I have so many things to be grateful for!

At this time of the year, I think a lot about what I have and what I am grateful for. I wanted to publicly share my thoughts of what I am truly grateful for in my life!

1. The Gospel of Jesus Christ/Temples/Scriptures
2. Family
3. Education, which has allowed me to have a great job
4. Friends
5. Shelter, food, clothing
6. Great health
7. Car
8. Traveling, seeing the world
9. Pomegranate seeds
10. Instrumental music
11. Good books (fiction)
12. Crafts/Scrapbooking
13. Outdoors (camping, snowboarding, hiking, running)
14. Board/card games
15. Chocolate milk
16. Blankets
17. Pictures of loved ones
18. Movies
19. Laughter
20. Broadway musicals
21. Love

Temple Square lights!

My family took a trip up to see the lights on November 26th, which was also my dad's birthday. We had been up in Layton visiting his dad, who also shares his same birthday, fun huh! We bundled up and braved the cold, but I couldn't help but sneak a few pictures of the beauty of Temple Square! My family loves going to see the lights at Temple Square, it's a great family tradition.

I love this picture! The dark night sky against the lights from the temple spires and red trees!

Mom and Dad! Notice my moms cute sock monkey scarf she won at her work, she loves it!

Me and myself! Notice my 'Despicable Me' minion beanie! I had two people in the Temple Square Visitor Center ask if they could take a picture of my hat. Seriously, they all want my style!

The paper lanterns were beautiful, especially this one of Joseph and Mary on the donkey!

Happy Birthday Grandma Hardy!

It only happens once...my Grandma is celebrating her 88th birthday this year on 11-11-11! Happy Birthday Grandma, I love you so very much! I'm so glad you are here to celebrate your birthday with us. I know you've had a really tough past few months, but you are so strong and have put up with a lot from us! Thank you for all you have done for me in my life, you truly are one of my examples I've patterned my life after. My hero!

We are the Champions!

Yes, it's true, my recreation basketball team won the championship game last night! It's so refreshing to be on a winning team...finally! However, I managed to jam the ring and middle fingers on my left hand. I took the next out, found tape, and kept playing! They are the same fingers I jammed a few years ago, which required a splint for two weeks. I'm hoping I didn't do it that bad again! Ice, ibuprofen, and tape is my own nursing remedy right now.

An example of what I did...

The classic pose like when we were kids, basketball, kneeling and all! And once again, the tall ones stand in the back! Me!

Flash Storm in 13 minutes!

I was driving home from Target in Fort Union this afternoon when I noticed a nasty cloud hanging directly over downtown. I mean, wow, it was only casting its nastiness on downtown SLC! I wish I had my SLR camera with me, but I took what I had, took the next exit, found high ground at Church Hill Jr. High, and shot pictures of the flash storm! It was kind of a spontaneous thing for me to do, and I enjoyed it! This shot is looking out at downtown, north end of the Salt Lake Valley.

This shot is seconds later from the previous one, looking out at Murray, IMC Hospital area, the storm is on the move!

The south end of the valley, also taken at the same time as the previous two but you wouldn't think a nasty storm was headed its way with that beautiful sunshine and rays! The south doesn't even know what is coming...

This is what came! South end of the valley just a few minutes later! Seriously! Crazy, I know! I was sitting in my car, texting the awesome pictures to my mom to see when I looked up and saw the storm completely taking over the valley. I stepped out to take these pictures and got back in my car with snow!

South end of the valley, 30 seconds or so after previous picture!

This picture is looking out on downtown SLC. The storm is beginning to lighten up in the north!

Downtown SLC! A minute or so after the previous picture! This was quite the experience! I've never seen a storm move so fast and have such a drastic changes from picture to picture! From first picture to last, 13 minutes! I had a lot of fun capturing the moment and was glad I was at the right place at the right time!