A few of my favorite things...

I have failed once again at regularly updating our blog. I partly chalk it up to the fact that my camera broke and blogs just aren't as fun without pictures to view. (I apologize now for some of the pictures on this post. Because my camera is broken I have been using my phone and Ipod to take pictures.) Yesterday we taught our primary class about expressing gratitude and it got me thinking about all the things that I am grateful for. Being here in Connecticut now for a little over a year has opened up so many new experiences that I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for. Here are just a few:

1- Fireflies - I had no idea that Connecticut had fireflies, so the first night I saw them I literally freaked out and ran to find a jar to catch my very first one. Each night I sit on the couch and look out the window at all the twinkling lights and I can't help but be thankful for such beautiful creatures.

My first firefly

2- Nature - Being able to live out amongst nature and be so close to it has given me a greater appreciation for it. I love opening the door each morning and stepping out into our little forest of trees and seeing the sun gleaming off the leaves. I love walking among all our countless colorful flowers and picking fresh raspberries off our raspberries bushes. I can't think of anything more peaceful and calming than nature and we get to live right in the middle of it.

Freshly picked raspberries

Purple hydrangeas

A mixture of colorful flowers

3- Our House - I never imagined at the age of 23 that I could say "I am a home owner". I feel extremely blessed to have somewhere I can call my own.

4- Living here in Connecticut - When we were first deciding whether to stay here permanently or not, I was kind of against it. I really wanted to be closer to family and was struggling with the idea of living so far away. As we talked about it though, Clint and I felt that this is where we were suppose to be and looking back over the past year I know this is where we are suppose to be. We have been blessed with awesome neighbors and friends, a great ward, many school and work opportunities, and many other experiences that we would not have had if we had moved back to the West. I am grateful for all the opportunities that we have had and will continue to have. 

One blessing of living here in Connecticut was being able to graduate!

5- Family - Living so far away from family has been really hard. I miss them every day. Living this far away from them has given me a greater appreciation for them. I am grateful for the support and love they give both me and Clint in all the decisions and choices that we make.

6- Gardening - I have always wanted to start a garden, but the circumstances just weren't right until now. Being able to plant a garden this year has opened my eyes to how amazing nature is. It is amazing to watch a little seed grow into a plant that provides food for us and then to watch it produce seeds that can be planted the following year for another harvest. It is a gift that keeps on giving. This has strengthened my testimony on the flawless design of nature by our Father in heaven. 

7- Animals - Living so close to nature means living close with many forms of wildlife. I have already seen deer, bunnies, snakes, woodpeckers, frogs, toads, fireflies, countless bugs, etc. It is so neat to wake up in the morning and eat breakfast while watching a deer walk through your backyard. Or to pet a little bunny rabbit that is hiding under one of the bushes. I also love hearing the birds chirp all throughout the day, especially in the morning when I first wake up. 

Baby bunny I found in our bushes.

8- The Gospel - Living so far away from family has given me a greater appreciation for the term "ward family". Our ward has become like family to us and they are such good examples of living great and extraordinary lives. I know that this all stems from the gospel teachings and further more from the teachings of our Savior and Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for this gospel and the fact that no matter where I may end up, I will always have people to turn to for comfort and companionship. 

9- Air Conditioning - For some reason there is quite a few people out in New England who haven't figured out what air conditioning is. Our house has no central AC and that has been hard for me to grasp. We finally went and bought one window AC unit that is in our bedroom and I am grateful for it each and every day, especially when it is hot and humid. 

10-  My husband - I am not one to get mushy, but I am very grateful for my husband. Clint does so much for me. He spent a lot of time in school that paid off with this awesome job he now has. He goes to work each day so that we can have this house and food and everything else that we have been blessed with. I am so grateful that he allows me to stay home and develop some hobbies that I have wanted to. Me not working also allows me to completely focus on school during the school year. He is so good to me and I am grateful for that each and every day. 

I know I need to do better about being thankful for all my many blessings. To often I get caught up on all the things I don't have and don't take the time to think of all the countless blessing I do have. I encourage you all to take more time to be thankful for all the many things that make your lives great. I am so grateful for the primary lesson that reminded me that I need to do that more. 

P.S. Update: Here is a little house update. After a few months we finally got the living room pretty much done. I still need to paint the hallway and decorating the dining room and living room are next on my to do list. Stay tuned for more updates and pictures. 

Before

After

Before

After

My finished herb garden window