A time to be THANKFUL!

There certainly are many things that I am thankful for....

*My family. Of course this is number one on the list. My family is my everything. They are sweet and loving and supportive. My mom is my best friend and I want to be exactly like her. My dad is so smart and gives the best advice. My brothers are my friends and keep me laughing and smiling.

*A place to learn and make friends and become who I look forward to being. A place to discover.

*My grandparents. I have been so blessed to become such great friends with the people I look up to so much in my life. My grandparents have been through it all and I am so thankful for the people they are and for the children they raised. I am thankful for their example to me of selflessness, kindness and charity. I love them dearly and am so thankful to be able to spend the holidays with them every year.

*Water. It tastes so good and keeps my body working the way it should. It makes me happy and I love to play in it too! It has been raining a lot lately and I just love seeing the drops hit my windshield and all the different sizes that come from the clouds.

*My roommates. As much as I have been gone for volleyball this year, they are still so wonderful to me and I know we will be friends throughout our entire lives. They are wonderful people and the most darling girls in the world. I am so blessed to have such great people to live with. I am thankful for my sisters.

*Being a senior. I have been in school for a LONG time and I am thankful this year that I am a senior and will be finishing up my education soon, only to go into education and be a teacher afterwards! I am thankful for the opportunity to learn and grow and hopefully pass that on.

* My volleyball coaches. They have taught me so much througout my career at Utah State and I have learned to much about who I am and who I want to become. I look up to them and all they do for others. They are truly the epitomy of hard work and dedication. Never once did they give up on us and that meant everything in the world to me.

*Good books. I haven't been able to read much for my own pleasure this semester because of the many books I was reading for class, but I love reading and how it allows for me to escape and explore a world that is not my own.

*Apples. This food is so easy to bring with me to class and it eased my hunger as I sat through hours of class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That first crisp bite into the Gala is a wonderful sound and it is sweet to taste.

*Dear friends in my classes who kept me updated on assignments and classroom discussions when I missed school for two straight weeks because of volleyball. Without them I would be so lost and would never had been able to keep up with all the schedule changes. Thank you!

* Missionaries!! As much as I miss my lil bro, he is doing a wonderful thing and I love him so much for dedicating this last year and 9 months (he gets home in FEBRUARY!!) to the Lord and the people in Puerto Rico and Dominica. I have so many friends who have served missions and are serving missions currently... Sachi, Brad, Brandon, Melissa... and others who are already home. Missionaries are an amazing tool and they are so dedicated. I look up to them and strive to be more like them in my life.

* My little 5- year old cousin, Gracie. Whenever I see her she brightens my day. Her smile is radiant and she is so happy and can get so crazy sometimes! I love that she is friends with everyone and never judges people. She is a beautiful little girl and I am so lucky to have her as a friend as well as a cousin.

*Sweats. A lot of the time I just like to get in my sweats and watch a movie with Jeff. I love my sweats and even though they aren't as soft as they were when they were new, they are still just as comfortable and they are wonderful to wear on a cold night.

*The holidays. I get to spend time with my family and I love them all so much. We have so much fun together. I love hanging out with them and going to movies and shopping with them. My cousins and Aunts are all so different and awesome in their own ways and I just love being able to be around them and chill with them. I also love the lights and colors during the holiday season. It makes me feel so happy and cheery no matter what I really feel like. I especially love the lights at Temple Square... as cliche as that may sound. They make me feel the spirit of the season and I love the spirit that is in those grounds.

last, but certainly not least...

* A wonderful best friend whom I have grown to love and who I look up to so much. Jeff is a great listener and always offers the best advice. He keeps me positive and supports me in all I do. He is so talented and can do anything in the world. He cheers me up when I'm stressed or being a girl and he knows how to make me smile, even if I am trying not to. I am so blessed to have a best friend who cares about others before himself and always is the life of the party, but at the same time making sure that everyone else is having a good time. He is always keeping me warm when my fingers turn white and he came to every volleyball game he could, no matter how long the drive was. He is the most wonderful friend I could ever ask for.

Happy Thanksgiving!