Gratitude Journey : November 3

Max's delight: Near the end of dinner I looked over near the pantry and saw Max smiling at himself. He declared (which is big for this 2-year-old who hardly talks) that he was Nephi. So here he is leaning against the wall all tied up. Oh - I laughed. I guess he's been watching the animated Book of Mormon movie about the Journey to the Promised Land too much. He thought himself so clever ... and ... so did I. Only - I don't think Nephi would have had that smile on his face.

Angels among us: I'm so grateful lately for earthly (and maybe non-mortal) angels who watch over me and my family. Last week I had a mother and a friend save me when I was quite under the weather (really I was falling apart!). They swooped in and covered as mama and caretaker and chef for me. Others rallied their support from afar. It buoyed my spirits immensely to know that God is watching over us and sending angels to bless our life.

Dish time: Who ever thought I'd be grateful for dishes. Well... tonight I was just grateful that the kids occupied themselves long enough for me to get the dishes mostly done and the dishwasher started. If you've ever tried to load a dishwasher with a 1-year-old around, you know how challenging it can be. Jimmy was at scouts. Abe and Hannah were in the playroom with Tru. Max was playing Elmo games on the computer. Phew! And while I did those dishes I thought of so many things I was grateful for today. Doing the dishes alone does provide for some great thinking time. And now I won't wake up to a counter full of dishes!

Sunshine: Today it was warm enough to enjoy a brief walk with the boys. Sunshine is always a good thing! For *LIGHT* I am grateful!