Something to be THANKFUL for!

My A, B, C's of Thankfulness! 

A – I am so grateful for Apple! I LOVE my MacBook just as much as I did the day I bought it two years ago! It works great and does everything I need it to.

B – I am so grateful for my brown eyes. Some days its really hard for me to look into the mirror and to be happy with what I see. Sometimes I close my eyes so tight, hoping that if I open them I might be 50 lbs lighter and be happy with what I see. Yeah, no such luck. But what I do see are these two beautiful brown eyes starring right back at me. Not just like brown – brown; my eyes are like a wonderful almond cocoa brown. And when I feel down I just close them really tight and when I open them…. There they are.  B is also for BLOGGING. I think of the word blogger and I just don’t see myself as a blogger. Now, if you are talking about a “Blogg-e” I could go as far as to call myself a “Blogg-E” [get it… blogger without the R… okay maybe I am not that funny.] But I am grateful for the fact that blogging makes me have to sit down and physically write down what is going on in our lives. Days and weeks and sometimes even months go by way to FAST and that’s where blogging comes in. It give me a very informal way [yet organized; which if you know me is a must.] of keeping family history … Funny to think that one day my kids will be looking back through my blog posts and learning a lot about their little old mom and dad. WEIRD! But it is definitely something I want they to be able to have. Something more tangible, something more then just story shared at bed time or around a camp fire, something I never had a kid.

C – I am so grateful for my little Chubby! It doesn’t matter what is going on or what I am doing Tucker, aka Chubby, Noggin, Fatty, Noodle, etc will brighten any day. He LOVES his family so much. For me, it’s the little things that Tucker does that makes my heart HELT such as; rest his head on your lap as you pet him, drinking out of the toilet [yes, this little man drinks out of the toilet] snuggling with you in bed just as your alarm goes off (he knows when the alarm goes off one of us is generally going to move... which means the littke stinker will steal our warm spot!) but most of all his big huge brown eyes starring at you. How can you not love that?

D - I am so grateful for dog treats and dog bones! Every morning before Thomas and I leave for work it is a must that Tucker gets a dog treat. Once a week he gets a huge bone that generally lasts him all week and then on other days Tucker “shows us” which treat he wants [aka – stands on his hind feet and barks until we unzip the Beggin’ Strips bag and give him one.]  I think we do it every morning because a little bit of us feels bad that we are leaving him home alone. Either way I guess when he’s 100 lbs; we’ll know why.

E - I am so grateful for EMILY. We have such a special relationship…. She is my shopping buddy, sleep over pal, dishes do-er, stuco president and awesome puppy bath giver.  Thomas and I really, really enjoy the nights when Emily will come over and spend the night and then the next morning we love waking up and going to get our traditional fresh donuts! She’s never too cool or too busy to hang out with her brother and sister.

F - I am so grateful for FALL. This is my favorite time of the year. I love waking up in the morning and being so snuggled into my blankets. This is mine and Thomas’ first falling – living together. And boy do we have different preferences. He’s a whimp when it comes to the cold and we will just leave it at that. [Love you honey!] I am also gratful for FAMILY. "We may not have it all together.... but together we have it all." 

G- I am so grateful to be a GODFREY.  I used to tease Thomas about the fact that after we were married I wasn’t going to change my name. I was going to stay a “Benites.” He didn’t think I was funny. But I have to say…. I like the change being a “Godfrey” has brought to my signature! Goofy I know.  G is another duo – I am also grateful for GOLDEN SPOON! Yuummm!

H - I am so grateful for hugs. At the end of a long day there isn’t anything better than a HUG from my honey to ease away the stress from the day. I am a huggy kind of person and I think that a hug can say a WHOLE lot. I miss getting hugs from some pretty special people who used to be in my life a whole lot more often but are thought about all the time.  Chelsey Evans, one of my closest friends, gives the BEST hugs. *this is going to sound so cheesy* but when I hug Chels its like our spirits are hugging too. It’s such a warm and beyond comforting experience. Experiences that I long for and miss so much. But needless to say.... Say YES to HUGS not DRUGS. (lol)

I - I am so grateful for incredible co-workers! (I for incredible… you like that? Ha Ha) I have been blessed to work with (and have worked with) some pretty amazing people. I have had 2 really great supervisors and a handful of peers who have influenced my life and career more than I know. Time changes things but I am so grateful to be able to go to work each day and LOVE the people I spend a majority of my time with. They sure do make the job a whole lot easier!!

J - I am so grateful for my JOB. I posted recently about how much I love working for Wells Fargo and I couldn’t have said it better. So, J is simple; I am so grateful for my JOB.

K - I am so grateful for kiddos! Not of our own but for those really special kids in our lives whom Thomas and I have the pleasure of babysitting from time to time. They give us just enough of a baby fix to keep us in check! Thomas would want me to add that he is indeed grateful for Cooper and Connor Camp, those boys keep Thomas young! And, of coarse Maddie and Brock Gertsch.  They are the closest things we have to the real deal and we like it that way!

