Top Ten Things I’m Grateful for at the End of 2010

These are in addition to the constants, like a loving family, an excellent job, and the gospel.

1. 1. Adrienne’s Healing. A year ago when she went into the hospital, we were scared and did not know what to expect. I blessed her to recover fully. It’s been a difficult year, but she has gotten increasingly better. She is completely healed in so many senses of the word, though of course keeping up one’s health is always an ongoing effort. This is an amazing blessing and an exceedingly beautiful thing. I am grateful for good doctors and excellent medicines.

2. My Mother’s Healing. While mom continues to battle various health issues, she has conquered the most immediately threatening one, her hemolytic anemia. I gave her a priesthood blessing to this effect as well and feel it has also been fulfilled fully. She has been besieged by various health issues, but is too stubborn to let them get the better of her. Well-done, mom! I’m grateful she is feeling well enough to share fondue with us tonight.

3. Mountain Biking. I bought my boss mountain bike September 2009, but didn’t really get serious miles on it until I met Charlie Morgan in May. We mountain biked in amazing terrain an average of three days a week except vacation time from June to November. I whipped myself into probably the best shape of my life, and got pretty darn good at climbing. I climb all kinds of things that I had previously pronounced unclimbable, and that seem pretty unclimbable when you just look at them! I’m not nearly the beast that Charlie is, but I do reasonably well. Highlights of the year included the bugling elk on the hillside 150 yards away in the fall and the wild turkeys we would often scare into flight.

4. Snowshoeing and Cross-Country Skiing. I bought equipment for both at the end of the season in 2009, but only did a little with them until January 2010, when I fell madly in love with both sports. The snow sparkles in both sun and moonlight, the trees stand draped with wreaths of white, and the silence invites harmony with God and self. Theo is delightful as well, running hither and yon tirelessly, tail wagging, as happy as any dog ever was and as happy as God intends us all to be. Ellen now enjoys snowshoeing too, which is lovely!

5. Canyoneering. OK, I know. . . enough of the outdoors sports! But, ladies and gentlemen, life is good. I’ve reached the point in my life where I have the time (thanks to growing children!) and means (thanks to a good job) to finally explore things I always figured I would love. I first experienced canyoneering about 8 years ago with the priests’ quorum. I always hoped to get back to it. Attempting to survive winter semester and attempting to find Adrienne a good class, I stumbled across a canyoneering class at BYU. The good professor allowed me to sit in, and well, I have a new love. I’ve done four amazing canyons and have only scratched the surface. I plan to get Boy Scout climbing-certified as a way to learn more (there’s lots to learn!) and then share this astonishing sport with others.

6. I am more than half-way done with my term as chair. I generally (with notable exceptions!) do not mind the nature of the work. I mind the fact that it takes me away from things I love more, such as teaching and research. That has become more difficult as time has passed. When I teach a class, I resent teaching it because I have so much other work to do, and I hate that feeling. I see so many excellent research projects and wish I could do some. Anyway, I’m grateful that I’m on the downside of my time as chair, and I’m grateful that I still have excellent relationships with everyone in my department. I’m grateful I may have done some good in the process so far.

7. Continued Publishing Success. Despite the time-sink that is chair-hood, I have continued to harvest research projects I started before I entered the Black Hole. It was especially satisfying to just recently get a paper accepted at International Studies Quarterly that I first presented in 2005 and that was first conceived when I went to Copenhagen on a Fulbright Grant in 2001. That’s a long gestation period! It is so wonderful to finally have it see the light of day!

8. Fantasy Sports. Who knew it would be so much fun? Week in and week out. I’m fairly addicted. It’s been fun to re-discover boyhood loves of sports figures (am I correct in thinking I admired Brett Favre as a kid too? Was he playing then? J). And the trash talking is divine.

9. Nathan becoming a young man. I love my daughters to pieces, but they won’t watch sports or action flicks with me, and their hiking/camping limit is quite a bit shorter. Also, see number 8. I’m just about ready to buy Nathan a phone just so I can text him and talk to him about Fantasy Sports when he is with friends. Of course, the boy can’t remember a thing, so a phone is a bad idea. I already have two family members who rarely answer their phones! J

10. My Garden, Fruit Trees, etc. I have become a food snob. If I don’t grow it, I’m unlikely to eat it. Well, that’s a little overstated. But I have at least one thing on my table each day from April through November that I grow. It makes life deliciously wonderful! But it also means I’m pretty veggie-deprived in the winter!