20.  VISITORS!!!  I love when people come visit me!  When people come knock on my door just to say hello, that is great, but I am talking when people take their time and money to come spend a few days with me, that just means love in my book.  Yesterday we were able to pick up Rachel (Pete's little sister and one of my favorite people in the world!) at the airport and she is staying a whole two weeks with us.  Not only that but Pete's brother Jake (who also holds a special place in my heart!) is coming in soon.  I love a full house (which doesn't take a lot of people to do in this small space) for the holidays.  I am so grateful for visitors, so take that as an excuse to come visit me!

19.  Okay, I know the very first blog that I ever put up was on my family and I mentioned my little one, but I just can't help myself by sharing my gratitude for her once again!  When little miss started to cy last night I almost laughed at myself because of the excitement that came into my heart.  I laughed because usually I just can't wait for when she falls asleep, but then when she does I miss her so much, so when that little sound came from her room I just couldn't wait to go hold her in my arms!  I lucked out last night, she didn't want any milk she just wanted to be held close in my arms, and so I gladly did just that.  We actually fell asleep together and Peter had to come wake me up to put her down and come to bed.  Little Miss is the joy of my life!  I love it when she discovers something new, I love it when she plays "So Big" with me, I love it when she crawls to me and pulls herself on my legs (which puts her about to my waist already!) and so many other little things... I just love her and I am so grateful to be her mom.

so with that said I am putting up an album of her since I haven't been showing any pictures of her lately and lets be honest, that is why half of you look at my site anyway!

18.  I don't always leave comments, and you might not even know that I checked it out, but trust me, I love your blog!  When Little Miss quietly checks out and enters dream world... I check in to the real world.  I know I am not so good at calling people or emailing, but I read about your life because you are my friend.  This is a big thank you to all who update their blogs so that I can have some connection to what is going on in the world around me and in your life!  I truely am so grateful for my friends blogs and the sweet stories that they post.  They are the motivation that keeps me going, they are the laugh that I need to relax and they are the tears that that I need to shed!

17.  So as Pete is getting ready to get surgery on his knee today, nothing big so don't get too excited, I am thinking how amazing it is to live in this modern time with such tecnology!  How beautiful it is that we can go to a sterile environment, be given wonderful pain medication, and allow those that are not only capable but incredibly skilled fix our body parts that need mending.  Things have come such a long way that we now no longer have to deal with unbearable pain!  I can never fathom what it must have been like in biblical times to have had a sprained ankle, a broken arm, or to have birthed a child!  WOW, I am so grateful for modern medicine.

16.  Even though I only graduated from YW six years ago (that isn't that long ago right?!) I have been lucky enough to be called back into it.  Although this go around is MUCH more stressing and a little bit more time consuming, the experience that it is for me is still amazing.  However, this go around is very different because I never had such wonderful friends/counselors to help me through the first time.  Today, while I sat next to my lonely young woman (yes, just one!) I looked at my wonderful counselor (only one was there, but my other is just as wonderful), my beautiful secretary and my magnificent advisor.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by wonderful and strong women of the church.  I will never be able to truly explain just how grateful I am for my presidency and the examples they are to me!  I love you gals!

15.  I really do love to bake, and I remember when we moved into our little apartment and I just wanted to cry when I saw how small the kitchen was (actually I think I did cry!).  I was thinking how am I ever going to make something good come out of this closet of a space!  Well, as boxes were put away so very strategically, everything found a home and there was enough little counter space in the kitchen to start making food.  Now that I stay at home I have tried many new recipes, some good and some bad.  However there was always been one appliance that has stood strong with me through it all... my kitchen aid!  Yes, I love this thing.  It is by my side when I decide that I want chocolate chip cookies at eight 'o clock at night, it stands strong when I make loaves of wheat bread in it, and it persevers when I throw in the ingredients to make nearly four dozen bran muffins!  I have learned to not only love but rely on my wonderful mixer.  I don't remember who gave us many of our wedding gifts but this one has a special story behind it and I will never forget that it came from Aaron and Elise Dalton, so thank you guys.... I am so grateful for my kitchen aid.

