Thanksgiving Day Gratitude.

The Number Twenty-Eight: I am so, so, so, so, so, sooo thankful for everything. I am so thankful for my family. My cousins are so cute! I am so thankful for my friends. I love learning from them and hanging out with them. I am so thankful for food. I love mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and pie. I am so thankful for music; I love to express myself using good music. I am so thankful for my talents. I love to share them with others. I am so thankful for good tv shows. I love to watch them; they help me get away from reality a bit. I am so thankful for good movies. I love to watch cute sweet ones. I am so thankful for good books. I love to read fantasy and romance. I am so thankful for teachers and leaders who listen and teach very well. I learn a lot from them. But most of all, I am so, so thankful for this gospel. I am so thankful for my Savior, Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for me and for all of us. I am so thankful for His example in His reign on this earth. I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father, who loves me, and you, and sent His Only Begotten Son to die for us. I am so thankful for the Holy Ghost who helps me every day. I am so thankful for all the prophets, apostles, and missionaries. I am so thankful for this beautiful world that has been designed for us. So, I am so grateful for all that has been given to me (and to everyone on this earth). 

Lights. Family. TV show directors. People. Music.

Number 23: I am grateful for lights. They make things less scary and they make the home brighter. So I'm grateful for the light everywhere. 

24th: I am grateful for family. They are funny and cute and they usually have great advice. So I'm grateful for relatives to help guide and protect me. 

Twenty-fifth: I am grateful for TV show directors. They are able to plan things out years ahead and make it all connect with the past and have it make sense. So I'm grateful for genius writers and directors. 

Sixth and Twenty: I am grateful for people. Friends and family, teachers and leaders, who are all great listeners and advice-givers and teachers. So I'm grateful for people who help me in any way they can. 

Twenty and seven: I am grateful for music. Anytime I feel sad or mad or even just lazy, MUSIC is the answer and MUSIC is always there. So I'm grateful for music to be my constant companion. 

Grateful for food and brothers.

19th: I'm grateful for hot chocolate. When it's cold and I'm cold, it's nice to have hot chocolate to drink. So I'm thankful for hot chocolate. 

Twentieth: I'm grateful for little brothers. They can be so cute and loving and I love watching their cuteness. So I'm grateful for the sweet little angels that they can be. 

21st: I'm grateful for food. It's so good and I love mashed potatoes and gravy. So I'm grateful for food.

Twenty second: I'm grateful for sleep. It's so awesome and it makes me feel well rested. So I'm grateful when I get to sleep. 

People.

16th: I'm grateful for my parents. They're good examples to me and they love me no matter what. So I'm grateful that I have good parents. 

10th and 7: I'm grateful for friends. Yes, I know I've said this before, but my friends are awesome. They listen to me when I need them to and they're there for me when I need a shoulder to cry/lean on. So I'm thankful for understanding and loving friends. 

Eighteenth: I'm grateful for my teachers. Yes, I know I've said this one before, too, but I really am. I'm grateful that I have understanding teachers and I'm grateful for their help and influence. So I'm grateful for some FABULOUS teachers. :)

Friends.

Fifteenth: I'm grateful for friends. It's easy to get lost or even to feel alone sometimes, but when you have good friends who lift you up and make you feel good about yourself, you don't feel alone or lost. So I'm grateful for good friends who love me for who I am. 

Heating.

Tenth and four: I'm grateful for heating. I hate being cold in the mornings and at night and I get so distracted when I'm cold. Even when I wear long sleeves and socks, I am still cold. So I'm grateful for heating that keeps me warm and in the game, so to speak. 

Tender mercies. Technology. Angels.

Twelfth: I'm grateful for tender mercies. I had a library book due that I forgot to turn in (well, renew, actually...I still need it) and when I went in to the library yesterday it was closed, so I couldn't renew it. So I went in today and was worried I'd have to pay a fine (which I've never ever had one before) but I didn't. So I'm grateful that I didn't have a fine and that I was able to renew. 

Numero trece: I'm grateful for technology. I love being connected with my friends and family that live far away. So I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have to communicate with my family and friends. 

#6: (I accidentally forgot this one. Oops!) I'm grateful for angels. The ones in heaven and the ones on earth. They help me and they listen and it's just so nice to have them around me. So I'm grateful for helping hands and influences. 

Sacrifices.

Número 11: I'm grateful for all the men and women who have served to protect our country, and who have died protecting us. I'm grateful for their families: their children, their wives/husbands, their parents, their siblings, etc., for letting them go and serve. So I'm thankful for all the sacrifices that have been made in order to protect our country. 

