Ten Things of Thankful: Catching Up on the Past Few Weeks

A yellow and red tulip pops up out of the ground

It's been a few weeks since I've written a Ten Things of Thankful post, but as always, my lack of participation does not indicate a lack of gratitude. Let me try to catch up a bit:

1. I'm thankful for my grandchildren, who were able to come and stay with us during their spring break. We had so much fun! We had our own early Easter celebration by dyeing eggs and having an Easter egg hunt. We read stories--so many stories--together. We played games. We visited John's parents. We cooked and baked. We visited indoor playgrounds. We worshipped together. We attended a church social. I loved hearing the kids playing on the piano and trumpet. I'm probably forgetting things, but trust me, we had a full, busy, fun week!

Youngest granddaughter shows off the blue princess dress up costume

2. I'm thankful for adventure. On our way to pick up the grandchildren, John and I stopped at Death Valley National Park. On the way home after we took the kids back, John and I visited Joshua Tree National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, White Sands National Park, Four Corners, Monument Valley, and Zion National Park. We had a great time at each of those locations. We slept under the stars, in a tent, in our car, and in motels. Together, we're learning to strike a balance between planning and spontaneity. We both agree we need more practice. #thatmeanswehavetotravelmore

John and I in Death Valley National Park, with a sign in front of us that says, "Badwater Basin 282 Feet/85.5 Meters Below Sea Level"

3. I'm thankful for the A to Z blogging challenge. I'm the planner, the check-the-boxes one, the person who loves a challenge. John loves the fact that I chose travel as my theme, and he wholeheartedly supports (and accompanies me) on my "all in the name of blogging" jaunts. (In reality, of course, it's just a good excuse to travel more places together.) If you've wanted to see more photos and/or hear about some of the places we've gone, be sure to check out my A to Z posts. So far, I've covered Antarctica, Biscayne National Park, Chile, Death Valley National Park, and Everglades National Park.

4. Speaking of challenges, I'm thankful for wool clothing. I'm well into a 100-day challenge with wooland.com, and am amazed at how well wool works in all kinds of climates--not to mention how great it is for traveling lightly! I've worn the same dress now for over 80 days, in Utah, Spain, Morocco, Florida, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Nevada. From snow to sunshine, it has served me well. 

I'm wearing my black wool dress and holding my arms up as the sun rises over the Mittens at Monument Valley

5. I'm crossing my fingers on this one, but I'm thankful that we have no vehicles in the shop at the moment. Our 8-seater Armada has been in the shop nearly continuously since before Christmas, so we rented a car for when the grandchildren were here, and just took two cars everywhere. I'm hoping that this time the fix really takes and it won't just be back in the shop next week. It would be nice to trust its reliability again, and I'd really love to be able to drive in one car the next time the grandchildren come. 

6. I'm thankful for the signs of spring. Yes, it snowed on us while we were at Zion National Park last week, and it snowed a bit yesterday as I was coming home from the grocery store, but my flowers are bravely starting to bloom and spring weather is teasing. 

7. The first weekend in April means that it is time for General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm thankful for the inspiring messages--both in word and music--of faith, hope, and love centered around Jesus Christ. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminded us today that despite any differences we may see, "We all fit perfectly in the 'child of God' category." 

8. I'm thankful for home. As much as I do enjoy traveling, there is something comforting in home--and I'm not just talking about a comfortable bed, though I am definitely thankful for that, too! Although I'm still getting caught up with laundry and such since getting home after taking the grandchildren back, the routine of life at home is familiar and relaxing.

9. I'm thankful for books. Somehow neither John nor I had read Brave New World, so I read it aloud as he drove us back from California. It wasn't necessarily a pleasant book, but it was thought-provoking and several times I had to remind myself that the book was written before modern conveniences, like household televisions and cell phones, were available. 

10. I'm thankful for John. When we came home, he noticed that one of my peony plants is about a foot tall already, and he sprang into action to build some supports for the plants. It will be nice to have the peonies not flopping over this year, but it is even nicer to have a husband that notices such things. I appreciate him, and hope that I can be as thoughtful as he is. 

Early appearing peony plant is about a foot tall and covered with green leaves

What are you thankful for this week? Be sure to check out the other Ten Things of Thankful posts, and feel free to link up a post of your own!

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