The Letter "E"

~GratitudE~

Happy Thanksgiving!

I can't believe that it is Thanksgiving already! This post will complete 225 things that I am grateful for. 25 starting with each letter in the word gratitude. It has been a though provoking journey. It really made me stop and think about life and that even the little things are something to cherish and be thankful for.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful day of family, friends, good food, and memories!

Entertainment- movies, tv, plays, music, and the like.

Eurythmics- I OH SO loved them in high school. My son "Bones" didn't know who they were a few weeks ago and so I gave him a hard time. We immediately went and found some of my old Eurythmics/Annie Lennox music and remedied that situation :)

Elephants- It's not so much that I am a fan of elephants, but my child #4 is. He went through a phase where he was infatuated with them. Anytime I see an elephant, stuffed, real, or otherwise, I am reminded of his childhood fascination with them.

Eagerness- eagerness is such a good thing. It is a driving force.

Eggs- I do so love eggs. Eggs Benedict, scrambled, sunny-side up. I don't eat them very often, but I sure do enjoy them when I do.

Ears- I really think that hearing the sounds around us, even the little things, is something I never gave much thought. Ever since I found out that my youngest child is deaf in one ear, it has brought a new perspective to me on how lucky those of us who have been blessed with our hearing are.

Earnings- no matter how meager or how large they may be, any amount of $ we earn is something to be grateful for.

Earth- this crazy spinning rock is full of laughter, memories, and millions of people making their way through each and every day.

Easy- sometimes isn't life just so great when you get a chance to press the easy button now and again?

Eavesdropping- Okay, so this may sound strange. . .but I have a habit of eavesdropping on the tables around us when we go out to dinner on Saturday nights. Sometimes the conversations are so hilarious! It is fun to see what other people have to say and listen in for just a bit. Not in a malicious way, just a curious way ;)

Ebony- I really do love the color black.

Eccentric- Johnny Depp is eccentric and I do love him. I love people who are willing to live their life exactly how they want, for them, not for anyone else.

Enchiladas- YUM!

Echo- reminds me of being a kid and finding a place where you could hear your echo and standing there and listening to it over and over and over. . .

Eclipse- Yes, the Twilight kind and the other kind too :)

Edgy- I think it is a good thing to be a little bit edgy now and again.

Edible- There are many yummy edible things out there, both healthy and unhealthy to be grateful for.

Edifying- A good book, a good church service, a good class, learning something new.

Education- I have had a long journey on my road to education. 6 years to my AS degree and about 4 so far working toward my BS degree. It is a long process, but you know what? No matter how long it takes, at least at some point I will graduate. I think that education is a life long pursuit, one that should never have a destination, only a journey.

Elf- CHRISTMAS!

Efficiency- Sometimes I get frustrated with how my kids clean their rooms or how people do things, then I remind myself that being efficient means different things to different people, and that is okay.

Eggnog- reminds me of the holidays.

Eight- the number eight has always been my favorite number, couldn't tell you why, just has.

Elders-I am so thankful for the Elders in the mission field who are out there giving up their time for their beliefs. I only hope that one day soon, my oldest son will feel the same way I do.

Electricity- duh! Need I say why? :D

The Letter "D"

~GratituDe~

Here are my 25 things starting with D that I am grateful for. I cannot believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving! I haven't even been to the grocery store yet! I guess I better get my list made and go :)

Dads- I have a great dad and my hubby is an amazing dad. A great dad is so important!

Dinner- Family dinners are the best.

Date Night- My hubby and I have a tradition. Saturday nights are reserved for date night. The kids have pizza night and we go out with just the two of us. I look forward to it every week :)

Desert- My kids were all born in the desert. We live in the desert. It is our home. We refer to our children as Desert Rats because they can't handle being cold.

Dessert- One of my favorite things about eating out is the YUMMY dessert!

Daisy- I love flowers!

Dogs- I am not grateful for dogs for me, but for my son "Bones". He is a true dog lover.

