So on this Wednesday before Thanksgiving I am thinking about all of the things that I am truly thankful for.. God has sent me a lot of blessing this year and I am not one to look over that.. I know how lucky I am so I want to take the time to say how grateful I am.

My Health- If you can wake up every morning and open your eyes and look around, or walk across the floor and take a deep breath, then be grateful! Think of all of the people out there who are suffering.. I am so blessed to have my health.

My House- God brought an angel into my life this year named Adam Grobben. I will forever be thankful to him for giving me this amazing home. I feel safe and happy here. There are so many people who are living on the street, who have no home and no place to go. There are so many people who dont have a roof over their head and I do. I am so blessed to have my home.

My Family- I have the best family in the world! My mom who is so kind, warm, loving, accepting and who has taught me to be the woman I am. My dad who is so protective, so hard working, such a loving, caring man. He has taught me the importance of giving back to those you love. My sister who is so beautiful, so strong willed, so sensitive and so smart. She has taught me about the strength within myself. My aunts and uncles and my cousins all have my back. They support and love me for me. I am so blessed to have my family!

My Friends- My second family. I dont think anyone has friends who take care of them the way my friends do with me. These people have come together from different places, with different ideas and different paths and they have formed a family. This is what I love about human nature! I am especially thankful to:

Brandon Goers- who helped me to move back down to Utah. I would not be where I am right now without him. He is my brother, he is my soul mate and he will always be in my life. 

Jenna Burnam- who lived with me this past year, who went on this amazing adventure with me and came out a stronger person because of it. I am so grateful for her! I know we will remin friends even states away! 

Chris Sugden- who quickly became one of my best friends after I moved down here. He gives me insight, energy, love.. He has such a great way at looking at life. Whenever im down I talk to him and instantly feel better!

Adam Grobben- Of course this man stole my heart this year! He has that effect on everyone. His energy is intoxicating. His heart is so big. Since moving in I have cried so many times because he is so giving and so caring to me and every person he meets. If I could pick someone for my future husband to be like it would be him but the sad thing is there are no other Adam Grobbens out there..

Sparkey- is my other half. He is gone until Sunday visiting his family and I am so lost without him! Since I have moved in I havent gone a day without seeing him. Last night I really didnt know what to do with myself. He makes me laugh, he has such a warm nature and he loves with all of his heart.

Tasha- I am so thankful I reconnected with her. After our ups and our downs we came out realizing all of that happened because we cared about each other so much. She is me in so many ways and she is the person I go to when I need to know that im not alone. When I need to know there is another person out there by my side thinking and feeling on my level.

Tommy- Meeting Tommy this summer was one of the highlights of my year. He is my little light of sunshine! He is so funny, and so supportive and so understanding! I cant tell you how much he means to me. 

Daniel, Jack and Justin- The three musketeers make me laugh. Each one of them is always so willing to go out of their way and help me when I need it. Love me when I need it. And just be there for me. Plus they are all FUN! Get the party started with these three!

Randy and Sean- The little married couple who I dont see as much anymore and yet they are two people who I know would have my back with anything! If I were stranded in the middle of the night these two would be the ones who would help me in an instant even if we hadnt spoken in a month! They would give their last dime to someone they loved, they would find a way to help anyone and I know God is going to bless them with so much because of it.

Jesse- He is a constant in my life. No matter if we are talking every day or every other month. He is someone that I dont have doubts ever that he loves me and will always be my friend.

Claude- The sweetest man. Such a big heart. Such an intelligent man who thinks so logically(which is the total opposite of me). He would give anyone a helping hand. I love him!

Nic and Jeff- My cuddle bugs. They give so much love! You cant say a bad word about them.

Klint- EVERYONE loves Klint! He is the best! He makes a room light up! Im so glad I have been able to get to know him more this year and call him one of my good friends!

Megan- She will always be the girl that I look up to. She is smart, she is sweet and fun to be around! I have so much respect and love for her. She has always and will always be there and I dont feel like I can ever tell her how much she means to me.

Casey and Nic- Two of the funniest people! Again they would always have my back and I could call them with anything even if we hadnt talked in a week. Big, big hearts!

There are so many others- People I have met this year, people I have known for years. Each one of you brings something to my life! Each one of you I love and would be there for in an instant!

Ok this post turned a lot longer than I intended it but as I was writing about people I kept thinking about more that I couldnt possibly leave out! And there are even more that I am thinking about now! Basically I am very lucky! I love each and everyone of you and I couldnt ask for a better life! :) Have a happy and safe Thanksgiving everyone!

