A November of Gratitude: Week 2

What a great message, and the more I find, the happier I become!

Tangibles

I know, you're thinking, things??  I have a feeling this list will not be what you anticipate.  Possibly, they'll be things you'd consider quite the opposite.  But, the beauty of this month of gratitude is appreciating what we have, all of it!  

1. Our Puppies

Logan

Lil Bit

Oh, these guys!  The unconditional love they show to us is unmatched.  But there is nothing more amazing than watching them with our son.  Logan took some time to get used to having a new little guy in the house, but he is very protective of his baby brother.  Lil Bit came into our lives around Colin's first birthday and has forever been as sweet as she can be with him.  Truly tolerant and lovey with her little boy!  So glad he has some furry buddies to grow up with until we bring home a sibling for him!

2. Our Happy Home

  So, lately I have been running a list of all of the things that I want to change in our house; replace the carpets with hard woods, re-painting, etc.  Again, finding the gratitude in what we have.  When I think about it, our home really is beautiful.  We have a gorgeous cul-de-sac lot with a giant fenced yard, perfect for the dogs and baby.  We have plenty of space and all of the rooms that each of us need (man cave, playroom and office included!).  We really are so blessed to call it ours!

3. Stretch Marks

 Yep, those.  Now, I'll be honest, this picture was from a Google image search, not my own.  I decided I'd rather not make you all throw up in your mouths at the rest of my mid-section.  That said, I am happy and quite proud of my stretch marks.  No, seriously.  They are the marks of growth and change, but most importantly the marks of me becoming a mommy.  Now, I can't blame pregnancy for the ones on my "cheeks," however the ones on my chest and belly are reminders of my time carrying Colin. And, while being pregnant was not my favorite time in my life, I will always appreciate these ones when I pass my hand over them for the blessing of being able to carry and deliver a healthy baby.  We women are so lucky to have that.

4. Piles (and Piles) of Laundry

Laundry is certainly a tedious and never-ending task, especially when your family starts growing.  Living in a house with two males and two dogs definitely keeps my laundry room on a regular cycle.  But the beauty of that is actually living with them.  If I didn't have the piles and baskets to wash and fold, I wouldn't have a reminder of how many people I'm blessed to be surrounded with.  Grateful for endless laundry, who knew?!

5. Cookbooks

Ok, I know this sounds crazy, but I am not what one would call a good cook.  I'm not awful, and I am trying to learn, but what OCD girl could learn something without exact measurements and instructions?  I remember Christmas baking with my mom and sisters from a very young age.  That has always come easily, given the precise directions.  The Betty Crocker cookbook above was the first one I can remember and, even though the cover is no longer attached, we all still use it when at my parents' house.  The other two above are my favorites and go-tos.  The top is one I actually created of family and Christmas recipes as a gift for my family several years ago on a site called TasteBook.  Such a cool site that lets you pull in your recipes and pictures, as well as published ones.  They are binder-bound and hard-covered, but make sure you add a clear plastic protector page of your own while cooking!  The bottom one was a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law that she created on Shutterfly.  Another precious collection of family recipes and reminder of the warm welcome my in-laws have always given me.  Entirely grateful to learn the craft from the greats; Betty, Terry and Melanie!

6. The US Military (and their families) 

As Veteran's day is approaching, we all need to take a moment to thank the amazing men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom.  It may not be something that we do every day, and definitely not often enough, but their sacrifices keep us not only free, but safe.  I'm not sure there are words enough to cover the thanks for that.  I've always thought even the families at home were heroes in their own rights, as they sacrifice their time with their loved ones.  We are all touched by these brave soldiers. some of them closer than others.  Thank you to all of them, but especially our cousins Bryan, Robbie and Josh Hill, and our amazing grandfathers, Dan Donovan, Denver Clark and Bob Hill, who fought in WWII.  You are all my heroes!

If you have the time or means, some great places to donate or thank them are:   Wounded Warrior Project & The Bert Show's Big Thank You (they do it every year!)

7. Weekends

by Heather Stillufsen

Maybe the least tangible thing on this list, but no less important for being so.  Besides, this is tangible, right?

 

Anyway, definitely thankful for my lovely weekends.  It could be for many reasons; I worked retail for way too many years, sleeping in, relaxation, etc.  But the biggest reason is the bliss of two straight days to spend with my sweet family.  There is nothing better than having this time with my boys!  As I did in a previous post, I will leave you with a song that fills my heart every time I hear it and thank God that I am lucky enough to enjoy my Saturdays with them.  "Saturday Morning" by Rachael Yamagata.  You're welcome.

8.  THIS Blog

Oh so many thanks to give for this!  What an amazing forum for my sister and myself to share our dreams and ideas!  I can't tell you what a precious gift that is.  We truly love it and thank each of you for coming back to read our crazy rantings post after post.  Thank you also to those of you that helped inspire us to FINALLY start this and find joy in it (friends, co-workers, siblings, parents and especially Deed, you know we had to do it for you!)  Forever grateful for this opportunity and hopeful we can watch it grow!

Guys, again I will encourage you to start your own list.  I really can't explain the difference it is making in my attitude, but also in my heart.  So many things to be grateful for.  Join me for Week 3, when I dig into the intangibles that keep me smiling.

xo