14.  I hope I don't jinx myself posting this, but I am very grateful for my husbands job.  I know how many of you have struggled without a job for weeks and months at a time and I take my hat off to you.  You have taught me reliance on our Savior and how a happy attitude can overcome all trials!  With economic times as they are, Pete and I have discussed numerous times what we would do if he was laid off his job and to be honest, I just don't think I could handle nearly as well as all of my friends have!  I guess that is why the Lord says he will not give us more then we can handle because that might really be pushing it with me!  Anyway, I know my husband works some crazy long hours and often I joke that I am single wife, but I know every night he is working late that he is thinking of me and I am thinking of how grateful I am that he works so hard so I can stay at home.  He must love me more then I even know to do so much for me, I just want him to know: that I love you too!

13.  Yes we are a honey family.  Pete loves it in his oatmeal every morning and I could eat a peanut butter and honey sandwich daily.  Besides that, we have decided to not buy bread any more and just make our own.  I found a recipe that I love and it requires honey.  We have been living off what we brought with us from Utah (thanks Stan!) but now we are out and we needed some replacement honey.  I made the long trip down to Waxahachie (I am secretly happy that this town made it into one of my blogs because I love saying it... Waxahachie!) and bought some bulk honey.  We are talking 60 lbs of pure delicious honey people!  I wonder how much bread I can make with all that honey.  I will keep you updated on how much honey we use... I am grateful for honey.  I figure it is a good thing to be grateful for since it made it into the Bible and Book of Mormon numerous times!

12.  Two of the best people, that have not yet been mentioned in my list, our my grandparents.  I remember when they lived near the temple and I was going to beauty school near by, I would stop by every once in awhile just to say hello and chat for a bit with them.  As soon as they would open the door I would recieve the warmest hugs that would just fill me with love.  I would sit on the couch while grandma and grandpa would sit in their recliners telling me great stories of when they had grown up, the war, baseball, when they got married, places they had lived, the latest pro sport game on tv!  They aren't alive any more, but I think it important to say what wonderful examples they still are to me.  I have a picture of them in my bedroom when I graduated from high school, and I think of them often... what would grandma tell me to add to this bread, what would grandpa tell me is more important in life.  They were two of the funniest people I have ever met, and two of the absolute sweetest.  I am so happy that my little girl gets two pairs of grandparents and I hope that they are just as important to her as mine have always been to me.  I am grateful for granparents for the examples they are and the love they exude.

ps.  I felt it important to mention that I have nothing against my other set of grandparents I just never knew them... I look forward to the eternities and hearing all of their wonderful stories!

11.  I love weather!  Growing up in sunny AZ I never really knew what weather was, it was just always sunny.  Now that we live in Dallas it is crazy, hurricanes one day, monsoons the next, and an ice storm to follow it all up!  I won't lie, most of the time I just sit in my little apartment watching all the craziness from my window because I am too scared to go anywhere in it, but I love a morning like this: waking up early from the lightning and thunder, the ground still wet from the last down pour and the smell of cleanliness!  I really am grateful for the rain.

10.  Everyday, without fail, somehow Elsie ends up on my lap banging those shiney black and white keys of our piano.  I hold her steady with my left hand while my right plays the melody of some song... she occasionaly changes the page for me so I can start a new song (usualy we play from the primary song book since those are the songs we sing all day anyway).  She absolutely loves knowing that she is the one producing all the noise in the apartment.  When I put her down on the floor and I just play for a minute she crawls right under my feet and tries to work the pedals, then she pulls herself right back up to get back in my lap and hits her head on the piano.  I love that my daughter likes playing with the piano right now, and hopefully she will someday share my love of music.  I am so grateful for my piano and the primary song book and the fun and lively spirit that music brings into our apartment.

9.  This is probably another bad one to publish, but whoa am I glad this Sunday is over!  It is just a little stressful getting a youth song put together for sacrament meeting, although we had some AMAZING help, and put together a talk!  Once sacrament was over I realized that our dear YW's teacher was not anywhere to be found.  During second hour I quickly ran over the lesson and tried to prepare something, luckily she showed up and the YW didn't have to listen to me ALL day...  I am grateful that things work out, the Spirit takes over, and what always scares you, eventually ends!

8.  Last night Peter and I had the opportunity to attend our youth session of baptisms for the dead.  There was only one youth there so Alicia and myself were actually thought to be the youth... a little boost to my ego!  Anyway, with a lack of youth I was able to be baptized by sweet hubby, what a wonderful experience!  Almost everyday I sing "I Love To See The Temple" to LC because it is one of my favorite primary songs.  I really do love the temple and I am so grateful for the temple and the work that is done there.