There are a few things about me that if you are a good friend or my family you probably know. Then again maybe you dont so I just thought I would share a few odd traits about me! :)

1) I LOVE Jessica Simpson.. Everyone makes fun of me for it but I cant help it! I first starting loving her on the Newlyweds! I think she is a dumb blond but she has such a kind heart! She is beautiful and even if her music or movies arent always at the top of the charts I always support her! Especially when it comes to her purses and shoes! :)

2) I am a hopeless romantic even though I have never been in love! I think there is someone out there for everyone.. I think we will all find out true love and have out movie moments just like in the Notebook! I will never give up hope of that!

3) I have had my fair share of dumb blond moments which my friends will never let me live down! Here are just a few: I think there are things that rhyme with Orange, such as porridge! It may not be exact but it poetically rhymes! Also I think that the whale is part of the fish family.. I understand the live birth thing but there is an animal with fins that lives in the water and you are going to tell me they are some how related to a fish? I dont buy it! Then there is the whole Alaska business.. On a map it always looks like its an island surrounded by water and off in a little box next to Hawaii! Well apparently not! People still love me despite this which is why I am sharing it with the world!

4) I can not cook to save my life! I am terrified of the kitchen and when someone asks me to do something I do it very slowly and ask lots of questions.. Ask Brandon, it took me 10 minutes to peel one potato.. Or ask Adam it took me 10 minutes to get the kitchen aid mixing bowl on the mixer but oh wait I couldnt even do it after 10 minutes so he had to do it for me.. Cooking + Mindy = No bueno

5) I am a VERY touchy feely person! With people that I feel comfortable with I want to hold their hand and hug them and kiss them and cuddle! If im on the couch with people I have to be touching someone, normally multiple people if possible.. This is usually pertaining to all of my friends and my family!

6) I am a HORRIBLE sleep partner.. I snore, I steal the covers (as Brandon calls it I burrito in the covers), I want to sleep right next to you, I want to cuddle and I am a very deep sleeper so its hard to wake me up out of doing these things.. And the worst part is that I LOVE sleeping with people! So everyone who is not scared come have a sleepover with me! Lol..

7) I have a few foods that I HATE! One of them being eggs! I have never enjoyed eggs no matter how you cook them my entire life.. When I was first friends with Chris Sugden and would sleep over at his house he would make up early in the morning and make me breakfast! It was so sweet but I never had the heart to tell him that I hated eggs! So I would try so hard and eat them and then feel sick to my stomach after! I finally admitted to him my hatred of them and havent had one since! I also hate pickles and olives! Both with a passion! I will pick them out of anything!

8) Many of my goals in life my sounds dumb but I have had them for a long time so here they are: own a little dog (like a Pomeranian) and have a designer purse and then carry my dog around in my purse, go for a ride in a hot air balloon, travel to Italy, go on a Mexican cruise, own an Audi, dance in the rain, kiss someone under the mistletoe, have children and go to Disney World!

9) I hate the term fag hag, or fruit fly or anything having to do with being the follower of the gays! I LOVE my friends with all my heart, they are my family and the majority of them are gay men but I am NOT a fag hag.. I would be friends with these people whether they were gay, straight, bi, black, white, yellow, Jewish, Christian or Muslim. They are who they are and they are out of this world! I dont go around searching for gay men to be friends with but it just happens that I relate to a lot of them.. I dont look at my friends and think I have some amazing GAY friends! I just think, I have some amazing friends! :)

10) I am a cheese ball! My friends and my family all know this! I am very emotional and very sentimental.. I will text you and tell you how amazing you are all the time.. I will send you emails, cards, have talks, Facebook telling you every good thing I see in you and how much I love you! I think I say I love you more times in a day then I say anything else.. I realize I can be cheesy, I can be a lot but one thing I promise you is everything I say is sincere and from the heart.. If I love you, I tell you!

Thats just me! Take me or leave me! :)

12) Purses: Anyone that knows me know that I love my purses! I have tons! Some have never even been used.. When I go into a store I automatically gravitate toward that section. One year for Christmas I got 3 purses from different friends.. I was SO happy! I dont think I can ever have enough! :)

11) Hair Straightener: Oh the curse of curly, think hair! Its a genetic thing. My cousins have it, my grandma had it, my dad has it. I literally think I would look like a poodle every day without my straightener. Its funny to look at pictures of myself from middle school when my hair was so big because I hadnt discovered a good straightener yet. Now I have had many chi’s but let me tell you they are no longer the best. I have a sedu and I can literally burn myself after touching my hair because it gets so hot. However, very straight! I love it! Whoever invented this tool that burns the crap out of your hair is a genius!

10) Mac: By far the best investment I have ever made! I LOVE my Mac as though it was my child! I have to admit I was always a PC girl. When I started looking for a lap top I had a really hard time deciding what to do because Macs were way more. I decided to try it because they had a free ipod with it for the back to school special and that was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. I will ALWAYS have Macs now! So easy to use! So fast! So smart! They just update and take care of themselves! Good Mac! Good Mac!

