Yes, I died....and it's getting sent immediately to Seth :)

Me.

The other day I was thinking...about what makes me, me and what I'm thankful for.

I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

^This is my favorite thing about myself. Without it in my life, I don't know where I would be.

My family.

^Thanks to the church and decisions of my wonderful parents, I know that if we live righteously we will be together forever.

More specifically...

Dad.

^You've been there for me from the beginning. I am your blonde-haired, blue-eyed little girl, and that will never change. You work sooo hard for our family. You make sure that all of us kids can have the opportunity to follow our dreams. You taught me to tie my shoes. You taught me how to ride. You taught me how to work. You've supported me in everything I've done and I'm so grateful to you for that.

Mom.

^You along with Dad are the reason that I'm not afraid to follow my dreams. You are the one I turn to for help and for comfort. Thank you so much for putting me through piano lessons, no matter how much I hated it at the time. Thanks for being there when I need a laugh. You're so patient with me. You were at every volleyball and basketball game. Waited until seven to pick me up from basketball. Let me stay to my friends games when we had no reason to be in town. You're great at everything you do and you encourage me to be my best.

Mara.

^If it wasn't for you I don't think I ever would have started the piano or the clarinet. And now it's something I can turn to after a bad day to make it better. I love hanging out with you. you're amazing in every way. Thanks to you I love volleyball. We always have a lot more fun when you're home and I can't wait for you to be done with school.

Seth.

^You won't see this. But I don't really care. Basketball. This is what I want to thank you for. I love it more than anything else in this world. I play whenever I can. I know it's something I will continue to do my whole life. We are playing when you get home. Then we'll see if I can beat you. We've had a lot of crazy times (like you running off the road trying to get to town on the 4th of July). I miss you more than you'll ever know. I think about you all the time and I know

you're exactly where you're supposed to be.

Megan.

^You've been my best friend from the beginning. We are extremely different. You're a great singer. You encourage me to do my best. You steal my clothes all the time. I have more fun with you that anyone else in this world. You're a great singer. We fight constantly but always remember how much I love you.

Music.

^There's not a day I don't listen to or play music. My mom, sisters, and Grandma are the ones who really got me to love it.

Basketball.

^I play almost everyday. My brother got me started. Mike Houseman helped me learn to love it.

Volleyball.

^I don't play as often as I should, and honestly I'm not that great, but I love it.

Living in Wayan.

^My friends give me crap about it, but they don't know how great it really is. They don't see the beautiful things that I get to every single day from my backyard.
Being raised on a cattle ranch.
^Greatest thing my parents ever could have done.  It has taught my siblings and me sooo much about working hard.  I have the opportunity to work with some great men and women on our cattle association each summer and I'm so thankful for all of the good times we have had.

My friends.

^These guys/girls are my rock. I'll never be able to express to them how much they mean to me. They constantly make me laugh. They're truly great people. They put up with my crap. We always have a ton of fun when we're together. Bailee, Wyatt, Josh, Sierra, Callie, Ariana, Caylee, Hyrum, Garet, Kendra, Brittany, Rikki, Will, Cason...you guys are great!<3

My cousins.

^They are my best friends. We love playing crud at grandmas. We love playing cards with Grandma. They are hilarious. I can't wait to see them all at the family reunion this summer.
I love to watch movies.
I'm way loud...and I hate it.  But no matter how hard I try I can't help it.
I will join in on random conversations that I'm not a part of.
^I know this is annoying and I'm sorry.
I may disappoint you or make you mad.  But hey, that's life.
My YoungWomen group are like my sisters<3
^Katie Scott, Naomi Jo, Kammi Ann, Hallie Lloyd, Megan Evelyn, Kiana, Danielle.  I love you guys more than you will ever know.
The YoungMan in our ward...and yes that is man...as in singular.
^Garrett Ozburn-my cousin, and one of my best friends.  Always there when I need a laugh.
My current bishop.
Mike Houseman.  This man is like family to me.  Used to be my bus driver.  Then spent countless hours with me at the church playing basketball.  Now he's my bishop.  I love him so much and I am so grateful for all he does for me.<3
I love to read.
My neighbors are great.
I miss the Grays Lake Rodeo but I am soo thankful that we were able to keep it going for so long.
I miss my Grandma Langston.<3
I'm far from perfect.  But I am me.<3 And no one anywhere will ever change that.

Yes....I know this is pathetic.

So I was gonna be awesome, and do this gratitude thing and not miss more than a day or two.....but now I've basically missed a week......so I'm going to play catchup this weekend!:)

Gratitude # 5
Music. It's basically the greatest thing ever. There are so many different bands and artists out there, with so many different styles. I love it. I've been playing piano since I was 9 and I love it. Then last year I joined the band and now play the clarinet, and kind of the bass clarinet. It's so fun. My favorite kind of music is probably country. Which some people think is lame.....but I love it. I love Rascal Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Jason Aldean, and many others.:) They just make me so happy.

Gratitude # 4

Fire!

So, so grateful for fire. We have a wood burning stove that we use all winter for heat. So we have to get wood to burn. That part completely stinks....but it's sooo worth it. It's a lot of work. Today my dad and I split the last of the wood that we have so far....we still need to get more. And it was freezing, so I was super happy when we finally came in the house and I got to start a fire.....now the house is finally warm. I love it.

Gratitude # 3....just a little late.

Basketball and my team.

I love this sport.....so much. I've watched my brother play since I was just a little kid...and then I started to play in 4th grade. It's great because it gets me in shape.....and it's just so much fun. The girls on my team are great and I love all of them so much. My coach, Mrs. Fetzer, is tons of fun. Our practices are (almost always) the greatest because of the great personalities that all of the girls have. We've played four games so far and we've won 2 of them and lost two of them. It's been fun and we've improved so much from last year. I'm glad I got involved in the sport and hope to continue playing all through high school.

Gratitude # 2

Laughter.

I cannot even begin to express how thankful I am for laughter. It's what helps get me through the day. My friends are great and hilarious. They can always make me laugh.....and believe me....lately, I've needed it a lot. I love them for it so much. I don't know if they realize how much their different words and actions that are just SO funny can completely turn my day around. "The most wasted of all days is one without laughter." - E.E. Cummings

If you want to see something that will really make you laugh.....go to youtube and type in Webcam 101 for seniors. I died. And the computer won't let me upload a picture with this post....so just go watch that video. Guranteed it will at least make you smile. :)

Gratitude #1

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November is Gratitude month! My sister and friend both did this last year.....so I decided I would try it this year...not guaranteeing I'll make it every day for the whole month....but I'm gonna try!:)There are so many things in my life to be grateful for that this shouldn't even be hard.

Day 1

Today I am grateful for warm coats. Now let me explain, since Mr. Daniel is now our principal (which is completely awesome) we now go outside for lunch even on days when it is cold. But today was ridiculous. I brought my winter coat to school because I knew we would be going outside. I was not counting on the wind being sooo cold. All 62 kids in my grade were freezing....so we all decided we were going to ask if we could go inside. They wouldn't let u

s....so 20 of us went back outside....while the other 42 stood inside.....and Mr. Howell said something when we were all complaining that hit me. He said...."aren't you glad you aren't a pioneer? Aren't you glad you have warm shoes and aren't walking on snow barefoot?" He was kidding just trying to make us laugh.....and it worked. But it made me realize how lucky we are. And how the pioneers struggled so much. So.....if you're ever "freezing", before you complain....think about those pioneers.....who had to have their feet amputated after they finally made it to Zion......who lost their lives because of the cold.