Love is in the air...

For the past couple of weeks, the hundreds of little store windows we've gone by in Santo Domingo and Santiago have been decked with all-red clothing, accessories, and trinkets in preparation for Valentine's Day, Día de San Valentín, or Día del amor y amistad. Since I don't have any handsome guy to trade cards or chocolates with this year (as usual), I've decided to console myself by thinking of some things I love. These have largely been shaped by my experiences traveling and giving service over the past few years.

Living in the Dominican Republic for a month has definitely opened my eyes to new things to love about life, as well as appreciation for the blessings I already have!

Here are 25 Things I Love (in the random order they came to my mind):

1. Peanut butter (after not eating it for a month!)
2. Bon frozen yogurt with fruit
3. Fresh pineapple and bananas
4. Full-time senior missionaries who use a lifetime of experience and testimony into serving the Lord in whatever area and assignments they are called
5. Air conditioning
6. Temples! There is a special, familiar peace you feel there and a time for personal revelation and rejuvenation, wherever you the world.
7. Taking the Sacrament each week in church, no matter where you are
8. Strangers who see you are lost or need help and offer direction and advice
9. Traffic laws in the US that make life more sane and organized...
10. The Holy Ghost as a constant companion

11. Friends back home who care about my feelings and experiences
12. Opportunities for education and jobs to progress and support myself and future family
13. Converts to the Church who commit fully to following Christ's teachings, despite influences around them
14. General and local authorities of the Church who sacrifice their own time, energy, and resources to serving the Lord and building others up
15. The skills I learned as a missionary coming into play in new facets of my life (working with a companion, planning, teaching, following the Spirit, obeying rules, taking care of yourself, being aware of people around you, opening your mouth to invite and testify of Christ...)
16. BYU scholarships and funding that make my education and internship experiences possible
17. Inspired materials and processes set up by the Church to help members succeed personally (Self-Reliance Initiative, Institute, Pathway)
18. Different Spanish accents
19. Health
20. My family at home who loves and supports me in everything I do! And makes funny faces when I FaceTime.

21. Making new friends in new places
22. A happy childhood that set a foundation for my future
23. Ability to make goals and pursue things with the Lord's help that will be enjoyable and fulfilling
24. Wifi, when it's good
25. Learning and applying principles of the Gospel through study, prayer, meetings, life experiences and repentance

Carolina and I made Valentine's for a lovely little exchange in the Self-Reliance Services office!
We also heart-attacked the apartment doors of a few of our senior missionary couple friends! We love them all!