gratitude

These THREE things

Since today is Thanksgiving, I wanted to write about the things I'm most grateful for. The list I came up with in my head is crazy long so when I really thought about it, I narrowed it down to three. Without these three things, my life would be meaningless and lonely. With these three things, my life has purpose, love, and joy.

Chase

My husband. He makes me laugh every day. He also annoys me but mostly makes me happy, hah! :). I love him to the moon and back. We met on the beach and he taught me all I know about the ocean. I love his many smiles, especially his gum smile that mocks my gum smile. It's pretty hilarious (some of you may have been lucky enough to have seen it). I love his excitement for holidays and strict traditions we follow to a T.  I love his laugh and the way he dances the same two moves whenever he gets excited about something, mostly surfing or a new song. Miley is his fav ;). He is the most loyal, dedicated, and committed man I know. He sees what he wants and he goes for it without hesitation. He makes me a better person, keeping our focus on the gospel and Heavenly Father's plan for us. Chase is an all around joy and life is lame without him. He makes my heart melt. I also am obsessed with his blonde hair and dashing looks, oh and his personality that so easily charms his way through anything. And of course, I love that he always puts me first and loves me most despite all my faults.

My Family

The coolest crew around. I love my family so much. Having 5 siblings was always a party, and adding 5 in-laws to the bunch with a bunch of kiddos just makes it more awesome. We have so many fun and wonderful memories together of our childhood and continue to make fun new ones as adults. It's funny to think how the dynamics of a sibling relationship change as you age. They get more serious, more real, and more genuine. I see my siblings differently now than I did as a kid, and I'm grateful for the people they have become. And I have the world's best and most loving parents. Dad is always there supporting me and sending me sweet texts about a blog post or picture I just posted. That's what I love about him, he notices things. Mom is always so caring and on top of it. She knows just when to help even when I don't ask. She knows how to make me laugh and remember that life isn't easy, but it sure is fun. Also I have the coolest in-laws ever. They are so loving, giving, and fun. I truly have scored in the family department and thank my Heavenly Father every day for that.

Nature and Spirituality

My foundation. Every day, I look around and can't believe how beautiful Hawaii is. Moving here really made me realize how much I take for granted the beauty found in nature. I grew up in Idaho always playing outside whether it was camping, skiing, or swimming in lakes and rivers. But it wasn't until living here that I not only fell in love with the ocean, but really grew to appreciate and love my roots, the mountains. I am obsessed with both, all four seasons, and the beauty found in every state or island. Which brings me to spirituality. I feel that being in touch with nature and yourself as an individual can really help one gain a spiritual perspective on what really matters in life. It all comes down to the simple things, most importantly feeling loved and of purpose. It creates a foundation in which we can build our lives upon. Through the gospel of which I am happy to belong to, I know I am loved by my Heavenly Father and I know there is a plan for me and I am never alone. I try my best to live a good life that will bring me joy and the ones I love peace. Because after all, that is what our whole purpose here is anyway. 

Happy Thanksgiving.