Experience

Doctrine and Covenants Section 122:

 7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the ^apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the ^bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to ^chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of ^dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee^eexperience, and shall be for thy good.

 8 The ^aSon of Man hath ^bdescended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

This part in the scriptures is among my favorites. First of all, I love the Doctrine and Covenants. Just love. And this section, where Joseph Smith has been pleading with the Lord in a moment of exhaustion pops into my head often. Heavenly Father's reply to him is a constant reminder to me to be grateful for trials, because that is how we learn. Lately, I have needed reminding of the beauty in a few quite minuscule trials we have been facing:

I am grateful that the only health issues we have to worry about are a few colds.

I am grateful to be working hard to loose baby weight because this means I have an able body, and more importantly, the blessing and opportunity to have sweet babies.

I am grateful for the chaos that inevitably surrounds us during the holiday season, because we have so much family close by to celebrate with.

I am grateful for housework and errands to run because I have a beautiful home, and a sweet family to share it with who needs me.

And on another note, there are some simpler things I am grateful for at the moment: Pinterest, baby legwarmers, baby smiles, Netflix, Moms, Mod Podge, iPhones, strollers, Christmas decorations, presents under the tree, San Diego weather, our ward family, my new calling to YW, a working car, a warm bed, how B talks to Leighton, how Leighton smiles at B, Baby Bjorns, sweet friends, a hard working husband, a washer and dryer, Mac n Cheese, pita chips, hummus, Coke, leggings, real Christmas trees, a temple so close, baby kisses, Target, swimming, Costco, a baby that sleeps through the night, and a super cute boy who loves me. Just to name a few.

I am also grateful for our future track star:

And my little sister and frequent conversations about clothes and hair..