For so much I am thankful

I all but completely dropped the ball on my 30 Days of Thanks posts due to one of the busiest weeks of my life since my wedding. With Thanksgiving and my parents' 50th wedding anniversary party only two days apart, there were tasks to be accomplished, projects to be completed, and out of town guests to visit. Needless to say I am beyond thankful for every last bit of it. My goal is to catch up on posts in the next couple of days but the truth is I am still in decompression mode.
p.s. Why is it that the older I get the harder it is to take a decent photo? Seriously, I can not remember the last time I looked even remotely decent in a picture. Sheesh. I try not to be overly critical of myself, but I can't help of think of that episode of Friends where Chandler and Monica are taking  photos and he looks like he is being poked by needles in every single one. I am Chandler. And I am off to practice angled chin poses right now.

11.18 & 19.12

Yesterday I was so exhausted that although I really, truly did think about that for which I was grateful, I just didn't have it in me to actually get it written.

Yesterday I was grateful for the couple of hours of kid and husband-free time I had to actually tackle a couple of party projects. It's amazing how much I can accomplish in less than 3 hours when there is nobody around! Surely that makes me sound like a bad mom and wife, but I am totally OK with it. Because spray adhesive and little boys do not mix.

Today I am thankful for a couple of things: that sweet spot on my pillow this morning that was the perfect mix of cool crisp cotton and fluffy down where I felt I could hold my head forever (until a certain little boy knuckled me in the side of the head anyway); a very productive day in terms of party projects even with aforementioned little guy helping to spray paint and "gently apply the glitter" oh my gosh how does the lid just happen to fall off the bottle when in his little hands?!; and finally, I am forever thankful that my dad taught me how to make the best spaghetti sauce. Seriously, so easy and so good. Which also, I guess, makes me thankful that I don't have to be one of those people who buys pasta sauce in a jar. 

11.16.12

Today I am thankful for a sister that thinks like I do. Togther we dream big, chat too much, and accomplish too little.

11.15.12

Today I am grateful for the little bit of free time I have between the time the boys go to bed and the time I do. It is never quite as much as I need, but surely it is more than I deserve.

11.14.12

Today I am thankful for the amazing sunrise that started my day. Up until a week and a half ago I missed the sunrise every morning because I arrived at work before even the slightest hint of it could be seen. Since the time change, however, my mornings have been a little more inspired.

11.13.12

Today I am especially thankful for Rosa who takes such amazing care of the boys on Tuesdays. I will never understand how she can accomplish in one day what takes me a week in this house.

11.12.12

Today, though my heart is heavy, I am especially grateful for the 13+ years I had with my big orange kitty Chachi. What a tough morning.

11.11.12

Today I am thankful for those who serve our country. No sacrifice is greater than that made by so many to protect our freedom and defend our country.

11.10.12

I am especially thankful for Saturday nights on the couch with my husband, Thai take-out and Mad Men. The most perfect kind of evening.

11.9.12

Today I am feeling thankful for the crisp fall air that has finally arrived! It is just the inspiration I need to get in the spirit around here.

11.8.12

I am thankful for the drive-thru at Starbucks that allowed me to stay dry as I got my coffee on my way to work this morning.

11.7.12

Today I am thankful for the influence and control I still have over my young boys. Gabe and I were fortunate to go to a screening of the heart-wrenching documentary Bully tonight and were made painfully aware of the reality that exists when you send your kids out into the world.

11.6.12

Today I am thankful for my freedom, for my right to vote, and for my tiny voice being heard.

11.5.12

Today I am thankful for the public library. So much for all of us and all for free. On a related note: I am not overly thankful, however, that today Anderson insisted on checking out a book entitled  "Where is Grandpa?" about a boy who loses his grandpa. I am crossing everything I've got to keep him from asking questions about that one.

11.4.12

So very thankful for those who donated money and walked along side us this morning to support little Sully in his fight against type 1 diabetes.

11.3.12

Thankful for date night, the babysitter, and a baby that stayed asleep the whole time we were away.

11.2.12

Today I am most thankful for a three-year-old who said, "Mommy, I love this place!" while in the waiting room at the doctor's office (I don't think I've ever met a kid who loves going to the doctor as much as he does!). I am even more thankful for stronger antibiotics and a positive diagnosis of improvement.

For so much I am thankful

In so many ways I make it a point to avoid doing things that everyone else does simply because, well, everyone else does them. I suppose it is the loaner who still lives inside of me. Regardless, there are some things that supersede my silly idiosyncrasies for the sheer fact that they do, in fact, serve to make me a better person.

Being thankful is certainly not something I struggle with, but it is something that I so often do not take the time to contemplate on a daily basis. As a matter of fact I am fairly certain the last time I wrote in my gratitude journal was some time in 2009. And so I will join so many others and make the effort each and every day this November to express my gratitude. It's a little hokey and I'm not going to be posting on Facebook and bragging about my righteousness or anything, I simply want to take the opportunity to reflect a bit on how much good really does exist all around me.  Sure, I could sit down and make a list right this moment of 30+ things for which I am thankful, but I am making it my personal challenge to give thanks for something that occurs each and every day. Heck, some days I may find more than one thing and it goes without saying that there will be days where my gratitude will be expressed for something as pathetic as the fact that I got my teeth brushed because that, indeed, can be a feat on certain days. I will not make this fancy, I will not attempt to photograph everything nor will I create some sort of template in an effort to look good while being humble. I want to keep the focus as clear as possible without the distraction of meeting my own ridiculous expectations. So here is to finding the good, acknowledging life as it happens, and focusing on the positive. Today I am thankful.

Today I am thankful for a best friend who does not care that the house is a mess or that dinner is the same as it was the last time she was here; who is able to leave off and pick up a conversation without so much as a "where was I?" when the kids are up to no good (which is all.the.time.); and who doesn't need to be asked to carry on feeding Beck while I am spraying off the remains of Anderson's puked-up dinner not even 2 minutes into our meal. It truly was quite a night.