Utah

I am grateful that Jonathan and I have lived in Utah for the past two years. We have been able to go on many adventures and experience living somewhere new.

I look forward to our next move and hope to have more adventures with Jonathan.

Creativebug

I am grateful for Creativebug. It is a website that has a wide variety of creative classes. From sewing to painting to cooking. If it's creative, they have it!

I started taking classes earlier this month and it's fantastic! Their focus reminded me of a quote from General Conference a few years ago.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.

Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty"

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Everyone is creative in their own unique way. If something interests you, try it. Even if you are the only one that likes what you make, it doesn't matter.

Share

I am grateful for people who share their stories of heartbreak and disappointment. They help me make sense of my own story and give me more confidence to share it. Two that I especially love are Brittany Parker and Stephanie Nielson. I've been following along with Stephanie for years and love hearing her story of faith after her accident. I just started following Brittany about a month ago. Her husband suddenly died earlier this year. She is real with her struggles, but also shares hope in spite of her reality. They help me keep pushing forward, even when I don't want to.

J and E

This is something that I would not have said I was grateful for last year. I am grateful for my two wonderful children that I miscarried. It's not that I wasn't grateful for them last year, I just was not grateful for their abrupt departure. It's hard to talk about because I feel their loss so deeply even after so many years.

It doesn't look like it, but there are three people in this picture.
We took it the day before we found out we were pregnant
with baby E, though I was almost certain that I was.

I love them, but it has been painful trying and wanting to continue to face each day without them here with us. I know exactly how old they would be if we had kept them. J would be 3 and E would be 2. They would be in Nursery with us each and every week.

We went to the UVU baseball game to celebrate baby J's birthday this year.

This year we started celebrating their birthdays on their due dates. It made those days much happier than they have been in the past. It still wasn't easy, but it was so much better.

Last year we took a new Patterson family picture.
I made this necklace so J and E could be part of the picture.
I got the idea from Rachelle.

There are still many hard days that I am upset they aren't here with us, but I can hold fast to the covenants I made in the temple with Jonathan that bind our family for all eternity. They keep me anchored in my faith that heaven is real. I love them with my whole heart.

Marriage

I am grateful that Jonathan and I have created a marriage is safe. This didn't happen by accident. We have be very deliberate and thoughtful with our relationship from the beginning. We both understand our personal weaknesses and (thankfully) are extremely patient with others weaknesses.

Just last month, there were multiple people that were convinced we were still newly weds and they were stunned to hear that we have been married for so long. We are still in the newly wed phase even after going through some extremely difficult trials. It's because we are able to be our genuine selves with each other. It is incredibly freeing. I know that we are no where near finished and that more trials will come our way, but we have a strong foundation and can face whatever comes our way.

Firsts

I am grateful that after 5+ years of marriage, Jonathan and I still have "firsts". Earlier this month, we went on our first family camping trip.

It was not perfect, but it was still wonderful! I'll write a full post about the trip later.

Simply Beautiful

I am grateful for the beautiful and diverse world we live in.

It is a blessing to slow down and enjoy the beauty of the world.

Work It Out

I am grateful for the small gym at work. Thanks to Daylights Savings being over, I have an easier time getting up in the morning and can go to the office early enough to work out.

Parents

I am grateful that my parents. I wouldn't be the person I am today without them. They gave me room to grow and make decisions. I still look to them for counsel when I have bigger decisions because I know they truly want what is best for me.

I have so many of their qualities and I love that I can see them in myself. No matter how far away I am from them, they will always be with me.

Youtube

I am grateful for Youtube so I can watch all sorts of documentaries especially when I'm at work. I go through phases of what interests me. Currently, I am on an ancient history kick. It fascinating to learn about the rise and fall of various civilizations and understand different cultures a little bit better.

General Conference

I am grateful for General Conference and the uplifting messages that are shared. For the past few years, I have been really good about taking notes during Conference. 

Going back and reviewing them is a different story.

I am working on being better at that. One take away that has stuck with me is making Sacrament Meeting a more sacred experience. I want to have similar experiences in the chapel on Sundays that I have in the temple during the week. That means I need to be prepared and not let it become a common act in my life. As I sit in the chapel before church starts, I sit quietly and listen to the prelude music or read my scriptures. I'm not perfect at doing this, but I am doing better. That's what matters.

Instagram

I am grateful for Instagram and how it helps me feel a little bit more connected to my nieces and nephews. After growing up with Ryan and Tyler, it's been hard to be so far away from the kids. This helps give me a glimpse of who they are.

Coloring Time

I am grateful for coloring time. My sister gave me a coloring book and markers for my birthday and I love it!

I usually pull them out during the last hour or two of work. It really helps me relax and get my creative juices flowing.