AOG - Day 27

1- I am grateful for good parents. It has been nice spending the past few days with them. Though I've spent a good chunk of it catching up on sleep, it has been fun watching The Muppet Christmas Carol with my mom, playing Five Crown with my parents and Grams (even though she destroyed me), having my dad help me put up Christmas lights, and relaxing in the kitchen while my mom and dad continued with the daily grind of life.

2- I am grateful for the lessons we have learned in the past even though they may have been difficult and pain-filled. These lessons prepare us for the future and help us move forward with faith.

3- I am grateful for the Book of Mormon. My bishop challenged each of us in the ward to read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover beginning November 1st and finishing Christmas Eve. I enjoy my daily interactions with these scriptures and the insights I receive.

AOG - Day 26

1- I am grateful for Thanksgiving Day and the opportunity we have to eat amazing food and to enjoy the time with family.

2- I am grateful that my mom feels safer when I drive then when my dad drives. He isn't a bad driver, but his cautious driving doesn't always make the rest of us in the car feel safe. I'm glad my mom lets me drive.

3- I am grateful for chocolate ice box cake. It is a divine dessert my mom makes every Thanksgiving and Christmas. I look forward to it every year!

AOG - Day 25

1- I am grateful I was able to spend some time with my sister today. We rarely get to have one-on-one time. It was fun to catch up on life.

2- I am grateful to be at home for a few days. It's nice to escape from school every once in a while.

3- I am grateful to have a nice warm bed to sleep in when I visit my parents. Long story on that one but I'll just say the couch used to be my bed. Not any more! :)

AOG - Day 24

1- I am grateful that my classes were cut short today!

2- I am grateful that between classes I was able to hang out with a good friend of mine.

3- I am grateful for the Thanksgiving dinner that I was invited to tonight. Yummy!

AOG - Day 23

1- I am grateful when a class is canceled that I didn't want to go to that day. Makes for a happy day when I am experiencing burnout.

2- I am grateful for people who make me laugh! The world is more fun when we make others laugh.

3- I am grateful for the ability to learn, grow, and change. The eternal mercy and grace that comes from the atonement humbles me and teaches me how to be a better person. It also teaches me the power of forgiveness...forgiving myself and forgiving others. What a powerful gift in my life!

AOG - Day 22

1- I am grateful for nine hours of sleep! Can you tell school has taken a toll on me? Getting sleep this weekend has helped me actually considering going to class this week.

2- I am grateful for good friends who talk with me through ideas and situations. Being in the RS Presidency has helped me more aware of the sisters in the ward; however those sisters seem to serve me more than I am able to serve them.

3- I am grateful for relaxing on the couch, listening to Christmas music, but really do nothing.

AOG - Day 21

1- I am grateful for ten hours of sleep! Blessed, blessed day!

2- I am grateful for fun times at the BYU football game but even more grateful for the warmth of my apartment after the game.

3- I am grateful for the beautiful music. I love the symphony and had the chance to hear Mahler's 2nd Symphony in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. Amazing!

AOG - Day 20

1- I am grateful for the service of others. One of my MBA friends sat and talked with me when I needed insights and perspective. This person was not someone I would have thought to seek advice from but he was just what I needed.

2- I am grateful my former students won their state champion football game! I am even more grateful that it was broadcast on TV so I could watch it. I still miss the interactions I have with my students.

3- I am grateful for relaxing nights after very long weeks. I was able to talk with my sister on the phone, watch my brother play football, talk briefly with my parents, then watch a couple of movies. It was so nice to just relax.

AOG - Day 19

1- I am grateful for random lunch breaks where I can catch up with friends not in the MBA program.

2- I am grateful for the few hours I had today to do laundry. Now I just need to find time to fold it.

3- I am grateful for compliments. It is always nice to know someone noticed the effort you took to look good for the evening.

AOG - Day 18

1- I am grateful my presentation went well.

2- I am grateful for my sisters who help me out in life. The listen to me, invite me on vacation with them, and one let me borrow all her kids pillows, blankets, and stuffed animals to help me with my presentation.

3- I am grateful for moments when I can forget about school and just relax.

AOG - Day 17

1- I am grateful for agency. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself (2 Nephi 2:16).

