i'm grateful for:

my last couple days of grateful. :)

{november 21}

cold cereal.

whoever came up with this stuff was brilliant. it's always been one of my favorite things. i'm not much of a cereal eater for breakfast, mostly just for snacks. preferrably midnight snacks. 

every sunday that we go up to sandy (which is every week lately) my mother in law lets us take home a box of cereal & a gallon of milk (and she has the good stuff, that we're too cheap to splurge on) it keeps us happy...thanks lisa. :)

{november 22}

microwave.

mine has been broken for the last couple weeks. i did NOT realize how much i depend on this little guy. to heat up leftovers, make my hot chocolate & pop my favorite microwave popcorn.

(yes, i have been without popcorn & hot chocolate for like a week. didn't think it was possible.)

{november 23}

my dad.

i often times find myself thinking about how much i hate that i don't see/talk to my dad very often. he's a busy man down there in south america. barely has time to eat/sleep from what i hear. but every time i start feeling sorry for myself about how much i miss my dad, i remember the conversation i had with a family in our ward in brasil. they spent a whole car ride telling us how grateful they are for my dad. that he is the best bishop they've EVER seen. and works so hard to help everyone else, while hardly doing things for himself. they got emotional while telling us this, which of course makes me cry every time i think about it.

he is such a hard worker & i am so thankful for the changes he is making in so many lives, because of his hard work and dedication to being a good bishop.

dad, thanks for being such a great dad!

{november 24}

my extended family.

they make the holidays/facebook/blogging so much more fun.

{november 25}

grandma & grandpa coltrin.

grandpa:

today is this guys birthday. he is one of my favorite people.

 i laugh out loud every time i talk to him. which is pretty often.

 we have a good chat on the phone about once every couple of weeks. my favorite thing is when he answers the phone, after saying "hi grandpa, it's macey" he'll say "HIYA!" and i can hear the smile on his lips. and when i ask him how he's doing, he'll say "better now that i'm talking to you."

whenever i visit he wants to hear every story i have to tell. whether it's about the funny things the kids i nanny say, or me rambling off about some new thing i learned about nutrition. he's always genuinely interested, and i can see how proud he is of me in his eyes.

i'm sure lucky to have a grandpa like him.

and then there's grandma:

she's also been known to keep us all giggling with the funny things she says.  even though my family is 4000 miles away, i've never been without 3 meals a day, a warm bed, or someone to sit with at my home ward when i've made visits to burley, idaho. and i'm so thankful for that. she also lets me know whenever they're coming down to salt lake, and wants to take me & brian out to dinner. i know there's not a thing she wouldn't do for me. or anyone else for that matter. she cares for everyone else waaay more than herself.

thanks for all you do for me grandma. :)

{november 26}

nature.

we went snowboarding today, and i was overwhelmed with the beautiful canyon on the ride up, and the snow-covered mountains that i could see all around me from the ski-lift. i feel like i appreciate nature, but not near enough. today i had one of those days where i really did. and it made me wish it happened more often.

{november 27}

christmas music.

j biebs & michael buble are keeping me pretty happy lately.

{november 28}

elder jones.

this boy is an awesome missionary. and he hasn't even been one for very long. he's in a pretty tough mission, but would any of us ever believe that by reading his emails? no. he rocks it.

i also have yet to hear him complain about the language. apparently learning a new language isn't hard for him like it is the rest of the world. what a champ.

sure miss you davey j.

{november 29}

the small&simple things.

like scripture study & prayer everyday.

and going to the temple as often as we can.

they keep us happy. & make life great.

"the simple things will make us great."

-my stake president. :)

{november 30}

my savior &

the gospel.

 i've been so overwhelmed lately with how {not perfect} & {unimportant} i am.

not overwhelmed like i'm having self esteem issues. 

overwhelmed with the fact that i'm really not, but at the same time i really am.

we all have those thoughts right? those days that make us feel terrible about ourselves, because we didn't try hard enough & we aren't good enough.

but thanks to my knowledge of the gospel i know that

 not being perfect, but {striving for perfection} is enough. & that even if i don't always feel it, i am {important} so very important.

the fact that we're trying is enough.

because we try, and then mess up. 

but it's okay because thanks to our savior we can keep trying.

and that makes us important.

didn't make any sense? fine. read this: you matter to him.  

words to live by.

i'm thankful for:

{november 14}

my vacuum.

vacuuming is my favorite household chore. i find myself doing it more often then it needs to be done. (i love those fresh lines on the carpet.) we got married & i didn't get on the ball with the whole vacuum thing...soo..we didn't get one for about 3 months. which means our apartment didn't get vacuumed once in that time. let me tell you, what i picked up was nasty.

well, then a couple weeks ago i broke my vacuum belt. (stupid brian's shoelace) and of course at all the 7 different wal-mart's i went to there were none to be found. so i order one online & a month later (today) it finally came. that month was rough. but today was a happy day.

