Thanks-giving

Since we just celebrated Thanksgiving, I feel the need to reflect on the things in my life that I am thankful for.

1.  The most amazing husband in the world, Ryan.  He supports me in all that I do, and I appreciate that so much.  I honestly do not think that I would be where I am today without him.  He encouraged me to finish school, and without is support, I probably would have dropped out and hoped for the best.  Now it's my turn to encourage him as he finishes his last two semesters.  I am so proud of him, and all that he does for us.  Even though it was hard for both of us, he went and did an internship in Boise over the summer, and now he has a second one here in Salt Lake.  I know that no matter what happens, he will always be there for me to love and support me.

2.  My religion.  A lot of people in the world think that religion is out-dated.  I'm still trying to figure that one out.  I love my Savior.  I love the scriptures; they were truly written for this day.  I know that with God all things are possible.  I can see the hand of the Lord in my life, and in the world around me.  I am grateful for the opportunity He has given me to learn and grow in this life.

3.  My parents.  My parents are amazing.  I hope some day I can be like them and raise my kids the way they raised me.  I have been exceedingly blessed to have the parents that I have.

4.  Graduating and my job.  It took a lot of kicking and screaming (figuratively and literally), but I was finally able to graduate school for good in August.  It is the best feeling to know that I worked hard and got a Bachelor's, and I never have to go to school again, unless I have a head injury and forget how awful it was being in school.  I love learning, but I have school.  It's also an amazing feeling know that because I was able to graduate, I was able to get my dream job of identifying microorganisms.  I love my job and the people I work with.  I feel blessed to have a job I love.

5.  My apartment.  So my apartment might not be the best, in fact, it's kind of crummy.  The kitchen is tiny, the water in the shower is backwards (the hot is to the right, and cold is to the left, unless your taking a bath and then it's normal), and the people below us might be loud and obnoxious more than half the time, but it's home.  At least I have a warm place to live, and I don't have to sleep on a park bench at night.  I still look forward to the day when we can buy a house (which might be too far off into the future :) ), but for now, I love my crummy little apartment, and might be a little sad to leave it!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Have a wonderful Christmas season, and don't forget the true meaning of Christmas!

Laura