grandma Parry is so strong and an amazing example. My grandpa Parry is funny and kind and really good at golf :) My grandpa Fuller is smart and patient and always willing to teach new things and my grandma Fuller is so kind and charitable. I am lucky to have been able to have all four of these people so close to me in my life.
9. I am grateful for my sisters and sisters-in-law. There is nothing better in the world then having sisters and I feel bad for all those people who don't get to experience it. I love sharing secrets and getting advice from people that I am so close to. I miss being able to be very close to any of them and I hope to one day live closer to at least a few of them.
10. I am grateful for Andrew Kovisto. He is one of Andre's really good friends and while him and I don't always get along very well, he is always willing to help and has been a wonderful friend to Andre.

4. Write 10 deceased people you are grateful for

This one will be a little difficult.. I guess it doesn't have to be deceased people that I knew personally right...

1. I am grateful for the founding fathers and the work they did in making this country into the place it is today. It took a lot of braver and.. dare I say.. balls.. to get this country started and I am grateful that those men were able to do it.
2. I am grateful for all the prophets, but especially Joseph Smith Jr for all the persecution he had to go through. It would have been easy for him to just give up on the church and live a quite life, but he didn't. I am grateful that he was able to endure to the end and get the church started.
3. I am grateful for my own personal ancestors for getting me where I am today. I don't know a lot of stories, but I know there was a lot of hard times in the lives of some of my relatives.
4. I am grateful for my aunts that died but left behind wonderful legacies. Three of my mom's sisters have passed away, and all three have wonderful families. All of their children (to my knowledge) are faithful in the gospel and those that have children are raising them up to be really good kids/adults.
5. I am grateful for Skylar Johnson. He died his senior year of high school. He was a grade behind me and my senior year his locker was next to mine. I couldn't ever get my locker to open so he memorized my combination and would open my locker every time he went to his so that I could get into it. I wasn't super good friends with him but it would always make my day when I would see him opening my locker before his.
6. I am grateful for the pioneers that stood for what they believed in, even if it meant losing their lives. I am grateful for what they did to the church, and for the examples they left behind.
7. I am grateful for the guy who invented the johnny jump up... I dont even know if he's dead but Im going to include him on this list because the jump up is right in front of me and I am truly grateful for it.
8. I am grateful for Thomas Edison or whoever really invented the light bulb. What a simply amazing invention.
9. I am grateful for whoever invented the washing machine. I spend a whole day each week on laundry as it is, I can't imagine doing it all by hand.
10. I am grateful for Christ, who isn't really dead but should count for this list anyway.

5. Write 10 things about nature you are thankful for

1. I am thankful for the sun.
2. I am thankful for the snow.
3. I am thankful for the changing leaves on the trees. I swear God made them that way for no other reason except that they are pretty.
4. I am thankful for the mountains. I miss the mountains in the horizon that you see in Idaho Falls. For some reason I feel safer when surrounded by mountains.
5. I am thankful for rivers.
6. I am thankful for rainbows
7. I am thankful for the rain
8. I am thankful for shooting stars
9. I am thankful for stars in general
10. I am thankful for the moon.

6. write 10 things about today you are thankful for

1. I am thankful for the opportunity to work on homework
2. I am thankful that Andre gets to go to school
3. I am thankful that I get to stay home with my baby
4. I am thankful that I am almost over my cold
5. I am thankful that I was able to get my errands done
6. I am thankful that we had the money to pay our bills
7. I am thankful that I have a house to make a mess
8. I am thankful that I got to talk to my mother in law
9. I am thankful that I can watch shows on Hulu
10. I am thankful that I got all my work done in my desktop publishing class for the WHOLE SEMESTER

7. Write 10 places on earth you are grateful for

1. I am grateful for my home
2. I am grateful for my parents home
3. I am grateful for Andre's parents home
4. I am grateful for our trailer. I don't know what we would have done if we hadn't found that place. Hopefully we will sell it quickly, then I'll be even more grateful for it.
5. I am grateful for temples. Especially the Spokane temple, where Andre and I were able to be sealed together.
6. I am grateful for the school and that it is so close to our home
7. I am grateful for Moscow Mountain. The top of that hill is so peaceful.
8. I am grateful for all of the battle grounds that were fought on for my safety and freedom
9. I am grateful for the new walmart that will be built in moscow :)
10. I am grateful for Florida and for letting me visit next month

8. Write 10 modern inventions you are grateful for.

1. I am thankful for the computer
2. I am thankful for the cell phone
3. I am thankful for light bulbs
4. I am thankful for washing machines
5. I am thankful for christmas tree lights
6. I am thankful for my tablet
7. I am thankful for cars
8. I am thankful for electric ovens
9. I am thankful for MP3 players
10. I am thankful for modern medicine (especially the epidural machine :))

9. Write 10 foods you are grateful for

1. I am thankful for quick boxed meals
2. I am thankful for pizza
3. I am thankful for sour patch kids
4. I am thankful for slim fast. When I was pregnant with Archimedes I LIVED off that stuff
5. I am thankful for cold cereal
6. I am thankful for waffles
7. I am thankful for crepes
8. I am thankful for spaghetti
9. I am thankful for juice
10. I am thankful for baby food.. makes my life so much easier

10. Write 10 things about the gospel you are thankful for

1. I am thankful for the chance we have to repent
2. I am thankful for the book of mormon
3. I am thankful for church meetings
4. I am thankful for the prophet
5. I am thankful for baptism
6. I am thankful for the sacrament
7. I am thankful for the chance we have to be sealed to our families forever.
8. I am thankful for nursery
9. I am thankful for the priesthood
10. I am thankful for relief society

Wow. That took me WAY longer than I thought it would. Way worth it though. I would say that I want to do this every year but I know that I wont.. but its on page 6 of the Ensign if anyone else wants to do it. Seriously though I can't believe it took me so long. Well over an hour. I'm sure no one read the whole thing but if you did.. congrats! You should get a medal or something.