Not feeling much better yet, but I'm happier anyway!

I really wanted to bear my testimony on Sunday, and then I didn't make it to Sacrament meeting because I wasn't feeling well.

This may seem strange in light of my last blog, but I have just been feeling very grateful for all my blessings lately. I know Heavenly Father hears my prayers and I am grateful that he answers even the most trivial ones. It seems like everything I pray for lately has been answered very quickly and with the result I had hoped for. I know that isn't always the way it works, but isn't it nice when it does?

Anyway, we are very blessed and I hope I don't take that for granted. I hope that even with everything I have that is wonderful in my life, I don't become complacent and lazy. I hope that I can still seek out opportunities to help others. Sometimes I can be reclusive and shy to offer assistance. I am working on getting past that.

I am so grateful for my husband. If you don't know him very well, you just don't understand how great he really is. He is always supportive of me, and he looks for ways he can help me. I have a tendency to take on responsibilities to the maximum of my abilities and then stubbornly insist that I don't need help, but he always bails me out when I do. About a week ago, I mentioned to him in passing that the child-proof lock on the cleaning supplies cabinet under the kitchen sink was broken. Today I noticed he had fixed it sometime last night. Plus, last night when I was out in search of medical care, he was at home with Jackson. He fed him dinner, bathed him, and put him to bed. It was such a relief not to have to worry about that when I got home! I hope I do enough for him that he feels grateful for me, too.

I am grateful for my son, who is so happy most of the time. He has so much energy, like his daddy, and I see the light of a great sense of humor in him. We love to laugh in our family, so he fits right in. I could have a fussy, demanding child that I would have to balance with all the other kids I look after, but Jackson makes it easy. He plays independently with the toys the big kids get out, and is happy to share, even when they aren't! ;) He is also fairly obedient, although he does test us sometimes. He is now learning to follow short orders, like "Come here," "Bring it to me" or "Go get your milk." I guess we point a lot at our house because that is his new thing.

I am so grateful for my home and place of refuge from the world. This is the first place I have ever lived in where I consciously strive to not only protect, but actively build the spirit present. When I look around and see all the things I want to do to make my home a place of beauty, knowing it will take years to afford to be able to do all those things, I look forward to the years we will have here. Hopefully, we'll have enough to be able to accomplish our goals and a few years to enjoy the final result.

Anyway, sorry for the downer blog yesterday. It was a sharp contrast to how I have been feeling these past few weeks. I guess I should have kept it to myself, but it was nice to get some "I've been there comments." Thanks!