100 Things I'm Thankful For

 1. My Jesus - the longer I walk this road of faith, the more thankful I am for the hope and peace my salvation in Him gives me.

2. Living in a country where I am free to go worship at a church of my choosing with absolutely no fear of persecution 

3. My dad - always there when the chips are down and loves all the llamas I watch as much as they love him

4. Dusty Grace - this ball-playing pup is truly a gentle soul when it comes to the llamas dressing her up or using her for a step stool or falling over on her. She really is Nana from Peter Pan

5. Katy Joy - misses me like crazy when I leave the house for even 30 seconds and gets so excited every day when the llamas come

6. Bruce Jenner - interestingly enough, he's become more affectionate and personable since getting Walter. He's such a big fella but has lots of love to give lately

7. Walter - This hairball of a kitten has brought so much laughter and fun to our llama herd 

8. Fresh chicken eggs

9. Iced raspberry mochas

10. A warm and cozy bed

11. Eowyn - forever the oldest of my llamas and is growing up too fast. From losing teeth to sharing all that she's learning in school, she sees and notices everything around her

12. Lizzie - such a tender and gentle heart with a sassy attitude to keep everyone on their toes. She has loved starting school and it's so fun to hear about everything she learns

13. Nora - always the life of the party! Goes full speed from the moment she wakes up until she sits or lays down long enough to fall asleep

14. Michael - such a happy and sweet boy. I can't wait to see his sisters love (and boss him) as he gets older

15. Karly - this little llama has come so far since I started watching her. Always up for watching Frozen and a trip to McDonalds on Thursdays, I can't wait to watch her become a big sister in a few months

16. Theo - watching him be a big brother has been so fun to watch! He's got an amazing imagination and loves to play with all things trucks and dinosaurs

17. Phoebe - this little girl's face lights up at the simple things - a baby, Walter, kissing Snoopy toys - and has the best smile

18. Charlotte - so serious but definitely knows what she wants and how to get it. She and her sister's eating habits are rivaled only by their big brother's

19. Charli - such a petite little peanut who notices everything going on around her and wants to be a part of it all. She's been such a fun addition to our llama herd

20. All my llama mamas that trust their kiddos to me each day. It's a honor and responsibility that sometimes takes my breath away

21. My brothers - We may not be as close as I want to be, but I am thankful for them nonetheless and pray for close relationships one day

22. Depot chips and salsa

23. A car with a good heater and air conditioner

24. Sloths - gosh, I just love them

25. Cindy - I could never ask for a better friend. She gets me - from all things true crime to the importance of good coffee - I love hanging out with her so much and her daughter is one of our favorite playdates

26. Raspberry picking season

27. Pajama pants with pockets

28. Zucchini fries from More! Burgers

29. The first snowfall of the year and the last

30. Leah - such a wonderful friend with a mama's heart who never fails to point me to Jesus and encourage me in the big and the small things

31. Jigsaw puzzles

32. My church family - going to church every Sunday leaves me with a smile on my face and an even bigger one in my heart

33. Air popped popcorn with butter and coconut oil dipped in everything bagel hummus

34. Kris - my go to for all things meme and reels related, she's always willing to answer questions about my pets

35. Hot baths with Scentsy bath soak

36. Turkey

37. Kristen - this friend fought valiantly for her life this year - literally - and I am forever thankful God saw it fit to leave her here with us. She's the best mama ever, is smarter than anyone else I know, and truly is a medical marvel

38. Books

39. Being a sub - I love going in and being the fun teacher for a day! There are some amazing kids out there that are going to change this world

40. The Fosters - Joy is such a great friend to laugh and discuss life with and her girls make for the best playdates

41. Cheese - it truly baffles me that there are some people who don't like cheese

42. Indoor plumbing

43. Kayleigh - my go-to person for all things police or EMT related and the best Depot date ever! 

44. Etnia 52 coffee - the kind that can, apparently, only be bought in Cancun. Too bad I don't pass through there EVER

45. Ian - such an amazing pastor and friend. Can take my zings and throw them right back, he's not afraid to preach the hard truths in a way that pierce the soul but is also wrapped in love

