Thankful, Part 2

 6. I am thankful for General Conference. I learned a lot when I watched in October, but I am learning even more now that my conference Ensign has arrived. For the past few weeks, I have been reading and studying conference talks during my 30 minute lunch break (instead of reading and pondering CNN.com). The result of my mid-day conference break has been a much more zen attitude during my afternoon classes.

In related news, the kidlets in my afternoon classes are also EXTREMELY thankful that I am reading general conference talks at lunch. They like conference-zen Miss H much better than cranky, news-consuming Miss H.

#7. I am thankful that I got to spend the weekend playing with every single one of my niblets when our family invaded Jenny and John's home. 

#8. And I am extremely thankful for the reason we all invaded Jenny and John's house: Bentley's 12th birthday and ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood. 

#9. I am all kinds of thankful that my New York brother and his super hero wife are going to have a baby this spring. I was very excited when Spence called to tell me that they are having a girl...which makes my nicknaming responsibility very easy: She shall be called Buffy, the Buffalo Baby.

#10. I am so very thankful for my FHE group. This week we had an early Thanksgiving dinner and a wonderful lesson on gratitude.

#10. I am thankful for my friend Valerie and her family. 

...and not just because she left a jug of her hubby's home-pressed cider on my desk this afternoon. I am also very grateful that Val does all sorts of nice things for me... like watching Downton Abby with me, and going to craft fairs with me, and listening to me complain on the days I read CNN.com at lunch instead of general conference talks.

#11. I am Thankful for adventurous and persistent kidlets. When I started spouting nonsense about having an adjective beauty pageant, they could have rolled their eyes and waited for me to lose interest. Instead, they made sure I followed through by doing things like this...

#12. And thanks to the creativity and perseverance of those kidlets, I am now also thankful for Adjective Beauty Pageants. 

#13. And (even though I am still cranky that it has taken so long) I am very thankful that there will be three new episodes of Sherlock this January.