Favorite Things

It's not quite Thanksgiving but I'm really feeling thankful today for so many things.  It makes me feel good to see them in writing.  Maybe it will brighten your day a little too.

I love fall weather.  I love the cozy feeling of being inside when it's rainy outside. 

I love a husband who is faithful to me in every possible way.  I know he loves only me because he tells me every day.  We have so much fun together.  We have 36 years of memories together and we are now finishing each other's sentences and thinking the same thoughts at the same time. 

I love funny children.  I have 7 of them.  They constantly crack me up.  They know so many movie lines and say them at just the right time.  They have funny nicknames for each other and are so fun to be around.

I love living in San Marcos.  It is a wonderful town with warm, friendly people that I love to call neighbors.  I fit right in here.  It's a small town that is next to bigger towns so I get the cozy feeling without being too far away from civilization. 

I love sports.  I absolutely love watching my children play sports.  I love the competitive atmosphere and the comraderie of teams and the bright colors.  I love college football and March Madness and all the fun times I've watched both with my family. 

I love my grandchildren.  They brighten my life.  I love how girlie and dainty my little Ava is.  The things she says just make me smile.  Sienna is a little happy butterball that is smiling all the time.  I wish I could be closer to see them grow up.  Landon is my opportunity to play with a little boy without being distracted.  I had lots of little boys for many years but since I had lots of them I didn't take the opportunity to just sit down and play with them as often as I would have liked.  Now I play firemen and Thomas the Train and race cars with Landon and I absolutely love it.  No distractions.  Just Money and Bubba.

I love the new girls in my life.  They are teaching me many things.  The thing I love most about all of them is that they absolutely love my sons.  That makes me happier than I would have ever imagined.  I always thought that no one could love my sons as much as I do but these girls are proving me wrong and I couldn't be happier. 

I love my church.  I love everything about it.  The things I know give me complete peace and comfort and joy.  I love my fellow Mormons.  There is something about the bond between people who believe the same way when those around them don't that is strong and comforting. 

I love Brighton jewelry (we're getting really deep now).  It makes me feel feminine and pretty with a little gypsy thrown in.  My family has always told me that I am kind of a gypsy/hippy and this jewelry represents me well. 

I love Victorian decorations.  I look at pictures of old Victoriean rooms and I feel a deep connection.  It feels like I belong in one of those houses.  I really relate to that era and that style of decorating. 

I love BYU.  A university where my children can hear prayers in the classroom and see other students living a high honor code and hear general authorities speak to them right on their campus on a weekly basis makes me very happy.  I'm so thankful that all of my children have desired to get their education from this great school.  I'm a Cougar through and through and I'm so glad that my husband and children are too.,

I love the Raiders.  This may seem very contrary to my nature since I am a very obedient, disciplined "good" girl and they are just the opposite.  There is something about my maverick team that keeps me rooting for them year in and year out.  They are the outcasts and the rebels but they are secretly really good people.  I've met a few of them in person and they are genuinely nice people.  Their fans are a little crazy but I really like that dedication and devotion to a team no matter how much they struggle on the field.  When I was a teenager they were the best team in the NFL and won 3 Super Bowls.  They were very exciting to watch and won most of the time.  I love the colors silver and black.  So tough and cool. 

I love my house.  I look in every room and see memories of tearing down and building up with our children holding hammers and wearing tool belts.  I see love and memories everywhere.  "We" built this house and made it just how we want it and all of my children's childhood memories are here.  I always wanted to live in just one house for my children's whole lives so they would have a firm base and foundation and  one place to go to relive all of their childhood memories.  It doesn't look the same but it is the same house and we are the ones who changed it. I love coming home to it. 

I love chocolate.  Enough said.