My Gratitude Post | Whitney Beth Photography | Utah Family + Senior photographer
 

Every year, around November my social media feeds are flooded with gratitude posts. This year, however, I've noticed a real lack of them. Honestly, it's understandable. 2020 has been a rough year for everyone, throw in an election and pandemic with mask mandates and stay at home orders and it's no wonder everyone wants to get this year over with! But it's times like these that I think we need to really stop and think of what we are grateful for and give thanks. Because when it feels like we should just cancel 2020 and then you take a second to look around at what you have, it might change your outlook. 

So with that, I'd like to start it off.

1. I am thankful for YOU! Yes, you, the one reading this post. Just by clicking over and seeing what I have to say is HUGE! Not only does it show your support, but it also helps tremendously with my SEO and making Google think I'm really cool. So thank you, your little click makes a huge difference in my little business. 

2. I'm grateful for my family - this year more than ever. Those first handful of weeks when we were all shut down and couldn't see anyone outside our household was so hard. I missed my brothers and sisters, mom and dad, nieces and nephews. So when we were finally able to see each other again it felt amazing and is something I will never take for granted again. 

3. I'm thankful for the outside. When so much of what we love was/is closed, I found myself exploring my backyard and taking the boys up the canyons to play and hunt for sticks. One of the things that keeps my postpartum depression at bay is going out in nature and photographing clients and family. So it was no surprise that going outside was what helped keep my sanity this year.

4. My love of home improvement projects and DIY. I'm sure I'm not the only one this year to tackle a project or two. But the thing about me is, I LOVE doing them. I love transforming things and adding personal touches and seeing how I can elevate a space. Not to mention, I've found that when things get crazy in my life I get to work on a project, and what crazier year than this?!

5. All my babies. The ones I get to raise, the ones I never met, the ones that will hopefully come in the future. Being a mom is the best and hardest thing I've ever done. But it's what I've always wanted. 

6. Danny. You'll never meet a more kind, selfless, caring, funny person. He helps me be a better person and is everything I'd ever want in a partner. 

7. I'm grateful for my dogs. They may be big chickens who aren't aware they are actually dogs, but I love them. They're my little shadows and are always ready to hog the bed. Not to mention they love my babies like they're own (I'm still not 100% convinced Indy knows that they boys are not her puppies.)

8. I'm thankful for art. Everything is art, finding ways to express yourself and release your emotions is therapy. Art emerges from all scenarios and events; happy, sad, angry, etc. It also documents and immortalizes moments and memories. The art that has come out of 2020 has been a mess of a beautiful reminder to a hard year. 

9. I'm thankful for my belief in a loving God and the knowledge that I have that I will see my babies again. 2020 was not only rough for everyone, but for us as a family - if you missed it, I miscarried another baby at the start of October. Holding onto my beliefs and understanding that I will see my children again has been such a weight lifted from my shoulders. 

10. I'm thankful that we have enough for our needs. When all the shiz went down at the first of the year and everyone was scrambling to buy/find toilet paper, I wasn't worried. Miraculously, a few days before the shut down I had the impression to buy toilet paper. No biggie, right? It wasn't on sale and I didn't have any coupons, and we had enough rolls to get us to the next time it went on sale, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed it. So I bought a pack and went on my way and then everything shut down and was bought out. My little family and I lasted the entire quarantine on that big pack of toilet paper and I didn't have to worry and waste time finding more.