Thankful Thursday and 30 Things

1) I am grateful for my amazing friend, AJ. She has been there to listen to me a lot, especially this past year. She helps me escape when I need a few hours away from the house. Of all of the amazing blessings I've been given while serving in YW callings, she's my favourite!

2) I am grateful for everything I've gained and learned in the past decade. When I turned 20, I had just joined the church a few months ago, had place L a month and a half before and had no clue where my life was going to take me next. Over these 10 years I married a wonderful man in the temple, we had 3 wonderful boys together, we learned just how much we're able to get through with each other and the help of our Heavenly Father. It truly has been a very amazing decade for me and I'm looking forward to seeing what my 30's bring.

3) I am grateful to officially have all of the winter gear shopping for the year done. I bought Brett's lighter mitts and Caleb's second pair of warm mitts this morning and I am now done and ready for the next round of snow (which can wait until after Caleb's baptism, pretty please). It's a big relief knowing there won't be a big rush for all of that stuff for us in a few weeks!

So since I'm turning 30 on Sunday, I decided to post 30 random facts about myself for it. I won't do it that day since I'll be busy watching General Conference and enjoying my bacon breakfast, so I'll just do it now.

1) I have more noticeable OCDisms than John, and he is officially diagnosed with it.

2) I love to randomly start dancing to music, even if it's just the tune stuck in my head.

3) I spent most of my weekends in grade 12 hanging out at home with my brother and have no regrets about it.

4) In my (almost) 30 years, I still haven't found a fashion style to stick with that works for me.

5) I have never had a broken bone.

6) If I was deep cleaning my room and rearranging it as a teen, it was best to stay away. It meant I was probably upset about something.

7) I read The Book of Mormon in a month earlier this year. I have no plans to do it that quickly again.

8) I have read the entire standard works cover to cover, and would love to do that one again.

9) I craved McDonald's cheeseburgers during my pregnancies with all 3 boys.

10) I can't stand typos. If they're mine, I need to correct them as soon as I notice them. If they were made by other people, it annoys me a lot more than it should.

11) I absolutely adore the baked ravioli that John makes for me. Seriously, someone should write a song about that stuff.

12) I have a huge fear of talking on the phone to people I don't know really well. I will avoid it at almost any cost.

13) One of my favourite gifts I've ever received was a handmade knit Ravenclaw scarf from my friend. She made it for me during transit rides and breaks at work.

14) My favourite book, contrary to what people think, is actually To Kill a Mockingbird.

15) My favourite thing to get in my stocking each year is notepads. I love making lists!

16) I LOVE bacon, but I make John cook it for me because I got several grease burns when I worked at KFC and they hurt really bad.

17) I have a slight obsession with Scentsy. Okay, more than slight.

18) I have really bad insomnia. It's a big deal if I manage to fall asleep without taking a pill to help with it or spending over an hour trying to fall asleep.

19) I have spring, summer and fall allergies that get worse each year. However, I finally found a medication rotation this year that works for me.

20) I love wearing fuzzy socks on cold days. I don't wear them out of the house very often, but they are amazing for around the house.

21) I sweep my floors in they same systematic way every single time I sweep them (remember number 1?).

22) My principal in my first elementary school wanted me to skip grade 2. Had my mum agreed to it, I would have still been 16 when I graduated from high school.

23) One year, I had 3 different Halloween costumes. One for school, one for Sparks and one for Halloween night.

24) When my brother and I were young, we got to help build our log cabin fort at our grandparents' farm. We loved that thing so much!

25) I actually get super excited each time Brettley outgrows a clothing size and I get to donate them instead of putting them into storage again. It feels like progress for some reason.

26) One of my most favourite days of the year is the day that I get my new calendar in the mail. I'm a sad, strange individual like that...

27) I seldom get sad when my kids move on from parts of their childhood, but I will admit to almost shedding a tear when Caleb decided he no longer wanted to hold my hand in front of his friend at the park.

28) My favourite place to eat is at Firestone in Lethbridge. I've only been there twice, but both experiences were absolutely amazing. John even said that they have ruined him for all other baked potatoes. I heartily agree!

29) I have been doing my own laundry since I was 7. It started because I got tired of picking Kleenix bits off of my clean clothes that had been in other people's pockets, so I begged my mum to teach me how to wash my own clothes.

30) I absolutely love sour gummy candies, particularly Sour Patch Kids. Yum!