t h a n k f u l (times 6)

I'm not doing a very good job in keeping up with my gratitude. But I can just keep trying. To catch up here are six things I'm grateful for (in no particular order).

1) I'm glad that my work is too cheap to have a work Christmas party. That way I won't do something foolish like Harvey (see below cartoon for details)...without the alcohol of course. I don't even need alcohol to do and say stupid stuff.

2) I am SO glad that I only have 30 hours of work left before going to BRAZIL for Christmas. I have never ever been so excited to have a break from work or to go to a foreign country. And other than my two mission Christmases I haven't ever spent Christmas outside of the USA so I'm excited for something different and am ready for some warm weather! And most of all I'm excited to see Al and Mil and to hang out as a whole family for the first time in six months.

3) I am grateful that I now have 7 of the 10 suitcases we are taking to Brazil packed. They'd better not lose our luggage this time or I'll be SUPER MAD since packing this stuff for Brazil has been the focus of my life for the past 2 months. And special thanks to Blog Leeches Myrlann and Aunt Ramona for your help in getting stuff together to go to Brazil...and to Russell, Lee, Kim and Ty too and anyone else I've forgotten to mention. Thank you, thank you.

4) I'm so glad that gas is cheaper than ever because I went to Idaho again this weekend...partially to get a couple more of the suitcases packed and partially for moral support (due to job stress) from my good brothers and sister-in-law and grandma.

5) And I also got a fabulous haircut from Audrey. I always feel better about myself after a haircut from Audrey. Partially because of the actual cutting of my greasy mullet and partially because of the talk that goes on during the haircuts. Many haircuts end in watching some little clip from Oprah, So You Think You Can Dance, or Dr. Phil...you know...whatever came up in conversation that day. Always therapeutic.

6) I'm glad for blogging. Because it too can be therapeutic (even if everyone who reads your blog thinks you are a bipolar weirdo because you write every little detail about everything and always give TMI...too much information). And I'm grateful for the friends that I otherwise wouldn't have or wouldn't know too well if it weren't for blogging (even if some of them are leeches). Love you all!