Gratitude Post #78

1-I am grateful that I was able to round up enough snow gear for my kiddos! I mostly used the yard sale and facebook, but I was able to get 2 pairs of snow boots, 4 pairs of snow pants, 2 coats and a couple of pairs of gloves for free or pretty cheap! We have all of those things in storage, but with the giant snow storm this weekend, we couldn't wait until we move in and get them out of storage! I am so grateful for friends who are willing to loan me stuff and/or sell me their old stuff for super cheap! My 3 little kids met me in the garage when I got home from picking it all up because they were dying to play in the snow! I did have to pay a ridiculous amount for boots for Mason, but he needed them more than anyone so it was worth it.

2-I am grateful for perspective in general. So many people are so distraught over the whole election outcome. I had friends who went into hiding and were mourning what could have been. I really wanted Mitt to win, but I got over it in about 5 minutes. Someone shared an intersting article and I can't remember who shared it or who wrote it...so I'll do my best to explain it. It was from a religious writer of some sort and he said that it's better that Mitt didn't win. In order for him to get the country back on track he would have had to make drastic cuts to programs like Medicare. He would have become an enemy to so many and would have gotten a bad reputation for being too drastic in his measures. The writer said that the important thing is that millions of people invited a Mormon (Mitt Romney) into their homes repeatedly, through the television and other media, and learned so much about our religion that they would have otherwise never been open to. Add that to the change in the missionary age and the flood of missionary applications at church headquarters and the way has been paved for missionary work beyond belief. He went on to say that our country will not and cannot fail, although we will go through hard times, but the important thing in an eternal perspective is missionary work. Saving souls, giving hope, helping families across the world...seems a little more important that taxes...

3-I am grateful that Chris and I were able to go to dinner tonight. Our lives are super crazy right now. It is so nice that we can make time for each other once in a while! He is my best friend and I hate feeling disconnected from him when our lives get out of control. It is certainly not going to get any better over the next 6-8 weeks, but we will continue to try to keep things normal! Our kids went off track on Friday and will be off for 3 weeks. It seems shocking that when they go back in 3 weeks it will be DECEMBER!!!! Then they go on track for 3 weeks and it's CHRISTMAS BREAK!!!! The next 6 weeks are going to be crazy-busy and exciting and will go by SO fast. Hopefully we will be moving into our house sometime in those 6 weeks also! Thanksgiving is also right in the middle of their track break, so that whole 3 week break will fly by! Then, once they go back we'll be in crazy Christmas mode and crazy house drama mode and probably completely crazy-losing-my-mind mode! Then it will be the new year out of nowhere and we'll be moving the elementary kids to a new school and starting everything all over again! AAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Stop the insanity!!

P.S. I am grateful for coping skills. May I never lose them...