Gratitude

I have so many things to be grateful for, so I thought I'd start a list in honor of the season, and to make things efficient (which my husband would appreciate, being an engineer), I'll do it alphabetically *not including articles.

A:
Apples I don't know if they keep the doctor away, but I learned to love them in London, where I also developed the skill of eating all of them but the stem.

Atonement because where would we be without forgiveness? which I'm also grateful for, especially being able to forgive myself, which is hard.
B:
Breakfast because nothing builds up an appetite like sleeping 8 hours (if you're lucky). And really yummy breakfast foods are good any time of the day. Breakfast for dinner is the best invention ever.

The color blue since my team won on Saturday. (Go BYU) Why couldn't they have been good when I was actually going to their school?
C:
Chocolate because I wouldn't be a real girl if I wasn't grateful for that. Nothing gets you through a hard day like chocolate.

Children especially my nieces and nephew. They are so cute and I can give them back! The little kids in church are pretty cute to, especially the one that reminds me of my little sister at that age . . . So adorable.
D:
Dreams that include my high school friends that I haven't seen since my wedding or earlier. Like the one I had last night . . . Is Erin Wimmer pregnant?

Dish washers I realized how nice my new dish washer is when everything I previously hand washed seems to end up in there. (I also realized my own laziness.)
E:
Electricity despite the fact that my mother and several others think I was born in the wrong century, I really do appreciate electricity. I may be frustrated by the wiring of my house, but the fact that I can plug in a straightener and fifteen minutes later look fabulous is enough to make me rejoice.
F:
Family holidays are great and despite the fact that I spent about 6 hours putting up my mom's Christmas tree on Saturday, I'm still grateful for them. And for my husband's family. They're awesome. And for all my adopted families . . .

Friends especially the fact that I still have some after getting married. Social suicide? not for me.

Furniture we have some good stuff and it makes our old house look nice.
G:
Gifts not gonna lie, I love getting them. And if I do say so myself, I'm a pretty good giver. I put some thought into mine. And it's fun.

Gratitude it makes every situation better, and turns a bad day around in seconds. It's a sure fire way to happiness.
H:
Heat I love coming home to a warm house. And I'm hoping that maintaining the temp is less expensive than turning it up and down . . .

My Hair not only that I have some, but because I woke up one morning this week and it was freakishly long. Am I the only one this happens to?
I:
Ice Cream Always room for Jell-O? I don't think so. But there is always room for ice cream. And Christmas time means Peppermint flavor . . . yum.

Indoor Plumming can you imagine having to go out to the outhouse in the snow?
J:
My Job they make it really hard to decide to go back to school, since that means I would get less than a year working there. Everyone is so nice and I feel needed. That's always good.
K:
Kindness it's good from strangers, from family, from fellow drivers . . . good skill to learn
L:
Light what did people do before electricity? I would have burned down at least three houses with kerosine. Really.
M:
My Mom was really dedicated to us children and made every break fun. And she never yelled at us from when I was four or so on. I hope I'll be good too when the time comes.
N:
Newspapers since I have to look through them everyday at work, I've discovered the joy of being up on my current events. It makes otherwise awkward conversations go much smoother. And if you feel the need to talk to someone you don't have much in common with, you can expand the conversation exponentially (which can still be pretty short).
O:
Orange juice nothing makes a breakfast like orange juice. Mmmm, so tasty.
P:
Pets I spent a lot of time yesterday being amused by my friend's dog running down stairs, and since we are considering a pet for ourselves (a cat by necessity for the mice, a dog by choice) I'm grateful for their loving, amusing natures.

The Past although sometimes it frustrates my husband and I to talk about it sometimes, and although there's no way to go back and view things without hind sight. I realized yesterday watching the girls in my ward flirt with the boys, that I am slightly nostalgic, and I miss that simplicity, and I'm grateful for my past.

Patience hard to get, highly appreciated in others.
Q:
Quilts we got the most beautiful quilt for our wedding that I love. I love cuddling up with blankets and quilts are just special versions of those.
R:
Real life is so much better than movies. And that's what I looked forward to before I got married, and that's what I love now. Sure, it's crazy and I don't ever get to see my husband, and it's still like a stop light at the Indie500, but I love it.

The Radio my morning show gets me to work every day happy. And my car doesn't have excellent reception, but I get what I need.
S:
School though it's true I graduated, I'm never going to stop going to school. I love learning and after I finish law school, there's always another masters, or photography classes, or a pottery class . . . I could go on.

Surprises I love getting them (like when my husband bought a coat rack) and I love giving them. It's just so fun to keep a good secret for awhile.
T:
Teamwork Kindergarten teachers were right sharing is important, and nothing feels better than knowing people have your back and will come through when you need them.
U:
Umbrellas you never know how much you need them until you need them. And being wet all day at work or school is not fun. Plus mine is a Monet and it makes any precipitation more enjoyable.

Underwear I've never understood why going commando was good, or fun. And nothing makes like easier than a good bra.
V:
My Viola true, I haven't taken it out to play it in about a year, but it made a great object lesson for my Relief Society lesson.
W:
Water the best way to lose weight. Even though I just drink it to stay hydrated. But I couldn't live without it.

My Watch I feel naked without it, and I'm lost without the time.

Washing Machines me and washboards don't mix, unless it's in a band.
X?:
Does anyone have anything for x? I'd be grateful for x-rays, but I haven't had or needed one recently, so I'm not exceptionally grateful for them. Though I am grateful for technology in the medical field, and tv shows like House MD.
Y:
Yarn did you kno you can crochet almost anything? It's one of my favorite hobbies. I have a few afghans, but that also goes back to my love/need of blankets.
Z:
The Zoo of course. I still love going there. And I hear they have some fun things planned for the holidays and a brand new big cats exhibit. Nifty.

Okay so I could go on, but so could you I'm sure, so feel free to post some of yours. Happy Holidays!!