BLESSED

November has been a month to reflect on gratitude. Turns out there is a multitude of blessings in my life. Which I knew already. But when you take the time to write them out, the magnitude of it all is overpowering.
In no particular order, I am grateful for:
my unique personality ~ my handsome, supportive, loving, respectful, amazing husband ~ four healthy little ones with their own unique personalities ~ my wonderful parents ~ fabulous in-laws that I consider to be family as much as my family ~ my family (just blanketing it so I don't drag this post on forever) ~ the world's best friends, old and new ~ an amazing ward that has welcomed us since day one ~ the greatest neighbors on the planet ~ a home. not perfect, but it is a wonderful place ~ my health. being a celiac is a con, but being a runner is a pro. balanced ~ the continual forward movement with gluten free products ~ not having pain ~ perfect pregnancies and deliveries that were free from complications ~ being able to stay home to raise my children ~ graduating from ASU, even if my degree is collecting dust ~ photography. didn't predict this direction, but I love it ~ my new-found love for running ~ being OCD. hard sometimes, but being super organized is the only reason I can do all that I do ~ my ability to learn and master [most] new skills with ease ~ my love of geography and culture. I see the world differently than most ~ the depth of my feelings. I use to hate the intensity, but I have learned that I am extremely compassionate for those I care for ~ adoption ~ the life I have been given.

There really is so much more, but I don't want to go on and on. I thought about adding "hot chocolate" and "peppermint kisses" because I am grateful for such silly, random things, too. But in all seriousness, the blessings listed above have been on my mind a lot lately. And I felt I had to express my deepest gratitude. I have a wonderful life.

MICHIGAN DAY SIX

Church and back to the Musson farm before our evening flight.



So. The gate was open. And my cousin just plowed right through the weeds and brambles to the back door. Turns out, the door was kicked in, so we had ourselves an adventure at the old Musson farm. Poor house is in complete ruin.


My cousin and I got a picture just like this seven years ago when we came out for out great grandmother's funeral. Minus the babies.

MICHIGAN DAY FIVE

Holland, Michigan to see the Holland Farmer's Market and DeKlomp's Delftware & Wooden Shoe Factory.

MICHIGAN DAY FOUR

Pedicures and the funeral.

GRANDFATHER

Today is my grandfather's funeral for which I have been asked to give the eulogy. Dear heavens... Wish me luck. My grandfather's senior picture. He was quite the looker in his day.

MICHIGAN DAYS ONE - THREE

MICHIGAN DAY ONE:
*Arrive and get situated.

MICHIGAN DAY TWO:
*Funeral stuff.

MICHIGAN DAY THREE:
*Adventuring.

















My least favorite moment so far. Swerving to avoid an oncoming car that was veering into my lane, thus causing me to drive over a curb. Turns out that the Chevy Sonic has 2 inches of clearance down below, so I cracked a pan and all the transmission fluid leaked out. I never knew a vehicle so small could leak so much liquid. Saving grace: it happened in the hotel parking lot, so I was not stranded in backwoods Michigan. But everyone is safe and I am now rocking a Nissan Versa. Ugh.

RELAXATION

I don't even know what this word means, so how can I talk about it?!
I am in my hotel room in Michigan. Lights are off. Baby is sleeping. Yet I still feel the need to go 100 miles per minute. I really can't shut this part of my personality off. Ever. I have a photo board to arrange for the funeral. I have a million blog posts that need to be written. I have a camera that needs to capture everything in this tiny town. I have to shop. I have to organize. I have to go, go, go, go. I have just as many events as obligations ON VACATION that I would otherwise have if I were at home. Though I am here for my grandfather's funeral, I plan to made use of the extra time back East to visit with people I haven't seen in ages. A sweet friend and an awesome uncle. Every day will be full of doing this or that. And I wouldn't have it any other way. So even though I should use this time away from [most of] my kids to relax and unwind, I probably won't. Let's be honest. Relaxation is not a word in my vocabulary. The closest thing to it that I know is laziness. And I refuse to be lazy.

As tempting as it is to just sit for a minute in this dark room, the baby is stirring and this tiny town is calling my name...

FAMILY

Howell, Michigan. Where my family is from. Where my ancestors are buried. Where my roots lie. I have never lived there myself, but I have visited enough to call it home. Catching frogs. Outrunning a tornado. Swimming in lakes. Watching the Amish. Riding wooden roller coasters. Tasting cantaloupe shaved ice. Seeing wild turkey. Eating cherry pie. Visiting Spag's.
I love Howell. And I look forward to returning next week. Pictured above is my mother, my late grandfather, and my late great-grandfather (my grandfather's FIL, not his own father).

OVERLOAD

Yup. It's Thursday again. And I am just now posting my Wednesday what.
You'll have to excuse me. November is my overload month. 6 photo shoots, plus OUR family photos. 2 family get togethers. 2 Thanksgivings. 1 Pinterest party for Relief Society. 1 funeral in Michigan. 1 5k to run. 1 birthday to celebrate. Parties. Showers. And everything else in between. Really. This month may kill me. But strangely, I like the stress of a full plate. Going nonstop exhausts me, but I love the sense of accomplishment that comes with it. And so far, everything has been falling into place perfectly. The only thing to suffer so far is a little housework and the blog. So I apologize if my house isn't its normal level of clean or if I miss a post or two this month. I am trying my best to do it all.