I'm taking the lead from Cari who has decided to make November a month of Thanksgiving. Today I will list nine to catch up, then try to list one a day for the rest of the month. Maybe even the rest of the year.

Despite a rocky start, it has been a beyond-beautiful fall. The word beautiful doesn't do it justice. I have seen skyscapes that are so perfect they seem to pierce my soul with a longing for an eternal kind of beauty that my mind must not remember but my heart does.

The other day my lovely L~ was playing with my cell phone. She changed the name of my setting for when I'm not at work to this: the best mom. Given our relationship can be a bit rocky, something little like that goes a long way with me.

One of the things I love about my husband is the sneaky way he surprises me. Often it's just little things, but those are the things that keep me going. I had loaned out an important kitchen tool to a friend clear last spring. Then I forgot who had it. I tried desperately to get it back to no avail. The other night I'd worked hard all day putting the house back together. When I finally went to bed--well after midnight--there was the lost item, sitting in the middle of my pillow. He still won't tell me where he got it--and he knows it's driving me crazy--but that's part of the fun of it.

Z~ had an assignment to write a poem for his honors English class. He wanted me to read it. The subject was what he has learned from nature. It was a great poem, but the best part was the line comparing mother nature to one's own mother who loves her child even before birth. (I didn't do it justice, but it was beautiful).

I've been concerned about the youngest two kids, who seem to not be as invested in their own educations as I know is necessary. I was relieved to see L~ get all As and Bs except for the C+ in math and to hear her admit out loud that doing well in math will help her get into a good college and get a better-paying job someday. And today we learned that the youngest is smarter than he thinks he is and is doing great in school. Even better is the high marks he gets for citizenship. The way I see it that is one of the most important parts of his education. I'm also grateful that two years of having a challenging and positive experience at school is starting to make up for the year he did not.

Lately I've notice I am finally feeling better. In spite of the stress and disappointments of my job I feel better than I have in a very long time. Well, I still hurt from arthritis and carpal tunnel, but my knees are stronger and I think the treatment for sleep apnea is making a difference. When I get up in the morning I have energy I haven't known for some time and I am better able to keep on top of things at home. It's not perfect, but the improvement is significant and it impacts my life for the better.

Good friends are another bounteous blessing. Today at work one of my favorite co-workers told me I have "executive charisma." Wish I had a paycheck to go along with that, but it made me feel good nonetheless. Several times in the past months friends have shown up at my house with paint brushes in hand to help, taken in my neglected youngest children while we were occupied with the remodel and lifted my spirits when I was down. And those willing to hear me out about my struggles and feel my pain help make my road a little easier. I know I'm not alone and it means the world to me.

I have loved watching my oldest son get so much out of music--both choir and piano. I remember sitting at the piano at his age and pounding out my feelings to the soundtrack from Jonathon Livingston Seagull. His favorite is Aaron Waite's arrangement of "If You Could Hie to Kolob." It's beautiful and although I haven't played for years it makes me want to sit down at the piano again.

I am also thankful for the impact that my testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ has on my life. I do know I need to kick it up a notch, but the recent experience of helping a friend through some rough spots gave me some time to reflect on how deeply I know what I know. I am grateful for the truth and for having had an opportunity to share it with someone who needed to hear it from me. I need to do that more often I guess.