Memory Lane

I spent most of the in the house I grew up in. My mom is ready to sell that house so she can buy one in St. George. Before we can sell it, we have to clean it out. There were a lot of memories made in that house! I'm thankful for the opportunity to spend some time on Memory Lane today. I think it's important to remember and reflect. 

Maxi skirts

This morning I had a wardrobe crisis. Since I found out I have to have surgery on my other hip, I stopped trying. I haven't been working out and I've been eating rather poorly. I'm sure no one would ever notice, but I just wasn't happy with anything I tried on...until I put on a maxi skirt. I am thankful I had something in my closet that was comfy and cute to wear on a day like today. And tomorrow, I will go work out, drink lots of water, and try to make better food choices!!

Hump day dinner

There's a group of girls in my ward that gets together every week for dinner. Usually it's on Wednesday nights. I have never been able to go! I've always had a work thing or can't eat what they're having. But this week they decided to do dinner on Thursday. I'm thankful my class got out early so I could meet them! They went to Cafe Rio. I can't eat there, but I just brought my own dinner in and ate with them. It was a lot of fun! I'm sad I have class on Wednesday and Thursday nights now. Maybe I'll be able to get out early once in a while and be able to join then again!

A fixed toilet

Our downstairs bathroom has been out of commission. Back in the day if used to run constantly! Krista and I replaced the fill valve (or something like that). After that it didn't run all the time, but it was never quite right. You had to push the flusher SO hard to get the toilet to flush. If was annoying. But not as annoying as having the toilet leak, which is what started happening a couple weeks ago. Enter Matt, the world's greatest home teacher! We told him about the toilet on Sunday when he specifically asked if we had any plumbing problems he could fix (apparently his dad is a plumber). He texted me yesterday, said he bought everything to fix my toilet and wanted to know when a good time would be. He came tonight and now the toilet works like a charm!

A birthday party

It was a little bit late, but my friends got together for my birthday tonight. Krista planned it. We went to dinner and then to see Tarzan at The Hale Center Theater. It was a lot of fun. I'm thankful for the fabulous friends who came! It really was a good time!

My teacher Matt

Today was my first day of school in this new semester. At the beginning of class my teacher asked us all to introduce ourselves and tell everyone what we're doing and why we're in grad school. I told my story about being bored at work and how I am currently the director of a rec center. After class Matt (the teacher) pulled me aside and said he has been a director before and knows how challenging it is. He offered to do whatever he can to help me in his class. I'm thankful for his empathy and understanding. I hope my other 2 teachers are that cool. 

We

I asked my brother for a blessing. I'm a little bit worried about going back to school. Deep down I know it will be just fine, but I have a hard time getting into a new routine. About half-way through the blessing, it changed. Instead of hearing, "I bless you..." it turned into "WE bless you..." It wasn't a huge thing, but it made me feel like my Heavenly Father and my dad were close and concerned about me and my happiness. 

The 2013 Run Elevated Half Marathon

The race I have been working on for most of the year finally happened today. I am beyond thankful for all the staff and volunteers who helped us pull off an awesome event! We got SO much positive feedback! It was stressful. It was a ton of work. And it was incredible. Things could not have run any smoother. I'm excited to get going on the 2014 race! But for now, I'm thankful the 2013 race is over!!

A bus contract

Talk about cutting it close. The race I've been working to organize for 9 months is finally here. We "Run Elevated" in the morning. Everything important has been taken care of for a while - except the bus contract. It's been a very stressful couple of days as we have worked hard to make it happen. Today it finally worked out and I have an acceptable, signed contract for transportation for the race. I'm off to bed at 9:00pm, hoping for at least a few hours of sleep before my alarm goes off at 3:00AM! Gross! And in a few short hours it will all be over. 

Early mornings

I didn't sleep well last night. When I finally did fall asleep, it was after 1:30am. And then I woke up again (with no hope of getting back to sleep) at 4:30. I laid in bed for a little while, but then my mind started to race. I finally decided to get up, we'll before my alarm. I got to work early and spent the extra time organizing all the notes I've written myself. I finally got a good comprehensive list of everything that needs to happen in the next couple days. I delegated what I could and focused on the things I couldn't. I'm feeling pretty good about where everything sits right now. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to get everything finished tomorrow in time for a great race on Saturday! I'm thankful for the uninterrupted time I had this morning before things got busy to get organized and focused. It made all the difference in the world. 

