28, 29, 30...Almost there

To finish off my gratitude list for the month of November...

28-Our First Full Size Christmas Tree
29-My new favorite snack, Trader Joes Kettle Corn

30-Pandora Radio (I don't drive a car anymore, so I have to listen to the Radio somehow.)

Without these three I wouldn't make it through this semester. I'm so ready for next Saturday. Bring on the Christmas break! Only one week of finals left. Here we go!

Thanksgiving 2010

Thanks to the Gibson's for hosting! It's been another lovely Thanksgiving in NYC with dear friends. I completely fell behind on my gratitude list on the blog. oops! This was the first Thanksgiving that we didn't get up early to watch the parade. We caught the last thirty minutes on TV. oops again! Sleep just sounded so much better this year. We have a Black Friday story for ya...

Nate has been wanting a TV since we moved to the city. We've probably had at least 3 of those ancient boxes that weigh a ton from off the street. Nate was determined that this was the year. I told him that if he got a new TV that I would have to redo the apartment. The new place needs major work in the organization / decor department. So, we hightailed it to Target at 3:50 am and strolled to the back of the line that wrapped the Costco parking garage for what seemed like miles. By 4:30 we were in and all of the TVs that Nate wanted were gone (mind you, they opened at 4). LAME! We perused the store for a bit in search of some good deals. We ended up at the checkout prepared to splurge on movies. I was totally annoyed that we woke up that early to buy a couple of movies. Just then, Nate walked away to find a shorter check out line. In the mean time he sees a lady abandon her cart that happens to have the exact TV in it that he wanted. He asked her if she still wanted it, and she said no. He proudly walks back to me and says, "Look what I got!" Immediately, my annoyed scowl turned upside down and I smiled my frown away. "Okay, I guess getting up at 3:30 in the morning was worth it." I was so glad that we didn't have to fight anyone or attempt to steer that baby down the aisles amongst the masses. We simply spotted it, checked out, and peaced out of there real fast. Now, I get to start redecorating / organizing. Let the fun begin!

And just because I need to finish what I've started; some random bits of gratitude in no particular order...
Day
10-Water
11-America
12- Music
13-Christmas
14- BYU-I
15- Sadie Bear
16- Jack
17- My VTing comp and those I get to "teach"
18- Seeing Nate's happiness with the sight of a new TV
19- Mountains (UT was beautiful last week!)
20- The doctors, nurses, and family members taking care of my grandparents
21- Nieces and Nephews: Ry guy, Ash, Addi, Naveya, and David :)
23- Thanksgiving Break
24- Christmas candy (Blue Tootsie Rolls and Hershey Candy Cane Kisses are the best!)
25- Our calling as ward missionarios
26- HUGS
27-Sleep! (I've already mentioned that I'm thankful for sleep, but you can never be too grateful right!)

Day 9

Today as I was running through this...

I kept thinking of this painting by Greg Olsen titled, "Lost and Found."

Needless to say, I constantly think of, worry about, and pray for my my younger brothers Jacob and Joshua, also known as Jaosh and Joake, or Jaker Bake and Bob. Now, whenever I go home I call every name under the sun before I get them right. Nate's name even gets thrown in the mix..."Danny, Jake, Josh, Nate, whoever the heck you are!" I'm very happy to go home next week and give them all big hugs!!

Words of Mormon 1:8 has become a favorite scripture of mine. It reads, "And my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people."

In the same light, 2 Nephi 30:6 reads, "And then shall they rejoice; for they shall know that it is a blessing unto them from the hand of God; and their scales of darkness shall begin to fall from their eyes; and many generations shall not pass away among them, save they shall be a pure and delightsome people."

On day 9 I'm grateful for

Central Park,

(I'm secretly grateful for the hills in Central Park)

the song, "Manhattan from the Sky" by Kate Voegele,

&

surprises.

(Though, I actually dislike surprises because I want to know everything right away, and I want others to know too!)

Heavenly Father is still trying to teach me patience in oh so many ways.

