"Truly blessed and duly grateful"

Today I was a little sad to sit home from church with my precious Alydia because 1- I love the peace that Sunday brings as we go to church, 2- I hate to be away from Brody on his day off, 3- I would love more opportunities to get out of the house in this sunny weather and 4- mostly I just want to show Alydia off to the world (without all the germs)!  But Brody suggested that I try and find my own way to have church at home.  So along with reading a few conference talks I decided to write about all the things that I have to be grateful for this week.

1- New good friends and ward members
This week I have been so blessed to have my new friends and ward members help me out and offer to do anything that I need.  Since we haven't been here long, I was worried that I wouldn't have as much support after Alydia was born.  But some of the wives from the people out here selling have stepped up and been so supportive, encouraging, and have made me feel like I have good friends here to rely on.  Jessica Orem has been especially wonderful as she has text me, made me a cute diaper cake when I got home and brought us pizza on Friday night!  Also, despite our tiny Relief Society (about ten people on a good day) women from the ward have brought dinner and offered to help in other ways.  I have been so blessed to have people that hardly know me step up and help out and love me so much!

2- Family
If you haven't already noticed, my family (both the Horton's and the Hubbard's) have been so wonderful!  Despite being far away, we have been able to chat with our web cam's so our family could see our cute Alydia.  I have loved seeing how excited and loving our family has been about her.  She will be a spoiled girl when we go home!  She already has lots of attention and they are all the way across the country.  We are so lucky because both of our mom's and all of the Hubbard's (minus Brooklin and Kade... sad) will be coming out to visit and help!  We are SO excited for them to be here for the next few weeks!  Yay!  My mom will be here tomorrow and I can hardly wait for the family visits to begin!  Even Brody's brother Landon who is currently in the MTC has sent us a letter and been anxiously awaiting more pictures.  Thank you for all your love and support!  We love you so much!

3- Alydia: our precious little girl
I can hardly express how much joy has come from this sweet little girl of ours!  She is such a good baby.  She hardly cries unless she is hungry, she sleeps for 3-4 hours at a time during the night, and when she is awake she just looks around curiously learning about her surroundings.  I just love watching her as she discovers her tongue and mouth and tries to figure out how to get her hands to her mouth to suck on them.  But I especially love it when she finds something that she just can't stop looking at and she just stares.  Who knew you could love such a little package so quickly!

4- Brody: my husband and the love of my life!
This Father's Day I am especially grateful, as I have recently become a new mother, that I have Brody by my side as my husband and the father of our children.  He is such a good man!  He treats me like a queen and is always there by my side (even when my hormones get the best of me).  He gets things done around the house without ever mentioning a word to me or seeking praise.  He loves and takes such good care of Alydia, and me.  He works so hard and rarely complains about anything.  And he is so dedicated to living a Christ-centered life.  I just have to laugh because despite just having a baby and it being Father's Day, and that we've only been in this ward for a couple months and we're leaving in a couple months, Brody is at church teaching Elder's quorum today.  Wow!  He never ceases to impress me.  He usually gets so embarrassed when I talk about how wonderful he is, but I just have to mention just how much I love and appreciate him!  He is everything to me and definitely is my better half!  I love you Brody!

I feel so overwhelmed when I think about just how blessed I am.  Its easy some days to get caught up in life and forget.  So its good to sit down and remind myself just how lucky I really am.  I love the song that Brian Stokes Mitchell sang in the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert called "Grateful".  I feel like it says it perfectly for how I am feeling today.

Grateful:


I've got a roof over my head
I've got a warm place to sleep
Some nights I lie awake counting gifts
Instead of counting sheep

I've got a heart that can hold love
I've got a mind that can think
There may be times when I lose the light
And let my spirits sink
But I can't stay depressed
When I remember how I'm blessed

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful

In a city of strangers
I got a family of friends
No matter what rocks and brambles fill the way
I know that they will stay until the end

I feel a hand holding my hand
It's not a hand you can see
But on the road to the promised land
This hand will shepherd me
Through delight and despair
Holding tight and always there

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful

It's not that I don't want a lot
Or hope for more, or dream of more
But giving thanks for what I've got
Makes me happier than keeping score

In a world that can bring pain
I will still take each chance
For I believe that whatever the terrain
Our feet can learn to dance
Whatever stone life may sling
We can moan or we can sing

Grateful, grateful
Truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful
Truly blessed And duly grateful