L - I am so grateful for the words “I Love You….” I don’t think you can ever hear them, say them or express them enough! When was the last time you said I love you? If you cant remember… do it now.

M - I am so grateful for my MOM. She is such a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful person. Words can’t even begin to describe how thankful I am for her. I don’t know where I would be without her.  Also… my mother-in-law is a pretty special lady too! I couldn’t have asked for a better one! She is always thinking of me and surprises me with all sorts of stuff all the time. I am lucky to have her in my life too!

N - I am so grateful for NANA and Papa! I could go on for days about all the wonderful and outstanding things Nana (and Papa) do for us but I am going to leave that for another post.

O - I am so grateful for OUR HOME. For a while I struggled with calling it “home” because to me home isn’t home without my mama. But.. as I have settled into those walls and make it our own… it is nothing less than a HOME now.

P - I am so grateful for cell PHONES. It sickens me to say that I would have no idea where I would be without mine but lucky for me we have fabulous phones. Thomas and I just upgraded and boy oh boy are we lucky! We have matching Driod phones that can do anything and everything. We LOVE them! Also, without cell phones it would make having my best friend living out of state a whole lot worse than it can be at times. Don’t get me wrong some days are worse then others but it is so nice to be able to coordinate schedules and make time to talk to one another. Also, TEXTING! Simple yet meaningful! What wonders the power of a few words in a text message can be when you receive it at just the perfect moment.

Q - I am so grateful for our queen size bed. Random, yes. But Thomas and I talk about it all the time and some nights it can get a bit squishy between Tucker and the two of us and all 6 of our pillows but at the end of the day we know we will look back on these days and be grateful for the closeness it brings to the two, I mean THREE of us.

R - I am so grateful for relationships. I chose to use this term very specifically. I didn’t pick F for Friendships or mention my Dad for D because I think that at the end of that day I am truly grateful for ALL of the many, many, many relationships I have with all sorts of people. I have some of the best friends in the entire world and without them and our relationships life wouldn’t be as wonderful as it is. Also, in terms to relationships… I am grateful for the relationship me and my dad now have. While I was growing up and in high school things got pretty rocky occasionally.  Moving out my own how those makes our daddy daughter bond so much stronger! I love missing my daddy and coming home just to see him. I love how much he LOVES my husband and how he spoils his grand-pup. So, as I said before… things change and time goes on but relationships are for forever.

S - I am so grateful for SISTERS. I have 3 of the best sisters a girl could wish for. Missy is going to be a best friend here pretty soon… once she is married and gone I think things will change between the two of us and will only make our friendship stronger. We don’t always see eye to eye on things but there is one thing we won’t change… and that’s being sisters. Emily… well Emily is Emily and I love her in our own little way! And last but not least my fabulous sister in law. Krista and I have gotten a lot closer this year and I am go thankful for her and our friendship! I love hearing all the juicy details that are going on in her life and being able to have special girl days and pedicure nights. But above all I love that she is ALWAYS there. Whether it’s a phone call or text message; she is always just “one” away.

T - I am so grateful for …… THOMAS. Thomas is the best husband I could have ever picked for myself. He is smart, sometimes funny, helpful, kind, thoughtful, loving and incredibly handsome! I love being able to wake up next to him every single morning and snuggle next to him every single night. His love and support make be a better person. Today and for always I am thankful for you T.  I am also thankful for Tucker, and I didn’t forget him. See “C”. And... just one more T... I am gratful for the temple. I love the peace and clarity it brings into both of our lives and our marriage. I love being able to spend and evening there with my wondeful husband, dressed in our whites, doing service. 

U - I am so grateful for unity. Thomas and I really make such an AWESOME team. We both support each other 100%. There aren’t many decisions we make without consulting the other person even as simple as which kind of pasta to cook. Some people think it is stupid and uncalled for having to “ask or get permission” from their spouse but that’s not how Thomas and I see it at all. We ask or make sure it would be okay with the other person because at the end of the day what Thomas does affects me and vise versa. We pride ourselves and our relationship on being united and always putting “US” first.

V - I am so VERY grateful for the holidays and being able to spend time with family and friends.

W - I am so grateful for Wells Fargo! 

X - I am so grateful for XMAS! I love his season and being able to think of others instead of ourselves.

Y - I am so grateful for yesterday(s). I think about “yesterdays” a lot and one thing I am always grateful for is the fact that we are still here on this Earth being tested and tried. I am also thankful that we are able to always do better tomorrow.

Z - I am so grateful for ZUMBA! Zumba is still really new to me but oh my gosh – I LOVE IT! I love going with Vanessa each week and feeling a different part of my body burn and ache the next day! For those who haven’t tried it… I would totally recommend it!