Instead of Sheep...

 I'll have to be honest, I'm not one who's all gung-ho about gratitude lessons during Thanksgiving...we hear them every year, and it's always the same thing: "You should have gratitude the WHOLE year, but ESPECIALLY this week." I, personally, am more gung-ho about the food...although we get that every year too. But for some reason a plate full of mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, and pie feels less repetitive than a lesson about gratitude. At any rate, I guess seventeen annual gratitude checks have gotten a little old, and I didn't feel the need to pay attention to number eighteen.

So I paid attention to the food, family, and fun. And it was fabulous! Little did I know, Heavenly Father was going to give me a gratitude lesson whether I liked it or not...

 It actually started last Monday when I went to my high school's production of White Christmas, which I had never seen before. I loved it! Especially this song. Take it away, Bing!

 

What a stud...So Thanksgiving rolls around, and, like I said: Food, family, food, fun, food...and pie :) Oh, and I have a new favorite treat which you can find here on my sister's cooking blog. I definitely ate WAY too many gooey chocolate cookies for my own good...luckily I balanced it out with my new workout routine, right? I'm a work in progress...

Sunday night sneaked up way too fast, and I still had to write a research paper. So I got back to my dorm, reunited with my dear roomies, and got down to business. I stayed up until...late. But I finished! I quickly brushed my teeth, sunk into my mattress, snuggled in my blanket and...I was still awake. I waited some more...still awake. I thought the more tired you are, the easier you fall asleep! Apparently not. So I counted down from 100, 99, 98...27, 26, 25--okay, if I get down to 1, that's just depressing. "Let's try something else..." and this lovely song popped into my head. Can you guess what it was? Bing Crosby said it all...

So I started...

I'm grateful for spending time with my family this week...

I'm grateful for good roommates...

I'm grateful for my education (that was a tough one after this beastly paper)...

...And I fell asleep counting my bleeeeeeeeesings! I know it's cheesy, but it worked for me, which makes me excited for what I'll learn (and eat) this Christmas! ;)