7.  Pete works a lot of crazylate hours, especially as he gets more and more into his busy season, and with him working late can sometimes leave me talking pure baby talk for days straight!  Sometimes the only thing that breaks my baby babble up is a call from a friend, a walk with a neighbor or a quick trip to the outlets!  I won't list any names but I think you gals know who you are... thanks for always being a good friend, shoving me out the door to book club, or just making me do a girls night!  They are always fun and I need them WAY more then I would ever admit.  I am grateful for my friends.

6.  Pete and I knew we were meant for eachother when we found out that we both had numerous pictures of us growing up vacuuming!  We are talking like age 4 to 16 with a picture a year of us vacuuming... a little strange but we both kind of have a fedish.  Anyway, the Malinka family got us our vacuum when we got married and I love it!  Just in case anyone is wondering it is a Simplicity 7 series, and lets just say I live in a small apartment where A LOT of dirt is tracked in, and after I vacuum (at least every other day) I feel good enough to put Elsie back on the floor to crawl around.  I am really grateful for my vacuum.

5.  As of recently I have totaly gone coupon crazy!  I honestly look forward to Wednesday's when we get that weeks coupons from all of our grocery stores.  It brings me so much pride to sit down and make a grocery list based upon what is on sale for the week.  I have gone to Target before with 9 coupons (I know there are those of you out there who think that is nothing, but like my brother in law Reed said we didn't learn about unit price like he did... it's a whole new world for us Rogers girls!)  So I am still new but I am grateful for coupons.

4.  Yep, pretty sure I should have thought about this one before the other two, so I promise to work on my priorities, but I honestly love my scriptures.  Your scriptures might be good too, but mine have the personal touches of years!  I got this particular set from my parents when I started seminary, yes folks I have had these since I was 14 (if you are wondering they are a decade old).  Every scripture mastery is marked in pink, every verse that was written "just for me" is in blue, and those that teach me something about the gospel are green.  Coincidentally most of my scriptures are actually blue, you figure that one out.  I love the words there, I learn more about who I am and the plan that my Heavenly Father has in store for me every day I read them.  I am grateful for my scriptures.

3.  I have been trying to run everyday (really want my mom to tell me how good I look when I see her at Christmas time, but the holiday season always kills me!  Oh well, maybe next year she will tell me I look good...) and I just love my bob stroller!  I know, I know, I probably shouldn't be so grateful for such a materialistic thing, but if you have ever pushed a bob then you know it is like pushing bud'er!  Elsie and I go out around town in that thing, she lounges back like she is the coolest cat in town and I proudly push her forward, hah!  Okay, we really aren't that bad I promise, but I am grateful for my BOB.

2.  This may sound like a dumb one, but I am so happy I have running water!  I remember living in Venezuela and waking up (true story) in sheets drenched in my sweat.  The only thing that was going to make it better was washing those sheets, which had to wait for pday, and taking a shower.  You never knew what days you would be without water, but if you woke up sweating you could pretty much guarentee that there would be no water... funny how that works out!  Anyway, moral of the story is I am grateful for running water.

1.  Of course, I must start by giving thanks to my family!  The wonderful thing about getting older (besides the deepening crows feet, the pain in the lower back, decrease in energy... oh yeah, giving thanks!) is that my family has only been growing.  It used to be my wonderful three sisters and parents that made up my family.  Slowly inlaws were added, neices joined the picture (of course no nephews!  Pete thinks he is going to change that one of these days, little does he know every inlaw has had that same thought!) and then I even got my own husband, Peter.  He is my truest best friend and my number one: he is always there when I need him, has THE BEST shoulder to fall asleep on (LC can second that one) and knows just when to hold me tight and not let me go!  He also gave me the second best thing in my life; my little Miss Elsie!  She brings joy into my life everyday, mostly when she shoves her binki in my mouth and laughs hysterically (maybe she is trying to tell me to hush up or that I need something soothing) and also when she stops whatever it is that she is doing and pushes her chin down real hard and starts to grunt... five minutes later something always stinks!  There is another thing that my Peter has brought into my life and that is my own inlaws, the Malinka Family.  I tuely love the extension of my family that they are, the lessons I have learned from them, and the spirit that they always have with them.  I am grateful for my family.