Day 10: Shari

I was lucky enough to meet Shari many years ago in Portland, Oregon. We were assigned to be missionary companions for 6 weeks. You know how there are some people that you just know you were meant to meet? Well Shari is one of those people for me. We instantly hit it off and worked together so well. We got along great, we had so much fun together, we were successful in our teaching and created great relationships with the people in the area.

Shari has a way of making others around her happy. It's instant too! Her unwavering faith and independence is powerful. She treats everyone like they are her most favorite person and she's 100% genuine about it. She has a great work ethic and desire to be devoted to her beliefs.

I am grateful for the friendship we created long ago. Although I never get to see her, I look back at those times and instantly smile. She has changed me, who I want to be, and who I know I can be. I believe it was her birthday last week too. So Shari, thanks for all you have taught me, Happy Birthday!

Day 9: Meg

I'm grateful for my friend Meg. It was her birthday last night and we celebrated with dinner at Cosi, seeing New Moon, followed by Cherry Chip Cake at her place. It was really fun to get together with friends and enjoy girly things.

Meg is another one of those girls that is very considerate. She always checks in to see how everyone is doing and seems to remember names and details about people so well. I'm impressed by how out going she is, she's always making friends and planning the next get together. Did I mention she's the friend who also does my hair? Well she does and I love it! I love being able to get together and chat too while getting my hair done.

Meg has a great way of handling hard things. She's always smiling and relying on her faith. She's brave in that regard and I really admire it. We've been able to share some similar pains over the last year and it's really be so great to have someone like her to share some of it with.

Sorry I stole this picture of you Meg off of your blog, but I think you look darling in it. I'm grateful for you very much and hope you had a great birthday.

Day 8: Corie

Apparently I'm really bad at keeping up this whole "I'm grateful for..." thing I've been trying to do. I'm actually kind of sad about it because it's a great idea. I'm just too much of a slacker to actually get it done. Does that prove how grateful I actually am? I hope not.

Anyway, today I am grateful for my friend Corie. Corie is funny and always looking out for others. She always wants to make sure that everyone is taken care of and that no one is offended or left out. As a result, she always makes sure I'm okay and checks in to see if there is anything I need. She's always willing to discuss with me anything good or bad that's going on in my life. Another thing I really admire about Corie is that she always wants to do what's right. She has a genuine desire to be a good person and make right choices in her life. We all need examples that her!

It was Corie's birthday this last week. We babysat their newborn so her and her husband could go out on a hot date, just the two of them. When they returned we celebrated with a variety of Weight Watcher desserts (she's trying to loose the baby weight, and I was trying to be supportive).

I'm grateful to have Corie as a friend and to share the joys of being married to medical students together. I hope there will be lots more fun in the future.

Kim is going to be a Wolverine

Kim (Peter's sister) was offered a full ride scholarship to Utah Valley University to play basketball for next year. We are so proud of her! She has put in a lot of hard work over the years. Yesterday she signed her National Letter of Intent at school with her friends, family, school faculty, and the local newspaper. It was really neat seeing how excited everyone was and to see such hard work receive such a great reward.
We are excited to be able to go watch her play in the future. Peter is especially excited to have to purchase UVU apparel in the future.

Busch Gardens Weekend

I mentioned previously that we went to Busch Gardens in Williamsburg for Halloween this year. It's such a beautiful park nestled in the lush trees of Williamsburg. We went with our friends Chris and Leigh and had a great time. The rides were amazing and the decor and haunted houses for Halloween were so good. I think this most definitely needs to be a annual trip.

Day 7: Shwa

This is my little brother, Shwa (Josh). I am grateful he is my brother. I'm grateful for the example of honesty, humility, and spirituality he has provided. He is so darling and doesn't even know it. He's one of those boys that lots of girls have crushes on and he is clueless that anyone has ever had a crush on him.

I admire most about my brother his desire to do what is right. He has great faith and tries always to follow promptings he receives from Above. He takes seriously the scriptures and the teachings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

He loves his family, supports others, and is always up for playing games. He shows his love for me most often by putting his arm around me or trying to wrestle me! He has a way of making people around him happy. He has an eye for seeking out someone in need and loving them as if he's always known them. And he can always cheer me up with a Ricky Martin impersonation. It's unreal!

Day 6: PETER

I, of course, am very grateful for my husband. He is funny and smart and sensitive. He has provided me with so much love and comfort over the last few years I have known him. I will say, he is more loving, supportive, and kind than I ever knew he was when I married him.

I am grateful that he supports me, thinks I'm funny, and doesn't think I'm (too) crazy. This week he has taken especially good care of me, which even included the sweetest love note he has ever given me. He expects excellence of everyone and always tries to improve himself, which I love! He is one of those people that others gravitate to and easily befriend. He's witty and fun and I love him.

Cheers to Peter!