22 Grateful Things

Who would've thought thinking of 22 things to be grateful for would be a hard thing? I tried to do that this morning for Facebook and came to a dud at about 19. Am I that ungrateful? Or was I tired and couldn't really think? 
I don't know what the reason for it is, but now I have another chance to redeem myself on what I'm grateful for! So for the previous 22 days of November, I will say 22 things I'm grateful for:

1. I'm grateful for being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am proud to be a Mormon and to have this gospel in my life. My Heavenly Father loves me and by choosing the right and following Christ's example, I can return to Him and gain eternal life.

2. My family is the best there could be. We are small in numbers, but we are strong in love! They've been there for me through the thick and thin of life events. 

3. My friends are the next biggest support that I could have. They're such great examples to me and can handle my quirkiness. Always putting a smile on my face and giving me a fun time, I'm so glad I spend time with the people I know. 

4. Though they are my friends, my roommates deserve their own little section of gratitude because they have to live with me! They see the tired cranky part of me and the hyped up crazy side as well. I'm so glad to have three people who can tolerate living with me.

5. So many people are unable to gain a college degree, and yet I'm privileged to attend one of the most prestigious universities! I'm thankful for BYU and the chance to get a degree here and expand my knowledge of a variety of things. 

6. In regards to BYU, I now have an income and a job on campus that works so well with my school schedule. They're willing to accommodate for everything and my manager is the best! After months, years, of job hunting I was able to get one of the best jobs for me.

7. I may not be in the best shape, but I'm grateful to have a working body that is healthy and keeps me alive. I have all five senses functioning; I can walk, I can breathe. Everyday is a blessing to be alive and well.

8. My life would be nothing and nowhere without the amazing power of music. I love it, it's one of my few real passions that I could not live without. No matter what I'm doing, it's always there to set the tone. 

9. Listening to music is always good, but playing it is just as grand. I'm grateful for my piano and violin, to be able to just play away no matter what mood I'm in.

10. We seriously need more of this right now, but I'm thankful for snow and the joy it brings to my life! Without it, there would be no white Christmas, no ski/snowboard season (although we're close to that right now, please pray for it!), and no water! 

11. I don't know why I didn't post this one before most of these, but I'm so so grateful for the men and women who have served, are serving, or are preparing to serve in our country's military forces. I know I could never do it, courage or strength-wise. They are my heroes and I wish them all to be safe and sound. 

12. Because of our troops and their hard dedication all these years, I have the freedom and ability to choose what I want in this country. America holds so much freedom that most countries don't have, and I'm thankful to be a part of it. 

13. I'm thankful for technology. It's advanced our world so much and it's such a tool when used in moderation. It's because of it that I can post this and have the rest of the world see it. I can facetime with my sister though she lives on the other end of the country. It's an ability to communicate and connect with people and share new thoughts and ideas.

14. Books are one of the best things ever. Novels, stories that can take you away and intrigue the mind as you go through the story. I love to read and I'm grateful that I know how to.

15. Movies are also a wonderful thing in life! Most of our entertainment comes from the big screen, and these too will take you away on a crazy adventure. I definitely have no creative mind to be in the movie industry and so I'm thankful for those who are!

16. I'm thankful for my car and if it were a person, I'd love it forever. Oh wait, I still do. Seriously, my car is such a trooper and is my means of transportation in anything I do. It may be a gas eater, but it's tough enough that I'm not scared of anything. 

17. I just drank some water and have to throw it in here. How refreshing is it when you're dehydrated and you drink a nice cool glass of water? Actually, how refreshing is it to drink water whenever? I may love sodas, but nothing comes even close to the wonderful H2O

18. I may be faster at typing than writing, but nothing compares to writing. It has a power that typing can't fulfill. To have a clean sheet of paper and a pencil or pen in hand, you have the power to create something that could go anywhere. You write as the thoughts flow. Through drawing in there, too. I'm grateful for paper and writing tools.

19. I'm thankful for toys. Any kind. They're all so fun and can keep you occupied for a time. I'm especially thankful for my camera and the ability to take pictures. And edit them. It's a great hobby of mine and I love doing it. It lets me view the world at different angles and show them to others. 

20. The number one thing I love to photograph is nature. I'm grateful to live in Utah where there is a variety of different scenes I can capture. No matter the season, Utah is always so beautiful and I'm grateful I can surround myself with it everyday. 

21. I'm thankful for the stars; for astronomy and the cosmos. It's always going to be a mystery and wonder to us humans, and it's a whole other dimension out there. I love seeing the stars, the constellations, and everything else out in the sky and being in such awe. The cosmos are a wonderful way to humble myself of my part in this world. 

22. Last, but definitely not least, I'm so so grateful for my life and all the events that have occurred in it. I've had some pretty tough times, and I still go through them. I've hit the bottom and I've felt the high. It's been a rocky road and it's probably only going to get worse. But I would never trade my life for anything else. It's made me become who I am today and I'm proud of how far I've come. It's because of everything I've experienced I am able to share my little wisdom with others and be able to help others avoid those troubled times. 

I'm glad we have Thanksgiving. I'm glad we can all take the time to realize what we're grateful for and give thanks for being alive. Thanksgiving is great because there's a break, football, lots of food, activities, etc. But we cannot forget that this is a holiday to appreciate what we're given. And we should be this grateful for everything we have everyday.