Dear Disney, Thank you for Frozen.

Yeah, I finally saw it today. Took the girls and went to the matinee. I had high expectations. Yeah. I knew I could have been setting myself up for disappointment, but I also have heard NOTHING but wonderful things about this movie. And then we got there and I almost LoSt it in the very first scene! Okay, admittedly, I am emotional today (TODAY? Try every day.), and I do have a particularly special place in my heart for stories about sisters--or siblings--for what I would think are obvious reasons, but just in case you don't know...there are five reasons why I love good stories about sibs:

Adam

Stef

Holly

Lisa

Kelli

In case you haven't seen this movie and you want to: SPOILER ALERT!

I love that while there is a bit of a love story in this movie, the TRUE love story is found in the love that Anna and Elsa share. And I was just struck by the fact that my first loves and my true loves are all related to me. How lucky am I? 

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Thankful Post Days 17-20

Yep. Catching up once again, but this one might look a little different. There are all kinds of different things running through my head right now, so forgive me if this sounds a little like a thankful rant instead of just a little post.

Day 17: I am thankful for my upbringing. (I know, I know! I already said I was thankful for my parents--this is different! TRUST ME!) I am thankful that I was raised in a tiny home bursting at the seams with people and animals and chaos--and mostly LOVE! I am thankful that through all my turbulent teenage and young adult years, I always had a safe place to land. I am thankful that--while I may have turned away for a time--I was raised up in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This, too, became a safe place for me to land.

Day 18: I am thankful for the knowledge that I have a loving Father in Heaven who knows me. He accepts me for who I am, and because of this, I know that I need to live my life as His daughter and representative--therefore I must love others.

Day 19: I am thankful for answers to prayers and divine intervention. No one would survive long in this world without either of these two things!

Day 20: I am thankful for challenges. I am thankful for strife. I am thankful that I can do hard things. I am thankful that I don't ever have to do them alone. I am thankful for eternal perspective--knowing that struggles are a necessary and brief part of an eternal plan. I am thankful for strength.

OMG! Catching Up Thankful Post! Days 13-16

November 13: Thankful for music and the blessing it is in my personal and family life. I love that my girls are always singing!

November 14: Thankful for an amazing support network for my weight loss journey!

November 15: Thankful for those who are patient with me.

November 16: Thankful for books. Lots and lots of books! And reading. And the ability to escape with a good book.

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Thankful November Day 11 and 12

Day 11

I am thankful for my education. It has always been one of my greatest treasures.

Day 12

I am thankful for the career I had as a high school teacher. I floundered. I failed. I fought. Mostly, I learned about who I am and what I want. I was blessed with many of the greatest colleagues a person could ask for. I had amazing mentors and awesome friends. Sometimes I miss those days. More often I am simply glad that I was allowed that experience.

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Thankful November Day 10

Some days it is just enough to have a thicker skin and enough perspective to understand where someone could be coming from...and the knowledge that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us all...so we should love all as well...even when it is hard. 

*STEPS OFF SOAPBOX* 

*TAKES A BOW*

*EXITS STAGE LEFT* 

Thankful November Day 9: Alisha

Yep. Totally stole this picture from your Facebook page, Alisha. :)

We have been blessed in numerous ways over the past few years, but none more so than with this girl! Our Alisha came into our lives because I needed a part time sitter and she needed a job. The blessing she became...the easy part of our family she became...the dependable, happy, helpful, wonderful, fun guardian she is to my daughters is PRICELESS.

So, I am sure she is every shade of red by now, so I will not gush more. I could not, however, have made it through days or weeks or this past year and a half without her help. We love you!

Thankful November Day 8: Sibs

I seriously have the absolute BEST siblings in the entire world. Like, the best best best best best...and I can hardly believe that I was so fortunate as to have my very best friends in the world as brother and sisters. Let's not sugar coat this--we didn't always and don't always see eye to eye on everything, but these five people are my biggest support, my biggest cheering section, and my biggest defenders. They are my foundation and the reason I know I can do hard things--because I am never, ever alone on my journey. They forever have my back, and I forever have theirs.