2- I am grateful for be willing to take risks in life. I don't risk my health or my safety. But I take a chance on people, on opportunities, on new ideas.

3- I am grateful for Jane Austen. As my sister's roommate once said, "Where's my Mr. Knightly?"

AOG - Day 16

1- I am grateful for the successful installation of Windows 7 and my friend who spent time on the phone helping me.

2- I am grateful for the Book of Mormon challenge our bishop gave us. As a ward we started our reading on November 1st and should finish by December 24th.

3- I am grateful for my bull-headed, risk taking, no regrets personality. I believe I have lived a better life because of it.

AOG -Day 15

1- I am grateful for ten hours of sleep! Apparently I was really tired.

2- I am grateful for the power of pondering. When I don't have answers to questions it helps to sit and write my thoughts down on paper. As I work through these, I come up with answers. Most of the time, I discover things I didn't realize.

3- I am grateful for needing help. Often I am too independent and try to do things on my own. It is good for me to rely on others for help.

AOG - Day 14

1- I am grateful for the beauty snow creates. Just add Christmas lights and its a bit of heaven on earth.

2- I am grateful for lazy days. It is nice to just have a day to relax and read a book.

3- I am grateful for pedicures and how nice and relaxing it makes me. Plus my feet look pretty now.

AOG - Day 13

1- I am grateful for beautiful music. Though I don't claim to have a singing voice at all, I appreciate the talents of others.

2- I am grateful for the ability to cook. Coming from a family of ten, I had many opportunities to cook for others. This skill has been beneficial in many ways.

3- I am grateful for my car. The poor thing is dying on me but it has endured with me through the years and many, many travels. These include Arizona, Northern California, Southern California, Las Vegas, and five years of commuting.

AOG - Day 12

1- I am grateful that I recognize when I'm being tired and irrational. Tonight I was feeling the effects of two short nights. On two separate occasions, I became jealous of two different girls. I had no reason to be jealous but that green monster started to creep inside of me. Gratefully, I had some sense left. I realized I was tired which was causing me to be irrational and pushed aside those jealous feelings...almost. :)

2- I am grateful for answered prayers. I heard in a RS lesson to prayer for specifics. Tonight I asked for three specific things. Two happened and I believe the other will come too.

3- I am grateful for my grandma. Grams is fabulous! I love talking with her on the phone and visiting her when I have a chance. I have sweet precious memories with Grams including feeding the ducks, walking along the golf course, getting ice cream, and having Rook tournaments. She truly is an amazing lady.

AOG - Day 11

1- I am grateful for warm blankets. I love cuddling up in a blanket and falling asleep on the couch. All I need now is a warm fire and Christmas music.

2- I am grateful for the five years I was a teacher. It has been so useful in many aspects of my life. I really hope I can find a job that combines education with business.

3- I am grateful we live in a technology age. It makes it easy to keep in touch with friends in Arizona, Japan, California, Ohio, Virginia, and England. So much fun!

AOG - Day 10

1- I am grateful for nine hours of sleep! Getting enough sleep sure makes it easier to handle the craziness that comes with being in MBA school.

2- I am grateful for the people in my teams at school. I have learned so much from those in the program especially those who I work with in teams.

3- I am grateful for my brother and sister-in-law. They invited me over for hot chocolate after my brother's intramural football game. It was fun to talk and laugh over hot chocolate. My new sister-in-law is a sweetheart and I am glad she is part of our family.

AOG - Day 9

1- I am grateful for home evening. I usually avoid singles ward home evenings for no reason in particular. I just do. Last night I went and enjoyed getting to know new people in my ward.

2- I am grateful for the friendships I have made while here in Provo. I have met so many great people that are in the MBA program with me. I will miss these people when I finally graduate.

3- I am grateful for Costco. I am definitely in the Costco love group.

AOG - Day 8

1- I am grateful for nieces and nephews. I am really glad they are old enough to play games that are fun for me too.

2- I am grateful for homemade food. Too often I rely on processed foods to help me as I run from one activity to another. A good home-cooked meal is greatly appreciated.

3- I am grateful for the little mistakes we make in life because they help us avoid the big mistakes that could come later if we didn't change after the little ones.