GRATITUDE for the Past & Present & Future

So last night I stayed up way too late, a terrible habit I have, while Spencer was at the station. I got on Facebook (my first mistake which led to staying up too late) and started looking for family members, friends from my mission, and others I wanted to keep in contact with. While I was looking for a friend from high school I haven't seen since my wedding day I came across some of the other girls I'd gone to high school with. Now keep in mind I grew up in the same house with my mom and brother until my freshman year in high school then I moved an hour away (near the beach) to live with my dad. In the LA valley where I lived everyone is beautiful- and I'm talking candidate for Bachelor/ Bachelorette beauty. So looking at some of their pictures on FB, one had her perfect wedding pictures in a magazine (she married a producer), while others live lavish lifestyles in with one or two kids. I think, could that have been me? Could I have been one of those girls living the ways of the world and having it all? Who knows. Envious at all? No because I look at my life and think about all the blessings I do have. I may not have the huge beautiful house with the nicest car but I have an amazing family who loves me. I have four beautiful healthy children who are amazing in their own unique way. I have my own health and a strong mind and spirit that keeps me going in the right direction. I have an amazing husband who loves me more than I know and has a honorable job that makes me proud. I have friends and family near and far, that support me and encourage me to be the best I can be. I have a home that I love, even though we are moving, and look forward to making our new house a haven for our family- somewhere they will always want to be and feel safe. Although there have been rough times along the way, we've always been able to have food in our pantry and fridge and have never gone hungry. We have always had reliable cars to take us from one place to another safely.

I truly believe the reason I have these blessings is because of a decision I made July 14, 1996. That was the day I decided to be baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. My best friend from high school was a wonderful example to me and extended an invitation to meet with the missionaries at her house one night for dinner. We met weekly and as I did so my relationship with my dad, whom I was living with at the time, dissolved. We went in opposite directions and it's never going to be the same although I try to keep in contact with him. I served a mission in Ogden and came home and started working at Warner Brothers Studios while living with my mom. Again I was living near that "Hollywood" lifestyle and I was right in the middle of it with the amazing studio parties! I kept in contact with Spencer and we eventually got married after deciding to move to Texas. Do I regret anything? Not a bit, until I saw a profile picture of my friend in LA with the Rock (Dwane Johnson). She saw him at the gym she was working out at- Can you imagine seeing the Rock at the gym, working out??? Anywho..... I love that I am sealed to my family forever! I love the plan of salvation- it makes such perfect sense as I teach it to my babies. I am forever grateful for Christ and His role in my life and the sacrifice He made so all these blessings can be mine. I am also eternally grateful for the guidance of the Spirit. I would be lost without it!

I love my life even with all the mistakes I've made. I look forward to all the fun times with my children and the adventures we'll take. I look forward to our new house and making it a home. I will admit I'm super excited to be able to have a craft area where I can leave out my sewing machine, make fun crafty things with the kids, and I really want to refurnish old furniture for the house too.

I'm not sure how this post jumped around so much I guess that's how my brain's been working these days!