I too am grateful

Everyone's gratitude posts really inspired me and made me reflect on what I hold most dear. The older I get the more I realize it's my relationships that have the most profound affect on my happiness and give me satisfaction. Specifically my relationship with The Lord, my family and my friends. But I would like to go into specifics of a few things and people that I am particularly grateful for at this time in my life.

• My family. I am really blessed that although I have lived thousands of miles away for the last 15 months I have been able to see my family quite a bit. I have been able to go home to Utah four times and then my parents have come to DC, New York and my entire family went to Italy in this time. Just spending time with those that you are most comfortable with is refreshing and it was a special treat to have my entire family reunited over Thanksgiving when Brian came home from his mission in Jackson, Mississippi. And our neighbors took the liberty in decorating our house, part of the decoration includes 200 helium balloons that we gathered because we wanted to try to see if we could put our cat in a pillow case to see if it would float. Unfortunately/fortunately the cat must have caught wind of our plan and by the time we gathered all the balloons it had disappeared. But we still decided to use the balloons for a great family photo.
• Wonderful friends. Of course nothing can replace family, but I've found a pretty good substitute while I live on the other side of the country. I have been blessed to live with a lot of amazing girls since I moved to DC. The last two houses that I lived in have really felt like home. The girls of Joyce and Uhle Street have made me feel loved and taken care and have helped my transition to the east be a surprisingly easy one. They all came together, along with Ogreid (Odie, Grayden and Reed), to treat me to a birthday dinner last month and helped take the sting out of turning 26. 26 was a surprisingly hard age, it marks the transition to the late twenties and for once I really do feel old. But this is not the only time in my life that I have been surrounded by great friends. All of you from my childhood to high school, Utah State, The Mission, BYU and now DC have been with me through a lot of adventures and good times as well as difficult times and I really appreciate it.
  

The girls of Joyce and Uhle - (Back to front, left to right) Courtney Mecham, Jenny Corry, Leanna Kowallis, Sarah Stancliff, Erika Borgquist, Jeanette Lyman, Stephanie Sonksen, Jocelyn Sparks, Staci Wheeler, Alison Aikele, and Hollie Pollan.
Ogreid and the Dice at Halloween: Odie, Jenny, Grayden, Courtney and Reed

• Fall, it has become my favorite season. In DC fall lasts two or three months. The leaves change in phases and stay on the trees much longer than in Utah. The humidity decreases and there is so much to see and do. I love that from my desk, I can walk down the hall and overlook the white house and monuments and seeing them surrounded in color is really a treat. Perfect for Saturday hikes and bike rides and road trips to West Virginia, New England, and Boston.
  

• My Job. I still don't know exactly how I ended up where I am, and I know it's not where I want to be forever. But my job has taught me a lot, exposed me to new ideas and given me freedom and flexibility. I have to take flack, I think mostly in jest, for the fact that I am working for the unions. And the Jimmy Hoffa jokes do get a little old, but overall it's been a really good place for me. I'm grateful that my work will help pay for my school and that I work with people that are supportive of me, truly care about me, and appreciate my contributions even if they are small. I also just got finished working at a conference that was the brainchild of my departments director and we did most of the work on. Even though I am the peon in the office, I did have some input and contributed to this conference and it turned out great. We had over 200 union leaders from 83 countries, and got some good press coverage in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and the Chicago Sun. It was fun and rewarding to see a huge event like this come together. If you are interested here is the article from the post.
• My testimony. This is the last point I will expound on, but certainly not the least important. I read a lot of the articles on Romney's candidacy and I find it really interesting. Of course I, like most fellow Mormons, am somewhat sensitive to what is being said. My religion is what identifies me more than any other characteristic that I have. I identify with my religion even more than I identify with my nationality. And when taken out of context a lot of the criticisms that are made do make mormons sound a little crazy. But all I have to do is open the scriptures, pour my heart out in prayer, or visit the temple to again feel peace and comfort and know that indeed my Savior is Jesus Christ. When Brian gave his welcome home talk in Sacrament meeting he reviewed the "first discussion" and I cannot hear the account of the first vision without being touched by the spirit, which reminds me that he is a true prophet. I am grateful for my testimony and for the direction and purpose it gives my life.