9) Sushi: Yum Yum Yum! Sushi is so good! I think I could literally eat it every day and not get sick of it. Growing up in the Northwest I have always love fish because my dad would bring home fresh fish from the Columbia River which we lived right next to. It wasnt until I got older that I discovered my love of uncooked fish! It is delicious! I just wish it wasnt so expensive! Thank god for half priced sushi day at Ichiban! Sorry Daniel and Justin!

8) Christmas: I love holidays in general which I feel includes my birthday but if you dont include birthdays then Christmas is by far my favorite holiday! It reminds me a lot of my Grandma Stephens. She would decorate the house and have Christmas music on right after Thanksgiving! There were always tons of gifts and the feeling of so much love! I love the lights, I love watching peoples faces when I give them the perfect gift, I love bundling up and going out in the snow, singing Christmas carols, making snow angels, decorating the Christmas tree and EVERYTHING having to do with Santa! Where are you Christmas?!

7) Blackberry: My blackberry is connected to me at all times. I have never had a smart phone before and now I dont think I want to go back. Facebook at all times, Black Berry Messenger, pictures that are actually clear so I dont even need a camera! Why did I ever have a cheap slider phone???!?!? Thank you Chris Sugden for providing me with my first Blackberry! I am forever thankful! :)

6) Coffee: Here is what I love about coffee.. Not only does it wake you up but it is the greatest social thing to do. Want to go talk to a friend? Go to coffee. Going on a date? Go to coffee. You are bored? Coffee! I think you get the point! I love all the tasty treats they can make and you are so peppy after!!! All time favorite from Starbucks: Pumpkin Spice Latte All time favorite from beans and brew: Tan Mocha anywhere else: You can never go wrong with a white mocha! :)

5) Music/Lyrics/Quotes: Music is my life.. The main thing I love about music is the way it makes you feel.. This leads into lyrics.. I am a lyrics whore! If there is a song with amazing lyrics I will get goose bumps and LOVE it.. Ill listen to it over and over and relate it to my life or my friends life or a potential life in the future. I also love making cds for people that relate to situations going on in their life.. My love for lyrics also feeds in to my love of quotes! Quotes from songs, quotes from people.. I just think it is the best thing when you find a quote whether it be from a song or a poet or whoever that relates to you.. It makes me feel like there is someone out there at some point who really understands me and has gone through what I have been through.. Amazing!

4) Home: I know I have already dedicated an entire post to this but my house! I love it! Coming home.. Relaxing.. That amazing feeling of…. I live here! I am proud of my house and I love being here!

3) Wine: How does someone not love wine?!? It is by far one of the greatest things I have found in my short life.. There used to be a time in my life when I wanted to go take shots, drink mix drinks and go out and get crazy.. There are still those times every once in a while but for the most part I would rather just stay at home and relax with my glass of wine.. I LOVE red the best! Especially merlot! If im having a good day, bad day, angry, sad, embarrassed, stressed, whatever.. Wine=BFF! And no im not an alcoholic! I dont get drunk off it every night I just enjoy a glass a night! And then maybe more on the weekends! Lol.. Oh in case anyone is wondering 14 Hands Merlot is my favorite!

2) Pictures: Pictures are my world.. When I moved back to Washington and was really down and missing my friends I filled my room with pictures! I have frames everywhere and I love how pictures capture the perfect moments! I love giving pictures and frames for gifts also! I dont think you could every go wrong giving me a framed picture!

1) Friends/Family: My friends are my family my family are my friends and they are by far the most important thing in my life.. I would give up any of the past 11 things without a second thought for these people.. I am someone who would do anything for the people I love.. Im very protective and just want the people who I love most to be happy! I am so lucky and so blessed that these people are in my life! I love you guys!! Thank you for making me the person I am! I love each of you for exactly who you are! (BTW this picture below doesnt show everyone but you all know who you are!) :)

This is the house I live in! I know its cute right? Beautiful inside as well.. There is a big comfy couch and flat screen tvs in every room.. The most incredible thing about this house though is the feeling you get when you walk inside. Its a feeling of love, acceptance and warmth.. Everyone is welcome, everyone is treated as if they live here too.. You immediately have a family, people to confide in, hold you, love you.. I have never felt such positive energy from a place in my life but I cant get enough of it. I think thats why im such a homebody.. My favorite place is to be on the couch in my snuggie with everyone I love around me.. All of my friends like to come here and hang out because you can just BE here.. When I moved this instantly felt like home which is exactly the way my roommates want it to feel! This house is my perfection, my solitude.. Home is where the heart is, well my heart is definitely here! :)