Living the Good Life.

Last night as I was laying in bed trying to fall asleep to no avail, I started reflecting on my life and all that I have been blessed with. I was overwhelmed to say the least as I began to acknowledge the Lords hand in my life. Since being sealed to Aaron almost three years ago we have been showered with blessings at every turn. All though I may not always feel deserving I am truly grateful for all Heavenly Father has given us.

First and for most we have our son AJ. He is perfect in every way and has brought us more joy than we could have possible imagined. Of course we have our good days and our bad days but even his bad days are really just wonderful because he is here and he is ours! So far we have been blessed with our health, so many of us take this for granted, but as I watch our extended family struggle with health issues I can not help but feel blessed for the healthy Temples the Lord has give to us.

Last spring Aaron and I decided that we would move to Portland to pursue his career in Chiropractics. I probably would have been nervous to move 12 hours from home if the other option hadn't been 36 hours away. After hearing about Al & Lorraine's three day car trips home from Toronto each summer with 2 or 3 children, the trip to Portland seemed like a breeze! His acceptance to WSCC was the first in a long list of blessings as we prepared for this new phase in out lives. Aaron and his Dad made the first scouting trip down to Portland, they had a great time checking out the school and coast line, but that was about all they did. It was just a month later that Lorranie and I decided we had better head down a do the REAL work of finding a place to live. We found a great place and felt like it would be a good home but then at church we meet Nicole and Steve Wagner. Nicole stopped to introduce herself and see if we were just visiting, long story short, they got us into Sandstone! Not only that but we are now close friends (aka we spend everyday together!) all because of that Day at church! After giving our notice back home we moved in with my parents for our last 7 weeks in Canada. In the end it made it harder to move away from them, they were very reluctant to let AJ go, but we saved a lot of money and made some great memories! After Al, Grandpa Chuck, and Jared helped move us down we were on our own, but not really! Our ward family welcomed us in and soon we felt at home. Aaron's schooling has been hard work and long hours but he is doing so well and pulling off grades that he is more than happy with. All though he is gone a lot we find a way to balance it all and stay close. Blessings, Blessings, Blessings!!!

Our home is now filled with the Christmas Spirit, it may seem early but I just love the feeling of it all and couldn't resist getting everything started. In three and a half weeks we will be on our ways home for the holidays, which we weren't sure we could afford, but after paying our tithing and going over our finances were we able to swing it! I just can't wait to see everyone, there is however, one person I am more excited to see than anyone else. Baby Tolman. I still have a hard time grasping the fact that I am soon going to be an Aunt, I see the love that our brothers and sisters have for AJ and how much we love our little Abby and Sid and I just can't wait to feel that for my first little nephew. What a blessing he will be to all our family during this special season. Not only will I meet him at Christmas but since Dustin and Lyndz were able to get an apartment right in our complex, I will get to be closer to him than anyone else! (Sorry Grandparents!)

Our lives are not perfect we have our struggles and our trials, just like the rest of the world. However when viewing my life with my "gratitude glasses" on I just can't help but feel like one of the Luckiest women in the world!