Leaders and teachers.

Letter J: I'm grateful for my leaders and teachers. They are such good examples to me, and I want to be like them. They have wonderful stories that teach me lessons and I'm so grateful for their examples and advice. They are just so amazing and I love them. So I'm grateful for people that are strong in the gospel in my life and influence my life for good. 

Babysitting.

Number 9: I'm grateful for the opportunities I have to babysit my neighbours' children. They're the sweetest things and they're so adorable and I always learn something from them. They are so easy to watch because I have been babysitting 8 children for a long time and anything less than that is a piece of cake. So I'm grateful for the opportunities I'm given to serve the parents and babysit children I come to love. 

Learning and opportunities.

Letter H: I'm grateful for school. I am. I don't like the homework part, or the grading part, but I like the learning and participating and socializing parts. I like learning new things. Like Thursday in orchestra, I learned that you only break bow hairs when you apply lots of pressure and your bow isn't straight. Anywho. I like participating and making new friends or strengthening already there relationships. So I'm grateful for the opportunity I've been given to attend school, to learn and grow, and to make friendships. 

Talents.

Número siete: I am grateful for my musical talents. I am grateful that I have the courage to share my vocal and instrumental talents with others, especially when it lifts their spirits, and makes their testimonies grow. I love being their inspiration! I love being able to sing, and play the violin, and make up songs (using either/both) on the spot. I love singing and playing hymns and Primary songs and using them to share my testimony and praise my Lord and Saviour. So I am thankful for the musical talents I was given. 

Gratitude.

Okay, so I'm six days late for starting the gratitude thing. But I figured better late than never, right? So I'll just start with six things/people I'm grateful for and why. Here we go:

Number one: I'm grateful for the gospel. Without it, I don't know where I'd be, or where I'd be going, and why I am here. So I am grateful for the knowledge and light that it brings to my life.

Little b: I'm grateful for music. It keeps me strong, and with it I can express myself in any way that I choose. So I am grateful for the talents in music that I have and the opportunities I have to share my talents/testimony with others.

Third: I'm grateful for my family. I really am. I learn a lot from them, like what not to do. So I am grateful that they aren't all crazy psychopaths. ;)

iv: I'm grateful for my friends. They are all such wonderful examples to me and they inspire me. I learn a lot from them, too, but usually for good. So I am grateful that I have friends who share the same beliefs as me. 

Big E: I'm grateful for my teachers. They are all amazing examples and I look up to them. So I am grateful for teachers who care. 

There you go. Six things I am thankful for. I'll be back tomorrow (hopefully) with anther one. But in the meantime, remember this: God made you special, and He loves you very much. Goodbye!

(Yes, that line was from VeggieTales. No, I am not ashamed.) 

Lessons learned from the cultural event.

Yesterday, before our cultural event, the narrators and soloists were given a challenge to imagine Christ beside us throughout the event. When I was singing my solo, even though I was completely alone for that first little bit, I didn't feel alone, and I know that He sent His Spirit to be with me, and I'm so thankful for that. At one point, while we were waiting for our turn to go on again, I was sitting alone, and no one was beside me, so I imagined Christ sitting next to me, and I immediately burst into tears, because I could see Him, and I know that he was proud of us, of me, for sharing our talents and testimonies. And both of these little miracles helped me know that we are never alone. The cultural event was such an uplifting experience and I am so glad that I got to share the message of Holy Father and my talents with all that went to see it. I got many people telling me that they cried when they heard it, and I'm so glad that it touched them. It's a beautiful song with a beautiful message.

Thankful for miracles.

Opening night was tonight!! We did awesome. It ran WAAAAAY smoother than Wednesday and I know it was the hand of The Lord. My solo was amazing, and made several people cry/almost cry. It made Sister Riggs forget her job! Oops...Anyway, I'm so glad I could share the message of Holy Father and I can't wait to do so again. Also, I witnessed another miracle tonight: I was changing my shirt for the next scene and one of my earrings flew out of my ear (literally) but left the back behind. So I took my other one out and handed everything to Keely, who, after she left, gave it to a leader who kept it for me until after the show. Then I went back to look for my earring, stating so, and the leader up there said "Little flower?" And I said "Yup" and he said "Here ya go...I could only find the one part" and I said that's okay I had everything else. Nothing was broken and I found all the pieces. What a miracle!! I'm so thankful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and His example to me. I know He died for us all and I love Him for that.