{november 15}

little sisters.

what would i ever do without them? not sure, but i'm sure glad i have them. my favorite thing is how much they call me lately. sometimes mal calls me when she's home alone and scared. and morg likes to call to just chat...you know, about boys and nails and stuff. :) we've always been close, but as they get older the closer we get. i'm sure glad i have them.

[also, that cute little lady on the left now has her own blog. it's cute. check it out here.]

{november 16}

relief society activities.

yes. today i'm grateful for these. i'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to not attending the relief society activities. in all my student wards i maybe attended one the whole year. (i always dread going, but it's always fabulous once i'm there) BUT this year my calling is being part of the relief society activities committee. (isn't it funny how you always get the exact calling you need?) well i've loved it so far, to say the least. and i know i won't be missing any of them this year. (we've planned some pretty great things.)

{november 17}

birthdays.

everyone needs a day to celebrate themselves.

i had a fabulous day full of me. & the day after i went into post-birthday depression.

{november 18}

my school.

byu to be exact.

[i know, i know i already wrote about school. but i grouped it with work. & didn't really appreciate it as much as it needs to be appreciated.]

i absolutely love going to school here.

one) becuase it's gorgeous. i live at the BASE of the mountain, the view out my window is pretty incredible. it never ceases to amaze me how the grounds are always looking fabulous. snow always shoveled, leaves raked. etc. they take such good care of the place.

two) because everything is done with a spiritual outlook. for example, i took anatomy last semester. it was {the hardest} class i've ever taken. (& i may or may not need to take it again) but i loved it because my teacher tied in {everyday} how important our bodies are because our spirits dwell in them. they are connected. so instead of grumbling about it, (okay, i did plenty) more often i found myself sitting there in lecture so overwhelmingly grateful for my body that enables my spirit to do everything i need/want to do.

three) i feel like we're all on the same page. (for the most part) enter to learn-go forth to serve. we are going to school to learn so that we can go out into the world & be examples through service. and hopefully make the world a better place & be better prepared to share the gospel.

four) byu sports.

i love college football/basketball just as much as the next guy.

but i especially love being a cougar because of things like this.

(this article is a must read, if you haven't.)

i'm still fuming about the posters about davies that were all over the place at the utah state/byu basketball game.

seriously? show the boy some respect.

[you'll agree if you read the article above]

{november 19}

music.

i dusted my guitar off the other day (after an 8 month drought) it made my day so great. i've also been particularly grateful to be a member of our ward choir. not gonna lie, our choir is pretty good. but most of all i love the spirit that can be brought to a meeting through the songs we sing. i am always so grateful i love & appreciate music. it's been such a blessing in my life.

plus, my husband has a rockin voice. i love it even a little bit more because of that. :)

{november 20}

my bed.

my sore muscles love it. every night. & i love it even more in the morning when i wake up at 6 a.m to pee....my apartment is FREEZING, but it's okay....because i can just run back and get in my warm covers. :)

i'm thankful for:

{november 7}

i'm grateful for this guy.

i'm not really sure what i'd do without him. he keeps me happy. and loves me unconditionally. and he is such a hard worker. im amazed how he goes nonstop everyday to school & work [and hardly ever gets a break] to provide for us. thanks for being my better half honey. i love you!

{november 8}
miss nora.

this little girl is adorable. & makes my job so easy. look at those darling curls and adorable smile. that is what she looks like always. she's always happy. (and she's two...i didn't know that was even possible.) the only bad thing is that she loves brian more than me. no joke. but worse than that..we're worried we're going to have kids..and not love them as much as this cute girl.

{november 9}

grateful for my knowledge of the plan of salvation.

thinking about it today because of this story.

wasn't that such a terrible thing to hear about? but it is so amazing that their families can feel peace because of the knowledge that they'll see their missionary sons again. and until then, where they are they'll be happier than ever.

{november 10}

little ceasers hot&ready pizza.

for the days that i have absolutely no desire to cook dinner. :)

don't pretend that this doesn't happen sometimes at your house.

im also grateful for pizza in general. it is one of my favorite things. i can put healthy good things in my body for days. say no to cookies & treats. but if pizza is offered/put in front of me...try as hard as i might...i can't refuse. it gets me every time.

{november 11}

pinterest.

teaches you how to do everything that you need to do. cook, clean, sew, get stains out of the carpet, make your house smell good, dress cute etc. last night i needed a tasty dessert to take to a little get together. where do i turn to? pinterest of course. 

caramel apple cheesecake bars:

this is seriously one of the best desserts i've ever had.

want to try it? you should.

recipe here.

