HOUSTON ...WE HAVE CONTACT and..... DEEP GRATITUDE!!

Oh the joy, joy, JOY felt at the dawn of this new day when my dear warrior woke up with brighter
and more purposeful eyes. That joy transcended into elation when we started not only realizing he was tracking people moving in the room and as hearts began to overflow with thanksgiving for that he was asked to squeeze the hand of one of the medical staff and...... SQUEEZE HE DID... over and over upon request as I took a turn and michelle took a turn etc.... AND IF ThAT WASN'T ENOUGH to  make our own eyes brighten and our hearts shine... he NODDED his head when asked a question!!!     WE'VE MADE GLORIOUS CONTACT!!! and could not be more thankful!!!

On that note, I want to add a thought I had last night regarding living in gratitude for EVERYTHING!
I noted that in the past 14 days my prayers have become so much more personal, continuous, and truly sacred, and I have found myself so deeply thankful for even some of the most minute and in the past possibly overlooked things... like abilities to make expressions, maintain a steady heart rate, use of vital organs according to their proper form and function, to open eyes, and now to squeeze the hand of someone you love so deeply and have them squeeze back.... and then I have been brought to the realization of so much that I have taken for granted and have truly missed and will be sure to be more eternally grateful for in the future such as...scripture study with my husband and family, to eat dinner together, to disagree and make up together, to wash dishes and load the dishwasher just the way Ronald so specifically wants it done :), to attend church together, to take a walk together, to rub feet after they have spent the day working to support our family, doing laundry(never thought I'd say that), doing yard work , .... not to mention just thoughtlessly breathing and waking up and going to sleep together all under the same imperfect yet loving home (even rented home :) .... even though I have always sincerely and tenderly loved the temple and the ability to attend... I feel even more of a sustaining and generating life line of power that flows from spending time there that I had not allowed myself to feel as strongly! I guess I am trying to express 2 things with all these words...
1. That the Lord is extraordinarily merciful in his ability to help us feel not only lifted, but even stand stronger and taller and more confident even when the burdens placed upon us are thee very heaviest and even as get us to a place (if we allow him) to see those burden/challenges as honored sacred mortal gifts that cause all else simple, lasting, real, and beautiful to be magnified and so much more powerful!
2. That even though what we have been called to go through at this season of life certainly appears to be pretty enormous and so all related miracles attached seem to be so enormous and worth our sweetest gratitude...... I truly hope I (we) take the time to remember that every hour of every day is full to the brim of a multitude of tender mercies, abilities, protections, love, sustaining, growth, opportunities, courage, powers and so on that  are ALL worth our most loving expression of gratitude-and most especially the infinite atonement of our Savior- who's suffering has become so much more personal, intimate and real to me and our family these past few weeks and how freely he offers the irreplaceable divine sustaining, as well as rejuvenating and renewing power that is made possible for us to draw upon no matter how simple or enormous the need!

Oh, that sweet warrior of ours has SO much father to go but for me and my house we will not only choose to serve the Lord but live in daily gratitude for the opportunity and honor to have our stalwart husband , father and priesthood leader in our mortal lives each new day, but also for the even greater gift that we will have our entire family in our eternal lives FOREVER!!... and that is the greatest reason to soak ourselves in gratitude each new day!

SURE LOVE YOU ALL!!
***the following is a video/link to a wonderful clip of our Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson that can express what I have been trying to much more perfectly, purposely, and concisely!!!