It is time to bring my 30 Days of Giving Thanks in November to a close……..BUT generally I try to live every day with Gratitude. Even when things are down there and life hands you struggles there is so much to be thankful for. There have been days I merely feel grateful for my feet hitting the ground and others where I see the beauty in it all.
I want to thank EVERYONE who joined me and linked me on Facebook and enjoyed this right long with me!
Today I shared my completed list:
- Family – from my kids to my parents and every aunt/uncle, grandma/grandpa and beyond I am blessed beyond believe with the best family ever.
- Friends – including those beloved girlfriends. They bring a smile to my face each and every day and love me (crazy and all).
- Life's Learning Experiences……..life is not about the bumps in the road but what you learn from them, how you stand back up, brush yourself off and move forward all the wiser with your heart open.
- my job which allows me to be friends, interact, talk, and be with some of the most fun, inspiring people ever. We are kindred spirits and each know what creativity means to us as artists….it is who we are.
- My not so quiet weekend…….started with happy hour with friends, soccer (snack mom!), dinner with friends at my house (I don't even have to cook), homecoming dance for oldest, time with the kiddos……not so quiet but all mine. I ♥ and value this time.
- Sleeping in with an extra hour and waking up to Penny (aka "The Furball) curled up next to me. Oh how I love my bed! A "Just chillin' kind of Sunday".
- thankful for that quiet time in the morning when I give thought to my day ahead, just breath and am thankful for what lies ahead. It is that quiet time before all the morning hub bub……my time.
- giving up any possibility of perfection and happy with the person I am today….one who embraces her creativity and hopes she can positively impact those who cross my path in some small way.
- Thankful for that ah-ha moment when you learn the life lesson after a blip in the road and realize why you just had to go through that. You learn from it, let it go and live it up!……feels good.
- thankful for words…..the combinations that make up quotes and sayings that inspire me, teach me and motivate me to live a meaningful, puposeful, and yes fun life as I can. Sometimes the power of the written word is just what I need…..add music, all the better.
- thankful for those moments when you realize all that hard work and pounding the pavement was worth it and you will continue to do so with more passion. Who knows where it might take you.
- this cold rainy weekend that has given me quiet time to create and ground myself. Something that is all you need to recharge yourself.
- Me time…….knowing when I need it, making the most of it and just enjoying the quiet time to re-group and refuel.
- Thankful for Mondays where I put myself out there and share some creative time with "my people"…they get me. Inspiration comes back to me ten-fold.
- Girlfriends….those who stop by to just talk/laugh and our Taco Tuesdays………girlfriends are the best! They laugh with you, tease you, are ever so truthful and always keep your feet on the ground…they also make you laugh until you gotta pee!!
- Sick sons who are darling and sweet and who tell you "Mom, your the best mom ever" as he snuggles in…nearly 10 and still my baby
- a break from the stressful week that brought peace, smiles and good conversation after a long day.
- Seeing the smile on my daughter's face when her class sang Happy Birthday…they do it for everyone, no surprise but her face turned red and her smile could not be larger. I got to see that.
- For this Saturday that had a bit of sports, the kid's and I cleaning our home in anticipation of our girl Chrissy Lou coming tomorrow, some creative time and ended with us all watching TV and coming together………..perfection.
- Thankful for my twins on their birthday today…they changed my life in so many ways and I love being the mom of my three kids.
- Family time with my cousin, Christine here. Making the most of each moment we have with her this holiday week.
- Ever so thankful for the relationship with my family….girl's night out with my cousin watching the sunset and talking, laughing and just being us.
- Thankful for Penny, better known as "The Furball"….she has brought more love into this house than I imaged. Her black fur counters my OCD every day and reminds me not to sweat the small stuff so much….she also has taken up new sleeping arrangments in my covers. ♥ her company!
- for taking in Thanksgiving as a family…..I took in EVERY moment with the kids, talking to my family via Skype and being together. I truly am blessed……Happy Thanksgiving!
- Quiet moments……no kids, everyone off and silence. That time to regroup, watch a chick-flick, snuggle in bed (see #23 as now "The Furball has her own spot) and just have "me" time.
- Good friends who call you up, get your rear out the door to go to new places and just relax. My friends are amazing.
- Thankful for beautiful Sunday drives, my camera and stopping to take in everything around me. Forget responsibilities and just BE in the moment.
- Monday NIGHT LIVE with my fellow artist friends and peeps……….they get me. They motivate me and they inspire me. When you open yourself up to putting yourself out there you find a whole new world you never expected!
- Best friends……….who buy you a glass a champagne, toast to the ups and downs and remind you just how special you are. There is nothing like BFF's! (thanks Kelly)
- Thankful all those who joined me in this little endeavor and linked me on Facebook to tell me just how much the process meant to them. This gratitude journey is never over and I am reminded daily just how blessed I am! ♥ to you all!
Now we have to do something with this list! I am putting my thinking cap on and we are going to get creative!!
"Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." ~ Melody Beattie