{november 12}

golds gym.

for some reason today i super grateful for a gym 1 mile away from my house. i'm grateful for the cardio cinema (the best thing that's ever happened to me) because i'm too wimpy to run outside in the cold. i'm grateful for brian, who got up on a saturday to go with me to lift weights-because i don't have enough motivation to go on my own. and i'm grateful for my body and the ability i have to do hard things & push myself to the max, so that i can have sore muscles for the next 3 days. :)

{november 13}

brian's family.

i'm so grateful to have family around. {especially when mine is so far away} we love driving up on sundays for family dinner & seeing them almost every weekend for a football game, or something else. i knew i was lucky to marry brian, but i was even luckier to get to be a part of the peterson clan. :)

                    try this this week. :)

im grateful for:

{november 1}

mother dear.

 today im grateful for my mom. she just left after spending a couple days with me and i miss her already. it was so great spending time with her. & having someone to take care of me. she spoiled me for my birthday, took me grocery shopping and bought us things we love, but never buy, because they don't make our budget happy, ran a half marathon with me, even though i don't think she really wanted too, she just knew i wanted her too, helped me make cute things for my home, took me out to eat at my favorite place. etc etc. im lucky {and grateful} to have her as my mom.

{november 2}
best friends.

 today im grateful for my fabulous friends. one of my best friends [marg] is leaving on her mission in a few weeks and today i said goodbye to her. it's made me think about and be more grateful for close friendships. ones that last, even when you're not around each other and sometimes only see each other ever other month or so. i love my friends. the ones i've met at school and the ones i've known forever. it never ceases to amaze me how lucky i am to be surrounded by such great people.

allie is missing from this photo. :)

{november 3}

blankets & hot cocoa. 

there is nothing i love more than curling up in a blanket. to snuggle with brian. to read a book. to watch a movie. i have to have a blanket with me, at almost all times. (i even take one in the car on the way to the gym in the early morning, while brian's driving, i curl up in the passenger seat. for reals) blanket of choice? the one my mom made me for graduation. i can't explain how comfy it is. 

and a cup of hot cocoa. every day. makes the 7 month winter bearable.

 that's my motto.

{november 4}

skype. 

what would i do without skype? i wouldn't talk to my family very often. or see them. ever. i'm so glad that i can talk to my family, who live 4000 miles away, {almost} whenever i want. by just hopping on the computer and pushing a button. sometimes i still can't believe it's that easy. 

it's the greatest thing. ever.

{november 5}

work+school.

yes, im surprised that this is listed too. 2 of the things that i {sometimes} hate so much can i really be grateful for? today i went grocery shopping & thought about how lucky we are, though we are poor college students, to have good jobs that help us pay our rent & put food on our table, and keep our house warm in this freezing weather. and school? our low paying part time jobs keep us motivated to continue schooling so that {oneday} we won't have to scrimp and save so much.

brian works at the mtc. i'm convinced he's the best teacher/employer they have. :)

and i am a nanny, to these, and a few more, adorable kiddos. love them.

and both of us go to school here:

and absolutely love it.

{november 6}

ensign.

everybody read the october ensign? it was fabulous. {all} about the book of mormon, it was so great and exactly what i needed to hear.  and what i love even more is when the general conference ensign comes out.  (another reason i love this month) each november and may i can hardly wait to get my hands on it. i know i could read them online, or on my phone, but it's just not the same as having each talk in your hand & highlighting and writing whatever you want. so grateful for the words of the prophets through the ensign.

what are you grateful for?

a few {random} things.

halloween half= check.

besides the whole [wait in line for 45 minutes in 30 degree weather for a bus at 6 am] it was great.

the company was great. the run was beautiful.

& my muscles are still sore. (which means i worked hard/im still out of shape)

we are brasilian soccer players.

if you couldn't tell.

marg&katie

i'll probably make this race an annual thing. but next year i'm making brian drive me to the top of the canyon so i don't have to wait in line for a bus.

or maybe i can convince him to run it with me?

in my dreams.

speaking of annual things, i had my annual freak out about my hair. the one where i feel for weeks that my hair is ugly. everyday. & that i need a change.
after we got married i made brian [promise] me he wouldn't let me cut my hair. no matter how much i tried to talk him out of it/convince him it was a good idea.
{it's not that i don't like short hair. i love it. it just takes my hair sooo long to grow. and i've been growing it out for sooo long. so im gonna stick to it.}
but, i almost chopped it, behind his back, while at the salon.
almost.
instead, i dyed it brown. like i do every fall/winter.
but this time i actually sort of like it.
because it's really close to my natural color...
which means i may or may not ever dye my hair again.
{haha..right.}

thank you photobooth.

{and}i'm currently obsessed with this shampoo&conditioner. i think this is the real reason im loving my hair so much lately. it's sooo soft.
seriously, i've tried them all. and this works wonders.
i recommend it.
thanks mom. :)

and last, I'm doing what ya'll are doing. writing down what I'm grateful for everyday throughout the month of november. i'll share my list each sunday.
boy do i love this month.

happy weekend!! :)