Books

It's been a long time since I've been really sucked into a book. I actually read very many books at all lately. But I'm thankful to currently be totally sucked into the book "Divergent." I'm about halfway through. Tonight it's been the perfect escape from the bad news that's stuck on my mind - I have to have surgery on my other hip! Totally bummed!! Now back to my book. 

A round of applause

I gave a short presentation for Sandy City Council tonight. I talked about the Center and the race. In the middle of my presentation, the city administrator said, "Let's give her a round of applause!" It was so fun! I work really hard - not for recognition, but because I'm passionate about what I do. But every once in a while its fun to get a little recognition.  

The Bishops house

I love my Bishop. And I love my Bishop's wife! They are just great people. We got to spend some time in their home for FHE. I'm so thankful for their home, for the peace and love that fill their home, and for their willingness to invite us young single adults into their home. 

Our Stake Fireside

I'm thankful my friend Megan texted me and invited me to go to our stake fireside tonight. I was just sitting at home alone wishing it was late enough for me to go to bed! I went to the fireside and it was great. We were repeated told that if we are doing what is right, everything will work out. We were told to always have hope. We were told our Heavenly Father adores us. We were told all the things I needed to hear. I'm thankful that our Heavenly Father is so willing to bless us when we make the effort to do the things we're supposed to do!

A full Saturday

Most of the time, Saturdays just kind of float by. It's been a while since I've had a Saturday as packed as today was. I'm thankful for all the things I got to do today. Those things include:

A long run (15 miles)

A long shower

A chat with my mom

Pad Thai for lunch 

A short nap

Shopping and ice cream with Melodee and Holly

Waxed eyebrows

A stake YSA luau 

Dinner (because I couldn't eat at the luau) at 5 Guys

A great movie with friends 

And now I'm thankful to be going to sleep! 

That it was not worse

A friend of mine was involved in a motorcycle accident late last night. I'm so thankful that my friend is okay. He spent some time in the ER last night and he ended up going back to the ER tonight. And even though he's not "okay," I'm thankful he is alive. I'm thankful things were not worse!! 

Church magazines

We had a Relief Society activity tonight. We cut up old church magazines and decorated study journals. It was fun to look through the old magazines. I'm so thankful for latter-day revelation and the means we have to communicate that revelation to the world! I'm also thankful that I can now get those magazines on my phone! It's so convenient!!

Tender mercies

This life is full of tender mercies, often looked over as simply coincidence. I planned to leave a little early today - I'm going to be well over 40 hours this week. But, for some reason, I just didn't. I didn't have anything pressing keeping me at work, but I stayed anyway. It turned out to be really good that I did because I was needed in Salt Lake at 5:30. If I had left early, I wouldn't have been in just the right place to help! I'm thankful for that little tender mercy that allowed me to be in the right place at the right time! Maybe I'll be able to cut some hours tomorrow instead!

My body

Our bodies are pretty darn incredible! I'm thankful for all the things my body can tolerate. I'm also thankful for the ability my body has to tell me that something is wrong. I'm the middle of making a decision about whether or not I should keep running. I had surgery on my hip last December. I'm now starting to feel the same pain in my other hip. But, I'm too stubborn for my own good! I don't want to stop running. I keep thinking maybe it's just a sore muscle. But I doubt it. I'm just ready to make a decision yet...but I need to! I'm training to run the St. George marathon. I'm supposed to run 17 miles this weekend. I just don't think it's going to happen, as much as I really want it to! We'll see. Maybe I'll give my doctor a call tomorrow and see if he can get me in sometime soon. 

Improv FHE

Our ward didn't have Family Home Evening tonight...but my friends did. We met up, had a little BBQ, and ventured to bountiful for some amazing shaved ice. It was rather delightful!

Teaching

I'm almost 100% sure that I was put on this earth to be a teacher...a Relief Society teacher. I'm so thankful for the ability I have to get up in front of the sisters in my ward and see the love our Heavenly Father has for them! I'm thankful for their comments and the things they teach me while I'm supposed to teaching them. I'm thankful that I still get to teach Relief Society even though I'm technically not a teacher anymore. I'm not thankful that the teacher assigned to teach today bailed at 10:00 last night and forced me to have to step in and teach a lesson with very little preparation. But I'm thankful for the Spirit that took over and led the lesson where it needed to go. 

A new temple video

I love the temple! When I found out the church released an updated video for that portion of temple worship, I was excited to go check it out. It was great! I felt a huge outpouring of love from my Heavenly Father. I'm always thankful for that!!