Day 8

+
=

Me beaming with excitement right now...I'm grateful for JetBlue :)

Gratitude Month~ TGIF

Since it is already November 5th, here are 5 things I am grateful for:
1. Nathan Patrick
2. New Music on my I-Pod so that I can start running long distances again. (Becky, ready to start training?! THANKS Eric for hooking me up!)
3. Good Friends-xoxo
4. Sleep- I need some.
5. The Atonement of Jesus Christ and lovely Mormon Messages on YouTube.

Follow Up Post

I have to admit that I was much more excited about the finale of Americas Next Top Model for cycle 11 than I am for the Twilight movie that everyone is hyping about. I read the first book, and it was good, but I'm pretty much an ANTM fan. I'm a geek what can I say! Even with Tyras over the topness I enjoyed this season. McKey won! She looks like a model for sure, but I wanted Sam to win because she wanted it so bad! Sam was runner up. Analeigh was gorgeous, but they told her to pursue an acting career, even though she messed up her commercial terribly. Anyway, that's a wrap with the models.

I saw the Rockettes! It was so much fun and it made me miss tap and jazz and ballet so much! Nate bought the tickets for us, but then ended up having to stay late at the office, so I took a friend from the ward. So Mindy and I, and Michael and Shannon Thornton went on a double date! (Thanks Shannon for the idea!) It definitely got me into the Christmas spirit! They even had live animals for the Nativity scene...a camel, donkey, and sheep. Pretty nifty! I couldn't find a video of my favorite number, but it was scene 9: The Holiday Greeting Card. Lots of pretty lifts by the "background dancers and singers" in the show...kinda funny that my favorite number didn't include the Rockettes themselves. All of their numbers were fun! And there were tons of cool special effects in the show including 3D glasses, snow, and a real ice skating rink on the stage. It was a great show and I wish I could have shared it with Nathan, but I'm glad I got to take Mindy. I actually visit teach her, and Nate home teaches her. I couldn't think of a more perfect way to share a christmas message with her than through music and dance because that is what I love so much. The only not so fun part of the night was standing waiting for the bus in the cold, and then getting hit by the back door of the bus when I was trying to get off. We all had a good laugh at that, even some random kid on the street laughed at me, but I was frozen.

On another note. As it is Grattitude month, I wanted to share a bit of grattitude for all of our wonderful friends. I know that Nathan and I have been truly blessed to have great friends no matter where we go. I recieved a few phone calls and e-mails this week that let me know that the Lord has blessed us with people in our lives that will help us to grow. My friend Lauren Davies has been in Jerusalem for the past couple of months and she has sent out an e-mail each week telling all about her adventures and experiences there. (She just recently got her mission call to the Toronto Canada East mission--the same mission that my mom served. kinda cool side note.)In her last e-mail she shared a few songs from a 1970s hymn book and this one was very touching to me:

Hymn 293-Each Life That Touches Ours for Good
"Each life that touches ours for good Reflects thine own great mercy, Lord; Thou sendest blessings from above Thru words and deeds of those who love. What greateer gift dost thou bestow, What greater goodness can we know Than Christ-like friends, whose gentle ways Strengthen our faith, enrich our days. When such a friend from us departs, We hold forever in our hearts A sweet and hallowed memory, Bringing us nearer, Lord, to thee. For worthy friends whose lives proclaim Devotion to the Savior's name, Who bless our days with peace and love, We praise thy goodness, Lord above."

There is another song that shares a similar message that I've been wanting to post for some time so here is just a snip-it from the song "For Good" from the broadway musical Wicked. I have always loved this song and I have many special memories attached to it.

"I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn.And we are led to those who help us most to grow, If we let them and we help them in return.Well, I don't know if I believe that's true, but I know I'm who I am today because I knew you...It well may be that we will never meet again in this lifetime, so let me say before we part,so much of me is made of what I learned from you.You'll be with me like a handprint on my heart. And now whatever way our stories end, I know you have re-written mine by being my friend...Because I knew you...I have been changed for good."

Next week our friends Luck and Charlene will be returning back to Idaho. Luke's internship has come to an end and we are so sad to see them go, but we are just grateful that we've been able to get to know them well. We will be sharing Thanksgiving with them and some others, so stay tuned for those pictures. We're hoping to make it to the Macys Thanksgiving Day parade. It should be fun, and freezing! It's definitely winter weather here already!