A Year's Worth of Gratitude

Here it is, 365 things to be thankful for, one for each day of the year. I realize it's a long list and you probably won't read every single item, but writing them all out sure was good for me! They are sorted into categories, but are in no particular order within those categories--nor are the categories in any particular order... (And if you did a list too, scroll to the bottom to link up! Be sure to put the link directly to your post, not just to your blog homepage.)
Incidentally, for a little more inspiration, visit this post on Cultivating Gratitude--it's awesome! (She's working on a list of 1000 things!)
Also check over at Internet Cafe Devotions for more thankfulness lists (it's this week's entry in the Christmas series...)

FAMILY (37)

1. eternal families
2. my husband
3. being married
4. being a mother
   
5. Big Wolf
6. Little Bear
7. adoption
8. my mother, who taught me how to raise children, keep a home, and ask questions about everything
   
9. my dad, who taught me to get out and do things, and to believe in myself
10. my sister K, my roommate/best enemy/friend for the last 25 years
11. my brother B, who is basically me, as a guy
12. my brother J, who is happy
13. my sister A, forever a baby, and a reminder to cherish the little moments
14. my brother C, the first baby who loved me
    
15. my sister L, the one who is truly like me
16. my sister N, who is willing to try anything
    
17. my brother D, who is only 7, and younger than my own son
18. My doggie, Koira, because yeah, she's part of my family.
19. being part of a big family (and not just because it filled so many slots on this list!)
20. grandma M for years of glorious pies and jam, and the worlds best recipe for homemade rolls (the food network has got nothin on grandma!)
    
21. grandpa M for exciting nights of listening to him on his ham radio
    
22. grandma B for remarkable homemade ice cream
    
23. grandpa B for his weird stories and dry sense of humor (which I've inherited)
    
24. being able to know all four of my grandparents
25. having gotten to meet five of my great-grandparents
26. my son got to meet the last of my great-grandparents (so his great-great-grandfather)
27. I was able to be baptized for my great-grandma Betty after she died
28. being raised with traditions from my Germanic and Scandinavian heritage
29. great great great grandpa William Morley Black's journal (it is such an inspiration--the link goes to a short excerpt)
    
30. my cousin K who has been my pen-pal (more or less) for 20 years
31. my cousin T, who has been my pen-pal too, but not for as long
32. my aunt C, who taught me how to french braid my hair when I was 8
33. great accepting and generous parents in-law (even though I think I freak them out from time to time)
    
34. for my sister-in-law S after my first miscarriage
35. for my sister-in-law L after my second miscarriage
36. my brother-in-law T who is a registered socialist. I just have so much respect for him actually making that official. ☺
    
37. JH, my adopted grandma, for interesting conversations, late nights on the lakeshore, and a really awesome Challah recipe
    

FRIENDS/PEOPLE (39)

1. TC who taught me a whole lot about knitting, and became my friend when I needed one (and whom I miss terribly)
2. LA who taught me to spin
3. AM (now AA) who was my one friend in the theatre department who had morals and a work ethic like mine (the one I always tried to do group projects with)
4. KG who first got me to question my parenting habits
5. SF who has always been inspiring to me in natural parenting
   
6. CS who taught me how to wear my sling
7. CC who taught me about babywearing with something besides a sling
8. JZ for great conversations and someone to be accountable to for morning walks after Bear was born
9. Heather, who taught my BFW class and helped me prepare for a wonderful birth
10. AT who keeps me thinking
11. MC, my friend since high school
12. CF, with whom I carpooled in college, and with whom I had dozens of delightful conversations
    
