Valentines

Valentine's Day isn't my favorite. Maybe someday when I'm not single it will be a little more fun. However, it IS kind of fun to literally be a Valentine! I'm thankful that I was born into the Valentine family! And I'm thankful for the 17 awesome people I get share my last name with! They will always be MY Valentines - forever! Someday it will be hard to give up my last name...hopefully it will be worth the sacrifice!

Shorts

No, I did not wear shorts today. I did, however, look through some old pictures and miss my shorts terribly! (Is that "normal" - to miss an item of clothing? Maybe I'm losing it...) I also may or may not have purchased some new shorts during my lunch break trip at target. Okay, really - I did. I couldn't help it. I've learned that cute, long, denim shorts are hard to come by. So when you find some, you have to buy them - even if it's February, and you live in Utah, and you won't get to wear them for a really, really long time. Because someday, when it's finally warm enough, I will be thankful I have those shorts in my closet!

The Kaysville 5th Ward

I grew up in the Kaysville 5th Ward.  Today I went back to the 5th ward for my nephew's ordination.  (He didn't actually get ordained - there was a little bit of a mix up, but that's okay!)  It was so fun to see all the people I grew up loving - neighbors, friends' parents, old leaders, etc.  When I visit the 5th ward, I still feel like I'm "home." 

My own bed

Last night I arrived at my aunt and uncle's house in California at 10:30pm (11:30pm Utah time). I slept for a few short hours in my cousin's bed. I was sad she was out of town because that meant I didn't get to see her, but I was thankful that she was willing to let me crash on her bed while she was gone. Today I drove back to Utah. Salt Lake to LA and back to Salt Lake in less than 24 hours - I don't recommend it. Maybe it was traveling so much in one day, maybe it was sleeping in an unfamiliar place last night, or maybe it's the fact that I'm thrilled to not be in the car anymore...whatever the reason, I am exhausted and thankful to be snuggled up in my own bed!!

Kind strangers

I flew from Salt Lake to Los Angeles tonight. Shortly before we landed in California, I dropped my phone. That's probably the WORST time to drop something small on the floor of a dark plane. That's about the time the plane makes a sharp turn to get the right angle for landing. And then there's the bumps associated with the land. And then the plane stops real fast. When the lights finally came on I was a little bit panicked that I would never see my phone again (not comforting when you have to navigate an unfamiliar city on your own). But luckily I sat next to a very kind stranger from Minnesota. He didn't know me - he had been sleeping for the whole flight. But he saw my distress and quickly went to work helping me look for my lost phone. He found it! I breathed a sigh of relief and gratitude! I hope that kind man enjoys his time in Hawaii!!

Josh

I absolutely LOVE being an aunt. Today is the 14th anniversary of the I became an aunt - today my oldest nephew Josh turned 14! Josh is amazing. He's super smart, he tells/writes fabulous stories, he is a great big brother, he plays the piano and the clarinet, he plays baseball, swims, and tumbles (which is impressive because he's always had struggles with gravity!). He is literally one of the kindest people I know. I am so thankful that he was born into our family. And I'm thankful that he will still let me hug him - even though he's a 14-year-old boy!!

Chase

Seriously.  How could you not be thankful for this little boy?!  Today is Chaser's birthday.  He is 5.  I am absolutely in love with his red hair, his baby blue eyes and his dimples!  He doesn't always love to talk to me, but every once in a while (when I color with him using permanent markers, or if I talk to him about Batman) he and I are friends.  He is super sweet and his little smile melts my heart!  I love you, Chase!