1. Electricity!  I can't help but be reminded that this is a luxury I often take for granted.  If I find 15 minutes without power hard to endure I can only imagine life without any at all.

2. Running water - The plumbing issues we dealt with this past year really reminded to be grateful for this convenience.  Whenever I was frustrated having to walk out to the curb to turn on the water so I could refill pitchers and buckets, I thought about how much harder it would have been to have to walk to a river and carry those buckets back, or dig a well.  

3. Family - I have been blessed in this area more than I can ever express.

4. Friends, old and new - All this time spent on Facebook reading all the posts of friends who are snowed or "iced in" makes me grateful for all the wonderful friendships I have made.

5. Facebook - see 4.  The little window it gives me into the lives of my friends and family is something I am extremely grateful for.  I have renewed so many friendships that I had hated to lose.  I have also met many new friends who have enriched my life in so many ways.  This tool has seriously expanded my world.

There are so many more blessings I could list but these are the 5 that have been most on my mind today.

What are some of the things in your life you take for granted but "couldn't live without?"