13. AH, one college roommate I'm still in regular contact with
14. BA, the college roommate who was nothing like me, challenged almost everything I thought I knew about life, and was awesome in every way
15. NH, the college roommate who taught me to be more genuine
16. Paulette, who taught me the intricacies of theatrical costuming and makeup
17. Dr Laila Abdalla, my college English professor of Shakespeare and early British Lit, a short Egyptian-Canadian woman with big hair and an attitude the size of Alaska
18. Doug Johnson, my college writing professor "the grammar nazi" who taught me 3/4 of what I know about writing
19. SK, who taught me to make authentic East Indian food
20. KK, who taught me how to decorate cakes, do a rope braid, and a loose bun
21. KS, who taught me to sing
22. TB, who taught me to perform music
23. all the boys I've loved before
    
24. all the people in my mommy's group in Utah Valley
    
25. all the ladies in the knitting circle here in Pelican--they probably have no idea how much I look forward to those nights
26. all the people in my mommy's group in Utah Valley
    
27. My online friends (via forums or blogs) who've shown up and become my friends/readers at a time when I needed to feel noticed or loved (I didn't put whole names just in case I forgot somebody...☺): B
    
28. B
29. C
30. E
31. H
32. E
33. T
34. S
35. J
36. J
37. A
    
38. N
39. M
    

FAITH (25)

1. Father in Heaven
2. my Savior
3. the gift of having the Holy Spirit as a constant companion
4. agency (the right to make my own choices)
   
5. the temple
6. eternal covenants
7. vicarious ordinances
   
8. having my own temple recommend
9. priesthood
10. priesthood blessings
11. scripture
12. hymns
13. tithing (I couldn't afford to not pay tithing!)
    
14. a living prophet
15. living apostles
16. General Conference
17. prayer
18. personal revelation
19. my testimony
    
20. baptism
21. the Atonement
22. repentance
23. grace (for by grace we are saved, after all we can do...)
24. missionaries
    
25. understanding the plan of salvation

MOMMY STUFF (20)

1. that my not-yet-2-year-old likes to pee in the potty
2. that he does #1 quite often
   
3. seeing my children play together
4. hearing my children sing
5. watching my child sleep
6. seeing their faces when they see something I have made for them
7. helping my children pray
8. hearing the things my children say when they pray on their own
9. pregnancy
10. feeling a baby move inside me
    
11. co-sleeping
12. breastfeeding
13. being able to nurse from either side without rolling over (oh yes, the perks of being well-endowed!)
14. babywearing
15. cloth diapers
16. wool longies
    
17. my wraps
18. my slings
19. my pouch
20. my 'buckle-tai' structured carrier

WONDERS OF CREATION (22)

1. Roses
2. Lilacs
3. snapdragons
4. baby's breath (flower)
5. fields of pink heather
   
6. sweet william (aka dianthus)
7. phlox
8. moss
9. thyme
10. doggies
11. wolves
12. bears
13. eagles
    
14. penguins
    
15. dolphins
16. seals
17. the tide
18. mountains
    
19. sunshine
20. snow
21. the full moon
22. moonlight on snow

MEDIA(13)

1. The Dark Crystal (my first favorite movie)
2. Life is Beautiful (my most favorite movie)
3. Swing Time (my favorite dancing movie, with the best dance I've ever seen on film)
   
4. "Be Still My Soul" (my hymn of comfort)
   
5. Pachelbel's "Canon in D"
6. Rachmaninoff's "18th variation on a theme by Paganini"
7. Rich Mullens' "Awesome God"
8. Carol of the Bells, What Child is This, Oh Holy Night, and all the other Christmas songs I love (which you'll get to hear about all month, starting tomorrow!)
9. Point of Grace Christmas album
10. Celtic Women album (I love the whole thing, which is rare)
    
11. Michael W Smith (one of my favorite musicians)
12. Stephen Curtis Chapman (another favorite)
13. Janice Kapp Perry (a prolific songwriter)
    

HOME (17)

1. kneading bread dough
2. warm homemade bread
3. living in a place where I can see Bald Eagles every day
4. hot showers
5. bubble baths
6. jetted tubs
7. flannel sheets that are never cold!
8. my cast iron skillets
9. all my pyrex dishes...I so hate plastic
10. blender (smoothies!!!)
    
