Today as I follow the prophet President Nelson’s invitation to #givethanks, I am grateful for my family. I’ll mention my daughter first, since it’s her birthday today. I’m so grateful for her. She’s 25 and I’m 50! This is the only year when she will be half my age.

She was my first natural childbirth, and my first daughter, after her older brother. I’m so grateful for all the light, life, and love she has brought into my life. I have learned a lot from her unselfishness, her organization, her focus, and her willingness to serve others. I’m so grateful to Heavenly Father for blessing me with this daughter, 25 years ago!

She graduated from college, got married, and has a baby of her own, with another boy on the way. Yay! We FaceTimed this morning to sing happy birthday to her and talk. It’s so fun to hear her little guy talking and recognizing me, I think, :-). She lives far away so we don’t see them in person often. We did get to enjoy them for Christmas last year. So wonderful! She and her amazing husband just bought their first home and are settling in before the new baby comes.

I took a Bradley childbirth prep class when I was pregnant with her. Then I started going to La Leche League meetings, and that introduced me to a whole new world, of ideas and friends, who I still keep in touch with today. Some of them came with me on my recent birthday retreat. I view her birth as a watershed time in my life.

I’m also so grateful for all of my other children, my son-in-law and grandson. All of my sacrifices to nurture my family have been so worth it. They bring so much joy to my life. I thank God so much for my family!

I can’t forget my family of origin. I have four siblings and two dear parents. I’m so grateful to God for these wonderful people. On top of that, each of my siblings married someone wonderful and gave me great nieces and nephews. So I thank God for my extended family as well. Oh, and also my husband’s family and their spouses. And my ancestors. It just never ends. That’s a very good thing, and it’s because of God that it’s that way. 🙂 As my dear son-in-law says, “God wants us to collect families.”