I am thankful for...

I had already been working on this list, but due to recent events and holidays it seems more appropriate. So here's my list of 100 things I'm thankful for. (Don't feel obligated to read the whole thing.)

1. Brian. He has taught me how wonderful marriage can be, and how extremely happy I can be practically every moment of every day.
2. My job for being so flexible and paying well.
3. Being able to work full time and support our family so Brian can focus on school.
4. Being graduate/Having a degree.
5. Having the little extra money to go out to lunch occasionally.
6. Working close by my mom so we can go to lunch together.
7. Our apartment. Even though everyone complains that they're small and cinder block, I worked for Housing at USU so I'm totally used to it and I love ours!
8. My car so I can drive to work every day even though it guzzles gas.
9. That gas is down under $2 again!
10. That we live close enough to school that Brian can ride his bike.
11. That we live close to family (20 min).
12. That both our families live within a mile of each other, so we can usually visit both when we do holidays.
13. Extended family dinners - any reason to get all the cousins together is great.
14. How close I am with my cousins. I love that we would go out on group dates together & that we still get together now that we're married (though not as often as I would like).
15. My little sister Dani, because she reminds me of myself (in good and bad ways).
16. My little brother Brad, because he always gives me a hug and says he loves me when I see him, even though he'll be 17 in February and is too cool for that anymore.
17. My little sister Nat, because she allowed me to be her "twin" and relive high school when I needed to retreat and recover from life.
18. My little brother Phil, for always debating with me. We end up angry at each other half the time but we can be the best team as well.
19. My brother-in-law Adam for taking good care of my sister.
20. Brian's brothers because they allowed me to steal Brian.
21. Brian's mom because she raised a really wonderful son.
22. Brian's dad because he continues to be a good example for Brian.
23. My mom and dad for doing more for me than I can list. For teaching me to be responsible, to have faith, and for telling me when to leave. For loving me despite my mistakes.
24. My faith. It helps me through everything.
25. My Savior because He died and lives for me.
26. Our ward for welcoming us so quickly.
27. My calling - even though it terrifies me to teach, I do feel like I'm getting a little better at it.
28. Our neighborhood/court.
29. My country that allows me so many freedoms.
30. My love of writing so I can express myself.
31. Working with Housing at USU. I had a ton of great experiences and made some really good friends.
32. My sense of humor.
33. Ice cream - almost every kind. I'd eat it all the time if I could. (I'm craving Ben & Jerry's Half Baked at the moment.)
34. Molten Lava Cake - if you're ever at Chili's you have to get it.
35. OK, let's just say sweets in general.
36. My strong teeth - never had a cavity.
37. Health.
38. Thanksgiving. I love getting together with family and eating all that really good food.
39. Christmas. I love the reason we celebrate it and I love the time of year when people seem a little bit nicer.
40. All of my family traditions. I love all the things we do together for Christmas especially.
41. Warm clothes. It's one of the reasons I like winter, because I can wear warm cute clothes.
42. Manicures and Pedicures.
43. Restaurants - Winger's, Chili's, Zupa's, Red Robin. I love eating out and not having to cook.
44. Good Music. Music always seems to affect me deeper than anything else can.
45. Good books. After reading awful things at the U to get my degree I'm so grateful for the chance I have to read good clean literature.
46. Computers/My laptop.
47. The Internet.
48. My journals.
49. Pictures, because they help me remember all the good times.
50. Good Movies.
51. Good TV shows. I love Jon & Kate Plus 8. They have adorable kids and it helps me remember that if she can do it with 8 I can handle 5 someday.
52. My extended family. We have such great times together.
53. Airplanes. I love riding in them and I love travelling.
54. Hotels. I love to stay in hotels for a few nights.
55. The scriptures. I love when I'm reading and I think of a new understanding of a verse I've read before. The scriptures are great that way.
56. Conference. I love listening to the General Authorities and learning from what they have to say.
57. President Monson. I think he's a great man that loves the Lord.
58. Electricity.
59. Heat.
60. Clean water.
61. Razors. It's the nicest feeling to have smooth legs and soft sheets. And I don't mind it too much when Brian is clean-shaven as well. :)
62. Nail polish. My nails feel so much prettier when painted.
63. The library. It's a great thing to be able to go "rent" books instead of buying everything.
64. Cute shoes. I wasn't really into shoes before I got married, but I love finding cute shoes on sale now.
65. The gift I've been given to have the opportunity to have children. (No I'm not pregnant.) But I look forward to it every day.
66. The mountains. I miss them whenever I leave Utah.
67. Warm hot chocolate when it's cold outside. It's even better with ice cream in it.
68. The stars. Brian and I used to stop in Sardine Canyon on our way home from visiting Logan and just look at the stars for a few minutes. Very romantic.
69. "Movie Moments" Brian has always given me moments that seem like they could be in a movie, and as the former drama queen I am, I love every second!
70. My Ipod. I love being able to listen to my own music, or even books on CD.
71. The free furniture that we got for our apartment when we first moved in. It fit perfectly and filled up the entire front room.
72. Being able to hit the snooze button.
73. The days when I am able to complete everything at work quickly and correctly and my boss notices what a good job I've done.
74. That my parents were willing to get me braces, so now I have a great smile that I love.
75. Indoor plumbing. I hate camping for this reason especially.
76. Clean clothes. Another reason I hate camping.
77. The opportunity and beautiful places that we have available to go camping, even if I don't enjoy it like Brian's family does.
78. The times when I feel confident enough to sing out loud.
79. Pen & paper. Writing things on paper just feels so much better than on the computer.
80. The nights when Brian doesn't have to go back to school after dinner.
81. The scholarship Brian got that paid for his tuition this year.
82. The blessings that come from paying tithing. Even when money seems tight, we always seem to make it to the next paycheck.
83. How close I am to my brothers and sisters.
84. The similarities I have with my mom. She's a great woman and I'm thankful I'm turning out to be like her.
85. How creative Brian is. He makes things happen that I can only imagine.
86. That my mom taught me how to cross-stitch. It's a skill I'm grateful to have even though it makes me seem old-lady-ish.
87. Modern medicine.
88. Being able to play the piano.
89. My comfortable bed.
90. The jean quilt Brian made for me for Christmas the year we were engaged.
91. The Temple.
92. My best friend/twin Val, who helped me survive Middle School, High School, and College.
93. Heather, my first roommate in college, that I'm still friends with to this day.
94. Megs, the "good twin" roommate. We'll always have the Depot.
95. Anyone still reading this!
96. The house Brian will someday build for us.
97. The Relief Society.
98. Good hair days.
99. Cuddling. I love to cuddle with Brian as I fall asleep.
100. The times I know I've helped someone or made a difference in their lives.