Thankful November

last year i documented something i was thankful for every day of the month. i really enjoyed that tradition and it actually helped me keep the bigger picture in mind during a really tough time. i want to continue that tradition every year, however this year i was a little busy being a new mom and recovering from delivery and getting back to myself. so instead of highlighting one thing every day, i just want to take a few minutes to record what i'm grateful for. 

first, is always family. this is an especially great year because our family grew! i am grateful for zenna and the happiness she brings into my life. i'm also grateful for all the help we received from our families and extended families. i'm grateful for my MOM! she has been my rock through pregnancy, delivery, and recovery. she loves her role as grandma and i'm grateful for that. i'm always grateful for drake's family who has been just as helpful and supportive. we are very blessed. we've been very well taken care of. i've been able to feel very comfortable in our apartment and focus on being zenna's mama. i love that new title. i'm something more now. more than a student. more than a sister, daughter, friend. i'm even more than a wife (which was a meaningful and satisfying role), but now i'm a mother to a perfect angel baby girl. i don't take it lightly. which brings me to my next thing:
the gospel. i'm grateful for the clarity of our future. in some ways it isn't so clear at all. like where we might end up working, what drake will even settle on doing, or what other trials we might face. but, our future is clearly full of happiness. because we have the gospel and we know the path of righteousness. it's a simple path and i'm grateful that we are fully committed to that path. i'm grateful my daughter is living in a home with the priesthood and spirit. it's so important to us that we teach her properly and give her everything she needs to be spiritually happy.
i'm grateful to have a husband that agrees with that and works hard to fulfill those goals. i'm grateful for how much love he shows and how contentment at home is a huge priority. i'm grateful for how he lifts me and gives me a reason to strive to be a better wife and mother. i'm grateful for how hard he works at supporting us and making sure we're taken care of. there are still so many moments where we'll be talking about anything random and i'll have an overwhelming feeling of gratitude for how compatible we are how plain GOOD drake is. i love that man with all my heart. and i'm absolutely grateful for how much he loves his baby girl. he is an amazing father, and he enjoys that role. a lot.
i'm grateful for idaho. specifically this happy valley i've grown up in. i've learned so much about life here. i'm grateful that i don't need a lot of money to be happy. i'm grateful that most of the people around us are the same way. i'm grateful for the culture. for the rodeos and fairs and country music. for the tractors and the farmers and the cattle drives. especially those cattle drives with my grandpa m. for the dirt roads and the horse rides and the fire-building. i love the simple, old-fashioned country-western culture surrounding the valley. i'm grateful for the freedoms we have in the united states. i'm grateful to live with so many choices and potential. life is happy here.
have i mentioned i'm grateful for zenna?
i'm grateful for education and how i still get giddy for the first day of school. i'm grateful for the gift of learning, and the gift to help learning happen- teaching. i'm grateful for the opportunity i have to be part of other people's learning. i love education and educating.
i appreciate how sitting here thinking about my many blessings brings me happiness. i have no excuse to not be happy with my life. i have so much. i have all the most important things.