My Cup Runneth Over

Today I was thinking about blessings. Actually, everyday I think about my blessings. I have so many! First of all, my family is amazing, and not only my immediate family, extended too! I am close to almost everyone I am related to and they all are such a strength to me. My immediate family, however, is my greatest pillar of strength. My parents are always willing to help me through whatever I am going through whether great or small and I talk to them about anything and everything. Last night, for example, I had a terrible nightmare that my mom had died and it was my fault. It was horrible! It was one of those dreams that felt so real that when I woke up, I was upset and crying and, for the first time in probably ten years, I went and crawled in bed with my mom and dad...and they let me. Awesome parents? Yeah I know. =) Then there are my younger siblings, three sisters and one brother. My brother Steele has no brothers, so I have played the "brother" growing up. Therefore, naturally, he and I are extremely close. One of my best friends, the other being Seth, is my sister Sapphire. She and I did everything together before I went to college...everything. Sports, speech, drama, band, double dates, and just hanging out together. We share clothes, a room, memories, and DNA. When I come home, we still are inseparable  but I sometimes miss always being together. She actually has a blog of her own and it's all about the two of us and the awesome bond that we have! http://mysister-myfriend.blogspot.com/  Then there are my youngest two sisters, Shylo and Sequoia. Shylo is a lot like I am and Sequoia acts like Sapphire. They haven't discovered that they are each other's best friends yet, but they will. Sapphire and I are working on teaching them...they're starting to get it. (Since we're always in pairs this is how mom calls us: Sapphire and I = girls!  Shylo and Sequoia = little girls! and Steele = Steele. Poor kid. No buddy system for him!) Another blessing that I've spent a lot of time thinking about this summer is the beautiful earth we have to live on! Isn't it amazing?! Living in this little valley I am surrounded by so much lush green land. I love looking over the hills and seeing the myriad of greens from different fields. The other night I was riding in the back of a truck with my little sisters and I was showing them, first the lights in the sky which form the constellations, and then the hundreds, if not thousands, of lights on the ground: the fireflies. I showed them that if you looked in the trees and ditches, there were sometimes so many fireflies that it looked like the earth itself was sparkling. I just can't get over how incredibly beautiful it is here! I know I've lived here all my life, but wow! How blessed I am to live in a place where I can see the stars in the sky and open, rolling hills covered by fireflies and fields. A few days later I was driving with Sapphire as the sun was setting and once again I admired the beauty of it all. It was one of those very pink and purple sunsets that seem to wash everything in a pink hue and make it look romantic. (I know I sound like a hippy or tree-hugger here, and maybe I am, but seriously! Look around you and pay attention and I think you will experience the same feelings.) Last but not least, I definitely have to count Seth being on a mission as a blessing. Yes, it's tough, but it has blessed both he and I in numerous ways and I have the support and love of his family which is AMAZING.  Plus, as far as trials go, this a pretty good one to have. If I could swap with anyone...I wouldn't. I wouldn't trade any part of my life. Is it perfect? Of course not...but it's pretty darn close. Like I said before, I am extremely blessed. My cup runneth over.