Just some thoughts...

I've been thinking a lot today about my life and how incredibly blessed I have been already this past year. There are so many different kinds of blessings, but I have tried each day to recognize the blessings, even the little ones, in my life. I want to list a few of the bigger blessings that I have been thinking about today.

1. My family.

I have felt truly blessed this year to be able to spend so much time with my family. Usually I am unable to go to family get togethers on holidays or sundays because I will be at school or volleyball or work. I have been so blessed to be able to spend time with my family and hangout with them on weekends and even days that arent holidays! One person that I feel I have really been able to spend time with and get to know better is my sweet cousin Megan. She and I have been able to hangout a lot this summer and go on bike rides and chill in Bear Lake and go on some hikes and runs and I have just loved hanging out with her and learning from her. I really feel like she and I have a lot in common and can relate to each other really well. I truly cherish her friendship as a cousin and also as a friend.

2. My eyesight.

This one was kind of a scary deal for me in the beginning. I began having problems in February and I was unable to wear my contacts for almost a month! If any of you have ever had to stay out of your contacts, you know what a challenge it can be! I couldnt do a lot of the things that I would do everyday without doing them blind or in my glasses, especially my favorite sport in the world, volleyball. It was a real trial for me, but I learned so much about taking care of my body and working hard even when I wouldnt be able to play in games. I feel truly blessed and appreciate the technology that we have today that gave me my new eyes. Everyday I thank the Lord for that blessing he has given me.

3. My mom.

My mom is such an amazing person. Today at church I went to Young Women's with my mom because she is a leader in YW's and in the lesson we paired up and were asked to write 2-3 things about the person next to us that was a good characteristic or skill that they had. When I thought about my mom there were millions of really wonderful characteristics that ran through my mind. I could have filled a whole page out! Some of the things I wrote about her were that she is selfless, a natural mother to everyone, and she is thoughtful. The one that I think most describes her is the selflessness. My mother is always always ALWAYS thinking of others before herself, especially her children, and I couldnt have learned more about selflessness than through her example. She is so wonderful.

4. Good friends

I had the opportunity to attend a couple wedding receptions this past weekend. One of them was for a friend whom I rarely see, but when I do it is like we were never apart. She is such an amazing person and friend to everyone she knows and I will always feel like we will have a special friendship that not everyone can have. Her wedding was absolutely beautiful and everyone there could feel the spirit that was present and uniting. What a blessing it is to have good friends who are always there for you. I have been blessed with this a lot in my life. I was talking with an old friend at a party for my good buddy Mitch last night and we were talking about our friend, Carly, who is returning home from her mission on Wednesday! We are so excited to have her back and to be able to hear all the incredible stories she has from her days serving the Lord. I am so lucky to say I have friends who represent something much bigger and more important than ourselves. Carly is a blessing in my life through her example and how she represents the bigger picture. I also was talking with this friends about roommates and how they can really make or break a college experience and this past year I was so blessed to have two of the most truly amazing roommates I could ever imagine having. We bonded as a family and I will always have them as sisters no matter where we end up in our lives. New or old, all of my friends are so great and I couldnt ask for anything more special in my life.

5. My grandparents.

I have two of the most incredible, wonderful, talented, beautiful grandparents in the world. They have so much beauty inside of them and I have learned so much from them. My grandma is absolutely a wonderful lady. She often calls and checks up on me and seems to always want to hangout with me, which really brightens my day. Just yesterday I was able to spend the afternoon golfing with my grandma. Now, I am no golfer! and I havent even been golfing in probably almost a century, but I loved being able to spend time with my grammy and have her teach me how to golf. Her support throughout my volleyball career has been a rock for me and I really would not be where I am today without my grandma's honest advice and the person she is. My grandpa is just as amazing as my grandma, he is always looking out for his family. My grandpa is really intelligent and reads more than anyone I know! But he doesnt just read to read, he reads to learn and he has often passed on that knowledge to me and my brothers and all of our family. Just over the 24th of July, my gramps gave me this HUGE packet of articles that he has been collecting over the years and asked me to read them and learn from them. Although I havent quite gotten to them yet, I am excited to see the things that he is teaching me from them. He is the hardest worker, unique, and loving and his life has truly displayed the hours and the work that he has accomplished. I am so blessed to have him as my grandpa.

My grandma Lois is also a very wonderful lady. She lives in St. George, so I dont get to see her as often as my other grandparents, but she has been such an example to me of living the gospel and serving others. My grandma is always looking to meet someone new and to talk with them and get to know them. She is very personable and could carry on a conversation with anyone for hours! She is a great person and has served several missions for the Lord and I look up to her so much for that. She is so in touch with the spirit all the time.


This post is getting long, but I just feel so blessed in my life for all these things and many more. I think of my opportunity to play volleyball and get an education. I think of the boys that I date and the morals they have and live and I feel blessed to know them. I think of all the girls I hang with and how they teach me everyday the importance of having fun and relaxing and enjoying college. I think of all of my dear friends and family and all of the small blessings I have, like my brothers and our friendship. The relationships in my life have been a molding force in who I am and for those people I am truly grateful.