I got up early this morning so I could have some quiet time to reflect on the year that is/was 2009. The house is still quiet. The only sound is my fingers on the keys of the laptop. Ahhh…wonder how long that will last. Right now, it’s just me, the computer, and the Lord. And, I’ve got so much to be thankful for this year. I thought I’d share with you.

So, here are my Top Ten Blessings of 2009:

10. The Internet – Seriously consider this a blessing. It allows me to connect with friends and family. It allows me to find out things I don’t know. And, even things I didn’t know I didn’t know.

9. House of Hills Blog – I’ve been playing with blogging for about a year and a half, and have just recently started doing it for “real.” I LOVE it. It’s such a creative outlet. And, if people don’t want to read it, that’s fine. If people learn something from me, that’s great. If I help one extended family member feel a little closer to us and give them a glimpse of our lives, that’s awesome.

I feel like Twitter should be in here somewhere… hmmm…

8. Mommy Blogs – This kinda goes with #9. To get into blogging, you’ve got to read blogs. And man o man have I been reading blogs. And learning SO much about how other people do the whole house running thing and parenting and cooking and cleaning. It’s amazing. Hmmm…maybe next week I’ll do a top ten blogs I read…. that’s an idea. But, to narrow it to ten…

7. My love of cooking – This is a huge blessing. It gives me a way to give to others and to spread love and cheer. I feel really blessed that I’m able to bring a smile to someone’s face with muffins or a freezer meal. I LOVE to help people, and my love of cooking seems to be a real conduit for helping others. (Now, please note that I’m not a Martha, I’m a Betty. So, we’re not talking huge, fancy meals coming out of this house. We’re talking casseroles. Just wanted to clarify.)

6. My neighborhood – I’ve got an AWESOME neighborhood. Friends you can call at a moment’s notice when you’re not feeling great and say “Can my kid come and play?” Neighbors who will watch your kid at the pool while you run and get the pizza for dinner or vice versa. A safe place to ride your bike where you know everyone is watching out for each other’s kids. Yep, I have a great neighborhood. One of the things I’ll REALLY miss if our house ever sells and we move to the other side of town (closer to our jobs). Anyone want a house in a great neighborhood? Tee hee hee…

5. My job – I work for an amazing company doing work that directly affects children’s relationships with their Heavenly Father. I get to do that – and get paid. What’s even more awesome is how family friendly they are. I work from home a lot and go into the office a couple times a week, with the understanding that I leave to make it to the bus stop on time. The people I work for are amazingly supportive, and I have grown SO much in the last two years. My job is an amazing blessing.

4. My church – We LOVE LOVE LOVE our church. We love their mission (and that they stay on mission). We love their programming. We love our small group. We love our child’s small group leaders. Ya, it’s a blessing…

3. My little girl – Wow! She has grown so much over the last year. Each month week day brings out a new aspect of her personality – the young woman she’s becoming. She’s seven now, and what a fun age! She has become someone you can hang out with – cook with, go shopping with, go to the movies with. She’s just a hoot. And, she’s becoming so much more responsible. It’s amazing to watch her grow. And daunting to know that we’ve been given the task of molding her into the woman God desires her to be. Oh my, this could get really deep and overwhelming.. Next!

2. My sweetie – My other half. Seriously a HUGE blessing. HUGE. Who would I be if I hadn’t met him? I can’t even imagine. I did a top ten blog on him this fall. That’s how much I love him. He got his own top ten. And what blows me away often is that he loves me back – personality quirks and all. We are so very thankful for our marriage.

1. My Savior – Christmas always serves as a reminder to put it all back in perspective. Our greatest gift. The only gift we really need is the Savior. Born and died for us. What a blessing.

So, those are my top ten blessings. And now that I’m all mellow and introspective….

Wanna see more top tens? Click on over to Ohamanda.com and see who else has linked up.