I'm counting my blessings.

(Note on 1-5-09: I found this entry in my saved drafts folder. I guess I didn't ever post it... here it is now!)

Yesterday was a funny sort of day. My family was supposed to fly in for the beginning of our Christmas vacation; however, Spokane got a record-breaking 17 inches of snow in the 24 hours before their flight left. Spokane, including the airport, was closed yesterday--Dad said that you weren't supposed to be on the road at all in the city unless you were an emergency vehicle or a snowplow. I don't think any flights left the airport yesterday, although they managed to land a couple.

When I e-mailed Josh to let him know that the family's flight had been delayed, he reminded me to keep in mind that we would rather have them here safely a few days later than have them fly unsafely. I agreed to that, whole-heartedly, but that doesn't mean that I'm not disappointed. :-)

Then some other things happened too. (When it snows it pours, and all that.) :-) We were going to pick up our car from the shop today, but the rain down here has prevented them from finishing it; this is okay, it just makes next week a bit more hectic. After receiving an e-mail confirmation that our rental minivan would be ready to pick up today (for while my family is here), when Josh called the location to ask for a pick-up this morning, they told him that they didn't actually have any minivans... we're hoping they'll give us something smaller in the meantime, until they can get us one. And my sweet hard-working Josh found out yesterday that a job he was really hoping to apply for was actually just open for 5 days, and won't be posted for applications again until next November.

So you see why I need to count my blessings today. :-) Especially because there is now a snow-storm brewing in Salt Lake, so Anna will probably be delayed too... I'm grateful that our airport here doesn't have those kinds of weather issues! Flying from Spokane to, say, Chicago during this weather would be awful--bad trouble at both ends. I'm grateful that my family is determined to come even if they have to come late. I'm grateful for the pile of shiny presents under our tree; because they're coming to California, my siblings know they won't get too many presents this year, so I wrapped everything individually that could be wrapped that way for them. That way there will be more to open! :-) And it looks really good... I think the pile is bigger than the tree. (It's just a little tree.)

I am grateful for my clever Josh. He has achieved a 4.0 in all of his classes in 2008, in a very rigorous graduate program, while working full-time. And being the Elders' Quorum president. I am sure that he will have some very good options when he graduates, and I know that he will distinguish himself wherever he chooses to go.

I am grateful that I still have my good job. Even though I wish I were already on vacation, because there isn't much for me to do between now and the new year. :-) I am grateful for Christmas music, for raincoats, for cell phones and text messaging, for WinCo, for Barnes & Noble's fast and free delivery, for contact lenses, for a fresh planner, and for the cozy feeling you get when you turn on the heater for the first time since last year.

I am grateful for the Savior, and I am grateful that Christmas is coming. :-)