#Friendsgiving2k14

She makes me feel like I can do anything, he's stuck around for years, he gives the best hugs, he just gets me, she's my best friend, she makes me laugh uncontrollably, he's my favorite. 

[b-f, l-r]

But for real. This Thanksgiving was good--like it only took 3 plates of food and 6 pieces of pie for Brian and I to finally admit defeat and put down the food, good. 

The food coma was a real thing today [and if there's anything better than Thanksgiving with all your friends, it's a post-Thanksgiving nap with all your friends].

I'm grateful for a mom who woke up at 5 am to make the most incredible Thanksgiving dinner the world has ever seen, for a dad who put up with 9 college students when he didn't feel good and did all the dishes on top of that, and siblings who kept my friends entertained and managed to not annoy anybody too much. ;) 

I really am the luckiest. I'm surrounded by incredible people who make my life practically perfect in every way, I live in a beautiful place where I go to school and study what I love, and I have a job that I enjoy almost every single day because I work with the most entertaining people. 

I'm so lucky. So lucky, and so very, very, grateful for everything I have. 

Daydream look in your eyes.

Formal time is my favorite time--what kind of girl doesn't love any excuse to get all dressed up, take a million pictures, and dance all night with a cute boy [and her sisters, of course]?

Proof that we started the night pretty put together....

...even if we ended up a little hotter, sweatier, and more sore than we started. 

[My favorite part of this picture is Trent in the background]

They're my rocks--and once in every five thousand pictures we take a decent one. 

It's been a fabulous couple of days, and now we're all caravanning down to Kaysville for the Thanksgiving dinner of a lifetime. 

Here's to a million reasons to be grateful, and just as many reasons why I am the luckiest girl alive. 

An awfully big adventure.

You don't really live until you become a part of something that is bigger than who you are. 

Somehow, I got lucky enough to call four wonderful organizations a little piece of "home"--and today I'm grateful for these things that have helped me become the person that I am. 

11. I was born, raised, and am proud to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It wasn't until I moved away from home, and started watching the people I cared most about [second to my family of course] leave for missions that I realized just how important this gospel was to me. The summer after my freshman year, I once referred to as "ground zero" in my journal. I didn't feel like I had a single friend in the world, I was living in a house with 13 strangers [and Lauren & Marley], and the one person I wanted to talk to was 1,500 miles away in Detroit. I cried a lot--and then on one of my drives that typically led me up the canyon, I decided to go to the temple grounds instead. As I sat there and cried and prayed and thought about what on earth I was going to do, I realized that even though I was physically alone, I was never, ever, ever going to be completely alone. I always had someone there for me, and that alone was enough to get me back on my feet and motivate me to step out of my comfort zone a little more than usual. I'm not a perfect Mormon--there isn't such a person. But I try really really hard, and give it my best shot. Because I believe in this gospel, and I love it with all my heart. I'm grateful for Joseph Smith, for Thomas S. Monson, for the priesthood power and worthy priesthood holders in my life, for the scriptures, and most importantly for families and their eternal nature. My biggest dream in life is to walk out of the Salt Lake Temple on the arm of the man I love and get to be with forever to start a family I can teach the beauty and joy of this gospel. So today, I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me, a Savior who understands every single little aspect of my life, and this gospel to believe in when nothing else makes sense. 

12. To say I'm in love with where I live and go to school would barely skim the surface of how I feel about USU. I love our picturesque little campus, I love the feeling that fills the Spectrum on gamedays, and I even love the sound of the heaters creaking in the ancient Ray B. West building [most days]. I love the people I go to classes with, I love Aggie Ice Cream, and I love nothing more than singing The Scotsman while cheering on my favorite teams. Logan is home--and I'll bleed Aggie Blue til the day I die. 

13. I'm not the "typical sorority girl." I think Diet Coke tastes like old socks, I have yet to go more than 30 seconds with lipstick on my lips, and heels will always be a form of torture. I still don't fully understand the idea behind monogramming my possessions, and I will never be able to take conversations with abbreviated words in them seriously. But if we're being honest, a sorority isn't like the stereotype says it should be. It's more about discovering who you are and building leadership qualities than it is about parties. It's more about philanthropy, networking, and community service than it is about Lilly Pulitzer. And most importantly? It's about joining a group of women who motivate, support, and defend each other because this world is hard. I'm grateful for Kappa Delta and the people it's given to me--and the person it's made me. 

14. If you'd asked me two years ago if I'd be spending a large part of my free time with 45+ fraternity boys, I would have laughed in your face--after I asked what a fraternity was. For once, I couldn't be happier to be wrong. Over the last year and a half, these boys have taught me what it's like to have older brothers; shown me how quickly a group of people can change your life; and given me a couple dozen people to call if I'm ever in trouble. I don't think I'll ever get over how much I love walking into their house to a chorus of "Ash!!!!" and a round of hugs, or be able to listen to them sing to me without giggling from the sheer excitement of it all. They've become my entertainment, my big brothers, and my best friends--and I'm the luckiest girl in the world to have them to love on. 

