Are you sick of my gratitude yet?

Day 24

Thanksgiving day was fantastic. I came home Wednesday night to my dad making homemade bread and homemade ham & cheese rolls...and we all stayed up eating them and laughing around the kitchen table until...who even knows. Maybe 2 or 3 in the a.m. 

I went on a run that morning, and reminded my body how long it had been since I'd gone running. Oops. But I'm still grateful I can run. :) 

Did I mention Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? Well it is. 

Day 24 merges with Day 25 though, because...

Day 25

We stayed up way too late watching Thor and Captain America. I officially can't wait for The Avengers. 

 I didn't work out at all that day. We all fell asleep on mattresses in the front room. It was the best time I've had with my family in a long time. My dad made a mountain of pancakes for breakfast. 

My mom told me to paint a picture of what I want in my life, and to go for it. It doesn't matter how old I get, I still have to keep figuring it out. * sigh *  It was a bummer to leave them to go do the show that night...

Except I still love every single night of that show.

Aaand Whitney, Suellen, Kristen and I might have had our favorite pizza at The Pie that night after the show. Mmmm...thank you, Salt Lake. :)

Day 26

My whole family came to Savior of the World today. It was so nice to have them there! We ate dinner at The Blue Lemon afterward (SO good) and there might have been gingerbread hot chocolate outside in the cold, and I might have loved every sip. So fantastic. 

Day 27

"The blessings of the spirit are found just outside your comfort zone."

Those were the words I desperately needed to hear today as I sat in sacrament meeting at church. It's not scripture, just someone's words. But I needed them. So many times in my life, I've found myself almost ready to take that leap for whatever my next goal is. But every now and again, that creepy comfort zone comes in and, admittedly, makes change seem next to impossible.

I also met a 19-year-old girl who talked to me about how she was nervous to change her life direction. She had been going to beauty school but decided she wanted to keep that as a hobby and go back to school and get her degree in something else. It was so easy to assure her that things WOULD work out...that changing your direction doesn't mean you're behind. It was one of those moments that my own personal experience helped me assure her that her changes would work out. It wasn't until we were done talking that I realized where that came from. It wasn't just me. It was the spirit assuring me she'd be okay, and for some reason I was privileged enough to be the one to tell her.

I didn't mean to, but later in the meeting I saw her writing that our conversation was an answer to her prayers. I felt bad even seeing that, but it made me want to cry. Haha. In a good way. 

Then this scripture was mentioned later on in the meeting...

"And now verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one I say unto all, be of good cheer, little children; for I am in your midst, and I have not forsaken you."

Doctrine & Covenants 61:36

And then I realized that conversation hadn't just been for her. It had been for me too. Heavenly Father doesn't want me to be afraid to change things if I need to. He doesn't want any of us to be afraid. He doesn't want any of us to forget that he really has us in his sight. 

To top it all off, I actually had time to write in my journal today. That hasn't happened in...longer than I care to admit. It always makes me feel better about life and...reminds me to stop freaking out about the stupid stuff. :) It reminds me that Heavenly Father truly does love us. 

Everything will work out.