Dancing- Dancing in the rain, dancing because you are happy, dancing like no one is watching.

Daughter- I only have one and we think she is pretty special. Not sure what we would do without her.

Desire- Some of the greatest accomplishments come from the desire to try.

Desk- I am grateful for my desk. Most of the time it is a cluttered mess, but it is where I study, where I learn, where I create.

Destination- I love traveling and going to a new destination. Exploring all of the places out there in the world is so fascinating to me!

Discovery- Discovering and learning new things, how great is that?

Delicatessen- Eating lunch out with family or friends or even by myself. I don't know why, but I LOVE going out to lunch.

Daiquiri- Baskin Robbins Daiquiri flavored ice cream, YUM!

Doctors- Thank goodness that there are people out there willing to go to school to become doctors, nurses, surgeons.

Deals- Like the kind you get on Black Friday! :D

Dandelions- I remember as a kid when the dandelions would go to seed and we would pick them and close our eyes and make a wish and blow the seeds up into the air.

Decaffeinated Diet Coke- I don't drink pop much anymore, but I am SO glad that there are a few restaurants out there that actually have decaff-diet coke when I do want one! :)

Decorating- I LOVE decorating things. My house, my Christmas tree, etc.

Dreams- where would we be without hopes and dreams?

Dollars- it is always fun to have a few dollars in your pocket to spend on something that you want :)

Dirty- I don't like it when it is referring to my house; however, when it is referring to my kids face because they have been outside playing with friends and digging in the dirt and exploring or because they have eaten something so delicious that it is all over their face, then dirty isn't such a bad thing ;)

Daffodils- It's that flower thing again!

Depp- As in the Johnny variety ;) He was just voted the sexiest man alive this month by People Magazine! I LOVE LOVE LOVE him as Captain Jack Sparrow.

The Letter "U"

~GratitUde~

This could get pretty interesting. Here are my 25 things that I am grateful for starting with the letter U.

Umbrella- every year at the scrapbook expo, it rains on us. Thank GOODNESS for our umbrellas. Not to keep us dry, to keep our scrappy supplies dry!

Umpire- wouldn't want to be one, but glad to have them. I think that my family could use an umpire for family game nights.

Unicorn- they remind me of when my sister was little. She had a unicorn room. Childhood memories :)

Unicycle- I have always wanted to learn to ride one.

Ukulele- Reminds me of Maui, one of my all time favorite places to visit.

Up!- LOVED that movie! I cried several times. It was so cute!

Uncles- for mine, for those who are my kids. Uncles are great!

Utensils- much better than eating with my hands.

Underwear- Do I really need to explain?

Understanding- isn't it great to find someone who is completely understanding? They are the type of people that you want for friends.

Unpack- I LOVE to unpack because it means I have just returned from a trip!

Unusual- Unusual is much better than normal :)

Unfold- Isn't it fun to watch how life unfolds?

Urge- The urge to do something fun. The urge to do something exciting. The urge to be creative.

University- I am HOPING to be a college grad someday before my 100th birthday :D

USA- Glad I live in the land of the free.

UGH!- Sometimes there is no better word to explain how I am feeling.

Ugly Duckling- It reminds us of the beautiful swan that can be found inside everyone.

Ultimate- Ultimate meal, ultimate dance, ultimate experience. Things that have ultimate in front of them sound so much more special.

Underground- When I was in high school, I was so into the "Underground" music scene, etc. Oh sweet memories.

Unique- I LOVE being the only me there is.

Umbilical Cords- memories of the births of all 5 of my kids.

Ultra- Ultra glam, ultra modern, ultra cool, ultra fun, things sound super ultra cool with ultra in front of them.

UFO- The thoughts of UFO's used to scare me when I was a kid. They don't anymore, but UFO's remind me of a really good book I read called The Way Station. Even though I am not into Sci Fi, it is a GREAT book!

Uber- One of my favorite designers, David Bromstad, uses this word all the time. I think it would be UBER cool if he came and designed my house for me! :) I can dream, right???