15. My grandma would have been 62 today--and today I'm grateful for her memory. The holidays are always a little bittersweet without her here, but I'm so grateful for the knowledge I have that my family is forever. I'm grateful for her example of selfless love, endurance, and Christlike service. I'm grateful for the way she raised my mom so that I have the incredible mother I do. I'm grateful for the legacy she left behind--and I'm grateful that she's my grandma. I don't think I'll ever go a day without aching for her--but I'm grateful for the fact that I know I'll get to see her again. Happy Birthday, Grandma; I wish every child in the whole wide world had a grandmother just like you. 

The moon and back.

Gratitude list: Part Dos. Because the people I'm surrounded by are the best of the best--and my biggest blessings. 

6. She's the sweetest, most thoughtful, and least judgmental person I know--and the only person I can fight with without really ever fighting. We share a closet better than anybody else I know, and there's nobody else I'd rather share the Sweetheart Suite with. Abby is the only person who can tell me how big of an idiot I'm being [about boys, random tantrums, etc] without me freaking out, and even though we want to break the curse we share, I'm glad it's with her. ;) She's my person. [pick me. choose me. love me.] 

7. [yes, I know Brian's in here. Hi, Brian. That's what happens when you have two "boyfriends."They don't like sharing the camera.] But this one's for jaseface22. All summer long I heard all these stories about some Elder Dahlin that was coming home and how cool he was and how much fun we would have...and then he came to Logan and didn't say two words to me the whole weekend he was here until I told him to hurry back to Logan and love me--and he did! I love that he understands my humor, and reciprocates my endless teasing. I love that I can be myself around him--and I'm grateful that he doesn't judge me for being the weirdo that I am. He entertains my crazy ideas [like smashing a cake in Brian's face], and puts up with me yelling "BOYFRIEND" throughout the house whenever I need something. I'm grateful for quickly formed friendships, and even more grateful for friendships I know will last a long time; even if sometimes he wants to literally punch me in the face, and not just figuratively. 

8. Someday I want to be as cool as Emily Orr--but someday I want to watch a reality show based on her even more. I'm grateful for her confidence, her sense of humor, and the way she always speaks her mind. There isn't a single other person who I'd rather have acting as Squad #2--and a little bit of me will always live vicariously through her and her daily escapades. [AND I'M STILL SO HAPPY SHE'S FINALLY PART OF OUR CLUB]

9. She's my partner-in-crime, my secret keeper, my shopping buddy, and the angel on my shoulder. Ash truly is the big sister I never had, and I'm so grateful for her example, listening ear, and the unconditional love and support she offers. If I can be half the sister, friend, wife, and person that she is someday, I'll be one happy girl. 

10. She's my only friend. Mostly because sometimes, all a girl needs is someone to make her feel like the most important person in the room when everything is falling apart around her--and five seconds with Lynette does just that. She's the most selfless person I know, and manages to make my day a thousand times better whenever I see her. 

I call it magic.

I'm a real slacker when it comes to gratitude posts. 

But I'm grateful for a million and a half things--so I figured it's time to get started.
[don't worry--there will be more coming]

1. They've seen me sobbing on my bed when my best friend left on his mission, at 4 am during a stressful finals week, and on my way out of the door for a first date. I got supremely lucky when it came to roommates, because despite different schools, missions across the country, and even wedding rings, they'll forever be my Snitches. [and we'll all be back together for the first time in 18 months in less than 90 days and I'm so excited I could cry]. 

2. This little one loves me unconditionally, and I mean that to the fullest extent of the word. Even when I go home for the weekend and make her fend for herself, when I get distracted by various things [boys], or when I'm busy with who knows what, she's the first to give me a hug when I walk in the door and she leaves me the most perfect presents at the most perfect times. She's the most caring person I know--and she keeps me on track. 

3.  There's seven wonderful reasons I ache to be home on Sunday nights, seven people I want to talk to when everything is going right (or wrong), and seven hugs I want as soon as my car hits the Davis County line. My family group message is the highlight of my day, and FaceTime dates with the babies are my favorite distractions. I'm so lucky to have a family that motivates me, supports me, and loves me the way mine does--and I'm fairly certain they'll always be my biggest blessing. 

4. Nobody puts up with me quite as much as he does. He handles the approximately 20,000 "I HAVE A STORY FOR YOU" texts a day like a champ [especially because most of them are things I can't remember], the incessant teasing he puts up with [from me and because of me] is unreal, and somehow he never fails to make me laugh. Despite everyone else's best efforts, he'll always be my SnapChat best friend, the one person who doesn't have to ask before stealing my Dr. Pepper, and the only boy I won't endlessly judge for wearing camo.

5. "That top part of the Celestial Kingdom? Yeah, I'm going there." She's my better half--and that about sums it up. She talks me out of stupid decisions, and when I'm too stubborn to agree, helps me clean up the mess afterwards. She pushes me to step out of my comfort zone, and finishes my sentences [even when we're writing notes to each other]. We're really bad at being quiet together, and we take the world's most awkward pictures--and I'll never get over how grateful I am for her never-ending advice and love. She's my superhero best friend, whether she'll take the title or not. 

Maybe someday I'll understand how I got to be so lucky, but until then? I'm just going to keep on counting my people--because my people are my biggest blessings. And I'm just the luckiest.