I am grateful that we can have good libraries. It is so nice to be able to get new books and movies and music from the library instead of having to buy everything. I am a huge fan of the library, especially for kid stuff. It is also reall fun to have a library branch within walking distance.

I'm grateful that I could get all the laundry folded. The kids didn't even try to unfold everything all that much. Hooray!

I love making Max laugh. It really is quite easy, but it is so gratifying. Today, I was putting a block on my head, "sneezing" and letting the block fall. He thought it was hilarious. We played that game (with Chris, too, of course) for almost half an hour. Max laughed so hard every single time. It was so much fun.

I also really like having Chris play with Max and make him laugh. We 've been washing all the sheets on the beds, and the boys love to jump on the bed after the sheets are changed (off or on) and sing Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. They both get really into it and jump their hearts out. We've played it so much, my arms are quite tired.

I am grateful for good friends. Liz invited us over for lunch today, and getting out of the house and spending some time with friends made a huge difference in my kids' behavior. Chris was so wiped out that he even took a nap. Miracle of miracles!

I am also grateful that we heard from our house lady today. It sounds like we will talk about all the details for the contract on Saturday and get everything taken care of. Hooray! I can't wait to plan out where everything will go and how to decorate.

I'm grateful that the weather has turned and we have been able to spend so much time outside. It has been really fun walking to the library and playing at parks again. I love just being able to go outside and feel the sun's warmth.

I'm grateful that Chris is starting to show signs of being polite without any promptings. Yesterday, he said to some friends, "Thank you coming to my house," and he has been saying please and thank you often all on his own. I'm so proud of him!

I'm grateful that we were able to get to the grocery store and that we have milk again. Hooray!

I'm also grateful that I now have pants that are way too big. It's really nice to see that I have lost weight instead of just hoping and wishing.

I'm glad that preschool is so much easier to run when I have prepared adequately. I'm really glad that I could find enough toilet paper rolls to make Curious Georges.

I know that I haven't posted anything that I am grateful for in a long time. This does not mean that I have not been feeling grateful because it has been quite the opposite. I have faced many situations that have made me ponder on my life and what I am grateful for.

I had the opportunity to go to Alicia's wedding in Seattle. First of all, I am so glad that Ryan had me go. It was wonderful to get away from my routine and to be around some of the best people I know. I feel so lucky to have been able to go. I absolutely love Alicia and Stephanie and Lindsay; they are such fun, strong women and it is so good for me to be around them. They truly helped rejuvenate my spirit in the short amount of time I was around them.

Along the same vein, I am so grateful for all the conversations that I was able to have with Lindsay. I love talking to that girl because she brings a fresh perspective to so many issues. She is a modern, independent woman but still keeps herself grounded. Her example really caused me to think of the role of our Savior as an advocate because I felt like she was mine that weekend. And Max's. Plus, she showed me one of the best examples of honesty that I've seen in quite some time. We had parked in a parking lot to go to Gameworks but then decided that we were not going to stay. We were parked in the lot less than 15 minutes, so we were hoping we wouldn't have to pay the $7 it charged. The attendant told Lindsay to write on her ticket that the movie we were going to see had sold out and then he could let us go without charging us. This is something that I would have gladly done not to pay seven bucks; Lindsay on the other hand told the attendant that she wouldn't write that since it was not true and that she would rather pay the $7. What a tremendous example of maintaining principles even with the little things and for keeping perspective on what is important.

The next weekend, Ryan and I took the kids to visit St. Louis. Amazingly enough, we found the perfect place to live, and I think that we will be able to live there (keeping my fingers crossed still). On that Friday afternoon, we looked at SEVERAL places that had very obvious faults and problems including safety hazards, train tracks, no closets, scary neighborhoods, etc. On our last appointment of the day, which was almost cancelled, we found our potential house. We have sent in our application and we are waiting for the contract. I am so grateful that we were able to find something that fits our price range, timeline, and family situation even though it is pretty early to be looking for housing. I am extemely grateful.

Last weekend was General Conference, and today we had Stake Conference which was a regional broadcast. So, we have been able to listen to the prophet two weekends in a row. That doesn't happen very often, and I feel very lucky to live in a time when we can sit in the comfort of a home or church and listen to our prophet and church leaders.

I am grateful that Chris has been doing so well with potty training. He basically has it down now. He is even putting his underwear and pants back on himself most of the time. Most of the time his underwear is on backwards, but I think I may like that even more than if he did it the right way. It's just so cute.

I am grateful that Max's teeth have cut through and that he is subsequently much happier and pleasant. I am also glad that he can crawl now and likes to himself around.