Gratitude... Why not?

Ok so you may call me a copy cat, but I have followed my sister Amy's example and decided to make my blog a little bit of a gratitude blog for the month. Why not right? I feel that this is something I need to do, for me. Might sound a little selfish, but I need to recognize more what I have and more of what I am blessed with. This is a good way for me to recognize that and be held accountable. So here goes.

Day #1: Temple work

Today I am grateful for the temple. A couple of weeks ago in church we were discussing the influence our parents choices while we were growing up had on us and the influence the choices we make now will have on our children. I have been thinking about the example of my parents a lot lately. I decided that they are the reason I never make my bed (they never did when I was growing up) but they are also the reason I like hard work and other such good things. Mostly I have been thinking about the example they set about attending the temple. I remember waking up on Saturday mornings to find my parents gone. They were temple workers out serving the Lord. I always wondered what it was that was in their awesome leather bags and what it was they were doing at the temple. The temple intrigued me. I wanted to go there. And now, every week I have the opportunity to go to the temple with my own husband. Temple attendance has become a must for us and without it things just don't go right. I'm thankful for the example of my parents and the encouragement they give us regularly. I'm also thankful for my wonderful Grandma Blomquist who for our wedding gave us the money to purchase our own temple clothes. She lovingly reminded us that no matter how poor we are we can always go on a date to the temple. So that's just what we do.
Another family who today has inspired me to be even a little better about temple work is the Bagley family. They invited me to be a part of their facebook group entitled Keeping Christ in Christmas. This is their goal for the Christmas season:

This year in honor of Christmas, our family wanted to do a meaningful project. After much thought, we decided we would focus on helping families on the other side of the veil. We have made it our goal to do as many indexing names, baptisms, initiatories, and sessions that we can between Thanksgiving and the New Year. We would like to invite you,... your family and friends to join us in this endeavor.

We will be having a weekly indexing event each Sunday evening at 7:30 at our home if you would like to join us (at our new home). We would like to invite you to come or encourage you to have an event of your own with your family and friends wherever you may be. Watch this group for updates on temple trips and feel free to post your own times when you are going. It will be a fun and unifying thing to do together.

If you have not tried indexing, it really is a lot of fun (it’s like a puzzle). See familysearch.org to register for indexing. We will also be keeping record of our progress. To do this, submit how many names you indexed, were baptized for, or other temple work to this group (either on the wall or through private message) and we will give a weekly count update.

Merry Christmas!

Isn't that just awesome! I'm grateful for the opportunity Michael and I have to be a part of it. Oh I can hardly wait! 
I love to see the temple, I'm going there today! And I can hardly wait for 7:00  to roll around ;)