counting my blessings

this post has been in the making for a long time. almost two years
actually... i've edited and added to it multiple times
but never gotten it posted. so i guess it's about time
 i finally got around to getting it out there.

for the past couple months i have been writing down all my 

blessings that i see throughout the day or week. and it is
so amazing how many little blessings there really are
in life. as i wrote them down i started to notice
more and more each day and week.

so here it goes blessings i've seen in my life:

waking up before my alarm. 

theres an odd excitement for me in waking up just five minutes
early. checking the clock and seeing that it's 6:25.
 it gives me five extra minutes to lay in bed or
read my scriptures just a little longer. i love it.

good hair days. 

these are life savers. being able to get my hair done in 10
minutes and only having to attempt it once is
wonderful. being able to avoid the frustration is a big plus.
 and it usually gives me time to get
some things done before heading off to school.

finding my glasses in the first place i checked. 

now if you don't have glasses you can't really understand how 

wonderful this is. i take out my contacts and then i have to try 

and find my glasses half blind. (yes i could find them
before and make life a whole lot easier, i just always forget
to.) so when i find them right away and don't
 have to go searching for them i rejoice.

having so many temples near by. 

this is really such a big blessing in my life. and i think so
 many of us take it for granted. i'm so lucky to have
multiple temples within just 20 minutes of my home
and then even more that are just an hour away.

having tons of "grandparents". 

i have three sets of grandparents already but i have so many
 more. i have granny and papa. (who are my cousins grandparents
 on their moms side) and there's dana's grandma who was
 like my grandma too. and kay kay (who is a family friend of dana
but she is like a grandma to dana and to me.) if that was
all too confusing don't worry it confused me trying to
write it. it's an odd little blessing but
 something i'm so grateful for.

mom making my bed for me. 

when i'm running late and don't have time to make my bed
it drives me crazy. knowing that i will come home to a clean room
without my bed made bothers me. messy beds seem to make
 my entire room feel dirty even though everything else is
 spotless. and even though she doesn't do it just quite right
or the way i do it. i'm grateful she does.

my parents being apart of my life. 

now guarantee there's a point where it can be to much and 

i just really need my space or want time to hang out with friends.
 but i'm glad that they come to my different
 activities and support me in all i do.

passing tests. 

so this is a major blessing. because there is nothing more
stressful than the end of the term or semester and all of
 the finals. so getting back the test or checking your grade
onlineand seeing that you passed is a big relief.

good conversations.  

there is something so pleasing about being be able to sit down
 with a good friend or close family member and to just talk
for a while. whether it's about something important going on
 in your life at that moment or just to chat for a couple
hours. i love it when the conversation flows
 and there seems to be no end to it.

rainbows. 

they are beautiful. they remind me of gods love for
all of his children. they show me how lucky we are to
 live in a world with such beauty all around us.
 they help me remember the primary song and my own
baptism day. they simply make me so happy.

family barbecues. 

i love them, almost as much as i love the food at them. 

every event, every holiday the nelson family is having a
barbecue. i don't know what my life would be like
without them. some of my favorite and fondest memories have
been made with my family at our barbecues.

friends. 

oh boy. i sure do love my friends. they are seriously
the greatest. i'm so so so grateful for them. they bring
so much love, joy and laughter into my life. there never
seems to be a dull moment with them. 

they are absolutely fantastic.

summer smells. 

i love walking out in the morning and being able to smell
summer. there's a distinct smell that just makes my heart happy.
and for those of you who know what i'm talking about then
high five to you. there are a couple smells that just remind me of
 summer. like fresh cut grass or wet pavement after a rainstorm.
if i could captures these smells in a bottle i think i would.

sunrises and sunsets. 

utah never fails to offer a beautiful sunrise or sunset.

 i see more sunsets than sunrises because i'm not an early
 riser. but oh am i thankful for sunsets. the way that the sunlight
 catches the clouds is breathtaking. if sunsets are this amazing

 i wonder what it will be like when our savior comes again.

seeing people after a long time. 

there are far things that can compare to this. whether it's a
planned meeting or you bump into them at the store it is
wonderful. catching up on life since you last saw them and
just being filled with joy to be seeing them again.
 even though you have to say goodbye
it isn't so sad because of your wonderful hello.

it's incredible how many blessings both big and small
are in our lives everyday. it's so amazing to see that these
 blessings don't just happen once or twice. but they
happen all the time all year long, every single day.
whether it's a little miracle or a great mercy

 i'm grateful for the blessings in my life.