46. The Crown

47. Summer mornings and evenings out on the back deck

48. Flip-flops

49. My past - it's not always been the smoothest of roads but it has allowed me to see the world through eyes of compassion and love that I wouldn't have gained otherwise

50. A nice glass of cold iced tea with just the perfect amoung of sweetener

51. The Sullivans - the cutest couple of gingers with three cutie patootie ginger kiddos. Jess has taught me so much about farming and agriculture and watching her be a wife and mama to her farming family is such a blessing to me

52. Flannel sheets in the winter and pudding sheets in the summer

53. The first blades of grass that pop up through the snow after a long winter of white and brown

54. Rachel - the most faithful LORT member who understands that it's always a good time for a coffee

55. 4th of July parade and lunch afterwards with some of my favorite people every year

56. True crime podcasts

57. My grandma Judy - always there with a listening ear and a great sense of humor

58. Poppy seed bagels with egg, cheese and bacon from the Lander Bake Shop

59. Karen - a more encouraging person one could never find. Lunch dates are hard to come by but she's always a text or hug away and just 'gets' me

60. ER reruns

61. The way a 30 degree day in the winter feels balmy after a couple days of below 0 temps

62. My Sunday lunch friends - Rick, Echo, Bill, Pat, and Deb make for such great company! I glean so much about life from listening to them share their hearts and there's always plenty of laughter to be had

63. Spitz seasoned pumpkin seeds

64. Tyler Jordan - you'll never find a children's pastor with a bigger heart. You know he loves you when he gives you hard time more often than not

65. Hazel - the other half of the dynamic Jordan duo. I love seeing her at subbing jobs and hearing her laugh, she has a heart that sees things others don't and she's amazing at serving to meet those needs

66. Gage, Ainsley, and Drake - three of my original llamas! Schedules don't allow us to hang out as much as I would like but I love seeing them at subbing jobs and hugs from them on Sundays are the best

67. Lea - I may only see her at the Trailhead these days, but she will always be my neighbor

68. Old friends

69. New friends

70. Melatonin

71. My blog - many times I wonder if blogs are becoming a thing of the past and if anyone reads it, but then someone mentions they are encouraged by something I write and I know I will keep sharing

72. The belly laughs of my llamas 

73. A God who is sovereign over ALL things

74. The Cox family - Satan has thrown some gigantic and scary curve balls their way but our God is bigger and is showing Himself to be faithful in it all

75.Marilyn - one of those friends I don't see super often but sit us in front of some chips and salsa at The Depot, and we pick up like we just shared a classroom at Trinity yesterday

76. A good writing pen

77. Miss Pat - I can only hope to be praising my Jesus with the same passion and heart she does when I've walked the path of faith as long as she has

78. My niece Lilly - 15 and in high school!! I love her perspective on the world and I can't wait to see how she changes it

79. Our first stop after getting to my brother's in Arizona - Mi Amigos

80. Maude - such a gentle giant that will always have a spot in my heart

81. Krista - my faithful, though not always punctual, nursery buddy. I love this friend so much - she is genuine, honest, quick to laugh, and runs VBS like a boss

82. Used book stores

83. A good nap

84. Rick and Echo - such faithful encouragers who love EVERYONE they meet so well! Thankful to glean from their life experiences and be on the receiving end of their big hugs

85. Daisies

86. Peach vanilla cake in the summer

87. Snuggling a sleeping baby

88. Hummingbirds

89. Bacon

90. Ryan Joe - it blows my mind that this little boy who was my first long-term nannying job is 11! I love that he calls me at random times to tell me about his day only to find out from his mom he was avoiding school work or chores

91. My nativity Scentsy warmer

92. An app that lets me listen to the local police scanner

93. Realizing that over year after having Covid, my shampoo and toothpaste no longer smell like rank Cool Ranch Doritos and my bouts of phantosmia are getting fewer and far between

94. The smell of freshly mowed grass

95. These caramel apple candy corn things I found this fall at Walmart

96. Summer mornings spent playing outside with my llamas

97. The freedom to own not just one but several copies of the Bible

98. The littles at church I get to spend time with and watch grow 

99. Rain

100. A summer day spent in the mountains fishing and looking for petrified wood