Gratitude Post #46

1-I am grateful for General Conference. I am grateful that I look forward to it and make time for it. That wasn't always the case. Especially the dreaded Saturday session! :) I am grateful that I scheduled my hair appointment early this morning so it wouldn't be during Conference. Normally I wouldn't worry too much about it, but I'm so glad I made time for it...especially this morning. I swear it was totally meant for me today. I bawled my eyes out when I heard that missionaries could go at 18 if they choose. That is a big deal for me! Ryan and Taylor are 13 months apart. If they both went on a mission at 19 they would overlap for a whole year. Since Taylor missed the school deadline (by 4 hours and 52 minutes no less), they are 2 years apart in school. Now Ryan has the option to go a year earlier, right after high school, at 18 years old. Since Taylor will be older when he graduates, he would most likely go at 19 still. That means my boys wouldn't see each other for 4 whole years...but it also means I would only have to let go of one at a time. It also means I wouldn't have TWO missionary payments for a whole year. So many mixed feelings about it. It does kind of seem like it's just going to make time go faster. It will start a new chapter of our lives a whole year earlier than we planned on. But it also means that 18 year old boys who are out of high school (like Ryan and some day Mason and Hayden too) will have the option to choose if they are ready to go or if they want to spend a year going to school or working first. (Which ALSO means they have a whole year to screw off and get in trouble!!) I think it such amazing inspiration and so timely for this generation of boys! I didn't actually hear the announcement first hand. I got out of my hair appointment and turned on my car radio just in time to hear the first speaker comment on the "new missionary age." I had to wait until I could ask someone what I missed. When it sank in what this means for my boys, myself and my family I couldn't help but cry. I really felt the Spirit confirming to me that this was right and that it is going to be amazing for so many young men! Not to mention the girls that can go MUCH earlier if they choose! I think that is amazing! Then one of the next talks was about children who die before the age of 8 and I bawled so hard I could barely drive myself home. Man, I was a mess this morning. But in a good way...

2-I am grateful for Chris' family. While the men were at the Priesthood session of Conference tonight all of the ladies got together at his aunt's house. We had so much fun eating and chatting. Man, I love those ladies. I'm sure I've said it before. This is not just a duplicate post though. I am grateful for the friendships I have with Chris' Grandma, Mom, aunts and cousins. They are pretty great ladies and have always made me feel like part of the family since day 1! I love that our kids are all friends and that my kids would rather be with cousins than friends most of the time. I am grateful for Chris' cousin Katie and the friendship that we have...not only because she cuts my hair, but because I can talk to her about anything! And I love that I am getting his family hooked on facebook yardsales. :)

3-I am grateful that Chris asked me out on a date last night. :) Even if it was to eat at Costa Vida real quick before we had to pick up Katey from dance, make 2 stops to pick up yard sale crap, spend a ridiculous amount of time loading yard sale furniture into our car (that almost didn't fit...), make a quick trip out to the house so Chris could see the new framing, pick up Katey's friend and make it home in time for the BYU game. :) I don't care what we do or where we go...I just love that he asked me out. :)