Attitude of Gratitude

Well, life is never supposed to be easy, but it is worth it.  I have never believed this so much as I do now.  Graduating college is a little different than I had imagined.  I remember telling Alan when we were in school, "when this is all over and we graduate, you are buying me a big fat diamond ring and we are going on a cruise"  Well, we have not been shopping at any jewelry stores and we have no plans to be going anywhere but here.  Life is not the way I though it would be, money is a little tighter...a lot tighter.  BUT and this is a big BUT we are so blessed.  Life has brought us to so many different junctions where we have had to make many different choices.  I don't think we have ever had to rely on the Spirit so much.  I will not pretend that it has not been scary, but we do have faith and a testimony of our Father in Heaven and His awareness of us and our goals.  We feel incredibly blessed to be living here, it is a wonderful place, we have wonderful friends and a beautiful home.  It has been a humbling experience not being able to make my ohm look the way I want it to, not being able to paint or buy fabric...or whatever.  It was really hard for me at first, and frustrating, but I realized how ungrateful I was being by feeling sorrow for myself that I didn't have an awe inspiring home.  I had forgotten the many people who have helped us, the anonymous gift cards we received through the mail, the money we have gotten from family who just want to help, without even being asked.  It has been such a great blessing, we have amazing family who are led by the Spirit and are willing to run God's errands.  Alan has an amazing job with an amazing Doctor who loves to help people get better, and succeeds in it.  We feel so blessed to be working with him and being able to be close to his lovely family, they are such kind and giving people, I am grateful to call them our friends.  We are truly grateful for everything we have.  I love my home now, I love cleaning it and making it the best that I can with what I have.  I am excited for the changes that are happening, I love seeing things fall into place, even just in our home, that we are feeling more settled.  I am anxious to be able to sit and focus on writing again.  Life always seems to be going so fast that I feel like I am always catching up, and my writing keeps getting left behind.  I love the idea of having another baby in the house, I can't wait to have this little bundle, all of us are anxious for the big day.  I am finally starting to show and resemble a pregnant lady, not just a chubby one.  ;0)  I am struggling with this a little, I do not mind looking pregnant, but looking chunky is not fun to me.  I am someone who often  compares one self to others, and I often compare myself to my cute skinny little sister, and often wonder what my family would think of my ever growing figure, if they would judge or love me less.  BUT I am learning and growing and starting to be ok with the fact that that is not me and it is okay, that I am allowed to weigh what I weigh and it doesn't make me ugly or any less of a wonderful person.  I know I am special and that I have talents that no one else has and my capacity to love is big, I just need to make sure that I fit into the category of, "to-be loved".  I am grateful for a wonderful husband who made Mother's Day so fantastic, he is such a wonderful husband who helps always and who put in a little extra effort to make Sunday the BEST day.  I love you Honey Bee, shnugar pie muffin cakes!  I am grateful for wonderful parents on both sides, who taught us how to love and be loved and how to make good choices and save money for a rainy day and to live life and be grateful.  I am thankful for what they taught us of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have a testimony that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church, that we have a Prophet on the earth today, who is not just a Prophet to those who believe in him, but to the world.  I am grateful for the opportunity I have to pray and to rejoice in the Savior and the Plan of Salvation, and that we live in a place that...for now...we are able to worship as we please.  I know the Lord provides a way for us to be eternally happy, we just have to choose it.  I love my family, I love being able to stay at home and raise our children, to teach and train them and show them all the love I have.

C: What's a Christmas Wedgie?

M: I don't know.

C: I know what it is.

M:  Oh yah.

C:  It's when someone gives you, or you give yourself a wedgie on Christmas.

This is our family room, we call it the "front" room, but it is actually at the very back of the house...This is the room that bothers me the most, I want it to be this great room that everyone just wants to site down and never leave...working on it.

This is our guest bedroom which is located to the right of the "front" room.  My parents bought us this great bedset, I wouldn't mind staying in this room for a few days.

This is our dining area, we use our coffee table as an art table for the kids..love it.  Our amazing neighbors donated those two...uh...thingys behind the table, we love them, they are great storage and have a great old flare to them.

This is our little kitchen with our awesome stove.  I really didn't think I would like electric vs. gas, but our cookies come out PERFECT every time.  There is not much room for food....well if I didn't have so many dishes we would, but that's besides the point, we have our basement/closet food storage rack out in the open, everyone gets to see all the food we eat...not my favorite....but not that bad either.  

This is our wonderful backyard that we LOVE.  Kids are having a picnic lunch while I run around taking pictures. ;)

Other end of the yard.  Yah I could have cleaned up, but how real is that?

This is the children's playroom, we literally cleaned it 5 mins before...that is before Caleb arrived.  The bed is for jumping, that is our makeshift trampoline.  Once we got new beds for the older kids we didn't know where to put this one, the mattress isn't very good anymore so it is now a toy.

This is the boys tiny little room, but with a big playroom, who needs more room.  

This is the girls' room...no I do not know what I am having...hoping...

And this is my playroom...oh the joys, I have NEVER had a craft room, I always had to move my current craft project to and from the kitchen table for meals.  I am very grateful that I now get to just shut the door and know that there will not be any peanut butter left on it and it will still be there when I get back to it.  It is a dream, I love it.

This is the master suite.  Hehehe, well it's a suite to us.

I know I could have moved the basket...We love being able to look out the windows in the morning, waking up the birds chirping, it's marvelous to live in a neighborhood where we can leave our windows open all night.

This is the master bath.  I have NEVER had a master bathroom before, it is so fun!  I feel like I can shut myself off from the world and do my business, it's great to have solitude in a house full of children.

This is the hall bathroom, or the bathroom the kids use.  I am excited to make it a fun bathroom for them.

This is me...I ate a little too much for lunch ....just kidding I haven't eaten yet, I'm starving!

This is the walk up to our front door.  We are being taken over by ants, we have little mountains all over our yard and walkway...it's annoying.

This is our whole house.  We love our quiet neighborhood and count ourselves very blessed.

Thanks for reading everyone!  Have a wonderful day.
Watch this video for inspiration today, I want to be more like him.

-Keara