The simple things in life

"Take time to enjoy the simple things in life because some day you will realize they were the big things."--anonymous I was reading a few blogs this morning and Julie from Country Girl at Heart has inspired me to write down a few things in my life that I appreciate. Linda at Behind my Red Door has also written a wonderful post concerning this subject. Having a pity party with myself isn't something I am prone to doing. I am of the opinion that if you don't like something, you should change it, but if you can't change it, you better learn to live with it. But, recently I have felt a little down about Craig being gone so much. I can't change that aspect of my life and I kind of wished I didn't have to live with it. However, upon reflection, I realized how lucky Craig and I are. He has his "dream job" that takes him all over the world. He tells me all the time how grateful he is that I support him with his job. "I sure owe you one" he always tells me before he leaves. He is such a great provider for our family, and even though is away from us a lot, we all know how much he loves us. Another part of my life that I never want to take for granted are my children. They are such wonderful people. I am so happy to say that they are all obedient, caring, kind, and generous young adults. I certainly cannot take all the credit...I spent a lot of time on my knees, begging Heavenly Father to help me with them. They are my treasure and I love spending time with them. Speaking of prayer, I am thankful my parents taught me to pray. I am thankful for a loving Father in Heaven that knows me, loves me and is mindful of me. I think I have had a prayer on my lips constantly since becoming a mother. I love to see God's creations all around me. However, I am going to inquire as to His thinking when he created cactus....they are not at all attractive to me...:) I am thankful that I can worship as I so choose. (For the record--Mormons do not have "sister wives", horns, tails, cults, or swept up hairdo's and gingham dresses. We simply believe in a loving Heavenly Father, and in His son, Jesus Christ, who atoned for our sins. We also put a huge importance on the family.) I am thankful for the unconditional love that our sweet animals give us. I can't imaging life without them, although there are days that I would like to hand over my title as Grand Marshall of the Poop Parade to someone else! :) I love to laugh....Life is too short to take yourself serious. Craig taught me this many years ago. There is nothing more pleasant to my ears than the laughter of a child. Especially mine. I appreciate my job everyday. Having my own preschool allows me to do something I love to do while not leaving the home to do it. I have enjoyed EVERY single little person that has come through my door. Do you remember when your kids were little and would say the cutest things??? Well, I get that every day. Plus, it keeps me active and, in my opinion, young at heart. I LOVE that I have the tools available to me that if the creative juices start to flow I can go with it! I am starting on a Halloween wall hanging as soon as I am done with this post!! I cannot tell you how much all the friendships I have in my life mean to me. The old, the new, and all you blogger friends out there. I am honored at the kindness you all show me. May I live long enough to extend the same courtesy. Upon moving to AZ, we spent a very LONG 10 months in a small rental house while trying to figure out which house to buy. The options for us were so different than anything we were used to and it was a huge trial trying to decide. All of our things were in storage. I swore that I would never take for granted that I was a home owner again. I love our home and take pride in it. It has plenty of room for family and friends. I am thankful for the opportunity to keep it clean because that means someone lives here. My heart is very full as I think about and write down these things in my life that bring me so much happiness. Thanks for the nudge Julie and Linda! This was fun!! Go on everyone......try it out. Share the simple things in your life that bring you joy!