11. electric mixer
12. my crockpot
    
13. electricity
14. the Lay-z-boy recliner
15. hot cocoa on a cold day
16. Christmas music
    
17. living in a free country
    

FAR FROM HOME (places I'm glad I've been) (28)

1. the city of London
2. Westminster Abby
3. The tower of London
   
4. The Globe Theatre (even though it's a remake)
5. The top of Saint Paul's Cathedral
6. Canterbury & the cathedral
   
7. Rome
8. St Peter's Bascilica
9. The Sistine Chapel
10. Asissi (birthplace of St Francis)
11. Pompeii
12. Delphi
13. Rhodes
14. Mars Hill (Athens)
    
15. Ephesus (yes, that's in Turkey)
16. Hawaii--NaPali coast
17. USS Arizona Monument
18. Punchbowl Cemetery (Honolulu)
19. The Sacred Grove
20. Hill Cumorah (I rolled down the front with my siblings)
21. Bryce Canyon
22. The Blue Mountains
23. Washington DC
24. SouthEast Alaska
25. Sunrise viewpoint (Mt Rainier National Park)
26. Tongue Point, WA (the coolest tidepools ever)
27. Plimoth Plantation (living history of the pilgrims at Plymouth)
    
28. NYC

PERSONAL (38)

1. that my husband has good job-security (they don't fire teachers!
   
2. that my husband has a regular paycheck (even if it's not real big)
3. that I'm able to stay home, and that hubby is supportive of that
   
4. knowing how to sew
5. knowing how to sew well enough to make money at it
   
6. knowing how to knit
7. knowing how to do stranded knitting (which is SO fun)
   
8. being almost done with my first knitted sweater!
9. knit picks options circular needles (they are SO cool)
10. knit picks and their yarn prices
11. free knitting patterns online
12. lots of free knitting patterns at my library
13. being able to use my talents to make gifts for the people I love
14. being able to use my talents to bless those I don't even know
    
15. learning how to spin
16. having a talent with doing hair
    
17. finger dexterity
18. knowing how to cook (which is an art)
    
19. knowing how to bake (which is a science)
20. my eyes
21. my ears
    
22. that my mother made me learn hymns (so now I can sing them without needing the hymnal)
23. being able to read music
24. being able to sing well
25. having a college degree
26. having a college education (all the stuff that happens outside of class!)
27. that the first 2 years of my college were free, and the rest were cheap (because of scholarships and grants)
    
28. having given birth
29. dancing--both jazz and ballroom
30. my long hair (what can I say, I love it!)
31. my curves
32. my wedding ring
33. my mother's ring
    
34. writing
35. my blog (I find it so cathartic)
36. everyone who has ever commented on my blog
37. having renters we can trust (since they are 2000 miles away)
38. my etsy shops

ETSY STUFF (22)

1. that my husband is supportive of me running my shops
   
2. Mothering street team, who first showed me how great a team can be
3. Cloth Diapering street team, who have become my friends
4. EtsyBloggers street team, who have gotten me lots of traffic
5. friendly people in the 'critiques' forum who always give helpful advice
6. etsy live chat, because it's made me more than a few sales
   
7. the US postal service
8. everyone who has ever purchased from me
9. everyone who has ever recommended me/my shops to someone else
10. everyone who has ever made a good trade with me
11. everyone who has ever made a deal for me
12. all those lots of people who just make darn good handmade stuff!
13. having two well-stocked shops right now
14. having sisters who help me with mailing things (since I'm rural, I left a lot of my stock with my sister and she mails it from down there in the lower 48).
    