Birthdays

I had a great birthday! My employees plastered happy birthday all over my office windows so everyone that passed my office wished me a happy birthday. I got to go out to lunch and dinner. I got to spend some time with some of my favorite people. It was just a good day. I'm thankful I was born (thanks, mom) and I'm thankful I could celebrate that today!! 

Little Cottonwwod Canyon

I live in an incredibly beautiful state! I love living by the mountains. I love experiencing all four seasons. I especially live the beautiful canyons along the wasatch front. I've had the opportunity to spend some time in almost all if them. This year I have spent a lot of quality time in Little Cottonwood Canyon. That's where the half marathon I'm in charge of will happen. I got to run the first three miles of the route again tonight with a training clinic we arranged for the race participants. It was perfect. It was so green, it was sunny, and it was at least 15 degrees cooler up the canyon. I hope be able to do some exploring up in the canyon soon, maybe hike some of the trails. 

This blog

I started this thankful record quite a while ago. To be honest, I'm surprised I still keep it up. It's definitely a habit. And one I hope to keep for a long, long time. Here's why: today was awful. I worked for 11 hours. I didn't eat "lunch" until 4:30. I had to fight fires (not literal fires...). I had to smooth things over that other people had ruined for me. I found out that a person I trusted very much has been lying to me. I had to do interviews (I HATE doing interviews). I didn't get to run on my lunch break like I had planned (because I didn't get a lunch break). I didn't get home until 8:45pm. And I had to work late last night. And I have to work late tomorrow. It was a rotten day. It was hard. But, despite all the awful things that happened today, I'm still in the habit of recording at least one thing I'm thankful for. Every night before I go to bed, I reevaluate my day and I focus on all the things I'm thankful for. Usually when I have an extra bad day, I'm just thankful that not every day is that bad! There is something very therapeutic about ending every day with a positive, thankful thought. That's why I'm thankful for this blog!!

A normal work schedule

Today I'm thankful for a normally predictable work schedule. And I'm thankful that most of the time, that predictable schedule is 8:00am-5:00pm. Today was not a normal work schedule. I had to work until 9:15pm. It was definitely not my favorite. 10:00 is WAY to late for me to just be getting home! 

My experiences as a Ward Missionary

A couple years ago I was called to be a Ward Missionary. I had a hard time saying no. Not only do I dread talking to people I don't know, I was also pretty devastated to leave my other calling as a Relief Society teach. Teaching is definitely one of my favorite callings in the church (and in other aspects of my life, too). I served as a Ward Missionary for a year until they called me to be a Relief Society teacher again. That year was tough, but I learned so much!! Tonight our stake had a missionary "blitz." We met at the church, got paired up and set out with a few names to do some missionary work. As we went about trying to find our lost brothers and sisters, I thought about my time as a Ward Missionary. Tonight I was thankful that I was blessed with that opportunity. I was thankful for the skills I learned - like talking to people I don't know. I was thankful for my lack of nerves and the joy I got out of serving in the Lord's church. I don't know if anything will come out of our efforts tonight, but I'm still thankful for the experience. 

Tyler time

I have a friend named Tyler and I just love him! I met him in high school and I'm thankful to have him as a friend into adulthood! A few months ago he got a new job, started working weird hours, started traveling always, and we just haven't seen him since!! But he came to church today. I'm thankful that we could chat with him for a bit and makes some plans to get together this weekend. It was especially great to see him today because today is his birthday!!

Extended family

I have never been very close with my extended family - neither side. I had one cousin my age and we were pretty close, but only through elementary school. We just don't get together. But today everyone on my mom's side got together to celebrate my grandma's 90th birthday (she actually turns 90 in November, but she knew it would be easier to get everyone together in the summer). I had so much fun seeing my aunts and uncles and my cousins and my cousins' children! It was pretty incredible to have everyone there!

My teeth

I had an awful dream last night that I hit my jaw really hard and all my fillings came out. (I have awful, awful teeth so the majority of my teeth have multiple fillings!) it was miserable, even if it was a dream. It hurt and even in my dream I had a very real dread of going to the dentist to get them all fixed. I'm not sure I've ever been more grateful that something was just a dream. I'm thankful for my teeth, even if they do have quite a few fillings. I just hope they all stay put!

Family in my house

I love my house. It's definitely "home" for me now. But I love my house just a little bit more when my family is in it! I'm thankful to have my mom at my house for a couple days. And I'm thankful Chris stopped by, too...even if it was just to visit my mom and eat my dinner!!