15. specific people who have been especially encouraging or helpful to me on etsy: laminathegreat, who told me about etsy in the first place
    
16. unioncenterknits, who helped me raise my prices to something more fair to myself
17. weeones, who made me the cutest custom stitch markers ever
18. bundlesofjoy, from whom I made my first etsy purchase, partner in multiple subsequent trades, and now a dear friend
19. deebleddo, for giving me a whopper of a deal on a very special embroidery project (can't tell what it is yet, it's a gift!)
20. georganne, for being just plain inspiring
21. alisaterry, who makes awesome stuff and traded with me for a whole bunch of it
    
22. curiousworkmanship for her gifts, help, and a massive custom order at a time when I really needed the money
    

FOOD (35)

1. pasta alfredo
2. apples
3. applesauce
4. chocolate bavarian pie
5. dutch apple pie
6. Marie Callander's sour cream blueberry pie
7. harvest (pinto) bean pie (yes, I like it more than pumpkin)
8. cinnamon rolls
9. cream cheese frosting
10. Ben & Jerry's "Half Baked" (chocolate chip cookie dough meets fudge brownie)
11. vanilla soft serve
12. frozen yogurt
13. frozen custard
14. butter
15. whipping cream (the real stuff of course!)
16. blueberries
17. strawberries
18. peaches
19. plums
20. root beer
    
21. homemade ice cream
    
22. homemade smoothies
23. onions
    
24. cardamom bread
25. swiss chocolate
26. italian ice cream
    
27. italian cream sodas
    
28. brownies
29. chicken (it's my favorite meat)
30. Indian food
31. Chinese food
32. halibut parmisan
33. lemonade--actually i prefer the fake stuff. go figure!
    
34. people who cook for me
35. people who share nummy recipes with me

TECHNOLOGY (25)

1. indoor plumbing
2. hot running water
3. my sewing machine
4. my serger
5. long-distance phone service
6. satellite broadcasts (for things like General Conference...and Iron Chef ☺)
   
7. email
8. internet
9. Instant messaging
10. ldssingles.com (cuz it worked for me! ♥)
11. NaturalLDSLiving forums
12. MotheringDotCom forums
13. LongHairCommunity forums
    
14. blogs in general (since I already mentioned mine in specific)
15. scheduled blog posting!
16. google
17. Mozilla Firefox
18. Firefox's username/password rememberer (oh how I love that feature!)
19. word processors (because really, editing before printing and spellchecker are AWESOME you know?!)
20. digital cameras
    
21. my laptop
22. rechargeable batteries
    
23. electric stove (I'm not a fan of cooking over a fire!)
24. dishwashers!!!!! (I'm so sick of handwashing--it's not too bad in college, but for a whole family it's a real drag)
    
25. reliable mail service

LITTLE THINGS (44)

1. pockets
2. pillows
3. combs
   
4. hugs
5. cuddles
   
6. the way a new baby smells
7. the softness of baby's skin
8. baby kisses
9. baby fingers and toes
10. kids with dimples
11. smiling
12. straight teeth
13. nail clippers
    
14. the smell of freshly cut grass
15. knowing how to type
16. beanbags
    
17. dangly earrings
18. licking the beaters
19. hot cocoa on a cold night
20. sitting in front of the fireplace with a big blankey
21. snow angels
22. wristwatches
23. wristwatches that light up
    
24. German cuckoo clocks
    
25. soft wool sweaters
    
26. a clean kitchen sink!
27. the color pink
28. wool socks
29. claw clips for my hair
    
30. learning how to make these ☺♥☻♠○♣
31. watching movies or seasons of TV shows (on DVD) with my Hubby
32. when my hair makes ringlets (which it does occasionally)
33. the smell of henna in my hair
34. stairs (hey, they're good for me!)
35. a good set of kitchen knives
    
36. fuzzy slippers
    
37. fleece
    
38. lambswool
39. alpaca yarn
40. bamboo velour
41. the feel of seal fur (it's the softest thing I've ever touched!)
42. fabric gift bags (I ♥ them in the biggest way!!)
    
43. automatic bullets/numbers in blog posts!
44. being done with this list (it wasn't easy, and I confess to getting a bit stressed over it!)
    

365!

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